The folks at Kramp Krusher sent Theia some free samples of their product. On hot days I normally use Scratch in the bottle and supplement the electrolytes with Salt Sticks. Today I tried the Kramp Krusher. I took 5 at the start of the ride and 5 during the ride (as instructed). Along with Scratch in the bottle. Today was pretty hot and humid. So it was a good day to try them out.
I did not get dehydrated and can see replacing the Salt Stick with this. I didn’t get cramps, but I normally don’t. Only on really long, hard, and hot rides. They tasted good and the additional salt was perfect for the hot conditions today. I think Theia is going to do more research on the ingredients. That’s beyond my pay grade. I just use stuff and hope it does not hurt me.
About 1 hour after the ride I do have the “salt” feeling in my mouth. Not sure how to describe it. It’s the taste / feeling you get when you eat too much salt. I’m use to this feeling from Salt Sticks, and expect it after long hot rides when I eat salt.
I’m going to try them again tomorrow on a long, hot gravel ride. I’ll report my findings here.
I was finally able to put the Kramp Krusher chews to the test in two occasions:
During a 4-hour solo ride on a hot day with dew point over 70F (that is “code” for high moisture in the air). It was an endurance ride with 2-3 intervals per hour.
During 4 consecutive riding days (mini-training camp). On the first and third days the rides were 60 miles long, with a group, and had a lot of work in the explosive power zones (i.e., they were hard). The second and third days were about 2-3 hs long, and were training rides with targeted efforts/simulations. On the first 3 days the weather felt oppressive with, again, high dew point. The 4th day was pleasant.
My nutrition for these rides consisted of 40-50g of carbs for the first 2 hs, then 40-50g of carbs + 7-10g of protein in hours 3 and 4. Then about 20g more of carbs from Kramp Krusher chews.
For hydration, I had 5 Kramp Krusher chews immediately before the ride, then 5 chews every 45-60 min into the ride and drank about 22oz (650 ml) of water per hour.
My take-aways:
I felt great the whole time during all the rides. I had enough energy and felt well hydrated.
Up until now, I have used other electrolyte/carb mixes in my water bottle with good results, but I found that Kramp Krushers made me feel more energized.
I also felt that my core temp was lower with the chews when compared with the other products I have been using, even though the sodium content was almost the same. Perhaps this is because they are absorbed faster (i.e., “single-dose” as opposed to slow ingestion over time).
The taste was tangy, with the lemon and salt, which I really liked. I did not have the same “salty” feeling in my mouth that @dfriestedt describes above. Maybe he felt that because he was doubling it up with Skratch, although he also tried the chews with plain water after, so let’s see what he says when he reports back.
I liked the taste of plain, fresh water from my bottle as opposed to sipping a sweet mix for several hours in a row, which causes me “taste fatigue” after a while.
I love the portability of these chews! It is much easier to have these in my pocket - all I have to do is eat them. No need to fidget with powders and getting them mixed with water at stops (I am very clumsly).
The ingredients
All natural ingredients, which to me is a must! It’s also vegan, which I know many here will be happy about. I am not a vegan, but I do not like to consume any products with gelatin, so this is good news.
I found the electrolyte balance to work very well for my needs and love that they use sea salt. I sweat quite a bit and tend to lose quite a bit of salt.
Dextrose and glucose are a nice addition and energy boost. Better yet, it replaces the need for me to buy and carry the energy chews I’d normally use.
Other trace elements and minerals include calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, and iron, all of which are beneficial.
I don’t usually suffer from cramps, so I can’t attest to the product’s ability to reduce cramps.
Calcium lactate is an interesting ingredient here. I’ve seen research showing benefits on time to exhaustion from consuming calcium lactate (in cyclists), and others showing no benefit (other sports). Regardless, and as I said above, I felt really good throughout my rides, and therefore I am not too concerned about this one.
In conclusion, I really like this product and plan to use Kramp Krusher on my rides going forward.
This has peaked my interest - I also get “taste fatigue” and start feeling thirsty for just water. I am going to look into these. Thanks for the write up.
I’m intrigued especially since they are vegan. I think I’d much prefer to eat a chew than drink my electrolytes. Do they come in a big bag without being individually wrapped? Not a fan of lots of packaging.
Each bag has 10 chews, and they recommend 5 chews/hr, so each bag lasts for 2hs. I am going to see if I can workout a group discount with them- stay tuned!
Great news! Kramp Krusher will offer a 40% discount to all of our members! Coupon code coming soon and will be posted in the members-only area of the forum.
Very interested in this!!! Have a long ride this weekend and will have to stick with my usual, which is probably a good idea right @Coach_Theia, not to change it up right before a big event? I will definitely be using hydration tabs in all water bottles though. I dont think its supposed to be as oppressive as here in Chicago but in the mid-80s still is going to make for a long, hot ride
