Perpetuem = yuck!

Use something else - all the Hammer products taste nasty to me.... I know I won't use something I don't like, so that is my first criteria for drinks or gels or bars.

garagedog said:

Hammer nutrition Perpetuem (and Sustained Energy) taste absolutely horrible to me (1-2 scoops per large bottle). What do you guys do to make it taste better?

Try a different product.

Some people have said bad things about the "food" I eat on rides and how bad it tastes. To me it is fine. I was at an event and ended up with a bottle of a different product. I was desparate since I missed (dropped) the plain watter hand off so I used it. It made me gag and choke. I barrly drank to the next stop. I told both people I only wanted water. That is all they held.

I would not say the other product was bad. But it was bad for me and I will not use it. I also would not say you should use what I use. But it works well for me.

Instead of making your Hammer taste good. Why not find another product that works the same and you will drink.

Well, 2 reasons. First, this stuff works. 2nd, I have a large amount left and I assume there are helpful people on this forum who have been using this stuff for years.

garagedog said:

Well, 2 reasons. First, this stuff works. 2nd, I have a large amount left and I assume there are helpful people on this forum who have been using this stuff for years.

The lots left over I understand, that to me is kind of a smirk/gag and bear it untill it is gone.

I would question it working though. You need to use something that will keep you drinking, not preventing it. As soon as you start adding stuff to it to get you to drink it you will probably be changing the make up of the product.

You can add lemon, honey, whatever you want. Taste is different for everyone. If someone likes Hammer Gel straight, what are they to tell you. If someone likes to add habanero pepper juice to it, is it wrong?

You are going to get all kinds of answers to this, they are in multiple threads. Some people drink plain water, others coke, others honey, etc. You can search and find different answers. You just need to find what works for you.

Do not be so closed minded not to try a different product.

garagedog said:

Well, 2 reasons. First, this stuff works. 2nd, I have a large amount left and I assume there are helpful people on this forum who have been using this stuff for years.

Any energy drink or food only works if you can actually gag it down. I don't know about Perpetuem and I don't want to know. Sustained Energy was more than enough for me. Just horrible. It sort of tasted like it was made out of flour, a starchy taste with no sweetner and no flavoring.

It tasted bad during training but I thought that during a race I would be able to use it despite the taste because I would need the energy. That thought lasted about a third of a race. Now I have most of a five and half pound bottle of the junk. It's been sitting on one of my shelves for about five years.

Adding Hammer Gel for flavoring didn't seem to help much. It also seemed like a waste of perfectly good gel. Why use the gel to make a crappy product taste slightly more palatable when you can use the gel directly?

vadiver said:

The lots left over I understand, that to me is kind of a smirk/gag and bear it untill it is gone.

If someone can gag their way through a 5.6 lb. bottle of Sustained Energy then they have my respect. It would be like using raw potatos instead of energy bars.

Bro Deal said:

If someone can gag their way through a 5.6 lb. bottle of Sustained Energy then they have my respect. It would be like using raw potatos instead of energy bars.

I know, if I had a 5 lb jug of the stuff that was handed to me, it would have been pitched. $20 is not worth that much to me.

On my first gulp I thougth I was going to choke to death on the bike. I was out of fluid and at the base of a 2 mile 4% grade. I took about three gulps out of a 24 oz bottle and was able to pitch it at the top for plain water.

Other people sware by that product. Taste is definitely aquired.

vadiver said:

I know, if I had a 5 lb jug of the stuff that was handed to me, it would have been pitched. $20 is not worth that much to me.

On my first gulp I thougth I was going to choke to death on the bike. I was out of fluid and at the base of a 2 mile 4% grade. I took about three gulps out of a 24 oz bottle and was able to pitch it at the top for plain water.

Heh. I wonder if I could use 1/2 scoops in post ride smoothies. Currently I use Hammer whey protein powder for those. When that runs out I think I'll try to get rid of the Sustained Energy that way.

(just found out) A buddy of mine puts his Perpetuem in his flask. Mixes it thick with water until it is like pancake mix. His friend adds sugar free maple syrup for taste. I mixed in some Apple/Cinnamon hammer gel last night with the Perpetuem. Now that is a whole lot better!!!

I dont mind Perpetuam at all, though I too wish it did have more flavor to mask its inherent pastiness. I guess that makes me lucky!! Main thing for me is it doesnt repeat on me like other drinks do.

I have been thinking about trying Cytomax or Accelerade for shorter more intense races (crits and 40 mile races) though for the so called lactate buffering.