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Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Luna Sports Electrolyte Splash > Test Report by Amanda Tikkanen

LUNA SPORT ELECTROLYTE SPLASH
TEST SERIES BY AMANDA TIKKANEN
LONG-TERM REPORT
May 27, 2008

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Amanda Tikkanen
EMAIL: amanda@uberpest.com
AGE: 26
LOCATION: Southeast Indiana, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 4" (1.63 m)
WEIGHT: 145 lb (65.80 kg)

I have been hiking and backpacking since the spring of 2000 throughout Michigan and Indiana, covering several hundred miles, always with a dog by my side. Beau, my second trail dog, has been happily carrying a pack since 2002. My style of backpacking is moving from overnights to long distance hiking, including multi-day trips. Even though I have Beau with me, I'm usually the solo human on the trek, so I like to go as light as possible while still being comfortable. I document our adventures and misadventures on my website, www.uberpest.com.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Clif Bar & Co
Year of Manufacture: 2007
Manufacturer's Website: www.lunabar.com
MSRP: N/A
Listed Weight: 0.8 oz (23 g)
Measured Weight: 0.8 oz (23 g)
Flavors: Pink Grapefruit & Lime-ade

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Electrolyte Splash



The Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash comes in small papery packets. The material is shiny on the edges and has nutritional information on the back.

The literature enclosed with the Splash states "Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash is the first women's organic sports drink. [it has] just the right amount of carbs to fuel a woman's workout and keep her hydrated during activity." It adds there are "only 80 calories per 16 ounce serving."

The Splash is labeled USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) 80% Organic, and KSA (Kosher Supervision of America) kosher.

TRYING IT OUT

As there is a small supply of the product I am only commenting on the instructions and packaging in my initial report, and will comment on taste in the field report phase of this test.

TESTING STRATEGY

Unlike most of my test plans, my little buddy will not be helping me with this one. I will be eating the product as I would any sport supplement (sports drink, energy bar, protein bar, trail mix). For me this means pretty much just following the label. I'll report back on how this helps me maintain my energy during a hike, if indeed it does help.

Ever since I was in a cast and then brace last winter I have been having insane muscle cramps in my legs (possibly due to the atrophy, I'm still not sure). They have been better in recent months, but I can definitely tell if I've been pushing myself on the trail. I will see if I notice a difference in muscle fatigue and cramping while testing the drink. I will also be reporting on taste (doesn't matter if it works well if it tastes like Bantha fodder or something equally awful), the packaging, instructions, and anything else that comes up during the test phase.

It is still winter here in Indiana, and will be for the duration of this test cycle. Temperatures are expected to be 20-50 F (-6.5-10 C). Precipitation may be snow, sleet, or rain. The terrain will be gently rolling to steep hills.

SUMMARY

I look forward to testing the Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash. Please check back in approximately 3 months for my Field Report.

I thank Clif/Luna and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

After my initial report I received a larger supply of Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash to test. I received an additional 4 packets of each flavor giving me a grand total of 12 packets to test (6 of each flavor).

I consumed the Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash over the past 4 months on 6 day hikes, as well as on 5 afternoon bicycle workouts in Southeastern Indiana. Temperatures were 50-70 F (10-21 C). Weather was mostly dry with a couple of the day hikes finishing with scattered rain drops. Most of the terrain I encountered was hilly. I hiked on natural trails and rode by bike on pavement.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

While hiking I carried the Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash in my lumbar pack or in the top pocket of my day pack. While biking I carried them in my jacket pocket. I consumed the Sport Electrolyte Splash in addition to the Luna Sport Moons and Recovery Smoothie.

The packages were small enough that they didn't take up a noticeable space in my pack. The plastic-like paper of the packaging was very tough and hard to tear. I had to use the scissors on my multi tool to open the packages. I would like to say this is a bad thing, however even when banged around against other items in my pack the packaging never sprung a leak.

To use the product I emptied a package into a 16-oz (470 mL) bottle of water, as directed, and shook the bottle until the powder dissolved completely. This worked well for me.

When consuming the Electrolyte Splash I never noticed a difference in energy levels that was obviously from the drink-- that is, no noticeable bump from a sugar rush. This was likely because when I did drink the beverage I sipped a small amount at a time rather than gulping down an entire bottle at once. After I completed my workout I noticed my recovery time was much better than when I consume little or no snacks and plain water. I definitely didn't have as much muscle fatigue and cramping. On occasion I'd still get twinges in my calves and thighs, but not the hard cramps ("Charlie Horses") that I've become used to.

The flavors were decent to me. The lemon-lime flavor is similar to that of other lemon-lime sports drinks, not too sweet or too tangy. The pink grapefruit was a definite surprise in that it had a little bit of a "zip" to it, but it wasn't unpleasant. Neither flavor was overly sweet or sour to my tastes, however the lemon-lime did have a powdery aftertaste that is common to drink mixes.

CONTINUED USE

I will likely use this product again in the future because, despite the tough packaging, it is a useful way to get electrolytes and sugars while out on the trail or when working out.

SUMMARY

The Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash is a tasty way to help rehydrate while exercising.

I thank Luna Sport and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Read more gear reviews by Amanda Tikkanen

Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > Luna Sports Electrolyte Splash > Test Report by Amanda Tikkanen



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