A: Liquid Shot provides quick energy when you need it most. It also helps prevent cramping, and it’s engineered for fast, easy uptake from gut to blood and blood to muscles, so you can pop it on the hottest days and during intense efforts without putting your stomach and GI tract in distress.

A: The short answer? Liquid Shot is more effective at preventing cramps, contains more calories, and delivers electrolytes and fuel faster.

And here’s the Bucci answer: Whatever traditional gel you’re comparing it to, Liquid Shot has more electrolytes. Ditto calories. Try it, and let us know if we’re wrong. It’s also got all five electrolytes instead of just one or two, which research shows improves uptake and increases overall cramp prevention.

Liquid Shot’s also different in what it omits. It doesn’t contain any gums or thickening agents that can slow fuel absorption and contribute to the gut punch of eating traditional gels during intense efforts. It also dodges other common ingredients that are ineffective or even counterproductive while exercising, including fructose (inefficient energy but often included for taste), vitamin C (impedes endurance performance), and amino acids (stymies caloric uptake).

A: Tonicity determines how quickly the body can absorb fluids and nutrients, impacting hydration and energy levels. Isotonic means it has a similar concentration of carbohydrates and electrolytes to human blood. This is ideal because it’s easy for the body to absorb and digest, and it’s part of the reason why Liquid Shot is able to deliver fuel faster than traditional gels. It also means you don’t have to chew Liquid Shot or slug a whole bottle just to choke it down – a requirement during punchy efforts or when you’re living on the rivet.

A: Yes, Liquid Shot delivers all 5 electrolytes to prevent cramping. Most traditional gels include only one or maybe two electrolytes, so they’re missing out on additional pathways and benefits that Liquid Shot’s comprehensive electrolyte suite provides. Liquid Shot’s magnesium is an especially oft-overlooked electrolyte that demonstrates extraordinary effectiveness at preventing cramps – learn more here.

A: We recommend you use bottles of EFS or EFS-PRO as your foundation and take Liquid Shot as needed for additional calories and electrolytes. That’s not a firm Use Directions statement, but for Liquid Shot, you should listen to your body or consider what’s coming up in your training session or on the race course. If your efforts are flagging or you’re feeling twinges in your muscles, take one. Research has also shown that an influx of carbs late in an exercise session can have an outsized effect on performance, so it’s always a good bet before the finale.

A: The latest research shows Fructose is not an ideal carbohydrate source during exercise. Traditional gels often include it as a sweetener, but unless conditions are just right and certain requirements are met, it’s just filler that makes your system work harder to digest and process it without netting an additional energy benefit. If you’d like to learn more, we abuse the poor sugar with research here.

A: Free form amino acids were left out because the new Liquid Shot is meant for a quick burst of energy and electrolytes. Amino acids can slow that uptake, so while they’re beneficial in the steady trickle carb supply game of, say, EFS or EFS-PRO, they don’t actually help Liquid Shot fulfill its primary function: Getting fuel and electrolytes into your system as fast as possible. Since they didn’t serve that ultimate purpose, they were cut. Again, Liquid Shot is a supplement to EFS and EFS-PRO, which both provide amino acids for other benefits, but that’s not Liquid Shot’s game.

A: There’s 25mg of caffeine per packet.  Find out why.