Nuun is one of the most popular hydration products out there. Last week I talked about electrolytes and do you really need them? Followed by Liquid I.V. and now Nuun.
Truthfully I wasn’t sure I would even review Nuun because most runners have heard of the brand. But a few haven’t, which might be what led you to my blog in the first place. Finally, I was asked a few times to review the different types.
When Nuun first came out, I was a skeptic. During races, I prefer something with sugar. During hard workouts and races, my body runs better when I have it. During the day and living my everyday life, my body prefers something with less sugar.
I can’t remember when I first tried Nuun. It was sometime between 2012-2014.
What exactly is Nuun?
First, Nuun is pronounced: “Noon.” It was the first company to separate electrolyte replacement from carbohydrates (which lowered the calories). It also resulted in a healthier electrolyte beverage. There are a time and a place when our body needs sugar to survive and run well, but it isn’t all of the time. During the day, most runners don’t need sugary sports drinks.
Over the last decade, Nuun has come a long way in hydration. They are well known by many runners and have developed several new products.
What makes Nuun Products Different:
- Vegan
- Kosher
- Non-GMO
- Gluten-Free
Nuun Products:
- Sport: is the original and OG of Nuun products. It was created to replenish electrolytes and vital minerals that you lose when you sweat. It can be used before, during, and after your workout. It also comes in the caffeinated variety.
- Immunity: Nuun Immunity uses a proprietary blend of anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and electrolytes. This helps build immunity, which can help fight against common cold and flu symptoms.
- Rest: Nuun Rest contains ingredients like tart cherry, potassium, and magnesium to help optimize your body for relaxation.
- Vitamins: Nuun Vitamins contain 11 essential vitamins and minerals that are usually under-consumed in everyday diets.
- Instant: The fastest way to get electrolytes, Nuun Fast, is formulated with the World Health Organization’s guidelines for Oral Rehydration Therapy. It uses a specific blend of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals to hydrate the body faster than water alone.
- Prime: Also known as the Nuun “pre-workout,” Prime is a pre-workout drink mix is designed with electrolytes, vegan BCAAs, and adaptogens to maximize hydration, increase mental focus, and support muscles.
- Endurance: If you are going for a longer workout, Nuun Endurance is the way to go. It’s the choice with calories (60 per serving) and designed with carbohydrates and complete electrolytes to keep you moving.
- Recover: Nuun Recover is designed for post-workout and to rehydrate and start muscle repair. It contains carbohydrates, electrolytes, and BCAAs. The BCAA blend intensifies your protein potency, delivering the muscle recovery benefits of 30g of protein.
What is Nuun Product right for your needs?
Pre-workout: Prime or Sport
During a Workout: Sport, Endurance, Instant
Post Workout: Recover, Sport
During the Rest of the Day: Sport, Immunity, Vitamins
Before Bed: Rest
My Experience:
Nuun tablets easily dissolve into water. Allow them a couple of minutes to completely dissolve before taking a sip. I cannot emphasize enough that you aren’t supposed to “eat the tablet,” which I’ve seen a few times working in the run specialty. Your body will not thank you. The tablets do dissolve faster in warmer water.
One thing to note about any of the Nuun tablets is they aren’t as sweet as many brands. Some flavors I feel as though I need to double up or mix it with something else to bring out the flavors. It reminds me a lot of seltzer water. A lot of people prefer the “less sweet” flavoring. I do during the day, but I want something with a little more flavor and sugar during hard workouts. Although it’s all personal preference and some people’s stomachs cannot handle a lot of sweetness. The only right answer is to trial and error what works for you.
Do you “feel the caffeine” in the Nuun Caffeinated varieties? Yes, and you will feel like you had a cup of coffee.
Do you “fall asleep faster” with Nuun rest? No, but you do get more restful sleep. Maybe you fall into a deeper sleep or wake up less. The Nuun Rest won’t “knock you out” like sleep medicine, but your sleep should be more restful.
Cons:
With all of the great things, Nuun has there must be cons? The two big concerns I have are the packaging and cost.
Packaging: Nuun tablets come in cases with X amount. That is a lot of plastic and disposable containers. While they have provided many ways to reuse these containers, I cannot look past it. I wish there were an option to buy in bulk (say 100) to bypass the waste.
Cost: Nuun products cost anywhere from $7 to $35. It’s also hard to overlook that when many similar products can be found for much cheaper. The quality of Nuun is good, but it is on the more expensive since.
Conclusion:
There are many different products by Nuun for each purpose, from pre-workout to workout and post-workout. Despite being pricier, I appreciate they have the runner and endurance athlete in mind.
You can try Nuun for yourself here and see more product reviews here.
Questions for you:
Have you tried Nuun products?
What is your hydration product of choice?