OSMO Nutrition - Active Hydration - During-Exercise Hydration Powdered Drink Mix - Fastest Way to Rehydrate - Improves Power Output & Endurance - Blackberry - 40 Serving Tub

I had discovered and used Osmo years ago - I was very happy to see it become available again. I am not a fan of overly sweet hydration drinks, and Osmo's light flavor and sweetness is perfect for me. I drink more on rides because I don't mind the taste and I never feel the need to water it down like I do with other hydration mixes. As other reviews have said, there are small pieces of real fruit in there - it's not supposed to dissolve completely! I like the fact that it's made with real food and organic fruit. I even find myself buying the single-serve packets to take along on long rides, even when I'm doing an organized ride that provides hydration mixes. I'd rather make my own Osmo than drink the Gatorade, GU or other super sweet drinks that they provide. Most importantly, it work. I don't cramp, drink more and have more power when I ride with Osmo.

I used to race for a team that was sponsored by skratch labs and now that I'm no longer racing and just riding, I was looking for a drink mix that would do the job of hydrating me quickly and efficiently. Went to my LBS and they were out of skratch. I started doing some research online and found that Osmo came from the same creators of skratch, and that this is basically a refined formula.I won't get too wordy but I will say wow. It works. No bubbleguts, no cramps, pure hydration, and it tastes great! Would recommend to anybody. Doesn't hurt to use the same mix that 3x world champion Peter Sagan uses, either ;)

I received a trial package of this last year during the Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo. I kinda forgot about it after that.Later after doing some research and speaking with a nutritionist I decided to give Osmo a try on a nearly 50 mile, 5000 foot gain mountain bike ride. I was well hydrated. This stuff works. The idea is that your hydrating liquid ought not also be your source of energy/carbs. Gels, clif bars and Gatorade power many riders just fine so I consider this an "optional" way to go. I have found it worked well for me.The taste is somewhat bland and not too sweet. However I ended up finding something else that worked even better for me: EFS. The reasons are 1) Taste, and 2) Expense, and 3) Dissolve-ability (is that a word?) EFS tastes better (to me) and Osmo is EXPENSIVE and doesn't dissolve well. EFS dissolves better. EFS published some information (you can find it online) stating that using their product at HALF the recommended amounts will work just like Osmo. I've found this to be true.For carbs ("nutrition in the pocket") I now use soft candy (like Chuckles/Sunkist Gels) for short rides, adding Honey Stingers for somewhat longer rides and/or an almond butter & jam bagel for longer rides. I also usually have some dried nuts and fruit concoction in my pack too. I have had no problems with bonking or lack of energy using this program and will stick with it for now.I suggest trying Osmo and EFS (diluted to 1/2 of their recommendation) along with "food in the pocket." See if it works for you and if it does whether Osmo or EFS (or something else) is more your taste.

This product won’t fully dissolve. It leaves scaly, grainy residue in the bottom of the cup. I even tried using hot water and then cooling it off with ice, which usually works on other difficult-to-dissolve electrolyte drinks. No luck here. When I contacted the company they said they do this on purpose somehow as a “natural preservative” and that it falls to the bottom of the bottle so don’t worry about it. There are too many other products out there.

According to an article in Outside Magazine, Stacy Sims and Allen Lim developed a new hydration product that was low in sugar and electrolytes and made for quicker absorption. After they couldn't agree on how the product should be marketed, Sims founded OSMO and Lim founded Skratch Labs. I have used Skratch extensively in the past and wanted to see how OSMO compared.I have to say that they are pretty similar and therefore suffer from some of the same problems. One difference is that OSMO lacks some of the tartness of the Skratch mix. I have tried the blackberry flavor, and even when adding the right amount to water, it has a kind of "weak tea" taste to it. It seems to be more basic whereas Skratch is more acidic. Personally, I just find tartness a little more refreshing, but Skratch can also give you that "sour tongue" feeling (like you get after eating a bag of Sour Patch Kids) after drinking it for a couple of hours.The biggest problem I have with OSMO (and also Skratch) is that the calcium powder tends not to dissolve in water. As such, you're left with a crunchy, gritty slurry at the bottom of each water bottle you fill with OSMO. The science that I've read seems to say that the calcium is the active ingredient that regulates quicker absorption when compared to traditional sports drinks like Gatorade, which tends to have higher levels of salt (electrolytes) and sugar (carbohydrates). Still, it is frustrating to shake and shake a water bottle and still have undissolved bits at the bottom. And no, it's not undissolved dried fruit--I know the difference. This stuff is white, crunchy (like TUMS) and has no taste.I will say, though, that the stuff works despite the drawbacks. I rarely get cramps when I'm drinking OSMO (or Skratch) for that matter. But you really do have to keep drinking it to get the full effect. In other words, if you start out with OSMO and then move onto regular water, you will start to feel more bloated than you would previously. As such, it's a good idea to measure out some additional servings for when you need to refill. OSMO doesn't make any single serving packets like Skratch, so it's a little less convenient.