Untapped Mapleaid Review
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Untapped Athletic Fuel was started in 2013 when professional cyclist partnered with Slopeside Syrup out of Vermont. The founders were all avid athletes who had recognized the value of pure maple syrup as an athletic fuel. Natural ingredients with a low glycemic index were just a few of the reasons these athletes developed Untapped Mapleaid Athletic Fuel.
The business of fueling athletes with calories and salts has really evolved over the last decade. With a plethora of athletic fuels on the market, you have to start reading labels to see what you are putting into your body. I am an avid runner and ultramarathoner and have really searched for an athletic fuel that doesn’t pump me full of artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, and preservatives. Untapped Nutrition seems to have nailed it with their simple, yet effective, combination of maple syrup, sea salt and a natural flavor.
Ingredients: Untapped Mapleaid Athletic Fuel
I ordered a multipack of single serving Mapleaid Athletic Fuel to see how I like it. The ingredients are so simple: Pure Maple Syrup and Organic Sea Salt. Depending on the variety you order, there may also be an additional ingredient such as grape juice or lime juice for flavoring. The simplicity of this combination is very appealing. The maple syrup is all natural and has a low glycemic index. This prevents the spikes and hard drops in energy as you endure long days of physical activity.
Nutrition Information
In a 32g single serve packet, Untapped Mapleaid contains 80 calories and 250mg-300mg of sodium (depending on flavor). Some varieties contain caffeine, also. The varieties I tested varied in potassium content from 64mg-80mg and an insignificant amount of magnesium (no value listed at 1% DV).
Although the natural ingredients in the Untapped Athletic Fuel was a huge plus, I did think that it was little low in electrolytes as an endurance fuel. I know that I am a heavy sweater and require a heavy dose of salts to keep fueled during long runs and on race day. The recipe was more than adequate for those who do not sweat so much or for a shorter training day but not necessarily an endurance race. I don’t know that I would trade the healthy combo of ingredients, though. I most often supplement my electrolytes with salt tabs which will be no different with Untapped.
Untapped Mapleaid Athletic Fuel is Easy to Use
Untapped is available in the single serving size packet or a bottle of 20 servings. The single serving size was easy to open with a perforated tear line. The tear opens half of the tube and keeps the small piece of trash attached to the packet. This is great at preventing the micro-trash litter that you see on trails from the top of energy packets and gels. The packet rolled up small and was easy to tuck away into my trash pocket. I did find that if I didn’t squeeze out every last drop of the runny mixture, it would leak out of the empty packet into my pocket. I started bringing along a baggie for the trash to prevent this from happening.
The 20 serving bottle has a self measuring reservoir on the bottle so you know exactly how much fuel you are adding to your water. This is genius, no-mess packaging that will make re-fills quick and the concentration of your mixture consistent as you track your fuel intake. The Mapleaid is intended to be added to water as a drink, but I did see in one promotional video that a person was drinking the concentrate right out of the packet (I didn’t try that).
How Does it Taste?
Untapped Mapleaid Athletic Fuel did not taste like other sugary athletic fuels on the market. The flavor has a strong tone of maple syrup, even in the other flavors I tried (grape and lime). I thought it was pleasant. There was not an overkill of the added flavors. If something is too strong, it can cause palate fatigue and make the athlete not want to drink more. I didn’t find that with the Untapped flavors.
The recommended mixture for the single serving packet is to mix with 12 ounces of water. I thought the mixture was a little sweet so I opted to mix with 20 ounces of water the next time I used it. The concentration will be a personal preference and I encourage you to find what works for you. With 80 calories per packet, is great natural source of fuel.
Final Thoughts
I love that Untapped put together an athletic fuel that is simple and clean. The maple syrup provides naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants traced back to nature. I put enough artificial ingredients in my body, I don’t need it during my workouts, too. Thank you, Untapped. This is a great fuel for light sweating athletes or for shorter training days. The taste is light and pleasant and easy to digest. Nice! Whatever your sport, Untapped can help you maintain you competitive edge.
Untapped has many different flavors and products available in their lineup of athletic fuels. The single serve packets of Athletic fuel run about $2.19 on the Untapped website. You can order a box of 20 for $36.95 which will bring the cost down to about $1.85 per packet. If you would like to order Untapped Mapleaid or check out all Untapped has to offer, visit their website at www.untapped.cc or www.amazon.com.
