So now you know all about some of our biggest fluid replacement companies, and some of the smaller, newer ones. Now your next question may be, "Yeah, but how does this stuff taste?" That is where we come in—your Slowtwitch tasting panel. The results are in.

For starters, let me (and this is Slowtwitch editor Amy White writing) say right out that there’s nothing here that tastes bad. Some of the drinks were more palatable to one taster or another, so I’ve tried to sum up everybody’s views. The best advice I can give is to get out there and sample some products on your own. You never know where you might find the thing that works best for you. And, as always, test it in training, not on race day.

ELOAD: This product tastes great. It’s got a light, lemony flavor that I, at least, could imagine drinking all day. When taken in conjunction with the electrolyte capsules, you will want to drink all day—the product really does encourage you to keep drinking. One caveat: The instructions say you can either take the electrolyte capsule orally or dissolve its contents into your drink. If you choose the latter option, it may result in a taste that might be too salty for you.

GPUSH: Nobody in our panel didn't like it, but not everybody gave G-Push an immediate thumbs-up. Many of us liked it right away. For those of us who didn't, it grew on us. Some of you may be old enough to remember the soda pop Fresca, and its flavor is most reminiscent of this—without, of course, the bubbles. The taste is very light, not too sweet. The different formulations of G-Push for use during workouts (G1, G2 and G3) are designed to provide different levels of nutrients depending on how long the effort will be. Check the labels to make sure you’ll be getting enough calories.

ULTIMA: The tropical flavor of this product is light and encourages drinking. (We offered the Passion flavor to our testers, and this is clearly the best of Ultima's flavors -- it appears Ultima may have dropped its other flavors anyway). One issue is mixability: You may find a layer of sediment at the bottom of your water bottle. One of our tasters was particularly bothered by this, while others didn’t think it was a big deal. Ultima generates opinions. You either like it or you don't.

PROLYTE: The fluid replacement drink with caffeine. Our tasters liked the flavors, especially the citrus-themed ones, and liked the little jolt they got from the caffeine. One Ironman-in-training especially liked it on a long run in conjunction with energy gels. Said he could drink it all day.

GATORADE: What can you say about this product? It’s everywhere. You’ll probably encounter it at least once this season at a race. It comes in a host of flavors, and one is bound to suit you. I personally find every flavor except Lemon Ice to be too sweet or heavy-tasting, but our other tasters reported back happily on the myriad of flavors Gatorade sent us to sample.

SUSTAINED ENERGY: This is the drink the folks at Hammergel and E-caps recommend you take with you on a longer effort. It’s unflavored, although you can add flavor by dosing it with Hammergel. Some of our tasters found the lack of flavoring to be an issue, but we know one athlete who swears by it for her long, long rides and bricks. Our recommendation: If you know you want your drink to taste like something, squirt some Hammergel into the bottle (raspberry would be particularly tasty) and you’ll be fine. This is a higher-calorie drink that is meant to sustain you without the need for additional bars or gels. If you’re concerned about training or competing in hot weather, the folks at Hammergel recommend you use their Endurolyte capsules in conjunction with the Hammergel or Sustained Energy.