HIGH5 products are scientifically formulated to improve your performance. Used and trusted by some of the best athletes in the world, HIGH5 is all about getting the best out of you. Here we look at two important ingredients that can help you achieve more: 2:1 fructose and caffeine.
2:1 Fructose
HIGH5 Energy Drink is an advanced range of sports drinks that contain a revolutionary carbohydrate formulation known as 2:1 fructose. Research suggests that you should consume a maximum of 60g carbohydrate per hour from traditional sports drinks.
The recommended intake for new generation Energy Drink with 2:1 fructose can be substantially higher, at up to 90 gram per hour. The ingredients in Energy Drink help you to sustain your performance during endurance events and keep you hydrated by enhancing the absorption of water¹. That’s without any additional training!
How does 2:1 fructose work?
To understand how 2:1 fructose works, you need to consider how carbohydrate gets from a traditional energy or sports drink (containing a source of carbohydrate that breaks down to glucose and contains little or no fructose.) into your muscles where it will be used as fuel. After swallowing your drink, it sits in the stomach for a while before moving down to your intestine. During that journey, the various types of carbohydrate found in the drink are broken down to glucose by your digestive system. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body.
Before glucose can get from the intestine and into your blood stream where it will be carried to the working muscles, it must first pass through the intestine wall. It does this by using glucose transporters, which are similar to revolving doors.
But there is a problem. These transporters, or doors, only allow glucose to pass relatively slowly and this results in a bottleneck at the wall of the intestine. It’s thought that this glucose bottleneck is what limits the maximum amount of carbohydrate your body can absorb from a traditional sports drink to around 60 gram per hour.
HIGH5 Energy Drink contains a new type of carbohydrate formulation that can overcome the 60g per hour limitation. Energy Drink contains two parts maltodextrin to one part fructose.
Maltodextrin: This is a carbohydrate used in many traditional sports drinks. It’s a common type of carbohydrate that’s broken down to glucose by digestion and passes through the wall of the intestine at a maximum rate of 60g per hour.
Fructose (fruit sugar): is a unique carbohydrate that’s not broken down to glucose by digestion. Fructose passes through the wall of the intestine using a completely different set of doors to glucose (GLUT5). Fructose does not get caught in the glucose bottleneck and it can provide your working muscles with an additional 30g of carbohydrate per hour.
You can see from the diagram (left) how 90 gram of the 2:1 formulation could be absorbed each hour. As carbohydrate is the primary fuel for endurance sport, the more carbohydrate you have available, the faster and further you will be able to go. A number of independent research studies on the HIGH5 Advanced Nutrition Guides based on 2:1 fructose drinks have clearly demonstrated a substantial performance and endurance advantage when compared to traditional sports drink formulations.
To benefit from 2:1 fructose sports drinks with caffeine, you must use them correctly. Our HIGH5 Advanced Nutrition Guides are sports specific, cover every major event distance and provide you with a step-by-step nutrition strategy for your particular body weight.
The revolutionary 2:1 fructose formulation with key electrolytes is used in Energy Drink, Energy Drink Caffeine, Energy Drink Caffeine Hit and Energy Drink with Protein.
Benefits of caffeine as a stimulant
The International Society of Sports Nutrition states that:
Caffeine is effective for enhancing performance when consumed in moderate dosages (~3-6 mg/kg).
Caffeine exerts a greater ergogenic effect when consumed in an anhydrous state as compared to tea / coffee. (All HIGH5 products use caffeine anhydrous).
It has been shown that caffeine can enhance vigilance (focus) during bouts of extended exhaustive exercise.
Caffeine is ergogenic for sustained maximal endurance exercise, and has been shown to be highly effective for time-trial performance.
Caffeine supplementation is beneficial for high-intensity exercise, including team sports such as soccer and rugby, both of which are categorized by intermittent activity within a period of prolonged duration.
The scientific literature does not support caffeine induced diuresis during exercise, or any harmful change in fluid balance that would negatively affect performance. In short, it does not make dehydration worse.
Energy Drink Caffeine Hit is a 2:1 fructose drink with 140mg caffeine per 500ml for a one-time caffeine hit.
Energy Drink Caffeine is a 2:1 fructose drink with 30mg caffeine per 500ml for continuous use throughout exercise.
ZERO Caffeine Hit is a zero sugar/calorie sports drink with 75mg per tablet (one tablet makes 500ml).
Energy Gel Caffeine and Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine contain 30mg caffeine per gel sachet.
Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine Hit contains 100mg caffeine per gel sachet.
HIGH5 Energy Drink
Energy Drink is a scientifically formulated carbohydrate and electrolyte solution to help you sustain your performance and enhance your hydration during endurance exercise. Get yours here.
¹Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions enhance the absorption of water during physical exercise and contribute to the maintenance of endurance performance during prolonged endurance exercise. Caffeine contributes to an increase in endurance capacity. Consume 3 mg/kg body weight caffeine at least one hour prior to exercise and avoid caffeine consumption for at least 12 hours prior to consumption. Caffeine helps to increase alertness and improve concentration. It is not recommended to exceed a daily intake of 400mg of caffeine from all sources (200mg for pregnant or breast-feeding women).