Why we stock Voom at Crib Goch Outdoor
Voom sits in a different position to mos of the energy gels or bars you may be familiar with seeing on the shelves. Voom's beetroot-based POW Plant bars bring dietary nitrate supplementation, which brings a well-researched evidence base for improving oxygen delivery to working muscles, into a food product. As trail runners and hikers spending long days in the mountains of Eryri, we appreciate the combination of sustained carbohydrate energy and improved blood flow noticable performance and endurance benefit rather brings. The ElectroBytes chews address a specific and common problem: muscle cramp and dehydration in the latter stages of long efforts, which a standard energy bar may not resolve. Having both products in your kit covers energy and electrolytes from a single, compact, food-based source.
What we stock and how each product works
The Pocket Rocket Electro Energy Bar is Voom's core energy bar, providing roughly twice the carbohydrate of a standard energy gel in a bar format with added electrolytes and B-vitamins. Currently available in raspberry and lemon, and lime flavours. We like that this is suitable for consumption during activity when you need fast energy and want to replace salts lost through sweat simultaneously. The Caffeine Kick Energy Bar adds caffeine for a improved focus and a performance boost during hard sections or the final push of a long effort when you're most likely to make a mistake. The POW Plant bars are the pre and during activity option built around beetroot. Each bar delivers 200mg of dietary nitrates from freeze-dried beetroot, which the body converts to nitric oxide to widen blood vessels and improve oxygen delivery to muscles. This is combined with oats and fruit juice for fast and slow-releasing carbohydrates, and coconut oil MCTs for additional fuel. Available in raspberry and beetroot, chocolate and beetroot, and rhubarb ginger and beetroot. Eat a bar one to three hours before activity for the nitrate effect to be active, or during longer efforts for sustained energy. The ElectroBytes Anti Cramp Chews in Seville Orange and the ElectroBytes Rapid Electrolyte Chews in lemon and lime are compact, pocket-sized electrolyte supplements for use during activity to maintain fluid balance and address the electrolyte depletion that causes cramping in the later stages of long runs and hikes.
Voom Nutrition FAQs
When should I eat Voom bars and how do I use them? +
It depends on the bar. We find that the POW Plant bars work best eaten one to three hours before activity, allowing time for the dietary nitrates from beetroot to convert to nitric oxide and improve blood flow before you start. They can also be eaten during longer efforts for sustained carbohydrate energy. The Pocket Rocket Electro bars are designed for consumption during activity, giving fast-releasing energy with electrolytes to replace salts lost through sweat. The Caffeine Kick bar is best saved for when you need a mental and physical boost during a hard section or in the final part of a long effort, rather than at the start when caffeine's effect is less targeted, we like to take this when we're feeling a little tired and approaching a more technical section or when the nav is a little more confuding. The ElectroBytes chews are for use during activity whenever you feel early signs of cramping or want to stay ahead of electrolyte depletion on a hot or long day.
Do Voom bars contain electrolytes? +
Yes, in the Pocket Rocket Electro bars. The Electro bars contain Voom's electrolyte blend to support hydration and help prevent cramp alongside the carbohydrate energy. The POW Plant bars and Caffeine Kick bar do not have the same electrolyte focus. For dedicated electrolyte replacement, particularly on hot days or long efforts where you are sweating heavily, the ElectroBytes chews are the more targeted option and can be used alongside any of the energy bars.
Why do the Voom POW bars contain beetroot? +
Beetroot is naturally rich in dietary nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide widens blood vessels, improving circulation and increasing the amount of oxygen delivered to working muscles. The performance benefits of dietary nitrate for endurance sport have been well documented in research on cycling, running, and rowing since 2007. Each POW Plant bar delivers 200mg of dietary nitrates from freeze-dried beetroot, providing the performance benefit of a beetroot shot in a food format you can eat on the move. The bars combine this with oats and fruit juice for fast and slow-releasing carbohydrates, and coconut oil MCTs for additional fuel from fat.
How many Voom bars do I need for a long mountain day or marathon? +
As a starting point, most endurance athletes aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during sustained effort. Each Pocket Rocket Electro bar provides approximately 25 to 30g of carbohydrate, so one bar per hour of activity is a reasonable baseline. For a four-hour mountain day you would typically carry three to four bars alongside other food. For a marathon, most runners would use two to three Pocket Rocket bars during the race, supplemented by gels or other nutrition as needed. Individual requirements vary significantly depending on effort intensity, your size, and how well-trained your fat metabolism is. The POW Plant bar before a long effort can reduce the overall mid-activity nutrition required by improving fuel efficiency. If you are new to fuelling endurance efforts, start conservatively and adjust based on how you feel.
Is Voom a legitimate brand? +
Yes. Voom Nutrition is a UK-based sports nutrition company making energy bars and electrolyte products for endurance athletes. They are used by ultra runners, cyclists, triathletes, and mountain athletes across the UK and internationally. We stock Voom because the beetroot-based POW Plant bars offer a food-based approach to dietary nitrate supplementation that is relevant to the athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who come through our stores in Llanberis and Beddgelert. If you have questions about any of the products before buying, come in and we will talk you through what each product does and how it fits into an endurance nutrition strategy.