Review : Active Root

As you may have gathered I am currently training for 4 marathons and another Ultra this year. My ultra is 50 miles and across the Pennine barrier so quite a hilly route! As a result I am having to cover rather a lot of miles at the moment, both on road and off road. Fuelling is the reason I messed up my last marathon and I am really keen not to make the mistake again.

Many runners use gels to help fuel their runs and give them the energy they need to complete the distance. Gels however are not something I wish to use. Either because they contain caffeine, which I am allergic to, or because I have heard so many horror stories that it has just put me off. I don't want to trial it and see how I react to it. There is something about that that doesn't sit well with me.

I am fully aware though that I do need to not only remain hydrated during my run, but not over hydrated and I also need to replace electrolytes and minerals lost during running. It is a fine balance to find something that works without causing any stomach issues.

To assist in my training and my races I have using active root. Active root is a natural alternative to sports drinks and aids with both fuelling and hydration. I drink both before, during and after exercise and have found it really helps to ease that nausea I sometimes feel during the first few miles of a long run.

Active Root contains no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives and is both gluten free and suitable for vegans. Which makes it a great choice for people like me who have allergies or for those that struggle to find alternatives. I have used active root in my hydration vest and in a bottle, so I know it works in both.


Active root comes in a sachet that you mix with 500-700ml of water. I find that I prefer the 700ml as it makes the taste more subtle, however before a run I prefer it to taste much stronger and will only use 500ml of water to dilute. I love that you have this flexibility to tailor to your taste too. 

I have used active root so far on a 30 mile ultra with no discomfort and a run I never hit the wall in. I am using for all my longer distance training runs and I am looking forward to using for my next ultra and upcoming marathons. I really enjoy the taste and it has helped to settle that sickness feeling I often get during long runs. Even better it has kept me hydrated and enabled me to run longer!

I received a trial pack of active root, all words are my own opinion. 


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