I recently tried Orbana Healthy Energy… a powder that comes in a packet that you can mix to different concentrations for use as pre-run fuel, during run fuel or post-run fuel.  It has a citrusy flavor, orange-lemon-pineapple… the pineapple notes seemed to stand out the most to me. Even though it is citrus tasting, it goes down completely smooth… no acidic sensation to it.

I did not use Orbana during a run, instead I elected to use it as a pre-run fuel before a couple of Team Challenge runs.  I liked that I could drink it and not have to wait as long for my stomach to settle like I would if I consumed a similar amount of calories in a solid form.

One packet has 190 calories, essential electrolytes, vitamins, amino acids and a couple grams of protein.  It does not contain artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, or stimulants.

They have several impressive athletes as brand ambassadors for Orbana.  One of their ambassadors, Emma-Kate Lidbury, just won yet another 70.3 Ironman triathlon fueled with Orbana.

You can purchase Orbana through Amazon.com… but it’s not cheap.  A 5 pack costs $13.46 ($2.69 a packet) and a 16 pack costs $41.85 ($2.61 a packet).  There are a lot of glowing reviews on Amazon.

I liked this quite a bit, but it’s kind of expensive.  If it was available through Amazon’s “Subscribe & Save” program, it would probably seem more affordable.  But then again, if I do pursue a race goal pretty seriously in the future, it might be worth it to have some kind of fuel that doesn’t upset my overly sensitive stomach.  This is definitely something I will keep in mind, depending upon what my training/racing goals develop into.

Two packets of Orbana were provided to me for sampling and review. The review here is completely my own.

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