Review: Skratch Labs Chocolate Recovery Sports Drink

A year ago, nearly to the day, we took the glass of chocolate milk out of tester’s hands - pried it virtually - and asked him to try Skratch Labs Recovery Sports Drink in strawberries and cream. There were threats - some personal - if we didn’t give back the post ride chocolate milk, but eventually the strawberries and cream were given the nod of approval. This year, we cautiously slid a glass of Skratch Labs Chocolate Recovery Sports Drink to the same tester and hoped for the best. Here are his thoughts:

It is not settled yet, but science believes the appendix serves two functions: fights bad things in the gut, and stores beneficial gut bacteria. This is all well and good, except I don’t have one. It was snipped out long ago under emergency conditions. Per the experts, a regular dose of probiotics can help the loss of the tiny organ roughly the size of a pink finger. In my case, I keep my yogurt addiction strong.  

Meanwhile, as I get older, the spring in my step is less bouncy. I have resigned to the belief only one recovery day is needed per week. Or at least that’s what I tell myself when I look at the bike and say, “Not today.” It could be a case of being burnt out, but I’ve lately tracked my ability to bounce back after hard efforts or rides that extend into extreme temperatures. Further, I still struggle to consume whole foods to replace what I burned throughout the ride. Rides that have ended at a pastry shop have seen me turn my nose up to confectionary treats. I can’t seem to stomach the idea of eating.

With about as much apprehension as I could demonstrate in a healthy manner, I agreed to give the Skratch Labs chocolate Recovery Sports Drink a chance. It didn’t take long for the extreme temperatures to move in and help with the test.

Skratch Labs, a Boulder-based company, was started by Dr. Allen Lim, creator of the elusive “secret drink mix.” Skratch would go on to add cookbooks, energy chews, and energy bars, all with the notion of promoting clean endurance food. Lately, Skratch Labs added recovery drinks to their content, a field many feel is overlooked by sports nutrition. 

So what’s in this powder that makes a difference? For starters, Skratch Labs Recovery features a 4:1 ratio of carbs to proteins with the focus of speeding post-ride recovery. It also replaces electrolytes as well as hydration. It doesn’t matter how much water is consumed throughout the ride, the body is depleted upon completion. Skratch Labs recommends using a ball mixer and water (don’t stir) to create the correct recovery profile. 

Meanwhile, the immune system needs recovery, too. Hard workouts deplete the immune system; races are even worse for the body. Notice how everyone is sick days after a race - the immune system, in its weakened state, cannot fight off illness. Skratch Labs helps with immune boosting probiotics, even claiming the recovery mix delivers more than common yogurts. Staying with the gut, Skratch Labs has designed the recovery sports drink to be easy on the stomach to avoid that bloated feeling.

After using Skratch Labs Recovery Sports Drink, I can vouch that the mix is quite tasty. The mix was refreshing enough to keep my coming back, essential to replenishing lost electrolytes. I wouldn’t say I came back perfectly for the next day, but using a maintenance schedule of the mix has kept my riding streak going longer. I would say it’s a placebo effect, but when I love chocolate recovery drinks that much, it comes down to the mix being enjoyable after a hard ride. Sometimes, I feel compelled to make harder efforts knowing the recovery drink was already planned out at once the bike has rolled into the service course. 

So which would I choose if given the malted chocolate milk from the dairy down the street or Skratch Labs Recovery Sports Drink? Don’t be surprised that I would say Skratch Labs. Both drinks were delicious, but avoiding the gut bloat from regular chocolate milk left me ecstatic. I may not have consumed an entire meal after the recovery mix, but I did manage to get some food down. Recovery was happening everywhere. The only issue is the bag sets a person up for twelve serving sizes (Skratch does offer a double sized bag). That’s a lot of reordering and repurchasing. Then again, maybe the uptick in workouts is due to Skratch Labs giving us all a chance to come back harder.