BACX Nutrition – the all plant performance fuel

Carbohydrate drinks aren’t new in the world of cycling, so what makes BACX different?

If you’re a regular cyclist, or any kind of endurance athlete, you’re probably familiar with carbohydrate drinks. I’ve been using them for years now, on long events. They keep you going, but as I’ve discovered they can cause some “issues”. On long hot rides I have found myself not able to take on even water as my stomach was in sever distress. And not taking on fuel in a 100 mile off-road race is never going to end well.

And it’s not just the stomach issues, reading the ingredients can feel like you’re sitting a chemistry exam. With all of us becoming more aware of what we’re putting in our bodies, a list like that can be daunting and off-putting. Which is where BACX come in to the picture.

BACX’s founder – Jason Baits-Tomlin – had, had some unpleasant experiences while using sports-nutrition products in endurance events over the years. But it wasn’t until a crash at an event put him in hospital and he got talking to another rider that he started to wonder about what exactly he was putting into his body. And more importantly, what effect were they having on him?

Where you or I might have gone in for some googling, Jason quit his job and went back to school. He read scientific papers and spoke to physiologists, molecular biologists and biochemists. The plan was to create a natural and high-performing endurance nutrition formula: and he did. He then worked with food scientists in the UK to refine his formula. Once they had their formula sorted they submitted it to the Informed Sport certification process, which they passed.

So that’s the back story, but what is BACX? According to the website it’s a performance fuel, where the fuel comes from plant-based sources. It comes in 70ml pouches which you add to your water bottle. The pouches contain carbohydrates sourced from; sweet potato juice, coconut water, brown rice and agave syrups. For electrolytes there’s sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. And throw in leucine, isoleucine, valine and arginine for your amino acids.

BACX claims that the plant carbohydrates and BCAAs will help to metabolise fats faster: use that stored energy in your muffin-tops! And because the energy is coming from multiple sources, you shouldn’t get any sugar crashes. The plant phytochemicals, aminos and proteins will also work to repair muscle damage, before your workout is finished, aiding recovery.

And the last and most important part of the recipe – in fact the reason for it’s existence – is no more upset stomach, or gel-sickness. This is the main reason I’m interested in BACX. I’ve had too many of those experiences and have recently switched to boiled potatoes for my long races. The only issue is that they can get a little squashed and don’t keep for long. But, they are cheap! So I will be trying them BACX over the summer and will let you know how I get on and if there are any “issues”!

BACX