Hammer Heed

General Product Description:

Hammer Heed is added in the form of powder to water to create a liquid energy source during training and events.  Hammer promote the product as an energy source during one to two hour sessions, and the liquid form makes Heed a convenient way to consume calories for higher intensity training sessions.

My Use:

I initially only used Heed for training and racing lasting up to two hours, however I found that I was having problems with Perp if I ‘raced’, so I starting using Heed for any session that had a higher intensity.  (Regardless of the duration).

The product is not ‘drunk’ while training, rather is sipped periodically.  The ‘little and often’ approach will see a constant flow of calories into the body.  Heed can be complimented by alternating the drink with solid food, and you just need to be conscious of the number of calories you are consuming if you are also eating solid food. 

For me Heed is ideal for higher intensity sessions, and thus is not used for the longer / slower training sessions I complete.  (If I’m not using Heed, then I’ll be using Perp).  To avoid any confusion on the duration you can use Heed for – I used Heed for my 24 hour ride at the Levin velodrome where I broke the New Zealand 24 hour (outdoor) track record.

Strengths:

Heed weighs next to nothing and is incredibly easy to add to water for making up drinks.  Heed will fuel you hour after hour, and as long as you balance Heed with the correct amount of solid foods you will have your nutritional intake sorted.  If taste if a priority, then note that Heed comes in a number of flavours.

Areas to Note:

Heed can taste quite sweet if you have made a bottle for five to six hours, so I would probably limit the number of hours per bottle to four hours, for any session lasting longer than eight hours.  (After this amount of time the sweet taste become off putting if a lot of Heed has been added to the bottle).  For sessions less than eight hours I have never found the sweet taste to be an issue.

In my experience Heed is conducive to exercise that requires higher intensity.  Heed is marketed as a fuel for sessions of one to two hours, and I agree with this sentiment, however I would reframe this to “Heed is suitable for higher intensity sessions, of any length in duration”. 

I find that Heed leaves me craving food after around nine to ten hours, and it is very important to get the number of calories correct for these longer sessions – too many calories, or the wrong types of solid foods consumed, and you’ll be feeling sick.  Test this before you race!!

Do not consume too many calories of Heed – it will make you feel sick and may ruin your training session / event – note how much you are having and manage your nutritional intake to around 200 to 225 calories per hour for an 80kg to 85 kg adult.  (I used to have 300 calories per hour and got away with it until I raced, and then I’d feel sick after 60 minutes).

Worth Using??

Heed is a fantastic product if you are looking at doing a training session (or race) at a higher intensity pace.  With sessions shorter than nine to ten hours I have seldom had any issues with Heed, and in the sessions longer than this I have simply needed to be very careful to get the number of calories correct.  Heed is used for races where the intensity level is high, and I have had success for both shorter and longer events with this product.

(All product reviews are independent reviews of products.  I do not own or gain direct financial benefit from the sale of these products.  In some instances the products are sold by my sponsors or have been given to me to use – If I have concerns, critiques, or general issues with any aspect of the product, then it is highlighted in detail.  I will not compromise an evaluation).