To understand the company Skratch Labs better, you have to deal a little with its founder. dr Allen Lim was born in the Philippines as the son of Chinese emigrants. When he was two years old, the family moved to California, where he spent his childhood as an outsider who didn't really belong anywhere. It was only through the sport of cycling that he found a community as a teenager that accepted him impartially and supported one another. Inspired by the Summer Olympics on his doorstep in 1984, he devoted himself entirely to his "biking career". The result was a respectable 7th place at the American National Junior Championships.

The man with the rice cooker

Instead of becoming a professional athlete himself, Allen decided to study sports science. While working as a sports scientist and trainer for a professional cycling team, he began making his own workout nutrition and sports drinks for the cyclists, as too many of the packaged sports bars and drinks were loaded with artificial ingredients and literally upset the cyclists' stomachs. He quickly became known in the cycling scene as "the man with the rice cooker".

He also began diluting sports drinks to lower sugar levels and adding extra salt and electrolytes to replace what's lost through sweat. Eventually, he began making a "Secret Drink Mix" in his kitchen that was lower in sugar, higher in sodium, and had no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors, and had a simple and pure flavor through the use of real fruit. The drink also proved extremely popular outside of his team.

To meet this demand, Allen assembled a team of close friends and they decided to reveal the secret by starting a small company in Boulder, Colorado called Skratch Labs. The mission was simple: to develop and sell foods and beverages that taste good, are made from real ingredients, and solve the problems of active people. The results are impressive. The Hydration Mix , so to speak the descendant of the Secret Drink, is characterized by pleasantly natural and light flavors and is therefore in stark contrast to "sports drinks", which often taste artificial. The Hydration Mix is ​​not intended as a primary source of energy for intense workouts, so one serving only contains about 20g of carbohydrates. The goal here is to compensate for sweat loss.

Fruit gums for endurance sports

The Energy Chews also have delicious, fruity notes. With their soft consistency, these fruit gums sit somewhere between an energy gel and a bar. We find them very pleasant to chew or suck. However, we are particularly impressed by the fresh, fruity taste and the short list of ingredients. The refreshingly fruity taste is obtained solely from fruit and fruit juice. A well thought-out addition to existing energy sources.

Maximum carbs from Cluster Dextrin

Anyone who is serious about carbohydrates should definitely take a closer look at the Super High-Carb Drink Mix . Here Skratch Labs relies on cluster dextrin (also called cyclic dextrin), a complex, highly branched cyclic dextrin. Due to various properties, this relatively new source of carbohydrates is particularly suitable for supplying energy in endurance sports. A high molecular weight and low osmolarity ensure fast gastric transit, which should prevent a bloated stomach feeling. The high water solubility allows a large amount of powder to be mixed with water. Although up to 100 g of carbohydrates can be mixed in 500 ml of water, the drink does not taste overly sweet.

In addition to the Hydration Mix, the Energy Chews and the Super High-Carb Mix, we are already looking forward to other products from the Skratch Labs range. We especially like the Crispy Rice Cakes and the Clear Hydration Mix.  Anyone who wants to be active in the kitchen and is interested in fresh and above all self-prepared training and competition food should read the cookbooks by Dr. employ Lim. It shows that good food and performance don't have to be mutually exclusive and that pasta isn't the only option before the competition. Combining sports science and good taste, Skratch Labs is right up our alley. In this sense: stay hungry. Your Jonas & Florian

Here you will find our Scratch Labs range .

This text was first published in RUNTIME 4/23.