Sports nutrition - ultra-processed unnecessary
What's really in your sports nutrition?
Chances are, as an athlete, you've used a gel, sports drink, or bar without even carefully examining the ingredients. Understandable—you just want energy and exercise. And if it's good for elite athletes, it's probably good. But if you do look at the back, you'll often see a list that looks more like a chemistry book than nutritional information:
- Maltodextrin
- Flavors (natural or artificial, but never real)
- Sucralose or other sweeteners
- Preservatives and emulsifiers
Ultra-processed ingredients aren't just cheap and industrially convenient—they've become a marketing weapon in the sports world. Sports nutrition with synthetic powders and flavorings is marketed as "high-tech fuel," while it often consists mainly of a mix of cheap carbohydrates, artificial additives and flavourings that belong in a factory, not in your body.
Why? Because they're cheap, have a long shelf life, and are easy to process industrially. And yes, they're fast-absorbing sugars that can be converted into energy. Not because your body appreciates them. Regular consumption of ultra-processed foods has been linked in various scientific analyses to more than ten serious health effects. Think: obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, microbiome disruption, increased inflammation, digestive problems, and more. Athletes aren't immune to this either—even if you only use these products "during exercise."
That's why we did our own analysis so that you can make your own choices.
We wanted to help athletes see through the marketing narrative of "sports fuel." That's why we developed a simple A, B, and C score—based on how many ultra-processed ingredients a product actually contains. Not a quality mark, but a compass for athletes who want to know what they're putting into their bodies.
We decided to clarify things. No vague opinions, but a simple analysis based on the ingredient lists of various popular brands in the Dutch and Belgian markets.
For each product, we assessed the amount of ultra-processed ingredients it contained, based on the internationally recognized NOVA classification. We used this score as a benchmark for a fair comparison of products.
Each product was given a score:
A = 0–5% ultra-processed
B = 5–10%
C = more than 10%
What turned out? The majority of products scored a C. Many commonly used sports nutrition products consist largely of ingredients that have nothing to do with nutrition.
In a world of synthetic powders and cheap carbohydrates, natural sports nutrition is all about the quality of the ingredients. Because better ingredients yield better results. Every calorie counts twice: as energy and as building blocks for your body.
Real food provides not only carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, but also fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Everything your body needs to perform at its best and recover faster.
We invite you to rethink what sports nutrition should truly be. Not something lab-grown, but something that nourishes. Something your body recognizes, supports, and strengthens. Back to nutrition with real value—honest, delicious, and natural. Enjoy it, every time.
If you would like to provide feedback, please email us at chris@kalkman.cc.