What makes Onanon different from other drink mixes?

Not a lot, and everything! Onanon’s primary ingredient is organic tapioca maltodextrin, sourced from organically grown cassava root.

• Tapioca maltodextrin requires less intensive processing than maltodextrin sourced from corn, which is the most common (and cheapest) on the market.

• Corn-based maltodextrin has been associated with GI distress akin to overdoing it on table sugar, but tapioca maltodextrin seems to have an anecdotally excellent success rate.

• Organic agriculture is better for the health of the soil, waterways, and the workers in the fields, as the crops aren’t being sprayed with harsh chemical pesticides. Individual sporting pursuits are great, but there’s no reason they should have to compromise the health of communities, the fitness of ecosystems, or the endurance of our planet.

By combining the tapioca maltodextrin with pure crystalline fructose in a 1:0.8 ratio, I’m matching the ratio that has performed best in most sports nutrition research.

For flavoring, I use whole organic lemon and lime fruits that have been dried and powdered. This provides rich natural flavor and a source of antioxidant vitamin C to help combat the oxidative stress of prolonged exercise. Using the whole fruit—juice, zest, peel, and all—provides a pleasant hint of tartness and a natural source of calcium.

How do I dose Onanon for running / cycling / etc.?

My basic, simplest rule of thumb is 87g Onanon powder per 500–750mL bottle of water, which provides 80g carbs / 320 calories. This is scientific in a way, but it’s all very subject to individual preferences and conditions, so the simple rule of thumb is just, a basic guideline that I can trust giving many people who are in this category of nutrition.

You are free and welcomed to experiment with this to your heart/metabolism’s desire! For shorter, less-intense rides, say in that 1–2 hour range, it can be nice to just have 40–50g of Onanon per bottle. Or when it’s not so hot out and you’re going hard but reaching for the water less, you can mix it strong, like 100–120g Onanon per bottle.

If you have a target number of carbs per bottle, just multiply that by 1.09 to get the right amount of Onanon powder to add. So if you want 60g carbs per bottle, that’s 65.4g Onanon. If you want 100g carbs, that’s 109g Onanon.

I go ahead and set my water bottle on my kitchen scale when doing this at home, and have been known to make little pre-dosed baggies for simple use on the go, but will readily admit that out on the road/trail, things don’t need to be as decimal-precise.

The included measuring scoop takes the precision edge off a bit by not having a sharp edge. When I go for level scoops, they average around 20g each, and when I go for heaping scoops, I get around 29g each.