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Gatorade Fast Twitch is taking the market by storm. The name brand of Gatorade is enticing and its success is unsurprising, but how does it actually compare to your typical energy drink?
Well first off, it has 200mg of caffeine. Coming in 12oz bottles, the caffeine total and concentration is comparable to Celsius and Alani Nu. The biggest difference from those two is that, as expected from Gatorade, Fast Twitch is not carbonated. It provides a solid kick and is a better option than most energy drinks as a preworkout with its lack of carbonation.
Its mouthfeel is less like a normal Gatorade, and more similar to Monster Hydro. When cold, it has more of a bite that lets you know that there is caffeine coming your way. As they warm up, the slight bitter sensation becomes more apparent, also like Monster Hydro and many other similar non-carbonated energy drinks.
While the kick and mouthfeel live up to expectations, that is not the question that everyone has about this new release. The real question is: does this just taste like your run-of-the-mill Gatorade? The answer to that is a resounding no. Typical Gatorade flavors are fine, but the Fast Twitch flavors are so much more exciting. Three of the flavors come in their variety pack, and they all taste quite different.
Glacier Freeze: 8.6/10
Where to Purchase - https://amzn.to/3LlLX6e
Glacier freeze lingers on your tongue like a sugary energy drink as opposed to a normal Gatorade, with the added benefit of having zero grams of sugar. It is a bit bitter, but not nearly to the point of an Adrenaline Shoc. The bitterness is more on par with the Full Throttle brand, even though Full Throttle has an ungodly amount of sugar.
The flavor resembles that of a liquid blue popsicle. If I had to compare them directly, I would say that Glacier Freeze is almost like a bitter and more suppressed version of a liquid blue popsicle. The popsicle aftertaste lingers more than any normal Gatorade, which almost feels like a pseudo-mixed berry flavor at times. The unique flavor of Glacier Freeze is appealing, but not quite enough to crack into the elite category when comparing it directly with other top-tier energy drinks.
Orange: 6.7/10
Where to Purchase - https://amzn.to/42cAiwr
Gatorade Fast Twitch has one of the most unique orange flavors out there. Most orange flavors are purely orange and taste similar to each other. This version tastes more like an orange flavor mixed with Kool Aid. If you want an apt comparison, it feels almost exactly like the twist top Kool Aid Bursts.
People who grew up with these will enjoy this Orange Fast Twitch more than those who did not due to the element of nostalgia. In a vacuum, the orange drink is fine, but not nearly as delicious as Glacier Freeze. It has the same bitterness, if not more, and is also more heavily artificial-tasting. Once this beverage gets closer to room temperature, it is much less appealing than when it is cold. It is fine overall as a stand-alone flavor, but not the type of preworkout you want to keep in your gym bag.
Strawberry Watermelon: 7.3/10
Where to Purchase - https://amzn.to/3l266Uk
Strawberry Lemonade tastes as if it came in a separate pack altogether from the other two. It is significantly more mellow, and is not nearly as bitter. The aftertaste is lessened as well, although still present. If I had to compare it to an existing beverage, the closest comparison would easily be a Strawberry Danimals Smoothie. The strawberry certainly overshadows the watermelon, although it clearly has an additional flavor on top of the strawberry.
The kick does not seem as strong due to the dampened mouthfeel, but it still has 200mg of caffeine like the rest. It is better used as a midday pick-me-up than as a preworkout since the flavor itself is less exciting than the other two despite delivering the same post-completion feeling. While Strawberry Watermelon is still enjoyable, it does not come close to the Glacier Freeze.
When looking back on these flavors, Gatorade hit it out of the park when it comes to making relatable energy drinks. The nostalgia of popsicles, Kool Aid, and Danimals surely will get people in the most common energy drink consuming demographic excited. I highly recommend trying Gatorade Fast Twitch either as a stand-alone enjoyable beverage, or as a preworkout as I have begun doing recently. You feel good after drinking them, and there is no crash without the sugar. If you like Gatorade, then you will certainly enjoy some of their best new flavors regardless of whether you typically enjoy energy drinks or not.
Here is a link to the variety pack – https://amzn.to/40lk82n – and stay tuned for a follow-up review on their three remaining flavors.