Fuel That Works: My Review of Skratch Labs Sour Cherry Energy Chews
When you’re running longer distances or pushing hard on tempo days, knowing what kind of fuel will carry you through without GI drama or sugar crashes is a game-changer. I recently tried the Sour Cherry Energy Chews from Skratch Labs on two different runs (a long Saturday run + an 8-mile tempo), and here's how they stacked up.
What the Chews Are & What the Label Says
Here’s a summary of what Skratch Labs says about the product, so you know what they promise:
- Each pack of the Sour Cherry flavor contains 50 mg of caffeine (from green tea extract) for an energy & focus boost.
- A serving is 5 chews (≈ 25 g), which gives about 80 calories, 19 g carbs, 14 g sugar.
- Ingredients include simple sugars (sugar, glucose syrup), fruit juice (cherry powder etc.), pectin, acids (citric, lactic) — no artificial colors, flavors, waxes.
- They also note the texture is semi-solid, made with pectin instead of gelatin, meant to be fairly easy to chew / digest.
My Experience: How They Performed
Here’s what I found after using both servings (over two runs):
| Use Case | When & How I Took Them | What I Liked |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday Long Run | Right before / at the beginning of the run | The energy boost held well. With the 50 mg caffeine, I felt more alert without jitteriness. Helped sustain me through the first half of the run. |
| Tempo Run (8 miles) | During the run | Helped maintain my intensity. It wasn’t heavy in the stomach, and didn’t feel like pulling down my pace. |
Other impressions:
- Consistency/Textural compare: Kind of like a Welch’s fruit snack — soft, chewable, slightly less stiff. Definitely easier to chew than some firmer blocks or very sticky chews.
- Flavor / Aftertaste: The “sour cherry” isn’t actually super sour. More mild and fruity. I didn’t get any weird aftertaste or sticky residue between teeth — something many chews do give.
- Ease of use: No fuss at all. You open the pack, chew, done. Good for putting in a pocket or belt.
- Energy delivery: The 50 mg caffeine plus the carb mix gives a noticeable kick, especially when your energy is lagging. It helped me push through tough parts without feeling like I mis-fueled.
What’s Not Perfect (What Some Might Dislike)
No product is flawless; here are some of the drawbacks I noticed, or that others mention, which may or may not matter to you:
- Cost: These chews are more premium than some basic options. If you only need fueling occasionally, the price per serving might feel steep.
- Pack design / portioning: Each pack has two servings. If you don’t use the whole pack in one go, you’re stuck carrying a half-open bag, which can be messy or inconvenient, especially mid-run.
Final Thoughts & Tips
Overall, I’ll definitely use them again. For me, they hit the sweet spot of flavor + energy + ease without GI problems.
If you try them, here are a few tips I found helpful:
- Eat one full serving (5 chews) sometime near the start of hard effort.
- If continuing long, alternate with fluids or other partial fuels so you balance carbs & hydration.
- If carrying the pack half-used, a little clip or sealing method helps reduce mess.