NOMIO SPORTS FORMULA DRINK
| £20 | BUY NOW FROM NOMIO |
PLEASE NOTE: I paid for the Nomio Sports Drink myself and was not gifted these overnight oats or paid by Nomio to give a honest review. This page contains affiliate links. Making a purchase via our affiliate link means I may receive a small share of the sale.
Nomio positions itself as a natural, science backed performance. Their core message is that it is a small shot made from concentrated broccoli sprouts that helps reduce lactate build up, lower oxidative stress and ultimately improve endurance and recovery.
They lean heavily into the science, with claims around improving how your body handles hard efforts and recovers afterwards.
It’s marketed as a ‘marginal gains’ product, the kind of thing that you use when everything else such as training, nutrition and sleep is already working well.
WHAT IS IT?
Nomio is a small pre-run shot made primarily from broccoli sprout extract. Unlike gels or carb drinks, this isn’t something you take during a run. You take it 2–3 hours before (with 3 hours recommended), with the aim of preparing your body for the effort ahead.
It can also be taken after a hard session and nomoi recommended that you take it about an hour before bed, to help promote recovery.
The idea is that it helps your body perform more efficiently when things get hard, especially during tough training sessions or races.
INGREDIENTS
- Broccoli sprout extracts – 80%
- Lemon – 15%
- Sugar – 5%
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per 100ml)
- Energy: 113 kJ / 27 kcal
- Protein: 0.3g
- Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 6.7g (of which sugars 6.1g)
- Sodium: 4.8mg
HOW IT WORKS
Nomio talks a lot about lactate, oxidative stress and NRF2 pathways, which can sound complicated (to me anyway), but in simple terms:
LACTATE BUILD UP
This is what contributes to that heavy, burning feeling in your legs when you’re running hard. The more it builds up, the harder it is to maintain your pace.
OXIDATIVE STRESS
This is essentially the muscle damage caused by hard exercise. Essentially the wear and tear that leaves your legs sore and fatigued.
NRF2 (a natural defence system in your body)
This is a pathway your body uses to protect itself from stress during exercise. When it’s activated, it helps your body manage fatigue and recover more effectively.
Nomio contains isothiocyanates (ITCs), natural compounds found in broccoli. Because ITCs are hard to get in large amounts through diet alone, each Nomio shot delivers a highly concentrated, bioavailable dose, equivalent to roughly 2.5–3kg of raw broccoli.
WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE
- Slower build up of fatigue during hard efforts
- Less muscle damage during sessions
- Faster recovery afterwards
The product isn’t about suddenly feeling amazing and having a burst of ending, it’s created in a way that works to support you in holding your pace for longer and bouncing back quicker.
PRACTICAL USE
- Best taken 3 hours before hard sessions or races
- Can also be taken 1 hour before bed after especially hard days
- Shelf life 8 months refrigerated
- Up to 8 weeks at room temperature (useful for travel/training days)
MY EXPERIENCE
I’ve been using Nomio during the tougher parts of my marathon block, when mileage is high and my legs are constantly tired. I have also used it before a 3-mile race.
- 22.5 miles @ 7:18/mile (incl. 2 × 5 miles at marathon pace). Taken 3 hours before
- 3 mile race @ 5:48/mile. Taken 3 hours before
- 22 miles @ 7:13/mile. Taken 2 hours before (slightly rushed timing).
What stood out for me wasn’t a big burst of energy (you don’t get that, at least I didn’t), but it was the fact that these sessions and race (which I didn’t taper for) were at the end of big training weeks, where normally you’re just trying to hang on and get the miles done.
However, I found that despite the build up of marathon miles, I could hold pace more comfortably and sometimes even push a bit more towards the end.
I got around a 40 second PB in the 3 mile race, which is massive for me. I don’t attribute it all to the Nomio, but it certainly helped.
When you’re chasing a sub 3 marathon or even seconds for a PB, you’re not looking for miracles, you’re looking for anything that helps you hold on for longer.
In that respect, I think it’s very good.
RECOVERY
This is where I noticed the biggest difference.
The day after these runs, my legs felt noticeably better than they usually would. Less soreness, less heaviness, just more able to go again, meaning I can do more quality sessions.
That heavy leg feeling after a long run is largely down to muscle damage and stress from the session.
If that’s reduced even slightly, it can make a big difference in your overall training which is what I experienced.
TASTE AND STOMACH
In my opinion, these do not tase pleasant. I ended up just holding my nose and getting it down as quickly as possible. Though, I have heard that they’re more palatable than things like bicarb.
Surprisingly, despite the taste, it sat really well on my stomach. No discomfort, no issues before and during my session, which is a big plus compared to other supplements.
I have quite a sensitive stomach, so adding something new is quite risky more me, but I had no issues, even when I took it 2 hours before.
THE DOWNSIDES
TIMING
Taking it 3 hours before a run is probably the biggest drawback for me.
For early races, this can mean setting an alarm, taking it, then going back to sleep, which I have done. Waking up to down some broccoli and then go back to sleep isn’t for everyone. Or simply getting up earlier than you need.
IT'S A MARGINAL GAIN
This isn’t a shortcut. If your training isn’t consistent, this won’t fix that, it’s a fine tuning fuel.
PRICE
Naomi is retailed at around £20 for 4 bottles.
I do think this is a little expensive and because of that it’s not something I’d use every day as it adds up quickly.
However, when training for key races I think it’s worth adding.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, Nomio does what it says, but in a subtle, realistic way.
It helped me:
- Hold pace better when already fatigued
- Make tough sessions feel more controlled
- Get more quality out of key workouts
- Recover better for the next run
I don’t think it’s essential, and it’s not going to suddenly make you faster overnight. But if you’re training hard, pushing your limits and looking for that extra bit of support, especially with recovery and session quality, it’s a really good addition.
For me, it’s become something I’ll use for key sessions and races. If it was slightly cheaper, I’d probably incorporate it more. I’ll definitely be using it for my marathon in Milan.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?
Yes, especially if you’re taking your training seriously, looking for the marginal gains and chasing performance goals.
WHERE TO BUY?
You can purchase this directly from Nomio:
| £20 | BUY NOW FROM NOMIO |