You just finished a workout. You open your bag and grab a tube of Nuun.
You turn it over. You read the ingredient list.
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium carbonate
- Potassium bicarbonate
- Stevia leaf extract
Unlike Powerade or Gatorade, there’s nothing alarming here. Nuun built its reputation by moving away from artificial sweeteners, and it shows in the formula.
But a question keeps coming up among runners and cyclists who have been using it for a while: why do I still have to eat a gel on the side when I drink my Nuun?
The answer is one word: carbohydrates. And that’s exactly where maple syrup changes the game.
Comparing to Gatorade as well, or want to see the full range of natural electrolyte options? Check out our comparison of the best natural electrolyte drinks in Canada.
What Nuun Sport (and Nuun Endurance) really contain
To be fair, Nuun Sport isn't a slapdash formula. It's an effervescent tablet sweetened only with stevia, without sucralose or aspartame, formulated with citric acid, a small amount of dextrose, mineral salts (sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate), beetroot juice for color, and avocado oil.
Nuun Sport, per tablet in 475 mL of water:
- Almost no calories
- 1 g of sugar, no significant carbohydrate intake
- 300 mg of sodium
- 150 mg of potassium
- 25 mg of magnesium, 13 mg of calcium
Nuun probably knows this too: that's why the brand launched Nuun Endurance, a different formula designed for efforts lasting more than 90 minutes.
Nuun Endurance, per serving:
- 16 g of carbohydrates (cane sugar and dextrose)
- 15 g of sugars
- 380 mg of sodium
- 200 mg of potassium
Nuun Endurance corrects Nuun Sport's lack of carbohydrates, but with refined cane sugar and dextrose, not a whole food. Two different products to cover what a single maple-based formula already does in one sachet.
Nuun is readily available in Canada: at MEC for $12.95 per tube of 10 tablets, in pharmacies, or directly on nuunlife.ca.
Why Quebec athletes are looking for an alternative to Nuun
Three reasons are most often cited by runners, cyclists, and endurance enthusiasts looking for something other than Nuun.
- The absence of carbohydrates in Nuun Sport. For an effort of less than an hour, this is not a problem. After 90 minutes, you need to add a gel or a bar, or switch to Nuun Endurance, which means managing two different products depending on the duration of the outing.
- Preference for a recognizable ingredient. "Maple syrup and water" is said in three words. "Sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate" requires a little more explanation, even when the formula is serious.
- Local roots. Nuun is an American brand. For a Quebec athlete sensitive to local purchasing, an alternative made from a Quebec resource has an appeal that the formulation alone does not explain.
To remember
- Nuun Sport: ~1 g of carbohydrates, designed for hydration only.
- Nuun Endurance: 16 g of carbohydrates, but refined cane sugar and dextrose.
- Maple MC2: 28 g of carbohydrates from a single ingredient, maple syrup.
Making your own homemade electrolyte drink: why it doesn't last
Faced with this observation, many athletes try to make their own mixture: water, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a little honey or maple syrup.
On paper, the idea is good. In practice, problems quickly arise.
Dosing is a guessing game.
A "pinch of salt" can contain between 150 mg and 600 mg of sodium depending on the size of your fingers and the type of salt. Too little, you don't replace what you lose in sweat. Too much, you risk stomach cramps during exertion.
The taste varies every time.
Which becomes a real problem when you have to drink several hundred milliliters during an already demanding effort, portion after portion, outing after outing.
Transportation is impractical.
You have to prepare your drink before each workout, measure, mix, have the ingredients on hand. In competition or when traveling, it's an added constraint.
For a quiet Sunday morning, a homemade recipe will do. For a structured workout three to five times a week, the consistent dosing of a pre-dosed product eliminates guesswork. For a more detailed comparison of the three ways to hydrate, consult our comparison of powder, tablet, and liquid formats.
Why maple syrup works as an energy fuel
Maple syrup sugar is primarily sucrose, the same type of carbohydrate that most sports drinks and gels use to provide fast energy. The difference lies elsewhere.
- A single sweetening ingredient, without a mixture of refined sugar and dextrose
- Minerals naturally present in the food: manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium
- Low in FODMAP, so less risk of digestive discomfort during exercise
Sports nutrition guidelines generally recommend between 30 and 60 g of carbohydrates per hour for sustained effort of more than 60 minutes. One MC2 sachet provides 28 g, which is the base of this range, with carbohydrates and some of the minerals coming from a single food, with added salt to reach the targeted sodium.
Maple MC2, the Quebec maple-based alternative
MC2 is an electrolyte sachet made from organic maple syrup, produced at Ferme St-Ours, in Montérégie.
Per 30 g sachet:
- 110 kcal
- 28 g of carbohydrates, from maple syrup
- 273 mg of sodium
- 94 mg of potassium
- 47 mg of calcium
- 15 mg of magnesium
- No artificial sweeteners, no coloring
A sachet dissolves in water in a few seconds, the same action as a Nuun tablet. Three flavors exist: Maple, Maple-Blueberry, and Maple-Peach.
Unlike Nuun Sport, MC2 does not sacrifice energy to remove sugar. Unlike Nuun Endurance, its carbohydrates come from a single recognizable ingredient, not a mixture of cane sugar and dextrose.
Try all three flavors
Maple, Maple-Blueberry, Maple-Peach. 12 sachets to find your favorite.
Discovery Box | $29.99How to use MC2 depending on your training
One sachet dilutes in 500 to 750 mL of water. The correct dosage mainly depends on the duration of the effort.
- Running, less than 45 minutes: Water is usually sufficient. MC2 becomes useful if it's hot or if you sweat a lot.
- Road cycling, 2 to 3 hours: Two sachets per 750 mL bottle, to drink regularly rather than all at once, to maintain a constant carbohydrate intake.
- Yoga, pilates, hiking: Half a sachet in a large bottle is enough for a pleasant taste without the full 28 g of carbohydrates if the intensity doesn't warrant it.
- Gym, CrossFit, group sports: A full sachet after the session is a great replacement for an energy drink, without the crash associated with refined sugar and caffeine.
The sachet format has a practical advantage for your daily active routine: several sachets in a shorts pocket weigh less than an equivalent tube of tablets in portions, and you can refill your bottle at any water fountain.
Comparison table: Nuun Sport vs Nuun Endurance vs Maple MC2
| Criterion | Nuun Sport | Nuun Endurance | Maple MC2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per serving | ~$0.94 to $1.30 | ~$1.50 to $2.00 | $2.79 each, $2.50 in a box of 12 |
| Calories | Almost none | ~65 kcal | 110 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~1 g | 16 g | 28 g |
| Sodium | 300 mg | 380 mg | 273 mg |
| Potassium | 150 mg | 200 mg | 94 mg |
| Sweetener | Stevia | Cane sugar, dextrose | None, sugar from maple syrup |
| Format | Effervescent tablet | Powder in canister | Pre-dosed sachet |
| Origin | United States | United States | Saint-Ours, Quebec |
Nuun data: official pages nuunlife.ca and Canadian retailers, recorded August 20, 2026.
Other alternatives to Nuun available in Canada
Nuun is not the only tablet or powder option on the Canadian market. Here are five other brands regularly cited as alternatives.
| Brand | Format | Sodium per serving | Where to buy in Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultima Replenisher | Powder | Very low | Amazon.ca |
| LMNT | Sachet | 1,000 mg | Amazon.ca and online |
| Organika | Powder | Variable depending on formula | Shoppers Drug Mart |
| Xact Nutrition | Tablets | Variable depending on formula | Running stores |
| BioSteel | Sachet | 140 mg | Canadian Tire, Sports Experts |
These five brands replace Nuun Sport in terms of hydration alone, but none provide carbohydrates. This leaves the exact same gap as Nuun Sport for efforts lasting more than an hour. For a complete comparison including these brands, consult our comparison of the best hydration powders in Canada.
Who should choose what between Nuun and Maple MC2
Nuun Sport remains relevant in certain cases.
- A short effort where only hydration matters
- A very hot day where you want to minimize sugar
- A low-carb diet where almost calorie-free hydration is a criterion
Maple MC2 is better suited if:
- Your effort exceeds 60 to 90 minutes and requires real fuel
- You want a single, short ingredient list rather than two different Nuun products depending on the duration
- You prefer a product made in Quebec
Nothing prevents alternating: Nuun for short outings or in hot weather, MC2 for long outings that require real fuel.
The shift towards natural alternatives among Quebec athletes
The clean label movement is no longer marginal in endurance sports. Runners and cyclists who once only read calorie labels now look at the entire ingredient list.
This shift largely explains Nuun's success against Gatorade and Powerade in recent years. But it also pushes some athletes a step further: beyond additives to avoid, towards whole ingredients rather than compounds recombined in a lab. This is exactly the ground on which a pure maple syrup-based drink finds its place... especially in Quebec!
What research says about maple and sports hydration
Caution is needed here. Specific scientific research on maple syrup as a sports hydration drink is still limited, and no study can confirm that it outperforms other carbohydrate sources for performance.
What we do know is that maple syrup contains about sixty bioactive compounds, including polyphenols with antioxidant properties. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have even identified a unique compound in maple syrup, quebecol, a polyphenol not found in any other known food. During prolonged exertion, the body produces free radicals that contribute to muscle fatigue, and these polyphenols help neutralize them.
To put maple in context compared to effervescent formulas, a study on Nuun tablets and fluid balance offers a useful point of comparison, even if it doesn't directly concern maple. This provides an honest look at what each type of formula truly offers.
To learn more about what research says about maple syrup in a sports context, consult our article maple syrup and sports nutrition: what science says.
No promise of increased performance is made here: the real benefit is a product with a simpler and more readable composition, not a shortcut to better times.
To remember
Maple is not just a carbohydrate with a good mineral profile. It is a whole food with antioxidants not found in Nuun Sport's stevia or Nuun Endurance's refined cane sugar.
Made in Quebec: from sugar bush to sachet
Nuun is formulated and packaged in tubes in the United States. Maple MC2 is manufactured at Ferme St-Ours, in Montérégie, a multi-generational family sugar bush and farm, not a factory.
The organic maple syrup comes from Quebec sugar bushes. Mixing and packaging are done on-site, which limits intermediaries between the sugar bush and the sachet.
With MC2, you know exactly where the main ingredient comes from. Try to trace the origin of the dextrose or calcium carbonate in your tube of Nuun.
The taste: why maple syrup goes down better than stevia during exercise
Taste matters more than you think during exercise. A drink that is unpleasant ends up being drunk less, which directly hinders hydration, regardless of the quality of the formula.
Stevia has a particular taste profile: sweet at first, often with a slightly bitter or licorice note at the end of the mouth, especially noticeable when the mouth is already dry during intense exercise. It's a compromise that many athletes accept, but which others find difficult to repeat portion after portion over several hours.
Maple syrup has a round and familiar taste profile, with no chemical aftertaste. It's a sugar we've known since childhood, which makes the drink easier to consume in large quantities without weariness, a factor that really counts on long outings.
Taste the difference
One sachet in your water bottle. No stevia, no dextrose. Just maple.
Try the Discovery Box | $29.99Frequently Asked Questions
In summary
On one side: Nuun Sport and Nuun Endurance, two distinct formulas to choose from depending on the duration of the effort, one without carbohydrates, the other with refined cane sugar.
On the other: Maple MC2, a natural alternative made in Quebec, with a single sachet and a single sweetening ingredient, organic maple syrup, which covers hydration and fuel at the same time.
Find our electrolyte drink collection for active daily life.
Try the Maple, Maple-Blueberry or Maple-Peach flavor, or discover all three with the Discovery Box.
