CR7 Drive, explained
CR7 Drive is an acai berry flavoured sports drink powder with carbohydrate and electrolytes. Herbalife developed it with Cristiano Ronaldo, and it is made to be drunk during exercise.
From Herbalife, tap to play
What CR7 Drive is
Two scoops, 27g, go into 500ml of water. Made up, the drink has 97 kcal, 23g of carbohydrate (18g of it sugars), 249mg of sodium and 142mg of magnesium.
It comes as a 540g tub with 20 servings, or as a box of 10 single 27g sachets. The powder and the nutrition figures are the same in both.
Hydrate is the other Herbalife24 drink, with 12 kcal and 1g of carbohydrate per 500ml. CR7 Drive carries carbohydrate as well as fluid and electrolytes, which is why it suits longer sessions.
Acai berry is the flavour. The ingredient list has flavourings and plant colours but no acai fruit.
What's in it, ingredient by ingredient
Carbohydrates (dextrose, sugar, maltodextrin and isomaltulose)
23g of carbohydrate per 500ml, of which 18g is sugarsDextrose is another name for glucose. Sugar on an ingredient list means sucrose, and maltodextrin is a glucose polymer, meaning short chains of glucose joined together.
Isomaltulose is, in Herbalife's words, a source of glucose and fructose.
Together they give 23g of carbohydrate, which supplies about 92 of the drink's 97 kcal.
Why it's in CR7 Drive: They supply the drink's carbohydrate, which is what makes CR7 Drive a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink.
Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions contribute to the maintenance of endurance performance during prolonged endurance exercise. Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions enhance the absorption of water during physical exercise.
Among the conditions for these claims, a drink needs 80 to 350 kcal per litre from carbohydrate and 460 to 1,150mg of sodium per litre. CR7 Drive made up has about 184 kcal from carbohydrate and 498mg of sodium per litre.
Sodium (trisodium citrate)
249mg of sodium per serving, shown as 0.6g of saltSodium is an electrolyte, one of the minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids. When you sweat, you lose salts as well as water.
Here it comes from trisodium citrate, the sodium salt of citric acid.
0.6g of salt is a tenth of the NHS limit of 6g a day for adults.
Why it's in CR7 Drive: Herbalife names sodium as one of the two key electrolytes in CR7 Drive. The sodium level is also part of what qualifies it as a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution.
Labels show salt rather than sodium, and salt equals sodium multiplied by 2.5.
Magnesium (magnesium salts of citric acid)
142mg per serving, 38% of the NRVMagnesium is another electrolyte mineral. In CR7 Drive it comes as magnesium salts of citric acid.
Spread through 500ml, that is about 28mg in every 100ml, or 7.6% of the NRV. That only just clears the 7.5% per 100ml a drink needs to count as a source of a mineral.
Why it's in CR7 Drive: Herbalife names magnesium as one of the two key electrolytes in CR7 Drive.
Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
Thiamin and vitamin B12
Thiamin 1.1mg and vitamin B12 2.5µg per serving, each 100% of the NRVThiamin mononitrate is vitamin B1, and cyanocobalamin is vitamin B12.
One serving gives the full nutrient reference value of both, which is 20% per 100ml of the made-up drink.
Why it's in CR7 Drive: Herbalife says CR7 Drive is formulated with vitamins B1 and B12.
Thiamine contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
Potassium citrate
Potassium is also an electrolyte mineral, and potassium citrate is one of its salts.
The label does not give a potassium amount, so we cannot tell you how much is in a serving.
Why it's in CR7 Drive: Herbalife lists it among the ingredients without a separate description.
Citric acid controls the acidity, flavourings give the acai berry taste, and anthocyanins are plant colours that give the drink its colour. There are no artificial sweeteners.
Reading the label
Per 27g serving (2 scoops or one sachet) in 500ml of water
- Energy: 97 kcal (411 kJ). About 5% of the 2,000 kcal adult reference intake.
- Carbohydrate: 23g. Almost all of the calories come from carbohydrate.
- Sugars: 18g. These count as free sugars. The NHS says adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, so one bottle is 60% of that.
- Fat and protein: 0g. There is no fat or protein.
- Fibre: 0.6g. Only a trace, so it adds almost nothing to your day.
- Salt: 0.6g. There is only a trace of fibre.
- Thiamin: 1.1mg (100% NRV). The full daily reference amount.
- Vitamin B12: 2.5µg (100% NRV). The full daily reference amount.
- Magnesium: 142mg (38% NRV). Over a third of the daily reference amount.
NRV stands for nutrient reference value, the daily amount UK labels use for an average adult.
The per 100g column describes the dry powder, which is 358 kcal and 66g of sugars per 100g. A serving is 27g, so use the per 500ml column.
Pick a size
CR7 Drive 540g tub
CR7 Drive 10 sachetsHow to use it
Shake the tub, add two scoops
Gently shake the tub first, as the contents can settle, then add 2 scoops (27g) to 500ml of water. With a sachet, empty one sachet into 500ml of water instead.
Shake hard
Shake vigorously until the powder has mixed in.
Drink it while you train
Herbalife says it is best drunk during exercise.
Herbalife describes CR7 Drive as a sports drink for any type of exercise, from running to weightlifting.
The authorised endurance claim is about prolonged endurance exercise, so CR7 Drive fits best in longer sessions. For a short or easy session, plain water or Hydrate gives you fluid with far less sugar.
Store the tub with the lid closed, somewhere cool and dry.
Good to know
Who it suits
- It is Informed Sport certified, meaning a sample of the batch was tested by LGC's anti-doping lab and no banned substances were found in its screen.
- It has no artificial sweeteners.
- There is no caffeine in the ingredient list.
Check first
- Each bottle has 18g of sugars, which is 60% of the NHS daily maximum for free sugars.
- If you manage your blood sugar, speak to your GP or diabetes team about sports drinks before using it.
- Herbalife makes no vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free statement for CR7 Drive.
Questions people ask
Is CR7 Drive an energy drink?
No. It is a sports drink with carbohydrate and electrolytes, and there is no caffeine in the ingredient list.
Does it contain acai berries?
No. Acai berry is the flavour. The taste comes from flavourings, and the colour comes from anthocyanins, which are plant colours.
How much sugar is in it?
There is 18g of sugars in each 500ml, from dextrose and sugar. That is 60% of the NHS 30g daily maximum for free sugars, so it makes most sense during exercise, as Herbalife intends.
Is the tub the same as the sachets?
Yes. Both make the same drink with the same figures. The tub holds 20 servings and the box holds 10 single sachets.
When should I drink it?
Herbalife says it is best drunk during exercise.
What does Informed Sport certified mean?
A sample of the batch was tested by LGC's sports anti-doping lab. It was found to contain no banned substances in their screen.
Where these facts come from
- label_1466: herbalife.com/assets/regional-reusable-assets/emea/images/nutritional-
- factsheet_1466: Herbalife product information and label
- factsheet_1433: Herbalife product information and label
- calc: Herbalife product information and label
- gb_nhc_register: gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-clai
- legis_annex_xiii: legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/1169/annex/XIII
- legis_annex_i_salt: legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/1169/annex/I
- medlineplus_electrolytes: medlineplus.gov/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html
- nhs_salt: nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/salt-nutrition/
- nhs_sugar: nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect
- bda_sport: bda.uk.com/resource/sport-exercise-nutrition.html
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***Informed Sport: a sample of the batch this product came from was tested by LGC's anti-doping lab and found to contain no banned substances in its screen. Cristiano Ronaldo is Herbalife's global nutrition partner. Enjoy as part of a varied, balanced diet and a healthy, active lifestyle. Herbalife images and video are the property of Herbalife. Speak to your GP before changing your diet if you have a medical condition, take medication or are pregnant.
