Recovery Formula DIY — DIY recipe + store-bought comparison

Units
STEP 1 · WHAT WAS THE SESSION?

Pick your session type

This drives your carb-per-kg baseline and protein emphasis.

Store-bought comparison

How it compares to commercial recovery mixes

Prices indicative, verified July 2026 — check the retailer.

ProductCarbsProteinCarb blendCreatine?Notable extrasApprox cost/servingMarkets
Etixx Recovery Shake~37 g~9 gMalto + dextrose + fructoseVit C, B-complex, iron, CoQ10, digestive enzymesfrom ~€2.00 (€54.99 / 1.4 kg)🇪🇺 🇬🇧
Torq RecoveryHigh (3:1 carb:pro)Whey (WPI)2:1 malto:fructoseL-glutamine, D-ribose, vitaminsfrom ~£3 / 75 g serving🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇪🇺
GU Roctane Protein Recovery~30 g20 g WPIFast carbs, sodium-richHigh sodium for rehydrationfrom ~$3.50 ($35 / 10)🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇪🇺
INFINIT REPAIR~4:1 carb:pro3-protein blendMalto + glucose + sucrose + fructoseBCAAs, L-glutamine, customisablefrom ~$3.43 ($54.95 / 16)🇺🇸 (ships EU/UK)
SiS REGO Rapid Recovery23 g22 gCarb + soy protein (vegan)2.5 g L-leucine, vitamins/mineralsfrom ~£1.30 (£18.90+ / 500 g)🇬🇧 🇪🇺
Skratch Labs Sport Recovery35 g8 g4:1, milk proteinProbiotics, simple ingredient listfrom ~$2.80–3.50🇺🇸
Tailwind Recovery Mix34 g20 gDextrose + cane sugar, plant proteinDairy/soy/gluten-free, electrolytesfrom ~$2.80 ($55.99 / 20)🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇪🇺

Closest all-in-one

Etixx Recovery Shake

The only mainstream mix that bundles creatine with carbs, WPI and vitamins — mirrors the DIY formula most closely, though a 90 kg athlete would need 1.5–2 servings for the carb/protein target.

Most customisable

INFINIT REPAIR

Pick your own macros and add creatine or taurine yourself.

Best value ready-made

SiS REGO Rapid Recovery

From ~£1.30/serving in bulk.

Highest protein

Tailwind Recovery / SiS REGO / GU Roctane

20 g, 22 g and 20 g protein respectively.

Rapid-glycogen bias

Skratch Sport Recovery / Torq Recovery

Highest carb:protein ratios of the group.

Availability by market

  • US: Skratch, Tailwind, GU widely stocked; INFINIT direct + retailers; Etixx/Torq via import.
  • UK: SiS REGO, Torq, GU, Tailwind all mainstream; Etixx via specialist retailers.
  • EU (incl. Luxembourg): Etixx and Torq are the easiest to buy locally; GU and Tailwind via EU distributors; INFINIT ships from US/EU depending on SKU.

Step 1

Answer the questions

Bodyweight, session type, depletion, sweat level and goal emphasis — the recipe rebuilds itself as you go.

Step 2

Read your recipe

Exact grams for every ingredient, macros, sodium, g/kg and an indicative cost per serving.

Step 3

Buy or mix

Copy the recipe to mix it yourself, or scroll down to see how it stacks up against seven commercial recovery mixes.

What's baked into every recipe

Every recipe uses a 2:1 glucose:fructose carb blend — it roughly doubles liver-glycogen repletion and improves gut comfort versus glucose alone, though it doesn't speed muscle-glycogen resynthesis beyond glucose alone. Protein is dosed for muscle repair, with its glycogen benefit mattering most when carbs fall short. Sodium is tuned to your sweat level. Creatine is optional and fixed-dose. Antioxidants (vitamin C/E) are deliberately left out of the auto recipe — they're occasional-only, not a daily addition, since chronic high doses can blunt training adaptation. The recipe never includes caffeine.

Want a fuelling plan for during the session instead? See theGel Maker DIYor theAI Race Fuel Prompt Generator.