For a long swim workout, choose a carb drink you can actually access during the session and fit into a practiced food and fluid plan. Motion suits swimmers who want a 25 g carbohydrate serving while planning sodium separately. Skratch Sport Drink Mix is the alternative here when a higher sodium contribution in each serving is useful. Motion label Skratch label
Which drink fits your swim session and bottle access?
Choose Motion for a separately counted carbohydrate serving; compare Skratch if you want more sodium in the drink. Motion lists 25 g carbohydrate and 34 mg sodium per serving. Skratch lists 19–20 g carbohydrate and 400 mg sodium. Bottle access then determines whether the chosen preparation is practical in the water. Motion label Skratch label
| Your priority | Option to consider | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| An accessible poolside bottle with sodium planned separately | Motion | 25 g carbohydrate per serving. Motion label |
| More sodium supplied by the drink | Skratch Sport Drink Mix | 400 mg sodium per serving. Skratch label |
| An open-water session | A rehearsed support and feeding setup | Choose a drink that works with the actual opportunity to consume it. |
| No planned need for a carb drink | The existing meal and fluid routine | A long-session guide is not a reason to add powder to every swim. |
What is in a serving of XWERKS Motion?
XWERKS Motion provides 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g BCAAs and 34 mg sodium per serving. Read the carbohydrate and mineral quantities separately when comparing drinks. Motion label
| Per labeled serving | Amount or ingredient |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 25 g from Cluster Dextrin (highly branched cyclic dextrin) |
| Calories | 110 |
| Sodium | 34 mg |
| Calcium / magnesium | 80 mg / 35 mg |
| BCAAs | 3 g in a 2:1:1 ratio |
| Supply / caffeine | 30 servings; no caffeine listed |
How should pool and open-water plans differ?
A pool drink plan starts with bottle placement and scheduled pauses; an open-water plan starts with the support arrangement. Decide how the bottle can be reached before deciding what goes in it. Agree the practical setup with the relevant coach or support person.
For a pool session, keep the familiar bottle where it is permitted and easy to identify. For open water, rehearse how the drink will be offered and consumed. Motion contributes 25 g carbohydrate per full serving, which can be counted once the actual opportunity to drink is clear. Motion label
How much carbohydrate comes from part of a bottle?
Half of an evenly mixed bottle containing one Motion serving provides 12.5 g carbohydrate. A quarter provides 6.25 g and the full bottle 25 g. These amounts follow from the fraction consumed; they are not recommended intake targets. Motion label
Marking the starting volume can make a post-session estimate easier. Record leftover fluid before topping up. If the bottle is shared, spilled or refilled without noting the amount, the consumption estimate becomes less reliable even when the original powder serving was measured correctly.
What should you record during a long-session trial?
Record the amount mixed, the amount left and when the bottle was accessible. For an evenly mixed bottle containing one Motion serving, those observations let you estimate how much of the 25 g carbohydrate serving was consumed. Motion label
Keep pre-swim food and post-swim meals in separate entries. If a planned drinking pause was missed, note the reason—set structure, bottle position or a changed schedule. Those observations tell you whether to adjust the setup before the next long session.
| Fraction consumed | Carbohydrate consumed |
|---|---|
| 25% | 6.25 g |
| 50% | 12.5 g |
| 100% | 25 g |
How should swimmers compare the mineral content?
Swimmers should compare Motion's 34 mg sodium with the sodium amount in the alternative drink, rather than relying on a general electrolyte claim. Skratch Sport Drink Mix lists 400 mg per serving; Motion also lists 80 mg calcium and 35 mg magnesium. Motion label Skratch label
The mineral amounts describe the products, not a swimmer's individual losses. Choose the full preparation in the context of the session and the swimmer's established plan. Adding calcium and magnesium milligrams to sodium would not provide a meaningful sodium total.
How can a swimmer test value and convenience?
A useful trial compares preparation, bottle access, actual consumption and cost before committing to a long block of training. Record whether the drink fits planned pauses and whether the bottle setup remains practical throughout the session.
Motion's one-time price checked September 25, 2026 is $64 for 30 servings, or about $2.13 each. For a budget example, one serving in three selected sessions per week makes the bag cover 10 weeks. Motion label
Does drinking half a Motion bottle provide a full serving?
No. If one Motion serving is mixed evenly in the bottle, drinking half supplies half the serving: 12.5 g carbohydrate rather than 25 g. Motion label
Is a carb drink necessary for every swim?
This guide does not establish a need for a carb drink in every swim. Decide what the session requires within the swimmer's food and fluid plan, and whether bottle access makes a drink practical.
Which alternative has more sodium per serving?
Skratch Sport Drink Mix lists 400 mg sodium per serving, compared with Motion's 34 mg. Its carbohydrate amount also differs at 19–20 g versus Motion's 25 g. Skratch label Motion label
What is Motion's carbohydrate source?
Motion lists Cluster Dextrin, a highly branched cyclic dextrin, with 25 g carbohydrate per serving. Motion label
How many servings are in a Motion bag?
Motion lists 30 servings per bag. The one-time price checked September 25, 2026 was $64, or about $2.13 per serving before tax, delivery and discounts. Motion label
Which product should you choose?
Choose Motion when an accessible 25 g carbohydrate serving fits the long-swim plan and sodium is accounted for separately. Choose Skratch when more sodium in the drink is useful. Rehearse the bottle or support setup along with the drink itself. Motion label Skratch label
Where can you read more?
For more detail on the ingredients and training choices around XWERKS Motion, see Understanding Cluster Dextrin, Carbohydrate for workout fueling, Carbohydrate and hydration.
How were these options compared?
We compared manufacturer labels, full serving amounts, prices and the practical needs described in this article. Sources were checked September 25, 2026. Prices are one-time purchases before delivery, tax and discounts; calculations and planning examples are identified in the text.
The linked research provides ingredient context. This comparison does not report original product testing.
