Does anyone else read the Hammer nutrition information?

It is marketing material to promote and support their products. Edit: I have not read the literature you are referring to so I am going off what you wrote. I do use 2 of their products but I purchase them locally...so no marketing goodies for me.

It is scientifically proven that liquids are absorbed faster than solid foods.

It is scientifically proven that a high carb low fat meal consumed 3 hours before an endurance event will allow the body to properly digest it in time to burn it, the meal, as fuel. Therefore, increasing time-to-fatigue....you can go longer before needing to top off. Snacks and small meals are reported to be anywhere from 1.5-2 hours. Each athlete must experiment on their own and in the end use familiar foods each time.

Best of Luck

International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Metabolism, 2000, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 103-113

USA Cycling Sports Science

Yes, it is really well written from a standpoint of understanding the process and I too am a proponent of the articles.  There is not all that much self-serving stuff in it and it gives a lot of insight into what is goign on within your body during endurance sports.

There are some things that I agree with a little bit less now after reading other opinions and studies on it (mainly about electrolytes and cramping) but most of their stuff is things that I'll use for discussions on nutrition.

I first read this "book" years ago and over time have found that many of their topics discussed have been valid from my own experience.  Where there are some nuances that differ from athlete to athlete, in general they discuss their opinions based on research and not opinion or hearsay.

I have always found hammer a welcomed breath of air that does not jump on hype or fast-track/cheap-track their products.  Their products and their ingredients are based on research; which is something that sometimes gets missed in all the hype surrounding our sport (magnesium soles on bike shoes, different lay-ups for carbon frames, elasticity differences of titanium grades, etc, etc.).

In my observation, when it comes down to it, they are less interested in being "mass marketed" and more interested in providing a quality product. 

For example, have you ever wondered why gatorade uses simple sugars in their drinks (yes, including their infamous "endurance" formula)?  It's because sucrose, glucose, and fructose taste better to the "masses".

I find it quite ironic that their "endurance" drink includes simple sugars....that concept never ceases to amuse me every time I think about it.

But it doesn't matter that simple sugars are less effective than "complex sugars" (and let's not even get into the simple sugars and free radical discussion) because people buy it, in huge amounts, and gatorade pays HUGE sums of money to get it on as many race courses as possible to "validate" their product.

I know the downsides of simple sugars and know the performance increase I gain from racing and training without them and gatorade only enters my body if that's the last choice I have...

but I digress....

sorry....