I guess it is about time I put the proverbial pen to ink on this one, and shared one of my "training secrets." For the least few years I have been supplementing my workouts, training sessions and soccer games. I admit it 100%, I use performance enhancers. For about a year or so I was using these Access Performance Bars made by Melaleuca . I would eat them about 20 minutes before a workout or game, and maybe have one at halftime (soccer game). Not sure if it was mental or not, but I did feel I had more energy when I had one. I guess I still might be buying them (instead of working through the bars I have left) if I didn’t think the whole company oozes creepy cult . (I must admit the ProFlex Protein bars are decent, and not a bad buy. Still from a creepy company though)
Over the past year or so I have moved away from the heavy chocolate energy bars, to the electrolyte and vitamin filled confections made by Jelly Belly and Cliff respectively. I am a huge fan of the Jelly Belly Sports Beans (Fruit Punch ROCK!) as well as Cliff Shot Blocks (Except the Margareta flavored. So Gross) These things are fantastic. Super portable, easy to eat, and they do what they claim to do. (Energy when you need it) Whether it is a hard fought soccer game, or 2.5 hrs of fighting (SAMBO), both of these products are a major ace up my sleeve. (Keeps me from bonking or hitting the wall )
One thing to keep an eye out for, the both Shot Blox and Sports Beans do have a caffeine boosted version. I try to stay away from them as I am not a big fan of caffeine. But, just as a FYI, if you are trying to ween yourself off those caffeine sugar bombs in the morning, i.e. crapaccinos and blah blah blah macchiatos, then a nice caffeinated shot block or a few caffeinated sports beans and a bottle of water may be a great alternative. (mmm fruity goodness)
So there you have it, a few of my secrets.
Any why, pray tell, do I use them? Because "INTENSITY " is damned important in a workout. I want my energy as high as it can be for as long as I can keep it going. This is a great way to use the advances that have been made in "food science." Do you need them? Not unless you are working out really hard, really often, or need that occasional boost during intense activity. Eat well all the time, and under normal circumstances you will be fine. These supplements are targeted for endurance athletes.
-Rob
3 responses so far ↓
1 Tips from Clif Bar to Fuel your Ride to Work // May 12, 2008 at 10:50 pm
[...] I swear we didn’t write this in exchange for keeping Rob in Shot Blocks, even though he does love [...]
2 Graphix // May 13, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Um, Melaleuca is SO not a creepy company you freak! LOL’ing at how you could possibly connect them and Mormon fundamentalism…
3 Rob T // May 13, 2008 at 5:12 pm
All those “natural” items, and earth friendly products which they claim need to replace the chemical goodness I find in my home. I swear that it is stage one before wearing hand woven pioneer style dresses, and forcing 16 year olds to marry.
CREEPY!
In all fairness, they do have a few decent products, but I am not a fan of the Amway trapaziod scheme, and the “you really need to use all this stuff around your house because everything else is bad” marketing.
So, the link is up there for anyone who wants to check them out. Remember, any advertising is better than no advertising!
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