Energy supplements are needed when doing any workout longer than an
hour. No athlete should think of doing a
race that will take longer than an hour without some kind of nutritional
support.
The question is always what to use? I am always on the look out for new products
that will work for me. Going to the race
expo can mean a great chance to try out some new products.
I’ve picked up buddy fruits a couple of times at races,
first at the National Duathlon Championship in St. Paul and also at the Chicago Triathlon.
I also bought a Honey Stinger Fruit Smoothie Organic Energy
gel.
I thought I would try each one out, one week in my indoor Comp
trainer class. The class runs around 90 minutes, with some pretty intense
intervals. It would be a great test to see if I got an energy kick from either
product.
I’ve used GU energy gels for years. If fact I don’t think I
could do a marathon without them. I even use on during a sprint triathlon. I can feel the energy increase when I take
them. Some athletes have trouble
digesting these, but I’ve used them without problems. But I always open to trying something new.
I used the blueberry & black current buddy fruit for my
week one trial. The packet is 4.2
ounces. It is advertised on their web
site as being gluten free, 100 % fruit and BPA free. The company also makes two other products;
Buddy Fruit & Veggies and Buddy Fruit Smoothies, a fruit and skim milk
product.
It is packaged in a plastic 4 ounce pouch with a screw
top. One of the things I like about GU
is it has the consistency of pudding.
The buddy fruits tasted like fine apple sauce. It was ok, but nothing
great. I really did not see any energy
benefit. In fact I bombed out during one of the intervals, so this product did
nothing for performance.
This would be great as a snack or to put in a day pack for a
hike. Reading the company web site, it looks like that is the intent of the
product. The product contains no added
sugar. It is made from apples, bananas, blueberries, black currents and apple
juice concentrate. The company started
as a way for two parents to make a healthy snack for their kids. Mission accomplished as a
snack, not so much for an energy supplement for workouts and racing.
Next up was Honey Stinger gel. The web site says it is a blend of organic
tapioca syrup, organic honey, electrolytes and natural fruit flavors. So how did it work as a workout supplement?
It was much better than the Buddy Fruits. I got a nice energy boost that carried me
through the 90 minute workout. I tried
the Fruit Smoothie flavor, but all I tasted was honey. So maybe I would get the
same boost from honey. Each 1 ounce pack
has 100 calories and 24 grams of carbs.
The honey stinger is a nice product and I would be open to
using it again, if I wanted something honey flavor or if GU was not available.
.JPG)
Chris
Wodke
Founder
& Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com
Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.
She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.
In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent TeamUSA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.
In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team
In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas , Texas
She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.
She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 160 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia , Scotland ,
Canada , Vietnam , Turkey ,
Finland and Iran . If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org
CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.
Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.
Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.
Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.
Additional
symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing
loss.
Additional Link
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Marathon Bombing
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