CarboRocket’s Rehab brings a rapid fire recovery formula in two versions, one with Whey and the other a vegan-friendly Pea Protein.
The Chocolate Coconut (whey), shown, is absolutely delicious and a welcome blend of flavors compared to standard chocolate. The coconut flavor comes from dried coconut water and is subtle but refreshing. The recovery part comes from 15g protein (14g for the Pea Protein’s Cappuccino flavor) and 40g of glucose per serving, plus 5g glutamine and 4g BCAA’s. By using straight glucose, the formula moves through your tummy quickly and causes the insulin response you want to drive the nutrients into your muscles. They’re all natural, gluten free and mixes very easily. And the chocolate coconut flavor is really, really tasty…one of my new favorites. Retail is $44 for a 16-serving canister.
Movit Energy Gummies really do have an almost gummy bear like texture, just a bit firmer than Clif’s Bloks. Each pouch really tries to pack it all in, providing energy in all its iterations. There’s the obvious, carbs, for caloric energy to keep things humming along. While the corn syrup source isn’t my favorite, it did keep the hunger pangs away just before a short workout. It also adds a small amount of protein from gelatin. The other energy systems are mental and cardiovascular, and they fight fatigue there with guarana and Co-Enzyme Q10. Guarana packs natural caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, all of which boost mental alertness and physical endurance. It’s a bitter substance, and you can taste that a little in the gummies, but only very slightly. CoQ10 aids in cellular energy production, which could help with physical stamina. In addition, they’ve stacked it with taurine, B-vitamins, Vitamin C and a small amount of sodium. The sodium count (18mg) is about the only under-represented common ingredient for a sports nutrition product. Available in 12-packs of 1oz bags of Berry and Citrus flavors for $16.99. Larger multi-packs are also available. Made in USA.
Skout Organic is following up their delicious energy bars with a superfood snack pack of raw pumpkin seeds. They source organic, raw seeds to keep all the natural enzymes and nutrients intact (like protein, zinc, iron, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids). They’re also very high in potassium, and sodium’s up there thanks to the sea salt added to the three different flavors: Pacific Sea Salt, Jalapeño Salsa and Black Pepper BBQ. So far, I’ve tried only the BBQ ones and they’re awesome. The flavor’s just right, not overpowering, and even my kids (6 and 9) liked it. The bonus? Each packet has 17g of (good) fat and 10g of protein, so they’ll fill you up a bit more on long rides and help out with recovery afterward. Retail is $4.49 each or get a 6-pack for $23.99.
Power Crunch protein bars come in two varieties, original and crisp. The original is like a wafer, with a very light texture just like wafer cookies. Yet, they pack 13g to 14g of protein in there and manage to taste really good…in all seven flavors! Protein comes from a blend of hydrolyzed whey protein, whey protein isolate and milk protein isolate, all of which provide quick assimilation for maximum benefit.
They’re sweetened with fructose and stevia, so no artificial sweeteners. Even the flavors are natural. The light texture didn’t do a whole lot to fill me up, but for a quick snack after a workout to add more protein without spoiling the appetite for a giant burrito (or whatever), it’s just the ticket. A box of 12 is $24.99, which is actually pretty decent considering the quality of ingredients and the going rate for most protein bars in stores.
With junk food flavors getting ever saltier and more extreme (seriously. Doritos.), the subtle, natural flavors of a real food bar like Sly Fox is more refreshing than ever. I tried these at the Whiskey Offroad and they’re fantastic. Made without gluten, dairy, grains or soy, you have the healthy option of four flavors: Vanilla Bean, Peppermint Chip, Pecan Spice and Cocoa Berry. They’re handmade in small batches from ingredients like honey, almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, pecans, cacao, goji berry, sea salt, spices and more. All are pretty low in sodium.
Retail is $37.50 for a box of 10. Their flyer had a discount code, so here you go: Enter “offroad” during checkout for 10% off through 7/31/2014.
PowerBar just introduced a smorgasbord of new products and flavors. First up, new Energy Wafer Bars in two flavors, looking even more like the cookies than PowerCrunch. Except these are virtually all carbs, giving you 29g to 31g of carbs (about half sugar) and 2g to 3g protein. There’s also a bit of fat to help fill you up, but these are definitely aimed at just providing quick, likely delicious, energy. They’re pre-scored to be easy to break in half. Suggested retail is $1.00 to $1.69.
The new Fruit & Nuts bars come in PB&J and Nutty Berry are still carb heavy but perhaps a bit more substantial with date paste, whole oats and soy nuts, among other things depending on flavor. $1.29 to $1.69.
Their Energy Blends fruit purees gets a new Pear Blackberry flavor. Ingredients are just pureed pear and blackberry, glucose and vitamin C. $2.00 to $2.79.
Their ProteinPlus bars get a crunchier texture for two of the flavors, Chocolate Mint Cookie and Peanut Butter Cookie. Each contains a 20g blend of whey, soy and casein proteins. $1.57 – $2.49
