OK. So we all know that getting the right foods down after a hard ride is pretty important to recovery. But sometimes it’s hard. Not because mixing a bottle of the stuff is difficult, but because you don’t want to drink a thick, snynthetic-tasting brew. Gu’s recovery brews have worked well for me in the past- but were never something I really looked forward to. Until now.
Designed to be ingested as soon as possible after a ride (ideally within 30 minutes), recovery drinks help to replace some of the energy that is hard to take on during hard efforts as well as to provide the nutrients needed to help muscles rebuild. To that end, Gu have included built the following into their Recovery Brew:
- Protein – GU Recovery Brew is full of whey protein isolate for speedy recovery of muscule fibers
- Amino Acids – Arginine and Glutamine promote recovery by diminishing the negative effects of intense training and supporting a strong immune system.
- Carbohydrates – Both simple and complex carbs (and lots of ‘em!) in optimal balance will re-fuel your competitive fire and get you back to training and racing on schedule.
- Antioxidants – Over 100% daily allowances of vitamins C and E in every serving. Your free radicals will hate us!
Does it work? I certainly feel better on back-to-back riding days when rides are quickly followed by a Recovery Brew. How does it taste? Pretty awesome. Unlike fruity flavors, which can be an odd match with heavy-tasting milk-derived whey proteins, the Chocolate Smoothie flavor works, well, like milk and chocolate. In fact, while Recovery Brew tastes good mixed with water, it’s even better in milk or better still in a cup of coffee. Yup: energy, protein, and caffeine. Everything I need to keep my legs happy and post-ride afternoons productive. About $32 for either a dozen single-serve packets or a 14-serving tub.
marc
