Athlete Nutrition Review - Hammer Fully Charged

This past month I tried Hammer Fully Charged Pre-Exercise Igniter as a replacement for my beet juice, tart cherry juice, and beta-alanine dietary supplements.  It may just be for you too.

Use Fully Charged for:  Hammer Fully Charged is a pre-workout supplement that provides caffeine, sustained energy blends, and Nitrous Oxide exercise support to improve performance and maximize muscular and mental function.

What’s In It:  Green Tea Extract, Nitrous Oxide Proprietary Blend, Taurine, Tart Cherry Extract, Beta Alanine, L-Carnitine.  These ingredients claim to provide mental and physical sharpening, increased blood flow and supply to muscles, and amino acids for muscular efficiency.

Review:  During our racing careers we go through phases and experimentation with our diets.  There is an endless supply of new and rediscovered super foods in a dietary world that feels cyclical in nature.  Like many triathletes, I have tried most of them.  I used Beta-Alanine a decade ago, started using beets two years ago, and grew up with a tart cherry tree which has made it easy to utilize tart cherries in my diet as a recovery aid.  Hammer Fully Charged combines all three of those ingredients in their proprietary blend in addition to amino acids, taurine, and the everyone’s favorite supplement caffeine which comes from green tea.  Naturally, an all in one product is preferable to three different concoctions each day so I gave it a try through a training cycle including long runs, hill repeats, interval workouts, and three races. 

Day 1:  Mixed my first glass.  Fully Charged mixes into cool water easily and provides a pinkish hue.  The flavor is tart cherry, I personally smell and taste a watered-down bubble gum which is pleasant enough for a supplement and not painful to drink.  I went out on my first run 30 minutes after replacing my pre-run glass of water with Fully Charged.  The biggest test of these supplements to me is if my stomach can handle it; I did not notice any difference in my stomach which was a great start from day one.

Day 2-7:  I continued to drink a single glass in the morning before my first workout.  I felt great during this week, it was my first week of build into a training cycle.  A progression long run, hill workout, and my first race all occurred with good results and no stomach issues which has always been my complaint about other beet supplements. 

Day 8-14:  It took over a week until I started noticing the flush from the Beta-Alanine in the Fully Charged.  Research shows that Beta-Alanine requires a period of loading and then maintenance to provide the buffer effect.  By itself, Beta-Alanine is usually cycled for 4-6 weeks prior to your primary event.  This was my best week of the cycle.  Every day I felt I could meet or exceed my workout goals.  There is no doubt the Fully Charged wasn’t hurting and I kept feeling good; I found a supplement that made my legs feel like my other beet supplements – faster and fresher.  I continued to be happy about how easily my stomach handled the blend of supplements in Fully Charged.

Day 15-21:  I continued to sleep and recover well this week which was the final of this cycle before a down week.  One of the more common uses for Tart Cherry is as a sleep aide which is what I used it for in periods prior to beginning Fully Charged.  Sleep is vital to recovery so a supplement that can provide some quality to your shut-eye can be worth its weight in gold during harder cycles.  After making it through my last race and long run during this test period while hitting all of my goals has made me feel that there isn’t a fall off between Hammer’s all in one product and supplementing with the three separate products I was consuming otherwise.  I am a believer and since it is cheaper and easier to consume; Hammer Fully Charged will replace my other supplements going forward until I am convinced otherwise.

Pros:

-Multiple Performance Enhancers in One

-Easy on the Stomach

-Caffeine source without the acidity of coffee before a run

Cons:

-Tart Cherry Flavor preference

-For most this is a morning or early afternoon supplement only due to caffeine content

-Beta-Alanine flush can be unpleasant but is short lived

Recap:  After a three week hard training cycle I would highly recommend Hammer Fully Charged as a supplement to add to your arsenal.  Hammer Fully Charged provided the same exercise feel as similar beet or blended performance enhancing products at a lower cost and in an all-in-one supplement.  Easy to dissolve and drink before exercise without the stomach difficulties of other products. 

Perfect Summer Training and Three Weeks Till Milwaukee

The countdown continues until USAT Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee and while the training is ramping up in intensity and specificity for shorter races it doesn't mean you can't throw some fun days into the mix.  This past week I hit the bike for an extended day in the saddle, Jess and I got some beach time, and new trails were explored.

With sport, you have to love the process, otherwise motivation will come and go and so will improvements.  I told myself day 1 that I wouldn't stop the little things I love even when I decided to commit my focus to road triathlon.

This past week I joined my buddy, Marcus, for his Ironman Boulder training ride including a backloaded 2,500 feet of climbing from miles 40 through 70.  We took the eastern Colorado Springs roads where the only cars seen are the ranchers trucks and you pray it's not a windy day.   I found I need more practice shooting with the GoPro on the bike as this was the only real quality shot I managed.  This next week I'll promise to do better as I've seen impressive shots on Instagram from other riders.

Growing up on the east coast, one of the things we constantly discuss missing is the beach.  So, Jess and I spent some time on the beach in Boulder at the Reservoir.  Who said you can't spend some time shoreside on the sand in landlocked Colorado?  The surprising part is how wicked hot it can get when you don't have an ocean breeze at the beach.  We are pretty sure our Colorado beach dates hit the heat index harder than our previous home in Virginia.  Colorado Springs doesn't have the beaches like Boulder but they are well worth the drive north for the variety.

This summer we have taken on seeing a bunch of new places, whether by bike or foot, and trail running is fantastic cross training for the legs and the brain.  When the snow finally melts by the end of June the high elevation running and hiking goes a lot faster and requires less equipment, which is a runner's dream on technical terrain as safety becomes less of an issue.  I like trails all year long and I'm not sure when the scars on my back from Crags Trail will go away, but at least in the summer we don't have to worry about the hidden ice!

The Runner's Tea: Athlete Review

After discovering The Runner's Tea from a friend a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be accepted as a member of "The Runner's Tea(m)" and I have been trying it out on a regular basis the last few weeks to see how my now frequent coffee replacement holds up in terms of energy, performance, and to other teas I have tried.

The Runner's Tea makes three distinctly different teas with two matcha based teas (powdered ceremonial grade green tea) - Ginger Berry and Citrus Mint - and one oolong based tea - Recovery Tea.  The teas contain additional flavoring from combinations of mint, cinnamon, ginger, tumeric, ginseng, orange peel, cayenne, lemon balm, hibiscus, and lemon grass.  Matcha Tea, at least in the athletic circles I am in, is one of the hottest health crazes out there, giving the other craze for beet juice good competition.  A quick internet search will tell you that Matcha, or powdered green tea leaves, provides a much higher level of antioxidants than traditional green tea, as well as specific properties that improve memory, concentration, and endurance.  Personally, I have spent enough time in healthcare that I have seen and heard of a lot of different products and methods.  I look for items that are sustainable health habits as I have no love for terrible tasting cleanse items and the like.  Tea is a well established way to achieve health benefits of antioxidants, hydration (nutrition tidbit -caffeine does not dehydrate you but they may make you run to the bathroom sooner), and a caffeine boost.

My Runner's Tea Review:

All three flavors are different and can meet an individual's needs at different times; however, my favorite is the Citrus Mint.  The Berry flavor was a bit strong for me before running, especially 30 minutes before, where I found it was a flavor I would taste at times during a run, so it didn't settle with me quite as well.  In the teas, I love the light heat from the Cayenne and feel it augments the flavor of the mellow smooth minty tea.  The recovery blend contains oolong tea, so I still go elsewhere for a pre-bed tea but the recovery blend does include one of favorite ingredients to add to any personal recovery tea: turmeric.  I add additional turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon to the recovery blend which I find augments a relaxing flavor and a little extra anti-inflammatory punch.  That said, I don't partake in any caffeinated tea after 3 pm - so it is not a tea I drink before my occasional recovery naps in the afternoon.

Performance-wise, I feel good after drinking The Runner's Tea, I have energy and no difficulty keeping it down when running soon after.  I found indigestion to be a problem with coffee too soon before a run, while this tea settles well.  The mint may be the primary reason it is smooth and calm in the stomach once it goes down.  Overall, my race performances haven't changed, and I wouldn't expect replacing my caffeine source to lead me to immediate PRs, but a healthy alternative that is easy on the stomach puts me at ease that I won't be holding onto my gut in regret mid-race.  The peace of mind that you aren't overdoing it with caffeine or chemically energy drinks is nice to have.

All-in-all the price is fantastic for a premium tea and especially with the continually rising matcha prices.  If you are looking for something that tastes good, has additonal health benefits, can help stave off inflammation and upset stomach, and will also provide a caffeine and performance boost then I'd definitely recommend giving it a try at www.therunnerstea.com where you can get 10% off with the code: RTNIC2015

Happy Tea Drinking and Happy Running!  Cheers!

Leadville 10k: A high altitude date

We started our day driving through the high plains and mountains of Colorado to reach our run date, the Leadville 10K, in Historic Leadville, Colorado.  We spent the previous day celebrating our friends recent nuptials around Aspen and enjoyed the Aspen Brewing Company followed by the Grand Opening of the Aspen Art Museum (where they made a publicity splash with the tortoise with iPads on their backs stunt).  We climbed over 10,000 feet into the sky to compete in the 10K the next morning.  Nick is competing in the Pikes Peak Ascent next week while Jessica is training for the Denver Rock n' Roll Marathon.

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Leadville is a beautiful mountain town which has gained more recent fame for the Leadville 100 mile Ultra-Marathon and the multiple high altitude races it hosts.  It also contains a lot of history as a mining town and still contains the rustic, blue-collar feel of such a secluded place.  Its proximity to Denver, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen make it a worthy part of any trip to Colorado.

Prior to our race, we explored the town a bit, and Nick had to complete a long easy run prior to the race to prepare himself for the altitude of Pikes Peak next week.  We shared our pre-race affections and lined up with a myriad of characters including Barefoot Alex, and the complete crew from Marvel's Avengers.  At the gun we took off for our 5K descent, only to next turn around and head back uphill to where we came from!

We both had the learning experiences of  no matter how much you try to hold back running downhill for the first 5K, that last 5K is going to hurt!!  The course is a beautiful approach in to the mountains on primarily dirt road followed by a lung-grinding escape back up and away from them.  We both demonstrated our finest survival shuffles on the final step hill up 6th street prior to the finish where we enjoyed the camaraderie of a truly unique running community.

After one short race in Leadville terms we both fell in love with the idea of returning!  I'm not sure if either of us have the 100 mile bug, but Nick may dream about it knowing how the boy's brain works.

Happy Running and don't forget to find and live your love.

Nick's 3rd Place Overall Medal!