Alameda Runners – Get After It!

During a recent 13-mile training run around Alameda, I sampled the relatively new GU Roctane Pineapple flavor a try.  Here are some brief thoughts.

The flavor of the Roctane Pineapple is a sharp pineapple taste that is actually quite tasty.  In my experience, many energy gels don’t taste like the flavor they’re marketed as – this is one of the first that does.

The after taste isn’t too bad, and an extremely high amount of water isn’t necessary to fully wash it down (which occasionally happens to me with other flavors).

My favorite flavor is Tri-Berry, but this pineapple flavor slots in at No. 2 on the list.

Each GU Roctane Pineapple has 100 calories, 25g carbs, 5g sugars, 125mg sodium, 55mg potassium, and a combination of histidine, leucine, valine and isoleucine.  This flavor is the first one in the Roctane brand to not have caffeine.  It’s a bit of a shame, as I love the flavor – but a caffeine boost would have been great.

Similar to other GU Roctane energy gels, they cost $2.50, which is more than the company’s regular flavors.

Ted’s note: We each tried a pineapple GU gel, one was purchased and one was a sample. Ted does not like caffeine boosts while Mike does. We both agree the pineapple gel is good.

Clif Bar launched a heavy marketing campaign for its Clif Quench drink, a new line of electrolyte products aimed at endurance athletes. Originally announced last March, Clif, a company well known for recovery products for athletes, continues to release quality products that are both good for the body and environment.

The Quench line features four flavors – Fruit Punch, Lime-Ade, Orange, and Strawberry Citrus – but the Quench drinks are designed as a tasty re-hydration drink, not a traditional sports drink.

Each bottle is 16 ounces, and has 90 calories, 20 grams of sugar, 70 mg potassium, and 260mg of sodium.

I mainly use it as a reward after a hard bike ride or run, but Quench should be ideal for anyone who has a hard time drinking something such as Cytomax or Gatorade while training.

I drank another bottle after finishing my ride. It is a tasty, functional drink that is relatively inexpensive.

Clif competitor Accelerade also has a pre-made drink for athletes, though I’ve had trouble drinking some of it after a hard workout because of the added whey protein mixed into the drink. The Clif Quench, however, offers the important nutrients athletes need without making it unbearable to drink. The older athletes who need the sodium to prevent cramping apparently like this simple mixture a tad bit more than other drinks.

In keeping with Clif’s well known organic and environmentally green philosophy, the drink is 88 percent organic and doesn’t use high fructose corn syrup. The drink, in fact, has just seven ingredients: Filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, real salt, citric acid, magnesium lactate, and potassium phosphate.

I’m not a fan of high fructose corn syrup — although tasty, it’s horrible for you — and try my best to avoid it at all cost.

The new bottles are in stores now – with a retail price of $1.49 – though can be found on sale. My local Safeway has it for just $0.99 until Tuesday, March 3.  If you have a Safeway near by, it may be the best time to pick up a couple of bottles and try it out.

This isn’t the type of drink I’d normally purchase in  the grocery store, but I couldn’t help myself since I see the company’s ads everywhere I turn.  I decided to take the plunge and quickly share my thoughts.

I recently purchased a can of the “FRS Low-cal Peach Mango”  (1 can = 11.5 oz.; non-carbonated) at a local Safeway grocery store, with a final price around $2.50 (regular price).

The can instructs you to shake well – and you definitely want to listen.  The drink doesn’t have the consistency of water or Gatorade, it is quite a bit thicker.  You also don’t want to try to drink it if the quercetin has settled, several FRS drinkers have told me in the past.

I’m not a fan of the peach mango flavor,  It was a bit more bitter than what I was expecting.  It does taste like a drink with a large amount of vitamins, but doesn’t taste like a typical “low-calorie” drink.

Some people looking to cut down on caffeine may be interested in FRS, as I’ve chatted with several heavy coffee drinkers who noted they began switching to FRS in the afternoon.

One can has 25 calories, 5g sugar, 7g carbs, 260% of daily vitamin C, 130% daily vitamin E, 130% Vitamin B12, and other vitamins and important nutrients the human body needs.

The can says customers should drink 2 to 3 servings per day.  At ~$2.40 per can, paired with a taste I didn’t particularly enjoy, I don’t think I’m going to become a regular customer any time soon.  If you take a daily multi-vitamin, the need for FRS seems to diminish even further.

If anyone at FRS is reading this:  I like how you sponsor running, cycling and MMA Web sites, among others.  Your banner ads promote your product, Lance’s face, and isn’t overly annoying and overbearing.
As noted, I paid for this review product.

A great thing about writing blogs here on Alameda Runners is the ability to offer reviews of various products I stumble across.   I recently ate my first package of GU Blueberrry Chomp energy blocks during a 12-mile training run in the Marin Headlands.

As much as I enjoy eating the gel-like substances, actually being able to chew something while running has been beneficial.  I like to eat the Chomps a bit earlier than when I need an energy boost — remember that the gel products lead to faster effects.

Four Chomps (with each package shipping with eight pieces) have 90 calories, 11g sugar and 23g carbs, among other important nutritional needs for endurance athletes.  Full ingredient list can be found here at the official Gu web site.

No caffeine in the blueberry GU Chomps, which is just fine for me.  I’m a big fan of caffeine, but never have really enjoyed it during my activities.

My complete thoughts, including something I didn’t like much, can be found after the jump. Read more… »