Review : Enduroforce

• Type : Nutrition / hydration
• Use : Running fuel / tonic
• Price : 2,29$ ea. / 22.99$ box

Introduction
When you’re an endurance athlete, it’s really hard to carry your healthy eating habits into your running fuel and hydration needs. A vast majority of foods, drinks and supplements use highly-refined sugars, such as maltodextrin or glucose-fructose, to trick your body into high gear. For health-conscious endurance enthusiasts, this is less than optimal, to say the least.

Thankfully, there are a growing number of endurance fuels which use only natural ingredients, starting of course with Mas Korima, a collaborative enterprise I’m very proud to be a part of. There are also other new and innovative products out there, and Enduroforce is definitely one of them.

Enduroforce uses maple syrup and spirulina, mixed with sea buckthorn and ginseng. That’s it. Four natural ingredients, nothing else. I like that a lot and, after sampling the product, got enthusiastic about its effects, too.

Testing
The idea behind Enduroforce is to be a tonic, a natural stimulant that forgoes the use of caffeine and taurine and that helps maximize endurance. The ingredient mix is rich in antioxydants, vitamins and minerals, comes in a tiny dose of 15ml and still packs 40 calories and a gram of protein.

Upon trying it the first time, I was expecting a boost comparable to the use of a gel, or maybe like a shot of espresso. This is not at all the effect of the product. It didn’t change much in my intensity; what it did is to increase my awareness and focus, and mostly to rid me of the impression of fatigue while I’m running. It’s a subtle effect, but an important one when going on multiple-hour endurance runs.

Compared to a straight shot of maple syrup (which is what I now use as a gel replacement as well as the sweetener for my pinole mix), Enduroforce doesn’t pack a big punch, and I don’t think it’s its intended purpose either. As a tonic, it brings a balanced shot of stimulation, nutrition and supplementation that really starts to shine in the long run.

Taken 45 minutes before effort, then subsequently about every 2 hours, Enduroforce maintains my energy and focus and decreases my perceived effort without playing yo-yo with my sugar levels.

Analysis
Taste-wise, Enduroforce takes a bit of getting used to. Personally, I don’t mind an “exotic” taste, as long as it’s not too strong or pungent. I won’t go as far as saying Enduroforce tastes good, but I got used to it pretty quickly and the fact that it’s fully natural weights a lot in my personal balance.

My biggest qualm about it is the strange little package it comes in. It’s a small plastic tube with a break-off tip which isn’t easy to manipulate at first. Furthermore, when you’ve used the tubes, they often drip into running vest’s pockets and leave a sticky little mess. Lastly, I’m not a big fan of single-use plastic and would love an option of a large container and reusable screw-top type “shots” to save on trash and skip the mess all at once.

Conclusion
In my opinion, Enduroforce is a good element in an endurance nutrition mix for the health-conscious athlete who wants to steer clear from the chemicals and highly-processed compounds that make up most fuels out there. Used side-by-side with your liquid and solid nutrition of choice (Andale! pinole and Korimalitas energy bites in my case), it can help you perform well without a nagging feeling of constant effort.

High points

• Fully natural
• 4 ingredients. Period.
• A tonic that keeps you going
• Mitigates fatigue and perceived effort

Low points

• Break-tip containers are finicky
• Empty tubes are messy
• Single-use plastic

The material for this personal review was supplied by Leo Desilets / Enduroforce free of charge. Disclosure: I am part of Enduroforce’s ambassador team.

Review : Emergen-C Immune + Mix

• Type : Nutrition / hydration
• Use : Dietary supplement / Running fuel
• Price : $18 for 30-packet box

Introduction
As part of a prize package at Hunter Gatherer in Texas, I received a box of Emergen-C Immune +Mix. The idea is that it boosts your immunity while delivering an extra dose of vitamins and minerals, three things any distance racer should consider in their nutrition / hydration startegy.

Test
I dissolved a packet in water and was pleased with the taste and the refreshing feel of the fizziness. It is hard to actually tell exactly what benefits I received from the product and the website, although hilarious (It has phrases like «Get a dose of Kapow!») does not provide a lot of hints as to what exactly, aside from the supplement itself, the benefit of the mix might be.

Analysis
I do know for a fact that an overdose of vitamins is rarely harmful and that any unused volume of it will end up where it should be, filtered by your kidneys. Runners need a lot of vitamin C, which Emergen-C packs up. I am not so sure about the vitamin D, since we spend so much time outside; this is something that made me think the immune mix is probably not a running-specific product.

However, if there are immune system benefits to the product, this would be a good thing; endurance runners are always more at risk of catching a cold or some other ailment after a long event; boosting your immune system after such an event is definitely a good idea.

I will keep experimenting with Emergen-C, but will focus its use mostly on post-run drinks as an immunity booster.

High points

• Tastes good
• A shot of fizzy drink always feels better than a pill
• Boosting your immune system after a long run is a good idea

Low points

• Hard to tell if product really works
• Several ingredients (beta glucans, arabinogalactans) are not explained and sound like they come from outer space

Review : Saquito Mix

 

• Type : Nutrition / hydration
• Use : Running fuel
• Price : $22 for 8-packet box

Introduction
Since the world discovered the Raramuri (Tarahumara) runners with Born To Run, every aspect of their culture and tradition was scrutinized, in search of their «secret». The real, raw, awesome truth is : the Raramuri have no secret. They simply have a lifestyle that is radically different from ours and they use their body in ways we, the Westerners, have forgotten. They work very hard physically every day and their feet are their main means for locomotion. Try that for 365 days a year, a couple years in a row. Then show me how you run.

The grossest and most common misconception about the Raramuri, aside from the belief that they run barefoot, is that they use chia seeds in their diet. Let me be perfectly clear; in 4 trips, 12 weeks and numerous miles running with many Raramuri, I have not seen a single one of them use chia, and I have not been able to find the seed itself in any store in the Barrancas nor anyone who knew what the hell I was talking about.

With that said, some of the traditional Raramuri do carry a little pouch with them. It is filled with a very simple, hand-ground corn powder that smells like popcorn and is called pinole (pee-noh-lay). They have been using it mixed in water as a sports drink, and it can also be served hot as a kind of breakfast oatmeal.

Now that we have this straight, let's talk about chia, and more precisely, Saquito Mix.

Sampling
I had my first taste of Saquito at the Leadville 100, crewing for their sponsored athlete Tyler Tomasello. It was late at night, I was tired, I had not eaten enough that day, I was not doing too well with altitude and my shift as a pacer was coming up. A fellow crew handed me a pouch of Saquito to try, and I ate it without a second thought. Within about 15 minutes, I started to feel the effect. I was more alert, felt energetic and actually looked forward to my runner coming in the aid station. I was also satiated and felt just like I'd had «real food», not some quick gel or energy drink. I was impressed.

Testing
But that, really, was anecdotal. However, the same thing happened again at the Nine Trails Ultra a month later, when my friend Nancy gave me a pouch as a post-run snack. I was intrigued.

Then, I traveled down to Texas to run Josue Stephens' brutal Hunter Gatherer Ultra, which had Saquito as one of their main sponsors. Runners could have their choice of one pouch of Saquito, or a bison-based meat bar called Epic at various points on the course. Being more of a vegetarian than a paleo, I obviously opted for the former. The result was very clear; Saquito works, and it works very well.

Analysis

Taken from Saquito's Facebook page

The mix of chia and hemp seeds, coconut flakes, goji berries, cinnamon, vanilla beans and other ingredients is 95% organic, vegan, is low in sugars and high in protein and fibers. And that, I think, is the key; no quick sugar buzz, no crash and a long-lasting effect of satiation. The mix itself is simply a bunch of grainy stuff with a couple dried berries that you can chew on and rince with water. Surprisingly enough, it tastes pretty good; moreover, and contrary to many other fuels like gels, it still tastes good after many hours out on the trails.

If the grainy texture doesn't appeal to you, you can bake the mix into cookies or cakes. Since I am fully satisfied with the powdery mix, I haven't tried any of that fancy stuff. Saquito's Facebook page features some pretty yummy-looking images, if you're looking for inspiration, although no recipes are provided.

Conclusion
Saquito works. It wakes you up, gives you energy and provides a long-lasting sense of satiation without any crappy chemicals, high-fructose syrup or even caffein. That's pretty impressive. In a market full of sorbitols, xantham gums and other questionable compounds, Saquito offers a simple, natural and very efficient product based on quality ingredients, complete proteins, omega-3's, high fiber content and low sugars. For the health-conscious runner, it doesn't get any better than that.

High points

• It works for real; try it
• All natural ingredients and 95% organic
• Easy to eat and incites you to drink
• Tastes good, even after many hours
• Pouches are re-sealable and biodegradable

Low points

• At $3 a pouch, it's not cheap