Product Review for ENERGYbits.... plus a surprise or two!!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I want to say that I was provided a sample pack of ENERGYbits by the company for the purposes of testing and reviewing them. This does not imply that I am being compensated in any way. My review will be my honest opinion, good or bad. However, if you continue to the end of my review, YOU can benefit from my review. Now, let's get to it.

Last Wednesday, about a week after corresponding with Jonathan, the Community Manager for ENERGYbits, I received an envelop in the mail, with a small metal tin, and a stack of literature. I initially forced myself to ignore the tin and look through the literature. They provide you with a LOT of information. I found some of the info pretty interesting. I'll get to that a little later.

According to the recommendations, you should swallow or chew between 30 and 40 bits about 10-15 minutes before a run or other workout. I opened the tin, and immediately noticed the smell. It's hard to describe, but the best I can do is say it smells very organic and earthy. Not bad, just not sure I would call it a good food smell. My 10 year old daughter offered to taste test one. She said, and I quote, "They don't taste like anything..." She did say when you chew them up, they get stuck in your teeth. Plus, her teeth were green. When she took a drink, it was gone. No harm, no foul, though I was hoping to be able to make fun of her.

I had a 5 mile run scheduled that I was really not looking forward to. I had a long day at work, was tired, and didn't really care to spend time running around a track 40 times. All I really wanted to do was take a nap. I figured this would be a great time to test them. So, off I went. When I got to the gym, before I started to change into my running clothes, I counted out 20 bits (I figured I would try a couple different amounts for different runs), swallowed them whole (they smell a little too off for me to chew up) and waited. I can't say I ever noticed a surge of energy, as I was expecting. So I started running.

The first thing I noticed was that I seemed to be moving at a pretty quick clip, considering this was supposed to be an easy run. I decided to see how I felt after a few laps. As I went, I didn't feel like I was losing steam. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't setting any PR's, but I felt good pushing at a pace closer to my 5k race pace. I was working hard, but I wasn't getting burned out. So, I kept the pace steady.

Also, I noticed I was more mentally alert. I was able to focus much better on the actual running. Usually I have to really pay attention, or I inadvertently slow down to a casual jog, or I lose count of my laps. That didn't happen this time. I was able to keep focused on my turnover and my lap count. I actually reveled in paying attention to the act of running. That's something I have been struggling with for a few months. My brain has been getting in the way a lot lately.

Probably the best thing I noticed was that I FELT LIKE RUNNING. Considering how I started the run (demotivated, tired, irritable), that was a pretty big deal to me! I ran the five miles, and continued for about another half mile or so, just because. When I was done, I didn't feel burned out. I felt like I could have run for a while longer.

 I didn't notice any sort of stomach issues while running. The bits settled well, with no noticeable fullness or discomfort, and despite the "natural" odor and taste. I don't suspect I will  ever have the courage to chew them up, and they are easy enough to swallow whole.

PEROFORMANCE:

I was able to run about 5.5 miles with what seemed like only slightly harder than comfortable effort. However, when I looked at my splits and pace, I was impressed. I maintained nearly identical mile splits (within a second or two) throughout my run. My overall pace was only 5 seconds slower than my previous day's hard 3.1 mile run. The effort of the 3.1 mile run was huge, and I felt beat afterwards. Also, my 5 mile pace was more than a minute faster per mile than my 7 mile run from Sunday. I had no pain or discomfort in my legs, and felt like I could have run much longer. I had no issues with stomach discomfort or gas like i typically have with different supplements and foods.

QUESTIONS:  Really, the only question I have, that I'd like to test in the future, is the nutritional value on a really long run, into the 30+ mile range. Will one calorie per bit be enough to sustain your caloric balance when you are running for truly extended periods of time?

VERDICT:

In my first test, I'd have to say I am overall impressed with this product. It seemed to give me enough energy to push through a mid-length run, even when I start off demotivated and tired. If I had a criticism, it would be that I wish it didn't have to take so many bits at one time to be effective. Not sure how to fix this, as making the bits bigger would make them harder to swallow. The taste is obviously an issue, but that is a by-product of the fact that it is 100% spirulina algae, with no additives or flavorings.

BONUS:

Now for the good stuff (part 1): Are you interested in trying out ENERGYbits? If you go to their website and place an order, enter the promo code "BLOG" to receive a 10% discount.

Good stuff (part 2): One lucky reader will receive a sample of ENERGYbits of your own. Simply leave a question about either ENERGYbits or about my training, and I will pick a winner at random from the eligible posts. If you don't leave a question, you won't be considered (yes, this is, in part, a ploy to generate some interaction on my blog, which is still in it's infancy). Unfortunately, this giveaway is only available to US residents (ENERGYbits rules,  not mine). The contest will end on Tax Day, April 15th, 2014.

Check back in the future for more product reviews. Also, let me know if you have any questions. See you on the trails!