I often get asked what products I use so I put together a few of my favorite things (always subject to change as I like to keep trying new products & services)!
Hydration
It’s warm and humid here in the Northeast so it’s even more important to stay hydrated. My current hydration favs:
- Skratch Labs Hydration Sport – Mango Tangerine: I’m loving this super tasty new sport hydration mix. It contains 20g of carbohydrates (4% solution) and electrolytes. This is my go-to option for hot & humid training sessions and what I typically use as a pre-hydration product for longer training days, especially in the heat.
- Skratch Labs Clear Hydration, Hint of Orange: When I’m looking for something with a lighter taste profile, I reach for Skratch Clear with 13g carbs and electrolytes. The cool thing here is if you get sports drink fatigue as I occasionally do, this is a great alternative and you can easily increase the amount of product used to get more carbs & electrolytes without impacting the taste…which is like water with a hint of orange, in this case.
- Nix Biosensors: Why guess how much you should drink? I use the sweat testing product from Nix Biosensors to understand my fluid and electrolyte losses in different sessions and conditions and use the data to help dial in my hydration plan. Nutrify client discount available.
Training Fuel
Here are some convenient pre-packaged options for longer training sessions:
- Skratch Labs Crispy Rice Cakes, Salted Maple & Mallow: I cut these into 4 squares and place into a Ziploc. If it’s hot, I freeze some of the squares so they don’t smoosh together, at least right away. I eat a square (~9g carbs) every 20’-30’.
- Skratch Labs Energy Bar, Chocolate Chips & Almonds: Like the rice cakes, I cut these into 4 squares (8g carbs), put in a Ziploc and eat one square every 20’-30’.
- Precision Fuel 30 Chews, Original: Like the rice cakes and bars, I cut these into 4 chews (~8g carbs)and eat one square every 20’-30’. I typically only use PF30’s if I’m out of the above products.
- UCan Edge To Go, Strawberry Banana: I use this gel product as a backup or if I’m not feeling a chew. It’s derived from corn starch which can be a more stable source of energy vs consuming simple sugars. I don’t typically take a full gel when I use this, so I load the gel into an old Gu flask and take a swig every 20’-30’.
Recovery
- Skratch Labs Recovery Mix, Chocolate: Tastes just like chocolate milk because it is effectively dehydrated chocolate milk with some probiotics and lactase, an enzyme that helps to digest the milk. The drink mix contains 35g of carbs & 9g of protein per serving (4:1 ratio) and is a helpful option to jump start my recovery when I may not want to eat a large meal containing 30-40g of protein right away.
- Whoop: I can’t say enough about the benefits of Whoop on improving my sleep quality/consistency and daily recovery. But it’s all about what you put into it. Each morning you complete a journal entry logging various behaviors (i.e. nutrition, mental health, menstrual cycle, hydration, etc.) from the prior day and the platform analyzes your journal entries against the recovery score to determine what helps & hurts your recovery score. The best part? You find out what works best for YOU, as a unique individual — and not based on a one-size fits all recommendation that was likely derived from research on men. However, it’s important to note that the recovery score isn’t perfect as there are days where the device suggests I’m in “peak form” and in reality, I feel quite flat/fatigued but loving all the data and unique insights I’ve learned so far! Nutrify client discount available.
Supplements
My favorite supplement, by far, is protein powder which I add to my pre-workout oatmeal or post-workout recovery smoothie.
- Momentous Essential Plant-Based Protein, Vanilla Chai: The mix of pea and rice proteins provides a complete amino acid profile and sits well in my belly as unfortunately, whey does not. Momentous is also double 3rd party certified for safety & quality by NSF Certified for Sport & Informed Sport so I know what I’m getting is what is on the label, and nothing more.
- InsideTracker: I rely on the insights I receive from InsideTracker to understand what my body needs and what supplements may be warranted to remedy any deficiencies. I take the Ultimate Test 1-2x a year. The Ultimate contains 48 biomarkers including several new additions i.e. Estradiol, Progesterone, TSH, and Insulin. Like sweat testing with Nix, why guess when you can test? Further, why spend money on supplements you might not need? While the testing can be expensive, it’s a worthwhile investment to get a comprehensive view of my health. Nutrify client discount available.
While these products are what I use, its important to highlight that they may not be appropriate for all athletes. Products selected should be based on your unique nutritional needs, dietary preferences and goals. Need help dialing in your sports nutrition and supplementation plan? Schedule a complimentary introduction call to learn more.
