We Tri’d It: Real Food Bar, Energy Multiplier, and Antioxidant Drink
This month we tried bars you can feel good about, an energy booster that uses cellular transport technology, and an immune-boosting antioxidant beverage.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Kate’s Real Food Bars
$30 for 12-bar box, backcountry.com
So many energy bars are packed with sugar and leave you feeling, well, just a bit blah. This is not one of those bars. Serious sustenance, great taste, and a no-nonsense list of ingredients all combine to deliver a healthy hit of goodness. Made with nut butters, fruit, organic oats, and organic brown rice crisps, Kate’s Real Food Bars are exactly that: real food that provides about 300 calories per bar, 32g carbs, 6g protein, and 20g fat. This is long ride fuel at its very best! We’ve used them as on-the-go snacks as well as fuel for riding and hiking. The bars are available in seven different flavors, with the peanut butter chocolate being our favorite, although the new dark chocolate mint is an equally good choice. In addition to the bars, there’s also a range of snack bites, which are perfect if you’re looking for something lighter and less calorie dense.
Liquid I.V. Energy Multiplier
$25 for 14 sachets, amazon.com
Liquid I.V. Energy Multiplier is rocket fuel in a tiny sachet! Simply drop a sachet of powder into 12 ounces of water, give it a shake, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly this stuff gets to work. It’s made from a blend of matcha, guayusa, and ginger, and provides the equivalent of 100mg of caffeine (comparable to one to two cups of coffee). The real beauty, though, is that it doesn’t lift you up and then drop you in the way that some caffeinated products do. Liquid I.V. uses CTT (cellular transport technology) which helps enhance rapid absorption of ingredients into your bloodstream. We’ve experimented with drinking Energy Multiplier about 10 to 15 minutes before super high intensity Zwift rides/races and can attest to its efficacy. You can definitely ride on the pain train a little longer than usual with this in your water bottles!
Tohi
$29 for 12-pack, amazon.com
Tohi is a new antioxidant drink that’s non-carbonated and aimed at athletes looking for an immune booster. It’s made with only five ingredients, the most interesting of those being Aronia juice (made from Aronia berries, which are an antioxidant superstar compared to berries such as acai or blueberries). Antioxidants can help support heart, bone, brain, and immune health. It comes in four different flavors—original, dragon fruit, blackberry-raspberry, ginger lime—and each 12-ounce can is equivalent to a serving of fruit with 45 calories and 12g of carbs, of which 6g are sugars. Although it’s a perfectly fine tasting drink, we’re not entirely sure we can see what added benefits it can truly bring to a triathlete’s diet.