Good Product that Could Be a Great One
I got this as a replacement for a post-workout drink I currently use that I'm having trouble finding.<br /><br />The Bad:<br />This is about 1/3 more expensive at just over $1 a serving, but I figured I'd give it a shot, even though I feel that the labeling is inadequate.<br />As a low-carb person, I always check the carb counts on things I purchase. This doesn't list carbs at all, but after reading the ingredients, I assumed it to be either 0, or at least very low, but with the inclusion of tart cherry extract, I would have liked to have that listed, just for my own peace of mind. Tart cherry juice can have a boatload of carbs, so I hope to find out how much this includes at some point.<br />The flavor (fruit punch) is almost non-existent. The sweetness is at a perfect level (my other product is super-sweet (in a bad way), the level on this is good. After working out, the last thing I want is something that is sickeningly sweet.<br />When putting this in cold water, there is residue on the bottom of the bottle that doesn't seem to want to dissolve, so you constantly have to shake the bottle to get it stirred up.<br /><br />The Good:<br /><br />I like that this includes vitamin C, which is always a benefit for low-carb folks, since citrus fruits are off limits.<br />I also like that it includes some electrolytes, although the levels are really low (6%, 4%, and 2% daily allowance of Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium, respectively. You lose these in your sweat during exercise, so I would have liked more.<br />The BCAA (branched chain amino acids) level is on par with other brands, including my usual one at 7g.<br />I mentioned tart cherry as a bad thing above, but it's actually quite healthful. There's some data that shows muscle recovery is faster when this is in your diet, it includes a lot of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals as well.<br /><br />All-in-all, I'll continue to use this, at least until I find out the carb level. If it's high, I'll have to discontinue using it, or maybe cut the serving size down to reduce the level. For those who don't worry about carbs in their diet, I think this is a great product, worthy of 5 stars, but for the lack of carb information, I had to drop a star.
Rating: 4 stars