Issues of taste aside, I don''t find this ''recovery drink'' does what it says it does. Both my wife and I did our third round of P90X. Prior to starting we ordered the recovery drink. We both suffer from post-workout fatigue, cramps and so forth. I wanted to see if this helped. I like trying to accurately review products so we switched off using the drink every 3 weeks and tracked every day how we felt after the workout, 1 hour after the workout, and 12 hours after the workout. We also measured the improvement in performance for workouts following the use of the drink. And measured frequency of cramps and any other physiological effects. In short we didn''t notice any difference in anything. Statistically we felt the same and performed similarly with or without the drink. Cramp counts were the same. It just didn''t seem to do anything.My main concern with this product however is the sugar. There are two problems. First they use fructose instead of glucose as the primary carbohydrate. They use some glucose (dextrose) but the first ingredient is fructose. If you think fructose ("the fruit sugar") is good for you then disregard my review. But anyone familiar with the work of Robert Lustig knows how damaging fructose can be. You can do your own research and make your own call on that one. At the very least they should have mitigated the fructose absorption with a fiber additive.
The second problem is that each drink contains 36 grams of fructose. This is basically the amount of sugar in a 12oz can of cola.
The other thing to note is the research papers cited in the product description. I wanted to see what these papers actually had to say and it''s interesting.
The first paper considers the effect of carbohydrate use prior and during resistance training (it suggests it improves performance such as total work or duration of training) and after training (it suggests it aids in recovery). All well and good. They also found however the blood glucose and insulin levels dramatically increased from taking a carbohydrate supplement. I consider this bad. Also consuming carbohydrates post-workout as P90X suggests can lead to lower protein synthesis (bad). At the very least you should drink this stuff prior to working out. And it should also be noted that there are many studies, as discussed by these researchers, where these positive effects were not shown.
The second paper simply discusses the need for protein post-workout (you are building muscles after all) and that milk proteins have better utilization than soy proteins. This drink uses milk proteins. Fine.
Probably more interesting is that when you research the composition of the drink it is pretty easy to make your own. Orange juice concentrate + milk whey powder + supplemental all-vitamin pill = 95% of what this drink is. If you purchase at Costco like I do you can get 6 months of this drink for less than this costs.
I finally broke down a bought the product several weeks ago, after running out of my basic whey protein supplement. I would have used the product from day 1 of P90X, but I had 2 reservations (not including the infomercial aspect):
1. Cost. This drink is significantly higher than other supplements. Especially for someone like me that has never been big on supplements.
2. The negative reviews on the flavor, and how the formula had been changed.
I think the concerns about the flavor are exaggerated. But as the post says: you can''t miss what you never had. I''m not a fan of citrus flavors in general, but I actually do enjoy the taste of the drink. If you''re having second thoughts based on the taste reviews, I would encourage you to try it for yourself. Beachbody offers a money back guarantee if you don''t like it.
Does it work? I''ve only been using it for several weeks now. Before I had the drink I was mixing up a "poor man''s recovery drink" with whey protein and apple juice. I will say that I do have more energy during/after the workouts, and feel better after downing some recovery drink. Placebo effect? Maybe. Correlation doesn''t always equal causation. I''m also in the second phase of P90X where the carb allotment in the diet increases... so that will have an impact on energy levels as well.
Many other reviewers have made this point, and I''ll reiterate it here. Don''t price yourself out of P90X. Don''t feel like this drink is a requirement. It''s expensive, and there are better ways to spend if you''re on a budget. If it comes down to buying supplements, or high quality foods, I''ll take the latter every time. No use dumping money on expensive supplements to go off and buy crap food. If you can afford to drop the $$$ every month, and you''re pushing yourself during the workouts, this is the way to go. It makes me feel better, and I''m seeing positive results so far. But remember, all the supplements in the world aren''t going to replace hard work and eating right.
UPDATE:
I can now miss what I had. I assumed since I ordered this product in March that it would be the "New and Improved" version, however it was not. The above review was indeed for the old drink. Amazon must have had a back stock of the old formula, as the new version started shipping some time in Jan 2011 from Beachbody. However on my last order (late April 2011), the tub bears the "New and Improved" label.
Bottom line, I still think it tastes fine. The power is much finer and has a bit of an aftertaste. The first thing I noticed is that the old formula dissolved on contact with water, but this one takes quite a bit of mixing. I would recommend a blender or one of the cups with a whisk inside. Sure the old one tasted better, but the new formula does appear to have better ingredients than the original (glucose vs fructose etc). If you''re interested in the exact changes check the Beachbody forums where Beachbody higher-ups explain exactly how and why they changed the formula. After reading the posts I felt confident that it was actually improved and not "cheapened."
Buy P90X Results & Recovery Formula 30-Day Supply (25 Servings) Now
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)(#1 REVIEWER)I began using this when I began my Insanity workout DVDs and noticed a great difference in workout energy and quick recovery time. As someone who worked in cosmetic and food ingredient and chemical sales alongside the scientists who create them years ago, I learned much along the way and when I have issues with anything, I label read and study still.If you compare this supplement to others on the market, it not only gets the results it promises, it also has quality ingredients proven to work. It amazes me how BAD some other things I have come across lately have been when they are being consumed by people who obviously care about their bodies or they would not be working out at a rate that they need a recovery drink. I got some Mike''s Mix on sale and some MuscleTech from Amazon Vine so I also tried them and compared. They both offered results as far as recovery but had ingredients/side-effects that landed them "pushed aside" in comparison to the P90X formulas. Here is why:
FIRST, LET''S LOOK AT WHAT''S IN HERE:
Dextrose, maltodextrin, whey protein concentrate, natural orange flavors, citric acid, carageenan gum, L-arginine, L-glutamine, creatine monohydrate, tartaric acid, lecithin, magnesium oxide, potassium phosphate, stevia extract, lohan fruit extract
These are highly thought out top quality ingredients for what they are made to serve. They did not skimp on ingredients here and as a team, these give you far more than just recovery--they also help your body''s whole response to working out.
NOW LET''S COMPARE:
Why I stopped using Mike''s Mix Recovery Drink:
P90x is the only all-natural one I found. Mike''s Mix is closer to being all-natural than many others but it contains crystalline fructose, which, like high fructose corn syrup, is derived from corn then highly processed... and broken down in the liver so it actually doesn''t work to restore glycogen which is the whole point of needing some type of glucose in a recovery drink... It often causes gastrointestinal issues and even weight gain. p90x uses Stevia (natural, no calories) to add more sweetness but it also has Dextrose, a top choice for glycogen replacement which is needed after a tough workout. The dextrose in P90x is a "grape sugar" which is a form of glucose...It is is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) and an important carbohydrate in biology imperative to recovery. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate. Glucose is one of the main products of photosynthesis and starts cellular respiration. You do need sugar for that immediate recovery but which kind the manufacturer uses says a lot about the manufacturer.
It should also be noted that, while this costs more per jug, the serving size dictates that this is about half the price of many recovery drinks I looked at. Compare serving sizes...not just price.
Mike''s Mix also had no creatine and if you want to rebuild your muscle and gain natural muscular benefit this is important. Mike''s Mix, as well as many others I looked at, also had lesser quality amino acids...I''ll get to that in a minute.
Update: I have actually been writing the owner of Mike''s Mix. At first he felt I had an agenda at my putting down his drink. However, he is now actually rethinking the crystaline fructose and lack of creatine due to other customer requests as well. I hope that at some point there will be two clean recovery drinks on the market due to this. Right now I feel p90x is the only one. Should things change, I''ll update this review.
Why I decided to give up MuscleTech:
It had artificial flavors and too much caffeine. I liked this before a workout but it did not offer near the recovery results and the ingredients to support it as did this.
Why I won''t use these after I began shopping and comparing prior to making my next order:
R Complete Post Workout Recovery Powder: all the artificial ingredients and preservatives including labeling illegal to the FDA. It is illegal to list an ingredient that is made up of several components and not say what that ingredient is. For example, if a barbecue sauce has ketchup it cannot just say "ketchup", in parentheses afterwards it lists all the ingredients in ketchup. This lists NU-FlOW, a mystery ingredient, but does not tell us what NU-FLOW is. That is illegal. What are they hiding? I googled NU FLOW and found a sewer repair company. I don''t think that''s what it is! It also contains shellfish.
Optimum Nutrtion AfterMax Post Workout Recovery:
All kinds of horrid things, loads of artificial everything including artificial sweeteners and poor ingredients for workout boosts or recovery. Horrible Amino Acids
Biorhythm Afterglow: Nothing for the muscle repair factor as far as glycogen and the other components (that ARE in P90x together in the amounts studies show work), has artificial sweeteners and other artificial ingredients including artificial flavors.
Endurex R4-has fructose in it and sucrose rather than just the better dextrose, only one amino acid, artificial colors--really not much to it other than sugar and whey protein and dye.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE P90X R&R:
Do you see the letter "L" before ingredients in the P90x recover? Those are the more expensive and best quality aminos that your body NEEDS not just fillers so it can say it has amino acids for marketing. And it has the ones most needed for recovery.Always, always, look for the L before the aminos.
NO fructose and no crystalline fructose: Some reviewers on here mention p90x contains fructose. It does not. The old formula did. I am guessing this is why they redid the formula. The new formula uses dextrose instead which is far superior. My review is on the new formula.
Taste: Compared to the ones I bought and this I like this the best. I have even mixed with vanilla soy milk for an Orange Julius style drink or smoothie. However, I suggest just drinking it straight with water due to the percentage of components for best results (I''ll get to that in a minute)I LOVE the taste of this...orange, vanilla cream.
I am a big reviewer of workout things if you read my Amazon reviews and I have been for years but only lately have I been comparing these workout drinks and really studying what I consume and what others on the market contain. I have come to the conclusion that most spend the money on marketing and put in ingredients they assume the consumer will overlook that are not only not beneficial in anyway to a person working out, but are actually harmful and undo all the good one just did in working out. I have compared all the top sellers on Amazon for workout and recovery and quite frankly this is the ONLY one with ingredients I will continue to consume after today. These are more expensive ingredients that actually do something rather than cheap fillers.
I will say as a female this should last you twice as long. I cut the serving size in half as it''s all is needed for my smaller frame and 200 calories would also be too much for me for a post workout recovery when half that works just fine for my body''s needs.
WHY DOES IT CONTAIN DEXTROSE AND WHY THE INGREDIENTS WORK:
Now let''s get down to why it contains what it does. As, in my opinion, the marketing on this page by the company I personally think leads to some confusion as can be evidenced by some of the reviews who say it should not have sugar or needs more protein etc. They explain this way better if you buy the Insanity workout DVDs because the recipe book even goes into this:
During intense workouts your body burns its limited stores of blood glycogen (sugar it gets from breaking down carbs) for energy. The quickest way to replenish glycogen is to is to use sugar to create an insulin response to quickly restore your blood sugar levels. The quicker the response, the less damage you''ll do to your muscle tissue. Slow-digesting food, which is best at any other time, won''t work quickly enough during exercise. Your body will bonk (run out of energy) once its glycogen is gone and continuing to exercise will damage muscle tissue. So this the the one time when sugar can play an important role in improving performance.
This is specifically designed to restore you blood sugar levels quickly. In the 1900s it was found that a small amount of protein could be "piggybacked" by sugar and further enhance the effects of glycogen recharge. Too much protein or fat at this time slows and diminishes sugar''s effects.. The optimal ratio, appox 4 parts carbs to one part protein, with very little to no fat, showed a 26% improvement over sugar alone and up to 400% improvement over not recharging depleted glycogen stores. This recovery drink is composed to this ratio and is supposed to be taken within an hour of working out
Hence the reasoning behind these ingredients.
I have no connection, financial or otherwise to P90x. I am simply a raving fan because I am a weight loss coach. No one from this company ever contacted me or gave me any but when I compare things on the market in any category and one is WAY better whether it''s a steam cleaner or a workout drink, I become a loud and raving fan on Amazon and in person.
And this fit right up there with someone "doing it right" when I compared the alternatives on the market that use things like caffeine and poor cheap antioxidants or artificial sweeteners or who load up with artificial preservatives and health diminishing fillers.
They broke this down into exactly what you need after a tough workout.
IT''S MADE TO REPLENISH YOU AND YOUR MUSCLES AFTER A HARD WORKOUT:
THAT SAID, I would NOT take this as just a drink if you went for a walk, etc. This is made to replenish your body after a true workout where you actually sweat it out or experience muscle fatigue that you don''t want to bring you down the next day, such as the Beach Body workouts (P90X or Insanity) or big strength training sessions at the gym.
THE INGREDIENTS WON''T MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT:
The only way you would lose weight from this is to use it in place of a meal because it would be lower calories. It''s made to help your muscles recover after a tough workout and support muscle building and replenish energy. The ingredients alone do not boost your metabolism, they simply aid in recovery and getting better workout results.
Read Best Reviews of P90X Results & Recovery Formula 30-Day Supply (25 Servings) Here
I am about 80 percent done with P90X, and besides only doing half of the first few workouts (hey, they are not easy!), I''ve stuck to the schedule and haven''t missed one workout. I am only taking this supplement and one of those energy stacks, Energy Booster Stack 90 Day Servings!. I highly recommend taking some kind of an energy booster, can''t even begin to describe how much less painful it is to get through the entire workouts with an extra kick of energy.I started taking the P90X recovery drink during my second week of the program. The first thing to know about this recovery drink is that is it true it does not taste all that great but if you take it after your workout when your supposed to, your body will be craving nutrients so badly the taste won''t stop you from finishing it.
My only reservations about this particular supplement is 1) the price. It''s pretty expensive and only lasts a little over 30 days. Not something I''ll be able to afford every month. 2) The amount of glutamine is very minimal. I love that they included it in the drink as it really speeds recovery time and helps muscles feel less sore more quickly but the amount is about 1/5 of what a human being needs to feel it''s effects. My personal trainer friend turned me onto it about a month ago and it really does make my muscles feel less sore the next day.
Speaking of the nutrients; there is a healthy mix of carbs, protein and vitamins. There is a lot of sugar in each serving but that is because after working out your body actually uses that sugar for energy, so there is a purpose behind the high sugar content. It''s a pretty good supplement to take after your workout.
Want P90X Results & Recovery Formula 30-Day Supply (25 Servings) Discount?
Many of the reviews here comment about the better taste in the original P90X Results and Recovery Formula. One of the reviews mentioned the switch away from fructose in the reformulation, which is true. Let me add more facts about the ingredient changes and then some subjective comparisons. First, the facts.The primary ingredient in both formulas is still sugar, which is why this drink serves primarily as a carbohydrate replacement after a workout. The "new and improved" formula removes the fructose. The primary sugars in the old formula were fructose, dextrose and maltodextrin (in that order). The new formula''s sugars are primarily dextrose and maltodextrin. Besides the sugar change, the biggest change seems to be the new formula contains half the fat and twice the dietary fiber of the old formula.
Fat facts: The old formula contains 2g of fat per serving, with 30mg of cholesterol. The new formula has 1g of fat and 20mg of cholesterol -half the fat and 1/3 less cholesterol. However, the new formula contains about twice the amount of saturated fats, from 0.5g in the old to slightly less than 1g in the new.
Most of the actual ingredients remain the same, although the new formula apparently contains no artificial flavors, which the old formula did. Both still provide 700mg of L-arginine, 500mg of L-glutamine and 500mg of creatine monohydrate per serving. Both contain 220 calories per serving and the serving size is still 60g.
What''s the same or nearly the same?
Calories: 220
Vitamin A: 60% DV
Vitamin C: 750% DV
Vitamin E: 500% DV
Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 : 30% DV
Sodium: 150mg
Total carbs: 13% DV (39g in old, 40g in new)
Potassium: 4% DV (OLD: 147mg, NEW: 155mg)
With those facts dispensed with, I find the flavor of the new formula less pleasing although they are both sweet, tasty drinks with an orange flavor. The old formula tastes much like a drinkable version of an orange creamsicle. If you never had one of those, it is a popsicle made from vanilla ice cream, coated with a sugary orange concoction. Yum! If you hate orange creamicles, you will not miss the old formula.
The new formula still tastes good, but gone is the milky, vanilla ice cream flavor. The new formula tastes a little like orange-flavored Tang. I will take the new flavor over the old in exchange for losing half the fat and some of the cholestrol.
I rate this product 4 stars because it seems to contain the ingredients I hear recommended to replenish the body after a hard workout with weights. It doesn''t get 5 stars because this product is pricey. As Tony Horton, the buff Beachbody P90X exercise leader, says himself during the Legs and Back routine, the recovery drink "is money." I''m betting it is. It is a LOT of money for the Beachbody company, Product Partners. But heck, I buy it for what it has in it and the convenience of finding it all in one tasty, easy to mix drink.
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