I couldn’t be more excited about the new Cyto Stick Packs. The portable nature of the product lends itself so well to the training and racing I do. Check out the press release below…

Cytomax© Sports Performance Drink Adds Stick Packs to Product Range

(Benicia, Calif.) July 13, 2011 – After unveiling its newly-reformulated Cytomax® Sports Performance Drink in April, CytoSport, Inc., (www.cytosport.com) today began shipping its new Stick Packs to retailers and distributors nationwide. Available in 24ct. self-merchandising boxes, the Stick Packs allow retailers the option of selling individual sticks or by the box. SRP is $20.95. Available in Cool Citrus, Pomegranate Berry, Tangy Orange and Tropical Fruit, each stick contains 25 grams, which is equivalent to one scoop of powder. The recyclable foil wrapper is sweat proof and is easily stored in a jersey pocket during training or racing.

“The Stick Packs offer the portability that endurance athletes require, meeting their training, racing and traveling needs,” said Greg Sellers, Cytomax brand manager. “Using freezer bags is cumbersome, inconvenient and now, an unnecessary transport mechanism.”

The updated Cytomax formulation features stevia, an all-natural sweetener, and has been well received by athletes across the endurance sports spectrum. While the sweetener has changed, the foundation of Cytomax continues to rest firmly on its Advanced Carbohydrate System (ACS), featuring alpha-L-Polylactate™. Alpha-L-Polylactate is a proprietary ingredient that provides superior fuel to working muscles while lowering acid buildup. Maltodextrin, crystalline fructose, dextrose and alpha-L-Polylactate comprise an unrivaled carbohydrate blend that delivers multiple pathways of absorption for vital electrolytes and carbohydrates from the stomach into the gut.

Cytomax – developed in 1988 – was among the first commercially available powdered sports drinks designed for the specialty class of trade. Largely regarded as the benchmark of true performance beverages, Cytomax has an extensive history of supporting elite and amateur athletes from a variety of endurance sports. Current partnerships include UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, Trek-Livestrong U23 Cycling, Yahoo! Pro Cycling, Cytomax-KHS, Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, Chrissie Wellington (triathlete), Matty Reed (triathlete) and Ryan Hall (runner).

Cytomax is available in six flavors in both 1.5lb and 4.5lb tubs: Cool Citrus, Fresh Apple, Go Grape, Pomegranate Berry, Tangy Orange and Tropical Fruit. Cytomax is available at independent bicycle dealers, GNC, Performance Bike, REI, Roadrunner Sports, Sport Chalet, Sports Basement, The Vitamin Shoppe and other fine specialty retailers.

About CytoSport, Inc.
Founded in 1998, CytoSport, Inc. is a global industry leader in the sports nutrition category and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, beverages, and bars. CytoSport distributes a portfolio of premium brands including Cytomax®, Muscle Milk® and Monster Milk™ that appeal to a variety of consumer lifestyles. CytoSport products are produced in their wholly owned, NSF GMP Certified for Sport® manufacturing facility. For more information on CytoSport and their family of products, visit www.cytosport.com.

###

Contact: Greg Sellers
Phone: 949.633.7055 mobile
Email: greg.sellers@cytosport.com

More info on Cytomax at: www.cytomax.com

Andy B
twitter.com/outsideallday

Last summer, Andy B convinced me to join a gym in Fort Collins called Emerfit, and I think it’s changing my life.  When you think of the gym, you probably think of treadmills, mirrors, and awkward old dudes in spandex maxing out on the bench press.  Emerfit is probably unlike any gym you’ve been to.

I spent a lot of my life immersed in sport specific weight and agility training, which progressively got more difficult and had a competitive element.   However, I found that this type of training was hard for me to find in a local “big gym.”

When I first sat down with Chris Brown at Emerfit, he explained to me the model of fitness they followed.  What is fitness?  How do you know if you’re fit, or if someone else is physically fit?  It’s something that humans have spent at least the last century trying to figure out, debating, researching, and citing medical journals and studies.  An easy way for me to understand the Emerfit model is this – you may have a guy who can bench 500 lbs, but would fall over dead running more than 400 meters.  You also may have a guy that places top ten in the Boston Marathon, but has to have help out of the

Workout of the Day

grocery store because he can’t lift his milk jugs into the minivan.  Emerfit is all about the pursuit of overall fitness.  It’s not about how you look. It’s not about how much weight you can lift, or how far or fast you can run.  It’s about you pushing the envelope of fitness for you. For me, I had done some short distance running, and a little trail running. I didn’t have any really specific goals in mind when I started, but I have fairly chronic disc issues in my lower back, and feared my body was slipping rapidly into the middle-age abyss.   I, like most people, had tried lots of programs, and gyms, but ultimately faded away once the new wore off.

So what do you do at Emerfit?

Each class is scheduled for an hour with a trainer assigned to lead the group and provide individual coaching. You start with some stretching, warm-up, and then move into some strength work. Each day you also do a “Workout of the Day” (WOD) for conditioning.  The WOD is a short, intense, competitive, timed workout that is designed to push the edge of your fitness limits.  Most of the class participates in the WOD, and results are posted on the board.  This adds a level of competitiveness and accountability that makes me push way harder than I would otherwise. There is a ton of thought and effort put into the programming of these workouts, by the certified training staff.  They also have some customized strength regiments, a climbing-specific program, nutritional coaching, and much more.

Craig D - Deadlift

In 8 months, I’ve seen significant improvements in my strength, speed, and endurance.  I feel better.  I’m accomplishing personal and professional goals, and my cholesterol and blood sugar have moved from high-risk to healthy levels.  I’m running my first trail half marathon on May 29^th (Wyoming Trail Marathon).   There are a number of reasons why the Emerfit model has worked for me, more on that in the next post.

For more info, go to www.emerfit.com

Jobe L

www.outsideallday.com

Local Fort Collins cyclist, triathlete and Doctor, Jason Barker has started a website called NaturalAthleteClinic.com. Jason is an expert in natural sports medicine. He specializes in providing unique, proven solutions for athletes that want more than just ibuprofen for their sports and performance-related health issues. He provides relevant, scientific information about how you can improve your overall health and athletic performance.

I’m excited about this site and what it can do to help inform athletes about alternative solutions for taking care of themselves. Jason is all about prevention and wellness, rather than medicating symptoms with drugs that really don’t heal or treat the original cause. Jason is BRILLIANT in sports medicine and has become a good buddy of mine. I trust him a ton.

Check out the site at: www.naturalathleteclinic.com

The Question and Answer section: www.naturalathleteclinic.com/q-and-a

Dig around and learn a little,

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Emergent Fitness posted an exceptional article on weight loss today on their site…

Why You Can’t Lose Weight
Ever wondered why your not losing weight…

1. Poor relationship with food.
2. Poor nutrition.
3. Wrong exercise.
4. You are doing way too much cardio.
5. You are cutting calories or skipping meals.
6. Poor attitude and/or stinkin’ thinkin’.
7. Lack of Quiet Time.
8. Adrenal fatigue.
9. Thyroid Dysfunction.
10. Hormonal Imbalances.
11. Poor Detoxification Capacity.
12. Poor Sleep.
13. You have no purpose.
14. You make poor choices.

Click here to read the entire article.

The article goes into detail for each of the 14 points. I think it’s a great read.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Black Friday online special: visit www.motortabs.com- click ‘buy now’ – place your order – use coupon code: MTPRO and save 43%…the offer is good Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday ONLY!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
via Greg Sellers

Andy B
outsideallday.com

2010 was a fun year to spend outside. Below is a quick list of things I’m thankful for in relation to the time I spend outside.

1. A loving God that created the outdoors. Fort Collins is beautiful.

2. A wife that allows me to train for crazy things. Her support was beyond what could have been expected and showed her love me in many ways.

3. Discovering CrossFit and more importantly a community of trainers (Brad, Jeff, Chris and John) and athletes at Emergent Fitness. Emergent Fitness has changed my life.

4. Mike Porter, Dave Sheek, Brandon Groza and Craig Demartino for challenging me to do things I didn’t think I could do.

5. The Velo-One Cyclocross Team for a super fun cross season. I was slow, but it was still fun.

6. Greg Sellers at Motor Tabs for creating and being the best hydration product on the planet.

7. The Brooks Cascadia trail running shoe for getting me thru my first Ultra Marathon.

8. Rich and Dave from Fluid Recovery from their generosity and creation of an exceptional product.

9. The Paleo diet and The Whole 9 eating plan for giving me the tools required to lose 25 pounds. Thanks for all of the advice Brad and Jeff.

If you’re my buddy, you know why I train. I train to be healthy and to show my kids what competition (winning and losing) and a fun life spent outdoors looks like. In 2010 I was able to decrease my cholesterol levels by over 40 points, putting me into a zone that my Doctor now says is healthy. That was hard but worth it. 2010 was a really good year. Looking forward to many more adventures in 2011.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Earlier this week I received a surprise gift package from Motor Tabs.

I use around 7 Motor Tabs tablets a week thru various training efforts, mainly at EmerFitness for CrossFit and long trail runs. I’m discovered that the Lime flavor does my body right. With t-minus 2 weeks until the Steamboat 50, it’s all preparation. Based on passed experience, these lime Tabs will help make or break my day. Long trail runs are all about food and hydration.

Thanks Sellers!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Nothing like frozen Motor Tabs on a hot summer day!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

A few months back I’d gotten to the point where the training runs I was going on were getting longer and I was needing to carry something to hydrate. Also, summer in Fort Collins has been hot, we’ve had a string of weeks with days in the mid 90s. After a stop into the Runner’s Roost I picked up the Nathan Handheld below. This bottle is perfect. I can hold 2 GUs and drop in my Motor Tabs. It works great for 1 – 8 mile runs.

Nathan Quickdraw Plus Handheld Bottle

From there, the training runs have gotten longer and I needed to begin carrying more water, food, and misc type items like band aids, jacket, duct tape, toilet paper, Friction Freedom packets, etc. Runner’s Roost had the hydration pack below and I’ve fallen in love with it.

Nathan HPL 020 Race Hydration Vest – 70 oz.

It’s light weight, has easily accessible storage, holds TONS of water and is overall very comfortable. I wore it during the Leadville Trail Marathon and had a solid experience.

The handheld and backpack combo is money, I use Motor Tabs in the bottle and water in the pack. This blend of electrolyte and water is right on.

It would also be a great pack for hikes or long treks…

Andy B
outsideallday.com

I just found out that you can now pick up the greatest hydration product in the history of the world, Motor Tabs, at Road Runner Sports. Road Runner is offering an excellent VIP price on them.

Click below for more info:
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/MRT100/

If you’ve never trained with an electrolyte or tried Motor Tabs, they are my personal favorite. They taste good, are easy to transport and they work.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Saturday found us at the Oceanside 70.3. Julie was out rocking the tri and her cheer team was hanging on the beach. By the end of the day we were exhausted and had basically stood still all day.

This morning with the sunrise I headed out to the local park for repeats. It was awesome – though empty. Speaking of empty I am winding down my supply of Motor Tabs and will be reodering soon. Grape rocks.

My goal this week is to sneak out and get a workout every morning. Tomorrow I will be out on the paddleboard. High time to get it back in the water. Enjoy the week.

My local team, Velo-One is hosting a free sports nutrition seminar on March 26 at 6pm with Dr. Jason Barker. He’s a good guy and rides on the race team. He’s been super kind to lend me advice on my cholesterol levels.

I’ll be there cause I’m fat!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

6 tips to good recovery nutrition
By Colorado Premier Training
Sign up for their free newsletter at: www.coloradopremiertraining.com/newsletter

The 6 most common real world nutritional pitfalls, and the simple solutions to correct them to optimize recovery.

Pitfall #1 – Failing to prioritize recovery nutrition by socializing after a race or packing gear/bike away resulting in delayed feeding.

Solution – Sure it can be fun to hang out following a race and replay the deciding sprint or get a head start on packing up and leaving. Furthermore, most experts recommend eating something within the first 30 minutes to an hour so what’s the hurry? Well in the majority of studies examining glycogen replenishment athletes are fed immediately following the completion of an exercise bout. Thus, what you practice in the “field” should mimic the conditions of the “lab” as closely as possible. Make it a priority to eat and drink as soon as stepping off the bike as possible.

Pitfall #2 – Inadequate fluid consumption to replace sweat losses and allow for optimal glycogen replenishment.

Solution – You’re probably familiar with postexercise fluid recommendations to replace losses from sweat but few are aware that additional fluid is required to restore glycogen to preexercise levels. This is due to the fact that three grams of water are required to store one gram of glycogen. Since trained athletes will need to replace more than 600 grams of glycogen following exhaustive exercise, fluid and carbs should be consumed together. Research in this area is scanty at best but suffice to say simply drinking to replace sweat losses may not be enough to ensure optimal glycogen replenishment. To be safe, consume 16-24 oz of fluid not only at the first postexercise meal but also during every hour during the recovery period.

Pitfall #3 – Using the excuse of a hard effort to fill up on high fat junk foods and empty calories.

Solution – It is far too easy to use the need for increased calories after exercise as an excuse to fill up on high-fat content junk foods. The problem with this practice is two-fold. First, the consumption of fat interferes with your ability to ingest adequate carbohydrate and secondly fat is not nearly as an effective stimulator of insulin release as carbohydrate. Both of these follies result in inadequate glycogen replenishment and poor recovery. Resist the urge to give in to the temptation of dietary indiscretion and find peace in knowing you’re feeding your body only the highest quality fuel by selecting high carbohydrate lowfat foods.

Pitfall #4 – More than enough is not better than enough.

Solution – Although it is vital to consume carbohydrates in the post exercise state it is also vital to have some method to your madness. I have seen several cyclists who go about their eating in an unscientific haphazard fashion only to find that they gain weight from their post ride binges. Aim to consume 1.0 to 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight every two hours following exercise. Consuming more than this range will not result in greater glycogen replenishment and if done so chronically may result in undesirable weight gain.

Pitfall #5 – Overconsuming protein in the false belief that muscles require excessive quantities following exercise.

Solution – As stated previously, favoring other nutrients over carbohydrates leads to inadequate carb consumption and decreased stimulation of insulin release. Limit protein to one gram for every 4 grams of carbohydrate to replace what is lost through exercise. This 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein appears to have a multiplicative effect in stimulating insulin release.

Pitfall #6 – Following recovery nutrition guidelines for only the first meal after exercise.

Solution – You may be avoiding all of the above pitfalls but only at the first meal. Again, since trained athletes can store upwards of 600 grams of glycogen in muscle and liver it is necessary to consume carbohydrate dense meals every 2-3 waking hours until the next ride or race.

By avoiding these common pitfalls and implementing sound recovery nutrition principles you can be assured of recovering fully for a long season.

I’ve added a personal 7th tip, don’t forget your Fluid Recovery Drink! Tastes best ice cold!

Andy B
outsideallday.com