PacificHealth Labs Product Review & Giveaway

Tara from PacificHealth Labs (HERE) shipped a very generous assortment of sports nutrition products to me a couple of months ago. The huge box of goodies included sports drinks, gels, recovery drinks and nutrition bars. An endurance athlete's dream!!!!

About Pacific Health Labs:

PacificHealth Laboratories, founded in 1996 by two prominent scientists, started with a unique mission – to develop innovative nutritional products based on cutting-edge research. PHLI developed a working collaboration with some of the world’s top nutritionists, biochemists and sports scientists. The discoveries that have resulted from this partnership have reshaped sports nutrition. Athletes at all levels incorporate PHLI’s discoveries and products into their daily training and race regimens. PacificHealth Laboratories is a company driven by science.

About Accelerade Sports Drink:

When introduced in 2003, Accelerade, with its patented 4:1 ratio of carb to protein, represented a dramatic departure from conventional carb-only sports drinks. Accelerade also demolished the conventional dogma regarding the importance of protein to help fuel muscle cells and improve rehydration, the two essential criteria for a sports drink. Study after study has confirmed the superiority of protein-powered Accelerade in terms of increase endurance, reduction in muscle damage and more effective hydration. To date there have been over 15 peer-reviewed studies on the benefits of the 4:1 ratio.

These studies show compared to a conventional sports drink, Accelerade:

Increased endurance by 29%
Decreases muscle damage by 83%
Increased rehydration by 29%
Increases endurance in a subsequent workout by 40%

One of the remarkable findings in these studies is that athletes consuming Accelerade has a lower level of perceived exertion. Perceived exertion is a measurement of how hard it seems to exercise at the pace you want to go. Perceived exertion is always highest right before you bonk. Accelerade has been shown to not only lower the level of perceived exertion, but this was associated with a lower heart rate. This means that your heart is not working as hard with the same level of exertion. New findings explain why. The latest research on fatigue indicates that during intense exercise the level of branched-chain amino acids in the blood falls. This drop in BCAA's sets off a cascade effect in the brain causing the release of a "fatigue" signal. Accelerade, because it is enriched with BCAA maintains BCAA levels thereby minimizing the build up and release of the fatigue signal. The result – Accelerade enables you to train harder and suffer less.

Accelerade is available in Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, Lemonade, Mountain Berry, and Orange Flavors.

About Accel Gel:

Accel Gel is the first energy gel specifically designed to deliver rapid energy to working muscles. What makes Accel Gel unique is that it is the only gel that contains the patented 4:1 ratio of carb to protein and it uses a combination of three carbohydrates to maximize transport and uptake into muscle cells. This novel combination guaranties instant energy when you need it. The superiority of Accel Gel was shown in a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. James Madison University researchers found that Accel Gel offers significant advantages of GU, a leading carbohydrate gel, both during and after exercise.

Researchers found that cyclists using Accel Gel had:
13% More Endurance
50% Less Muscle Damage

Accel Gel is available in Chocolate w/caffeine, Citrus Orange,
Key Lime, Raspberry Cream w/caffeine, Strawberry Kiwi,
and Vanilla flavors.

About Forze GPS Bars:

Forze GPS is the first weight management tool designed specifically for athletes. Forze GPS uses a patented blend of healthy fats, protein and calcium, plus added fiber to activate the body’s natural appetite control signal. Forze GPS is designed to be taken between meals, as a snack replacement and to leave you feeling satisfied longer. Forze GPS helps control your hunger so you achieve your performance goals.

Running Diva Mom Tried it All!!

• I had tried Accelerade at a destination half marathon last year. It was August, it was hot, and I felt pretty bad the second half of the race. I had hydrated with water the first half, but was losing energy fast and decided to switch to the sports drink they offered, which was Accelerade. What do they say?!?! NEVER try something new on race day .... never. Well, I did. And I regretted it. I blamed it on the Accelerade, but I should've blamed myself. My tummy was not happy the second half of the race because it was trying out something new. And, I also don't like lemon-lime flavored drinks AT ALL! I retried Accelerade over several training runs the past couple of months. I REALLY enjoyed the orange flavor (naturally flavored, BTW) and fruit punch as well. I found that it really did extend my endurance over long runs. It tasted refreshing. One packet mixed with 12 oz of water contains only 120 calories and reduced muscle damage up to 83%.


• I tried the FORZE GPS bars in chocolate peanut butter as well as cranberry flavors. I liked both flavors, but since I'm a choco-holic lately, I really enjoyed the chocolate PB. The kids both enjoyed a few bites, too. At 160 calories per bar, they are a great way to fuel up before a run (in between work and the gym) or for a mid-morning or afternoon snack in between meals. These naturally flavored bars (that don't tast "too natural" if you know what I mean!!) are delicous and have added fiber to help tie you over in between meals. Something I constantly struggle with. Great to keep in your gym bag, vehicle or desk drawer. They are a nice "light weight" snack that won't drag you down during a workout.


• I sampled three Accel Gel flavors before and during workouts of 6-13 miles. I LOVED the chocolate and vanilla flavors. Who doesn't want dessert during your workouts?!?! I also am a big fan of orange flavored anything (sports drinks, yogurt, ice cream, etc.) so I loved that they offer an orange flavored gel. YUMMY! I took them before I started losing endurance and kept up my stamina during the entire workout. The chocolate flavor even has 20mg of caffeine -- rock on! The 1.3 oz packets were easy to open (always good when on the go ... literally!) and contain only 100 calories to fuel you during your workout.


• Accelerade Hydro is their sports drink with 30% less calories and 55% less sugar. I'm usually a big fan of Powerade Zero or G2, so I really liked the light-tasting lemonade (yummy for summer!) and fruit punch. At only 60 calories per serving, they are a great way to fuel your workout, without consuming a lot of calories to get you through it.


• Endurox R4 Recovery Drinks were equally as tasting. I usually don't mess with recovery drinks and cannot confirm if I'm really benefiting from them. But they tasted refreshing after a workout in orange (again, yum!) and fruit punch. I'm not sure if I would typically purchase these though, because consuming 270 calories after a workout just isn't appealing to mee. But if the muscle recovery really does happen and you put in a ton of miles every week, then it's probably worth it. I just haven't experimented with recovery drinks enough myself to know.

Interested in placing an order?!?!? Use promo code "SAMPLE" for 10% off your next order at PacifcHealth Labs (HERE).


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Two lucky winners will win a
gift pack of
PacificHealth Labs products
(pictured above)

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Enter now though Sunday, May 1.
Winner will be announced on Monday.

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