Nutrition

Pre-workouts are common fare amongst weightlifters and, along with usually delivering an energising dose of caffeine, also tend to be packed with a range of other ingredients that promise to improve performance and generally get you psyched up and ready to go. There are a number of possible applications for endurance athletes but, as most come from bodybuilding focussed nutrition companies, I've always steered well clear of them due to fears of contamination and the possibility of failing a doping test.

So, when FullSteam launched a pre-workout specifically for endurance athletes, I was intrigued. They state on their website that each ingredient must pass rigorous audits and checks so this helped to allay my contamination worries.

When the tub arrived, I had a loop on my gravel bike planned for that evening. I was feeling pretty tired and demotivated but I followed the instructions, took it 30 minutes before I was due to head out and waited for the rush. It mixed easily in water and, although very sweet, the Summer Berry flavour I had was perfectly palatable.

Now, it might have been psychosomatic but, after about 20 minutes, I definitely started to feel perkier and I was feeling the familiar Beta-Alanine tingle. This naturally occurring amino acid is one of the ingredients and has proven performance benefits. However, you do need to build the levels up in your body by taking it regularly, which I do, but as a one off, apart from the tingle, it probably won't do much. That said, the 22g of fast acting carbohydrates, 225mg of caffeine, B vitamins, Branched Chain Amino Acids, Acetyl L-Carnatine, Citrulline and Betaine all have fairly decent science behind them. In all honesty, it's probably the caffeine and the carbs which have the biggest impact but this product does deliver them in a tase and convenient way.

Back to my ride and the bottom line is that I absolutely flew round. I set multiple PR's and took a few KOM's on Strava and set an all-time best 10-minute power output.

Since then, I've been using RACESTAK before time trials, track league, at Masters Track Nationals, where I set a PB in the Individual Pursuit, and before tough evening turbo sessions and Zwift races if I feel in need of a bit of a boost. It always seems to give me a boost, more-so than a regular caffeinated gel and provides enough fuel for sessions up to 90 minutes in duration.

Find out more here: https://fullste.am/product/racestak/