Beachbody Performance Line Review

I’m kind of a supplement snob. Ask my husband. I’m picky. Too much jittery, not enough protein, it’s not isolate. It tastes like a car tire. It’s packed with sucralose. It makes me need to use the bathroom. Frequently. Let’s be honest. Nobody wants something so “stimulating” that it stimulates you to the bathroom all day. So I was super pumped last week at Summit when Beachbody released their performance line! I tend to watch my sugar intake and am not a fan of artificial sweeteners and frankly, if it’s too sweet, I don’t like it. These are all natural, no artificial sweeteners, and use Stevia, a natural plant leaf extract. They are all NSF certified and they’re safe for use in professional athletes and meet strict criteria to do so. I’ve tried all five of the new products in the supplement line and I’m so excited to start using them regularly. Below is my review. As an all natural bikini competitor, weightlifter, and human who cares about my body and what I put in it, I think it’s a great addition to the product line.

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ENERGIZE- Pre-workout

I’m super sensitive to caffeine and too much can throw off my entire workout. I don’t like the face tingle. I’ve tried Beachbody’s E&E and it’s not for me. I know plenty of people that use it and love it and it works for them and that’s great! It just doesn’t work for me. So I was anxious to try the Energize and I absolutely love it. It has a natural lemonade flavor and only 100mg of naturally occurring caffeine from green tea extract, and has beta-alanine which helps your muscles stay energized longer and avoid tiring as easily. It also contains Quercetin which is a plant nutrient that aids in exercise performance. So what does all of that mean to me who doesn’t have a biology or chemistry degree? It means that I felt awesome during my workout, that I retained my energy, that I didn’t get shaky, or face tingle, or felt nauseous like some other pre-workout formulas have done, and I didn’t get a “crash” from the caffeine overload. And the lemonade flavor is super yummy too!

My rating: Win!

HYDRATE- Intra-workout

I drink a lot of water during my workouts. I am just naturally thirsty and I sweat a lot when I lift. So consuming something that replenishes my electrolytes that are escaping through my sweat is important to keep me from getting dehydrated. Hydrate does just that. Where some electrolyte sports drinks are loaded with sugar, corn or other syrups, and artificial colors and flavors, Hydrate is naturally sweetened with Stevia and has natural mandarin orange flavors. It contains just enough Calcium, Sodium, Mag, & Potassium to replace what is lost. I really enjoy the flavor too.

My rating: Win!

RECOVER- Post-workout

Hands down, my fave. So here’s where I get snobby. I need a post-workout drink that has a minimum of 15-20 grams of protein and for me as a competitor I want protein isolate. It’s a more pure formulated protein, more easily digested, and when consumed within 30 minutes of your workout, it can go straight to your muscles to fuel muscle growth. This is key for me, a tiny lady trying to build muscle. Where Shakeology gives me 17 grams of whey protein isolate, Recover is packed with 23g, has a delicious flavor of a chocolate frosty, and contains BCAA’s (branch-chain amino acids) which facilitate muscle synthesis- which means muscle growth. They can also help boost your immune system. Weightlifting can take a big toll on the body and if you’re not taking the right supplements, your body can suffer and cause you to get sick. BCAA’s also help improve muscle recovery and decrease recovery time so you feel better and stronger. So- I get my isolate and decrease the need for me to take additional BCAA’s aka spend more money on another can of supplements. It’s an all in one here.

My rating: HUGE WIN!

RECHARGE- Nighttime recovery

Recently my husband shared an article with me about how new research shows that consuming protein before bedtime can help your muscles recover better, decrease soreness, and can help build your muscle as well. When I am in competition prep mode, I’m drinking a protein shake at bedtime, and adding glutamine to it which helps maintain muscle growth and decrease breakdown. I was happy to find out that in Recharge, you also get a dose of glutamine in addition to BCAA’s and casein protein which helps build muscles and decreases that muscle soreness that we so often wake up with in the morning after a hard workout. The vanilla flavor is incredible. I didn’t need to add anything to it, blended it up with a little ice & water and it was a vanilla milkshake. I eliminate my additional can of glutamine by switching to this too.

My rating: WIN!

CREATINE-

Creatine is creatine to me. It helps build strength. It helps with endurance. It helps inflate your muscles by pulling water in which can lead to more muscle building and protein synthesis. It can also give you those extra energy boosts (from generating ATP into your muscles) that you need during your workouts that give you more power and ultimately more muscle size. Does taking creatine mean you’re going to get huge and bulky. No. There is a combination of a lot of things an athlete needs to do to get huge and bulky. Incorporating creatine for me means I can push myself harder, get better results in my muscles, and gain more strength. Taking it within 30 minutes of working out is key. Beachbody also uses the purest creatine (monohydrate) on the market.

My rating: WIN

For me, I’m super pleased with this performance line. It was developed by a team of nationally recognized PhD’s and MD who specialize in sports nutrition and studying muscle growth and development. The quality of ingredients found in these products dwarf a lot of the other products on the market and allow you to retain the pureness of your already optimum nutrition as a performance athlete or as a person like me who is trying to get the most out of their muscle building, performance enhancing nutrition, and maximize results. These products can stand alone or can be used in a variety of combinations or all together. Please email me at fitmommyashley@gmail.com or comment below if you would like more information on incorporating the Performance Line into your current regimen. There are sample packs available as well and I can assist you in ordering what is right for your current fitness routine.