ProLine Sports, Nutrition Blog

First Endurance EFS Keeps Me Going Strong All Day

As an avid cyclist and runner, proper hydration and fueling is absolutely key to my performance. I've tried just about every sports drink and gel on the market, but I always come back to First Endurance EFS as my go-to hydration and energy supplement. This advanced electrolyte and carbohydrate formula is simply in a league of its own.

What first attracted me to EFS was its clean, natural ingredients based on real food sources rather than a lot of artificial junk. It's made primarily from non-GMO maltodextrin and sucrose rather than highly processed sugars. It contains a full complement of essential electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium derived from fruit and vegetable sources. There are no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners – just high quality nutrients.

The taste is absolutely fantastic too. I usually go for the Orange or Watermelon flavors which have a light, crisp, refreshing taste that makes consuming EFS an enjoyable experience rather than a chore. The flavors taste natural and not at all syrupy, chemical or overly sweet like some other sports drinks.

But most importantly, EFS flat out works incredibly well at keeping me hydrated and energized for hours on end, no matter how intense the effort. The multi-carbohydrate blend sustains my energy levels without spiking and crashing like simple sugars. The optimized electrolyte profile does a superb job replenishing what I sweat out so I don't experience any muscle cramping, headaches or fatigue from electrolyte depletion.

This allows me to push harder for longer on every run, ride and workout. EFS keeps me going incredibly strong even on the hottest days and toughest courses. I can always count on it to have my back for hydration and fuel.

Another major benefit of EFS is that it doesn't upset my stomach or give me gastrointestinal issues like some other products do, especially if I'm taking it in around race efforts when everything is working harder. The natural ingredients and pH-balanced formula make it easily digestible even at maximum exertion levels.

As if the outstanding performance factors weren't enough, EFS is also incredibly convenient and user-friendly. The light powder packs travel easily and the scoop makes mixing a breeze – no more shaking up bottles forever to dissolve gritty, clumpy powders. It mixes up easily with no residue and actually tastes better when mixed according to the instructions rather than overly sweet or watered down.

Overall, I can't say enough great things about First Endurance EFS. This premium hydration/energy supplement covers all the bases with high marks for performance, taste, digestibility and convenience. It's allowed me to achieve athletic levels I never thought possible by keeping me properly fueled and hydrated from start to finish, no matter how grueling the effort. EFS is simply the complete package for endurance athletes.

"PROLINE SPORTS NUTRITION sponsored rider"

The Raunchy Race for Your Undercarriage

Where do I even begin with this list of chamois creams? It's a veritable smorgasbord of brands that seem determined to make you snort coffee through your nose when you read their names out loud.

Let's start with ASSOS Chamois Cream. With a name like that, you'd think it was formulated by some high-brow European cycling royalty who are far too sophisticated for potty humor. But we all know what a "chamois" really is - a fancy way of saying "butt rag." Maybe they should have called it "Fancy Pants Anti-Chafe."

Moving right along to Chamois Butt'r. Well, aren't they just getting straight to the point? No subtle innuendos here, just straightforward butt lube for when the miles start getting sadistically long. I don't think I'll be able to say that name with a straight face at my local bike shop.

Hoo Ha Ride Glide? Come on now, that's just taking things a step too far into the gutter. I get that it's a play on words comparing the female anatomy to cycling terminology, but whoever named this stuff had a good cackle over it, I'm sure. Makes you wonder if they initially wanted to call it "Taint Treat."

DZ Nuts cracked me up when I first saw it on the list. For the unfamiliar, DZ is how you'd denote "Deez" in a text message, making the brand name basically say "Deez Nuts." Classy! But hey, at least it's memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Finally, Button Hole Chamois Cream seems to be the tamest of the bunch by comparison. Just a straightforward name that makes you think of fragile threads being diligently lubricated for longevity. Although if I'm really being honest, any name with "chamois" in it is kind of inherently silly.

In the end, I have to give props to all these brands for their total lack of shame. They're just out there on the cycling store shelves, swinging their comically named undercarriage potions with reckless abandon. Part of me wants to be offended, but the bigger part of me is just impressed by the audacity. Wherever your next ride may take you, you can be sure there's a lubricated seat waiting with a legendarily laughable name.

Get all of them here through the end of April with an extra 40% off.

Hydration Showdown - NUUN vs GU vs Gatorade Zero

Whether you're an athlete, outdoor enthusiast, or just trying to stay hydrated throughout the day, choosing the right hydration product can make a big difference in your performance and how you feel. Today, we'll compare three popular hydration options - NUUN tablets, GU Hydration Drink Tabs, and Gatorade Zero.

NUUN Hydration
NUUN offers effervescent electrolyte tablets that you dissolve in water to create a hydration drink. The tablets are compact and portable, making them convenient for travel or bringing along on hikes, runs, etc. NUUN is low in calories and sugars, with each tablet containing only 1g of sugar. It relies primarily on electrolyte minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium for hydration rather than high amounts of sugars or artificial sweeteners.

NUUN comes in a variety of flavors like Fruit Punch, Tri-Berry, Citrus Fruit and more. One potential downside is that it may not provide as much carbohydrate energy as some higher-calorie sports drinks if that's what you're looking for.

GU Hydration Drink Tabs
Similar to NUUN, GU Hydration tabs are effervescent electrolyte tablets that dissolve in water. However, they contain same amounts of sugar (1g per tablet) to provide carbohydrates for energy in addition to electrolyte replenishment. The tabs are vegan, kosher, and made with ingredients like cane sugar, fruit powders, and electrolyte minerals.

GU tabs come in flavors like Orange and Lemon-Lime. Unlike NUUN which prioritizes low sugars, GU tabs are formulated to provide a balance of electrolytes and energy from sugars, making them a consideration for endurance athletes or anyone seeking an electrolyte drink with more carbohydrates.

Gatorade Zero
Gatorade Zero is a more traditional ready-to-drink sports beverage that comes in tablets, bottles or cans. As the name implies, it contains zero sugars and is sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium instead. It still provides electrolytes like sodium and potassium, plus vitamins B3, B6, and B12.

The big advantage of Gatorade Zero is convenience - you can grab it and go without having to mix a powder or dissolve tablets. However, it is typically more expensive per ounce than tablets or powders. Some also prefer the "cleaner" ingredients of tablets versus artificial sweeteners found in diet sports drinks.

Which one is right for you?
For low-calorie hydration with just electrolytes and minimal sugars, NUUN tablets are a great option. If you want some added carbohydrates along with electrolyte replenishment, GU Hydration tabs provide that middle ground. And for ultimate convenience with no mixing required, Gatorade Zero drinks are hard to beat, though some may prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners.

No matter which product you choose, staying hydrated is key for health and performance. Give these hydration options a try and see which one suits your needs and tastes best!

The Miracle Workout Lotion That Saved My Muscles (And Reputation)

As a fitness enthusiast always chasing new PRs, I've tried every workout supplement and recovery product under the sun. Protein powders? Slammed them by the tub. Foam rollers? Oh yeah, intimately acquainted with those torture devices. BCAAs, beta-alanine, creatine - you name it, I've gulped it down in powder and pill form.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, has revolutionized my training and muscle recovery abilities like Momentous PR Lotion - AKA the most brilliant and delightfully bizarre sports science invention since hydrogen-infused alkaline water. This workout slather is the real deal, and I'm about to break down why it deserves a prime spot in every athlete's locker room.

But first, let me take you back to the dark days before PR Lotion entered my life. I was plagued by the dreaded "bonk" - that soul-crushing point during high-intensity training when your muscles are screaming "STOP!" and filling up with burning lactic acid. I'd be cruising along, smashing rep after rep, only to be relentlessly assaulted by intense fatigue, loss of power, and that miserable "hurt so good" sensation of being trapped in a muscle cramp jacuzzi.

My post-workout life wasn't much better. The next day, it would feel like I got hit by a truck made out of small children's elbows - groaning in agony with debilitating DOMS (that's "delayed onset muscle soreness" for you newbies). Those were dark, dark days filled with limping around and horrific displays of staircase avoidance.

It was bad, folks. Like, potentially giving up exercise to take up extreme basket weaving bad. Which would have been a real kick to the masculinity for a former school athlete who once dreamed of going pro. That is, until I discovered PR Lotion, aka "miracle gel for sore muscles."

This madcap creation is the world's first topical lotion that delivers sodium bicarbonate (baking soda's fancier cousin) directly through your skin and into your working muscles using some kind of freaky dermal voodoo technology. By acting as a buffering agent against rising acid levels in the muscles, PR Lotion allows you to bust through fatigue and maintain peak power output for drastically longer than you could au naturel.

Here's how it works: simply lather up your trusty muscle groups with a liberal coating of PR Lotion pre-workout, let it absorb for a few minutes, and BAM! Your muscles are instantly in fat-burning, acid-buffering beast mode. No more bonking out or pulverizing yourself into a lactic acid grave - the bicarb is buffering all that acid madness on a molecular level so you can keep cranking out reps.

I can't even begin to describe the shock and awe the first time I unleashed PR Lotion on an intense leg day. I was powering through squats and Bulgarian split lunges without that usual feeling of being cemented into the ground. No fading out, no hugging the tank gasping for air - just crisp, powerful movements from start to finish. Then after my workout, I simply showered off and washed away the typical soreness demons that haunt me for days post-leg sesh. It was freaky...and utterly life-changing!

Thanks to PR Lotion, I'm smashing PRs right and left. I'll never go back to relying on shady supplement powders or antacid dixie-cup cocktails to power through grueling workouts. From now on, my muscles are rolling tight with a slick coating of sodium bicarbonate teflon armor for ultimate performance and recovery. You'll find me secured in the discount muscle rub aisle at CVS, loading up on a trunk's worth of this magic moisture.

So if your muscles are being dramatic divas holding you back from gains, do yourself a favor and get your hands on some PR Lotion stat. Just be prepared for some hardcore side effects - like massive pumps, blinding vascularity, and being uncomfortably jacked. You've been warned!

Salt Bae's Ultimate Courtship Chew: Saltstick Fastchews

Listen up sweaty Sisters (and huffing Bros), because I've got a steamy hot take that's going to make you thirstier than a basement-dwelling gamer at a rave: Saltstick Fastchews are the new love language, and we're all fluent in salty.

These magical electrolyte masticators aren't just fuel for your muscles - they're pure romance concentrated into compact, easy-to-chomp tablets. Think of them as edible love letters that whisper sweet nothings to your sodium levels while keeping your calves from turning into acid-saturated Baseball Houdini's mid-stride.

For those checking their privilege at the door, Saltstick Fastchews are portable electrolyte replacement chews designed to rapidly reload nutrients that get flushed away faster than CEOs ethics when you're deep in the throes of a sweat-drought. We're talking zinc, magnesium, and most importantly - sodium: the Idris Elba of minerals that every hard body craves.

You might be thinking "Great, just what I need - another grainy powder to gum up my shaker bottle and make my protein farts smell like a blasted Chernobyl reactor." But Fastchews are an entirely different breed of supplement. These petite pellets may look unassuming, but pop a few of those strawberry-lemon zingers and BOOM - it's like an electrolyte inferno just ignited in your esophagus.

Within minutes, you'll be a glistening Calienti thanks to Fastchews' rapid-fire replenishment formula. Cramp city? Not on these chews' watch! Muscle spasms seizing up tighter than a bodybuilder's stringers? Tell those contracted calves to chew on this. You'll be going from hot, bloated mess to glowing, hydrated goddess just like that.

And let's take a moment to appreciate the real MVP ingredient - SALT. Not just any salt, but the premium stuff lovingly extracted from subterranean time-capsules and rain-forests for maximum mineral masterpiece theatrics. Saltstick's sodium chloride is the MJ of electrolytes - you're basically doing the "Moonwalk" of hydration with every morsel.

Sure, you could chase down your salty cravings with a bag of emergency room pretzel rods, but then you'd just be left thirsty, bloated and wondering why your calves are the size of MillionaireMates. FastChews, on the other hand, allow you to expertly surf the sodium waves without any of the unnecessary fillers and franken-additives.

Want concrete proof? I once spotted an elite marathon runner popping these mineral malts like a Pac Man gobbling pellets. She was FLYING and glistening like she was perpetually caught in one of those Herbal Essences hair commercials. When I asked her secret, she handed me a Fastchew and said "Hot Salt, Baby" before blowing me a kiss and disappearing like a mirage into the dry, dusty heat.

From that moment on, I was a summa cum salty convert. Now whether I'm ripping through a high intensity potty sesh or just feeling a little mineral-deficient pon de couch, I always keep a tube of Fastchews at the ready like a millennial has their JUUL. Call me thirsty, but there's just something sensual about skipping the powdery dryness and going straight for the mouthfeel.

So if you're looking to up your crampy calves' seduction game and unlock a whole new level of hydration rapture, do yourself a favor and get Saltstick Fastchew'd. Your body will be begging for more after just one salty lick of that mineral goodness. And if that doesn't convince you, just look at Salt Bae himself - the man is perpetually glistening, and you know he'd swipe right on these Fastchews in a heartbeat.

The Unstoppable Rise of Distance Running

As the sun rose over Boston this morning after another thrilling edition of the iconic Boston Marathon, thousands of exhausted but elated runners began the process of recovering from their 26.2 mile journey. While their blistered feet rested, you could see the gleam of pride and accomplishment in their eyes. Crossing that finish line on Boylston Street is the culmination of months of intense training and preparation for these dedicated distance runners.

The Boston Marathon may be one of the world's most prestigious road racing events, but it represents just one data point in the rapidly growing global phenomenon of distance running. Once viewed as a fringe pursuit for eccentric fitness junkies, marathons, half-marathons, and other long-distance races are now marquee athletic events that attract participants from all walks of life.

The numbers don't lie - race registrations and attendance at running events of all distances have been skyrocketing over the past two decades. According to Running USA, total U.S. race finishers grew from 8.6 million in 2000 to 18.1 million in 2018. Marathon finishers alone surged from 346,000 to nearly 1.1 million over that same period, a staggering 211% increase.

So what is driving this unstoppable rise in distance running's mainstream popularity? Experts point to several key factors:

The "Sportification" of Running
With more people viewing running as a legitimate sport and athletic pursuit rather than just a workout routine, dedicated training plans, proper gear like technical fabrics and hyper-engineered shoes, and racing strategies have become the norm even for weekend warriors.

The Social Fitness Movement
Turning running into a communal activity with run clubs, social media communities, and cheering spectators has made distance events much more fun and motivating for many participants.

The Bucket List Mentality
Completing a marathon or similar daunting physical challenge has become a hugely popular bucket list goal, especially among younger generations. The sense of personal accomplishment and bragging rights are huge drivers of first-time distance runners.

The Health and Wellness Boom
As societal attitudes toward health, fitness, work-life balance, and prioritizing wellness experiences over purely material consumption have shifted, distance running checks a lot of boxes for healthy living.

So whether you're looking to join a local running club, sign up for your first 5K, or make that bucket-list marathon dream a reality, you'll be in good company. Distance running is here to stay and only growing stronger around the globe. Maybe we'll see you out there on the roads or at a future starting line!