As a mid-40’s weekend warrior and ‘occasional’ ultra marathon trail runner, I have to rely on additional calories and electrolytes to drag myself through the trails and mountains all around the Lower Mainland. So, I wanted to share with our valued guests that we've recently added a few more nutritional products at the shop to help meet your fueling needs for any activity! Whether you’re a trail explorer like myself, a road runner training hard for a local race, or just need the right energy boost to power you through your gym workouts or long walks, we’ve got you covered!
Gu Energy - the first sports nutrition company to mass distribute energy gels, Gu Energy has been a mainstay on the endurance racing scene since 1996, when they supplied the athletes at Ironman World Championships. Known for great tasting, unique, and traditional gel flavors (salted caramel, vanilla bean, campfire s’mores - yes please!), they have since expanded into a variety of sports nutrition products besides their flagship gels - GU Chews, Stroopwafels, and GU energy drinks are all in their product line these days.
At Fit First, we carry an assortment of gel flavors, each one of these tiny packets contains 100 calories of carbohydrates, amino acids, electrolytes, and some even contain 40 mg of caffeine, for that extra kick in the pants that any coffee addict would appreciate!
Also available are the GU Energy Chews, which are delicious soft gummies that are based on the gel formula, yet also contain antioxidants. These can be spaced out across an activity to give you that energy boost when needed and you can save the rest for another time.
Then there is the ultra-popular GU Stroopwafel - this delicious ‘dutch style’ energy cookie acts as an energy gel but tastes like a decadent breakfast! Picture a tasty syrup sandwiched between 2 thin wafers but also containing BCAA’s (branch chain amino acids), as well as sodium and carbohydrates. This is an excellent pre-run treat or post-workout snack that will repair muscle damage and jump-start your exercise recovery.
Pro tip : warm one up by placing it on top of your post-run coffee…just give it a shot, you won’t regret it. A staff favorite!
For those of you training for the BMO half or full marathon, you’ll be happy to know that we carry Xact Nutrition - an official sponsor of the legendary spring race, as well as all RunVan events! (www.runvan.org) Come try the products that will be available on the courses on race day - ensuring no nutritional surprises as your body will be fueled by the familiar flavors and textures of Xact as you run around beautiful Vancouver. For those with a sweet tooth, there are the Energy Fruit Bars in an assortment of flavors, including beet and maple! When I say these are sweet, I mean it, haha - yes, they are sugary, but decadently delicious. They are also easy to swallow and digest on the run, small enough to pack a few with you, and they’ll melt in your mouth, too. I love them because they don't get stuck in my teeth like some other chews!
We also carry Xact Protein Bars - composed of light chocolate and wafer, they come in delicious vanilla and chocolate flavors and each bar has 15 grams of much-needed protein for muscle repair. I found these to be extremely tasty but also slightly dry (like most high quality protein bars) so I wouldn't recommend them during an endurance event when you may be dehydrated…but, these would be an awesome post-run snack when you need the protein the most!
Nuun Nutrition ‘Sport’ tablets are an awesome choice for replacing vital nutrients and electrolytes lost through sweat during or after exercise. We carry a huge array of delicious flavors (with or without caffeine!) - just drop one of the tabs in your water and enjoy! These are ‘fizzy’, so would be perfect for those that like a bit of carbonation in their water when running, or chilling out post-run with your feet up on the couch! Certified vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free, Nuun was the first company to separate electrolyte replacement from carbohydrates - which means a healthy, hydrating sports drink without all the added sugar and additives.
Now for my personal favorite, Fit First now carries Tailwind Nutrition! It's the perfect mix of calories, electrolytes, and hydration which makes it a complete fuel solution for both professional endurance athletes and also those of us that slowly huff and puff our way through the mountains or sweat it out on long-distance road runs. The assorted flavors taste great but aren’t super strong, overly sweet, or ‘syrupy’. Plus, all of them will mix very easily, with no clumps or clogs in your water bottle - just add a scoop or 2, give a quick shake, and away you go!
For those athletes that have difficulty tolerating gel products, Tailwind is very gentle on your stomach, allowing you to run free of worries about untimely stomach aches or ‘gut bombs’ - been there, done that, no thanks! 2 scoops of Tailwind would be the equivalent of taking 2 gels with you in liquid form on those long training days - so simple and effective!
At Fit First, we carry the ‘50 scoop’ bags and the single-serving packets of Tailwind - perfect for replacing burned calories and keeping you feeling energized on whatever adventure your heart desires! Tailwind is all the fuel you need. Really.
After 2 years of lockdowns and uncertainty in BC, I (like so many others) am so stoked to be finally looking forward to an exciting 2022 - full of in-person events, races, sports tournaments, day hikes, and long runs…it’s time to gear up and refocus on those fitness goals!
Trust us to help you fuel your adventures, wherever they may take you!