PocketFuel Review on Competitor.com
We were excited to learn that PocketFuel was reviewed on Competitor.com this past week! In case you aren’t familiar with them, Competitor magazine is the world’s leading voice for the endurance community. Competitor engages active people from runners to cyclists and outdoors adventurers to fulfill one simple mission: to inspire a healthy, active lifestyle…
Thanks Competitor.com and Adam Kelison:
Whole Fuel: Energy For Endurance Athletes
By Adam Kelinson Published Apr. 26, 2013
We sample, test and rate different options for fueling during workouts.
There is another side to an athletic lifestyle once your daily food intake is sound enough to support the requirements of your sports nutrition plan. Beyond all of the foundational nutrition the body needs on a daily basis to build a platform for athletic performance, one must consider the nutritional requirements specific to training and racing.
Food is what you eat for your foundation. Fuel is what you eat for training and racing. Although the quality of those sources should be the most important, and the same for both, there are other factors to consider such as protein to carbohydrate ratio, convenience, digestibility, portability, packaging, taste, calories, and flavor.
Prior to the first Powerbar hitting the market over 20 years ago, native cultures had their own traditional energy bars known as pemmican, or wasna, that date back to the 1700s. A lot has been learned since that time, but there was a lot that was also already known. These “bars” were based upon anecdotal experience using locally available foods that supported energy for endurance, performance and a healthy life. Although the science did not exist, the same basic ingredients of protein, carbohydrates and fat did. Since processed foods were not available then we wanted to explore what whole foods fueling options were available on the market today.
Ultimately, it was a bit disappointing to see the limited availability to those seeking a better option to the myriad of highly processed and refined products that dominate the market. But, now that you’ve read the 2013 Spring Review of shoes, it’s time to get some miles on those new kicks so we put testers out into the field to see how some companies are starting to change the way people fuel.
PocketFuel: 8 Flavors $2.75 (1.8oz) – $20.00 (20oz) Rating 4/5
Taste: With their nut butter base combined with assorted fruits, these packets have multiple flavor pairings for most any palate. By using organic cane sugar they do not have the artificial taste of other sweeteners and all were well balanced. They also contain small pieces of food that were nice to chew on. Favorites: Pineapple/Coconut & Chocolate Haze.
Output: The user interface of having to “squish and squeeze” before opening supports the whole food sources of this product, something that the body can relate to and easily digest. Their thickness makes them feel like the real food they are made of, but there was no GI heaviness or distress reported from any of our testers. They do require a bit more water to consume then standard gels, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing given their electrolyte content. All testers reported getting good mileage.
Best Use: With an average ratio of 2:1 Carbohydrate to Protein, these were best suited for pre and during training. A good combo of complex and simple carbs gave both an instant bump as well as sustained energy. Good for medium and long distance events. Easy to carry.
