Fluid Field Test

I don't know about you, but every time I look at the beverage choices at the gym or nutritional supplement store, my head starts spinning. There are so many pre-workout, post-workout and during-workout drinks, it's impossible to keep track of them all.

Need some carbs? No worries, just choose from these 20 over here. Need protein? You're totally sorted - pick from those 20 over there. Do you think vitamins and minerals degrade over time when mixed with water? Here's a drink that allows you to release a capsule (presumably holding virgin vitamins and minerals) into the bottle just before you drink it. And if you feel like you need to be the baddest dude in the gym tonight, drink this. It's called Liquid Fight.

Actually, I made the last one up. But I bet it would sell.

I keep it simple. 99% of the time I'll go with the original gangsta of sports drinks - Gatorade lemon and lime. It's too sweet, so I cut it with water. But it's an old friend and it's never let me down.

That said, I got my hands on some Fluid Recovery Drink awhile ago. I really liked it, and it seemed to be effective. I say "seemed" because I didn't have enough to use it for any length of time to know for sure.

So about 3 weeks ago I got my hands on enough Fluid to put it to the test. After every workout, I've drank the recommended serving size within the recommended post-workout time frame (30 minutes). I've been drinking the Berry Treasure flavor. It tastes fine, certainly pleasant, and has no weird and/or chemical aftertaste. My only complaint is that I wish it was a little more soluble.

According to the company website, Fluid:

• Replenishes muscle energy levels
• Repairs damaged muscle tissue and aids in building new lean muscle
• Helps manage inflammation, reducing aches, pains and muscle soreness
• Provides electrolytes to replace those lost in sweat
• Supports a stressed immune system

In all fairness, I'm in no way qualified to run a clinical trial. And 3 weeks would not be long enough anyway. But I will say this - Since using Fluid, I have definitely recovered faster. The biggest indicator is that I don't wake up in the morning as stiff as I used to. This speaks to the first three points. And based on what I do know about nutrition and body chemistry, the levels of potassium, sodium, and Vitamin C found in Fluid supports the last two points.

Above and beyond the science, I think Fluid is a pretty cool company. I really like the vibe of the website, and I like the story. Amongst the charities they support is Ride Clean, which is an organization committed to promoting drug free cycling. Most of you know I support this cause as well.

My interaction with the company has been positive. The web-store was easy to use, they ship fast, and when I called, customer service was great. Fluid seems to be an innovative, forward thinking company. And I'm a big fan of that.

Conclusion? Fluid has a new long term supporter.

(Disclaimer: I am currently in a sponsorship agreement with Fluid, which provides me with a discount on FLUID products. I did not receive any encouragement or compensation for this review. Aside from information I have included from the the FLUID website, the opinions are my own.)