We are excited to introduce Paleoethics as our new nutritional supplement offered at CrossFit Torque. If you recognize the name, it may be because Paleoethics was recognized as the official nutrition sponsor of the CrossFit Games last year. They are a newer company that offers supplements made of 100% natural ingredients and free of space-wasting fillers and heavily processed substances. We are thrilled to be able to offer such a high quality product at our gym at a reasonable cost to our members.
As a new product to the gym, We wanted to break down the products and give some feedback on our experience with them so far. I am sure you’ll be as pleasantly surprised with the taste and quality as I have been!
SUPER SERUM PROTEIN
We’ve all had beef proteins in the past, and let’s just admit we weren’t impressed with the taste or mixing qualities. To my surprise, this protein mixes very easily in water or my personal choice of Trader Joe’s unsweetened coconut milk and tastes great! I prefer the chocolate (always) over the vanilla and I have had zero issues with taking it multiple times a day and having any gas or bloating afterward (:-X). The most noticeable thing for me is how ‘light’ and ‘clean’ I feel after taking it. It’s not so sweet that I develop sugar cravings after using it, and it gets me just enough (18 grams) of protein per serving to make sure I’m fueling my body appropriately.
SURGE (PRE-WORKOUT)
I am NOT a user of pre-workouts; I usually stick to coffee. But, let me tell you about Surge. It’s a natural product that contains ingredients like maca root, beet powder, billberry extract, and has no artificial ingredients. 1 scoop should provide consistent energy giving just enough boost for lifting and workouts. Best part, there shouldn’t be any jitters or heart-racing that normally accompanies a pre-workout. If you are someone who wants a little pick-me-up before the workout, give it a try. Note – if you’re a pre-wod snob that is used to the sugary sweet tastes of other pre-workouts, you mind find the taste to be pretty bland (earthy if you will). Sorry, that’s what you get when you don’t add tons of artificial sweeteners.
REBUILD RECOVER (POST-WORKOUT)
This ‘Rebuild recover’ product contains only 2 grams of protein and 6 grams of carbs. And, one thing this product contains that other post-workout complexes usually don’t, is an electrolyte profile that helps with re-hydration, which, according to a lot of newer research, might be something that is more important than pro/carbs to consider for recovery. End of the day, I’d say it’s worth giving a spin if you have 3-4 weeks of consistent training time ahead of you and can monitor things to see what effects it has with you.
RECOVERY MATRIX (NIGHTTIME FORMULA)
Probably the most overlooked way to recover your body from the previous session and make the best of your next session is your sleep. The Recovery Matrix provides a small amount of protein (vegan uses pea protein, and non-vegan uses beef protein), chamomile, magnesium, zinc, and other extracts that will help you get a better sleep. It comes in a nice tea formula that you mix with warm water and sip 45-60 minutes before bed. Whenever in full mode training a zinc/magnesium complex is key; This product is just that answer!
SUPER GREENS
If we all ate as many vegetables as grandma put on our plate when we were kids, then we wouldn’t have to be taking this product at all! Or, would we? I’m sure you’ve heard the facts that the nutrient density of our fruits and vegetables has drastically decreased over the last 100 years with increased farming on the same land and the soil just doesn’t contain the same amount of micro-nutrients as it once did. So, this is our version of a vitamin/mineral supplement. It contains all the good stuff like kale, wheat grass, spirulina, broccoli powder, and much more. All organic and with NO fillers.
I personally have trouble getting past how …”organic” it tastes, but other Torque Coach’s mix it with their chocolate super serum and say it tastes good! I would definitely recommend this product to someone that tends to eat the same foods over and over again and doesn’t have a lot of variety in their food choices, which tends to mean they miss out on many vital micro-nutrients that help out with immunity, recovery and repair, and more.
REGEN (BCAA’S)
Branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) are used to promote muscle growth and prevent muscle breakdown. They are fast-absorbing essential (meaning, they must be taken from food or otherwise and cannot be produced within the body) building blocks for muscle growth and repair. Typically, BCAA’s are taken as a flavored powder that mixes with water and taste super yummy, but these are just pills. So, I know some prefer to get their healthy-ish sweet-tooth fix via a BCAA drink. But, if you’re looking for a natural, non-insulin promoting way to get your BCAA’s and promote muscle growth and repair, this will fit nicely.
FINAL THOUGHTS
TorqueNation believes in real food first. Reap the benefits from eating a nutrient-dense diet made up of meats, vegetables, some fruit and starch, and little sugar (Glassman style). And, you should be doing everything you can to get enough sleep and maintain a low-stress lifestyle.
That being said however, if you are above the 80% mark on eating clean consistently and feel that you want more out of your performance, supplementing is a great way to do it.
Additionally, using supplements that you don’t have to question regarding their quality or impact of overall health (ie containing artificial sweeteners that have been linked to cancers) is a good idea.
But, at the end of the day, I am only offering my opinion and I HIGHLY recommend that everyone do their own research and feel comfortable making their own decisions. If you have any further questions, We are happy to answer whatever we can! As a benefit for TorqueNation members, we have discounted all our Paleoethics products 10% off for this week only, and hope that you can give them a shot.
-Amanda and TorqueNation
