EFS-PRO
I've been using EFS-PRO to fuel my workouts and for one race, where I used it on the bike leg. Overall, I'm really impressed with this. With some other products, I've had a hard time with digestion issues. EFS-PRO worked very well for me, with no indigestion or other concerns. I had some of my best bike workouts of the summer using it, and when I would not use it (opting for water or Gatorade), I could tell. The lemon water flavor is very light. For the first sip, I wasn't sure I would like it, but it really grew on me. I also ordered a container of the cucumber water flavor, which I really like.

I have been having a lot of race-day nutrition disasters lately. At Toughman Minnesota, I incorporated EFS-PRO into my pre-race routine, and then used it on the bike, as well. I put a concentrated version in a frame bottle and add it to my front hydration system as I approach aid stations. I just then take water to dilute the concentrate to normal. Other than some misunderstand on my part about where the first aid station was (I thought it was at mile 13, for whatever reason - it was at mile 23), it worked well. That was my fastest bike split ever. I did not, however, have a very good run nutrition plan ready, so that was another story.

Overall - I am sticking with EFS-PRO. Even with my health issues, this has been the most effective fuel I've found yet.

Ultragen
Ultragen is a bit harder to describe. As a recovery meal, it is simple enough and tastes really good. I had the vanilla, which is a very sweet vanilla bean flavor - I really like it. It's harder to quantify the results. I've flip-flopped back and forth on using it after tough workouts or not using it, and I feel like I've been well-prepared for subsequent workouts. For me, recovery is really key, and I feel this has worked as well as anything else I've tried.

If anybody has any specific questions, I'll be glad to try to answer them. Overall, I'm very pleased with my First Endurance experience, and plan to continue to use their products.

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

unfortunately the Ultragen has milk in it so I could not test it. I passed it to my husband and I will get a review from him. I personally liked the very light flavor of the EFS but my husband (who normally uses Cytomax) missed the "heavy" taste he is used to. i used 2 scoops per bottle and he used 3. i will normally use only water on a 40km ride and husband "has to have" some crap in his bottle or he can't deal (don't get me started, it drives me insane). so he is used to using a LOT of f'ing product. i used the EFS on a 60km ride that was supposed to be a 90km and then just water on the 90km ride. i believe i cramped on the 90 km ride but it was more hot than the 60 km ride. I tend to only use product when it is hot and honestly, the weather here (Minneapolis and Wisconsin) has been way too cold. i have used arm warmers on each ride so far. i have been using it (just to test it) on shorter rides but since the weather has been so crappy i can't really say whether or not it works as well as Skratch or Osmo (my usuals). i did like the graphic on the can itself showing the osmolality depending on scoops - i thought that was a GREAT idea. for some reason i thought this was going to be a caloric supplement but at 80 cal/2 scoops i'm not sure it is supposed to be? at any rate, i have been eating a bar on each 60-90 km ride i do here but maybe it is because of the weather. at home i would NEVER eat a bar on a piddly 60km ride.

i can't wait to get home and try it in hot weather on my longer 90-150km rides.

so far i have really preferred the taste to both Skratch (apple, raspberry, whatever, they all have something that scratches my throat and Osmo tastes like ass) and Osmo - it is bland but with a taste so you know it isn't water but it isn't heavy. LOVE that about it.

really wanted to try the recovery stuff but we'll see what hubby says about it.

at this point i would prefer it over the Skratch and Osmo I normally use solely for taste. i would have to test it back in Mexico to see if it stands up to the heat like they do.

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http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

I use 1st endurance for training and racing. I used it for 1 ironman and several halfs and Olympic races. I like mixing to different levels. The taste doesn't get funky when warm either. The only other brand that I've used with success is infinit but that is expensive and foams to much. Iuse ultragen for recovery not sure how effective it is but I do feel good after drinking it and eating. But the foam roller and pool feels good also. I would recommend 1st endurance it's easy on the stomach.

I noticed on the AMA's from both IMTX and IMMT that both winners included Ultragen as part of (if not all of) their breakfast and EFS Pro as their primary nutrition on the bike.

I live in Dallas, so tried both of these during our hot & humid July/August while training for a HIM and racing a sprint. I was provided with the Lemon Water EFS-Pro and the new Chocolate Ultragen to test.


EFS-PRO
I usually only use caloric/electrolyte drinks on my long rides (2 hrs plus), and I'd been using custom Infinit in years past. The EFS-Pro had on the label three recommended concentrations for the number of scoops per 12 oz of water, so double it for a normal water bottle. (2 scoops = low cal, 3 = Optimal, 4 scoops high cal) I started with the 3 scoop dosage on my first ride. I found it a lot easier to mix than the foamy Infinit. However, I initially found it to taste a little soapy from all the electrolytes. I actually began to find the EFS-Pro taste to be refreshing after a couple of rides and it even tasted ok as the drinks temp warmed when the ride temps got into triple digits.

I've also been able to get off work early for a few shorter Friday afternoon rides in this month. With the late afternoon 105 degree temps, I decided to try the low cal dosage to replace some electrolytes. I did feel a lot less drained when riding in that heat than I have with just water. I also had a low cal dosage of it during the bike leg of my sprint to offset a little of the heat that morning.

I had no digestion issues when racing or training with it at either dosage. I found the flavor light and refreshing and quickly grew to like the heavy taste that I initially didn't like Once I finished the trial, I decided to order some EFS-Pro for myself in the Cucumber flavor. However, I balked at the price point. At $50+shipping per 25 serving canister and 2 servings a bottle, I'd be spending over $4 per bottle. For a saturday ride, that's $12+ per ride, which I found a little steep. The Infinit is about that per bottle. I really wanted to stick with the EFS-Pro, so I'll be watching for a sale or a price drop.



Ultragen
Maybe it is because the Ultragen has been out longer than the EFS-Pro, but I see the ultragen selling for cheaper. I'd actually just ordered the Cappuccino flavor right before receiving the Chocolate trial. I've been doing a swim + short run before work a few times per week, and so I'd been looking for a good recovery snack to tide me over on the train ride into work before I could eat a real breakfast.


Personally, I really liked both flavors. In all honesty, I could just drink it as a treat even if I wasn't starving after a workout. My wife tried both, as well. She liked the chocolate and didn't think the Cappuccino was as good. Its simple to use because you just mix with water instead of milk like some other products. It also won't melt in a gym bag like a bar would. It also mixes really well. Most protein powders and recovery products tend to leave a little bit of unmixed grit. I just added water to the Ultragen and shaked the bottle a couple times to have it completely mix. I found the product filling and kept me from being starving when I was able to sit down to a real meal at the office. Ultragen is on my reorder list. I'm curious about some of the other flavors, but I I'm really happy with both the Chocolate & Cappuccino. Maybe I'll just mix a scoop of each for a mocha.

For the past ~6 weeks I have been testing out the First Endurance products EFS Pro (lemon-water) and the Ultragen Recovery mix. I am training for Ironman Louisville in October and have been at 12-15 hrs/week for the past few months. In the past, I have used Infinit nutrition and a variety of gels (Gu or Shot) as my primary nutrition for long bike rides. My stomach tends to be more sensitive while running, and I typically only consume gels and H2O on runs longer than 90 min or in races. Below are the reviews of the products sent to me by First Endurance.

-EFS Pro (lemon-water):

EFS Pro is a drink mix, high in electrolytes and a source of carbohydrates in the form of the branched chain polysaccharides amylopectin. Basically, a source of easily digestible glucose for rapid absorption and quick delivery to the muscles.

I don’t typically use any sort of drink mix for workouts shorter than 90 min, however since I received the EFS Pro, I started using 2 scoops in my water bottle for some of my shorter 60 min trainer workouts that included supra-threshold intervals, as well as my weekly 10 mile runs when the heat and humidity was up. I have to say, placebo or not, I did feel significantly stronger at the end of these workouts than when I trained with water alone. At this concentration, the mild lemon taste was pleasant, and was still tolerable as the mix warmed up. On long runs (14-17 miles) 3 scoops of EFS Pro was awesome! Right concentration of electrolytes, kept me hydrated, and eliminated GI issues I have had in the past with Infinit and occasionally with gels/water.

For my long rides (3-5 hrs) I like to carry one bottle of concentrated nutrition (400-500 cal) and one bottle of water on me (stop to restock if necessary). With EFS Pro, I was unable to tolerate more than 240 cal (6 scoops in 20 oz water) as the high electrolyte content made the drink WAY to salty for my taste. Therefore, I was forced to supplement with gels and solids for added calories. A couple times I added about 200 Cal pure, maple syrup to the 240 Cal EFS Pro bottle to up the calories, and this actually worked pretty well and tasted OK.

Summary: EFS Pro has eliminated my stomach issues while running and will likely become my go to run nutrition. Especially for long runs, or runs in extreme heat/humidity. I will also continue to use the product for the more intense interval sessions on the bike, as I believe it helps keep me going late in the workout. However, I don’t think EFS Pro is right for me on long bike rides due to my inability to tolerate the taste in very high concentrations.

EFS Ultragen (chocolate):

What to say about Ultragen? From a nutrion point of view, it delivers the scientifically ideal ratio of 3:1 carbohydrate/protein for ideal recovery after intense exercise. I have been using Ultragen after shorter interval workouts and after long sessions (>2 hrs). The taste of this stuff is SWEET. It’s like drinking a glass of sugar water with some chocolate flavoring because, well, that’s basically what it is. I actually really enjoyed the flavor and felt almost guilty drinking it because it tasted so good, it seemed there was no way it could be good for you. I actually used Ultragen to keep me from bailing on hard workouts when I wanted to quit. I would tell myself, “If you bail early on this workout, you don’t get to have your post workout recovery drink.” So it doubled as a great motivational tool. At the end of the day, there are probably other ways to get the same macronutrients for much cheaper, as this stuff is kinda pricy, so I’m not sure I would buy it myself.

Mike from First Endurance has very kindly offered a nice discount for Slowtwitchers:
Shop here: http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/
The Deal: 25% off on Ultragen jugs and EFS-PRO jugs.
OR: For other First Endurance products, 25% off orders over $100.
Code: Enter ST25 when prompted
For: USA and Canada
Expires: Midnight 8/31/15

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Karen ST Concierge

Note: I'm not an "official" FE tester but I've been using EFS Pro for about a month now and thought I'd give my .02

Simple answer is the stuff is great when used properly (i.e. mixing to the correct amount).

With that said, I won't be using it during the bike for long bricks or IM races. I personally couldn't do 1 bottle (150ish calories) and then supplement with solid food or a gel to get the right amount of calories. It's just too much on my stomach. I've found Infinite is much better and simpler when doing those types of workouts. Plus, I actually feel as if I have more energy and motivation when using my personal Inifinite mix on the bike.

Now, where I do think this product trumps all is on the run. I simply have never used anything better. The closest competitor would be EFS liquid shot which is what I had been planning to use again for my A Ironman race... well, not anymore. I might be that guy with a belt lugging around 20oz. Mixing each bottle (10oz) with 120 calories drinking extra water and Coke on course and re-up at Special Needs. Guarantees I won't under hydrate and ticks all my nutrition/energy boxes.

**I still might use liquid shot on the run but it's 50/50 right now.

Agreed, I think I will carry a bottle of EFS Pro for my Ironman run, and possibly a bag of powder to mix more on the course. However, I will probably leave it off the bike all together.

I've used regular EFS mixed with CarboPro for long rides here in Texas since last summer. It has literally revolutionized my long training sessions. I'm curious from any of the reviewers of EFS Pro if they have used EFS as well and what is the comparison. I'm just a little confused as a consumer and not sure what the difference is and why I should consider EFS Pro.

Thanks!

Thanks for the offer! But it looks like the code is not working as advertised. It is giving me a 25% discount on EFS-Pro and Ultragen, but I also put in the order $119 worth of EFS Liquid Shot and no discount is calculating for that. Please advise, thanks!

Thanks for the reviews!

Could you provide a discount for me in London? I see that it's offered via the UK site - http://firstendurance.co.uk/index.php

Also, what do you guys think about using EFS-Pro for a standalone marathon? I've traditionally used power Gels plus Nuun, but not sure that combo has worked that well at a pretty tough effort. My pace/effort is definitely harder than Ironman. I could try Ultragen for recovery.

I'm focused on Amsterdam marathon on Oct 18th and trying to go sub 3 hours (previous best 3:04). I'm not a big fan of carrying nutrition or water bottles, but might try something different this time if it makes a difference in my performance.

Thanks!

Joe

When I use drink mixes, they have been EFS Pro and Ultragen so am familiar with these products. However, I use these types of products sparingly, preferring instead water and 'real food'.

For the purposes of providing a review, I used the Ultragen daily for recovery after my hardest/longest workout. I chose the chocolate flavor and the taste is great so had no trouble drinking it. I used a little less than was recommended since I am a small woman. It's difficult to say whether I recovered better using the drink as opposed to real food but it's good to know that I'm taking in what I'm supposed to after a hard effort. I'll continue to use this product. I have to give my coach lots of credit for giving me great workouts that allow me to recover for the next day.

The EFS Pro drink tastes good but I don't use this type of product often. For long bike rides I use water and solid foods. For my next IM, I'll start off with a bottle of the EFS Pro but will only take a few sips of it I'm sure. I'm just a big water drinker on the bike. My runs, even for IM prep, aren't that long so I don't use any drink.

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I almost ordered it until I saw your post.. Isn't 150 calories per 12 oz, so you would have 300 calories for the full bottle?

Another reason why I almost ordered but stopped myself... after the 25% discount, the $14.00 shipping brings the price to $50... not much of a discount lol...

I ordered it earlier this week for an upcoming IM wanting to try a new product to help my GI issues. I just saw this post. I would appreciate some more input how EFS Pro can be your primary fuel source on the bike. Can it be mixed to a very high concentration 500-700 cal/bottle and then used with water? I like to keep my nutrition simple 2 bottles plus a few extra cals
The stuff is expensive with shipping, probably will use it only for racing.

does the free shipping on orders above $100 apply for Canada?

Yep... it's stupid expensive. I also tried ordering through my LBS to avoid paying shipping. FE won't sell EFS Pro to anyone other than direct to consumer right now.

I've tried using it 3 ways: the first way, mixed to the correct amount and supplemented with added calories in the form of bars/gels/liquid shot.

Second: Mixed to 250 calories per bottle and took a sip from a liquid shot once in a while (maybe once an hour)

Third: Mixed to 1500(ish) calories and sipped from and only drank water

None of these worked for me on the bike. My "second" way, I got horrible vurps and didn't process the calories correctly. The "third" way just didn't give me enough energy compared to Infinite.

It is basically 40 calories per scoop. They recommend 3 scoops per 12 ounces, or 4 scoops for "High Calorie" which is 160 calories per 12 oz serving. A normal camelbak podium bottle would get you 320 calories at that dosage. Rappstar said he had his Elite bottle with 10 scoops in it, but I'm not sure how many ounces that bottle holds. The EFS pro mixes pretty well, so you could probably mix in the 13 scoops to get a 520 calorie camelbak bottle, but I suspect that it'd be unappetizingly salty.

My aero bottle is 500mL. so it's very strong. but it is NOT "too salty." The Lemon-Water mixes strong better than the Cucumber (taste-wise).

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

that'd be a hair over 14 scoops for a normal 24 oz bottle. That'd definitely work for Redog's scenario. I also missed that he'd have a separate bottle for just water. Doing that would be a lot different than trying to just drink the strong mix like I was thinking.

There is free ground shipping on orders totaling over $100 (this would be after the ST25 discount applied.)
KS

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Karen ST Concierge

True! But then I have to get 2 jugs of EFS nutrition which is a lot hehe.. I already have two big things of Infinit Nutrition, a big thing of Skratch and some Success Amino hehe.. not sure when I will use all this up, hopefully before they expire :P

You sound like me:
3 bags of Infinite (2 bike / 1 run)
5 bags of Skratch
2 jugs of EFS Pro
2 30oz Bottles of liquid shot
and a handful of Nuun bottles