My “accidental” post race recovery experiment

Before I get to the experiment, here’s just a little background on post race recovery:

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), elevated levels of cortisol, and a multitude of other things after an ultra are common and ultimately delay recovery.  DOMS comes from a lot of concentric muscle contraction that is created from downhill running.  Sure it’s a normal process of the body to provide negative feedback (pain, swelling, fatigue) so the body can heal and prevent further injury.  But the trick is to help minimize DOMS and restore normal levels of cortisol as quick as possible.  I have long had a problem of the “quick” recovery, sometimes not being able to run for a full week after an ultra, whereas others can turn out ultras every week.  Enter Ultragen.

I have tried many, many other recovery drinks that have either not worked or have just tasted so awful that I would rather suffer through DOMS.  Finally First Endurance came out with Ultragen about 3 years ago and having worked with Robert Kunz at a previous nutrition company I knew he would dial in the best product on the market -bar none!  First it had to taste good – check.  It tastes so good you’ll want a glass every night for dessert.  Next it actually had to work by speeding recovery – check.

This is where the experiment comes in:

In May 2007 I ran Jemez 50 mile trail run in New Mexico and immediately following the race I boarded a plane to a meeting in Utah.  “This stuff had better work or I won’t be able to get off the plane” I thought to myself.  And more importantly I wouldn’t be able to participate in the planned 14 mile training run with Aric on the Squaw Peak course the next day.  I finished the race completely trashed and without missing a beat, I mixed two scoops of Orange Cream Ultragen in my water bottle, drank it within 20 minutes, and was off to the airport.  I guess you probably realize I wouldn’t be telling this story if it “didn’t” work so yes I went on that training run all the way up to Windy pass without injury.  Of course my legs were stiff and tired but the difference between taking and not taking Ultragen was night and day after a race.

Fast forward to March this year after WTC.  Because I was on such a tight schedule to catch my plane after the race I had completely forgotten to take my Ultragen, instead I was more concerned of making my annual pilgramidge to In-n-Out Burger.  I didn’t realize it until Monday morning when I had unpacked my bags and saw my bottle with the powder in it.  AH-HA!  That’s why I’m so sore today!  I was sore all week and barely made 20 myles.  My next race was Miwok and with tons more downhill (and longer) I was bound to be a little sore but I would NOT forget my Ultragen.  In fact, as I was finishing the first thing I thought of was Ultragen.  I went straight to the car, mixed my Cappuccino Ultragen, and pounded it within 15 minutes of finishing.  Guess what??  Minimal soreness – quick recovery.  The week following Miwok I put in 40 myles and this week I’ve put in 72 myles!  Basically I was able to double my myles post race week and get back to normal running within two weeks when taking Ultragen.

I won’t get into all the science on why Ultragen works so well but one reason is it’s unique blend of BCAA’s, glutamine, vitamins, and minerals to help restore cortisol levels quickly.  Remember cortisol puts your body in a catabolic state that continues to work well after the race is over.   The First Endurance website is a wealth of information so check it out to learn more.  Or please comment and I’ll be happy to share information that I have in my tiny brain.  And last, if you know me and see me at a race I would be happy to share my Ultragen if you have never tried it.

Scott Jaime