Disclaimer: I received the SiS REGO Rapid Recovery Supplement to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!
I will be honest, I am not the most consistent when it comes to proper recovery. I believe all amateur athletes struggle with this problem. It usually comes down to an issue of time and money. There is a finite supply of both for the amateur. We have regular jobs, family obligations, household responsibilities, children, and chores like cooking and cleaning. In between all of these external obligations on your time, you still have to find time for self care, self-improvement, exercise, and sleep. How can you fit recovery into that schedule? Further, the recovery modalities available to us are really expensive! I run, so I am going to focus on that sport here but everything I talk about can be applied to cycling, cross fit, power lifting or any sport of choice.
Proper recovery is what separates the professional athletes and amateur athletes. Professional athletes are provided a range of recovery modalities through their sport/job such as state of the art facilities and a full staff of medical professionals. Additionally they have the personal funds to invest in recovery through personal chefs and all of the tools marketed for recovery such as cryotherapy, compression boots, and more. I recently read an article that an NFL QB stated he invested a least $1 million a year in his recovery efforts to extend his playing life. This proves two points: first, recovery is as important as training and second, proper recovery is expensive. Finally, if a professional athlete is injured, they have the ability to properly rest and heal. Amateurs do not have this option. A running injury for me does not mean I get to skip work still or pass on my household obligations. Life goes on for use despite the injury.
There is another issue that I have observed over my years of running, not only in myself, but in other amateurs. We over train. Because our time and funds are finite as it relates to our personal hobby, we tend to spend all of our discretionary funds on tools to use during the sport (i.e. as a runner this would be shoes, hydration packs, races etc.) and we spend all of our discretionary time training or competing. So we over train. We do things like run streaks, we train too fast/hard on a daily basis because the faster times and harder training trend better on social media. We want everyone to know we can PR a distance or hit a fast pace. Because we feel like we have to train hard with the limited time available to us, without proper recovery, we are trading long term viability in our sport for short term gratification of our definition of success or “killing it” moments. As a side note, those of us in relationships or with families also deal with the guilt of spending money on ourselves and taking time away from our families. This is a further limitation on spending time and money on proper recovery.
Lets make something very clear while we are here. Proper recovery is not 10 minutes of yoga three times a week. Proper recovery is not stretching cold muscles for a few minutes when you feel tight. Proper recovery is not foam rolling a few times a month. Proper recovery is not occasionally sitting in a jacuzzi, sauna or taking a cold shower. Proper recovery is also not having your significant other message your back. Proper recovery is also not taking one “rest” day a week. All of these things can be part of a proper recovery plan, but as a stand alone activity it is not real recovery to extend the life of your body to compete.
As I have gotten older and come to love the activity of running and competing, I know that I want to do this for a very long time. I want 30 more years of competing and pushing my personal limits. I want to be that old timer cranking out miles in the neighborhood and the younger runners thinking “what a badass” as we pass each other.
An important part of your recovery plan should be replenishing yourself after a workout. When you train you are depleting all of those things your body stores throughout the day to help fuel your training efforts. This is why I was excited to try the SiS REGO Rapid Recovery supplement. For my review I received a tub of Chocolate and several “on the go” packets of Strawberry flavored powder as well as a shaker bottle. REGO Rapid Recovery is a complete recovery product and designed to be used within thirty minutes after your exercise. It contains 23g of carbs, 20g of protein and electrolytes with vitamins and minerals. The list of vitamins and other natural homeopathic ingredients in this recovery supplement is extensive.
Your body is fueled by carbohydrates, and when you train or compete your body absorbs these carbs. When you “bonk” it means you have usually outstripped your supply of energy. Since the majority of us amateur athletes do not have dietitians and professional chefs on our payroll we need to get help where we can to fuel our bodies. It is important to get the cleanest possible fuel as well. the SiS REGO Rapid Recovery supplement is designed to rapidly replenish your glycogen stores and the protein to help fuel training and prepare you for your next session. REGO contains soy protein, which has a complete amino acid profile with an added 2g of leucine to support muscle protein synthesis to rebuild your muscle tissue. One of the main attributes that I really liked about this product is how clean it is. It is vegetarian friendly, free of gluten, nuts and lactose. This was a very important factor for me when reviewing this product. I am not fan of any product that is overly processed or full of synthetic components. REGO is clean and effective.
I started using this product after every run and after one virtual 15K race so far. I could tell the difference in my recovery. I felt replenished or, in laymen terms, refreshed after my efforts. I put in some pretty tough runs too. A few longer runs with lots of hill work and a few at race pace. Before trying REGO, my body would crave recovery of lost resources that manifested by me eating anything and everything from fruits to peanut butter to chips. This is not a very practical way to recover after training. Once I substituted that with REGO Rapid Recovery I had zero cravings. My body was put into balance. That is exactly the quality I look for in a supplement…clean fuel leading to a balanced body.
Yes the science is there! I mean Science is in the name of the company right! But what is important to us amateur athletes? We are usually concerned with three very important factors: TASTE, TASTE, and CONVENIENCE. How does REGO Rapid Recovery stack up against these concerns you ask? Well let me tell you, SiS knocks it out of the park on all three. First, it is designed to be mixed with water. In fact SiS states on its packaging that mixing with anything else may impact the effectiveness of the product’s delivery in your system. So you start with 500ml of water in their shaker bottle. As a side note, I love the shaker bottle. I’ve used the kinds with the metal ball inside and they work ok. the SiS shaker bottle has a plastic grid that fits in the top of the bottle that really ensures the product is fully blended. Yes I know its weird to get excited about a shaker bottle, but I’ve had one too many clumpy protein shakes! Back on track…after you get your water you add 50g of the recovery supplement. If you have the on the go packets, its one service size, if you have the tub you add a few scoops. Then you shake and consume. That easy. That convenient. No blenders and making sure you have milk or other flavored liquid to help make the supplement drinkable. Which brings me to the last two concerns TASTE and TASTE. We amateurs will compromise on many things, but never taste when it comes to our supplements. It must be gourmet! Well, I am happy to report that both flavors I reviewed, chocolate and strawberry, tasted damn good. It did not have any of the chalky, bitter or gritty taste we have come to expect from powder based supplements. It was not overly sweet either which is a common problem as companies attempt to make their product drinkable. The chocolate and strawberry flavors were tastefully muted and not overbearing.
This is a product I can drink everyday post workout….AND I PLAN TOO! After the success I have experienced with the REGO Rapid Recovery supplement, I plan to add the entire SiS line of products to my training plan. I encourage you to visit their website (https://www.scienceinsport.com/us/) to view their products. One touch I like is SiS has tabs for different sports. I was able to easily navigate to the “run” section and SiS had all of their products that will meet a runner’s needs in one place. The website is a wealth of information worth your time. Give SiS a try in your training and recovery. Once you do, come back and let me know your thoughts as well. Be sure to follow SiS on social media, and while you are at it follow BibRave and myself of more fun and useful product and race reviews.
Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my thoughts on the SiS REGO Rapid Recovery Supplement. Cheers!
Coast to Mountain Runner 