Product Review

 I have been trying a liquid supplement called Athlete Octane. According to the website www.atheleteoctane.com  it is an amazing product. They can do what others can't and provide a product that really works.

 Like many other products, they spend a lot of time stating that their products promote all the good stuff and reduce all the bad stuff. Also like most other products, you have to use them forever to continue enjoying the benefits.

When I read the contents of the website and discarded the hype and unproven claims, I must admit that their approach made a lot of sense Endurance runners do deplete their nutrient levels just by the nature of their sport and the time spent running, so replacing the lost nutrients surely has to help with stamina and recovery.

One point that really stuck out and probably the one that convinced me to purchase is the importance of CoQ10, the key to producing ATP (muscle energy) The website states that after age 20 our bodies gradually reduce production and after age 50 it plummets......well I am over 50 so I figure it is worth checking out.

I researched CoQ10 and found their claims to be supported by fact.  Some of the other stuff....reducing free radicals, reduces soreness, promotes recovery, supports the immune system, full of antioxidants (antioxidants....doesn't everyone claim that? Hell that's my excuse for enjoying Dark Chocolate), helps you train harder.......who knows and how could one prove it?

Anyway, I figured if it helps with the ATP (with out drugs) and has no sugar or caffeine, then perhaps it is worth a try and if the other stuff is actually true, well that is a bonus. Lucky me, there is a two for one sale and I get double my order.

First thing I notice, is there is surely no sugar in this product because it is really tart .....they say it is an acquired taste over time and after one and a half months, I strongly disagree, it doesn't taste any better but it is bearable.

So, I used this stuff for one and a half months and I can honestly say, I am running stronger, I am recovering faster, my heart rate related to degree of difficulty is better, I feel stronger, I am running faster and the hills are easier.

Out of context this would seem to be a pretty compelling review, but.....there is the old saying, which came first the chicken or the egg? The point to remember here is that nothing replaces good training.
All the supplements in the world will do nothing if one doesn't train for results.

So.....here is the rest of the story,
1.   I started this spring well rested because of time restrictions last winter, Surely that alone could have an affect on how strong I am running right now.
2.   I am 15 pounds lighter than I have been in four years, that also has a large affect on stamina, speed and recovery.
3.  I drink a whey protein drink after hard workouts, this helps with muscle recovery
4.  I have incorporated weight training and core strengthening this year.
5.  I changed my training and mix things up with more speed and hill work.
6.  I am allowing a recovery day after each hard workout.
7.  I lost the weight by adjusting my diet .... eating healthier promotes better performance.

As an overview, if I had to pick out one thing that would create the largest result, it would have to be the weight loss. Even with all the other things in place, if I strapped 15 extra pounds on my back before a hard run, I am sure I would struggle a lot more in all of the categories.

In closing, I guess I could say that the supplement is surely not hurting my performance and at a reasonable cost, it would makes sense to continue. If I was competing professionally perhaps I would embrace even the tiniest edge a supplement might give me at any cost. This product equates to about $70.00 a month after the "special" introductory offer.

For this mid pack runner, $70.00  a month is too much to spend for something that I can only say, is surely not hurting my performance.