I Tried It! Frog Fuel Review

As you know, a few weeks ago I was contacted by Frog Fuel and asked if I'd like to sample and give away some of their new product - an easy to digest protein shot.  CheapRunnerMichelle was the lucky winner of the giveaway, and I finally received and tried my samples a few days ago!  Here's what I thought about them...

 

 

I was sent three 1 oz packets to try and I've used two so far, on two separate occasions. 

 

On Sunday, I decided to try the Frog Fuel shot post-workout.  I did an hour-long body weight/moderate HIIT circuit workout and took the first shot immediately following that workout.  I ripped off the top tab and sucked it down.  What I noticed right away was that the consistency was a bit more liquid and less gooey/thick than gels are, which was a nice unexpected surprise.  The taste wasn't bad either.  It is berry flavored and somewhat reminded me of cough medicine, so take that how you will depending on whether you love or hate cough syrup!  The flavor wasn't intense and I liked that there was no lingering aftertaste.  Once I finished the packet, I didn't notice the flavor sticking around on my tongue. 

 

This isn't a meal replacement (only 60 calories per shot) so of course I still needed to eat after my workout, but I really liked that this little shot delivers 15 grams of protein! That's incredible. I also liked that I could get this into my system immediately following my workout.  I'm always hearing about that 30-60 min optimal refueling window post-workout and I have to admit, I rarely meet that.  If I'm at the gym, I come home, shower, and then eat, which is usually longer than 1 hour post workout.  If I'm running, same thing.  I'm not hungry immediately after a run, so I shower and then eat, usually again, just missing the window.  So I like that I can get some protein to my muscles immediately with these shots, and then refuel with real food on my regular schedule.

 

On Monday, I decided to try a Frog Fuel shot pre-workout.  I was going swimming, so I took the shot about 10 mins before I began.  I did an hour of laps in the pool.  A portion of the laps were at a constant pace, but I also did some sprints for the last 15 mins of the workout.  I had only planned to swim for an hour, but I definitely could have kept going.  I felt like I had extra energy because my muscles were not sore from the circuit workout I did the day before.  I still had to refuel post-workout with food of course.  For some reason, swimming makes me about 1000x hungrier than running does.  If anyone can explain that phenomena, I'm all ears! 

 

When I woke up Tuesday, I had no soreness from the previous two days' workouts.  I think this just reiterates the fact that I need to be consistent with getting enough protein in my diet to refuel my muscles.  The Frog Fuel shot also contains an amino acid called Taurine, which is said to decrease muscle soreness after physical activity. This is a supplement I don't have experience with so I can't say if it's the protein or this addition that helped but either way, I really liked these shots.  If I wasn't on such a strict budget at the moment, I would definitely buy a pack, simply because I like the convenience and ability to easily add 15 grams of protein into my diet every day. 

 

In my opinion, I think these shots are best used as a recovery tool for muscles after working out and for adding protein to your diet.  However, I'm not sure they'd be an ideal source of fuel during racing or endurance events because they contain no sugar or carbohydrates. 

 

 

Your turn!

 

Have you tried any new fitness or endurance foods or fuel lately?

 

How much protein do you shoot for each day?  I try to get at least half my body weight (in grams).

 

 

 

*Disclosure:  Frog Fuel provided me with samples for this post, but I was not compensated in any way.  Reviews of the product are entirely my own.