Vega Pre-Workout Shake Review

So when I was at Whole Foods yesterday I was browsing the sports nutrition and I found a sample packet of the Vegn Pre-Workout Energizer. It was about $1.50 for a sample packet. It comes in two flavors - Acai Berry and Lemon Lime. What really interested me about Vega was that -

1. It is Gluten Free. That's a must for me, being Celiac.

2. The ingredients were things I was okay with putting in my body. See the bottom of the post for the list from their website.. Nothing crazy here. 

So yes, it was a purchase that I made on a whim. I had been interested in trying a pre-workout supplement. I usually use ZipFizz for pre-races, but I've never used a pre-workout supplement. I did some more research on Vegn when I got home and fell even more in love with the "whys" of Vegn. It makes sense that we are missing essential nutrients in our diets. I love it when I can fully trust what I am putting into my body. The problem I've had with ZipFizz is that it wears off quickly - Vega claims that their products use brown rice syrup with a high glycemic index to enter the bloodstream quickly, but balances it out with organic palm nectar to keep you from that dreaded crash.  

The Trial - Take 1

So I woke up early this morning and prepared the mix. I added it to my protein shaker to 8oz of water and stirred it. There were some lumps in it, so I made sure to stir those out. The flavor I tried was the Acai Berry and I was shocked but happy to see the color - 

IT'S BROWN FOLKS.  While I have admit I was expecting pink or something, it was good to know that they didn't add anything crazy to get a "nice color". Now I also have to remind you that I have a sensitve stomach. I smelled it - YUM - and then tasted it. A little strong for my taste, I might use less next time.

But how did it work?!?

Well my last few runs have been super sluggish, super slow. I'm not a morning person, so when I get up in the AM to run, it's rough. True story.

Here are my status from this morning:

(teaser - see the full post at http://www.dailymile.com/people/Feet2Pavement)

SUPER FAST. Like speed woman fast.

Was it the Vega? 

Was it the fact I was running "naked" without a Garmin?

Was it the fact I was outside and not on a treadmill?

I'm not sure yet. That's why this is take 1. I want to do a few more experiments with it before I buy the large canister.

In a nutshell - this a product I really want to try again. It was easy to use, and I really felt strong during my run. To a non-morning person, that's a win. I liked the Acai Berry, but I might try a packet of the Lemon Lime flavor next time. Totally keeping you all updated. :) 

Where to buy: Like I mentioned earlier, I found this at Whole Foods. The price was about $1.50 for the one packet serving (I honestly can't remember the exact price! So sorry). They had a canister that was 30 servings, again, I'm not 100% sure on the price, but I think it was a little under $30. Amazon has a canister for 39.99. Looks like there are 30 servings per container - but I would try half a scoop to lessen the strong flavor. It's not a bad flavor, but I'm not used to drinking anything other than strong coffee early in the morning. That comes out to $0.66 per serving (bought from Amazon - I think Whole Foods was cheaper) - not too bad. Looks like Vitamin Shoppe also carries it. I would get a single packet or even the 12 packet package to get an idea if you like it before you order the larger amount.

So there you have it! :)

Cheers!

Liz