You need sneakers to train, but you also need performance enhancing nutrients and fluids to perform. Our friends over at Gatorade have recently launched their new 2012 product innovations and sent our top shoe reviewer Bryan Hinkle this package to try out…

The Next Step.

For over 40 years, Gatorade has been the standard that sports recovery drinks are measured by. Many have tried, but none have knocked off the King. Now, Gatorade has entered a new arena. Do they have the muscle to make it work? We find out…

Start at the top — one of the new products Gatorade has developed is the new 01 Prime Stage Energy Chews. 100 calories each and full of vitamins, B12 and potassium for energy and stamina, the energy chews start the training cycle. Meant to be taken 30 minutes before exercise, the chews are actually pretty tasty and not at all vitamin-flavored, making them easier to take. I found them to be not quite Gummi-bear, but they are not sticky either, and taste like a G2 series drink. Six at once was a little hard to take, but they didn’t really weigh me down. There was no noticeable burst, like a 5 Hour Energy or Monster, but I seemed to notice my first wind taking a little longer to run out than normal. I would definitely give these another run for the simple fact that I don’t like to eat within a couple hours before I play ball, but I took these 30 minutes before my first game and I was good. I never got hungry or felt weak from a lack of energy.

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$1.49 – $1.99 for a single package of 6-chews

ABOUT THE G SERIES™FLAVORS
Orange, Fruit Punch, Cool Blue

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (6-chews per serving)

Carbohydrates: 25 grams of carbohydrates (100 calories) to help athletes fuel before training or competition.

Electrolytes: 85-90 mg sodium (varies by flavor) and 30 mg potassium to help promote electrolyte balance and help athletes retain fluid.

Vitamins: Good source of the B vitamins (20% Daily Value) – Niacin (B3), Pantothenic

Acid (B5) and Pyridoxine (B6) – that aid in energy metabolism as part of a daily diet.

AVAILABILITY
Buy it now nationwide in grocery, convenience, mass, club and drug stores

Next up in the sequence — the tried and true. Most of you know the Gatorade story, but if you don’t here goes. It was developed by the University of Florida as an alternative to water for the football team, hence the GATOR of the name. Of course, an affiliation with a certain Chicago Bull also boosted worldwide sales, and being the only kind of its ilk on the market for the good part of twenty years helped as well — but being first has its perks. When consumers see the G on a bottle, it is assumed to work. And, for the most part, it does. I have never had any complaints about the ability to replace electrolytes and vitamins water can’t provide. The one thing I always wanted to change was to get a milder, less sweet flavor, which I think the G2 series does perfectly. The main change is the bottle — a new 28 ounce size instead of the old 32. Otherwise, drink up while playing and you feel great when you are done. Or, in their own words:

G Series Thirst Quencher is the most thoroughly researched sports beverage in the world. This year, Gatorade introduces a new, lighter and sleeker-designed 28 oz. bottle that improves functionality and better meets the fueling needs of athletes. Gatorade’s proven, scientific formula has not changed for more than 40 years and continues to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes, and provide carbohydrate energy to help athletes get the most out of their performance.

On to Step 3 — the recovery protein shake. Honestly, after the last shot they took, I was really dreading drinking this. For those of you who never tried them, the first round tasted, to me, like someone took an orange G series and put Hershey syrup in it to make it “chocolate”. Bad juju. But I have some good news, friends — this is GOOOOODDDD. Tastes just like chocolate milk, which makes sense, because it uses milk proteins. Most bodybuilding protein uses whey, but I always preferred milk because it settles on my stomach better and is easier to digest right after a workout. It comes in a smaller, 11.16 ounce carton and went down easy about an hour after my workout (3 hour run at the courts). I have never been able to eat anything right after a weight session or playing ball, so after drinking this and not feeling sick or heavy I was convinced. I only tried the chocolate, but if the vanilla and strawberry are close in flavor I have found a new alternative to the powder scoop and milk concoction. Thank you, G3.

FLAVORS
Chocolate and Vanilla

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (11-oz. serving)

Protein: 20 grams of protein to promote muscle rebuilding after training or competition.

Carbohydrates: 45 grams of carbohydrates to aid in muscle uptake of the amino acids supplied by the protein.

Electrolytes: 320 mg sodium and 540 mg – 640 mg potassium (varies by flavor) to help athletes more fully replace electrolytes lost during training or competition and promote electrolyte balance.

Calories: 270

AVAILABILITY
Buy it now nationwide in grocery, convenience, mass, club and drug stores

SUGGESTED RETAIL
$2.49 – $2.99 for a single 11-oz shake

-Review by Bryan Hinkle

Gatorade G Series is available now nationwide in grocery, convenience, mass, club and drug stores. Check out Gatorade.com for more info on the brand’s newest performance innovations.