Vega Sport is the line of products from former pro Ironman triathlete-turned healthy-lifestyle-guru. (Seriously, he’s got the whole Vega line, the Vega Sport line, books, online nutrition program and probably even more things than I know about!)
One of the newest addition to the Sport line is the Sugar-Free Energizer, a powdered drink mix that you add to 8 oz. of water and consume 20 minutes before shorter workouts. I was sent a box to sample and share my thoughts with all of you.
The flavor is decent, I’ve tried another brand’s “energizer” product that had some similar ingredients and it was very hard to choke down. I wouldn’t go so far as saying this is amazingly tasty, but it’s definitely drinkable.
The Sugar-Free Energizer contains a little sodium and potassium for a little bit of electrolyte enhancement. It also contains coconut seed oil, yerba mate, green tea, rhodiola, ginseng, turmeric, ginger… various supplements that are intended to help boost your mental alertness, improve focus, increase your energy and endurance.
I don’t know if it improved my focus. It did increase my alertness and it decreased my endurance because each time I tried drinking it 20 minutes before a run, it made me well…. feel a little urgency mid-run. Uncomfortably so… so I was very alert to the problem, but unable to run very well as I dealt with crampy feelings in my gut. I don’t know 100% that it was this product, but after 4 tries and 4 similar outcomes… I was a little scared!
A box of 30 packets or a tub costs $49.99 or you can buy a single packet for $1.69. Although, you’d probably want to be buying more stuff than just the one single packet… unless you want to end up paying over $10 for the single packet after shipping/handling costs are factored in! (If you spend $100 on product in their store you get free shipping.)
I don’t see that I will buy this, just because I’m honestly a little nervous about it after having a few bad experiences on the run after drinking it. Plus it is expensive, like everything in the Vega lineup. There is a part of me that wants to live off their stuff and be all super-vegan/super-healthy like they promote… but there’s a part of me that wants to eat some M&M’s too. 🙂
Jill Will Run 
I do like the Vega line-up, but I do agree it is EXPENSIVE. I like to get the smoothie mix, and take it traveling, because then I feel like I can have green smoothies no matter where I am. (We also got my husband a tub when he was doing an extended work trip and didn’t have a blender handy.) We have tried the sports drinks, but overall, I think his recipe book is better. He gives you a make-your-own recipe that I used constantly over the warm months.
I’ll have to try that recipe!
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