The range of sports nutrition products on the market has rapidly increased over the last 10 years, and if you are a newcomer to the market, the choice can seem bewildering. There are bars, gels, drinks and formulas, products to be taken before, during or after exercise, products for muscle-building, endurance, recovery and more – so which is the right option for you?
The key to discover the right products is to have a clear view of what your fitness goals are and then take the time to identify the type of products that can help you to achieve these goals. In the long-term, this will be time well spent. For example, if you are aiming to build muscle through weights sessions, there are a number of products that are designed for this specific purpose. One such product that I have been testing over the past few weeks is the X-Plode Extreme from Sci-MX. This is a pre-workout formula that aims to boost both your strength and motivation during these sessions. The drink should be taken about 30 minutes before your session, and contains 10 active ingredients to boost your cells during training including amino acids, caffeine, taurine and guarana. The primary difference between the X-Plode and other pre-workout products that use caffeine is that there is no ‘low’ once the caffeine wears off. The energy is released slowly, giving you maximum power throughout the session. The Pre-Focus™ Energy Stack helps you to stay focused, increasing your aggression and motivation for the session.
As always with nutrition products, to maximise the benefits the X-Plode will bring, the rest of your diet is crucial. The energy released during your training comes from your meals. X-Plode will add something extra, but will mainly help to release the power already stored in your body. Therefore it is important to remember that this is not a meal-substitute, and ensure that whatever your pre-workout meal is, it contains the right balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates and fats.
The X-Plode is perfect for morning and afternoon sessions, helping you to wake up in the morning and put you back on track in the afternoon, perhaps after a hard day at work. You can start to feel the effects around 20-30 minutes after drinking – you can feel your muscles ‘demanding’ to lift something heavy. After the session the anti muscle-fatigue formula will help you to avoid muscle cramps and help your muscles to recover faster.
After using this product for over 3 weeks I didn’t notice any side effects or stomach aches. The taste was also really good (not always the case with this type of product), though if it’s kept for too long in your shaker it will leave the colour on the sides. However, it is a product I will continue to use, and it has helped me to make progress towards my personal fitness goals.
To discover more of the protein, weight loss and muscular construction range available at Decathlon, please visit our website.
Decathlon UK 