ENERGYbits on a ride

The folks at ENERGYbits recently sent me a sample to review.  Drum roll for my 1st product review!  ENERGYbits are made from 100% organic spirulina algae with only 1 calorie per tab.  It is high in protein (64%), increasing energy & endurance while curbing hunger.  Although they appear to be pills, they are actually “bits of food”.

A long Labour Day weekend screams “CYCLING”.  Saturday’s ride took us from Oshawa to Port Hope & back for a total of 100km.  Perfect time to test out some ENERGYbits, especially since I was extremely exhausted Saturday AM from a lack of sleep.  My legs were also tired from all the spin classes the past week.  Will ENERGYbits give me that extra boost of energy??

Knowing I’ll be cycling again in 2 days, I didn’t take the recommended 30 tabs per serving.  It seemed A LOT!  I swallowed about 15 tabs (refused to chew it!) before pedaling off from Oshawa. They certainly have an acquired taste.  Both my friend & I agree they smell like fish food.  I could smell it even at arm’s length!!

ENERGYbits (Dim lighting – photographed at an underground parking lot in Oshawa)

It was my 1st time riding this route & I loved it!  The entire ride was along Hwy 2, running parallel to Lake Ontario.  Very scenic with farms all around.  For the 1st 20km, fatigue & sluggishness lingered.  But it gradually got better as I rode on.  The urge to nap & my recovery time (ie. after an uphill) lessened.

Typical scenery on the ride

At 50km, we hit Lake Ontario at Mill St. in Port Hope, signalling our turnaround point.  Gorgeous view with a strong fishy smell. (Goes well with the whole ENERGYbits theme!)

Turnaround point at Port Hope

Lake Ontario at Port Hope

On the return trip, I felt like I could ride forever.  I wasn’t sleepy anymore & my legs could sustain the long distance.  One of the rest stops was anything but ordinary.  3 girls were horseback riding at the Tim Horton’s Drive-Thru!!  A rare & random sight!!!

Drive-Thru is kicked up a notch at Tim Horton’s!

Rest stop at gas station

Once we returned to Oshawa, my legs didn’t feel spent.  Could all this energy really be from ENERGYbits??

100km trip

Let’s Reflect!

It’s under debate where the energy came from.  I narrowed it down to 3 sources:
1) 2 Nuun electrolytes taken during the ride (in my water).  I tried a new flavour (Kona Cola) which contains 20mg of caffeine per tablet;
2) 15 ENERGYbits taken a few minutes before the ride;
3) Small coffee drank an hour before the ride

The coffee can safely be eliminated since I drink too much regularly to have much effect.  Somehow, I believe the energy primarily came from the Nuun tablets.  I wasn’t able to sleep that night even though I felt sleepy.  This is usually caused by too much caffeine.  However, ENERGYbits do NOT contain caffeine!!  To further prove the point, I had a Nuun tablet during a spin class last week on a particularly sleepy day.  The caffeine kicked in & kept me awake.

Like all sport products, further investigation is necessary in my ride come Monday.  But one thing is certain.  I consumed something that provided me with more sustainable energy, avoiding any “hit the wall” scenarios.