Energy drinks (UPDATED): ORBANA - The verdict!

Previously I wrote a blog reviewing all the nutrition stuff I had tried so far.

http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2010/11/energy-bars-and-training-fuel-my.html

I am going to revisit the DRINKS part of this blog. Reason? I tried a new one – ORBANA. http://www.orbana.com/ 

So far:

Loving REGO, it really makes me feel human again, and I really mean that. If I forget Rego at a race, I am in BIG trouble! GO electrolyte, is another of the drinks I rely on, I use a few. That, High5, and H3O

Herbalife make this one, H3O and it’s only available online. But, it’s the least sweet tasting, and a really relied on it when I was racing and training long, as I was getting sick of tasting sweet stuff! My favourite one for flavour (but least convenient to get hold of) so far is H3O.

I like the SiS drinks, and I also have tried the High5 ones, but they can be a bit sickly sweet. (and can leave an after taste, specially some flavours of SiS).

So, I was quite excited when I got this new one to try out. I hadn’t ever heard of Orbana, and when asked to test it, was, I have to admit, quite sceptical. I looked them up, and did some comparisons. The composition seemed to be quite different. It has a very different mix, for example, added protein, a bit less carb (quite a bit more of which is sugar). When I asked why they said: ‘protein content comes from the amino acids - both the branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine)’

So, I decided to choose a TOUGH mornings training to test it out. It’s worth noting that one sachet of Orbana makes 250ml, not the usual 500ml. At first I thought what a swiz!! BUT – I often mix up a drink then don’t get to the bottom, so it could be beneficial.

Training plan to test it on:

Gym – strength and conditioning coached session, I was told in advance it would be tough, and I would need a drink!

Followed by: (as soon as I got home from the gym)

12 x run hill reps. (sprint speed)

VERDICT:

1^st 250ML: During the strength session I sipped the drink as (and when reminded by my coach!). throughout the session, I got through half of the 500ml I mixed up (whish used 2 sachets). Afterwards he asked me how I felt, and said I probably would feel fatigued and achy. I actually felt surprisingly ok.

2^nd 250ML: When I got home (about 30-45 mins) I got ready for my hill reps. Since I don’t like carrying bottles during running and had nowhere to leave it, I drank the remainder of the Orbana before I left the house. (The hill I used is the hill I live on!) My coach told me that I would perhaps start off the hill reps ok, but would get fatigued very quickly and my performance would tail off. The session was going to take approximately 45 mins. I expected the 2^nd lot of Orbana to kick in about 20 mins after I drank it (the time it is meant to take for an energy drink to get into your system so I’ve read). I started the reps, and immediately felt fatigue in my hip flexors and ham strings (the muscle groups that we had been focussing on). I couldn’t imagine how I would get through all 12 reps and thought I would have to cut it to 10. My run coach had told me that I had to run up the hill to a timed rep, and must reach the same distance on the hill in all 12 reps. Sounded impossible with the fatigue I felt. The first set of 6 were tough tough tough, and I began to lose ground.

Between sets I had 90 secs rest, and I was seriously thinking of binning the last 2 reps when I started the second set. However, I began to feel better (20 mins into the training) and I managed to consistently knock out the remaining 6 hill reps and got solidly to the same spot on the hill each time. It actually began to feel a bit easier.

Thoughts?

Taste: I liken it very much to the H3O. Its orange, rather than the lemon flavour of H30, but it’s not sickly sweet at all, very palatable, and no after taste, easy to drink. Very pleasant actually.

Effect on performance: The gym session on paper looked very tough. Personally, I felt a lot better than I thought I would. So it must have helped? The run session I thought would be impossible to complete to be honest (and so did my coach, he even gave me a ‘only do 10 then’ get out clause!) Not only did I do it, but I did a consistent good performance, and the pace was overall much better than I expected. 

After effects: Later that evening I felt fine, and in fact, good, no aches at all, no visible signs of fatigue that I noticed. Trust me, each session HURT LOTS, so it’s not like I was slacking!! The following morning, muscle fatigue / DOMS but nothing that prevented me from further training

Would I use it again? Sure I would, I am very impressed actually!! I can’t wait to try it again! The signs seem to speak for themselves! I LOVE the taste, and taste is important when you do the training volume that I do!!