First Endurance is proud to introduce the highly anticipated EFS Liquid Shot at Interbike on September 23, 2008. The EFS Liquid Shot has been in development for two years and is the result of a collaboration between First Endurance athletes, customers, retailers, and the First Endurance Research and Development team.
UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE
“The EFS Liquid Shot is actually a long-time coming” said Robert Kunz, VP of Research & Development at First Endurance. “We’ve been researching the gel market for a six years now. The dilemma for us, though, was that our sponsored athletes wanted us to develop other products first. Since First Endurance started back in 2002 we’ve been looking at the gel delivery system, knowing we’d eventually develop our own version. This year, we had an overwhelming number of requests from our athletes, retailers and customers to develop a special ‘gel’. Because we had been looking at gels for a quite a while and our athletes have been giving us tons of great input and feedback, our research and development team had accumulated a lot valuable knowledge and were able to develop something really unique. Not just a “me too” product, but a dramatic step up from a formula and packaging standpoint.”
1. TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED FORMULA- With the new EFS Liquid Shot, you get ALL the ingredients you need to maximize endurance and performance. Features include:
-Each EFS Liquid Shot delivers 400 high-quality calories
-Over 1500mg electrolytes (so you don’t need to bother taking extra electrolyte pills)
-1000mg of amino acids
2. UNIQUE PACKAGING- The Liquid Shot flask has a re-sealable pop-top that allows you to take as little or as much as you want. It’s also refillable and 100% recyclable.
3. NO GELLING AGENTS-Unlike the ‘gels’ that are on the market, the EFS Liquid Shot does not contain any gelling agents, which slow down absorption and digestion.
COMPLETE ENDURANCE LINE
The First Endurance product line was designed from the beginning to work as a complete endurance system. Each product has been designed to compliment the others. With the addition of the EFS Liquid Shot, First Endurance now offers everything an endurance athlete needs to maximize endurance and performance. There’s no reason or need to use anything else.
Flavor: Vanilla
Calories/container: 400
Available November 1, 2008 in specialty bike, triathlon and running shops
NOT AVAILABLE IN GROCERY STORES or MASS MARKET RETAILERS
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August 29th, 2008 at 8:30 am
I can’t wait to try this!
August 31st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Really looking forward to trying this product. Any ETA?
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 am
I’m a little concerned about the garbage this little flask generates. Always a problem with gels. Will you be selling the product in larger bulk containers ala Hammer nutrition? A reusable container is only good if more product is available to put in it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
I am looking forward to trying this. I like the idea of having 4 shots in 1 package with a reusable container. The ingredients sound good compared to other gels on the market.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Any idea on individual shot and bulk container cost ?
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
The filled flask will retail for around $5.99. We’re still working out the details for the bulk container. Do you have any preferences in sizes?
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Hi Brian,
We put it in a refillable, reusable flask in order not to create a bunch of garbage. We’ll be coming out with a bulk container for refills too. Any feedback on bulk container sizes would be appreciated.
Thanks,
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I would like to see a refill container with enough product to fill 5 or 6 flasks. 750-1000ml size maybe?
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I agree with Jeff Rocco there. Bigger is even better if it is correspondingly cheaper. Freshness must always be considered but other products seen to keep well enough in the fridge.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I look forward to trying this and I really like the idea of a refillable container. Having a bulk container that stores 5-7 refills of the flasks would be a good number as well! Without giving too much away, is it maltodextrin or something that is more quickly absorbed?
September 4th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Mike, depends on shelf life from my perspective. I’d hate for a bunch of product to go bad over the winter for example… do you have any idea on life expectancy? If the product does not spoil or go stale and we can save a bunch by buying it in bulk, then the bigger the better. I’d rather pay shipping only once along with my other products than have to re-order frequently.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Initially, the shelf-life will probably be around six months. The bulk container should hold about 5-6 refills. The bulk container will be a better price per serving than the flask. How does that sound? I’ll post more details as soon as I get them.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Mike: also looking forward to this product. Any chance this will be available at Ironman Florida to try.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Hey Joe,
We won’t be able to offer it at Ironman Florida because Powerbar has the exclusive there for the ‘gel category.’ We plan on offering the EFS Liquid Shots to Team FE members before it’s available to the general public. If you’re not already signed up as a Team FE member, you might want go ahead and sign up. It doesn’t cost anything and there are some pretty good perks.
September 5th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Shaun,
The carbohydrate mix for the liquid shots is a combination of maltodextrin, sucrose and glucose. Combining three carbohydrate sources and assuring all three are high glycemic is the best and quickest absorbing combination you can get. See our article on carbohydrates and electrolytes and you will get a good indication what this formula will entail. http://blog.firstendurance.com/2008/07/energy-and-electrolyte-drink-comparison/
Furthermore, because we do not use any gums like many other gels, our absorption will be considerably improved. Are you aware of what gums do to a gel formula and why this is important?
September 5th, 2008 at 8:01 am
As a heads up from a pro athlete who has already completed an Ironman race using the Liquid Shot, this stuff is amazing! Since I first used it, I have completely tweaked my previous race-day nutritional plan. If I can get a hold of an extra flask or two, I’ll put putting it to the test on the Lava Fields this October. One thing I won’t be missing is carrying all those baggies full of salt tablets!
September 5th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Mike: I am signed up as team member, any chance I could get a hold of some before IM Florida to try out in training in late September early october. Don’t want to race without trying it first. Thanks
Joe
September 5th, 2008 at 10:02 am
As a pro XTERRA racer, i found the liquid shot easy to handle during the races, and gave me all the performance i expect from top notch First Endurance product.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Seth & Michael Lovato & First Endurance
All I can say is thanks to all the pro athletes who have field tested and assisted in developing these products Every First Endurance product I have tried, works as advertised, which isn’t always true with other products. Regardless of when I get a hold of it I know it will help me qualify for Kona. A big part of that is that the products are based on sound peer reviewed research. First endurance, thanks for education about the importance of electrolytes and nutrition. Robert I’m not aware of what gums do to the absorption of gels, could you explain. thanks
September 5th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Joe,
Thank you for your confidence in First Endurance, the input and testing from our Pro-Athletes is no doubt key to launching a great product.
Gums in a few studies have been shown to slow gastric emptying (Leclere, 1994) and reduce absorption (Torsdottir, 1989). When the purpose of using a gel is to deliver carbohydrates in order to spare your stored carbohydrates (glycogen), then it is highly critical that it get absorbed very fast. Furthermore you do not want to slow gastric emptying because this can lead to dehydration and an upset stomach. Not something you want while on the Lava Fields at Kona. This is the reason we label our liquid shot, not gel..there are no gelling agents like gums. Have you had any experience where you have sucked down a gel and soon your stomach cramps up?
1) Leclere, et. al., ‘Role of viscous guar gums in lowering glycemic response after a meal.’ Am J of Clinical Nutrition, 1994 Dec 60(6): 976-7
2) Torsdottir I, et. al., ‘Dietary guar gum effects on ostrandial blood glucose, insulin and hydroxyproline in humans. Journal of Nutrition. 1989 Dec; 119(12): 1925-31
September 5th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Robert:
Yes, I have had the experience of cramping using the powerbar and gel combination, along with gatorade endurance at IM florida last year. About 75 miles into the bike, nothing would go down except water, and did this until about 5 miles into the run and used coke and water the rest of the way. I managed to finish in 12:11, but I think if I could nail the nutrition I could be close to 9:45 to 10 hours. Thats when I found first endurance, I knew there had to be something else better out there, and having experienced the cramping/ stomach shutdown, I’d prefer not to experience that again. I’ve been working on my nutrition and find that gels every 10 minutes with water, along with another bottle of EFS seems to be the best combo so far. I’m a big sodium loser and I’m finding it tough to keep up with fluids. I have found though that if I’m keeping up with fluids and lick my skin, it doesn’t taste salty and if I’m not I’m saltier than a salt lick for a deer. Is that a valid barometer to use?
September 6th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’m one of the pro triathletes (mostly Xterra) who have been using this product throughout this season. I’d first like to say that I love the approach First Endurance takes on making their products. I have a Masters Degree in Exercise Science and really appreciate the critical approach that First Endurance takes to make their products the best for endurance performance.
I was very excited to hear about the new gel last year, as this was the only part of the First Endurance line that was lacking. I really feel that the mixture is great for all levels of athletes and should fit the various disciplines of endurance sports. Personally, I really like the viscous nature of the EFS liquid shot. No more gagging on gels. Having 400 calories packed with all the electrolytes and amino acids makes it so well rounded and perfect for training and racing. No more mixing and matching all the various products. Plus, I’ve been able to keep my energy high and avoid cramping.
At the end of the day, I’m happy to know that my nutrition is not going to be a limiting factor.
September 7th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I have had extremely good absorption and performance this summer with the liquid shot samples I tested. 3-4 hour trail runs using only liquid shot and water worked really well. Having a compact, easy-to-digest source for calories and electrolytes made longer, unsupported trail runs in hot weather pretty easy.
Having gone through all of the samples I was given, I was forced to use a brand G product during the Mid Mountain Marathon yesterday ( a trail marathon at 8000′). Brand G’s exciting new formula wasn’t sitting so well at mile 18. I was counting on those calories in my nutrition plan, but the stomach just wasn’t going to take any more. Perhaps this was due to the gum.
September 10th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Can’t wait for the product to come out, Enervitene Cheer Packs and it’s spill prone packaging is getting a little old. Half the time 50% of it’s contents ends up on me and not inside where it’s needed. The packaging for this product appears well though out and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
September 10th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I cant wait for the final production run of the liquid shot. Let me tell you this, if it matches the current product offerings - we are looking at a smash hit!! Some of the finest Nutritional Products I have ever used! Keep up the great work Robert!!
September 16th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Have used it in training. My first race with the product will be this weekend. This will really simplify the approach to race day nutrition. Eating becomes the 4th event as the races get longer. Cant wait to give it a go on Sunday.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:57 am
I too am looking forward to the bulk container, no so much for a cost saving but to help with the energy it takes to recycle a product. If the bulk container could be made out of a grade 1 or 2 plastic that is recyclable it would help with the possibility of it being recycled. Many cities only recycle these graded plastics and not of other classes. Either way I can’t wait to get my hands on some product, I just purchased a bunch of optygen for the cross season and most likely will not be placing another order for a few months to come, so I guess the free sample is out. Good luck and be well!
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 am
I got my sample at Interbike, but wondered why FE would get into the gel market that was already flooded. I stand corrected, this is by far easier to get down on a hard run than any other gel out there and actually taste good to boot. Great job!!!
October 6th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Great Stuff, I was having a bad 2 race a day cross race here in Sacramento. I finished the A Race and felt like crap. Went to the car for a little recovery for I only had 2 hours to the Single Speed race. Ate an EFS Bar and drank plenty of fluids, I had been given a EFS Liquid shot as a sample from a friend who went to Interbike and though I know you should never “try” something new race day I thought what the heck if it can pull me together for this next race this is the “secret potion” I’m going with. Well I took 3/4 the flask about 30 min before the start and was on fire I can remember yelling to my wife who was providing feeds, this stuff if great I’m buying a case of it….. Now the taste was a little interesting but I am into performance gains and don’t really care about the taste. Thanks First Endurance once again another great, WORKING product!
October 13th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Do you take this with OptigenHD? Is there saturation point with Amino Acids? Really want to try this…
October 13th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Todd,
The entire line of First Endurance products are designed to work as a system. The nutrients and individual ingredients found in our products work even better when products are used concurrently. So, yes you can use this with OptygenHP and will find that summation of the amino acids will offer even greater benefit than when using any single First Endurance product. Another example is Vitamin C. When using EFS, Ultragen and MultiV consistently you will get over 1,000mg of Vitamin C daily and this dose gets spread out throughout the day. These kind of synergy’s make our products very powerful for hard training individuals. Have you had a chance to try more than one First Endurance product together?
October 13th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
If I was to use the liquid shot during a marathon how would you recommend I use it? I was thinking to consume one flask spread out over a 2 hour span. Does that sound good? And regarding concentration and osmolarity, how much water should I consume with the liquid shot? About 1 liter of water an hour? Please let me know the best way to use the liquid shot for a marathon, assuming a goal time of 3 hours for a 150lb male. Thank you!
October 14th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Ryan,
Trial and error is the best method to determine the best use of the EFS liquid shot for your Marathon. What you outlined above is a great starting point, though to assure this will work you need to practice this on your long runs. Athletes have a wide variance of how well they can absorb products, though because we do not use gelling agents, offer this product as a liquid, use amino acids instead of protein and a mix of high glycemic carbohydrates you will find that its much easier to absorb than other ‘gels’. Ideally, you will want to take a swig just before an aid station, then chase it down with water. Doing this every 15-30 minutes throughout the Marathon should work quite well. So having two flasks would certainly be enough for a 3 hour marathon.