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ForGoodnessShakes Energy Drinks
By Kevin Cordina (30/03/2009)
Summary: Ready to drink recovery shake with added minerals and goodness
Price: £1.10 - 140
Value:
Performance:
Milk-based recovery drinks
Four yummy flavours
Pre-mixed so no faffing with powders
Everyone who has been near a UK adventure race recently will be more than familiar with the 'For Goodness Shakes' name as they carry a very high profile. I have never been tempted by their product as the mere thought of a milkshake balanced on top of the gels and other junk consumed during a race brought on desperate looks for the nearest portaloo. It was not therefore with an entirely happy heart that I tore open the anonymous box to discover the shakes for testing.
For Goodness Shakes are milk-based recovery drinks packing in the carbohydrate, protein and vitamins required for efficient recovery from exercise. Each 500ml bottle contains around 250 calories and 16g of protein which matches the provision of most recovery drinks on the market. This equates to a 3:1 carb (almost all sugars) to protein ratio which seems to be accepted as the best ratio for recovery. The protein comes from the milk, and so is a combination of whey and casein proteins, which apparently gives a better balance. This also means the drinks have the full set of nine amino acids, which are not found in drinks using only one protein type. Fat content is negligible and it is certainly noticeable that the shakes digest quickly compared to your average milkshake. Where I think the shakes differ from the average recovery drink is the amount of minerals they contain, which although I cannot cite anything to say they help, feels good.
So, that is the science, how about the drinking? After putting off the first test, I finally in after a hard climbing session when I was feeling quite hardy. In the event, I was incredibly, pleasantly surprised. Within the first few mouthfuls I went from 'Mmmm', through 'blimey this is nice', and all too soon was wondering whether I could have another bottle as it was so tasty. Although milk-based, the drink has none of the heaviness and difficult digestion that I (being of delicate stomach) associate with milkshakes. The drink goes down really well, with a great taste, and seems incredibly easy and quick to digest.
The shakes are a little bit gloopy and are not as outright refreshing as water-based drinks, but the difference is marginal. They are also quite filling which I find good after a long session has left me hungry. They quickly get soaked up leaving plenty of room for a post-session meal. The actual effect of these drinks is always hard to assess, but using these I have always felt just as good as with my previous post-race drinks. They have just published some research comparing their shakes to just water or isotonic drinks which show a fairly impressive increase in performance, but this does not give any comparison with other products.
They come in four flavours (Banana, SuperBerry, Chocolate and Vanilla) all of which taste great, but the vanilla one is particularly lovely. One great feature of these shakes over other offerings is the 'ready to drink' packaging. There is no faffing around mixing powders up and shaking bottles before you can start to drink - open the cap and dive in.
So, considering I started off seriously unsure whether to even try them, I am now a huge fan and there is always a bottle in my race bag. The shakes can be bought direct from the company and cost just over a pound a bottle - probably more expensive than your powdered drinks, but in my view definitely worth the premium for ease of use and niceness. Go on, be brave, and try them!
