I've seen a nutriental supplement called ENDUROX.

It promises to:"This supplement raises your lactate threshold, and improves efficiency by lowering heart rate while athletes maintain the same level of exercise intensity. Endurox Excel speeds recovery by delaying the buildup of lactic acid, as well as through the antioxidant action of vitamin ".

Has any one tried it?

Havn't tried it but seems to me that it either fits into a) Too good to be true or b) illegal for completition use!

I don't compete against anything but old age.....but the quote came out of a performance catalog.

I'm not sure about the Endurox but
the R4 (post ride drink stuff) comes highly recommended.
reportedly helps recovery, no sore muscles, cramping etc.
and makes next days ride that much easier. . .

Marty

I was looking at a can of Endurox a couple days ago at GNC. Haven't ever tried any of those endurance drinks. Is it really noticeable?

It won't make you ride like Lance, but it might help you recover like Lance.

I don't know about raising lactate thresholds or lowered HR, but in my experience, Endurox R4 is good stuff. It makes a difference in my energy level after strenuous rides, as well recovery rate. Some people claim reduced soreness, but I rarely have soreness so can't comment on that. I'm typically pretty skeptical of claims made by companys for their products, and don't often notice results, but on a friends insistance I tried it and became a believer.

It's useful only as a recovery drink. In spite of their claims, don't try to use it half strength as a ride beverage. A friend tried it and suffered stomach cramps... it's too hard to digest for use during rides.

It seems pricey, but Performance puts it on sale all the time, and if you do the math, it isn't that expensive per serving.

I don't work for Performance or Endurox, just a happy customer.

I have not tried it. I doubt that it acts as claimed. It is mighty hard to get a drug with a real effect on performance. Most performance enhancing drugs (like steroids) are potentially dangerous and often are only marginally effective. I would wonder how this stuff is supposed to work. Some drugs have valid mechanisms - epogen stimulated red blood cell production. More red blood cells, more O2 to the muscles - more aerobic performance to the muscles. It does have a mild side effect - it can raise the viscosity of the blood causing catastrophic heart failure.

I would think that this stuff is probably ineffective and it ain't cheap. And there is no way that you will be able to outperform Armstrong using it (otherwise the rest of the propeloton would be scorching Armstrong and they are not are they?). If it is effective, it probably has potentially dangerous side effects. Is riding a little faster worth that?

Look, with proper diet and training, a fit recreational rider can do things that verge on the super human to a non cyclist. I was talking to a guy yesterday. He was astonished to hear that I considered 50 miles to be just a middle distance ride. The way I am doing things, I know exactly what is going into my body and what it does. I don't need to full around with weird additives. There is no way I am going to get replacement parts if the additives wreck the system.

Sounds like Pat won't be trying it anytime soon. Some shops have single serving packets, which would be a good way to give it a try w/out committing a lot of $$.

The ingredients are pretty innocuous, and you might be able to get similar results with a homebrew version. It's main claim to fame is the 4:1 carb to protein ratio (53g:13g per dose), and it has doses of vitamins that are useful to athletes... vitamin E (400 IU), C, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium & Potassium (aka electrolytes), and and "high glycemic carbohydrates." The "endurox" component, if I remember correctly, is a fancy name for cijuwa, or somesuch, which is a fancy name for Ginseng. I think this latter component is a mostly a marketing gimmick.

If you decide to give it a try, there's a $2.00 rebate coupon on their web-site.