MeStrength product review, and my first GIVEAWAY!

Last week, I received a sample pack of a new hydration product called MeStrength to try.  I've never tried a creatine product before, and I'll admit, I was skeptical whether I'd be able to notice any results from five little pouches of the drink mix.  My weekend was stacked with activities though, and if there was ever a good time to test the effects of a new product, it was over that crazy couple of days.

To quickly recap what MeStrength is all about: MeStrength is a hydration mix that combines the power of electrolytes and creatine to give athletes a well-rounded recovery solution.  We all know electrolytes are needed to restore energy, but the addition of creatine (a substance occurring naturally in the human body) is designed to enhance muscle recovery as well.

Disclaimer: I was provided the product free in exchange for my review.  All views expressed regarding my experience with the product are my own, and I did not receive any additional compensation for this post.

I first tried MeStrength at my namasDAY yoga class.  Having not taken organized yoga in over two years, and being somewhat weak in the upper body and totally inflexible all around, I was worried I'd be taking a beating in the class.  I mixed up my strawberry-kiwi packet about an hour before class (it foams when you shake it up!) and started sipping early, then continued to take little drinks throughout the class.  I guzzled the rest on the way home.  The flavor was GREAT, and definitely not too sweet like so many drink mixes tend to be.  My experience with the class was a huge success despite my reservations, and though I pushed my body in many ways, I didn't feel ANYthing the day after!  But it was only my first experience with MeStrength, so I wasn't quite ready to sing any praises quite so quickly...

My Muddy Monk trail run on Saturday morning gave me the chance to try the lemon-lime flavor - I figured I'd go green while I was out in the woods!  I did like the flavor, but I didn't drink the whole bottle very quickly, and by the time I got to the last few swigs, the lemon-lime had really soured!  Despite the taste change, I once again noticed an incredible lack of soreness in my later day activities, but the real challenge was yet to come.

Sunday was a double-whammy: I ran the Brookfield Zoo 5k in the morning then went for an Urban Kayak excursion with my office team.  I opted for orange MeStrength in the morning, and made quick work of my entire bottle while I wandered the zoo after the race.  I gotta say, this was probably my least favorite flavor.  The first pre-race sips were okay, but maybe it soured too, because by the end of the race when I went back to it, I was only drinking it because it was cold, definitely not because I liked the taste!  For the kayaking trip, I went with grape, which was much more consistently tasty over the course of a few hours.  By the end of the day, I was so sure I wouldn't be able to move: I'd given my legs way too much of a beating over two races, and my pathetic upper body struggled with the kayaking.  Somehow, though, even the day after I still wasn't sore - AT ALL.  Nothing.  The weekend had kicked my butt, but somehow I was completely mobile and free of aches and pains.

My final packet of MeStrength partied hard with me at Zumba last night!  I'll admit I was too excited to remember to snap a photo, but I used the fruit punch flavor (the last in the set).  While I did like the fruity taste, this was the only flavor that DID taste a little too sweet for my liking.  I drank most of it, but couldn't get myself to finish the bottle due mostly to the overly sweet sensation.  Woke up this morning and STILL no soreness.  Amazing.

In summary: I freakin' love MeStrength.  This stuff WORKS.  Remember how I said I was skeptical about being able to see actual differences in just five packets?  I was wrong.  My body took a pounding the past few days, and though my joints are a little stiff in the cold weather, my muscles actually feel incredible.  That extra creatine boost is fantastic and really does the trick.  My only negative observation was that I found myself having to use the bathroom much more often than if I had been drinking plain water.  And I mean a LOT more often.  I'm not sure if that's the creatine or the electrolytes or the flavors themselves, but I definitely noticed a big difference.  I think it's a very small price to pay for the product's benefits, though.

UPDATE: I did some research about the "souring" of the orange and lemon-lime flavors.  Originally I assumed something in the product was causing the flavor change, but it is more likely to have been the way my body chemistry reacted as I became dehydrated.  The sour tastes only occurred AFTER I was done with my activity, when I needed water the most and my salivary glands were working overtime to compensate for the problem - leading to a heightened sensitivity to the tartness of those particular flavors.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

The wonderful people at MeStrength are offering a TEN-PACK of their great mix packets to my readers!  We'll start off with one prize, but the more entries this giveaway gets, the more prizes we'll make available - every 250 entries adds another five-pack prize!

MeStrength is also offering free shipping for anyone who signs up for their mailing list!  You can use your free shipping code along with the 25% off code "fitnyx" for an amazing deal on MeStrength!

a Rafflecopter giveaway