CYTOSPORT Cytomax Sports Performance Mix, Cool Citrus, 4.5 Pound

As a family, we started using Cytomax while training for a backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon, back in the Winter/Spring of 2006. It was recommended to us by the owner of the local high-end bicycle store.The flavor is smooth, and the drink doesn't leave you with that cotton-mouth feeling that even water can produce, especially when it's hot. I'll warn you up front, this stuff is addicting. Once your body gets a taste of it, you WILL NOT exersise again without it. In fact, just the smell of the powder while you're mixing it will trigger a pavlovian response that you suddenly have the urge to go do something strenouos, and, you just want a huge drink of Cytomax. Weird, I know, but true.About the flavors. We've found the Cool Citrus to be the smoothest, truest, taste. Sort of a nice lemonade flavor. To us, all of the other flavors have some sort of a weird before, or after taste. For example, the Tangy Orange has sort of a powdery thing going on. The fruit flavors like the punch and the grape have a perfume thing going on. We haven't tried the apple or the chocolate, and won't.I'll be honest and say that I'm not loving the "Natural" and now I see it's coming with "Stevia" as the sweetner. Haven't tried the stevia version yet, and really, I'm not interested. Personally, I don't think the "natural" is as good as the original, definately doesn't taste as good.Now for my "Cytomax Story."In August of 2006 we did our first backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon. We didn't drink anything but Cytomax. It was brutally hot down in the gorge, and being first timers, we not only brought a ton of stuff, but we brought a ton of heavy stuff. We just about got laughed off the shuttle bus because our packs (especially mine) were so stupid huge. Seriously, picture a Low Alpine 75L pack filled to the brim, to the point that it has to be bear hugged, lifted up onto a rock, and then backed into, in order to put it on! What can I say, we were rookies.The cytomax kept us alive and well, but the real story is that during the hike out, we came across a young couple on the Bright Angel Trail, somewhere below 3mi House. As is typical for the Bright Angel, they were in tank tops, tennis shoes, no hats, and had come down with a 16oz bottle of water, each. It was 100*F+, and the girlfriend was broke down on the side of the trail with heat stroke. The boyfriend was talking about how he was going to run to the top to get her a soda. She was angrily complaining about what she would and wouldn't drink (one of the signs of heat stroke is lack of good judgement). I filled her 16 water bottle with Cytomax, and told her she could drink it, or wait for a helicopter. She decided to drink, and in about 10 minutes her lights came back on. We gave them both some snacks that we had, saw them one more time at one of the other rest houses, and I think they beat us out to the top! Seriously, that's how great Cytomax is.We use it year round now, for whatever exersise or sport we are doing, whether individually, or as a family. It's gone with us to the Grand Canyon, 5 years in a row, including just last week where my 70 year old mom went with us, rim-to-rim in 3 days, fueled by Cool Citrus Cytomax!

By far the best value among the "serious" sports drinks. Compare by serving - many times cheaper than Heed. Only thing cheaper is Gatorade powder, over which I greatly prefer this.Regarding complaints about the flavor, I never had the old formula, so I'm not sure if it was as great as some of the negative reviews below state. I also have never had New Coke.The flavor is mediocre, but keep in mind that it stays tolerable if you mix it strong or mix it weak. It stays decent if it gets warm at the end of a long ride. Ice cold, perfectly mixed Gatorade tastes better...but warm diluted Gatorade? Gag.The Tropical Fruit tastes the best at first, I think, but by the end of the tub I'm really sick of it. You might think the Pomegranate Berry tastes kind of like Hawaiian Punch. Cool Citrus is the most mild and consistently tolerable flavor if you're going to be drinking like ten bottles of the stuff. Haven't had Grape, because I don't like fake grape anything, and Tangy Orange has caffeine.

I am not sure why all the bad taste reviews or reviews blasting "hidden" ingredients. The label is pretty clear what's in it. I decided to use this product instead of GU / Shot Blocks / Stingers etc on long runs and hikes because I can mix this in my water and just hydrate and carb up as I go. Gone are the days of trying to choke down a gooey sugar pack on a hot run. Since switching I have immediately noticed I do not get nearly as tired on longer hikes and runs and I can consume my calories as I drink which is far more palatable than trying to eat something while on a run. Food and heat DO NOT go together. I like the taste - is it sugary like Gatorade ? NO, but I can also drink it and I'm not thirsty 20 seconds later like you are with a sugary product - it has a clean finish and while its not a gourmet taste it certainly tastes good enough considering what it is.

I've been cycling for over 20 years and have used Cytomax during almost that entire period. When I was younger I used to drink just water during duathlon and triathlon competitions and pay the burn the next days. But later an olympic athlete that I started training with clued me in on this amazing solution. After using this regularly on both training days and cycling competitions I felt great the following days. It allowed me to train harder and much more regularly. Even though you can push through the pain you otherwise would feel it makes it emotionally easier to get on the bike day after day. For longer multi-hour road races I found it easier to just double up water bottles with a slightly higher concentration level rather than bring along energy bars. It's all in how you can tolerate solid fuels and the level of exertion. I'm older now and still use it in spin classes.When ever I ran out waiting for a new bucket or tin I could tell the difference immediately. Instructions say you can take this before and after competition for even better effect but I never needed to the get needed benefits. Not to say after workouts wouldn't have helped. The key is that it's absorbed into your system quickly and bonds with the lactic acid in your muscles and helps neutralize it and get it flushed from your system.As for flavors, were all a bit different in tastes and tolerance. I would highly recommend you buy smaller containers of various flavors and share amongst some friends until you find the one's you like. You also need to work on the concentration level that your stomach doesn't stress over. You would be surprised at how difficult heaver flavored drinks can make you feel during extreme competitions.I once tried one of the flavors with ginseng in it. What a mistake, for me! I certainly didn't need it for competitions because you get pumped up enough. I then used it only for training rides and had to reduce the concentration levels until I was done with it. Not for me.