The next quantum leap in endurance supplements,

or the ingredient to turn your legs into jackhammers

I had just finished a ride faster on one of my regular training runs that was nearly 2 mph and I had the feeling like I could still go longer. It was my first ride after taking the new OptygenHP prototype from the supplement wizards at 1^st Endurance. I had noticed changes during the ride, but my ritual is not to look at the averages or final numbers until I'm done, so I was stunned to see the final numbers.

I stepped off the bike in front of my house, wiped some sweat off my hands and pulled out my cell phone to text a friend of mine about my ride, "Just finished my first ride after taking the new Optygen prototype-HOLY %#*@ this stuff is amazing!!!" It's not every cycling freak who has a PhD. in Nutrition as one of his riding buddies, but I do.

The text I got back was typical deadpan from Dr. Don, "Dude, I'm a PhD. scientist, I need a bit more than your freaking legs were like jackhammers or some such." So that's where I'll start my more detailed break down of the new Optygen HP prototype. You've gotten my initial emotional response.

The bottle of the prototype doesn't waste words, "This new OptygenHP prototype formula contains the most potent Rhodiol.The other ingredients in this prototype formulation are the same as the original." There's only one change in the formula? Yes but it's huge.

The detailed product information from the 1^st Endurance website states, "Clinical studies on elite endurance athletes have shown that it is the rosavins in Rhodiola that play a critical role in allowing the body to adapt to high levels of physical stress."

I've been a huge fan of the original OptygenHP, and this version increases the dosage one of the key ingredients. Rest assured, you can tell the difference and you feel the change in performance faster than starting on the current OptygenHP, and yes you can put more of a load on your body in terms of effort.

Details I noticed after several rides after starting on the prototype:

• I feel significantly less muscle fatigue during and after rides. The sensation I feel is a buzzy feeling in my legs because they seem to be working more efficiently and recovering faster.

• I have come off rides feeling like I could continue going even though it wasn't part of my training plan or I didn't have time.

• Because I feel more efficient, energized and dramatically more comfortable, I've been focusing on other things like better breathing techniques and more efficient pedal strokes.

• It's easier to recover in the saddle and it happens quicker. The easiest way I measured this fact was what happens at stop lights when I'm forced to stop. My heart rate drops from the mid 160's to the mid-to-low 130's within the time of an average stop light. My heart rate also seems to stop going up at just below where I know my LT is. I know because I've had it tested. This allows me to push harder on sprints or climbs if I want and recover quicker after that effort.

• My overall performance has improved because I can ride harder when I want to push it. There are a few training routes I ride based on my plan and how much time I have to train. I know the streets and how I ride them like the back of my hand, so 1.25-2.0 mph improvements are huge. Just imagine what that would translate into over a 40K time trial, or a 112 mile Ironman bike leg.

The last fact is the one I think is most important to the non-professional endurance athletes. All of us know that there are equipment changes or clothing changes that make a difference in seconds to the pros. Great them, but what difference does that make on your next triathlon race or my next bike race? Zero and those investments in improved performance usually come with huge price tags.

My point is the new OptygenHP prototype is a supplement that can potentially shave minutes off your results and I've done the math as they say. In my last competitive race, a flat course 40K time trial, a 2.0 mph improvement over my original result would have put me 13 places higher in my group of 64.

This new prototype demonstrates one of the things I love about 1^st Endurance, which is their commitment to constantly make the great products they have even better. It would be easier for them to milk their cash cows, but instead they make their company, their products and in fact those of us who use their products much better with their improvements. I don't know what this formulation will cost when it's delivered, but I can assure you it's not going to matter to me.

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