In the same way that we’ve recently re-sized the TORQ bar so that it fits in with our new TORQ Fuelling System, we’ve re-opened the TORQ Recovery file and after hours of scrutiny and development by the TORQ team, we have developed the new thoroughly comprehensive TORQ Recovery System.

TORQ Recovery has been a part of our range for many years, is designed to be used within 15 minutes of finishing hard exercise and has recently been re-formulated so that it works as part of a comprehensive system with TORQ Recovery Plus+. Mandarin Yoghurt is the new flavour and we have retained and improved the Strawberries & Cream, Banana & Mango and Chocolate Mint varieties.  The re-formulated TORQ Recovery benefits from the multiple-transportable carbohydrates (Maltodextrin and Fructose) used in our TORQ Energy, TORQ Gel and TORQ Bar fuelling range for the comprehensive replenishment of the body’s glycogen stores. Whey protein is used in TORQ recovery too, because of its soluble nature and rapid intestinal absorption, aiding growth and repair of distressed muscle tissue. Whey protein also provides the further advantage of significantly raising insulin levels, allowing optimal glycogen synthesis (carbohydrate storage) to take place without the need to consume larger, less practical volumes of carbohydrate.

TORQ Recovery still contains L-Glutamine (an amino acid) and D-Ribose (a naturally-occurring sugar), but we have removed HMB (a metabolite of the amino acid Leucine) and put it into our new TORQ Recovery Plus+ product instead. L-Glutamine helps to protect the muscles from catabolic (muscle degrading) processes after exercise and also strengthens the immune system. D-Ribose re-charges the muscle cells after exercise so that they have the energy to contract to their full potential within 24 hours, a process that would take up to 3 days without supplemental Ribose.

TORQ Recovery Plus+ is a Hot Cocoa drink that has been designed for regular (twice daily) use during periods of very intense training stress. TORQ Recovery Plus+ has not been designed to replace TORQ Recovery; it should be used in conjunction with it, because it’s a totally different kind of product. Therefore the ‘Plus+’ part of TORQ Recovery Plus+ means ‘in addition to’ not ‘better than’.

HMB has been removed from TORQ Recovery and put into TORQ Recovery Plus+. This nutrient has amazing nitrogen-retention qualities, which makes it both naturally anabolic (body building) and anti-catabolic (prevents muscle breakdown). However, to achieve the full benefits of HMB, it should be taken daily and in divided doses during heavy training. Even during heavy training periods, it’s rare for an athlete to consume TORQ Recovery every day, plus it’s designed as a single dose supplement immediately post exercise, so we wanted to design a product that they could take every day (twice per day) during this time. Beta-Alanine and Sodium Phosphate, which are the other two potent micronutrients that feature in TORQ Recovery Plus+, should also be consumed in divided doses, so these feature with HMB in the product too.

Beta-Alanine is a branched chain amino acid that helps to increase lactic acid buffering (removal), which results in increased anaerobic power as well as aiding recovery between high intensity racing/training bouts. Sodium Phosphate complements Beta-Alanine by empowering the aerobic system to round off a truly comprehensive system. Ultimately, TORQ Recovery Plus+ doesn’t only aid recovery during periods of high training stress, it contains key ingredients to boost performance as well.

As a brief guide to usage of these two products (comprehensive information below), TORQ Recovery should be used after any exercise session of ‘significance’. This would be defined as a prolonged endurance session or a hard shorter-duration interval session or race – basically a session that is likely to have caused muscle damage and/or appreciable carbohydrate depletion from the muscles.

TORQ Recovery Plus+ will provide benefits if taken continually during any high load training period, because of its HMB content, but the Beta-Alanine and Sodium Phosphate offer most potential during high intensity interval training and racing. Therefore, TORQ Recovery Plus+ is ideal for use throughout the competitive season, or in the lead up to (and including) a training camp or cycling holiday, where exercise intensity is going to be mixed (intense and prolonged). The product is good for lower intensity prolonged training periods too, but financially it may be wise just to supplement with TORQ’s RAW HMB during these periods and save TORQ Recovery Plus+ for when you introduce higher intensity training.

TORQ Energy Natural Organic: The final part of the recovery jigsaw is your general nutrition. A diet rich in carbohydrate is essential for promoting continued glycogen synthesis and re-fuelling. To this end, TORQ Energy Natural Organic is a very useful supplement to use when consuming bulky carbohydrates feels impractical. TORQ Energy Natural Organic is flavourless and can be added to food almost invisibly to boost its carbohydrate content. Four level scoops of TORQ Energy Natural Organic in a cup of soup will provide the equivalent carbohydrate calories to a large bowl of pasta.

This is just a summary of the TORQ Recovery System and if you intend to purchase either TORQ Recovery, TORQ Recovery Plus+, or TORQ Energy Natural Organic, please read further to get a clear picture of how to use the products optimally. All of our recommendations are fully substantiated by research and these are clearly referenced below.

Further detail on the TORQ Recovery System

TORQ Recovery Plus+ is a brand new product (launched at the Cycle Show/NEC in September 2012) and is the culmination of hours of scrutiny and development by the TORQ team as we have strived to develop a truly comprehensive recovery system for our customers. Recently we re-sized the TORQ bar and launched our new TORQ Fuelling System which has been designed to optimise the fuelling process and make feeding whilst exercising more easily understood. We felt that a new TORQ Recovery System was the next progression and therefore TORQ Recovery Plus+ was born to further support the benefits of our existing class-leading TORQ Recovery product.

TORQ Recovery Plus+ is available in one flavour only (Hot Cocoa) and is NOT a replacement for our existing recovery product. It offers a very different role in the recovery process, so it is to be used in addition to TORQ Recovery and certainly not as a replacement for it. Therefore the Plus+ part of the new TORQ Recovery Plus+ means ‘in addition to’ not ‘better than’, just so we’re clear.

If we go back to basics, the primary purpose of TORQ Recovery is to re-stock muscle glycogen stores using multiple-transportable carbohydrate sources combined 3:1 with whey protein. Recent research (5,6) has demonstrated that using multiple-transportable carbohydrates (Maltodextrin and Fructose) has resulted in some of the highest glycogen synthesis rates ever recorded.

Heavy exercise not only causes a strain on the body’s carbohydrate stores, but also induces muscle damage and causes a breakdown of proteins within the body. The addition of protein in a recovery drink can not only prevent these catabolic processes from occurring, but also increases the rate of post exercise muscle synthesis (11, 12), having an anabolic effect through offering substrate for muscle repair. Protein synthesis rates can be further increased through the use of Whey isolate (the protein used in TORQ recovery), a soluble protein that has a fast intestinal absorption (13,14) further speeding up the rate of recovery. The addition of protein into a carbohydrate-based recovery drink has also been shown to significantly elevate the circulating insulin levels, aiding in the storage of carbohydrate in the muscles and liver (14,15).

It also needs to be noted clearly here that the first part of the TORQ Recovery System actually starts with the TORQ Fuelling System. If our TORQ recovery product’s primary role is to re-stock muscle glycogen stores post exercise, then it’s going to have a lot less work to do if the athlete has fuelled their training properly, because the better the fuelling, the less depletion of the carbohydrate stores in the first place. An athlete with less depleted carbohydrate stores will finish training/racing in a better condition and the recovery drink will simply have to top the carbohydrate stores up instead of having to completely re-stock. There is also strong evidence to support the anti-catabolic effects of carbohydrate fuelling (the body only breaks down muscle protein for fuel in the absence of sufficient carbohydrate), so in effect, diligent carbohydrate fuelling protects your muscles (34).

So you’ve fuelled properly and sunk your TORQ Recovery within 15 minutes of finishing exercise? Research also strongly supports the benefits of continued carbohydrate ingestion for up to 6 hours post exercise to further replenish glycogen stores (9,10). Generally speaking, a high carbohydrate diet based on regular foods should suffice, but if the exercise bout has been particularly arduous and your stores have been heavily depleted, we recommend that you supplement your diet with TORQ Energy Natural Organic, because this is a flavourless maltodextrin that can be added to food invisibly to boost its carbohydrate content. 4 level scoops of TORQ Energy Natural Organic provides the equivalent carbohydrate calories to a large bowl of pasta without the bulk. This has proven to be a very useful product for athletes on training camps or stage races who are constantly fighting a negative energy balance. Research (9,10) suggests regular grazing intakes of carbohydrate over this period of around 1-1.2g per kg bodyweight per hour.

Whilst refuelling is an extremely important role for a recovery product, there are many potent ingredients in the TORQ Recovery and TORQ Recovery Plus+ formulations that support other areas of recovery and physical performance and these are in a large part what you’re paying for with TORQ. For instance, the natural and potent L-Glutamine and D-Ribose in TORQ Recovery constitute only 9% of the ingredient matrix, yet they represent 50% of the cost of the product. These ingredients aren’t added in token amounts so that they’re represented on the label, they are included at the levels recommended by research. Our products are designed to work, not deceive the customer into buying:

D-Ribose is present within every living cell of the body and is used to manufacture ATP (the energy currency of the cell) from scratch.  Whilst the body can manufacture its own ribose from glucose, this requires energy and is a very slow process.  Research into ribose supplementation (16,17) has proven that taking as little as 3-5grams per day will return cellular levels of ATP to normal within 6-22 hours of exhaustive exercise.  Without supplementation, this is likely to take between 26 and 93 hours (this represents a 340-430% improvement in recovery when supplementing with ribose).

Every cell in your body contains ATP (adinosine triphosphate), an energy-rich compound that provides virtually all the energy needed to function on a second-by-second basis. When ATP is broken down into ADP + Pi (adinosine diphosphate + inorganic phosphate) energy is released and this is used to power all our bodily functions. Naturally then, it is the breakdown of ATP within the cells of the working muscles that provides the energy for exercise. Without it you wouldn’t be going anywhere!

It is through the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein that ADP + Pi is reformed to make ATP. This ATP is then available to be used for muscular contraction. As the muscle uses it, once again it will break down to ADP + Pi and so it goes on.  When exercising, this cycle rapidly and continually takes place in order to satisfy the substantial turnover of energy required.

Research has shown that after maximal high load exercise, the pools of ATP and ADP + Pi in skeletal muscle cells are reduced by as much as 20-28 percent. The mechanisms behind this are rather complex and involve the loss of a compound called AMP (adinosine monophosphate). However, the net effect is that the overall pools of ATP and ADP + Pi within each cell is reduced, which seriously limits their energy potential. It doesn’t matter how much carbohydrate you ram into your body, if these nucleotide levels are low, you’re not going to have the raw materials available to produce power effectively.  To further compound the problem, once AMP has left the cell, there’s no getting it back and so ATP and ADP + Pi levels will remain low, perhaps sinking further if another high intensity bout of exercise is experienced.

It’s worth noting that most of the studies in the Sports Science arena have tested D-Ribose supplementation in relation to improvements in muscular power and they have drawn a blank. This is correct and there’s no evidence that D-Ribose will make you stronger. Its effects on cellular recovery (returning strength levels to normal after heavy exercise) however cannot be denied – it’s a physiological fact. TORQ recovery contains the full research-recommended dose of D-Ribose (3-5 grams depending on body size). 3% of TORQ Recovery’s ingredient matrix is D-Ribose.

L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, in a large part because it is needed a lot by the brain, intestines, kidneys, lungs and immune system and also because you can manufacture your own. It is actually termed a ‘non-essential amino acid’, but this can be misleading, because under times of high training stress, if you leave your body to produce its own supply, it will break down muscle tissue in order to make it available.

Logic dictates that this is not desirable when you are a training athlete. Therefore, supplementation with L-Glutamine immediately after exercise stops the body scavenging for an alternative supply and eating into your well-earned muscle. It also ensures that plenty of L-Glutamine is available to fuel the immune system. Numerous studies have considered the effects of L-Glutamine supplementation on immune function and although the findings are mixed, there appears to be enough evidence to support its worth (17,19). TORQ recovery contains the full research-recommended dose of L-Glutamine (4-8grams depending on body size). 6% of TORQ Recovery’s ingredient matrix is L-Glutamine.

For further information on our TORQ Recovery product, click here. For more information on the TORQ Recovery System, please read on. 

So now we move onto TORQ Recovery Plus+ and regular TORQ Recovery users will have noted that we haven’t mentioned HMB yet? This is because it has been removed from the TORQ Recovery formulation and included in the new TORQ Recovery Plus+ instead. Why? Since Launching TORQ Recovery, we have noticed that some customers use it regularly (up to 5-6 times per week) during heavy training and will be benefitting from the properties of HMB, but those who don’t train as often or as hard (and therefore don’t use the product as much) are simply paying for an expensive ingredient that isn’t providing optimal benefit. TORQ Recovery Plus+ is designed to be used daily during periods of heavy training and because supplements like HMB work best in divided doses, 2 serves per day of TORQ Recovery Plus+ delivers the research-recommended 3-5 grams of HMB much more effectively.

So, TORQ Recovery Plus+ is a hot cocoa drink containing HMB, Beta-Alanine and Sodium Phosphate that is to be taken twice daily. It doesn’t have to be mixed hot, but it really does make a great tasting cup of cocoa, so we advise that you take your time and enjoy this product. If you’re in a rush, add 2 level scoops of the powder to 250ml of water in your mixer bottle and give it a good shake. Unlike TORQ Recovery, TORQ Recovery Plus+ is not affected if you use milk as a base instead of water and it can be sweetened if necessary with sugar. We can’t think why you’d need to do this, but it’s certainly an option for the sweet-toothed. It’s really important that you don’t add milk to TORQ Recovery though; you must make this with water or it won’t work properly.

HMB (Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) is a metabolite of the amino acid Leucine. This means that it is a natural bi-product of the breakdown of leucine, a constituent of normal dietary protein. Small amounts of HMB are found in certain foods like catfish, alfalfa and it is a natural component of mother’s milk, but generally speaking it’s pretty scarce in the average diet.  HMB was first discovered in the 1950’s and has been studied for several decades, but only really became popular as a sporting supplement in the mid 90’s.

HMB has been found to slow down the degradation of muscle protein as well as enhance muscle gain, which means that it possesses both anti-catabolic and anabolic qualities.  Early research has demonstrated that HMB supplementation lowers cholesterol and helps strengthen the immune system too.

HMB supplements were first used in the farming industry to help farmers raise leaner cattle and keep them free from infection.  Scientists who studied animals taking HMB found that it increased muscle growth, immune function and reduced subcutaneous fat (the fat stored directly under the skin). More recent research with human subjects has shown similar benefits.  A highly respected research scientist called Dr Steven Nissen and his research team at Iowa State University conducted a study to determine if HMB would prevent muscle breakdown in humans undergoing resistance training and whether differing levels of protein intake would affect muscle mass or strength.  They also assessed the effects of training and HMB administration on body fat and lean body mass levels (17,18).

The researchers found that HMB supplementation decreased muscle breakdown in the group that took 3 grams.  Muscle strength also increased by 18.4% in the 3 gram group, compared with 8% in the placebo group and muscle mass also increased by 2.66lbs and 0.88lbs respectively. TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains the full research-recommended dose of HMB (2 grams per serve – 4 grams per day). 5.6% of the ingredient matrix of TORQ Recovery Plus+ is HMB.

Beta-Alanine is one of the branched chain amino acids, naturally present in white meat and fish, but supplementation with this nutrient at a dose of 5-6 grams per day in divided doses has been found to significantly raise muscle Carnosine levels, helping the body to buffer lactic acid and ultimately increasing anaerobic performance. Beta Alanine has been included in the ingredient matrix of TORQ Recovery Plus+ not only to promote recovery after high intensity bouts of exercise like racing and interval training, but also to enhance performance during these sessions. If your anaerobic performance is increased, you will produce more power and you will be able to sustain it for longer. This will have the effect of overloading the muscles and this is where HMB works beautifully as a natural anabolic (body building/repairing) aid to knit everything back together after the trauma of muscle-shredding exercise.

The anaerobic energy system plays a major part in energy production for any high intensity exercise.  However, one of the major limitations of the anaerobic system, when producing energy during short bouts of exercise, is the body’s ability to clear the by-products (metabolites) produced by this system. Protons, including hydrogen ions, accumulate as a result of the breakdown of lactic acid, the major by-product of anaerobic metabolism, which results in acidosis; lowering the pH of the working muscle, causing fatigue and reducing the contractile force of the muscle. This ultimately results in a decrease in performance.

One of the major ways that the body counteracts the effect of acidosis is through buffers, one of which is Carnosine, which accounts for around 10% of the total buffering capacity in skeletal muscle cells.  Carnosine is stored within the skeletal muscle tissue, with particularly high concentration in the fast-twitch muscle fibres. The synthesis (production) of Carnosine in the muscle is limited by the availability of Beta-Alanine, which recent research has shown can only be significantly increased through Beta-Alanine supplementation (22-28). An increase in Carnosine stores results in an enhanced buffering capacity of the muscle and therefore improves performance, through delaying the associated fatigue and subsequent reduction in the contractile force of the muscle.In layman’s terms, Beta-Alanine supplementation will increase average power output for any interval between 1 and 7 minutes (according to research). Although few well controlled studies exist with regard to Beta-Alanine and time trial performance (anaerobic threshold power), logic dictates that the buffering ability of carnosine should also increase anaerobic threshold power by allowing a higher contribution to power by the anaerobic system. We will let you know if any clear evidence emerges on this subject, as we are watching keenly.

Research (22-28) has shown that, by supplementing with between 5-6 grams of Beta Alanine a day, one can increase muscle Carnosine content by up to 60% after 4 weeks and 80% after 10 weeks in both slow and fast twitch muscle fibres.  To maximise the muscle uptake it is best delivered in split or smaller doses, as Beta Alanine levels rise and fall within 2 hours of supplementing. Once again, this is why TORQ Recovery Plus+ is to be taken twice per day in divided doses. Unlike Creatine supplementation, there are no negative effects of weight gain, which makes Beta-Alanine a solid choice for high intensity endurance activities as well as those whose primary goals are strength and power. TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains the full research-recommended dose of Beta-Alanine (2.5 grams per serve – 5 grams per day). 7% of the ingredient matrix of TORQ Recovery Plus+ is Beta-Alanine.

Sodium Phosphate has also been studied with relation to lactic acid buffering and the associated anaerobic benefits, but findings have been mixed and thus it cannot be relied upon in this context. A strong relationship between Sodium Phosphate supplementation and increases in maximal oxygen uptake (6-12%) and cycling time trial performance have however been proven (29-33). This was confirmed in one study by higher average power output readings over 16.1km, so effectively Sodium Phosphate improves anaerobic threshold.

The mechanisms behind supplementing with Sodium Phosphate relate to an increase in oxygen transportation by the red blood cells through increases in erythrocyte 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (an enzyme) levels within the cells themselves. This results in an increased oxygenation of the blood causing a rise in aerobic capacity (measured as VO_{2 max}). Indirectly, this does reduce the build up of lactate in the muscles and blood at a given intensity, but this isn’t through buffering, it’s through increasing the aerobic power component of fitness, which relieves the pressure on the anaerobic system. Obviously the performance benefits from Sodium Phosphate are only going to be realised at anaerobic threshold if the aerobic and anaerobic systems are working flat out – in which case lactate levels would remain high, but overall power output would increase. Additionally, phosphates are also used by the body in the manufacture ATP and creatine phosphate and therefore it is considered that Sodium Phosphate may help increase the chemical energy stored within cells.

TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains the full research-recommended dose of Sodium Phosphate (0.8 grams per serve – 1.7 grams per day. Much of the research has used 4g of Tribasic Dodecahydrate Sodium Phosphate per day, which is ‘wet’ and less concentrated than the Anyhydrous (dry) source that we use. Therefore we only need to use about 40% of the material. 1.7g of our Anhydrous material is equivalent to just over 4g of Dodecahydrate). 2.2% of the ingredient matrix of TORQ Recovery Plus+ is Anhydrous Sodium Phosphate.

Cocoa is a major constituent of TORQ Recovery Plus+ and has a plethora of properties, naturally integrated into its fabric, which can’t be ignored from a both a physiological recovery and human health perspective. One of the most interesting things about cocoa is its antioxidant content. Some recent investigations have shown that it has more of the antioxidants and flavornoids than many foods typically considered high in antioxidants, such as green tea and blueberries. The antioxidants within Cocoa have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, as well as aiding improve immune function. Antioxidants also help to protect against the damage free radicals cause to muscle membranes and sub cellular structures.

Cocoa powder is rich in a number of key minerals including calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Vitamins and minerals are important to sustain normal function of tissues and cells and during regular intense training there is an increased need for these micronutrients as a result of increased losses from the body or from increased degradation rates. Here’s a summary of cocoa’s micronutrients and their functions:

Sodium is an electrolyte that helps regulates fluid balance, nerve transmission, and acid-base balance. Excessive decreases in sodium lost through sweat may predispose athletes to cramping and hyponatremia. A serving of TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains 60mg (120mg per 2 serves), with a recommended guideline daily amount (GDA) of around 500mg per day. Remember that GDA’s are recommendations to the general population, not athletes, so if you’re physically active, you should expect to take on a higher dose.

Calcium is an important mineral used to coordinate muscle contractions and is another mineral that’s lost in sweat, hence why it’s also found in our flavoured energy drinks. It is also important in the building of bone tissue, nerve transmission and clotting of blood. A serving of TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains 142mg calcium (285mg per serves – around a ¼ of your GDA).

Potassium is an electrolyte which helps regulate fluid balance, nerve transmission and acid base balance; it has also been suggested to help in the prevention of muscle cramps. TORQ Recovery Plus+ provides 150mg per serve (300mg per 2 serves). Potassium has a GDA of 2000mg.

Iron is a major component of haemoglobin, the oxygen carrying pigment in the red blood cells. Iron deficiency causes fatigue, decreased immunity and anaemia, none of which are very favourable to athletes. TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains 1.8mg per serve (3.5mg per 2 serves). GDA for iron in men is 8mg per day and 25mg per day in females.

Zinc is an essential substrate in the controlling of many enzyme reactions and helps promote tissue repair. It also has a presence in sweat. Research has shown it can help minimize exercise-induced changes in immune function. TORQ Recovery Plus+ contains 0.4mg per serve (0.7 per 2 serves) and has a GDA of 11mg in males and 8mg in females.

So, there you have the comprehensive TORQ Recovery System explained. What we’re really excited about is the interplay between the different nutrients – the performance enhancing benefits of carbohydrate-drenched fresh muscles, loaded on Beta-Alanine and Sodium Phosphate, coupled with the regenerative properties of Whey Protein, L-Glutamine, D-Ribose, HMB. The myriad of other micronutrients (vitamin/mineral mix in TORQ Recovery and the natural properties of cocoa in TORQ Recovery Plus+) clearly can’t be ignored either. We’re extremely proud to have developed this system.

For further information on our TORQ Recovery Plus+ product, please click here.

Guidance on how to use the TORQ Recovery System

So we’ve explained what’s in the two TORQ Recovery products, but how do you use them?

Usage of TORQ Recovery: TORQ Recovery needs to be consumed within 15 minutes of finishing any exercise session of significance. In this case ‘significance’ means any exercise session that was high intensity enough or prolonged enough to deplete your carbohydrate stores. Any kind of prolonged lactic acid-producing interval sessions, racing, or lengthy/high intensity endurance ride would qualify. During periods of heavy training, this could be as often as 5-6 times per week for a serious athlete.

Usage of TORQ Recovery Plus+: TORQ Recovery Plus+ should be consumed daily, even on rest days. Intermittent use of this product is not recommended, because you’re unlikely to glean the full benefits. All of the nutrients in TORQ Recovery Plus+ need to be taken daily and in 2 divided doses to have maximum effect. The research suggests that HMB and Sodium Phosphate will have a reasonably immediate effect, but many of the studies into Beta-Alanine supplementation suggest that the greatest benefits are likely to be gained once the amino acid has been in your system for a sustained period of time and most protocols have tested athletes after a loading phase of 4 weeks. That is not to say that benefits won’t be gained in less than 4 weeks, but if you have a particular goal in mind, you should aim to start consuming TORQ Recovery Plus+ during the 4-week training phase approaching it, or earlier.

Use throughout your entire racing season: Since the benefits of TORQ Recovery Plus+ are fully realised during high intensity training or racing, our advice to seasoned racers is to start taking the product during the pre-season when intensity of training is increased and continue with it throughout the season. During the off season where training intensity drops and volume increases, benefits will still be gained from the anti-catabolic qualities of HMB and aerobic benefits of Sodium Phosphate, but you will be paying for Beta-Alanine, which will be having little effect on your performance at this time. In which case, we recommend that you cease using TORQ Recovery Plus and purchase our RAW HMB product and maintain a daily dose of that by mixing it into some fruit juice. Sodium Phosphate offers performance benefits of course, but at this time you’re not looking for performance, you’re looking to build base fitness and strength.

Cycling/activity holidays, training camps and key races: If such heavy consumption of TORQ Recovery Plus+ leaves you feeling a little concerned for your bank balance, you could consider using it as a peaking tool for isolated one-day races, stage races, training camps or cycling/activity holidays? Training camps and cycling holidays for instance invariably get a tad competitive, so if you know that the exercise is going to be of an intermittent nature, start using TORQ Recovery Plus+ at least 4 weeks before you go as you train up for the trip and continue taking it throughout the holiday. If you’re not quite organised enough to start taking the product 4 weeks prior, as mentioned earlier, benefits are likely to be gleaned with a shorter loading phase anyway.

Track cyclists, downhill MTBers and BMX riders: Finally, there are groups of individuals who are likely to benefit from regular TORQ Recovery Plus+ consumption even when using the standard TORQ Recovery product less frequently. As there are significant anaerobic benefits to be gained through using TORQ Recovery Plus+, sprinting and power athletes like Track Cyclists, Downhill MTBers and BMX riders should consider using this product, even if they aren’t using the Standard TORQ Recovery product as much as an endurance athlete. These athletes should also consider using TORQ Creatine (available early 2013 from our RAW range). It should be stressed that TORQ Creatine should not be used by most endurance athletes, because it is a product proven to enhance explosive power, not endurance and carries a significant weight gain (body mass) penalty.

If you would like any further information on the products mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate in contacting us at enquiries@torqfitness.co.uk or on 0844 332 0852.

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