Review for SportMax Energy

CAFFEINE CONTENT

140 mg

EASE IN ACQUISITION—1

From the ‘Retailer Info’ section of the company website:  “Retail distribution is in the process of being established in local markets. We'll provide information as it develops.  In the meantime, order online in our online store.”

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

SportMax Energy is a rather straightforward energy product, employing in their packaging the approach of the country preacher who told his congregation what he was going to tell them, told them, and then, once he had finished, told them what he had just told them.  Everything about it declares its intent as an energy product geared towards athletes or just about anyone leading an active lifestyle—the very name “SportMax”, the graphics traversing the midsection of the bottle (who look uncannily like the running 5 Hour Energy guy doing a whole lot more than just running), slogans, the mini-informative paragraphs on the front—there’s really no mistaking their intent, which, from what we will see in the “kick” sections, works out just fine.

TASTE—6.5

I was told that this was intended to be a tropical fruit-flavored product—something which, from my experience with the product, I don’t suppose I ever would have guessed on my own, so it’s well that I asked to clarify so I wasn’t guilty of putting forth false information regarding it.  First thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was that this didn’t smell like a 5 Hour Energy clone—which I appreciated; you have no idea how tiring those clones get after reviewing so many shots.  The first swig woke me up really quick—it had an extremely sour peachy flavor, with a thickness that reminded me a bit of the light syrup a canned fruit cocktail came in.  It didn’t mellow any with subsequent sips, and by the time I was finished I was okay with the fact that I was only getting two ounces of the stuff per shot—it’s a bit intense for more than that.  Additional noteworthy details include the fact that there is no medicinal aftertaste that plagues most (read: almost all) energy shots, and that the presence of stevia as the sweetener wasn’t tremendously obvious—a blessing, considering I find the taste of it hard to stomach.  All in all I’d say this is one of the more pleasant energy shots I’ve had, but it’s not something you would drink for the flavor alone.

KICK (INTENSITY)—8

I get sample requests quite often, but it’s pretty rare to have a company actually make it a point to invite me to make comparisons between their products and those of the industry leaders—in fact, I think that’s only happened twice now.  Anyway, interested in taking them up on that, I decided to match this against a new favorite of mine that I was sure would perform well (I don’t let products I get as samples off easy, especially when they’re gutsy enough to challenge me to make comparisons): 5 Hour Energy Extra Strength—Sour Apple.  In both cases, I took these just before I went to the gym.  We were away for the seven-week break between semesters, and I didn’t get a lot of lifting in during that time, so the first week was pretty brutal.  My workout entails 30 minutes/3000 feet/565 calories on Jacob’s Ladder, followed by a three-minute break or so and then a half hour of weightlifting.

In the case of 5 Hour Energy Extra Strength, I felt noticeably more alert, sharp and focused, and my workout did feel reasonably facilitated.  I was still dead tired by the time I hopped off Jacob’s Ladder, and the moment of rest after the fact was still most welcome.  I was able to get through the rest of my workout just fine, and sit through my classes all focused and what not.

In the case of SportMax, I didn’t feel that same alertness.  I didn’t feel particularly sharp or jittery or chatty or anything like that.  In fact, I only felt slightly more awake than I had before until I started exercising—at which point I felt unstoppable.  Jacob’s Ladder was as close to being a breeze as it’s ever been, and when I was finished with that, I felt no need for a break—just needed a long draft of water before it was on to the weights, which I got through with surprising ease (considering how long I’d gone without lifting).  Showered up and got to class, and after about 45 minutes or so, started feeling a bit drowsy—but then, this was never advertised as an academically-oriented energy shot.

KICK (DURATION)—8

I figure this will do for you just fine as long as you’re reasonably efficient with your workout—I figure if I need to be at it for longer than an hour to get any results, then I’m doing something wrong.  Those crazy all-day people might have a different experience entirely—I don’t know for sure how long this lasts as far as physical energy is concerned, because I only spent about 60 minutes at the gym, and after it took just a bit to wear off.  What I do know is that for my purposes, it was absolutely fantastic.

THE SHOT OVERALL—7.33

As you might have figured by this point, I am absolutely a fan of SportMax.  I know in times past I’ve raved over diverse products that I’ve found to be helpful at the gym—and those reviews still hold, but none of those products have facilitated my workout to the same extent as this one, and I am absolutely looking forward to having this shot in my gym bag at all times.

WEBSITE: sportmaxenergy.com

KEYWORDS: SpotMax energy shot review, physical energy, workout shot