PERFORMANCE

Helping You Shatter Barriers To Performance Through Plants & Science…and here’s a taste..


    1. 13% decrease in marathon times, J Int Soc Sports Nut.2016; 13:22.(@1)
    2. 47% reduction in lab markers of muscle breakdown post marathon.(@1)
    3. Faster muscle strength recovery post event, Nutrients.2016;8:441.(@2)
    4. 50% reduction in upper respiratory cold symptoms post marathon, J Int Soc Sports Nut.2015;12:22.(@3)
    5. Improved duration & quality of sleep, Eur J Nutr.2011;8:909.(@4) 
    6. See References Page for 60 additional cited research studies.                      

You’ve made a huge personal investment in your performance. Fueling your body’s complex physiologic performance needs with cheap, ultra-refined sugar, minerals, and caffeine, the core of most simplistic energy products,  shortchanges your performance and your body. SmartAthleteFuel is based in exercise physiology and plant science transcending your performance not shortchanging it. SAF links every natural food based, energy calorie with meticulously preserved plant MICRO & PHYTONUTRIENTS. Nutrients volumes of research attest could support your complex, interdependent physiologic needs to perform, recover and be well. Your new competitive edge.

    BREAKING THROUGH YOUR MAXIMAL PERFORMANCE GLASS CEILING.

    You have trained hard, yet your genetics, level of fitness and training create an upper limit, a glass ceiling, on your maximum performance. However, based on SAF's literature research, if SAF's ingredients can help you can transiently achieve any of the following, you might break through your performance glass ceiling:

    1. IMPROVED CARDIAC OUTPUT
      (HOW)
      • Equals more blood to your muscles and lungs. You can increase your cardiac output by increasing your heart rate, which already has a maximum, and or by increasing your stroke volume (the amount the heart pumps out each beat). SAF’s Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha tea contains 3 members of the 30 + Methylxanthine family, “caffeine like family”, that have both similar and dissimilar physiologic effects. Collectively they may increase the contractility of the heart, and dilate vessels increasing your stroke volume; thus, increasing cardiac output (@5).
    2. IMPROVED BREATHING FOR GREATER OXYGEN AND CO2 EXCHANGE
      (HOW)
      • SAF’s Tea ingredients may help dilate airways making it easier to breath and exchange oxygen and CO2 (@5)
    3. IMPROVED BLOOD FLOW
      (HOW)
      • More blood flow to muscles allowing oxygen and nutrients in and waste products out. SAF’s selected ratio of methylxanthines may dilate vessels (more blood in). Flavonoids in their ingredients improved muscle oxygenation (blood flow) at rest and in steady state moderate exercise per Morgan’s published study January 2019, Eur J of Applied Physiology study (@6). Researchers believe this is through nitric oxide dependent vasodilatation modulated by Flavonoid phytonutrients.
      • Beets rich in nitrates and phytonutrients I've been shown to have strong vasodilatory effects in exercise studies (@61,62,64,65).
    4. NEUTRALIZE EXCESSIVE FREE RADICALS AND INFLAMMATION
      (HOW)
      • The more intense the exercise, the greater the free radicals and inflammation produced. This can swamp your body’s ability to “neutralize” them. At this point, they begin to impede cellular function that causes the wheels to fall off your performance bus. You know, hitting the wall, blowing up, cramping up, we’ve all been there. SAF’s ingredients contain a wide range of bioactive Phytonutrients that could directly “neutralize '' free radicals and could simultaneously turn up the body’s own mechanisms to control them. Both physical and biochemical, “micro-trauma” during intense exercise turns up your body’s inflammation (both good and bad), which you experience as pain and loss of strength. SAF’s phytonutrient rich ingredients have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that could reduce inflammation and REDOX imbalance (@7,8,1).
    5. HYDRATION
      (HOW)
      • Users rave about SAF’s taste cold or warm, diluted as a drink in 12 to 20 fl oz or straight up as a gel. SAF’s inviting taste makes you want to drink and stay hydrated. SAF’s slightly tart taste draws salvia into your mouth minimizing cottonmouth.
    6. ELECTROLYTES & VITAMINS
      (HOW)
      • SAF’s ingredients contain a full complement of electrolytes and trace minerals not just some elemental, potassium, sodium and magnesium with questionable absorption, like so many energy products. Additionally, Theaflavins in SAF may help increase the absorption of minerals from the gut. Vitamins: A, B1, B2, B5, B6, C, D, E, K and niacin.
    7. ENERGY & EFFICIENCY
      (HOW)
      • SAF does the basics better, smarter and naturally. Fast, medium and slow burn energy using simple and complex sugars, protein, amino acids and omega fatty acids. SAF has a “RELATIVELY LOW” GLYCEMIC INDEX AND LIPOTROPIC ATTRIBUTES THAT COULD HELP MOBILIZE BODY FAT STORES into your immediate energy pool to further extend the duration of your performance. BONUS, lose some baggage, poundage, not emotional (@5). SAF uniquely functions as an energy gel or drink used pre, during and post event. One product, no need to use 2 or 3 different products increasing your chance of GI upset. As a gel, its slightly tart taste draws fluid into your mouth and doesn’t need to be immediately washed down with water to prevent the gagging and the possible hurl. It can sit in your mouth and be partially ABSORBED SUBLINGUAL THE FASTEST PORTAL INTO THE BODY short of an injection (there are 2 exception, but ya don’t wanta go there). This multi-functionality, gel, drink, sublingual or swallowed allow you to more precisely meet your energy demands.
      • Efficiency: Studies on beets and beet nutrients postulate that there is a synergistic effect with phytonutrients and nitrates. Together they may actually improve the efficiency of the body's physiology during exercise and reduce oxygen consumption and decrease lactic acid production (@62,62,65).
    8. MENTAL ALERTNESS AND CONCENTRATION
      (HOW)
      • Phytonutrients and metabolized nitrates improved cerebral blood flow and led to improved concentration and diminished reaction times in Presleys 2011 study (@55). SAF’s ratio of 3 “caffeine like" ingredients plus tea Theanine, a stimulant of alpha brain wave activity, (focused alertness), could help bring your mind into the game. BODY + MIND = YOU WIN….                       BODY ALONE = YOU LOSE…. SAF users continually comment that their level of concentration increases. They perform smarter and are able to quickly get into their “ZONE” …you know when everything clicks, play becomes nearly effortless, you think it….it happens, the athlete’s outta body experience, Ahhhhh..
    9. A NOTE ON CAFFEINE. The good, bad, & ugly. Why SAF avoids it.
      Read On>
      • The Good: volumes of research demonstrate caffeine can benefit performance, especially when your lights are dimming and your competitors are walking away from you. That's the time to throw in the caffeine and sugar life raft.
      • The Bad: caffeine is a vasoconstrictor (less blood flow). It increases heart rate more than increasing contraction efficiency and can be arrhythmogenic, very bad for middle-aged athletes. Similarly, it increases respiratory rate more than opening airways. Drink 3 good cups of java and think about the next few sentences. Too much java loving can rocket you into a jittering, heart pounding, bouncing off the walls, A.D.D state in search of a bathroom. It is a strong diuretic (gotta pee) via increasing renin secretion which makes it more difficult for you to stay hydrated.
      • The ugly: caffeine it is a strong gastrointestinal stimulant (gotta poop) via increasing gastrin, pepsin and CCK which signals your colon to empty NOW during your event, no bathrooms in sight, the dreaded big brown. SAF’s ingredients contain 3 caffeine like substances along with a very small amount of caffeine. THEY WERE PURPOSELY CHOSEN TO HAVE LESS DIURETIC EFFECT AND LESS GI STIMULATION. THEY MAY OPEN AIRWAYS, MAY IMPROVE BLOOD FLOW AND MAY MAKE THE HEART PUMP MORE EFFICIENTLY.  Less ugly, more good.

    HOW TO USE SAF TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY AND WELL BEING:

    SAF is not simply a natural food energy product, but an energy, performance, recovery and health food product. Thus, it needs to be used accordingly. Many of its effects have a limited life time in the body and need to be replenished. Use as a Gel, straight-up, for maximal energy or diluted to taste in 12 to 20 oz H2O for hydration, energy & recovery. SAF’s does the impossible, its taste transforms the necessary evil of an energy gel into a pleasurable & rewarding experience! 

    FOR A BIG EVENT:

    • PRE-LOAD before event : 1 gel the day before @ 3pm. Day of event:  One gel at 1hour, then 1/2 gel sublingual 15 minutes before the gun. Other 1/2 into your bottle.
    • RE-LOAD during the event: consume 1.5 packets SAF preferably as a drink 1st hour of the event. 1 packet in water as energy drink every additional hour. 
    • REPLENISH after event for recovery: 1 gel Immediately post event with fluids (try in chocolate milk)  then 1 gel at 2 and 6 hours post event with needed fluids.

    NORMAL USAGE:

    At start, ¼ gel packet straight up with the rest in your water bottle used in the 1st 60 minutes. Beyond 60 minutes, 1 packet mixed as energy drink consumed every 60 minute interval as energy drink. If the work out was intense, consider with 1gel packet and needed fluids for recovery.

    Otherwise, use as needed for hydration, energy and recovery or as an anytime refreshing pick me up.

    Smart Athlete Fuel is not just for athletes. It naturally  brings your body and mind into your game, work or pleasure. It does this in a Cherry-Maple Love Affair, Taste Nirvana that SAF users rave about. At 100 calories it is a healthier alternative to soft and energy drinks cold and a nice stand in for coffee and tea hot. It's sooo... good in sparkling water & with your favorite spirit, and even a topping on yogurt, granola & ice cream, yum!

    Phytonutrients That Fuel Performance, Recovery & Well-Being Are Fragile Outside Their Plant Home

    If foods are not grown, harvested and processed accordingly, their phytonutrient value can be lost. Unfortunately, most food processors and producers do not take the added effort and cost to preserve phytonutrients as they are NOT require on food labels and add Little to the flavor. SAF researchers have taken a radically different development & production approach than typical, ultra-refined, sugar based energy products to preserve, rather than destroy, Micro & Phytonutrients.  SAF’s ingredients cost 5 to 7 times more than cheap, refined sugars used to make most energy products. SAF never price source ingredients on the commodities markets, as the phytonutrient content, the value and soul of SAF, would be conjecture at best. This prevents their ingredients from becoming empty calories, which undoubtedly will be the basis for the future, plagiarized versions of such a transformational product. 

    We all know we cannot eat, exercise nor supplement our way to Peak Performance and Health alone. No silver bullets. It is a combined effort where attention to SMALL DETAILS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS.

    A worthy quote from Gao and Chilibeck’s published study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2020 “this will inform athletes of the use of tart cherry concentrate as an effective supplementation strategy to improve endurance exercise performance” (@9).

    SAF powered Iceman Winner, 2019

    The researchers at SAF believe Smart Athletes will see the advantage of demanding every energy calorie consumed to simultaneously address well-being, recovery and performance. They will be early adopters of the cherry-maple love affair, taste experience and do so with a winning smile.

    The rhetorical question, why would you risk using anything else?

    Demand more from your Energy Products!

    IMPORTANT USAGE NOTE: SAF is much more LIQUID than a Goo gel. When opened it cannot be resealed. Even if completely used, the slight residual LIQUID in the packet will likely leak from the tear opening. If you cannot dispose of the opened packet, considering carrying SAF in a snack Baggie to dispose the opened packet into to protect your clothing as natural cherry & beet phytonutrients can stain clothing. Alternatively, partially fill a goo flask with 3 to 4 packets of SAF to quickly and cleanly consume SAF, but refrigerate any unused portion. SAF is a natural product without preservatives or additives. Once it is opened and diluted it is best used within 8 hrs or refrigerate. If left in your bottle for days, it's on the path to cherry wine! So clean your bottles well after use and DON’T use in HYDRATION PACKS! SAF is shelf stable un-opened, but shelf life can be further extended by refrigeration. For a Deep Dive on the Science behind SAF usage visit the HOW TO USE PAGE.

    Note: The statements made on our website have not been evaluated by the FDA (US food and drug administration). The products and information are not intended to diagnose, prevent or cure any disease or health issues, nor be a substitute for medical advice. Our products and information are not to be read as a specific remedy nor intended to guarantee any specific result. We are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of our products or any suggestions, information or procedures discussed in this site. Many of the studies SmartAthleteFuel's researchers used to formulate their conclusions presented in this website are referenced for the consumer to review and draw their own informed conclusion. BeetSmartAthleteFuel & SmartAthleteFuel are food products only.