(18 Series Nutrition After Action Recovery Review)
If you are being held back by your recovery supplement then maybe it’s time to let go of your protein overloaded “recovery” powder and try something that is designed to actually help you recover.
The problem with a lot of the protein powders out there is that the market is dominated by supplements that are designed to help you get BIG. If this is what you are looking to do then maybe this review is not for you.
Maybe you should stick to your recovery supplement that loads you with 200% of your daily protein values and pretty much nothing else. But if you are an athlete looking to improve PERFORMANCE, not just muscle mass, if you are looking for a product designed to help you actually recover, to provide your muscles with the protein needed to develop as well as restore the energy supplies you burned during your workout then look no further than 18 Series Nutrition’s After Action Recovery Mix (AAR).
What sets this product apart is that it was designed for soldiers in the field. Soldiers who can’t afford to just pump their bodies with protein and sleep off the workout. Soldiers who need something that not only builds them back up after a hard effort but allows them to jump right back out and repeat that same effort again, because there life might depend on it. In doing this 18 series nutrition also created an amazing product for true athletes.
The two major differences between AAR and other protein powders is the addition of carbohydrates and fat. The actual breakdown is 21g Whey Protein, 50g Carbohydrates (Dextrose), and 11g Fat (MCT). Dextrose is a fast digesting simple sugar which allows you to replenish your energy stores as quickly as possible. MCT or Medium Chain Triglycerides are a form of saturated fatty acids that are considered to be largely missing in the standard American diet.
They are much easier for your body to break down than more complex forms of fat and have numerous health benefits including, improved cognitive function and energy and improved metabolism. Now what does this mean for you? It’s simple as I found out first hand when trying this product. It gives you sustainable energy following your workout and most importantly, especially for you multi-sport athletes it allows you to recover and repeat your workouts sooner.
In my use of this product I saw the most improvement in two areas. The first was in my overall energy. As an athlete and a working dad there is never a time sit down and rest after a workout. On my day’s off I run in the morning and then go straight to playing with my kid’s, which as the leader of an active family usually means running around the playground with my kids or going for a hike.
On my work day’s I get up at 4 to work out before heading to work for a 12 hour shift where nodding off can mean a career change. With after action recovery I was recovered and ready to go by the time I got out of the shower. The second and more measurable area of improvement was on my two-a-days. On days that I did two workouts my second workout saw a huge improvement.
For me this meant completing routes on my boulder wall, shortly after a hard run that would previously have been reserved for my primary workout. I also followed up my run a few times with strength workouts an hour or so later. This is something I often try to do but am just too tired to even start when the time comes. I performed well in all these scenarios.
Given my results in this area I really wanted to test AAR as an actual energy supplement during an all-day event. I have not run an ultra since I started using this product and I am interested to see how it will perform if taken midway through a 7 hour event. My bet is it will become a new staple for me there as well. And that’s really the important stuff right there. 
I didn’t gain 5 pounds of muscle but I did get faster and stronger and won $1500 in prize money at a few obstacle races while using AAR. Now the icing on the Cake that further sets this product apart, the quality of the powder! It smells like chocolate, it tastes like chocolate, I actually mixed it with milk fairly often and it made a good quality chocolate milk, and it doesn’t clump! If everyone used AAR blender bottle would go out of business. It mixes in to your drink with a simple stir. Long and short if you are an athlete looking for a true recovery product and not just a muscle builder give AAR a shot, you won’t be disappointed.
