Long Term Test: FRS Healthy Energy
Posted April 30, 2010 
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Of all the energy drinks (and really, all the sports nutrition products) I’ve reviewed here, none has gotten as much attention as the FRS Healthy Energy drink. Maybe it’s the amount of marketing they do, or the Lance Armstrong endorsement, but people love it or hate it, and want to make their opinion known!
It’s been approximately two years since I first reviewed FRS back in May 2008, and my reviews are still getting comments. One comment struck me though – it was a comment wondering how FRS works for me these days. I thought that was a great question, hence the long term test I’m posting here today.
How I Used FRS For The First Year
The first year I used FRS (basically all of 2008,) I used the same strategy the whole time.
I had been riding my bike and working out for hours each day, while still trying to have enough energy to work the rest of the day. Some days were fine, but more often than not, I was physically and mentally exhausted from training. (And this was with plenty of sleep and a healthy diet.)
Then I tested FRS, and I found that by having a single serving of the FRS liquid concentrate each morning, I could complete my training but still have enough energy (at least mentally) to be productive with the rest of my day.
So I went a little over one year having FRS almost every single day on that regimen. I used it for the 2008 training and race seasons, the off-season, and the early training for the 2009 season. I’d say from March 2008 till May 2009. It truly worked flawlessly for me, which is why I didn’t mind the price tag.
Slowing Down My FRS Consumption
Unfortunately, I had to scale back my training and racing quite a bit in 2009 due to injury. Although I did still race, I wasn’t training much between May and July 2009.
With my training volume reduced significantly, I didn’t have a problem with feeling run down each afternoon. If I’m not doing lots of endurance exercise, a good diet and plenty of sleep are all I need to function well, so I decided to skip the daily FRS servings.
(This was also the time period where I tried some FRS substitutes, such as plain old B-vitamin pills, to save money.)
But every so often, on a rough day, I’d have a can of FRS (typically lemon lime, which became my new favorite.) Unlike before, where I had FRS consistently each morning, I began to take FRS sporadically and at random times of the day.
I always thought of FRS as something that would prevent me from getting worn out, but not something that could give me a real energy boost when I was already exhausted. But as it turns out, FRS does give me a nice boost of energy even if I’m deep into that afternoon slump. So if I’m not in the middle of an intense training schedule, I can cut back my FRS use to only when I need it.
No FRS During the Off-Season
I suffered another injury in September 2009, and that had me sidelined for the rest of the season. I took some time off training as well as supplements during that time, and I can’t remember if I had FRS at all. If I did, I drank it rarely.
In late October 2009, I got back into training, but this was offseason training. I did lots of weight lifting and cross training. It included rehab stuff, correcting muscle imbalances, building a little upper body strength, etc. Cycling of any sort was pretty much nonexistent.
I was on a basic program where I lifted weights M-W-F and did some light running and yoga on Tuesday and Thursday. I could lift weights for an hour per day and not worry about being worn out. Not only that, contrary to endurance training, this stuff left me invigorated for the day!
During this sort of training, I really didn’t need FRS (at least not every day.)
I did a good amount of cross-country skiing, but even then, I didn’t take much FRS. I did get exhausted though, like when I skiied three hours each day for a week straight.
Back on FRS in 2010
As the weather improved in 2010 (much earlier than usual, March felt like May,) I was getting bored of the indoor workouts and really wanted to get moving around outside.
Not only was it time to spend more hours training, it was also time to work on another project of mine – restoring an old rusty Jeep! If you’ve done any wrenching on a rusty bicycle or car, you know it’s a long, hard job that leaves you sore and exhausted.
So… what better time to get back on FRS?!
As I write this long term review, I’ve been back on FRS consistently for two months. I am pleased to say that FRS is just as effective now as it was at this time in 2008!
I have the energy to do my training, work inside, and then work outside on the old Jeep for some extra fun.
FRS Healthy Energy Long Term Conclusions
Technically, I can’t say that FRS still works great after using it every single day for two years, because I didn’t use it every single day. However, I used it quite a bit during the past two years. So I can say that FRS, taken in moderation for a little over two years, still works well for me today.
The only thing that has really changed is that I’ll switch between the orange concentrate and the lemon lime cans so that I don’t get bored with the flavor. I have yet to get bored with the orange concentrate, but I thought it would be fun to switch things up, and it was.
So, as long as FRS keeps working like this, I’ll continue to use it. Maybe for years to come.
I get mine direct from the FRS store, which is cool because there’s no autoship requirement, and as a registered customer, you get some discount coupons emailed to you.
Of course, there is always the free trial offer where you get a free two-week supply of FRS once you pay shipping and handling, and agree to enroll in more shipments.
