I guess it was only a matter of time before FRS jumped onto the protein bandwagon! Earlier this year they released FRS Healthy Protein. It is virtually the same drink as the FRS Healthy Energy in bottles, but this one contains whey protein.

It’s not that a carb/protein drink is bad, but these days, everyone just has to offer one. I didn’t expect FRS to come out with one, but since they did, I had to see if it was any good. (And at $2.99 for a 12oz bottle, I sure hope it’s good!)

Continue reading to see what’s new and different with FRS Healthy Protein…

Health and Nutrition

The first thing I want to point out is that the FRS Healthy Energy in bottles is a new formula compared to the FRS in cans I reviewed back in 2008. This formula cuts down on the sugar content and uses stevia as a sweetener, replacing the sucralose of old. So that gets a thumbs up from me.

The Healthy Protein formula looks to be about the same basic formula as the Healthy Energy but with the addition of 25g whey protein. This means 190 calories instead of 90, but hey, if you want protein, you have to take in the extra calories.

The one thing that stood out was the carb and sugar content. In the Healthy Protein, there are only 11g carbs and 9g sugar. Yet in the Healthy Energy, you get about 23g carbs and 19g sugar! It makes sense though, because it’s called “energy” and you need carbs for energy.

So to sum that up, FRS Healthy Protein contains more protein and less sugar than FRS Healthy Energy.

Makes sense to me.

FRS Healthy Protein Taste Test

The new Healthy Protein is available in two flavors, Blackberry Acai and Orange Cream.

Here are my thoughts:

Blackberry Acai – This one starts off with a great smell, followed up with an alright taste. Don’t you just hate it when the taste doesn’t live up to the scent? (I’m used to the older FRS that always tasted better than it smelled!)

Taste-wise, I do think you can taste both blackberry and acai. It makes a good combo. Luckily it’s not sour like a lot of real blackberries are.

The thing is, the taste is overpowered by the texture. While it goes down smooth, it leaves a ‘thick’ aftertaste that seems to stick to your mouth and the back of your throat. I’m no stranger to starting my day with whey protein shakes, but I don’t have this texture problem with my Optimum Nutrition or True Protein powder and almond milk mix.

Orange Cream – Much like its Blackberry Acai counterpart, this Orange Cream flavor actually has a pleasant scent to it. It smells like orange juice rather than orange-colored energy drink!

The taste was also much like orange juice. It’s like your regular orange juice from concentrate, but thicker, thanks to the protein.

The texture was less obnoxious in this flavor, but I preferred the taste of the Blackberry Acai. I’ve had enough orange juice in my life and prefer something more exotic when given the chance!

The other comparison I wanted to make was to the “oranges and cream” flavor whey protein powder from True Protein. It turns out, it’s not much of a comparison – that flavor is amazing and totally blows this orange cream FRS out of the water!

Overall, neither of the two FRS flavors were pleasing to the palette.

The Energy Boost

Though “FRS Healthy Protein” makes no mention of “energy” in the name, it is still based on FRS’ energy blend with quercetin and whatnot.

True to its roots, this drink from FRS still provides a nice, all day energy boost. The difference for me is that I felt less of an initial boost. I mean, it’s still a good boost, but not a jittery boost. (I was never a huge caffeine drinker so even the ~38g caffeine in FRS was potent for me.)

I think some of the ‘energy’ is tempered by the protein so it doesn’t hit you as hard. Because even if you’re drinking it on an empty stomach, it’s a high calorie drink, like a small smoothie.

Either that or the reduced sugar content removes some of the initial rush.

My final verdict is…

The drink is OK, but it hasn’t convinced me to buy Healthy Protein rather than Healthy Energy. I can get my protein elsewhere, and I’d rather have the freedom to mix it how I want, rather than the convenience of having it premixed in a bottle. I still like FRS, but I’ll probably stick with the cans (or whatever costs less than $3 per serving) when I need it.

Official website: www.FRS.com

Want a chance at a completely FREE box of FRS Healthy Energy Powder?

Then enter the CoachLevi.com October Contest! It’s your chance to win a 14-serving box of diet Orange FRS Healthy Energy Powder (a $19.95 value.)

And by free, I mean completely free. There are no shipping and handling charges like with the free trial offer from FRS. This box of powder was purchased by myself and will be sent direct from Coach Levi headquarters. The contest is not endorsed by FRS either. Just me.

Not sure what FRS is? Click here to read my FRS Powder review to learn more.

Then come back here and enter!

Since this is the inaugural CoachLevi.com contest, I’m making it very simple to enter.

To enter:

Leave a comment using the form below. In the comment, provide a short answer to, why do you need more energy?

Be sure to use your correct name and email address in the form for me to contact you, in case you win.

Contest ends October 29, 2010 at 2pm EST. The winner will be chosen at that time and posted here. Also, if you are the winner, I will email you to get your shipping address.*

*If you do not respond to the email, I will have to choose a new winner.
**Void where prohibited. Please, USA residents only due to shipping costs. Thanks.

Good luck!

Contest Winner Announcement!

After tallying the results via Excel and the Random.org Random Number Generator, our winner is #2. In this case, that’s commenter #2, also known as Justin Raymond. Justin needs more energy to:

1) . . . to go harder during high intensity workouts.
2) . . . to go longer during low intensity distance workouts.
3) . . . to write the two 10 page history papers due this Friday.
3) . . . to stay energized during my 6 hour shifts from 10 pm to 2am as a barista at my college’s student run cafe.
4) . . . to keep awwwwwwwwwwwwzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . . . okay, you get the point

Justin, congratulations! You will receive an email from me shortly to arrange shipment of your prize!

Everyone else, thanks for entering, and stay tuned for the CoachLevi.com November Contest!

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 when I’m doing serious endurance training. 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. I wouldn’t do it, but you can if you want.

FRS Healthy Energy has recently launched a new ad campaign. As you can see, they’re offering a coupon code FRS10POFF, which gets you 10% off your order from the FRS store.

But that’s for the general public. If you are a reader of CoachLevi.com, you get 15% off! Since I’m such a big fan of the drink they decided to create a custom coupon code for me that I can share!

Just use coupon code COACHLEVI in your shopping cart and you will get 15% off your order.

Don’t wait too long though – the code is only valid till March 31, 2009.

Go here to start shopping: www.FRS.com

(Read my review of the FRS.com online store for more details on their store.)

Retailer Name: FRS
Website: www.FRS.com and www.HealthyEnergy.com

Continue reading for my thoughts and opinions on the FRS online store, which sells FRS energy drinks and merchandise…

Product Selection and Availability

This is simple – the FRS store consists of FRS products (liquid concentrate, cans, powder, chews) in every flavor. They offer the products on an individual basis as well as in a few sampler packs and gift packs. To top things off, you can buy FRS baseball caps and aluminum water bottles.

Availability is usually not an issue, but sometimes the more popular flavors (such as low cal peach mango and pomegranate blueberry) do sell out temporarily.

Pricing

These drinks aren’t cheap! Prices range from about $1.25 to $2.50 per serving.

However, I don’t think it’s any cheaper if you buy them at a local store like GNC. You could save money on shipping, but I don’t think you’ll find FRS at a discount anywhere.

Discounts & Coupon Codes

This does not happen as often as some retailers, but FRS does send out coupon codes to existing customers.

I have been treated well as a regular customer. Any time a new product comes out, I get an email about it with a “25% off your first purchase” coupon that applies to the new product. Also, there were two super sales this year – a 50% off sale for their 5-year anniversary as well as a 50% off holiday deal.

There are also some 10% off and free shipping coupons that come out on occasion. Just be on the lookout.

The only problem I’ve noticed here ties in to availability. Whenever FRS offers a discount or coupon code, the more popular flavors tend to be sold out already.

The FRS Free Trial Offer

The other discount option is the free trial, but it’s so popular I figured it deserved it’s own section…

[Note: If you go to www.FRS.com, you go to the store, and if you head to www.HealthyEnergy.com, you get the free trial offer.]

If paying full price doesn’t sound fun, FRS offers a free 14-day trial (for a $5 shipping and handling fee.) The catch is that you have to enter your credit card details to pay for the shipping charge and agree to their terms, which allow them to auto-enroll you in their autoship program if you don’t call and cancel.

Here’s a small excerpt from their terms: “By signing up for the free trial offer, if you don’t cancel before the end of your trial period which is 14 days after receiving your free trial, you also agree to receive and authorize us to charge you $64.95 (plus tax if applicable) each month for a 30 day supply of FRS.”

I had no interest in the free trial since it was composed of the low calorie products. (I don’t eat or drink anything with sucralose, so that would have been a waste.)

But I have seen comments that indicate many people are getting angry over the terms. I’m kind of surprised how few people knew what they were getting into when signing-up for the free trial, but maybe no one has ever done a free trial before.

I grew up with all the “get 7 free cassettes from Columbia House today… when you agree to buy 20 more at an outrageous price over the next 12 months” kind of offers. (I think they still exist, but with CDs and DVDs now.)

Some consider it a shady business practice, but it is legal. So let that be a lesson – you should always read the fine print!

Ease of Use (Website and Shopping Cart)

The FRS website is easy to use once you find the store. The layout is pretty simple since there is only a small selection of products, so there shouldn’t be any issues finding what you want.

To order, find the item, enter the desired quantity, and click Add to Cart. Then click on View Cart and you can see the items. Then you can easily update the quantity, remove the item, or switch to an autoship of the item. Finally, clicking Check out takes you to the next steps of entering shipping and billing information, then you’re set to place the order.

Shipping & Handling

The shipping isn’t cheap, but that’s what happens when you’re buying liquids through the mail. Especially with the cans, the weight adds up.

I have paid about $6 for a small order (a bag of chews,) and $16 for heavier orders that included a couple bottles of concentrate and some cans.

I’ve had some serious variation on shipping time though. Most orders took over a week (more like 10-14 days) to get here to the East cost. But the worst was my last order in October – the order shipped out mid-November, and got here in December! The shipping time wasn’t too too bad, but it took over two weeks to “process” the order.

The redeeming factor is that you can setup an “autoship” where you get a shipment of a specific item on a monthly basis. When you do that, the shipping is free, and it probably arrives consistently.

Customer Service

Luckily I’ve never had to deal with anyone in customer service since my orders always arrived. Unfortunately, I haven’t read many stories of good experiences with their customer service. It sounds like they outsource to a call center in India, like Dell does (and if you’ve ever called Dell customer support, you know the potential problems.)

Let’s just say I don’t get a good vibe about their customer service.

My final verdict is…

I like the drink and I have had no trouble ordering from the online store. The coupons for existing customers are great and keep me going back.

Just watch out for the free trial. If you do the free trial only to find out you don’t like the drink, you’ll have to call and cancel within 14 days.

(I do highly recommend the all natural FRS drinks, though, so you could still try the product either through the online store or from an offline retailer such as GNC.)

Official website: www.FRS.com and www.HealthyEnergy.com