Kyoku Recovery Product: Long Review – by Guitar Ted
Cyclists don’t make power out of nothing, and this is the reason companies like Kyoku exist. They specifically are focused on nutrition to help aid in post-exercise recovery. The theory being that a faster and more complete recovery for athletes can allow for higher performance metrics to be obtained over a shorter period of time.
Kyoku reached out to Riding Gravel and asked us if we were interested in using their Recovery Product system for a review. They sent out a kit over the Summer and I used the product after long rides and test sessions over the past month and a half. Before I get into how it worked and my impressions of the product, let’s take a closer look at Kyoku and what they are offering here.
What It Is: Most training information we see these days stresses the importance of recovery, especially up through the first 30 minutes after a training session. This is where Kyoku focuses their efforts. When you engage with their site, you are asked to take a brief survey to help Kyoku tailor their powdered shake formula using proteins and plant based nutrition which Kyoku takes great pains in making sure are pure and sourced responsibly.
After you have taken this survey you can sign up for their service which delivers your customized recovery shake mix to your door on a monthly basis. Each shake costs about $3.75, and can vary slightly depending on you personal mix ingredients.
First Impressions: My shake mix was based upon an average person’s needs and sent to my doorstep. Upon opening the box, I was greeted by a metal tin containing the approximately 24 shake packets. The overall presentation is personalized and very impressive. Okay then, time to get to some riding!
Ride Performance: To get a read on what Kyoku was or wasn’t doing for me, I tried it after several rides in a row and then tried recovering without it for several rides to see if I noted any differences. Generally, I would imagine our bodies need a few weeks of each program to see differences clearly. However; my supply of this shake mix was limited, so I did a shorter term test. That said, I did notice less inflammation, less soreness, and less fatigue post-ride days when I used the Kyoku product. So, to answer the question, “Does it work?“, I am convinced the answer is yes. I also imagine that had I went through the survey process and had gotten a customized formula I would have noted even better results.
My experiences with the Kyoku plant based formula was good in terms of results, but there were a few things that I wasn’t ready for, and that I wish could be improved. For starters this powdered formula is difficult to mix into water. Kyoku suggests mixing the shake mix in 16 ounces of water. I did not quite understand that to really get the Kyoku powdered mix integrated into water, you need a blender or like device. Otherwise you will experience dry, unmixed clumps of the shake mix which is quite unpleasant. Okay, I am a rookie at this shake mix regimen. That’s on me. My wife, who uses a similar product for her nutrition, set me straight. From that point on my mixing regimen was set straight.
Straight up, the mix I received was palatable, but had a strong ‘plant taste‘ , for lack of a better term. Again, my wife stepped in showing me how Kyoku even suggests different ways to introduce flavor by adding fruit and vegetables to modify the taste experience. Once again, this rookie had a lot to learn.
At The Finish: My thought is that a recovery product like Kyoku is a great way to not only reach your cycling goals faster, but it is just a better, cleaner way to eat for better health. In these times, going in this direction is understandably desirable, but leaving that behind, I felt the Kyoku product can be used as a daily enhancement to life as a cyclist. In other words, you don’t have to be gearing up to do some big-mileage event to benefit from what Kyoku has to offer. The everyday cyclists stands to benefit as much or more, in my opinion.
That said, specifically to Kyoku, I would like to see a bit more guidance to those ‘rookies’ out there that maybe are not adept at mixing and making things taste better. I was fortunate to have my wife guide me to a better experience. Not everyone has that resource. Otherwise I see what Kyoku is doing as impressive. Personalized in every way, impressive in presentation, and the end results are there to be enjoyed. While a monthly subscription type model may not appeal to everyone, it does make things more convenient. It’s one less thing to think about when you go to the grocery store.
For more on Kyoku recovery product, see their site here: https://kyoku.com/
Note: Kyoku sent over their product for recovery to Riding Gravel at no charge. We were not paid nor bribed for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout.