First Look: Tailwind Rebuild Recovery Drink

REBUILD Recovery Drink by Tailwind Nutrition

Weight: 2.08 ounces (single packet).Price: $39 for a 15-serving bag or $3 for a single-serving packet.
Nutrition (per serving): Carbohydrates—43 grams; Sugars—39 grams; Fat—3 grams; Protein—10 grams.
Ingredients—Vanilla: Non-GMO Dextrose, Non-GMO Sucrose, Coconut Milk Powder, Essential Amino Acids (L-Leucine, LLysine, L-Valine, L-lsoleucine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Threonine, L-Methionine, L-Histidine, L-Tryptophan), Non-GMO Organic Rice Protein Powder, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Citrate.
Chocolate: Non-GMO Dextrose, Non-GMO Sucrose, Coconut Milk Powder, Essential Amino Acids (L-Leucine, LLysine, L-Valine, L-lsoleucine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Threonine, L-Methionine, L-Histidine, L-Tryptophan), Non-GMO Organic Rice Protein Powder, Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Citrate.
Best Features: Tastes good, easy to digest, high in electrolytes, some organic ingredients.
Room for Improvement: May be too high in sodium or potassium for some.

Runners are always looking for the right balance of nutrition, in both food and drink. Something with the optimum blend of macronutrients, electrolytes and amino acids. Not to mention something that tastes good.

Tailwind Nutrition, based in Durango, Colorado, has long made a sport drink high in electrolytes, based on the theory that once you drink it you can get by mostly on water thereafter or you can milk one serving all run long.Recently Tailwind has added a recovery drink to their product line.

Like its sport-drink cousins, it’s also high in electrolytes (over 400 mg each of sodium and potassium per serving). It also contains a 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein and a little fat and some amino acids. REBUILD comes in both chocolate and vanilla flavors.

A couple things stand out with Tailwind REBUILD: dissolving time and texture. Many recovery drinks don’t dissolve well and have unpalatable flavors or textures.REBUILD dissolves in water quickly so you’ll be able to drink it moments after mixing it. The flavor of the chocolate REBUILD is delicious and the texture is actually quite smooth. It drinks even smoother if you mix it into milk, soy milk, almond milk or even into your morning coffee! (Of course, that alters the nutritional profile somewhat.)

High in protein and electrolytes, the REBUILD is a terrific drink for right after your long run or workout. It also has carbohydrates and fat to replenish depleted stores.

For people with medical issues related to sodium or potassium intake, the electrolyte content could be a problem; double check with your doctor if this is a concern.

—Will Fisher, age 47, chooses training runs and races for their scenic value. He’s a relatively large runner who cross trains a lot and is excited to have just been accepted into the Western States 100 Endurance Run.