# Sports Legs



## Fasterthanyesterday (Jun 5, 2007)

I know this has to have already been discussed but I couldn't find the thread. If there is one just paste it and I'll go to it. Otherwise, who is Sport Legs and what benefits have you found. I got some samples today and I and going to try them out. Just wanted to see what others thought about them.

THX

J


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## tete de la tour (Oct 26, 2006)

there is no doubt that they work for me. many on this forum are skeptics I have always stood by the product. I used to have cramps in my calf and sports legs seems to have helped. BUT the biggest improvment was lactic burn, it just seems to buffer it or something. When climbing it allows me to stay out of the saddle or push a bigger gear without overwhelming burn. i really dig it. Some have tried it and say it does nothing for them. others like to read the ingredients and think why buy it if I can make it at home. I have been all of the above but the llittle capsules work. at least for me. I weigh 170 and usually take 2-3. Some of my friends take 4 but whatever. it's not a miracle pill. for example I like to climb. I live at the bottom of a hill and climb alot. I didn't expect to climb faster or fly up the hill. All I really noticed was that I could climb certain parts alot longer at a higher pace or no feeling of " burning out" in my legs. Simpy put lactic burn that usually makes me slow my pace or effort simply was not " as bad" so I could continue at a high pace. I am now fan of the product. Currently tho I popping more donuts than sportlegs because it's too hot.


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## tyro (May 15, 2005)

I bought some last weekend and will try it tomorrow and Sunday. I'll post a review when I'm done.


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## oneslowmofo (Feb 29, 2004)

I used to cramp on longer rides and when I was training a lot for tri's. My lbs recommended Sports Legs last year and I'm a believer. Like the earlier poster I can go harder for longer without my legs feeling like dead wood at the end of the ride. I'm 170 too and take 3 pills before an event. I've debated taking 4. Has anyone taken a bit of a higher dose with any added benefit or negative side effects?


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## ogaz (May 21, 2007)

*Sport legs = doping? A thin line?*

OK, not in terms of being banned, but ethically and in terms of your conscience.

I think of it this way. "Sportlegs" is a product engineered to do a specific performance-enhancing job. I would not EVER consume it other than if I chose to use it for racing. Therefore, it seems to me to fall into a different category to, say, coffee (which I drink anyway and don't take to excess before a ride), a multi-vitamin or a good diet..If I think of the local club TT, seems to me that I would need to have two categories of performance, with and without the "Sportlegs". Put another way, if I take a product to delay muscle burn, I am cheating myself about my fitness, my performance.

Am I too much of a puritan?


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## tete de la tour (Oct 26, 2006)

ogaz said:


> OK, not in terms of being banned, but ethically and in terms of your conscience.
> 
> I think of it this way. "Sportlegs" is a product engineered to do a specific performance-enhancing job. I would not EVER consume it other than if I chose to use it for racing. Therefore, it seems to me to fall into a different category to, say, coffee (which I drink anyway and don't take to excess before a ride), a multi-vitamin or a good diet..If I think of the local club TT, seems to me that I would need to have two categories of performance, with and without the "Sportlegs". Put another way, if I take a product to delay muscle burn, I am cheating myself about my fitness, my performance.
> 
> Am I too much of a puritan?


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Banned substances*



ogaz said:


> OK, not in terms of being banned, but ethically and in terms of your conscience.


In order to be a banned substance, a product is either known as dangerous, as a masking agent for a banned substance, or an actual performance enhancing compound beyond what you can get from food, vitamins & minerals. Since Sportlegs is "none of the above" there doesn't seem to be much of an ethical dilemma.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Yeah, does that mean I shouldn't have put aerobars on my bike in a time trial, or used lighter wheels in a hillclimb?


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

> The patented SportLegs difference is the use of premium lactate (not lactose) compounds of these healthy vitamins and minerals. When you take SportLegs an hour before sports, they raise your blood lactate level, just like what ordinarily happens during sports. Elevated blood lactate signals muscle groups to decrease lactic acid production.


Wait isn't lactic acid fuel for the mitochondria (the power source for cells)? (that's a rhetorical question the answer is yes) I completely agree with ogaz that I would feel like I am cheating if i were to take sportlegs. That being said maybe I'll try them for cross country where I am can't even come close to winning a race.


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## Fasterthanyesterday (Jun 5, 2007)

Used them today. They work. Legs felt awesome. The problem....The ride was 4.5 hours so the sport legs wore out before me. They only last 2-3 hours so the package says. Can you take them again? I felt a 50% less pain in legs for the first 2 hours. I will use them again.

As for weather they are considered doping or not? No, do you use gatorade or any sports drink when you ride? Ok then.

J


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## ogaz (May 21, 2007)

*Shades of grey, I know....*

....but I am not comfortable with the notion of popping pills to delay lactic acid build up. 

Read these words again: 
"Used them today. They work. Legs felt awesome. The problem....The ride was 4.5 hours so the sport legs wore out before me. They only last 2-3 hours so the package says. Can you take them again? I felt a 50% less pain in legs for the first 2 hours. I will use them again."

Sound like artificially enhancing your performance to me!

I would argue that somewhere a threshold is crossed, a threshold which isn't exceeded by the sports drinks vs water comparison above. Maybe it is the issue of what I am going to do as a matter of course compared to the additional supplement for a unique purpose: I am going to eat and drink, so if I use sports drink, I am merely doing so in a method of my choice. Taking 
"Sportlegs" seems clearly to on a different level, since I would only take them for a specific performance enhancing purpose.

The comparison with aerobars is a little glib. Equipment has its own rules, but I know that if I "buy" speed, then (a) I have not improved my physiological performance and (b) the equipment is there and visible for all to see. Perhaps I need to ask the rider who finishes ahead of me if he popped some pills before the race?

No wonder the pros dope: look at us hacks!


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

Lets see what the people at Sportslegs have to say:



> Depending on how competitive you are, you'll either think of SportLegs as a pain preventative, or a performance enhancer. Or maybe a little of both.


Go to their website, hit learn more, then scroll down to above the woman kissing her sportlegs.


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## mf9point8 (Jul 17, 2006)

The last time I checked, Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium were not Testosterone, EPO, or somebody elses blood.


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## ktm882 (Aug 14, 2007)

I've tried them and they do work. I didnt buy the big pack cos I didnt want to commit. I use Amino Vital drink mix and it pretty much does the same thing but to a slightly lesser degree while adding several other benefits. Mental clarity and continuous muscle food before during and after and it doesn't have me feeling whipped after a good 20-25 mile ride. If I were about to ride a very hilly course, then I''d add the Sportlegs. My LBS sells and uses it as well.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Wonder if they work for the 400m race in track. :smilewinkgrin:

With less lactic acid, the last 100m sure won't hurt as much


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## la marmatt (Aug 19, 2007)

*calcium?*

I used to think they were really worth it primarily for recovery but I think I get the same recovery by taking calcium tums after a hard ride:idea:


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## oneslowmofo (Feb 29, 2004)

mf9point8 said:


> The last time I checked, Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium were not Testosterone, EPO, or somebody elses blood.


Exactly. I think the ethical question is a joke. It's like using any type of sports drink on a ride. 

Back to the original topic... I took 3 caplets yesterday before doing a dry run training for a sprint tri that I have coming up. Leg's didn't feel great on the ride until after a few miles which is normal after a transition. But MAN, my legs were hurting on the run. Having just hopped off the bike my legs felt like they were going to cramp for the first mile. I found my groove and they settled in. So, I think this supplement isn't a replacement for good training :thumbsup:


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

The wole premise is using lactate versions of cal/mag. Here is the premise from the Sportlegs site:



> The form determines the function.
> The patented SportLegs difference is that we use premium lactate (not lactose) compounds of these healthy vitamins and minerals. When you take SportLegs an hour before sports, they raise your blood lactate level, just like what ordinarily happens during sports. Elevated blood lactate is the signal which tells tells muscles not to make so much lactic acid. The result: Your muscles don't make more lactic acid than they need for you to perform at your very best. With less painful muscle "burn" during sports, and less soreness afterward. Depending on how competitive you are, you'll either think of SportLegs as a pain preventative, or a performance enhancer. Or maybe a little of both. Either way, you're going to love it.


If I trained with an AnT 23 bpm higher (15.6%) which is off the zone charts for me, I'd prolly do more harm than good, no? So, I'm left thinking, what is the point of delaying the burn? Can your body actually produce more power without that lactic acid burn, say, overnight by taking this product? If it just makes your legs "feel" better, no thanks. I can work through the burn anyway.

diclaimer: I have not tried Sportlegs. If increasing blood lactate via a pill can actually increase or facilitate cardiovascular changes which increase power, then...wow! Otherwise, that's a lot of money for a beer drinking, smoking weekend warrior to delay lactic acid burn. Furthermore, what does "premium lactate" mean?


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Reality check*



threesportsinone said:


> Lets see what the people at Sportslegs have to say:
> 
> Go to their website, hit learn more, then scroll down to above the woman kissing her sportlegs.


Just so you don't get too confused about this: Per Dr. Arnie Baker: 

"It is often said that Americans have the most expensive urine in the world. Vitamin and mineral supplement sales are big business. Many athletes take scores of pills daily. Companies try to distinguish themselves from others by claiming that their formulations are superior. There is very little evidence that any supplements are worth it."

The spurious claims and funky theories put forth by supplement makers are legion. Don't swallow the hype.


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## ogaz (May 21, 2007)

Kerry Irons said:


> Just so you don't get too confused about this: Per Dr. Arnie Baker:
> 
> "It is often said that Americans have the most expensive urine in the world. Vitamin and mineral supplement sales are big business. Many athletes take scores of pills daily. Companies try to distinguish themselves from others by claiming that their formulations are superior. There is very little evidence that any supplements are worth it."
> 
> The spurious claims and funky theories put forth by supplement makers are legion. Don't swallow the hype.


I was thinking exactly the same thing on my ride today, More than this, I think we have come to accept the marketing pressures that we SHOULD be seeking to boost our performance from whatever edge we can buy in "engineered" foods, drinks and supplements. I don't think that the average club cyclist needs much of the stuff that we buy and consume. When I've had weeks of twenty hours on the bike, I've still not touched an energy drink or a gel. Water and oatmeal bars work great!

I'm surprised that so many are using these pills in TRAINING. Isn't that where it's SUPPOSED to hurt? 

Seems we're so overcome in our sport by pressures and desires to be "be fast" that we lose sight of the value of the journey to "get fast". It's the suffering and self-exploration on the way up the mountain that makes it worth getting to the top. Why would I pop some pills to make it easier?!

Of course, I respect everyone's right to their own interpretation, unlike some previous posters.


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## ktm882 (Aug 14, 2007)

_"Seems we're so overcome in our sport by pressures and desires to be "be fast" that we lose sight of the value of the journey to "get fast". It's the suffering and self-exploration on the way up the mountain that makes it worth getting to the top. Why would I pop some pills to make it easier?!"_

Holy crap! Thanks for reminding me that at 46 I am no Pro, will never be Pro, or even ride like one. I have been trying to get 5 years worth of legs in only a month and a half of steady cycling...Lol. Whadda joke. On my next ride I am enjoying the scenery.


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## Fasterthanyesterday (Jun 5, 2007)

I'm gonna go with "If I can get it at my local bike shop I hardly consider it a drug or doping. For me its in the exact same catagory as Gatorade or any other sports drink. Sports drinks have more in them then sports legs. Hell, its calicum! Drug? Not so much." 

Just my 2 cents.

j


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

Fasterthanyesterday said:


> I'm gonna go with "If I can get it at my local bike shop I hardly consider it a drug or doping. For me its in the exact same catagory as Gatorade or any other sports drink. Sports drinks have more in them then sports legs. Hell, its calicum! Drug? Not so much."
> 
> Just my 2 cents.
> 
> j


Informative easy read here:
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/lactate.html

SportLegs how it works here:
http://www.sportlegs.com/how/how.asp

Is there a biochemist in the house? I'm stuck. Can someone explain, biomedically, how I can raise my AnT 15% overnight by taking lactate? It reads to me like SportLegs delays the burn or allows you to work harder with out feeling the burn. Is that considered a performance gain? Lactate is a byproduct of ATP breaking down, so the energy in your system has already been used. No? If not, again, at the same HR you should be able to produce more power if more ATP is available. Where is it coming from?


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## logansites (Jan 4, 2007)

it'd be cheaper to get a syringe and some skim milk and just inject the stuff into your legs.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

All I know is that I take them and don't cramp. That's reason enough.

But I only take them on long races 40+ miles on the trail. Haven't tried for any other purpose......but for PMS I wonder if they'd help too? :idea: Ah but there's no lactic acid involved in *those* cramps.


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

I get sport legs for free and still don't use it. If your diet is good and your not mag def (most people are however) you will not see any effect other then placebo. That said, proper nutrition is not doping. This stuff is less effective then a sports gel (suger rush!) and I can tell you that B vitamins will do more for your performance. Is this cheating also? I think not. Is training at altititude cheatin? Not in my book. How about coffee? That said I do question the marketing of products like sports leggs and EPNO. It does IMO promote the culture of doping amoung young kids. At any rate you can get vitimins an minerals much cheaper then these products from any health food store.


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## bauerb (Jan 18, 2006)

everytime this thread comes up, usually every 2 months or so, I wait for Kerry Irons to post a couple of times before I do. he always says the same thing, and so do I, so here goes:
Sportlegs contain: Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium
Pretty boring stuff that can easily be obtianed from less "gray area" substances including Whole milk and bananas. so if you have a problem with pills, try the milk/banana thing

BTW, I just got my latest batch of sportlegs in the mail today. i love the stuff, and teh milk and bananas don't keep so well in my desk drawer


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

bauerb said:


> everytime this thread comes up, usually every 2 months or so, I wait for Kerry Irons to post a couple of times before I do. he always says the same thing, and so do I, so here goes:
> Sportlegs contain: Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium
> Pretty boring stuff that can easily be obtianed from less "gray area" substances including Whole milk and bananas. so if you have a problem with pills, try the milk/banana thing
> 
> BTW, I just got my latest batch of sportlegs in the mail today. i love the stuff, and teh milk and bananas don't keep so well in my desk drawer


Did a Title search for Sportlegs and found only 2 threads. The current thread and this one:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=41507&highlight=sportlegs

I couldn't have said it better than peloton did in the '05 thread:



> 'it pre-loads your bloodstream with lactate and tricks your muscles into thinking they don't need to make more- a sneaky way to raise your lactate threshold and boost performance' Quote from Sportlegs
> 
> I'm sorry, but this doesn't make any sense. I'm a college exercise physiology instructor for what it's worth, and this quote just doesn't adhere to the basics of physiology.
> 
> ...


As I thought the lactate in sportlegs and their claim of raising anaerobic threshold was unsupported. If you guys are buying it because it's cal/mag+D then, I'm not sure what to say.


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## BeeCharmer (Apr 30, 2003)

I'm wondering if it isn't the training effect that is reducing your cramping and not the expensive pills. 

Just a thought. 

Trained with a fellow in France last spring who believed in ingesting water and jam sandwiches on rides. That's it. He rode professionally for Peugeot and rode junior worlds for Brittain. At 61 he's regional and district road champion. When I gave him my story about experiencing excercise induced asthma, he laughed at me. 'You just need more miles.' This year, lots more miles and no asthma attacks.

Makes one wonder.


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## MystA RavE (Aug 16, 2007)

woodys737 said:


> Informative easy read here:
> http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/lactate.html
> 
> SportLegs how it works here:
> ...


I'm finishing up my B.S. in bio so I think I can help you understand (If I understood correctly). This product does NOT give you energy. It's simply a salt of lactate that captures the H+ ions released due to anaerobic respiration (lactic acid pathway). Lactic acid causes the [H+] to go up, thereby decreasing the pH and creating a burning sensation and fatigue. Sportlegs essentially lowers the pH and slows the process. The conversion of lactate to glucose also helps alkylize (to make more basic), which adds to a higher pH.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

but doesn't that beg the question about the role of lactic acid accumulation in exercise. There is evidence that lactic acid accumulation actually helps delay fatigue. Writing in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Graham D. Lamb and D. George Stephenson state:

"Finally, we note that a rise in blood lactate (the "lactate threshold") can indeed be used as an indicator of exhaustion. However, although lactate may well increase when muscle performance declines, lactate is not the cause of the decline. Lactate rises in the blood when the muscle cells are using ATP faster than they resynthesize it aerobically in the mitochondria. But it is the other changes occurring in the muscle, not the lactic acid accumulation, which cause the fatigue. Acidity associated with lactic acid accumulation actually helps delay the onset of muscle fatigue that would otherwise ensue from the other effects of vigorous activity."


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## MystA RavE (Aug 16, 2007)

stevesbike said:


> but doesn't that beg the question about the role of lactic acid accumulation in exercise. There is evidence that lactic acid accumulation actually helps delay fatigue. Writing in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Graham D. Lamb and D. George Stephenson state:
> 
> "Finally, we note that a rise in blood lactate (the "lactate threshold") can indeed be used as an indicator of exhaustion. However, although lactate may well increase when muscle performance declines, lactate is not the cause of the decline. Lactate rises in the blood when the muscle cells are using ATP faster than they resynthesize it aerobically in the mitochondria. But it is the other changes occurring in the muscle, not the lactic acid accumulation, which cause the fatigue. Acidity associated with lactic acid accumulation actually helps delay the onset of muscle fatigue that would otherwise ensue from the other effects of vigorous activity."


That is one view on based on the particular research conducted. Sportlegs would disagree with this statement because their product is based on lowering the acidity associated with the lactic acid accumulation. Personally I wouldn't take any of these types of supplements because they're only out to make profit and don't weigh out the risks properly.


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## water (Nov 18, 2006)

I've tried Sportlegs and noticed an obvious difference in the way it reduces the onset of burning sensation in my legs. My concern is that maybe the burning sensation is supposed to be there and it is a way for the body to protect itself from overexertion. 

Is it safe to use?


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## RudeDog00 (Jun 23, 2009)

I bought three bottles of this stuff and used it every time I rode for about the past year. However, I just ran out... and decided to try riding without it, thinking maybe it would do me more good to feel the lactic acid and actually raise my LT threshold, instead of just chemeically 'tricking' my body into having a higher LT threshold.

After a hard two hour ride, I'll have to say it really was more painful to ride without Sprots Legs. I'm used to riding 4 or 5 times a week, hammering, and don't usually get very sore the next day, but after riding without Sports Legs, my legs were sore for SEVERAL DAYS. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but I went out and re-uped my Sports Legs another three bottles.


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## GerryR (Sep 3, 2008)

RudeDog00 said:


> I bought three bottles of this stuff and used it every time I rode for about the past year. However, I just ran out... and decided to try riding without it, thinking maybe it would do me more good to feel the lactic acid and actually raise my LT threshold, instead of just chemeically 'tricking' my body into having a higher LT threshold.
> 
> After a hard two hour ride, I'll have to say it really was more painful to ride without Sprots Legs. I'm used to riding 4 or 5 times a week, hammering, and don't usually get very sore the next day, but after riding without Sports Legs, my legs were sore for SEVERAL DAYS. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but I went out and re-uped my Sports Legs another three bottles.


So, your very first post here revives a 2 year old topic just to hype this snake oil? How interesting.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

I think that Sports Legs are very effective as a constipation-inducing substance.


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## RudeDog00 (Jun 23, 2009)

Ok, you've got me, I can see how my post might look shillish. I'm really just a guy that loves to ride, looking to make the sport a little more enjoyable for myself and others. I'm trying to get an updated opinion on Sport Legs from the community. For one thing, the explaination as to how Sport Legs works never made any sense, Plus I don't want to harm my body. So any additonal input for other user's would be helpful.

I've done a few rides now without 'using' and don't see any difference in my average power, plus the rides are becoming less painful. I think it is just a matter of your body adapting to the lactic acid. This is a very confusing topic.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

I like it for century rides, especially if it is a multi-day ride.


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## TiBike (Aug 2, 2004)

Nothing scientific to add here. Nevertheless, on occasions when I do use Sportlegs I notice reduced lactic acid (or whatever) burn. Placebo? Maybe. Could I just mix it up at home? Maybe. But whatever the case, when I look back on days when I took Sportlegs, I remember feeling much better on those rides. My diet is consistent. I use the same sport drinks etc. The engine just seems to run more steady (not faster).


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## chuckice (Aug 25, 2004)

I bought a bottle and tried them a few times and didn't care for the effect on me at all. Each time I felt reduced lactic burn but I also felt like I had less punch. I gave it a few times to test the theory so it's possible that each time coincided with a tired leg feeling. I had this feeling I was laboring even though my lap times up some test climbs were same/similar as without the product. Basically I'd say it works but I didn't like the feeling at all.


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## djg21 (Oct 25, 2003)

MystA RavE said:


> That is one view on based on the particular research conducted. Sportlegs would disagree with this statement because their product is based on lowering the acidity associated with the lactic acid accumulation. Personally I wouldn't take any of these types of supplements because they're only out to make profit and don't weigh out the risks properly.


Putting aside questions as to the efficacy of SportsLegs and the differing opinions as to whether the presence of lactic acid is detrimental or beneficial, how is SportLegs any more or less of an "unethical" performance enhancer than any number of commercially available sports drinks or supplements that contain lactic acid buffers -- such as Cytomax, Heed, etc. IMO, any conversation of ethics is just silly. It's akin to suggesting that some cyclists unfairly procure an advantage and hence are "unethical" when they elect to follow (or can afford) a better diet, or drink a sports electrolyte drink rather than plain water while on a bicycle.


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## bauerb (Jan 18, 2006)

I don't always take supplements, but when I do, I prefer SportLegs...


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## burtronix (Jun 20, 2007)

Andrea138 said:


> I think that Sports Legs are very effective as a constipation-inducing substance.


You may need more fiber in your diet.

I'll throw more weight into the anecdotal evidence pool: I use them on rides & triathlon sessions longer than two hours. A few times I forgot to use them and felt more sore than usual afterward. Maybe coincidence - not very scientific - but they seem to work for me & I will continue to use them. Oh, & I've never experienced constipation after using them.


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