There are so many sports drinks out there on the market today touting both performance-enhancing and recovery-enhancing benefits. And while I love that these products get people to hydrate more (it’s so critical), I can’t say I’m thrilled about the list of ingredients that comes with many of these products. Some of them are loaded with artificial food dyes, sweeteners, and other things I can’t pronounce.
But given that I’ve been known to enjoy a few cups of tea each day, the idea of this new line of performance hydration teas called AthleTea was super intriguing to me. These teas are the brainchild resulting from a collaboration between Harney & Sons (a luxury tea company) and AthleteMinder (a mental strength and conditioning platform).
AthleTeas were created to be a new smart performance hydration option, using tea-infused beverages that contain electrolytes and antioxidants. You’ve got three flavors to choose from, and they sent me samples of each to try: Orange Man-Go For It (caffeinated), Go To Goji (caffeine free), and Get Your Passion Berry (caffeine free).
Orange Man-Go For It and Get Your Passion Berry are designed for performance hydration to support energy, focus, and readiness through your athletic endeavors. Go To Goji is a recovery hydration formulation specially blended to be soothing and anti-inflammatory. Each is produced in small batches with high-quality ingredients.
I tested all three flavors. Full disclosure: I’m not typically a fan of fruity teas as they often taste a little perfumey to me. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that these really didn’t taste that way at all. All three flavors were very clean and smooth with no potpourri-like aftertaste. First hurdle … cleared.
Then, it was time to read the ingredients.
ORANGE MAN-GO FOR IT: Rosehips, hibiscus, yerba mate, guayusa, ginger root, orange peel, mango pieces, turmeric, beet root, marigold, safflowers, himalayan salt, and natural flavors.
GO TO GOJI: Rosehips, rooibos, hibiscus, ginger root, apple pieces, licorice, goji berries, orange peel, lemon peel, and natural flavors.
GET YOUR PASSION BERRY: Apple pieces, hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, beet root, black currants, lemon peel, spearmint, peppermint, and natural flavors.
All things I can pronounce … well, with the exception of guayusa but at least I know what that is (FYI it’s a caffeinated holly tree used to make — you guessed it — tea).
AthleTea also gets bonus points for presentation. Their unique tea sachets certainly felt high-end and special.
The Verdict
While I can’t really say whether these teas actually helped me perform or recover better, they did offer me a great way to hydrate more without adding a ton of fake crap and sweeteners to my daily intake, which is absolutely a plus. So yeah, I see myself making good use of these teas — I’m actually sipping some as I write this — but, I gotta tell ya, it would be hard to pick a favorite. If you twisted my arm (why would you do that?), I’d have to give the edge to Go To Goji but the other two flavors aren’t far behind. You can grab a canister for yourself for just $10.
What are your favorite ways to replenish and rehydrate? —Alison
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