As athletes, we are always chasing peak performance and the supplements that will help us get there, such as liquid collagen protein.
Whether striving for personal bests, or trying to maintain fitness for an upcoming event, we want to make every bit of the work we put in as efficient as possible.
That’s why our Founders Alexander Kunz and Jeff Byers teamed up to create a liquid protein supplement that works as hard as you do.
Alex and Jeff both know what it means to push your body’s limits and achieve peak performance. That’s because they both are former US Navy SEALs - and now Spartan athletes in their spare time.
Through their athletic pursuits, they discovered that athletes of all kinds could benefit from a better, more effective form of protein. Whey protein used to be one of the most prevalent forms of protein for athletes, but it wasn’t entirely cutting it when it came to peak performance and recovery.
Queue the beginnings of Frog Fuel liquid protein.
What is Frog Fuel liquid protein?
Frog Fuel liquid protein is a hydrolyzed collagen supplement. Hydrolyzed collagen is also referred to as “collagen peptides,” and is easier to digest and absorb than standard collagen protein supplements.
By taking the collagen molecules and putting them through the process of hydrolysis, Frog Fuel has designed a liquid protein supplement that is easier for you to absorb so your body can apply it more effectively.
Collagen itself is an animal protein that you produce naturally. It is a necessary structural component within your bones, cartilage, muscles, skin, and other connective tissues. You can think of it as being the foundation of your body’s structural supports.
But when collagen is in the complete form, for instance, when you get it from an animal product that you eat, the protein molecules are too big for your body to use completely.
You may get some of the amino acids to break down when consuming collagen in its natural state, but the pores of your stomach are too small to process it fully. That’s why the process of hydrolysis is so important. Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction that breaks down collagen molecules into more digestible parts.
Frog Fuel liquid protein supplements take it one step further.
They are a nano-hydrolyzed collagen protein, which means that the molecules are smaller than even the standard collagen peptides. This makes Frog Fuel liquid protein easier to digest, with proven 100% digestibility within 15 minutes or less. That’s 4x faster than whey isolate protein!
Collagen proteins do not contain all of the amino acids that other proteins like whey do, and that’s why Frog Fuel is fortified to be a complete protein. It has 22 amino acids, including glutamine, cysteine, histidine, methionine, threonine, taurine, and tryptophan.
Why do liquid protein supplements matter for athletes?
While you can get protein from many sources of food, if you are an athlete, chances are that you aren’t getting enough of the right proteins - or the right quantities - from the food you eat alone. Or perhaps you just want an easy-to-use protein source to supplement your healthy diet and make getting your macros simple.
Liquid protein supplements like Frog Fuel can help you reach your fitness goals by filling in the gaps in your existing diet.
When you exercise regularly, no matter if it is endurance or strength training, your muscles, ligaments, and tendons are all being fatigued. While you might spend time thinking specifically about your muscles when you workout, it is important to remember the other connective tissues that help your muscles function. They experience wear and tear as well.
When you consume a protein of any kind, your body breaks the molecules down into amino acids. Not all proteins have the same amino acid complex, so the type of protein you consume will determine the amino acids your body is provided for use. Your body then processes these amino acids in a few different ways.
The functions dietary amino acids play in your body can be separated into four groups:
- Synthesis of enzymes
- Synthesis of structural proteins
- Synthesis of special molecules (i.e., neurotransmitters)
- Production of energy
So, when you consume a liquid protein supplement like collagen protein, you give your body the amino acids necessary to synthesize collagen specifically. These amino acids can then be directed to repair and protect your connective tissues like your muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
How much and what type of protein does an athlete need?
Since your protein needs as an athlete are generally limited to what your body can process, it is important to note that it is possible to consume too much protein.
Consuming too much protein can inhibit muscle growth in some ways. This is because your body cannot store amino acids, and they must be applied within one of the four functions we mentioned earlier.
You should also consider your body's protein absorption rate (how much it can absorb and use at one time) and how it's using the particular type of protein you are using.
For example, when it comes to liquid proteins, one difference between collagen vs whey is that hydrolyzed collagen is not solely distributed to your muscles.
Liquid collagen proteins give your body the chance to use more than 10g of the protein because the other amino acids can be applied for collagen synthesis necessary for your cartilage, skin, tendons, and other connective tissues beyond just your muscle structure.
This distribution of amino acids makes hydrolyzed collagen liquid protein the perfect liquid protein supplement not only for muscle building, but for injury prevention and injury recovery as well.
One study, in particular, took a look at athletes over 24 weeks to evaluate how their bodies would react to collagen supplementation, specifically concerning joint pain. The goal was to see if there would be noticeable improvements in joint pain of athletes that used collagen supplementation.
To do this, they performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study that was conducted using 147 subjects. This study measured pain, mobility, and inflammation of all participants during the 24 weeks.
When all of the data was collected and analyzed at the end of the study, there were significant changes for the participants that used the collagen supplement versus placebo participants.
The results of this study were very promising, and suggested that many athletes could potentially benefit from the use of liquid proteins like hydrolyzed collagen, especially in regards to maintaining healthy joints.
Picking the best protein intake regimen
It is true that some types of protein will work well for some athletes and lifestyles but not for others. However, there are some common attributes that all athletes should look for when choosing the right protein supplement for them.
Keep in mind that some dietary restrictions and dietary lifestyle choices may limit the type of protein you choose for your life, but many of these factors will still apply to your choice and help you find the most effective option available to you, and how to take your supplement.
Macros for fat loss and lean muscle gain
The amount of protein and type of protein you choose to use will vary from person to person, but most of the time will come down to the macros you need to achieve your goals.
To determine the macros, it helps to start with your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your BMR is how many calories you burn daily without doing anything.
To find your BMR, the Harris-Benedict equation is the most reliable:
BMR = 655 + (4.35 x your weight in pounds) + (4.7 x your height in inches) – (4.7 x age)
You can also use this online BMR calculator to skip over the mathematical portion of your BMR calculations.
Once you have your BMR calculated, calculate your TDEE or the number of calories you burn per day. In some cases, you can skip finding your BMR and calculate your TDEE because they will be combined in the same calculation.
Use this TDEE calculator to calculate both the BMR and TDEE at the same time.
This calculation essentially averages how many calories you burn in a given day. When you enter your information, make sure to include any muscle-building you do for a workout.
Once you have your TDEE, you need to convert that to macros to know how much protein you need. The TDEE calculator above will also display macros. Everyone’s macro balance is going to vary depending on their goals and energy expenditure.
You can also choose to use a macro calculator to skip the conversion steps we described.
The average macros for fat loss and lean muscle gain are:
- 40% protein
- 30% fat
- 30% carbs
Knowing the macros you need in your daily diet will help you optimize your food intake and supplementation to reflect your fitness goals. The split listed above is optimal for providing enough carbohydrates to fuel your body during workouts, a high enough protein intake to build/repair muscles, and just enough fat to maintain the necessary hormone production for lean muscle maintenance.
Protein absorption rate
Along with your macro split, you should also look at the recommended daily allowance of protein. You can only digest so much protein in one sitting, so you need to make sure you are not consuming too much protein.
The maximum protein absorption rate is 30g within one sitting.
So taking that average, your recommended daily allowance, and your macro split, you can begin to spread proteins out throughout your day for optimal absorption.
These factors contribute to your protein absorption rate, but the type of protein, and what is paired with the protein, also matters.
One often overlooked but vital part of protein absorption is the presence of enzymes. Enzymes are the biological catalysts within your body that speed up chemical reactions like digestions and protein synthesis.
Your body already has enzymes to help with digestion, but the protein absorption rate will slow down without optimal enzyme function. It is hard to know if your enzyme function is working well or not. That’s why some liquid protein supplements have chosen to add digestive enzymes and decrease dalton size to ensure optimal absorption.
Take a hydrolyzed collagen protein like Frog Fuel liquid protein, for example. This is a rapid absorption liquid protein supplement because it has gone through hydrolysis and is fortified with digestive enzymes. Its pre-digested fruit enzymes make sure that the collagen peptide protein is fully absorbed and 100% digested within 15 minutes.
The hydrolyzed collagen protein molecule size in Frog Fuel liquid protein is 2,000 daltons versus the usual 300,000 daltons of the natural collagen molecule.
A dalton is a unit of measurement often used in chemistry to measure the weight of a molecule. The dalton size of a molecule is significant in protein supplements like collagen because it impacts protein absorption rates.
If the dalton size is larger than your stomach pores, it is harder for you to absorb and digest. So, the smaller the dalton size, the better for a faster protein absorption rate. That’s why one of things to consider when choosing a liquid protein supplement is the dalton size.
When you take your protein
Another contributing factor to protein absorption rate is when you choose to take your protein supplement. If we are talking in general terms about all of the protein you need to reach your recommended macro split percentage, then it is best to spread protein consumption out throughout the day.
If you are an athlete in a particularly intense training program and need higher protein levels, then spreading out your protein intake between four or five meals will make it easier for your body to process.
This helps your body continually synthesize protein to achieve a 24-hour protein synthesis and help you build muscle mass.
Some athletes may be wondering if they should take protein supplements before or after a workout for optimal absorption. Well, in this case, that doesn’t necessarily matter. As long as you are not consuming more than 30g of protein at one time, and spreading out your protein intake throughout the day, then taking it before or after a workout won’t impact the absorption rate very much, if at all.
Common types of protein for athletes
There are several different types of protein available for athletes, all of them touting their varying benefits. Not every type of protein supplement will be suitable for all athletes or dietary choices, so it is helpful to know a few things about some of the most common types of protein available to you.
Whey protein
Whey protein is the combination of proteins within whey, which is a byproduct of making cheese. It is a primary protein found in all dairy products.
It contains numerous essential amino acids and that, combined with the accessibility and affordability, is why whey has become one of the most popular protein supplements for athletes.
Now, if you’re an athlete that uses whey protein regularly, the good news is that whey is often just as effective as collagen proteins when it comes to muscle building - if and when it's being fully absorbed.
However, collagen, specifically collagen peptide proteins, wins out in a few other categories like absorption rate, injury recovery/prevention, and bone density. (Not to mention the other benefits of collagen that don’t center around athletic performance.)
Taking collagen vs whey is somewhat subjective to the activity you are doing and your specific goals. Still, one thing that stands true is that traditional whey proteins don’t provide support for your bones and tissues like collagen peptides do. So, the harder you train, the more likely you are to sustain an injury because your protein is limited to muscle building, not connective tissue protection.
When it comes down to it, both whey and collagen proteins can help athletes meet their muscle-building goals when combined with a healthy, balanced diet. Whey seems to be especially useful in supporting fast muscle growth, whereas collagen shines when it comes to building lean muscle, promoting injury prevention, and aiding in swifter muscle recovery.
Another significant difference is that collagen protein is not easily integrated into our diets, but whey protein is easy to come by if you eat animal products, especially dairy.
Since collagen is found primarily in the skin, bones, cartilage, and connective tissues of animals, we don’t often eat those.
So, as athletes, if we are looking for a well-rounded performance-enhancing protein, hydrolyzed collagen is an excellent choice for supplementing because we can’t easily find it in our daily diet.
Although it is easy to integrate the amino acids in whey into your diet if you are strictly taking whey as a protein supplement, be aware that it is commonly associated with stomach upset in athletes.
Whey easily activates many stomach sensitivities, so if you already have irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or other similar medical conditions, whey is more likely to trigger these sensitivities to flare up than collagen. When comparing collagen vs whey, collagen is also a safer protein supplement for diabetes due to the low carb and sugar content.
The digestibility of your protein can also contribute to an upset stomach. For instance, a whey protein will most often be found in powder form. Finding a protein powder for sensitive stomachs is already a struggle because they are usually less digestible for your body and take longer to be absorbed.
Liquid protein supplements like Frog Fuel hydrolyzed collagen protein are developed to be absorbed within 15 minutes, making it fast and easy for your body to process, and less likely to cause stomach upset. If you have a sensitive stomach, we highly recommend finding a liquid protein supplement.
And, while whey protein may be especially beneficial for bodybuilding athletes, there are so many other athletic pursuits that need a top-quality well-rounded protein. If you’re an ultra=runner, triathlete, Spartan racer, Ninja warrior, CrossFit lover, or boxer, whey protein alone might just not cut it for you.
Collagen peptide proteins are ideal for a vast array of athletic pursuits because they address more than just your muscular health. This liquid protein can help keep your body protected, as well as help your muscles recover faster, so you can completely focus on your goals.
Egg protein
Egg protein powders are a newer variety of protein, but are quickly gaining popularity. Only the egg white is used to make this protein type because the egg white contains about 70% of the protein found in eggs.
People that already include eggs in their diet may gravitate towards egg white proteins because they’re a great dairy-free alternative to whey protein powders. Since eggs are an animal protein, they are considered a complete protein, and contain all essential and nonessential amino acids.
Egg white protein has about 16g of protein per serving, making it about average compared to other popular protein sources like whey (one scoop of whey is anywhere from 10-30g of protein).
Although it is on the lower end of protein content, it is a low-calorie and nutrient-dense protein choice. Egg white protein also includes choline, which is a major player when it comes to your cell and brain function.
The nutritional value of eggs is often disputed among nutritional scientists, primarily because eggs contain high cholesterol levels. These associations with eggs and cholesterol have led to studies about the correlation between egg consumption and heart disease.
There is still research being conducted surrounding the effects of egg consumption and heart health, and more evidence is often needed to support claims that eggs are “health food.” Additionally, since egg white protein powders are relatively new to the market, more studies need to be conducted regarding their effectiveness for athletes and potential side effects.
Pea protein
If you are an athlete that prefers to stick to a primarily plant-based diet, or you have allergies to dairy or eggs, then you may be using (or have an interest in) pea protein powder.
Most pea protein powders are made by extracting the protein within yellow peas.
Pea protein is a versatile protein powder option, and has gained popularity because it is vegan, gluten-free, and hypoallergenic (it doesn’t contain the top 8 food allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, cow’s milk, wheat, or soy).
Depending on the pea protein powder brand you are using, the average amount of protein per serving is around 20g and it is a fairly easy to digest protein source.
However, many users do experience some bloating after use. This often comes from adding it into your diet suddenly, not mixing the powder well enough, or underlying digestive issues.
Pea protein is also rich in iron, arginine, and many amino acids that help promote muscle growth, heart health and satiate your hunger.
Pea protein has very few reported side effects beyond the occasional reports of bloating or gas. However, many pea proteins are relatively high in sodium content. If you need to restrict sodium intake, pea protein may not be the best option because most brands usually have around 230mg of sodium per serving.
Overall, pea proteins are an excellent source of protein and a great alternative for athletes with allergies or dietary restrictions. There are limited adverse effects associated with pea proteins, and they are easy to add to your diet in many different ways.
Other plant-based proteins
Although pea protein seems to be the most popular of the plant-based protein powders available on the market, other plant proteins are available. Some of the most common plant-based protein powders other than pea protein include:
- Hemp protein
- Pumpkin seed protein
- Soy protein
- Brown rice protein
- Chia protein
- Spirulina
- Quinoa protein
- Plant-based protein blends
Although you can find many of these protein powders on their own, many plant-based protein powders blend different plants to optimize nutrient absorption and overall nutritional value. All of these plant-based protein powders have varying benefits and effectiveness.
Most of the time, if purchased from a reputable brand using whole food ingredients, other plant-based protein powders will provide plenty of amino acids and support muscle repair and growth.
Hydrolyzed collagen proteins
Hydrolyzed collagen proteins work to keep your muscles, joints, skin, bones, and other connective tissues in good working shape so you can keep running, jumping, swimming, biking, or lifting all day long.
Even though we produce collagen naturally, by the time we reach our mid-twenties, our body’s natural ability to synthesize and produce more collagen drastically declines.
Collagen is needed for all of our connective tissue structures like skin, cartilage, tendons, etc. But around age 25, we start to notice that maybe our joints are stiffer the day after a run or that our muscles feel more sore after a challenging workout than they had in past years.
As our natural collagen production decreases, our body is sending the little bit of collagen it is making to places in dire need.
And since so many parts of our body use collagen, this could be anything from our skin, to our organs, to muscle recovery from yesterday's run.
There are different types of collagen protein supplements on the market, ranging from the source of collagen to if it is a powder vs a liquid protein supplement.
However, if you are using collagen protein supplements to improve your athletic performance, you should always look for hydrolyzed collagen supplements or collagen peptides.
Since collagen is naturally an animal protein, you can’t find vegan collagen. There are vegan collagen supplements on the market, and although they are marketed using that verbiage, they are only collagen-boosting supplements.
They do not contain any collagen.
Most collagen supplements are not complete proteins. However, Frog Fuel liquid protein supplements are a complete protein because they are fortified with the missing amino acids needed to make collagen a complete protein.
What separates hydrolyzed collagen protein supplements from other types of protein on the market is that collagen does more than help build muscle mass. Collagen is one of the few proteins that work hard to ensure that your body receives the tools needed for collagen synthesis.
So, even though your natural collagen production may have dropped, you still are replenishing your collagen.
Once consumed, hydrolyzed collagen proteins are broken back down into the amino acids necessary for collagen synthesis. This helps your body apply the collagen to where it is needed most, and is why collagen can help not only with muscle building but with skin health, hair health, joint health, bone structure, and other connective tissue health or repair.
Liquid collagen and sports injuries
Now that you know that collagen can potentially help you build or maintain lean muscle mass, let’s talk about how liquid collagen supplements may help prevent injury and potentially speed up your recovery time.
The reason that hydrolyzed collagen supplements may be so beneficial in preventing and repairing injuries is because most sports injuries involve tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. While broken bones and fractures also may occur, they don’t tend to be quite as common.
Collagen is a main component of all of your connective tissues, making it the main structural protein in your body. In fact, 25-35% of your body’s protein content is collagen.
There are several types of collagen in the animal kingdom, but they all essentially serve the same function: to help tissues withstand the stress of stretching.
So, while you’re running, jumping, lifting, and using your muscles, collagen is what allows your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to work in tandem to withstand the stretching involved with physical exercise.
The decline of natural collagen production then becomes a concern for athletes as they age, because if you aren’t making enough collagen naturally, your body’s tissues may begin to lose some of this necessary strength and elasticity.
Collagen for sports injury prevention
When it comes to sports injuries, not all of them are preventable. That’s one risk that you take as an athlete.
However, that doesn’t mean that sports injuries should become a trend in your life. That’s why a well-balanced diet is often recommended for athletes, including various protein sources. These proteins could include collagen peptides as one of your protein sources if injury prevention and general connective tissue strength are something you want to build.
As mentioned before, your tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues contain collagen to help them function properly in your body. It gives them the elasticity they need to lift, squat, run, etc. The way liquid protein supplements like collagen peptides may help prevent sports injury is simply by building up and repairing weak spots as they come.
When you consume hydrolyzed collagen - especially as a liquid protein supplement - your body breaks down those molecules back into the amino acids that construct the protein. Then, your body can apply those amino acids where they’re needed.
So, suppose you already have a weakened cartilage piece in a joint or a tendon that needs more elasticity. In that case, your body will respond by applying the additional amino acids to those areas for collagen synthesis.
Over time, this process could help build up weakened areas and even potentially improve the stability of parts of your body that are easily injured, like your ankles or hips.
Ankles are a chronically injured area for many types of athletes, from runners to weightlifters. It is a sensitive area of your body with numerous tendons and ligaments running through. Ankle instability is especially hazardous for athletes, too, because unstable ankles tend to have a domino effect and begin to impact other parts of your body like your knees, hip, and lower back.
In a recent study, researchers looked at the effects liquid protein supplements of collagen would have on athlete’s ankle stability.
They used a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study on 50 male and female athletes over a 6 month period. During that time, the athletes were given either a collagen liquid protein supplement or a placebo.
At the end of the study, the researchers measured that participants that incorporated collagen into their diets with the supplementation had improved ankle stability.
They even included a 3 month follow up period with the study subjects and noticed that the collagen taking athletes had a lower rate of ankle injuries.
More clinical research needs to be conducted to definitively know how and why collagen peptide proteins effectively help prevent injury. Still, with the data that has been collected so far, the potential for injury prevention with collagen liquid protein supplements is very promising.
Collagen for sports injury recovery
In a perfect world, we would prevent all injuries before they happened, but that isn’t necessarily realistic. So, if you are an athlete and get injured, is there a way to get back to training faster?
Well, if your body can heal more quickly, that would be one way of doing it!
Hydrolyzed collagen proteins like Frog Fuel liquid protein are designed for muscle support and injury prevention, and have the potential to help with muscle and injury recovery as well.
When your body sustains an injury of any kind - for instance, a collateral ligament tear - your body will begin to direct necessary nutrients and cell synthesis materials necessary for healing.
As mentioned, when you consume hydrolyzed collagen, your body breaks it down into the amino acids necessary for collagen production.
That way, if you are injured, you are simply giving your body more tools to work with as it heals the injured area.
In the same way that nutrient-dense foods help your body function better, by adding liquid protein with hydrolyzed collagen to an already-healthy diet, the healing process becomes easier for your body to perform.
Collagen and amino acids
Collagen proteins contain many amino acids, and Frog Fuel liquid protein supplements are fortified to be complete proteins. This is important for sports injury recovery because three of the nonessential amino acids that collagen contains are necessary for wound healing and cell synthesis.
These three amino acids are proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine.
Proline is necessary for the production of hydroxyproline. Hydroxyproline is the primary amino acid needed to produce collagen and is in all of your connective tissues. Glycine is what builds the collagen protein cell structure and is an anti-inflammatory.
For your body to produce collagen, you need these three amino acids to be together. Adding hydrolyzed collagen to your diet with a liquid protein supplement may promote faster healing with less inflammation because of the presence of these amino acids.
When discussing sports injuries, we most often think of injured knees or torn ligaments. While these are quite common, we should also include other traumatic injuries that create open wounds on your skin. This could be as simple as a skinned knee from falling on a run or as intense as a bone-breaking through your skin.
One case study conducted in 2018 looked at the effectiveness of collagen in wound healing. In the study, a 92-year-old woman had a sizable post-traumatic skin injury on her left leg. This wound had a partial closure and some muscle tissue exposed. During the study, she was to undergo treatments, including a higher protein intake using collagen liquid protein supplements with weekly check-ins for progress.
Within 8 weeks, her injury was fully healed, and there were no complaints regarding pain in the wound area.
Although this woman was elderly and was not injured during a sport, it is still an indicator of this amazing liquid protein's potential benefits for injury recovery.
Collagen protein and workout recovery
Just as collagen may help you heal or even prevent an injury, it also has the potential to optimize your workout and muscle recovery.
But remember, not all collagen supplements are the same, and that’s why Frog Fuel liquid protein is a nano-hydrolyzed liquid protein supplement with several formulas.
So you can get the most out of your liquid protein supplements (and your workouts), let’s take a look at which of our products works best for a pre-workout, mid-workout, and post-workout supplement. We can help you to optimize performance and muscle recovery for the best recovery results. Because remember, your muscle recovery starts before your workout does.
Before workouts
One of the often-overlooked aspects of injury prevention and muscle recovery is your energy levels. This is true for weight lifting, endurance training, and even high-intensity training. Your focus and energy levels help you perform at your peak, and keep you engaged enough to focus on your form and technique, not just how hard you’re working.
Numerous factors contribute to staving off fatigue during training, but one thing many athletes turn to is the pre-workout or mid-workout supplement. Which one you choose will often depend on the type of workout you are doing that day.
If you need a pre-workout supplement, take it 20-30 minutes before you begin.
This gives your body enough time to process and break everything down as it begins to apply the boost of protein and nutrients. Frog Fuel liquid protein takes only 15 minutes to digest, but we recommend a good 20 minutes before your workout for the best results.
Pre-workout liquid protein supplements containing the right set of ingredients (like hydrolyzed collagen and other amino acids) are intended to help improve your blood flow and provide a sustained amount of energy for a boost during your workout and a jump-started recovery.
When looking for the right supplement to battle fatigue, it helps to look for supplements that are fortified with specific amino acids like Beta-Alanine and Citrulline Malate.
Beta-alanine has the potential to increase your time to exhaustion (TTE) by up to 13% or more. It does this by decreasing the build-up of lactic acid in your muscles.
Citrulline Malate is designed to support high-intensity and endurance athletes specifically by reducing your muscle soreness during and post-exercise by 40% or more.
We will take a deeper dive into what these amino acids are, and how they work, in a later section.
Including a pre or mid-workout supplement could be the boost you need to push your limits and reach your personal best. And, if you are in search of a pre-workout supplement with a little extra edge, our Frog Fuel Ultra Energized liquid protein supplement is a combo of hydrolyzed collagen, amino acids, carbohydrates, electrolytes, and 80 milligrams of caffeine.
During workouts
If you are an athlete that often does long endurance workouts, high-intensity training, or even a moderately intense exercise lasting for about 90 minutes (powerlifting, cycling, running, etc.), then you likely need a boost mid-workout.
Not only do you need a boost to keep your energy up, but your muscles need a boost to speed up recovery time.
Even if you took a pre-workout supplement, by the time 60-90 minutes of exercise has passed, your body is going to be craving more protein and carbohydrates to keep working at its peak.
Ingesting a combination of both proteins and carbohydrates during endurance workouts has been shown to enhance energy, restore muscle function, and reduce muscle soreness. It also may improve your athletic performance in future workouts because your muscles have begun the recovery process before you even stopped working them.
To get the highest quality mid-workout supplementation, hydrolyzed collagen liquid protein is an excellent choice.
You should aim to consume anywhere from 5-15 grams of protein per hour that you’re exercising. It is even better if your mid-workout includes water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.
Our Frog Fuel Ultra liquid protein works well as both a pre-workout and endurance supplement. With 8g of protein and 10g of carbohydrates, you are hitting targeted nutrition to boost muscle recovery and performance.
Muscle recovery and rebuilding
One of the primary benefits of using collagen protein supplements to enhance athletic performance is that collagen and muscle recovery go hand in hand. When your body naturally repairs and recovers muscle tissue, it’s synthesizing collagen fibers.
Hydrolyzed collagen like Frog Fuel Power is super easy to digest because it is nano-hydrolyzed. Plus, some protein powders are less than ideal for sensitive stomachs, whereas a liquid protein supplement like hydrolyzed collagen is easy to digest.
The digestive fruit enzymes added to Frog Fuel liquid protein further enhance the absorption into your body, making a stand-out for post-workout recovery.
Hydrolyzed collagen may strengthen and heal your ligaments, tendons, and other muscle tissue without adding “bulk.” It is the most abundant protein in your body and is specifically used to rebuild and repair.
Since 1-10% of our muscle tissue is composed of collagen proteins, it is essential not to underestimate the importance of having enough collagen to optimize muscle recovery.
Collagen and muscle recovery go hand in hand, but not just any collagen will do the trick. It is necessary to note absorption rates along with other optimizing nutrients. Remember, hydrolyzed collagen is essential for your body’s ability to process and apply the amino acids.
The Frog Fuel Power liquid protein supplement is great for post-workout muscle recovery. The big difference between this hydrolyzed collagen supplement and many competitors is that most competitors only have carbohydrates and caffeine in their pre and post-workout supplements.
Frog Fuel Power liquid protein has the healing properties you want after a hard training day.
Other ingredients to increase athletic performance
There are a lot of things that set Frog Fuel liquid protein apart from other collagen supplements. Other than being nano-hydrolyzed and containing pre-digested fruit enzymes, a few other ingredients were included to increase athletic performance.
Beta-Alanine
Frog Fuel contains 1500Mg of the amino acid Beta-Alanine for athletes that want an increased power output. Some Beta-Alanine benefits include increased endurance, delayed muscle fatigue, and increased muscle mass, strength, and power output.
To be more specific, Beta-Alanine is a 3-amino propionic acid, a non-essential amino acid produced naturally by the body. While it takes part in different pieces of the metabolic process, the most significant for an athlete like you to note is that it reduces lactic acid accumulation in your muscles.
Beta-alanine does this by combining with histamine to convert into a dipeptide molecule known as carnosine.
The carnosine molecule can be stored in your muscles and brain tissues to be later used to buffer lactic acid. This process is why one of the Beta-alanine benefits includes decreased discomfort and fatigue to improve athletic performance.
Citrulline Malate
Frog Fuel contains 1500Mg of Citrulline Malate to improve your stamina and reduce inflammation during high-intensity training. But why is this important, and what is Citrulline Malate anyway?
Citrulline malate powers your body’s ATP (cell energy transfer mechanism). Your ATP rids the body of metabolic pollutants like lactic acid and ammonia that cause fatigue and slow recovery.
L-citrulline is a non-essential amino acid produced naturally in the body and synthesized in your intestine and liver. While you can get the L-citrulline quite quickly in various foods, Citrulline Malate is a bit different.
While the L-citrulline part of the amino acid is the same, malate is an organic salt. This means that Citrulline Malate is L-citrulline that has been bonded to a salt compound.
Some supplements contain only L-citrulline, meaning that the amino acid compound has not been bonded with an organic salt.
But the salt and L-citrulline combo are what make Citrulline Malate more effective. The organic salt, malate, is vital for ATP production within your body, especially within your muscles. This makes Citrulline Malate mostly applicable for athletes that need more ATP.
Another major draw to Citrulline Malate is that it may help to improve blood flow. It does this by converting to arginine and nitric oxide. So, when you take a Frog Fuel liquid protein supplement, you’re receiving more benefits than just those from hydrolyzed collagen.
How to use Frog Fuel liquid protein to reach peak performance
Although all of the Frog Fuel liquid protein supplements can help you achieve your goals, they are designed to be taken at different times and for different kinds of exercise.
Both the Frog Fuel Power and the Frog Fuel Ultra liquid protein supplements have a regular and caffeinated option.
Frog Fuel Ultra
Frog Fuel Ultra is designed to be both a pre-workout and an endurance fuel booster to take mid-workout.
If you train for 45-90 minutes or more, taking this liquid protein can be taken every hour or at least 15 minutes before a workout.
Frog Fuel Ultra Energized contains 80mg of caffeine, so if you’re looking for more of a pre-workout buzz, that may be the option best suited for your needs. The Ultra Energized pre-workout shot can be thought of as a protein shot with a bit of energy goo combined to give you the pre-workout kick you need.
The regular Ultra can be used every hour throughout your workout as needed.
Both Ultra and Ultra Energized pre-workout supplements contain 8g of Nano-Hydrolyzed Collagen protein. The collagen protein in these rapidly absorbs in your body faster than traditionally hydrolyzed collagen because the nano-hydrolyzed collagen molecules in Ultra are smaller than the pores in your stomach.
There are also 10g of carbohydrates, 1500Mg Beta-Alanine, 1500Mg of Citrulline Malate, and electrolytes. None of the Frog Fuel liquid protein supplements contain any fat, gluten, or lactose, making them allergy-friendly. You can also trust that there are no banned substances, no artificial flavors, and that everything is non-GMO.
Beyond the nutritional support of our liquid protein, one of the most convenient things is that you don’t need to mix our single-serve pouches with anything. You can take the shot straight from the package.
This makes them small, easy to carry, and easy to take when you’re at the gym - or even during a race.
Frog Fuel Power
Once you’re done with a hard workout, whether it be weight training or a rigorous triathlon race, you need a post-recovery supplement you can count on.
Our Frog Fuel Power liquid protein supplement is designed to be taken once you’ve finished your workout, or during a rest day to further promote recovery and body support.
There is also the option to have the Frog Fuel Power Energized if you want a caffeinated protein supplement. This contains 80mg of caffeine per serving, which is the only difference compared to the regular Frog Fuel Power.
Frog Fuel Power is considered a medical nutrition supplement and uses the same formula as ProT Gold, which is trusted by over 3,500 medical facilities. It is proven to heal wounds/injuries up to 2x faster.
Since Frog Fuel Power and ProT Gold use the same formula, that makes the Frog Fuel Power a medical-grade supplement that can be used as a medical food under our healthcare label. It can be used within the healthcare field for wound care, bariatric surgery, pressure ulcers, malnutrition, dialysis, and even chemotherapy.
We do not claim that our medical-grade collagen protein cures any of these ailments, but it is used in medical facilities as part of extensive and personalized treatment plans.
So, you can be sure you are getting nothing but quality with our liquid collagen proteins.
Frog Fuel Power is formulated using 15g of nano-hydrolyzed collagen, and it has 0g of carbohydrates. This makes Frog Fuel Power liquid protein a better alternative to Ultra for people with diabetes looking for a protein supplement.
Frog Fuel Power is proven to be digestible in 15 minutes or less, and is fortified to be a complete protein. As with our Ultra formula, there is no fat, gluten, or lactose. Frog Fuel Power also has no sugar.
Frog Fuel Power is fortified with several other amino acids not naturally found in collagen protein, including Taurine. Taurine is an intercellular sulphonic amino acid that the human body can synthesize but struggles to do so.
When combined with our Frog Fuel Power liquid protein, Taurine acts efficiently to open cells to help other amino acids and proteins enter. Taurine also may reduce oxidative stress during exercise to aid in recovery and reduce lactic acid in your muscles.
Get the most out of your workouts with liquid protein supplements
While the intensity of your workouts may vary, and the activities differ, one thing all athletes can relate to is that we want to perform our best every day. To be at our physical best, we should also make sure we are giving our bodies only the highest quality nutrition and protein to fuel each training session.
That’s why we created Frog Fuel liquid protein supplements, made for athletes by athletes, and designed to get the most out of your body. We believe that nutrition that promotes peak performance should be easy and effective. Whether you're looking for fuel during your pre-workout, mid-workout, or post-workout snack, we have a Frog Fuel formula for it. And each one is with targeted nutrients and the option of caffeine to make sure you are fueling your body right every step of the way.