X2PERFORMANCE, the all-natural sports supplement

In July, X2PERFORMANCE, the official sports supplement of the 2013 IRONMAN U.S. series, announced its IRONMAN triathlon team -- a group of 24 athletes from around the country aiming to compete in IRONMAN Florida or IRONMAN Arizona.

"The men and women who will make up Team X²PERFORMANCE® are truly inspirational, impressive individuals, and our brand is lucky to have them represent us," said Dr. Ralph M. Ferrante, CEO of Advanced Bio Development LLC. "We had hundreds of great applications to join our team, and the 24 competitors who make up our Triathlon Team are athletes that will not only benefit but thrive based on the opportunity to compete under the X²PERFORMANCE® banner."

Recently, I had the chance to talk with one of the athletes on the triathlon team, as well as one of the people behind X2PERFORMANCE, to learn what it takes to train for an Ironman, how to balance real life and six-hour bike rides, and maybe most important: just what is X2PERFORMANCE?

Neal Oseland is married with three kids, and is currently training for IRONMAN Arizona:

Why triathlon? How'd you get into the sport?

I started running in the late 90's (I touch on it a little bit here). I had never been much of a runner but a chance entry into the local Race for the Cure 5k and a negative comment from someone once I completed it had me pushing myself in this sport harder than I ever had physically. All the while, I was fascinated with Ironman. I used to watch the old ABC shows, then the NBC broadcasts of it in awe. I told myself I would do it one day not really knowing what a triathlon really was. It just looked really hard and that was the appeal. I did my first one a few years later and it was a steady build until I hit my ultimate goal of qualifying for Ironman World Championship 10 years later.

How does X2PERFORMANCE compare or differ to other sports supplements?

I can't compare it to anything I've ever used. I have used supplements that have helped prolong my longer days and others that have helped my recovery. This is the first product I've used that has accomplished both and at a higher level.

What's been the biggest difference for you since using X2PERFORMANCE?

In addition to being able to train longer, the rest of my day is of higher quality. Because of this supplement, I have a lot more energy after my longer sessions than I ever have before. My family likes it the most so I am not completely dead to them for the rest of a weekend after hard training!

Athletes sign up for the Ultimate Performance Package with X2PERFORMANCE® at the 2013 IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder expo, via facebook.com/X2PERFORMANCE

Boulder 70.3 wasn't your day, you said. What went wrong? And more importantly perhaps, how do you plan on correcting it?

I had a race plan and executed it exactly as planned. I always knew there was a chance of blowing on the run and that's exactly what happened. I am training for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lake Las Vegas next month. I took a chance and put it out there and it failed. Swimming is my worst discipline so I know I will be working from a deficit going into the bike. At Boulder 70.3, I wanted to see how I would hold up on the run after pushing the bike a few minutes harder than I should. Lesson learned. I can't do it this way. I feel the 2-3 minutes gained on the bike cost me 12-14 on the run.

I plan to correct it by pacing the bike properly. I did the bulk of my damage in the first 10 miles of the bike at Boulder 70.3. Easy to do with everyone still feeling good and wanting to compete. I plan to take the first half out at a moderate pace and then crank it up. While still fresh, my perceived moderate pace will still have me going fast. I have a power meter with my training wheels. I train with clinchers with a PowerTap. My race wheels are tubular, deep carbon wheels. I am about 90% sure that I am going to race with my training wheel in the back with a wheel cover and borrow a friends deeper front carbon wheel. I plan to race to power. I've never done it before. This will be yet another experiment in a race environment in preparation for Ironman Arizona.

What's the secret to balancing work and life and triathlon?

It's been a learning experience. When I started running, I didn't have any kids. Now I have three. The balance is constantly evolving. First, I make sure I am awake early. I routinely get up at 3 a.m. to get my workouts started. I can get to bed early most night because I don't have a family that likes staying up late themselves. I spend a lot of time on my indoor bike trainer as a result. This allows me to me done or be close to being done with just about any workout around the time my family starts waking up for the day or in time for me to go to work.

The biggest thing is flexibility. I don't want to ever have to change a session but I frequently do it. Family and work dictates that but knowing things might come up allows me to always have an alternate day to hit key sessions.

FInally, I prepare. I have my gear set up 3-4 days in advance for all workouts. When I do it in "bulk" like this, it only takes 15 minutes or so yet provides me with extra time each day to stay focused on my No. 1 priority, which is my family.

Keith Meyer is the Director of Marketing at X2PERFORMANCE:

First things first: for the uninitiated, just what is X2PERFORMANCE?

X2PERFORMANCE® is a sports supplement formulated to optimize an athlete's physical performance specific to increasing REAL energy, enhancing endurance and improving recovery. This is the only supplement using the revolutionary BIOIDS® advanced cellular formula to naturally enhance the body's production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), to increase energy, enhance endurance and improve recovery.

We recommend taking one 2oz dose approximately 30 minutes prior to your workout or activity. Our product is certified by independent laboratory testing to comply with NSF Certified for Sport® and WADA banned substance testing standards.

What's the biggest benefit professionals have seen from X2PERFORMANCE?

We have professional athletes and teams across the U.S. sports landscape using X2PERFORMANCE® every day. The feedback we constantly receive from these professionals is that X2PERFORMANCE® does exactly as intended, increases energy, enhances endurance and improves recovery. Athletes have described needing less time between exercises and also report feeling fresher the next day. One strength coach for a professional team refers to X2PERFORMANCE® as "ATP shots".

One reason that we are in these professional locker rooms is because X2PERFORMANCE® exceeds the highest quality control standards in the supplement industry. Every production of X2PERFORMANCE® is NSF Certified for Sport® and Informed-Sport certified to ensure there are no banned substances in our product and to verify our label claims.

What about age-groupers, or the weekend warriors -- what's the biggest benefits they can see from X2PERFORMANCE?

Whether you're a triathlete age grouper looking for that coveted Kona spot or the weekend warrior looking for an edge over your buddies, X2PERFORMANCE® provides the energy necessary to keep up with the busy schedules and intense training.

X2PERFORMANCE is not just for the pros; any athlete who is working out or training for something can benefit from using the product.

There's a lot of science about X2PERFORMANCE®, mainly about the importance of ATP, and the ingredients of X2PERFORMANCE -- how would you explain the benefits and science of X2PERFORMANCE in ... simpler terms?

Other performance enhancing supplements may use excessive amounts of caffeine or other stimulants, providing a surge of stimulation many times followed by the inevitable crash. X2PERFORMANCE® works with your body's natural biochemical process of creating energy by feeding your cells the specific ingredients needed for them to create ATP, the body's essential unit of energy and what keeps you going when the pressure is on. ATP is how your body naturally creates energy, and by replenishing and restoring your ATP, your body will perform better and recover quicker from workouts. Here's a video that describes it in a little more detail:

After becoming the official sports supplement of the Ironman U.S. Series, what's next for X2PERFORMANCE?

Although we are targeting the triathlon community at this time, our product is relevant for all endurance athletes, as well as team sports or anyone training or working out regularly.

Recently, we launched the all-new X2PERFORMANCE® Triathlon team of 24 athletes who will be competing at several IRONMAN events around the country. We look forward to expanding upon our ambassadors and sponsored athletes for 2014.

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To learn more about X2PERFORMANCE, you can visit http://x2performance.com/