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Innovative recovery solution: Amp Human’s PR Lotion uses bicarb to optimize neuromuscular function

Innovative cream delivers electrolyte to the body allowing athletes to recover more effectively

Photo by: Kevin Mackinnon

In the search for a performance edge, athletes have long experimented with sodium bicarbonate as a way to “improve acid-base balance” – basically, the electrolyte is supposed to help our bodies deal with the build up of lactic acid during intense training. In the past the big problem with trying to get sodium bicarbonate into your system has been that ingesting it often leads to gastrointestinal distress.

PR Lotion uses an innovative technology allows the water-soluble sodium bicarbonate contained in the cream to be absorbed into the muscles and blood stream. A Red Bull study found that use of the product helped athletes to generate almost seven per cent more power in a cycling test and increased their “mean power output and peak power output during leg extension exercise in both legs.” What made that result even more interesting was that even when the athletes only applied PR Lotion to one leg, there were power output and weight improvements to both legs, leading the scientists involved in the study to conclude that there was absorption through the skin and into the bloodstream.

Another study conducted at San Diego State University “identified an 11% higher blood lactate concentration when subject used PR Lotion compared to a control (placebo) lotion. These findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in May 2018, demonstrate the potential for enhanced buffering potential with PR Lotion during high intensity cycling exercise.”

Kona bike course record holder holder Cam Wurf admits he was skeptical about the product, but after years of trying to figure out a way to utilize sodium bicarbonate as a training and racing tool, he’s impressed with the way PR Lotion works.

“I tested it for a few years, and this stuff really works,” Wurf says. “For me the biggest issue in the sport has been running, and running is the sport that breaks your body down the most. So that’s where I’ve utilized it the most and I’ve not had a single injury in the last three years since I’ve been using it.”

Lucy Charles-Barclay attributes PR Lotion to helping her take the prestigious Challenge Roth title in 2019 – she and husband Reece Barclay have made PR Lotion a regular part of their training and racing routines.

Using PR Lotion

Originally released as “Topical Edge,” PR Lotion is an improved version of the product that is much easier to apply. The new formula is easy to apply to the skin and has a creamy feel and a very slight odour that leaves your muscles feeling warm after application. You will want to wash your hands well after you’ve applied it.

The idea is to apply it about a half hour before your workout – even for swimming. You can also apply it after you’ve worked out, too – it provides some welcome warmth to tired and sore muscles after a hard session. The Barclay’s have both incorporated PR Lotion into their massage routines. too.

Charles-Barclay has found that she notices a difference in the amount of fatigue she feels during hard swim efforts using the product.

“I’d used the product in running and had massive benefits, so I gave it a go in the pool,” she says. “Normally in a 1,500 m freestyle, by about the 500 m mark I feel like I have balloon arms – I just cannot move – but I just didn’t get that feeling. I think I swam top 20 in the country for 1,500, so I am so happy with that after not a lot of swim training.”

The PR Lotion Starter Kit ($77) includes 1 bottle and 5 on-the-go packets which combined support up to 20 workouts

The athletes who reviewed PR Lotion for Triathlon Magazine Canada didn’t notice as dramatic a difference during workouts, but did feel that they were recovering quicker and feeling less muscle soreness after hard sessions. That reinforces another study that found that PR Lotion reduced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by reducing the inflammation in the muscles. That means you’ll be able to bounce back quicker from your hard sessions and be ready for your next hard effort a bit sooner. Athletes who use the product see it as an addition to their recovery arsenal, especially after hard swim, bike or run sessions that have left their arms or legs feeling particularly stiff and sore.

Whether you’re improving your “readiness to train” or simply increasing your body’s ability to buffer the effects of acid build up during hard efforts, Amp Human’s PR Lotion might be the answer to helping you reach your athletic goals.

Find out more and purchase Amp Human PR Lotion here.