We have been fortunate enough to get a bunch of MRI Performance’s new Athlete Competitive Series supplements, that are currently showing up in full strength at GNC. While most of the products are quite interesting, we decided to put the sleep aid Recover & Repair up for review first. The formula looked good enough with glutamine, valerian extract, and melatonin, to ensure some sort of an experience. Over the past few weeks we have put the ingredients aside, and used R&R night after night to find out what the supplement does first hand.
You are always going to have that argument where something works so well, but due to it’s even better competition, it doesn’t get the reputation it deserves. This can be seen in sports where the runner-up may have been able to beat the previous champion, however has no chance in taking out the current talent on top. We bring this up as MRI’s Athlete Competitive Recover & Repair definitely falls into that category.
The two main things we look for in a sleep and recovery product is it’s knockout power, and muscle repair ability. Starting with the sleep potential, R&R does have that hit the hay effect. Sadly compared to other formulas with similar intentions, like Iron Dream and Resurrect P.M., the supplement doesn’t measure up. If you are someone who has no trouble sleeping and worked your ass off during the day, then the lights out effect in Recover & Repair is likely to go unnoticed. The same goes if you are someone who has trouble closing your eyes at night like a late night pre-workout user or an insomniac. The only time we actually found the Athlete Competitive nighttime product did it’s job was with those moments in the middle. While it didn’t have the strength to bring a yawn to someone slightly awake, nor the power to help get someone already tired to bed faster. R&R’s sleep aid ability was picked up on those in between with an effect that wasn’t exactly impressive. But enough to slowly edge a late night channel surfer or after hours business work to bed, in the 20 minute time period directed on the supplement’s bottle.
Moving on to the second and final area of Recover & Repair, it’s recovery power. We have to say it’s unfortunately about as strong as the product’s knockout strength. Regardless of whoever used the formula in whatever state of tired or soreness. MRI’s R&R just didn’t provide enough recovery to highlight it as a major effect. There were one or two occasions where it seemed like it made a slight difference. Although after a quick rethink, the occasions were all so minimal it was difficult to tell whether it was the supplement or the extra hour of sleep. Alternatively on the days where recovery was needed following a heavy duty session or high intensity workout. The Athlete Competitive formula did not seem to help in the area at all. Of course it is impossible to know, if the product wasn’t used would one be less recovered. Which in that case we go back to the argument we led with, as the only reason we know R&R is not up to scratch. Is because we have tried others like Bullet Proof, Animal PM, and our #1 Resurrect P.M., and experienced what top of the line recovery is. Something we can say is not present even by a fraction in Recover & Repair.
It’s not that we didn’t have high hopes for MRI Performance’s sleep aid, in fact to us in reviews every supplement is ineffective until seen otherwise. It’s just based on what we have tried and what else is out there, the bar has been set relatively high. Formulas like R&R may have some effect, but in a competitive category where some effect is trumped by the perfect effect. Companies really need to up there game before even thinking about entering the sleep and nighttime arena. Unfortunately our MRI Recover & Repair review doesn’t make the rest of the Athlete Competitive collection look overly appealing. However we will put as many of them to the test as we can, and see what they are made of.
