"HOTSHOT gave me wings to blaze through the second part of my ultra. It was my second pair of wings." — Joe Ryan “Eagle Joe” Casuga, trail and ULTRA runner from Singapore.
My name is Joe and I live in the little red dot: Singapore. I am an engineer by trade; I run ultras recreationally and I always run-commute to work and back home. I am currently an ambassador for IAMRUNBOX, IRUN4ULTRA, and a Tailwind Nutrition Trailblazer. The hot and humid weather here presents another level of challenge to my runs meaning I need to get my gear, hydration and nutrition dialed in. I know I’ve got that covered. I am known to struggle with cramps, which strangely occurs only during race day. The cramp attacks in unexpected ways and at weird locations in my body.
DISCOVERY
I discovered HOTSHOT through the @irun4ultra Ambassador Scheme. We were given goodie bags and various new gear to test. One of the items in the bag was HOTSHOT. It immediately caught my eye and just like any other products, I did my research to understand more about the science behind it.
FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE
With my IAMRUNBOX Backpack Pro, I went off to my run adventure. I used my run-commute time to hit the trails twice daily and had lunch runs when my work schedule permitted. I completed 100km in a personal record time of 10hrs, 49mins or a calendar time of 45hrs, 44mins. On the third day, just before finishing my morning run-commute, I felt the spasms creeping in my quads. I decided to test HOTSHOT on my second run that day. I ran the first half easy to see how my body felt, but approaching midway, cramps hit my quads. While walking off the cramps, I drank about 25ml and slowly got back to my pace. Just like that, the cramp and spasms disappeared and I didn't look back. I blazed through the trails jumping gaps, bombing the downhill portions and pushing hard on the uphill stretches. I reached the Highest Summit before sunset. Here's a video review of that run:
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
I did it! I accomplished what I had set out to do. I continued to use HOTSHOT during the remainder of the week as I pushed to crunch the miles and climb those hills and stairs, and never had any cramps or spasms whatsoever.
MY HOTSHOT VERDICT:
- Packaging: HOTSHOT is compact and the cylindrical container is easy to fit in your run shorts, belts, or hydration packs. The no-spill cap is easy to open and replace. The black and red combination on the label is an eye-catcher. You’ll always know it’s a HOTSHOT!
- Taste: HOTSHOT has a mild sweetness to it with a bit of spicy goodness. Once it is taken, you will feel the heat sensation run through your neck down to your stomach and your breathing becomes clear. It works quickly, and like a lightning jolt running through your body. I felt this sensation for about two hours into my run. And because it is made of all-natural, all-organic ingredients, it is gentle on your stomach. I didn’t have any gut bombs after drinking it.
Kudos to the HOTSHOT team for an awesome product!
MORE ON THE HOTSHOT BLOG
The Nerve is the Boss of the Muscle: Take control with HOTSHOT. Here’s how.
Ultra Runner Nathan Maxwell: "During a very challenging 36-mile mountain race this past year, I took some HOTSHOT during the last 10 miles. The cramping was getting very painful in my calves with each step, but once the HOTSHOT kicked in, it was almost like I had new legs."