Mitch DeYoung

Ultra Endurance Events - Hammering Since: 2012

I’ve been an athlete all my life, playing high school and college football until knee problems sidelined me. I had three knee surgeries before I turned 21 years old and was in and out of physical therapy until 2005. Then I realized every physical therapy session started with 15-20 minutes of spinning. So I bought myself a trainer and begin working out on my own. The more I rode, the more I enjoyed being on my bike and the better my knee felt. One day I heard about a mountain bike race and decided to give it a try. I had a great time and didn’t even do too bad; but I learned I knew nothing about how to train, how to pace or how to fuel. But I did notice the Hammer Gel and pamphlet in the swag bag.

Over the next few years I tried a few different training and nutrition plans. I continued to get faster and have more fun at cross country and time trial races. I moved up the ranks, learning about the joys of the podium and the devastation of bonking. I used products from a variety of nutrition companies, mostly based on what was readily available. But when I entered the world of ultra-endurance racing, I knew I had to be more intentional about my choices.

I did a lot of research and tried a lot of formulas. I had even been sponsored by two different nutrition companies through this journey, but while they worked fine for training rides, neither could keep me going for ultra-endurance events. With one, I found myself heaving on the side of the trail; with the other, the cramping was so severe I almost bailed with five miles left to go in a big race. That race was a turning point for me in terms of nutrition. Hammer was the only product line that consistently met my needs and helped maximize my performance on and off the bike. Training, racing, recovery – at every step, Hammer Nutrition has never let me down.

That was in 2012 and I've used Hammer every since.