ExN Blog

ExN FuelRight Guide

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:03:05 GMT

How much ExN fuel do you need to race and train? Is it the same for men and women?

It's the question we get asked most - how can I FuelRight with ExN?

The Easy Way to Fuel

All ExN products have been created for maximum effect with minimum fuss.

FuelRight for endurance cycling:

The EXN Golden Rule is one EXN Energy Ball per half hour of activity will give you the energy needed to sustain your performance.

Use one ExN Protein Ball within 2 hrs of session to help repair your muscles and maximise the benefits of your exercise time.

FuelRight for CrossFit/gym/swim:

Use one EXN Energy Ball snack before or after sessions.

Use one ExN Protein Ball within 2 hrs of session to help repair your muscles and maximise the benefits of your exercise time.

FuelRight for general activities / work breaks / children:

Everyone can benefit from a clean, natural energy boost.

Use as a tasty, quick no-fuss snack - for walkers, workers, children and everyone in between.

Our energy balls don't contain refined sugars so you won’t experience sugar crash and they have more slow release energy that will power you through your activity or day. ExN balls are excellent snack for your children too. Our chef-athletes' children use ExN before and after their activities between school and clubs. They are an easy to carry, healthy snack that you won't feel guilty giving to your child.

I am a nurse and struggle with eating breakfast early, but when I am on a 12 hour day working in ITU if I don’t eat before my shift starts at 7:30, I might not get to eat “breakfast” until noon!

So I find having an ExN Energy Ball before my shift starts gives me enough energy to keep me on my feet all morning. They are easy to eat, really very tasty, and give me a form of healthy long lasting energy to keep me mentally alert and physically active.

If you want something that is healthy and nutritious to fill a gap when hungry, without reaching for an unhealthy option that gives a massive glucose spike and crash, they are great.

FuelRight for Women

Female athletes are vastly different to male athletes and their physiology changes dramatically over time. Your best nutritional strategy should match your food and fitness to your unique female physiology. We highly recommend a great book on the subject - Roar by Stacy Sims available on Amazon

The summary is that woman need to adapt their nutrition, training and hydration to their specific needs and life stages. ExN products can be part of this routine.

As Stacy so eloquently states "Women are not small men. Stop training and eating like one."

For more personal advice on fuelling and training please get in touch .

Vinnies 2000km 5 day dash to Vilnius

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 19:03:05 GMT

5 Days 7 Countries 1 Idiot

ExN Chef and endurance athlete Vinnie explains his personal motivation to cycle 2000km from London to Vilnius - fuelled by ExN, motivated by Sofia.

In 2014 my then 3 year old daughter, Sofia, was diagnosed with leukaemia; a devastating blow to me and my family. After a difficult two year battle Sofia successfully completed her treatment, winning her fight against the disease. Thankfully our story ended happily, but the journey was difficult nonetheless. To watch your child have to endure such a cruel illness and relentless treatment regime was devastating. At times I would find myself questioning whether I had, in any way, contributed to her plight. The experience, though hugely traumatic, has subsequently had an extremely positive effect on my life, in many ways changing my whole outlook. I was determined that something good would come out of this difficult life journey.

I knew I had to do something to change the direction of where my life was going, so at 30 years of age and weighing in at a hefty 105kg, I found myself signing up for the first sporting challenge - 2014 London to Paris charity cycle. It gave me the drive to get into shape and a way to acknowledge and thank all of the staff at The Royal Marsden Hospital for caring for my sick daughter and returning her to me, as a healthy, beautiful and vibrant little girl.

I loved the experience, the feeling it gave me - combination of pride, pain, satisfaction and more pain. I knew then it was just the start - now my focus was to become a healthier version of myself, for me and my family which led me to sign up for my first Ironman.

Sofia’s battle got me through the 8 month gruelling training plan, I knew it was nothing compared to what she had endured. During my initial swim training session, I barely managed 100 metres- fitness was somewhat lacking!

Six years later I logged 480km swimming, 50,000km cycling and 6,000km running and have 7 Ironman medals. Exercise has become an integral part of my family life, I’m so proud to see Sofia is following in my footsteps and now competes in Triathlons too. My family and I feel so lucky to be able to cheer Sofia on and know that other families haven’t been so lucky. I want to help make sure more families have the positive outcome mine has, so I set myself the target of raising £20,000 for Cancer Research UK’s lifesaving work.

The Challenge

I decided it needed to be something huge (and crazy!), so cycled 2000km in 5 days, from London to my hometown Vilnius in Lithuania! Through France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and finally Lithuania. This was c.400km a day and I spent up to 18hrs a day in the saddle. It was an incredibly tough challenge both physically and mentally! Your donations spurred me on, and together we helped Cancer Research UK save lives! Thank you for your immense support.

The Fuel

The ExN Energy Balls of course! One ball per half hour plus some local food along the way!

Great Taste Awards

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 18:03:05 GMT

At ExN we are incredibly proud of our Great Taste Award

About Great Taste Awards

Great Taste is the UK's largest and most trusted awards scheme for speciality food & drink. Only the best tasting products bear the black and gold logo.

A rigourous judging process

Since its inception in 1993, Great Taste has been the benchmark for speciality food and drink sold in the UK. This accreditation scheme, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, sees 10,000 products vying to win a coveted star award. Every entry is put through a rigourous judging process manned by industry experts.

The judging pool is made up of more than 400 experts (including chefs, food buyers, critics and retailers), who attend sessions held over the course of several months.

Why ExN?

ExN Coconut and Cacao Energy Balls are full of healthy, organic ingredients that are easy on your stomach. With the optimum balance of carbs, natural nutrition, fibre and protein, you deserve the best slow release energy on the planet!