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Hi,
I'm in NYC for Hyrox right now — almost 50,000 competitors over the next 10 days. I'm watching them go at it as I write this, and if there were ever a place to see the idea of "performance products" come to life, this is it.
I normally send you a long email packed with all my performance picks. Today I want to keep it simpler and focus on why you should be considering this stuff at all. So I built you a dedicated page where you can see and learn about each product here.
When I say performance, I mean products that go beyond hydration, fuel, and recovery. This is really the 4th category. You could call it optional — but skipping it might mean leaving easy gains on the table from work you're already doing.
Here's what most athletes don't get about performance products: they're not for race day. You get the real benefit by boosting performance while you train. Push harder in training, recover better, repeat — that's where the gains actually compound. Race day is just when you get to show it off.
The other misconception I hear is that performance products are only for elite or world-class athletes. In my experience it's the opposite. The regular athlete is the one who sees the biggest percentage gains from adding performance products to their routine.
Here are my 10 favorite performance products — the ones I actually use all the time and keep on hand at home.
Now, onto a couple of brand-new arrivals. These have nothing to do with the performance list above — they're just too good to make you wait on.
First up: State, for the recovery nobody talks about.
Do you ever feel mentally exhausted? We talk about recovery constantly, but it's almost always muscular recovery. I just got introduced to a product called State that's built around cognitive recovery — your brain.
I'll be honest, I was skeptical. Most neuro wellness products are impossible to "feel" working. State hits differently. I've been super excited to share this product with you since I tried it. Not to over hype it, but I would say this is a top three product for me this year so far.
My traditional go-to for a focus boost was ketones — Ketone IQ most of the time. That's an "I want focus right now" product. State is different. It's not a spike. It's giving your brain the foundational fuel it needs to stay in balance and actually recover.
What's novel is how the ingredients are encapsulated to be way more absorbable — a nano-emulsion tech I hadn't seen before that helps the nutrients skip the usual gut breakdown and get where they matter. You'll recognize the lineup: a big dose of CoQ10, B vitamins, citicoline, turmeric, and the headliner — Lipinova Omega-3s.
Side note: One thing I like is those are all nutrients I want in my daily routine I'm not normally getting.
Now here's why that last one matters. These aren't your standard fish oil. Lipinova is concentrated in SPMs — specialized pro-resolving mediators. In plain English: most anti-inflammatories block inflammation, but SPMs tell your body to finish the inflammation cycle and return to normal. They're the off-switch your body already uses, just topped back up. For a brain getting hammered by training stress, that's the whole game.
Best part might be the taste and format. It's a berry smoothie in a ready-to-drink shot, like Dream Shot or Ketone IQ. Flavor is a 10/10.
It was originally made for contact-sport athletes — football, hockey, the brain-impact crowd. But once I tried it, I thought: this is for everyone. My routine is mid-afternoon. Not sure why, but that's when I reach for it, and it helps me cruise through the end of the day instead of reaching for more caffeine.
I bet if you run it for two weeks, you'll look back and say you've been more focused, more ready for a new challenge, and leaning on caffeine less.
Try out State here for a week. If you like as much as I do, you will be thrilled.
New brand alert: Perfect Amino is here.
There are a handful of brands I've been chasing for years to bring to The Feed. I have two big ones left — and one of them launches today: Perfect Amino from BodyHealth.
These guys have been the leader in essential amino acids for years, and the product is revered by experts in the space. We're carrying the complete line.
Here's my take. What makes Perfect Amino different isn't the ingredients — it's the ratio. It's the eight essential amino acids in a precise blend that your body utilizes up to 99% to build actual protein, muscle, and collagen. Compare that to whey or a typical protein, where a big chunk gets burned for energy or turned into waste. With Perfect Amino, almost none of it is wasted, it absorbs in about 23–30 minutes, and it carries virtually zero calories — so it won't break a fast.
The story behind it is what sold me. It was created by Dr. David Minkoff — a physician and a 40-plus-time Ironman finisher. He developed the formula after watching endurance athletes break down with tendinitis and nagging injuries from heavy training loads, and found the right EAA blend was the missing piece for recovery and tissue repair. Get Perfect Amino here.
New This Week
Mortal Everyday — the new daily-sipping version of Mortal, built to drink throughout your day and totally sugar free. The flavor's optimized for everyday use: more subtle than the original, but still great in Aloha, Watermelon, or Berry. Get the hydration of summer here.
Foundation Neutral — now available. Foundation is the all-in-one daily powder that combines Creatine, Collagen, Synthesis (Peptistrong), L-Glutamine, and Taurine — everything you need to boost any shake or smoothie, or make your morning coffee Olympian-worthy. Now in a no-flavor version so you can mix, blend, or stir it into anything. Get Foundation Neutral here.
Cadence — 30% off today. Try the gels, hydration, and the new high-carb drink that powered the Bandit Grand Prix yesterday. One day only. Save 30% on Cadence here.
KA-EX is back in stock. The ready-to-drink creatine drink from Switzerland sold out in a day last time. Flavor is delicious, and it's a super convenient way to get your creatine and essential amino acids in one go. Get it here.
Have a great week of training (try out some of the items from my performance list).
- Matt
Founder
The Feed.
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