Twinlab-Full Throttle Endurance Racing

To the average onlooker, the thought of competing in a triathlon may seem like a daunting, insurmountable task. But to the approximately 100 members of Twinlab-Full Throttle Endurance Racing, it’s all in a day’s work. Team members eagerly arrive for grueling 2-hour training sessions at New York City’s Chelsea Piers at 5:45am, five days a week, ten months out of the year, to get themselves in peak physical condition for triathlon competition. The program, which is broken down into 8-week sessions, consists of one hour of swimming, cycling or running, followed by an hour of strength training.

And while the team has 20 elite members who compete in triathlons across the country and around the globe, the majority of the team is comprised of amateur athletes spanning all athletic levels, age groups, and professional and social backgrounds. Amongst the members of Twinlab-Full Throttle Endurance Racing, you’ll find CEOs, bankers, chefs, teachers, models and students, as well as parents and grandparents. But what brings this diverse group together is their common goal to become competitive triathletes, as well as the feeling of support, comraderie, and healthy competition that the team provides.

This sense of comraderie and friendly competition is what first prompted coach Scott Berlinger to create the team in 2003. “I felt that this was a sport that needed some guidance. I wanted to find a way to have people come together and train as a group, because it’s more fun to race as a team as opposed to being a group of fragmented people with no real sense of community,” says Scott.

And if anyone can help whip you into a lean, mean, triathlon machine, it is Scott. Renowned as one of the country’s top trainers, Scott’s workout tips are frequently published in magazines such as Men’s Journal (who has named Scott as the best trainer on the east coast), Shape, Self, Fitness and Prevention. A lifelong athlete, Scott was a decorated swimmer in school, and even enjoyed a stint as “Viper” on the original American Gladiators. After leaving the show, Scott chose to return to his true passion – racing. He began working as a personal trainer and started his own training for the sport of triathlon, when he realized that he, as well as other triathletes, could benefit from training with others by sharing successes and pushing each other to reach their goals.

Scott was able to recruit six members, and created Full Throttle Endurance. Though a small start, the team continuously placed among top contenders in the sport, and as word of Full Throttle Endurance’s successes spread, team membership grew exponentially, drawing everyone from college athletes, to individuals simply looking to start a workout regimen.

You need look no further than 27-year-old Jessica Mullin – who went from being a smoker who had not exercised in seven years, to a National Champion triathlete after only two seasons with the team – or team captain Jesse Du Bey – who was voted the team’s most valuable athlete after competing in back-to-back triathlons at the USA Triathlon Team National Championships leading to the team’s 1st place finish in their division – for proof that Twinlab-Full Throttle Endurance Racing is a force to be reckoned with in the triathlon world.

Now in their seventh season – and now named Twinlab-Full Throttle Endurance Racing – they are defending champions of New York City Triathlon, and hold the 1st place division title at the USA Triathlon Team National Championships. With Twinlab® now on board, sports nutrition will now take on a greater emphasis for the team. A product regimen consisting of pre-, during, and post-workout supplementation, including Endurance Fuel®, Electrolyte Fuel™, Glutamine Fuel®, Amino Fuel™, 100% Whey Protein Fuel®, Food Based Ultra Daily Multivitamin, and Twinlab Joint Krill Oil.

“In this sport, you’re revving your engine to the point of distress, and nutrition is a key component to keeping you at the top of your game. We came to Twinlab because we were looking for quality sports nutrition that we can count on day in and day out. Twinlab’s expansive line of products allows us to customize nutrition programs to the needs of each of our athletes,” says Scott.

Together, Twinlab and the Full Throttle Nation Foundation, an organization started by Scott to promote active and healthy lifestyles for children and adults, will host two public races in the Town of Sherman, CT. To kick off the program, Full Throttle Twinlab Racing will be hosting the first annual Full Throttle Nation Bike Build in New York City on February 21, during which the team and volunteers will build and donate children’s bikes to benefit underprivileged, inner city youth.

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