For professional athletes, natural sports supplementation has become such an important aspect of training and performance - and for good reason. Unlike their synthetic counterparts, natural supplements are usually more bioavailable and are absorbed by the body much easier. This helps best prepare the body for exercise and reduce recovery periods. 

Though with such a wide range of sport supplements on the market, finding a product that backs up its claims and provides meaningful results can be a whole new challenge. 

[Modex - Pycnogenol Powered] natural blend has shown to improve sports performance in several ways - whether it’s by boosting energy production, reducing oxidative stress, or improving both anaerobic and aerobic thresholds. 

However, to back-up these claims, we’ve had a series of professional athletes supplement with Modex to see how it improved their performance. See what they had to say below!

Tim Berkel: 2nd Asia Pacific Championship Ironman Cairns 

Professional triathlete Tim Berkel came in 2nd for the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships in 2019 and 2020. Since being recommended to Modex by a friend, he’s been using the supplement for about a year. 

After a few months with Modex, Tim began to notice a shift in his performance and recovery periods - making Modex a valuable addition to his training sessions on the lead-up to race days. “It’s been important on race mornings [because] it’s a very early start - I found I’m more focused and energetic when towing the start line,” Tim explains. 

Tim has been taking 100ml of Modex every day and has noticed improvements in his VO2 max work and functional threshold power. “I feel like I can push that little bit harder and I definitely feel better aerobically.”

Nathan Dortmann: Back-to-back AG Winner Sunshine Coast And Cairns 70.3 

Nathan Dortmann is a back-to-back overall AG winner of the Sunshine Coast and Cairns 70.3 Ironman - and he believes supplementing with Modex may have played a role in this success.

Nathan started taking Modex a few weeks after the Kona 2019 Ironman - just before his Busselton Ironman. Once he began using the supplement, he immediately began to notice a difference in his performance. 

“It was pretty quick for me, maybe a little less than a week,” Nathan explains.

“I was recovering much faster - or maybe I wasn’t struggling as much as I was used to for a specific intensity. Modex allowed me to back up sessions without feeling as tired as I would have been before starting it. It was a huge mental tension released and allowed me to be focused on everyday tasks and goals.”

Nathan took Modex every day throughout his training periods, even on recovery days. He would take 30ml on rest days, and 100ml on days with longer training - around 20 minutes before his hardest session.

Using Modex helped Nathan to get the most out of each training session, so when race day rolled around, he knew he would perform at his peak. “At [the] Sunshine Coast 70.3, I was able to keep my heart-rate very low on the bike while leading the AG field. Because of that, I ran a 5-minute personal best on this specific course.”

On the lead-up to Kona 2021, Nathan plans on running specific tests to see how Modex has improved his sports performance. Though since taking the supplement, he’s already seen impressive results. 

“The fact that I haven’t been injured since I started Modex and the double win at Sunshine and Cairns 70.3 says it all. Modex definitely helped me to hold a high percentage of threshold for longer. But for me, the recovery side of the product is where all the magic is.”

 “Highly recommend Modex - it will be one of my main allies for Kona 2021”. 

Paul Marchant: 2nd AG Ironman 70.3 Cairns 

In 2020, Paul Merchant placed 2nd for his age group in the Ironman 70.3 Cairns. Paul began using Modex back in November 2019, taking a daily dose of 30ml - and after only 2-4 weeks, he started to feel a difference. 

“Modex has played a key role throughout my training blocks that have led up to my races,” says Paul. “it’s enabled me to recover quicker between heavy training loads, which has enabled me to go harder when it counts. This has resulted in me turning up to races in the best possible shape and I know I’ve done everything I can when standing on the start line.”

“The main impact on race day when taking Modex in the morning is to increase the blood flow and allow my body to take in more oxygen when the race starts. It’s like a kick start to the day!”

After chatting with the Modex team, Paul decided to undergo a pre-load on the lead-up to both his Ironman 70.3 events - taking 100ml of the supplement every day of the week before the races.

“Modex has improved multiple areas of my performance such as increased recovery between sessions, better sleep, longer-lasting energy throughout the day, and the ability to sustain a higher pace/ speed for longer. Along with a well-structured training plan, this all results in greater fitness gains and better results come race day.”

Margo Mackintosh (Tempo Systems): 1st Overall AG

Margo Mackintosh has been securing both age-group and open wins across Australia since being introduced to triathlons in 2009. Though after initially supplementing with Modex in early 2020, Margo had noticeable improvements with recovery times - being able to bounce back from tough training sessions without the same degree of muscle fatigue. 

“The anti-inflammatory qualities of Modex were what appealed to me, having been injury-prone in previous training blocks,” Margo explains. “Since taking Modex, however, I have had one of my most consistent, uninterrupted blocks of training, which has seen me start the racing season in great form.

At the Sunny Coast 70.3, I did the run leg in a relay team, and felt controlled and comfortable over the entire run, while still managing to run a 1:23.17…a time that previously would have been a hard slog.

 My recovery from the race was fantastic - within 24 hours I felt near fully recovered both muscularly and aerobically.”

Modex has helped Margo to maximise her ability to back-up and build on her training. “I feel both aerobically and physically strong, survived the winter without the flu (first time in years), and have not been plagued with my usual injuries.”

Eager to learn more about how Modex works? Check out our previous post: ‘Pycnogenol For Sports Nutrition’.