by: Wendy McMillan and Amanda McCracken

When it comes to training and racing, who says sports fuel can't be focused and fun? Now, more than ever, sports nutritional options abound, from malt balls to jelly beans. We thought it was high time the classic cupcake took a turn in the spotlight. As timeless as birthday parties, everyone knows cupcakes are vogue, taking the cake (literally) in weddings and other celebrations. Increasingly, specialty shops are devoted to them, from high profile to low brow.

With a little creative tweaking, we were certain easy, home-baked cupcakes could fit within a broad, health-focused athletic arena. So, we took our idea to Boulder Max Muscle and let the trials begin. A dash of glutamine here, some whey protein there, and truly the icing on the cake: a rice flour-Gu blend frosting.

We took a batch each of Max Muscle-primed chocolate banana and gluten free almond chip mini cupcakes to a local weeknight race, taking the opportunity to help enhance our friends’ post-race experience and get some constructive feedback. Hungry athletes are generally easy to please, it’s true, but response was really great. In fact, the Max Muscle addends seemed to enhance the original recipes. What’s more, including them was hassle-free; the main thing was adjusting slightly for batter consistency. Both cutting back on flour and adding liquid worked great. And, you can’t discount the fun factor that comes naturally with petite morsels like mini cupcakes.

Now, the holiday season is here, brimming with more opportunities to enjoy Max Muscle products in festive fashion. We couldn’t resist getting into the spirit with some more experimenting baking befitting the season, resulting in gingerbread pear and gluten free pumpkin. Try swapping your favorite protein powders and nutrition products for the ones included in these athlete-tested recipes.


Gluten Free Almond Chip

1 cup rice flour
3/4 cup almond meal (you don’t have to go out and buy this, you can just finely grind almonds yourself)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey–but add with wet ingredients if using)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark chocolate pieces
Cooking spray
1/3 cup Max Muscle  vanilla whey protein powder
2 tablespoons Max Muscle glutamine powder
Gu gel for frosting (thicken with a little rice flour if desired)

1.     Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour and almond meal. Add in sugar (if using) and baking powder; make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 7 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips or pieces.
3. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pear

1 ½  cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup Max Muscle  vanilla whey protein powder
2 tablespoons Max Muscle glutamine powder
1 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup skim milk or orange juice
1/2 cup applesauce
 1 egg
1-2 pears cored and diced
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
Vanilla Gu for icing—mix with cream cheese to thicken if desired

1. Mix flours, baking powder, Max Muscle powders, brown sugar, and spice in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk, oil, molasses, applesauce, and egg (lightly beaten). Stir to combine.

2. Fold in raisins and pear. Pour into prepared mini muffin or muffin tin and bake at 375 degrees F, approximately 20 minutes for mini muffin tin, 25-30 for regular muffins