Universal makes yet again another great product. This turned out to be one of the best post workout creations that I have had the pleasure to drink. Lava did not and would not let me down, and in turn I gave it my all through each workout just to feel the effectiveness of a truly great recovery drink. While I was mainly an Aftershock junkie, this changed my mind. I used this on a bulk and ran it with:
Animal Pak
C4
Nitrox II
Myofusion
Fish oil
flaxseed


First I will start with the ingredient profile of Lava:
Calories 278
Calories From Fat 22
Total Fat 2.4g 4%*
Saturated Fat 1.4g 7%*
Total Carbohydrate 32g 11%*
Sugars 22g **
Protein 32g 64%*
Vitamin C(As Ascorbic Acid) 60mg 100%
Vitamin E(As D-Alpha Tocopheryl) 30IU 100%
Niacin(As Niacinamide) 20mg 100%
Phosphorus 250mg 25%
Magnesium(As Magnesium Oxide) 200mg 50%
Sodium(As Magnesium Oxide) 180mg 8%*
Potassium(As Magnesium Oxide) 360mg 10%

Creatine Monohydrate 5.5g **
Glutamine(As L-Glutamine) 2.5g **
Taurine(As L-Taurine) 1.2g **
Chromium Chloride 75mcg

It also contains: Ultra And Microfiltered Whey Protein (Milk), (Containing Peptide-Rich Lactoglobulins, Lactalbumin, Immunoglobulins, And Lactoferrin), GlycoCarb Complex (Dextrose, And Glucose Polymers), Maltodextrin, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Fruit Flavor, Lecithin (Soy), Citric Acid, Aspartame, Carmine


--When I first saw this on bb.com, I was surprised that there were not that many reviews on a supplement from a well-known company such as Universal. So I did some research on people’s reviews and most said that they loved the product and had great gains while on it. Then I looked at the ingredient profile and was pumped to see everything that they had included in Lava. First it had a good amount of calories for replenishing after a workout. I then saw that they had used gycocarb as the carb source and knew that that was a great mixture with Dextrose and glucose , and with 32g that is great for refueling and keeping your muscles pumped. After that I noted that they did put a creatine in good ole monohydrate. While most of the size gained would be from water weight and it is not the best creatine out, I have always had good results with monohydrate. Finally the protein, which comes from ultra, and micro, filtered whey protein from a milk source. Not the best protein but better than anything I could have asked for in the combination that they had already included.


-Mixability/Texture: 7/10
I would put 2 scoops of lava in my shaker cup and head to the gym. After a workout I would mix it with just water and did notice some mixability issues in that there was some clumping on the sides of the shaker. Also some of the clumps would get caught in the filter screen in the shaker, which got kind of annoying but I made due.


-Taste: 6.5/10
I got the Orange slush flavor, which as it turns out is the only flavor available. The first thing I noticed when drinking this is it tasted nothing like orange slush. It tasted more like bubblegum than anything. Almost like a bubblicious hybrid of sorts, with a cotton candy/orange flavor. Weird?

-Effectiveness: 9/10
This is where Universal hit a home run. I ran two tubs of Lava and halfway through the first tub my strength went through the roof. I also noticed a size increase in my muscle definition and tone. Yes most of it was water weight due to the monohydrate, but they put 22g of sugar in lava so it is more effectively absorbed and utilized. Also, I did not have a bloat while on this.The carbs also kept me satisfied until my post workout meal, 45 min later.

-Value: 7/10
I first bought the 2.7lb of lava for $24 from bb.com. Which calls for 2.5 scoops pw. I dosed it at 2 scoops and did not see any problem. It lasted me a little over 3 weeks so value is about as great as aftershock, although Lava is a little bit cheaper. The second tub I purchased was the 1.8lb and that was from AllStarHealth for $13. The reason I bought the smaller version this time around, is because I was almost to the point where I would be off stimulants for a month and a half. This has about 10 serving and lasted me about 2 ½ weeks.

-Overall: 8.5/10
This is a great product that more people should know about. It is now a staple in my stack and while it is hard for me to give up aftershock or 2:1:1 recovery for a while, the gains I have seen while on this remain unmatched. While the taste did make it falter some, I realize that effectiveness outweighs taste by a mile. So in conclusion if you want and alternative to aftershock try out this and you should see great results. Pick up some Lava today and melt your mind!!


-Moose