Introduction

A special thanks to Nature Restore for their participation here on SR.com. Today, I discuss their sleep aid product, Sleep Boost. Catching those much needed, well deserved Zzzz can be daunting with today's increasingly hectic lifestyles. Being that sleep is one of the most critical factors when it comes to recovery, and general health, ensuring that we get enough is important in keeping our bodies and minds functioning at their peak.

Ingredient Profile

The profile of the formulation I received is a little different from what past reviewers had reviewed.

For starters, there are no prop. blends and this formulation is completely disclosed.

Magnesium glycinate at 200mg - A more readily absorbable and GI friendly form of magnesium. Magnesium is needed for a host of bodily biochemical processes and also plays a role in GH and IGF regulation during REM sleep.

L-Theanine at 50mg - Can improve sleep quality by exerting calming and anti-anxiety effects.

Melatonin at 3mg - A hormone that is naturally produced in your body to induce restfulness and sleep. Supplementing with it, can increase levels and therefore improve sleep quality.

5-HTP at 50mg - A precursor to serotonin that can have calming, mood elevating, and focus improvement properties. It can also promote relaxation and improve sleep.

Vitamin B6 at 5mg - A B-vitamin involved in several body functions including brain function, blood vessel production, and can support eye health. Works alongside magnesium during sleep cycles to regulate hormones and promote immune function.

Reishi Extract at 200mg - Can promote REM sleep induction and help promote deeper more restful sleep when combined with melatonin and other sleep promoting supplements. Has been demonstrated to be a potential treatment for insomnia.

Ziziphus jujuba fruit extract at 200mg - Research suggests that it can exert a sedative effect on the nervous system, inducing calming effects and aiding in rest.

Valeriana officinalis at 200mg - Proposed to have a sedative effect and also improve the effects of other sleep inducing aids such as melatonin and antidepressants.

Xylaria nigripes at 500mg - Also exerts a sedative effects and stimulates the GABA receptors in order to produce a feeling of calmness and relaxation, helping to promote rest.

The difference in this formulation includes the lesser quantity of melatonin, the inclusion of both 5-HTP and Vitamin B6, and a fully disclosed label. The only thing I would change would have the melatonin dosage higher than 3mg. I would prefer 6-10mg myself.

Dosing

Take 3 capsules of this an hour prior to bedtime on an empty stomach. This is exactly how I took it.

Effectiveness

While it didn't have a more pronounced knock out effect, sleep boost did help me achieve a deeper, more restful state of sleep.

I was sleeping significantly deeper and better. I had no bouts of restlessness or difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep. It allowed me to fall asleep quicker and remain asleep without being easily woken up or disturbed.

I was waking up more refreshed, less fatigued, more recuperated, and had higher levels of natural energy. All this helped to translate into ensuring that I continuously was able to go hard day after day in the gym.

Value

You can get a bottle of Sleep Boost for as low as 14.95 on Amazon for a full 30 day's supply. Given the efficacy, quality, and the fact that it is all natural and non-habit forming, this seems like a great value for those needing some help with their sleep quality.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

If you're looking for some help getting those extra Zss more efficiently, Sleep Boost is a great and safe way to do just that. Sleep Boost will help you get to sleep faster, stay asleep longer, sleep deeper, and have you waking up more refreshed and ready to take on the day with more energy.

WARMACHINE OUT!!

GO BRUINS!!!

This is the first time that I purchased a pre-workout without completely being informed on the product. I was told it was a good Pre, so I said lets do it. It was a definite experience.

Introduction

Manson, by Insane Labz (Dark Metal) is a preworkout that is pretty stout when it comes to stimulating the body. Ive taken over the past 18 years almost every type of supplement that is legally out there and I can tell you this one got to me. It is for sure not for the faint of heart.

Ingredient Profile

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (7.5g)
Servings Per Container: 35
Manson Blend 5g (propriety blend)
Beta alanine, L-tyrosine, L-taurine, caffeine anhydrous, dicaffeien malate, l-carnitine l tartrate, ampiberry, oxygold, rauwolfia vomitoria extract.

We have the usual culprits:

Beta Alanine: Used to contribute to muscle endurance.
L-Tyrosine: This supplement has been known to increase alertness and focus. It also helps out with depleting dopamine and noradrenaline production resulting from exercising.
L-Taurine: This amino helps with recovering from exercise.

Caffeine Anhydrous:
DiCaffeine malate:

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate: Like Taurine, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate also helps aid in recovery. It also has been shown to aid in muscle performance by increased oxidation.
AMPiberry (Juniperus Communis): From what I have gathered from this ingredient is that it has been shown to decrease water weight and helps with fat loss( especially when added with caffeine).

Oxygold (Fulvic Acid): This has been rumored to have antioxidant and inflammation reduction properties. Also has been claimed to help with test levels

Rauwolfia Vomitoria Extract: Has been shown to help burn fat and stimulate the central nervous system.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

7/10
I got the cereal Killer flavor. It smelled similar to fruity pebbles which wasn't at all bad. I put it in my standard shaker and the mixing was as simple as a few shakes.
Dosing/ for the dosing part I used one scoop. On day one I took half a scoop to see how strong it was since it is a propriety blend. The strength did not do much for me. Day two I took a full scoop. I would not recommend more than one scoop.

Effectiveness

7.0/10
The Good
Within 30 minutes, I could tell the caffeine was in the pre. I was all over the place. My focus was there as well. This could have been the Beta-Alanine kicking in. The overall workouts were pretty good. So as far as taking a pre-workout for energy and focus, this stuff had what it takes. Even when the workout was done, I still had quite a bit of energy to go throughout the day. I don't use any other sources of caffeine so this was noticed day one. I slept pretty hard at night (may be due crashing out)

The Bad
I don't know how much of each ingredient is included with a propriety blend but It seems to me the caffeine was a little overpowering. As previously mentioned I don't do caffeine other than a pre-workout. The whole day I was on edge and antsy. Also it should be mentioned that I had a strong sensation of being hot about 15 minutes after taking it. It may have been from the beta-alanine. Some people look for this in a supplement that is why I gave a high effectiveness rating.

Value

6.0/10
Value is in the eye of the beholder in my opinion. At around .65 per scoop, I was not hurting in the wallet at the end of the day. I did not give it a full ten due to the fact we don't know the exact amounts that we are getting of the ingredients. It may just be all caffeine.

Side Effects

On the side effect end of the spectrum, Hot flashes, slight itching, and nervousness were my main concerns. I was not a fan of this.

Conclusion

Overall Score: 6/10
This product should be used with caution. If you consume caffeine throughout the day, I would not recommend this. As previously mentioned, Manson was not a bad product to give you energy and focus, it just brought with it the nervousness and jitters. I would not say this product was a complete miss as I did get some pretty hardcore energy from it. I will mention again, at the end of the day I slept like a baby. To conclude, I don't think it is a product that should be overlooked, just if and when you buy it, be careful on how much you consume.

QUICK SUMMARY

Acceptable average BCAA supplement.

INTRODUCTION

Thanks to Beast Sports Nutrition for participating in the SR TROOPS program and to SupplementReviews for making this connection between brand and consumer possible. I lift weights 5 days per week from Monday to Friday and take aminoacids almost everyday to help with recovery, source of clean energy, endurance, prevent muscle loss, etc, depending on the moment of the day I consume them. I don't expect miracles from them but when you take them consistently, you notice positive results. Let's see how it worked...

INGREDIENT PROFILE

Fully disclosed profile so congratulations for that.

- 5 grams of Instantized BCAAs known as "InstAminos". It's a bonus they are instantized to help with the mixing. I don't know if that also means better absorption and availability but well it's still a bonus that they are instantized. 5 grams of BCAA is a good dose. Depending on the moment of the day you take them, they will give you lot of benefits like overall energy, clean energy, overall recovery, recovery between sets, recovery after workout, help with protein synthesis, delay fatigue and so many other benefits. Now some people demonize them but they will always be my love <3 hahaha. I guess people confused "helps to build muscle" or "supports muscle" with "builds muscle". BCAAs don't build muscles by themselves, they need other aminos to do that. It's like the tires of your car. They help the car move but they aren't the whole car by themselves. They are on a 2:1:1 ratio, I prefer ratios with higher Leucine but it's no big deal.

- Then we have 465mg of Glycine, 300mg of Alanine and 300mg of Taurine. Those 3 ingredients have performance, mental, etc benefits related to exercise but I have to agree with user @Cray here: "While I appreciate the inclusion of these essential amino acids, the doses not high enough to be considered effective, at least not on their own." Talking about their benefits would be useless because I don't think they will do much with those doses. I can live with that because this is just a simple BCAA supplement so no big deal.

- Then we have the other key ingredient here which is 240mg of Tart Cherry Powder (the 1st key ingredient being the BCAA). This is a new ingredient being used in some aminoacid supplements (from what I know) and it seems to have a good potential to reduce muscle soreness, maintain strength and prevent catabolism. User @Cray talked about a 1 gram of standard dosing daily although I couldn't find information about that. I found a study using 480mg of Tart Cherry Powder https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4647629/ Beast BCAA uses half of that dose, which is not bad because the study is only for 10 days so that 240mg dose of Beast BCAA should give you some good results but after 2-3 weeks.

- It also has high doses of Vitamins D, B6, B12 and some amount of Sodium as electrolyte.

Overall, a basic ingredient profile with 2 main ingredients: BCAA and Tart Cherry Powder. I'll give it a 7/10 here because Glycine, Taurine and Alanine are underdosed. Tart Cherry Powder is a bit underdosed too but for the purpose of the product (being an average one), it's a good profile.

TASTE/MIXABILITY/DOSING

- TASTE: Tropical Breeze. User @Cray did a good description of the taste, like a "kid's tropical fruit punch" and "heavy on the pineapple flavoring". I like pineapples so I didn't have a problem with that. I'll give it a 7/10 here. It tastes artificial, a good artificial taste. I wouldn't say it was delicious and it wasn't bad. It was higher than average but it didn't reach the "delicious level". The other flavor available is "Beast Punch".

MIXABILITY: The grains of the powder could be felt like others before me have said. Not a big deal but not perfect.

DOSING: They suggest to "use 1 level scoop with 10fl oz of water 2 times daily. For optimal use, use 1 level scoop between meals, 30-45 minutes before workouts, during workouts and/or inmediately following workouts." You're not supposed to take this at all those moments of the day they mention, they are just giving you options of when to consume this product, you're the one in charge of choosing when to take it. I took 1 scoop per day, during my workouts. They also suggest to use it 2 times daily because you really feel the BCAA benefits when they are 10g... but that will depend on you and your daily intake with other supplements and food. I decided to use only 1 because it's only 30 servings.

EFFECTIVENESS

When I take an intra-workouts, I expect clean natural energy, different from the one given by stimulants. I also expect to recover some of the strength lost during my previous sets, some hydration help, some motivation to keep me going, etc. Beast BCAA did an average acceptable job. It did that acceptable job on strength, hydration and it gave me that "additional push" to help me finish my workout.

I was dissapointed with the energy area because I didn't feel the benefits in this area. I think the reason of that is more because of the preworkout I was taking. Full Spectrum Rx takes your levels to the maximum, especially your energy levels, so I couldn't perceive any benefits on additional energy. Another reason of why the energy area could have failed was because by the time I took Beast BCAA several times, my body was already running out of Carbohydrates. No Carbs, no party! Lot of my routines were 3 hours long because I do 3 muscles per day some days of the week. So if I took Beast BCAA 2 hours after starting my workout, my Carbohydrate levels were already low because of the workout but also because of the Pre-workout with a crazy amount of stimulants.

I also took this for 1 week with only Creatine and some other ingredients (no stimulants) and it did alright. But I was expecting an acceptable average job before beginning to take this product, I was just dissapointed with the energy. In all the other areas, it did alright. Nothing outstanding but a good job. You really can't expect this product to compete with the top aminoacids or intra-workout supplements out there. The formula is basic and the results were also basic, simple as that.

VALUE

Bodybuilding.com, Beast Sports website, Muscle and Strength, DPS Nutrition all have this for $24.99. VitaminShoppe had it at the same price but right now it's on $21.99. I'll be honest, I would pay something between $15-$17 maximum for this product. The maximum I would recommend someone to pay for this product would be $20, no more than that. My "6.5" score is based on the $24.99 price, not the $21.99 price because I have a feeling that price won't last for so long. But my score would be "7" on Value if the price was $21.99.

SIDE EFFECTS

None.

CONCLUSION

Formula is basic and average but good. The typical 5 grams of BCAA, InstAminos and 240mg of Tart Cherry Powder to try and make it special. Some added vitamins and aminos. This product pretends to be an "adult" with this formula but the conclusion is that Beast BCAA is still a teenager ;) If you can find this product for less than $20 and you want to try it, go ahead. If you want to try the Tart Cherry Powder and see if it works for you and you can find it for the correct price, then go ahead.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE COMPANY

- I'm not going to suggest the company to increase the dose of some ingredients because at the end of the day, most companies have their "average products" and "elite products". I would tell the company not to expect this product to be part of their "elite products". You need another product for that. From what I can see, you don't have another aminoacid supplement so I would suggest making an aminoacid that can belong to your elite products and keep this Beast BCAA but for the average product category.

- Another suggestion if you want to keep the price is to increase the dose of the 3 aminoacids that are underdosed (Glycine, Taurine, Alanine) to their full dose. That way the $24.99 will be more fair.

---Introduction---

Browsing around for a fairly inexpensive pre-workout, I came across this potential jewel. Vapor X5 my Muscletech. I have tried various pre-workouts, including the original Nano Vapor and have good and bad experiences with them.

MuscleTech has been around for many years now. As a teenager, I remember if you were not buying their products, you were not in. I have purchased my fair share over the years in this line and hit a lull with much of the stuff they have come out with. I purchased Vapor X5 due to it being around $20.00, because I have been known to be a penny pincher. I will tell you, though, I was not disappointed with the outcome of my inexpensive purchase.

---Ingredients---

Betaine: An active metabolite of choline, is said to increase strength, muscle, and power. Creatine is essential for athletes for strength and size gain. Each serving contains 1.5g's of Creatine. Beta Alanine is a key supplement that also aids with some energy. Nitrosigine and Galangal extract close out the profile. Nitrosigine is a N.O based ingredient said to ramp up your pumps. Finally, Galangal Extract helps with circulation and as a side note also apparently helps with stopping certain digestive issues.
---Taste---

I purchased the Icy Rocket Freeze flavor. It mixed really well. I was surprised on the flavor. I did notice that there was a strange minty refreshing type aftertaste with it. I am not sure if it was the flavor or one of the ingredients that caused that. Nothing to worry about.

Effectiveness

7.9/10
After taking a break from Pre-workouts, coming back to this was pretty spot on. I can say that my energy was where I needed to be and I had some pretty good pumps while I was in there. My workout state of mind was in place the whole time and I was not distracted one bit.

Value

8/10
For the price I purchased it for, this stuff is pretty good. A pre-workout with the effectiveness I received from this to me would cost at least $45.00.

Side Effects

I had no side effects with this product

Conclusion

In a world of supplements, it is hard to find something that will not A. Break the bank or B. Kill you with stimulants. Vapor X5 was both affordable and effective in what it claims to do. Of course, results may vary, but I am one happy camper and I ended up buying about 4 tubs of it.

Introduction

What is going on guys? I've got a tasty protein snack review for you all today. I actually ordered these because of the positive feedback from other gym goers and the respect I have for the Universal Nutrition brand. Let's dive right in.

Ingredient Profile

One bar is 350 calories:
This bar is not for the faint of heart. I would almost call it a meal replacement bar because of the caloric total. If you are on a cut you can always make anything fit into your macros, however you may end up with way less total volume of food ingested for the day than if you ate say another 'mini meal' of 350 calories. Lucky for me I am currently in a caloric surplus so adding one bar to my daily macros wouldn't hinder me from eating my other planned meals at all.

12g Fat (5g saturated): This macronutrient stat alone limited me to only eating one of these babies per day. It's not horribly high by any means, but it was enough to sway me from eating multiple bars a day to maintain my macros (and stay under my daily fat total).

39g Carbs: This amount would defiantly 'refuel you' before a workout or after a workout. Once again I go back to the person cutting metaphor. If your only eating 200g of carbs per day than this bar would be almost 20% of that total and at least for me bars are far less volume and filling than 40 carbs of 'real food'.

25g Protein: Equivalent to most protein shakes, this is a great amount of protein to consume on the go.

What's it made of??
Peanut butter, honey, brown rice syrup, milk protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, milk chocolate coating (sugar, palm kernel oil, nonfat dry milk, cocoa powder, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], and salt), whey protein crisp (whey protein concentrate, corn starch, cocoa processed with alkali), inulin, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], and vanilla), rolled oats, cocoa, almonds, peanuts, natural and artificial vanilla and chocolate flavors, peanut flour, sea salt, potassium sorbate.

Does anyone else's mouth drool after the first two ingredients? Peanut butter and honey are an absolute heavenly combination. The types of protein in here are whey protein concentrate and milk protein isolates. I like seeing both types in a bar because maybe my particular body responds a little quicker in absorbing one than the other. Then the rest of the ingredients are like your baking a cake! lol chocolate chips, almonds, whey protein crisp (whey protein concentration corn starch, and cocoa), milk chocolate coating and other tasty ingredients.

I like the label overall. If I was really counting my calories and in a major deficit I probably wouldn't use my macros on a heavy bar like this simply because it uses up a lot of what you have to work with later. BUT it's absolutely possible to fit it into your macros on any plan of course. I think this bar is best suited for people in a calculated caloric surplus. The ingredients list literally made my mouth drool, because it was chalk full of tasty sounding foods.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: Double chocolate brownie
This thing lives up to the hype I felt after reading the label. If you like chocolate this is THE chocolate bar for the fitness enthusiast. I am a huge vanilla flavor guy in general, but even I fell hard for this chocolate bar. It's a thick yet softer texture that I really loved. The flavor is as close to perfect as you could make it (and it should be with 25g of sugar in it). It was a very potent and in your face kind of flavor.

Mix: Not applicable

Dosage: I ate one bar whenever I was hungry, typically between my lunch and dinner about 2-3 hours before I'd be in the gym.

Effectiveness

For protein bars, my main concern is always did it make me feel full after? Did it satisfy me? This bar actually left me feeling full for at least an hour after I ate it. That's more than I can say for the vast majority of protein bars that I've ever tried. This is probably due to the fact that this is a denser bar with more calories than I'm used to. I never had any stomach issues or unsettling gas in my trial with these bars. They were super convenient to keep in my gym bag, or my car to have a nice chunk of calories whenever I needed it.

Value

$23.49 on bodybuilding.com for 12 of these delicious guys. That's where I ordered mine from and they averaged out to just under $2 per bar. That is MORE than competitive in the protein bar industry and this bar actually tastes good/ does the job that It's supposed to. You can now find the bars even cheaper on Illpumpyouup.com for just under $22.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

If you have the flexible calories to play with then this is gonna be your favorite protein bar. It's filling, it's delicious, and leaves you feeling satisfied. What more could you want?

Quick Summary

Nutrabio's V5 PreWorkout is the new standard bearer for transparent labeling, effective dosages, and the inclusion of trademarked ingredients. If you're ready to invest in a high quality Pre, look no further.

Introduction

Most mornings I'm up before the sun to chase the pump and I need a good preworkout to get me moving, more often than not. Finding one that suits my schedule is harder than it looked. The early morning lifts mean I'm also lifting fasted and while I need a good amount of stimulants to get revved up, a lot of preworkouts I've tried have gone overboard and cause side effects. V5 is the perfect balance though. Nutrabio puts no shortage of thought behind each one of the ingredients in their products and V5 is no exception.

Ingredient Profile

V5 is broken into 4 main categories: Power, strength, & endurance complex; Nitric Oxide Pump Matrix; Focus & Stim Matrix; and Electrolyte & Hydration Optimizer

P, S & E Complex:
- 3.5g Leucine, naturally fermented & vegan. Leucine is touted as the most beneficial of the branch-chain amino acids, but is rarely represented on its own as it is here. However, this is right in the middle of the effective dose range and should help to increase protein synthesis as a result.
- (3.2g) Clinical Dose of Beta Alanine HPLC to help with stamina & endurance by staving off lactic acid buildup. They use CarnoSyn, recognized as the industry's best version.
- 3g PharmaPure Creatine Monohydrate HPLC > Normally if creatine is included, I'd like it to be at 5g, but HPLC is supposed to be much more bio-available and absorbable.
- 2.5g Betaine Anhydrous HPLC This dose is right on point with the average recommendation. Anything higher can lead to fishy smelling body odor (no thanks).
- 1.7g DL Malic Acid: Strange to see this on its own and not tied to the creatine or citrulline. I'm not sure of the benefit it is supposed to serve, but may be included for taste purposes. This wouldn't explain the categorization though.
- 500mg MagnaPower - This is another fast absorbing creatine and brings the total creatine to 3.5g. It also adds 40mg of magnesium which should assist in mind-muscle connection, as well as recovery, but this would be a low dose as a standalone.

NO Pump Matrix
- 6g L-Citrulline, kyowa quality: this was one of the doses NutraBio bumped up when reformulating. This is as much as I'd want to see personally. Anything more than this and I think it would cause stomach problems.
- 1g Agmatine Sulfate: I'm actually not a fan of agmatine. I think it can be ineffective and actually make pumps worse.
- 750mg Nitrosigine- big time pumps and an investment in a trademarked version again. It's not a huge dose, but it will be effective.

Focus & Stim Matrix
- 1.5g Tyrosine: This is a good dose and should help improve focus and reduce stress. If you lift fasted, this could assist in preventing cortisol spikes from the stress you are putting on your body.
- 500mg VitaCholine: The jury is out on the effectiveness of Choline in relation to training, but VitaCholine is the gold standard and the dose is the top end of what you'd want to supplement with daily for general health purposes
- Caffeine
> Anhydrous (250mg HPLC)
> Infinergy (100mg caffeine + 33mg malic acid) : This is my ideal serving for a PWO. Anything more and I get all cracked out, anything less and I can barely open my eyes. I love to see this is HPLC and in hindsight I'd say the energy did kick in rapidly, as would be expected from this processing method.
- 300mg TheaPure: This is an AWESOME dose of theanine in a very pure form. It will add additional energy, while also managing the absorption of the caffeine and preventing crashes.
- 100mcg Huperzine A: This is a cognitive super supplement that should be effective at this dose. Multiple studies have been done at this dose that exhibit memory improvement and lay claim to its effectiveness as a nootropic

Electrolyte & Hydration Optimizer
- 2g Taurine
- 525mg Calcium Potassium Phosphate Citrate
- 189mg Sodium Phosphate
I'm a big fan of including electrolytes in a PWO and find they play a big role and making cardio more manageable. The Taurine will be doubly helpful in preventing cramps from the pumps that can occur with the high doses of pump ingredients.

The common trend through most of the ingredients is the HPLC processing which stands for High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. This supposedly breaks down the molecules into their smallest possible form to increase the rate of absorption.

The other common trend is that there is no fluff. You do not, and I'd be willing to say will not ever, see NutraBio adding fluff to their panel. Their best consumer is an educated consumer and you'll just never see them add an ingredient at an ineffective dose in order to just say it's included.

Huge amount of respect to NutraBio for this transparent, killer ingredient panel!!

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: NutraBio doesn't over flavor their products. The blue raspberry I received was fantastic and I enjoyed it from the first dose to the last

Mixability: This dissolved very easily, but did leave one of the thickest foams I've ever encountered after shaking. It would even stick around after I finished and refilled my water bottle with water. There are no artificial dyes in this either, but NutraBio used Spirulina for some color which actually resulted in a very pale blue.

Dosing: I took this with 15 minutes of starting my workout and really felt it kick in by the time I'd completed my warm-up.

Effectiveness

Overall, I had a great run with V5. There were definitely some days that I felt tired or run down due to lack of sleep over my 20 days taking it, but I was able to get moving and make the most of my workout anyway. I hit some good numbers on my rows and deadlifts and am sure I would be able to say the same about my bench if it weren't for my AC joint injury.

My only gripe is that the creatine in the PWO along with the creatine I was taking separately did cause a bit of water retention since I was getting close to 14g daily for a while when taking both. I was able to reduce my separate creatine consumption to 1 dose daily which alleviated most of the water retention, but I do still have a little bit. Nothing major, and in fairness I basically just look more athletic while retaining that water as opposed to cut up.

I wish I had taken this at a time where I was playing a sport as well, but I'm currently only training. I feel like the added creatine would've been a big help in that department.

In terms of pumps, I do think the agmatine took away from those slightly, but that's usually the case. Even still I did notice good muscle fullness and maybe just slightly less vascularity than I'd hoped.

As for energy, this was really great. I was really awake all morning from my serving of this at about 5:30 each morning and never noticed a crash.

Value

At $39.99 for 20 servings, V5 is justifiably one of the more expensive PWOs available without apology. They have no interest in being the cheapest, they want to be the best. This is a fair price for what you're getting.

Side Effects

Nothing really, minus a little water retention when taking in collaboration with other creatine supplements.

Conclusion

NutraBio impresses as expected. This is a great premium PWO and I'd recommend anyone try it. It's worth saving for and will give you close to a month of rock solid workouts. THANK YOU to NutraBio for letting me give it a shot. It's (almost) always a pleasure to use their products!

Quick Summary

A decent protein bar that isn't as good as some competitors, but the stellar price-point negates the relatively small differences between most competitors.

Introduction

I saw these listed on a PricePlow deals alert email at a price that was an absolute steal. Having just missed out on a similar deal for some muscle milk RTDs, I jumped on these immediately after checking the macros to ensure I wouldn't miss out on yet another good deal. It seems like everyone is throwing up a review of these, so while I am still 3.5 boxes deep into a 6 box order I thought I'd share my thoughts too.

Ingredient Profile

8/10
The ingredient profiles stay the same across bars with some variation in cholesterol and sodium (approximately double the amount) among flavors as Bzyczek pointed out. Apart from that, the macros look decent: 220 calories in the form of 10g of fat (5g saturated; 3g monounsaturated; 2g polyunsaturated), 17g of carbs (1g dietary fiber, 6g of sugar), and 20g of protein. The sodium and cholesterol content ranges from 210-400mg and 20-55mg per bar respectively.
,
While I don't see much wrong with this profile, there are some things I would change. I would like to see at least 3g of fiber (half of sugar content) in these bars but it is not a deal breaker for me by any means. Additionally, I would take the fat down a little if I was making the ideal bar but I don't mind the 10g. I don't mind the sugar content at all because I find 6g to be a rather small amount to ingest to make your bar palatable. Plus, there is something to be said for using sugar over an abundance of artificial sweeteners. While there is still some artificial sweetener in here, it compliments the sugar content well and the bar doesn't taste artificial. Of course, I'd like for natural sweeteners like truvia, stevia, or monkfruit to compliment sugar but it is not a huge deal for me. After all, I have no problem downing a Coke Zero with a meal.

There are a lot of different fillers that reasonably change depending on the flavors. Some have corn cereal (confetti cake crunch) and some have tapioca starch and rice flower (ice cream cookie crunch). Thus, on a micro-nutrient level these bars are certainly not the cleanest option on the market. That's ok. They aren't trying to be or passing themselves off as such. They are clearly highly processed high protein foodstuffs but they are better than grabbing a Snickers, Milky Way, or Kit-Kat. That's how I look at it. If you're looking for a whole-food or more natural bar then look elsewhere but sometimes you just want an indulgence and I'd look no further than here for that.

My biggest problem with these bars is the protein source. While almost everyone has pointed out that the bars mostly use whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and/or whey protein hydrolysate milk protein isolate (in that order), which is excellent, there is some protein coming from less than optimal sources. Depending on the flavor there is also some protein coming from pea protein isolate and/or soy protein isolate. A little bit of either of these protein sources won't kill you, but it should be noted that they are used. Since the bars are not completely transparent (which is a trend that hasn't quite made it to nutrition panels for foodstuffs quite yet) I can't tell exactly how much of the 20g of protein is coming from those sources. However, in the Cookie Dough Crunch flavor soy protein isolate is listed immediately after a whey blend and then pea protein isolate follows a little after. Similarly, in Confetti Cake Crunch it soy protein isolate follows sugar so it could be about 5g. In the rest of the flavors, pea protein isolate comes about mid-profile so its probably like 1-2g and used for texture. I have no problem with a variety of protein sources, especially because whey can lend itself to terrible texture and diversification can help mitigate that issue. However, it is a bit hypocritical to put competitors on blast for their profiles (IMO use) when their products tastes equally as good and they managed to do it without any pea or soy protein (and sometimes less sugar for that matter). In short, its not a deal breaker but it necessarily prevents a higher rating in this section.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

8/10
Mixability is not applicable as this is a protein bar. Similarly, dosing is not really applicable since the "dosing" schedule is to eat them whenever you're hungry, want a snack, or want more protein in your diet. Personally, I had 1-2 straight out of the wrapper in the mornings as a quick breakfast before getting to work or class and then I'd occasionally have one in the evenings during later classes or longer days at work. Seeing as I'm trying to shed a quick few pounds before it warms up here in the DMV (will it ever?) this worked perfectly for my "dosing" needs.

I bought 3 boxes each of the Peanut Butter Crunch and the Ice Cream Cookie Crunch. I found the Peanut Butter Crunch to be my favorite as I am just in the mood for that kind of flavor more often. Oddly enough, I tend to like the Ice Cream Cookie Crunch flavor in the evenings - probably because I am craving something sweet around then.

The Peanut Butter Crunch flavor tasted like a slightly chewy peanut butter cup. The crunch part of the bar was definitely over-hyped when compared to something like a Nestle Crunch bar or a Combat Crunch bar. The peanuts inside the batter made for a little crunch but nothing too fulfilling in that regard. My biggest complaint was that it produced crumbs like an Honey & Oats Nature Valley Bar. Ok, maybe a little less but you get the point.

The Ice Cream Cookie Crunch flavor didn't really taste like ice cream, cookies, or a combination of the two. I got more brownie with vanilla glaze, or chocolate and vanilla glazed donuts (think the ones with the stripes) vibes. Still, while the flavor didn't match the label in my eyes, it was pretty good. The chocolate was definitely the dominant flavor and I found that after a bite or two I'd need a drink to keep myself from getting overpowered by the chocolate - if you're a chocolate connoisseur then this is definitely for you. I didn't really notice any crunch in this bar. Maybe you can consider the layers compacting under my teeth a "crunch" but I look for more oomph when I read "crunch" on a label. This flavor also produced a lot of crumbs like the Peanut Butter Crunch flavor - probably about equal amounts.

Additionally, as a "soft-baked" bar I was expected some soft, slightly chewy texture that was near cookie like. Maybe I am naive but what I've experienced in both flavors is a hard outer shell with a very chewy filling. The extreme chewiness is much worse with with the Ice Cream Cookie Crunch flavor but it it is still present with the Peanut Butter Crunch flavor. The Ice Cream Cookie Crunch can be, at times, like chewing a gob of peanut butter (ironic, right?) whereas the Peanut Butter Crunch is more akin to chewing two Chips Ahoy Chewy cookies.

Effectiveness

8/10
These bars were great for why I wanted them. I used them as snacks and mini-breakfasts and they always kept me full for a few hours. On average, I'd be content for about 3 hours which is perfect for a snack. As a high-protein foodstuff the effectiveness is best rated in relation to how they helped achieve my nutritional goals. Since I am on a moderate cut, these may not look like the best option but that isn't the case at all.

When I cut calories, I often cut fat without even meaning to as I'm just trying to eat healthier foods in general. The 10g of fat in these bars helped me make sure I wasn't dipping too low in my fat intake. If I was attempting to gain weight, I could see these also being useful but I'd probably limit myself to one given the higher fat content of other foods I'd be eating. The 20g of protein in each bar was most helpful though because I can often fall short of my protein needs if I just eat a quick bagel or waffle in the mornings. Getting a head-start on my protein consumption in the morning is crucial for me. Without these bars I would have, without a doubt, been drinking another protein shake or two before bed when I realized I had macros to fill. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, it is annoying to have to do after a long day and I can easily forget so this head-start was extremely helpful to me. In short, this was as effective any other protein bar in that it was easy for me to fit into my macros and meet my daily nutritional goals. Cleaner bars may score a little higher because they could be easier to fit in on tight days but this could easily be worked in most days.

Value

9/10
The value on some of these flavors is just downright unbeatable. The Ice Cream Cookie Crunch was $13.99 for a box of 12 and the Peanut Butter Crunch was $14.99 for a box of 12 on Amazon Prime. That is $1.17 and $1.25 a bar respectively. I pay more for a bag of Lays, and just about the same for a candy bar, at a store in DC. The other flavors have various price-points that are not as good but I'd look for the flavors on sale and try to go with those. At $1.16-1.25 a bar, I can eat (literally) any concerns about protein sourcing, fat content, sugar content, chewiness, etc. This price seriously cannot be beat. I highly recommend trying these bars in the event you like them just for this factor alone.

Side Effects

8/10
About half of the time I ate these in the morning, I would experience a mild laxative effect. I don't mind it too much in the mornings since it kind of fits in with my natural routine anyways but it can certainly be annoying when you're in a rush. I also found it a bit odd that the first bar of the day would have this effect as the label warns about this after "excessive consumption." I would also get this in the evening but it would take longer to kick in - probably since I didn't have a completely empty stomach. Either way, it could be much worse as this wasn't anything like diarrhea just slightly loose.

Conclusion

8/10
I loved these bars. Mostly because the taste wasn't too bad and the drawbacks were manageable - especially at this price point. Without a doubt, if these bars were $25 for 12 then I wouldn't be so kind or lenient but I think for this price you just can't reasonably ask for much more. I came to a 8/10 overall rating since every section except Value scored an 8.0/10. I thought it was a clear indication that the product as a whole is a 8/10. In short, I'd recommend these to anyone looking for a quality high-protein snack/foodstuff.

Introduction

Big thanks to SR and Clipper for sending this my way. Getting rid of excess water from your muscles is one of the final steps in really achieving a good look physique or just dropping some pounds and feeling better. Cellucor brings to you SuperHD Water and their attempt to dominate the market in water reduction.

Ingredient Profile

So one downside to the product is the label is a blend of ingredients so it is hard to tell what you quantities you are getting of what ingredients. For me personally, I like to know which herb they are loading up on so I will know what the interactions will be outside of the proposed result the company claims.

Anyways here are the ingredients:
Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 200 mg
Potassium (as Potassium Citrate) 99 mg
SuperHD Water Blend 1,815mg
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) whole herb extract, Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) leaf extract, Juniper (Juniperus communis) berry extract, Crataegus pinnatifida berry extract, Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) flower extract
Daily Value not established.

Other Ingredients:
Capsule Shell (Gelatin, Candurin Silver Fine, FD&C Blue #1, Shellac, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Blue Lake #1, FD&C Yellow Lake #6, FD&C Red Lake #40), Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide.

As you can see the main ingredients is a strong blend of diuretics mixed with green tea. Horsetail and Juniper Berry extract both have significant diuretic effects which will draw excess fluid out of your body. This is the main focus of the SuperHD water, but the fact that they added in green tea which has been shown to create a thermogenic effect and that is coupled with Hibiscus flower extract. These two ingredients combined can lead to weight loss which is also a nice bonus.

The product itself comes in shiny metallic blue capsules, which confuses me on why they needed to add Blue Lake #1, FD&C Yellow Lake #6, and FD&C Red Lake #40. This is me nitpicking, but at the end of the day I also like try and keep herbal products as natural as possible.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Since these are capsules taste and mixability are a non-factor. The big focus is on the dosing protocol.

Per the directions on the bottle, you are to take 3 capsules daily with 8oz of water on an empty stomach or 20 minutes prior to eating for 7 days, then stop taking the product for at least 7 days, then repeat 3 capsules a day for 7 days to finish. Yes, this is only a 14 day supply bottle, however, the protocol will last 3-4 weeks depending on how long of a break you take.

They also HIGHLY recommend that you consume at least 64oz of water a day, and I mean plain water. The water in your pre-workout doesn't count lol.

Effectiveness

To say this is effective is an understatement. My routine would be that I would wake up in the morning and first thing I would do is take 3 pills with a cup of water, then about 30 minutes after that I would eat and take my pre-workout and everything else. Usually, prior to 30 minutes, I could feel this product working, because I would notice that I would have a very dry mouth, and almost have a feeling of dehydration. Not a, I am going to die or cramp up from not drinking dehydration, but more of a gentle feeling of wow, my body really does feel like it is drying out.

Overall, I ended up dropping 3lbs the first run I had (the first 7 days) and another 2lbs on the second half. Don't get me wrong, this was a loss of fluid, but even then it was still nice to see the scale tick down in favor of weight loss. Additionally, I could tell that the subcutaneous fluid was also leaving, because vascularity was also on the rise. This was another good indicator that this product was doing what it was intended to do. The big thing was to just t remember to keep pushing fluids. I am sure if I would have run this with a real water manipulation protocol, the results would have been even better.

Value

This is really the only negative aspect of this product. I found this on bodybuiding.com for $40 and since this is only a real 14 day supply you are looking at $2.85 per serving which is STEEEEEEEEEP. Don't get me wrong, this product worked great, and the package that this came in was very high end (we're talking very sturdy cardboard box, with magnetic closure, great graphics, and whatnot) but at the end of the day, I can do without that stuff if it can reduce the overall cost.

Side Effects

Say goodbye to water weight.

Conclusion

When it comes to weight loss and fat burners I have always like Cellucor. I find that the SuperHD products always to work for me and have given me some of my best weight loss results. This product was no exception and really delivered on water reduction. I just really hope they can do something about that price that makes it a little more feasible for the average person to use. I understand that this is a special purpose product that is not designed for everyday use or to be ran constantly, but if you are going to use it, hopefully, they can adjust the price so it is more gentle on the wallet.

Quick Summary

This is good for people on a diet or looking for something not too strong. It is weak if you are a stim junkie.

Introduction

I was on a ketogenic diet while taking this. I was taking strong preworkouts like mesomorph and dust extreme and I felt really bad. I decided to buy this after seeing it was a ketogenic preworkout and was in need of a preworkout. I stopped my diet when there were 2 or 3 scoops left in this and bought 2 bottles because I planned my diet for 60 days. I never tested my ketones. Carbs were below 30 each day and calories below 1500

Ingredient Profile

I copy and paste from the sparta nutrition website
6g of Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Salts

By including 6g of BHB Salts, Keto Pre Extreme is able to put your body in the state of nutritional ketosis to help accelerate fat burning while you train. BHB Salts also provide energy for the body and mind, giving you a cognitive boost to dominate your workout.

3g of L-Citrulline

L-Citrulline is potent Nitric Oxide booster that helps blood vessels relax for better blood flow. Citrulline supplemented orally in humans has been shown to double plasma arginine levels, thus making L-Citrulline more potent at increasing arginine levels than arginine itself.

600mg of Alpha-GPC 50%

Alpha GPC is a cholinergic ingredient designed to increase acetylcholine levels in the brain. An increase in Acetylcholine has been shown to significantly improve memory recall and cognitive focus. The increase in cognitive focus from Alpha GPC is what drives the "mind-muscle" connection that users rave about.
200mg of Caffeine Anhydrous
Caffeine has also been shown to increase overall work volume and also submaximal power output (Power output in the 6-12 rep range). Caffeine supplementation also helps anaerobic cardiovascular ability, shown in one study when sprinters were able to increase their intermittent sprinting times.

100mg of Spectra

To create the best possible nitric oxide boosting experience for skin-tearing muscle pumps, we included 100mg of Spectra. Spectra is a high-potency antioxidant blend containing over a dozen different extract of some of the highest measured naturally occurring antioxidants. These antioxidants cause a further relaxation in blood vessels for better nutrient delivery, but also, work synergistically with L-Citrulline to create even more potent muscle pumps.

50mg of TeaCrine

Considered the "cousin" to caffeine, TeaCrine is a compound containing pure theacrine, which can be found in natural sources such as the Camellia assamica (Green tea), coffee and certain exotic fruits. It is structured similarly to caffeine, but, has the unique advantage of not being habitual. This means that TeaCrine, unlike caffeine, is unable to build up a tolerance over time.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

It comes in lemon lime flavor. It was one of the better testing preworkouts I've tried. It definitely does taste like lemon lime.

It had no mixing problems. I would just shake it a few times and would be done. Nothing settled to the bottom.

I took one scoop 30 minutes before working out as I was directed.

Effectiveness

I was really tired from the ketogenic diet so this stuff helped with the energy so I could do more reps in the gym. I was able to focus also. I didn't really get much pump of any from this. It took 15 minutes for this to kick in for me. I was able to add 15 minutes of cardio to my workout versing being too tired for cardio without this on my diet.
I noticed that when I stopped my diet the focus wasn't there and energy increase wasn't as great. This stuff is great if you dont want something too strong. It's great for a quick energy boost if needed.

Value

I bought 2 bottles for $40 on amazon but it was $20 for one. It has 20 scoops each bottle which is $1 a scoop

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

This is great for people on a diet. I would not recommend this to a stim junkie like myself unless on a diet. It also has a full disclosure blend which I think we need more if in supplements.

Quick Summary

A review on protein bars that are aimed to fill your macros.

Introduction

First and foremost I would like to thank ProSupps for sending me out their product so I could try it and review it for you guys. I would also like to thank SR for providing me the opportunity and the tools so that I can share with you guys my experience.

I love having me a treat after a good workout. It's my motivator and reward system. It also helps me maintain a higher amount of macros that my body needs in order to recover from heavy lifting. What more could you want?

Ingredient Profile

The number of calories, Protein, Carbohydrates and fat stays consistent throughout the flavors. The two things I noticed are not consistent is the cholesterol and sodium.

220 Calories

10 grams of Fat
5 Saturated
3 Monosaturated
2 Polyunsaturated

Cholesterol differs per flavor ranging from 20 ending at 40 ... Most of the flavors are at 40 mg

Sodium differs per flavor ranging from 210 to 400 mg ...

Total Carbohydrates 17 gram
1 gram coming in from dietary fiber
6 grams coming in from sugar

Protein 20 Grams

The Protein comes from Whey Protein Isolate and Whey Protein Concentrate so I'm glad they are not using soy as the source of protein. I also like that they use real sugar and not some substitute. If I'm going to eat sugar I prefer that it be the real thing.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

These bars are really good ... They are oven baked so their texture is different from the rest. They don't have that sand feeling when you eating them. They are soft and are not chewy. I have to say that I enjoyed all the flavors that came in this variety pack. The one flavor that stood out the most for me and my wife was the Confetti Cake Crunch flavor. Highly recommended.

Effectiveness

What can I tell you about food. We eat it because we need it. The effectiveness of food is hard to judge. I guess when you count your macros you can add the 20 grams of protein you just consumed to your list. I can't tell you if my muscles grew because I added this bar to my consumption. If it's not the bar than it would have been a protein shake as long as the numbers match. The whole point of this is to vary what your eating so your not tired of the same thing. Also, a protein bar is a treat of sorts.

Value

I'm not sure if there is a sale right now on Amazon but you can 12 of these bars for just 14$. With that price each bar will cost you 1.16 cents. I know another baked bar that very closely matches the texture and it sells for 2.50 per bar. So the value is definitely for these bars as to compared to others. If you compare it to standard bars that are not baked the price is almost identical. I'm sure there are cheaper bars out there but most of them rely on Soy for their protein source and that is why the price is kept low.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

I love this bars. Highly recommended. Good numbers as far as sugar and fat and they are super tasty. It's an excellent treat and they have a lot of flavors that will hit your sweet spot. If you read the entire review you might already have a feeling that I'm a big advocate of these bars. Please don't hesitate and get some for yourself. I thank you for reading this and wish you a good day.

Quick Summary

Classic Whey is a concentrate protein that is great in the role of meal replacement or fitting protein goals for a day.

Introduction

Whats up SR. I chose to review Classic Whey from Nutrabio because I have always been a fan of different protein sources for different times of the day. I wanted to use this as more of a meal replacement then anything, something I could have before bed or to fill a gap in my day (aka a snack). As always thank you to the Trooper program for hooking it up and to Nutrabio as well for always supporting the program.

Ingredient Profile

So classic whey is as previously stated a whey concentrate protein, meaning that its macros will differ from that of an isolate protein, lets take a look:

Serving Size: 1 scoop (33.75g) - 26.9 servings per container
Calories: 130
Total fat - 2g (of which 1g saturated)
Total Carb - 3 g (of which 2g Sugar)
Protein - 25g (from 32.47g of non-denatured whey protein concentrate)

Okay so clearly this is a pretty standard concentrate protein, we have a little bit of carbs and fats (as compared to an isolate), 25g of protein from whey concentrate meaning this has a mid range digestion rate when compared to isolates and casein's. Overall very standard.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I was given the "Cold Brew Cappuccino" flavor. I originally took a single scoop of this with about half a shaker full of water and was disappointed in how weak the flavor was. But then I decided to up my dose to 2 scoops and throw in some MCT Oil, wow did that ever make a world of difference, the flavor was really great at the two scoop serving with just over a half a shaker full of water. Had a solid consistency that was on the thicker side but not enough that it was a sludge. Overall awesome flavor at 2 scoops. Mixability was totally fine as well, always with water so I cant speak to the mixing with milk or milk alternatives. Dosing for me was as stated above 2 scoops usually on my way home from my evening workouts as sort of a last meal/ snack for the evening.

Effectiveness

Obviously with any protein it is hard to really measure its effectiveness, so I will speak to how effective it was for me in the role I used it. Like I said before this was used as a last meal/ snack to help me get extra protein in at the end of the day. I am/ was transitioning from a ketogenic diet to a lower carb diet where I can allow myself higher levels of protein to recover from my double workouts. Classic whey did a great job of allowing me to get the extra protein in I needed to recover, while helping to keep me full. Part of my issue is I am never hungry after my evening training so forcing food down is not my first choice, 2 scoops of classic whey and some MCT Oil eliminated the need to hammer down a meal and helped me hit some macro goals for the day while feeding my muscles before bed. So in the role of meal replacement this was perfect and allowed me to get the protein in that I need to recover and grow.

Value

This can be found for $26.95 on I'llpumpyouup.com, giving it a dollar value of $1 per serving, not my favorite price point for a concentrate, but also not absurd. I wish the tub had an even number of servings though, like 30 as opposed to the 26.9.

Side Effects

None, I personally had no stomach issues, but I see some other reviewers did, something to keep in mind.

Conclusion

In conclusion Classic Whey delivered great flavor when double scooped and helped me hit some goals and recover from tough two a day workouts without having to force feed myself. I do wish the price point was better, but regardless well done Nutrabio, once again you have put out a quality product.

Introduction

A special thanks to Clippy and SR.com for providing this product to the SR TROOPs. Today, I discuss my experience with Now Sport Flax Oil capsules. Omega-3 fatty acids are a staple in many users supplement regimen. Fish oil is the most common, commercially available source of supplemental omega-3. However, there are users who would rather steer clear from fish derived omega-3 sources due to dietary practices, allergies, or GI issues fish oil may cause for some. Me personally, I have no problem whatsoever with fish and have made fish oil a prime staple in my regimen. Nonetheless, I like to reach for a plant based source from time to time to help reduce the occasional fish burps I get.

Ingredient Profile

3 capsules provide a total of 3g of fat derived mostly from mono and polyunsaturated sources. There is also a calorie count of 25.

Each serving provides 3g of organic flax seed oil, which is produced via cold pressed, unrefined processes.

The benefits of omega-3 include support of cardio, brain, and skin health. They can also aid in joint lubrication support, possess anti-inflammatory effects, support ocular health, and can even aid in the goal of fat loss. Needless to say, omega-3 fatty acids have a host of benefits.

A unique characteristic of plant-based omega-3 sources like flax seed is the quantity of a particular omega-3 known as Alpha linoleic Acid or ALA. In addition to the general benefits I already mentioned, ALA may also help improve kidney function, support GI health, and has been suggested in some studies to aid in certain disorders such as respiratory infections and stomach ulcers.

To me, I find no significant advantage between either fish oil or plant sources when it comes to getting my omega-3s. Which one a user chooses, usually comes down to other circumstances such as dietary practices and fish allergies.

Dosing

Dosing is very simple:

Take a three cap serving 1-2 times a day with a meal. I stuck to only using one serving since I would also get additional omega-3s from fish, eggs, and chia seeds as part of my diet.

Effectiveness

I mentioned in a past review that I use omega-3 supplementation to help mainly with skin health, fat loss, immune system improvement, and joint support. Thankfully, I have no heart conditions, but having a product that can help improve cardio health is never a bad thing to ensure it stays that way.

While taking flaxseed oil from NOW, my skin had a better tone and appearance to it. It felt more moisturized and appeared less inflamed from past acne flares. Speaking of which, I also saw a decrease incidence in acne as well. I don't get acne often anymore, but of course I'd like to keep it that way and prevent any breakouts from occurring.

In terms of my joints, the minor occasional aches and pains were far less frequent even after intensive heavy weight movement training sessions.

I am currently on a recomp phase and while taking flaxseed oil, I noticed that I was leaning out a little more. I also had slightly better definition in some areas.

I never got sick or contracted any kind of illness while on flaxseed oil, so it's safe to assume it did help my immunity improve. This is good because when you work in healthcare caring for the sick, the last thing to want is to be sick yourself.

Lastly, I never got any GI issues, burps, or aftertastes with this product.

Value

NOW Sports Flaxseed Oil caps in 100 and 250 caps bottles. I found a 100 cap bottle for as low as 6.37 at vitacost. Personally, I think the 250 cap bottle is a better value as I was able to find that for as low as 11.99 at vitamin shoppe. Interesting to note that NOW Sports also has a liquid version that comes in 12 and 24oz bottles, ranging to about 7-14 dollars depending on size.

Since I am reviewing the caps, I would say that the 250 cap bottle is the better value in this case.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

If you're someone who prefers plant based omega-3 fatty acid sources, NOW Sports Flaxseed Oil caps are a great choice. It will provide all the benefits of omega-3 without the worry of fish allergies, burps, or GI issues some may experience. Be sure your diet is also supplementing these essential fatty acids.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!

GO BRUINS!!!

Quick Summary

I am a really big fan of amino products for intra-workouts and always try to have them in my workout stacks. I am always up for trying new amino products when I can. They really help me so I can consume more water and plus it makes it taste a lot better than drinking just water by itself.

Introduction

This was a product I was sent awhile back from this company Vaxxen Labs. This was never offered on the trooper program but they were nice enough to send it to me as long as I was willing to do a review for which I always do when I finish a product. This is a product that I hope they decide to put on the trooper program because I think it's worth giving a try and would like to see some more reviews on here from others also. I have used their pre, protein, and meal replacement products and really liked them and figured this would be good also. When I heard they were coming out with this I was pretty excited and knew I wantrf to try it. After using this I was rather surprised how good this turned out to be for me.

Ingredient Profile

This has a 2:1:1 ratio with a 7g formula which I think is a decent amount of amino's. They add Glutamine 1500mg to help enhanced anti-catabolic effects.

They use vegan aminos. There is little to no taste or cost difference - however, Vegan Amino Acids come from fermented sources such as corn, whereas typical Amino Acids (non vegan) can be derived from fur, hair or feathers. Vegan Amino's are the clear choice if you have not already made the switch, especially being as there is virtually no mark up in price for sustain ably sourced products that do not come from animal hair!

They use something I had never heard before called SerinAid This is otherwise known as PhosphatidylSerine, plays a critical role in many important functions including mood regulation, lowering of cortisol, reduced fatigue, reduced muscle soreness, and speeds up recovery time in individuals.

Also you will get some coconut water 500mg

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Right now they only have the one flavor blueberry lemonade. I was told this was suppose to taste really good and could not wait to try it. At first I was like this is ok nothing real great though. After I played around with the right amount of water this turned out to be really good. After awhile I was like I could wait to drink this. This had just the right amount of sweetness to it and was not to strong or over powering on taste. I know on some days when I was a lot more thirst I really wanted to down this but since this is something you are suppose to sip on during the workout I could not slam it. It seemed to have just the right amount of mix between the blueberry and lemonade. This will not to bitter or tart, or sour tasting at all. It had a nice light refreshing like taste to it.

Mixing was not to bad. I did notice a little big of grit on the bottom of my shaker bottle. I found out that was from the coconut water they use. No foam or any colors to this when mixed which is nice. All I needed was one scoop during my workout and that seemed to work just find. This could be used pretty much any time during the day or if you feel you need a little extra recovery. For I use products like this for intra-workouts only.

Effectiveness

I look to amino products for what kind of recovery and endurance it will give me during my workouts. I thought overall my recovery from this was pretty good. On days when I would have some really intense workouts I feel this really helped reduce any soreness I might have. I know my DOM where a lot better and would hardly notice them the next couple of days. It does have a total of 7g of amino's which is a pretty good amount and should be able to aide you fairly well in your recovery. Overall my body seemed to feel a lot better and did not hurt as much or as sore. I feel this really helped to reduce any muscle fatigue I would get. I seemed to be able to go a lot quicker between sets and could still keep pushing it just as hard with out my muscle starting to fatigue on me. My endurance seemed to be a lot better because I would feel a lot less winded between sets and more ready to go again. With most of my workouts lasting around 2 hours or so and I do a lot of high volume training so any kind of extra recovery I can get really helps. I know with the amount of time I usually spend in the gym and the type of workouts I normally do this really helped me a lot at being able to keep going better and not give out half way through my workouts.

In this they use an ingredient called SerinAid. This was my first time ever using a product that had this in it. In the ingredient profile I explained what this is and feel this was really good to have in here and glad they used it. Not sure if the total amount they use in this is a good dosage or not since this was my first time I had ever heard about and used. This is suppose to help with a lot of different things and feel it really helped a lot in those different areas. One thing it does say it is suppose to help with is a mood regulation. I did notice that while I was using this my mind seemed to be at more peace like which was nice. The use of coconut water is nice to have just to help you more with hydration.

Value

The cheapest I could find this was either on their website or amazon and they both want $29.99 for 30 servings. I think that is a decent price for an amino product. I really don't care to pay much for than $30 at most for amino products unless they are really loaded with a lot of different stuff in them.

Side Effects

Nothing I noticed

Conclusion

Overall I think this is a really solid and effective amino product that works really well. I think with the ingredient profile not being loaded with a lot of different ingredients it still worked really well for me and liked what all they put in here. I think with the added SerinAid they put in this was a big plus to have in this because of how well it help. Price wise I feel this is priced pretty well for an amino product that really works but not loaded with a ton of stuff. I would like to see more sites start carrying their product line because that might even help to get the price down even a little lower. I would for sure recommend giving this a try. I know I would be more than happy to give this another try and hope they are able to come with some more flavors. Again I want to give a big shout out to Vaxxen Labs for making this product and letting me have the chance to try it.

Quick Summary

Overall Beast Mode is a heavy stim pre workout that hits hard and fast, but did suffer from some inconsistencies in my books.

Introduction

Whats up SR, I wanted to review Beast Mode Black because I remember taking the original Beast Mode when I was just a young pup and having some decent results with it. I train early morning hypertrophy style workouts before I go to work, so I need all the help I can get stimulant wise to get me up and in the gym. Thank you to Beast Sports Nutrition and the Troopers program for always looking out for me and sending me the best stuff.

Ingredient Profile

So here we have a fully disclosed nutritional panel, something I will always be a fan on. There are quite a few ingredients here so in order to keep both myself and the reader sane, I will only touch on the key pieces:

CarnoSyn Beta Alanine - 1.6g (exactly half of clinical/ standard dosing)
Agmatine Sulfate - 600mg
Caffeine Anhydrous - 400mg (high dose of caffeine)
DMAE Bitartrate 30% - 300mg
FruiteX-B - 216mg
Yohimbe - 75mg
Theacrine - 25mg

Okay so as we can see based upon the heavy dose of caffeine in conjunction with the yohimbe this pre workout does not go lightly on the stimulants. I had to look up the FruiteX-B as I wasn't sure what that was exactly it was, all of my research came back with it being a joint supplement... Not exactly sure why this was included. I was disappointed in the under dosing of the Beta Alanine as well as the minimal dose of Agmatine, being that it is the only pump ingredient I would have liked to see much more of it.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I was given the Beast Punch flavor, as you can imagine this is a fruit punch and it is a very standard fruit punch. Nothing wrong with that, its usually not my favorite flavor, but easily drinkable and not overly sweet. Mixability was great as well, no issues with floaters or sinkers. Dosing for me was one scoop while on my way to the gym in the mornings.

Effectiveness

I will break these down into the key pre workout categories.

Energy and Focus: Clearly we have a high level of stims in the product, which means one pretty obvious thing: This thing packs a punch right out of the gate. About 10 minutes after downing it I could feel the caffeine start to wind up before it smashed me in the head. 20 minutes later I was flying, felt like I had gotten splashed with cold water. The yohimbe provides a nice body stimulant too, increasing the heart rate and making you feel like you are in the gym and are ready to go. Very hard hitting energy, I didn't have any signs of a crash either which was nice. Focus wise this was lacking, I just felt like it was almost too many stimulants not counter balanced with some focus agents to really lock me in. I could get distracted by my energy and forget to really focus on the muscle being trained.

Pumps: Obviously with the low dosing of Agmatine and the lack of other pump staples, this product did lack pumps. No real difference in pump versus not taking any pre workout. I wish they had included at least some Citrulline or Glycerol.

Strength & Endurance: Although the Beta Alanine was under dosed I didn't suffer from any endurance issues, I had no problems hammering out high volume sets with ease. Strength wise I was stronger, but mainly just from the energy provided by the stims, no ATP boosters means it was an energy based strength mostly, not an issue though.

Value

This can be found as low as $28 but it averages at $30, which for a 30 serving tub gives it a dollar value of $1 per serving. A totally fair price for a pre workout in my mind.

Side Effects

None, obviously with this many stimulants do not consume close to bed time.

Conclusion

In conclusion Beast Mode does pack on hell of a stimulant punch and can help get you amped up to go smash the gym, but the lack of pumps and mental focus may not necessarily make you want to stay in the gym forever. I do wish there had been some other pieces added or increased to help boost those areas. Overall if you are looking for stimulants to help get you ready to rage and love the feeling of your heart rate ramping up then at this price point Beast Mode Black is a great option for you, it just lacks in a few areas that could have made it a complete pre workout.

Quick Summary

With all the product options available in the Weight Loss > Thermogenics category for the TROOPer program, I decided to take a chance on this one because it was from a company that I have not tried before. I am always open to giving a brand a try and here was my opportunity for OxyXtreme. Was it a good decision? Let's see...

Introduction

Hello all. Full intro about myself can be found here in the forum: https://supplementreviews.com/forum/index.php?topic=35432.0

First off, thank you to Clipper83 and SR.com for purchasing and sending me this tub of OxyXtreme as the company is not participating here on the site. In regards to this product, I picked it up mainly as a morning pre cardio supplement to help increase thermogenesis and give me a boost to make it through the cardio session and tackle the rest of the day. After doing some research, it looks like this product was first created in pill form as a fat burner/mood stimulant and now it is a powder and labeled as a pre-workout as well. Let's see how this trial went.

Ingredient Profile

First off, all the active ingredients for this product are wrapped up in a prop blend as seen here >> 3,300mg: Beta-Alanine, l-arginine, agmatine sulfate, panthergy, n-methylpentyl-iminoglutaric acid, caffeine, caffeine citrate, cocoabuterol, cocoa seed extract, guarana seed extract, rauwolfia root extract, hordenine HCI, huperzia serrata club moss extract. Other Ingredients include Natural and artificial flavor, maltodextrin, citric acid, calcium silicate, l-tartaric acid, sucralose, silica, red #40.

With all the actives in a blend, we have no idea the doses on anything; not even the total amount of caffeine per scoop. Most companies at least disclose the amount of caffeine if everything is in a blend.

In regard to the active ingredients and how this product claims they work:

N-Methylpentyl-iminoglutaric Acid: Increases mood, focus and mental energy. Increases your overall sense of well-being.

Agmatine sulphate: More pumps and vascularity at the gym. A harder and leaner body.

Alpha yohimbe -Rauwolscine: Helps burn fat. For men, the stomach area. For women, the hips and butt.

Cocaobuterol: Helps with fat loss and increases in lean muscle mass.

Hordenine hcl: Helps the body release more adrenaline and noradrenaline. More fat burning and more energy are the result!

Huperzia serrata Club Moss Extract: Helps to improve mental alertness, focus and concentration. Perfect for in and out of the gym!

Beta-alanine: Increases muscular endurance. Increase the amount of reps and overall exercises per session!

L-Arginine: Increase nitric oxide in the body.

Caffeine: Powerful stimulant to increase alertness and make you feel more 'awake'

Cocoa seed extract: Helps support increases in weight loss.

Guarana: Helps improve weight loss, athletic performance and reduces overall fatigue.

With each scoop only being 3300mg, many of these ingredients have to be severely under-dosed in my opinion. The blend is lead off with Beta-Alanine, which we most commonly see dosed between 1600mg and 3200mg. We also have Agmatine for pumps and that is usually dosed around 1000mg or more. Another common ingredient in the blend is L-Arginine, which for nitric oxide production is pretty useless in my opinion unless you are dosing it at 5000mg or more.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste >> I received the cotton candy flavor of this product and boy is it STRONG! The tub does not say anything about how much water to use per scoop, so the first time I tried it I used eight ounces. That was a punch in the mouth in terms of flavor and sweetness. The flavor reminds me of the original pink Bubblicious bubble gum that I used to chew as a kid, not really cotton candy as I expected. I have had some cotton candy flavored supplements that really hit the mark with flavor but this one did not. After a few more rounds, my ideal taste was found by using a full shaker (`24 ounces) of water per scoop. Not necessarily ideal when trying to get a scoop down in the morning before cardio but a little planning made it work.

Mixability >> Since this product has a relatively small scoop, mixability is not an issue, especially with the amount of water that I ended up using. Even when I was using a smaller amount of water, everything mixed just fine.

Dosing >> Per the tub, "Take one scoop 30min before workout on an empty stomach. If looking for an anytime energy boost, take 1/2 scoop." I always dosed at a full scoop before my cardio session and sometimes a half scoop as a mid-day energy boost.

Effectiveness

A little background about my current lifestyle and goals right now. I am aiming to lose weight/fat at a slow and controlled pace with a goal of one to two pounds per week. I currently do LISS cardio seven days a week and follow an intermittent fasting eating protocol. I will finish eating at around midnight each day then fast until around 2000 hrs the next day. During my feeding window, I will typically focus on protein and fat with carbs depending on if I weight trained that day or plan to weight train the next day.
These are the claims that the brand makes about this product that I found online:
Improve Your Mood
Increase Energy
Burn Fat
More Endurance
Razor Sharp Focus
Skin Bursting Pumps

I will try to touch on each one briefly in terms of effectiveness from my experience. First about mood improvement. When using this in the morning before my cardio, I would notice a slight mood improvement part way through my session. Not sure if that was because of the supplement or because my body was getting moving and starting to wake up for the day. When I took a half scoop in the middle of the day, the mood improvement was less noticeable and non-existent some days.

At the full scoop dose, the increase in energy was there and noticeable during my cardio. Before I started to use this product, I would start to tire out towards the end and lose my pace. With this, I could push through the end and still have energy left over afterwards for any other tasks I wanted to complete. At the half scoop mid-day dose, the energy uptick was short lived and provided no long term benefit. In regard to burning fat above and beyond what I expected from only caloric deficit and training, this product did not produce any noticeable results. No certain part of my body lost more fat than another and scale weight continued to progress as if I wasn't using this product. I did not notice an increase in body temperature that I could specifically relate to consuming this product and no increase in heart rate beyond what I normally experience while doing LISS cardio.

The increased endurance was there as well, likely as a byproduct of the increased energy from multiple ingredients included. As the energy curve started to decrease, the endurance effect went down at the same time. Since I was not lifting weights, I can not speak to any increase in muscle endurance from the Beta-Alanine. In response to the claim of "Razor Sharp Focus", razor sharp is a little of an overstatement for me. An increase in focus was there during my cardio sessions but not nearly as sharp as I have experienced from other supplements, some of which do not quantify the focus as "razor sharp". It was there and nice to have but nothing to celebrate and write home about.

Lastly, we have the skin bursting pumps claim, which in my opinion is completely false. As I detailed in the ingredients section, this product is severely under-dosed in any of the pump ingredients included in the prop blend. And it doesn't include any of the more effective ingredients like Citrulline, Glycerol or Betaine. Now I wouldn't expect to get a pump from cardio, which is why I decided to also mix in some bicep and triceps work when taking a scoop of this. I would pause my cardio part way through and do some high reps of arms to try and get a pump going. I would do this multiple times during my cardio to try and get this effect. No matter the weight and reps I used for this trial, there was no pump to report.

To wrap up the effectiveness section, I want to say everything I experienced was mostly from taking a full scoop. I would have liked to try one and a half or possibly even two scoops to see what the effects were like but since all the ingredients are in the prop blend and the caffeine amount was not known, I never went down that road. Also, even though this product does claim to be a pre-workout supplement, I never used it in that fashion. Based on the results I received from using a scoop prior to cardio, I can confidently say this product would not have been enough for a full weight lifting session for me. I am used to complete pre-workouts (see NutraBio Pre) with clinical doses of multiple ingredients. For the new user to the pre-workout market, this would be a great product to start with. Sadly you won't be able to test your tolerance with specific ingredients since we don't know the dosages of anything; but you will get some energy, focus and mood boost during your workout.

Value

For value, it looks like the typical retail price for a 30 serving tub of this product is between $19.95 and $24.95 online. I know part way through my tub, A1 Supplements had this on a B1G1 Free deal for $24.95. At the time of this writing, that deal is no longer available but may pop up again.

Side Effects

None to report. No tingles from the Beta-Alanine. No crash from the energy ingredients. Use a lot of water if you don't like extremely sweet tasting products. Does contain artificial color.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this product was middle of the road for me. There was nothing extremely negative about it but nothing overly positive to report either. It is not a product that I would personally purchase and use for pre-cardio and especially not for a weight training session. I would not recommend this to the experienced gym goer who is used to harder hitting, more extreme products. I would recommend it to someone new to the gym and taking pre-workouts. Also for someone who needs a little extra kick and motivation to do their morning cardio but don't expect increased fat burning unless you react extremely well to this product.

Once again, thank you to Clipper83 for making this product available on the site. And to any company rep that may happen to read this review, please open up your label so the consumer can see the dosages of each ingredient or at least let us know how much active caffeine is in each scoop. And I would recommend cutting way back on the flavor and sweetness of this powder.

Thank you for reading my review and let me know if you have any questions.

Quick Summary

Super Sauna had some weird side effects but overall it was a nice way to make the most out of more cardio based workouts in the lead up to beach season.

Introduction

Whats up SR, I chose to review Beast Sports Nutritions Super Sauna Black because obviously with the weather warming up and the summer season approaching its time to shed those last few pounds in the hopes of looking half decent. Quick thank you to both Beast and the Trooper program for hooking me up. Beast sent me almost their entire line so I really do have to give them a big thank you.

Ingredient Profile

Okay down to the numbers, shall we? This does have a prop blend so we don't have the exact numbers, but nonetheless lets see what it has for us:

High-Potency Thermogenic Sweat Compound - 60mg
Grains of Paradise, Gamma- butyrobetaine ethyl ester HCL, Bioperine

Fat Burning Metabolism Compound:
L-Carnitine Tartrate - 1g

As we can see this is a super straight forward formula, we have the blend that makes you sweat and we have the blend thats going to help with fat mobilization and burning. I like the fact they kept it simple and also always like seeing bioperine in there to help increase absorption. I do wish we knew exactly how much of each thermogenic we were getting, but its not a major deal at the end of the day.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the lemon dropkick flavor, I enjoyed this and found it super easy to drink. Mixability was also not an issue, as with most things I usually continually swirl the supplement to avoid any potential settling issues. Dosing is one scoop before cardio or exercise, I used this as a pre Boxing/Muay Thai/ Jiu-Jitsu supplement as well as a pre cardio supplement on my extra cardio days.

Effectiveness

Now for the fun stuff. As I stated before I took this either pre combat training or pre cardio, I will break down the effectiveness of each of these here:

Pre boxing/Muay Thai/Jiu-Jitsu:
This was the main way I used Super Sauna, I would take a scoop on my way to the gym, upon arriving I noticed I was usually already starting to sweat, which was a good sign for me right away. About 10 minutes into warming up/ stretching I could feel the beads of sweat starting to form on my forehead and could see them on my arms. By the end of the class I looked like I had jumped in a pool. Flat out I was soaked, especially if the class entailed a lot of bag conditioning and or circuit training. This was great for everything except Jiu-Jitsu, it got to the point where I honestly felt bad for how much I was sweating on my training partners, it did however help me slide myself out a few submissions here and there. Overall it worked great in this role, allowing me to really get the most out of my workouts.

Pre Cardio:
I started adding in some cardio during the weekends just to really try and lean myself down, I would usually run or go to the gym and ride the Assault Bike for some tabata style training. During the runs the sweating effect was not as prominent and was much more mild, perhaps because I was outdoors in the cooler air? The bike workouts on the other hand had me having to wipe the floor post session, just pouring off the end of my nose and onto the floor.

Overall this product did play a role in helping me lose a few pounds, along with my keto diet this allowed me to get down from around 211 pounds at the start of my run to a comfortable but strong 202. Personally I am not super concerned with the actual scale number, more about how I feel and I do feel leaner, but also very strong (thanks to Creature and Super Test)

Value

This runs for about $25 for a 30 serving tub, which places it well under $1 per serving and is a price point I don't mind paying at all. there are cheaper options out there (Sweat Compound by MAN for example), but this does give you the added L=Carnitine.

Side Effects

Now here lies one of my only issues with the Super Sauna. A few of the times I took this I found myself getting uncontrollably itchy for about 10-15 minutes. I have zero explanation for why and I didn't consume any other supplements around the time of ingestion. It would start slow like a beta alanine tingle but then out of nowhere I would feel super itchy on my arms and legs. Super uncomfortable feeling that would fade relatively quickly. Just something to note.

Conclusion

In conclusion Beast's Super Sauna Black did exactly what it said it would, basically making you feel like you are constantly sitting inside a sauna while you are training. If you can avoid the weird itch I got and pick this up it makes a great addition to any fat loss stack, especially for people who don't like stims. Amazing job Beast.