Quick Summary

An energy drink that lacks energy and adds a LOT of sugar into your diet without any seeable benefits.

Introduction

What is going on guys? I am an avid energy drink 'enthusiast' and have enjoyed various kinds of Monsters for years. I'll be honest the camo colors and aggressive name (ASSAULT) definitely reeled me into trying this product.

Ingredient Profile

Ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, glucose, taurine, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavors, panax ginseng extract, phosphoric acid, carnitine, and a load of other minor ingredients/vitamins along with 160mg of caffeine per can

Each can has:
200 calories
50g Carbs (50g of sugar)
370mg sodium
0g protein
0g fat

This thing has about as much sugar as a can of coke. I personally do not like to ingest most of my carbs from fluids, especially from something as sugary as this, but the Monster brand reeled me in yet again to give it a chance. These macronutrients are not the best for anyone counting macros or trying to limit their weight gain, but compared to other regular energy drinks this is pretty normal. I was surprised at the low-ish caffeine content. Their Monster Ultra drinks (which are my personal favorites btw) come with 180mg of caffeine per can and a rockstar would supply you with 220-240mg of caffeine so this almost seems to be a little-underdosed energy drink for me.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: Too sweet for me and left that gritty taste on your teeth like after drinking a Gatorade. I'll be sticking with the sugar-free Ultra monsters from now on

Mixibility: none

Dosage: 1 can per day

Effectiveness

My caffeine tolerance is definitely higher than most but even then I was surprised at how little this product did for me. I took a nap within an hour of drinking one of these so it could barely keep me awake nevertheless get me amped up for a workout. That disappointed me the most as that's what the product was supposed to do 'energize' me. I didn't get any noticeable energy benefits at all.

Value

This stuff seems impossible to find in stores and I was only able to find it on Amazon.com for right under $20 for a pack of 8 and $43.70 for a pack of 24. The larger pack comes out to $1.80 per can which is a little under the normal cost of most energy drinks if you were to go to your local gas station and buy one monster or rockstar at $2-2.50. The 8 pack comes out to about $2.50 per can which isn't a deal at all, in my opinion, as you can find a lot of energy drinks equal to this or cheaper.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

An energy drink that doesn't give you energy? It's a hard pass for me

Quick Summary

DNPX Powder really didn't blow me away like I had hoped it would. But for the awesome price point it is a great option for someone just getting into the stimulant fat burner market who is looking for a kick and some easy drinking flavors.

Introduction

Whats up SR, its pretty clear based on my review history that I am a big fan of both stimulants and fat burners. I'm always looking for any extra edge I can find to help me lean out because we all know summer seems to jump out of nowhere. I train twice a day and need all the boost I can get before the second workout, so I usually like to add in some sort of fat burner here to get me amped and help me shred a little more. Thank you to ProSupps and the Trooper program for hooking me up.

Ingredient Profile

Lets take a peek at what DNPX gives us, based upon the ambiguous name one could expect a lot of mystery in the ingredient blend, and thats kind of what we get here. DNPX is made up of several blends, which is usually not my favorite (just being honest here). But lets see what we have to work with here:

Energy Matrix - 425mg
- Caffeine Anhydrous, Di-Caffeine Malate, Theacrine (as TeaCrine)

Intensity Matrix - 401mg
- Alpha Lipoic Acid, Garcinia Cambogia Fruit Extract (60% HCA),
Lycii Berry (Lycium Barbarum), Natural Cocoa Extract (10% Theobromine),
Raspberry Ketone, Green Coffee Bean Extract (45% Chlorogenic Acid),
Dandelion Root Extract 10:1, Green Tea Leaf Extract (60% EGCG), Coleus
Forskohlii Root Extract (standardized to 10% Forskolin), Citrus Aurantium
extract (std. min. 25% Synephrine)(9 mg Synephrine)(Kinetiq)

Carnitine Matrix - 400mg
- Acetyl L-Carnitine HCL, L-Carnitine Fumarate, L-Carnitine Tartrate

Focus Matrix - 1.25g
Taurine, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

Okay so that is a lot of information to look at, so I'm going to just drop a little list of my pros and cons here.

Pro's
- I like the Energy Matrix, I like seeing multiple caffeine sources as well as other stimulants (in this case Teacrine), I find often times companies rely far too much on just caffeine to bring the energy
- I like some of the pieces of the Intensity matrix, especially the Synephrine (which is a physical stim) as well as the Dandelion extract to help shed those excess water pounds and lean everything out.
- I like the inclusion of multiple forms of Carnitine, but see the cons section here.

Con's
- The carnitine is very largely under dosed, I would have liked to see around 2g or so, especially because it is multi sourced, feels like a waste at this dose.
- Some of the ingredients are relatively useless in my personal opinion, such as the Raspberry Ketones, this feels like an attempt to grab the uneducated consumer
- I really wish this was not a prop blend, its much easier to figure out my likes and dislikes when I have exact doses listed, especially when a product has this many ingredients.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the Miami Vice flavor, love the name and also loved the flavor. This is a sort of tropical fruit punch I guess, not overly sweet and unique enough that I did very much enjoy it. Mixability was perfect, whether shaken or stirred. Dosing for me was either one scoop pre workout or a scoop as a pick me up while at work.

Effectiveness

So does this work? Lets break that down:

Energy and Focus: Anything with this much caffeine is going to give you a kick in the pants, however DNPX did not hit like a freight train, the blend of caffeines helps this be more of a gentle lift and a consistent energy with no harsh crash, I really liked that aspect, I never had the dreaded crash while taking this. Mental focus really was not there for me at all with this, besides the added focus from increased energy, there really was nothing here for me.

Fat Loss: Okay so this is always pretty hard to gauge, but I did lose a few pounds while taking this product, nothing super significant. Perhaps the best thing DNPX brings in terms of Fat Loss is the thermogenesis, I found I did sweat much more after taking this, helping me get the most out of my workouts and often leaving the gym with a shirt that is soaked right through (always a fan of that). As most of you know, diet is the biggest part when it comes to fat loss, but DNPX did help me get the most of my cardio workouts and shed those extra few calories, full credit there.

Appetite Suppressant: I honestly did not have any noticeable effect here, not that this is ever an issue for me, so perhaps this would be useful for others who struggle here.

Value

DNPX shines when it comes to value, this can be found for as low as $18.99 for a 30 serving tub, being that this is a true 30 servings this value is fantastic, placing it well below $1 per serving. Making this an even better option for someone who is nervous about spending money of a fat burner.

Side Effects

Increased sweat is worth noting, also since this is caffeine heavy, do not consume to close to bed time.

Conclusion

In conclusion I was slightly let down by DNPX, anything with a name that intense I expect to bring the fire. Instead I got a decent energy kick and some sweat gains, nothing game changing here. However I really do think this is a perfect fat burner for someone who maybe has never taken one before or is on the fence, the price point and great flavors help it appeal to the average person.

Quick Summary

Protolyte is an easy way to add high quality protein to anyones diet with the added benefit of having it taste fantastic with whatever you choose to mix it with.

Introduction

Whats up SR, about time I finally get around to dropping this review. I train twice a day and follow a lower carb diet, meaning I need all of the help I can get when it comes to getting protein in my diet. Hence my jumping on the opportunity to review this product, thanks to VMI and the Trooper program for hooking me up as per usual.

Ingredient Profile

Okay so for those of you who consider yourselves veterans of the protein powder game will know that in fact not all protein powders are created equal. VMI delivers on the high end here when it comes to quality in my opinion. First we have 105 calories per scoop (29g scoop), those 105 cals are made up of 24 grams of protein alongside >1g of fat, 1g of total Carb. Our protein source here is Whey Isolate which is put through a cold process. This quality of protein also makes Protolyte both lactose and gluten free.

Where Protolyte really helps separate itself from a crowded market is the inclusion of the TRAACS Electrolytes and Enzyme blend. This is a fantastic addition because any added enzymes is just going to help further improve the digestion process. Adding electrolytes to anything is going to get you positive marks in my books, most people really don't realize how bad their hydration is, so anytime you can improve that is going to help yield even better results.

The TRAACS Blend is made up of the following:
Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate - 500mg
Calcium Bisglycinate Chelate - 300mg
Potassium Glycinate Complex - 183mg
Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate - 8mg

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Okay so I originally received the vanilla cake batter flavor, but I had ordered the Chocolate Peanut Butter. I was totally fine with this but VMI went way out of their way and sent me a tub of the Chocolate Peanut Butter as an apology. Massive customer service marks here. Along with those two flavors they also sent samples of all of the other flavors in their line. Let me start with the Vanilla Cake Batter and the Chocolate Peanut Butter, wow were these amazing, both were the perfect amount of sweet, mixed with either water or Almond Milk. Both of these being so good had me excited to try the other flavors, boy did VMI really nail it, every single one was good, and I don't mean good as in average I mean these flavors really are fantastic. Mixability was perfect with water and the consistency was thin and easy to drink, with almond milk it was thicker (obvs) but almost milkshake like texture. With the milk it did require more vigorous shaking, but it did mix up fine. Dosing for me was one to two scoops usually after my second workout of the day.

Effectiveness

This is a high quality protein powder with added extras, with all protein powders it comes down to diet. I personally look at protein powder more as a food, I often times find it hard to hit some of my macro goals when it comes to protein based on my training regime. This did a fantastic job of helping me refuel after my workouts and also helping aid in my recovery via the added hydration benefits. In the role I needed this to play it was perfect, the flavoring also helped with my nasty sweet tooth as I was excited to drink this after my workouts. I had no stomach issues and found this super easy on my body overall, whenever I was using this more in a meal replacement role I would mix it with the almond milk and it would keep me full for a surprising amount of time. Overall this protein powder did everything I needed it to do: Help me hit macro goals, help boost my recovery after tough workouts and also allow me to have the option of a quick snack/ meal. I can't ask for much more then that.

Value

This can be found for $36.99 on Allstarhealth.com for a 30 serving tub. While this may seem slightly high for a protein. One must consider the quality of the protein as well as those added extras, those alone help bring the value to a range that I am very comfortable paying.

Side Effects

None, zero stomach issues.

Conclusion

In conclusion VMI really nailed it here, they have managed to stick out in a super crowded market by using high quality ingredients, a super clean blend and adding extra's that other companies just don't give you. Factor in the awesome flavor and various options in regards to which one you treat yourself with, makes this a home run in my books.

Quick Summary

Cluster Bomb from Redcon1 is a carbohydrate supplement that uses HBCD (Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin) to supply quick energy so you can keep going and/or for recovery.

Introduction

Sometimes I just don't have the energy to do my whole workout as planned. I used to think that this was the sign of an "off day" and would just wrap up early. Since those days I've learned that there is a "cure" for this feeling and that it

Ingredient Profile

30 servings of 25g of HBCD (as Cluster Dextrin). That's it.

This is a carbohydrate produced from a waxy corn starch via cyclization reaction from a branched enzyme. This results in a very fast GET (gastric emptying time), which means it can be used for energy much more quickly compared to other popular carbs like maltodextrin and dextrose.

This GET also means it won't give you that "carb bloat" and it can also theoretically pull other nutrients like protein along with it. I haven't found any studies confirming that "pulling" claim but I'll happily link it in a future update if I come across any.

As much as I enjoy the flexibility of a single ingredient product, I feel like this could have benefitted greatly from some sort of electrolyte/hydration blend.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I've only tried the Grape flavor so far; its strong enough to be convincingly grape but weak enough that I never got tired of it. I don't plan on trying the other flavor because I enjoy Grape so much, though now that they have Unflavored that could be useful for creating more interesting combinations.

The mixability is pretty good considering its a carbohydrate supplement. A shaker is definitely the easiest way but stirring has been all right for me.

I tried a number of dosing schemes and landed on the following:

1 scoop pre and 1 scoop post for endurance training.
1-2 scoops intra for high intensity training, generally after my warmup sets. The number of scoops is determined by the quality of my pre workout meal and/or how I feel that day.

Effectiveness

The product works. I got the energy and lack of carb bloat that I paid for.

When taken pre workout it helped me start strong and maintain my energy throughout. This is harder to gauge when I took this while already feeling good, so I tested it with a session on the rowing machine. If I go at a leisurely pace I can row for quite some time, but at an aggressive pace I generally need a break after 1500 meters. When I started off with this I was able to get an extra 1000 meters before hitting that point. As this was my first test of the product I was ecstatic to use it again.

When I took this as an intra it functioned as a second wind in a bottle; on lifting days this means an extra set or two. I naturally feel a need to hydrate after my first two or three sets so I would just pound down 1 or 2 scoops of this and my muscles would feel fresh by the time I hit the next set.

As a post workout this is a perfect companion to whey protein for recovery as this restores muscle glycogen without delay.

Value

MSRP on this is $39.99, though Redcon1 has discounts available ALL the time. It's also available on Amazon for $32.

HBCD is known to be a fairly expensive ingredient, though this is one of the more reasonably priced offerings.

One thing I'd really like to see RC1 do is offer a larger tub size for this (as they have done for Grunt, their EAA) as this would likely allow them to offer a more competitive price per serving.

Side Effects

No adverse side effects.

Conclusion

This product makes good on its claims and it never felt like a waste.

A hydration blend and a larger tub size could push this to be the best carb supplement in the game, but in the mean time its still a top competitor.

If you have yet to try HBCD then grabbing this with a discount code is a great place to start.

Tetrogen is a stimulant-free weight loss supplement that's quite new on the market.

I ran into this supplement when I was researching an anti-obesity medication in development called Metabocin. It's based off of the popular fat burner, capsaicin, but has shown more powerful weight loss benefits when studied. The studies mentioned the likely reason for its enhanced effects, compared to standard capsaicin, are because of its time released nature as well as an improvement in bioavailability.

For reference, I absolutely love capsaicin. It's one of the only supplements that always provides a noticeable boost to my weight loss.

After learning about Metabocin, I searched up extended release capsaicin supplements and I came across Tetrogen. This certainly isn't the standard fat loss supplement I use. It's marketing seems largely targeted to the weight loss niche rather than fitness enthusiasts.

The company says that the supplement is supposed to take a 'big-picture look at fat loss'. It's supposed to improve the balance of metabolic hormones, alongside a metabolism boost via thermogenesis.

Sounds good to me, but does it actually work?

I ordered it when I saw a 30% off sale. This was right as I began to plateau on my weight loss cycle. I ran 2 bottles of Tetrogen Day and 2 bottles of Tetrogen Night for a total of 2 months.
Let's get into the pros and cons of this supplement:

---- PROFILE - 4/5 ----

There were 4 things that I really liked about the ingredients and 1 thing I was reluctant about.

First Thing I Liked - Lipofuel

They're the only supplement I know of with an extended release capsaicin formulation. The ingredient is called Lipofuel and it's pretty new to the market. I had to email the company to get any literature on the ingredient.

The 2 studies they sent my way weren't independent, but they were well controlled. I'd take them with a grain of salt, but I realized a lot of the same conclusions in their studies were the same found from that prescription medication I researched, Metabocin.

This ingredient was my main curiosity-trigger that got me to fork over the cash and give Tetrogen a try.

Second Thing I Liked - The Perfect Melatonin Dose

Really, the only difference between their day formula and night formula is that the night formula contains melatonin (and the night formula has no green tea extract to avoid disrupting sleep).

Normally that would be meaningless to me, but their specific dose was a good sign that demonstrated some serious thought was put into this supplement.

Most sleep supplements you see have a dose of 3mg or 5mg of melatonin. This bothers me so much because those doses leave many people (myself included) groggy in the morning.

What's the point of getting a good night's sleep if you're exhausted for 2 hours after you wake up???

Most of the original research on melatonin was done with a 0.5-1mg dose - and many studies since have shown more is not better with melatonin. I definitely get the best sleep with a 1mg dose.

**NOTE: While editing this review, I checked Examine's Sleep Supplement Guide and they also recommend 0.5-1.5mg of melatonin.

As far as Tetrogen's rationale for adding melatonin, they say it's because healthy, high-quality sleep is important for fat loss and Leptin sensitivity. Looks like there's plenty of science to back up that claim. Melatonin also appears to boost Leptin levels in people without Leptin desensitization - that's a big win-win to me.

Third Thing I Liked - Green Tea Extract

This one's pretty straight forward.

Green tea extract is one of the most studied fat burners out there with solid science demonstrating its fat burning benefits, along with some solid benefits on metabolic hormones, including leptin-resensitization and cortisol control.

Fourth Thing I Liked - Cissus

I was surprised seeing CQR Cissus inside this supplement. I always thought of it as a joint supplement.

I went back and looked at the science, which led me to another good sign that made me think this is a supplement with a lot of hidden thought put into it. The studies discovered cissus works well for fat loss and appetite suppression - particularly over the long term. They found best results after 10 weeks of supplementation which might explain why I noticed faster weight loss as I hit my second bottle (more on that in a bit).

Another interesting thing I came across was an apparently synergy between African Mango and Cissus which provided better and longer lasting fat loss results in the study. Researchers were unsure of the mechanism.

Thing I Didn't Like - Use Of Celebrity Fat Burners

Main turn off when I first saw Tetrogen was its inclusion of IGOB131 and Dyglomera. These are patented forms of African Mango & a Cameroonian fruit seed extract.

I had never tried these supplements before. I always figured they were just another supplement made popular by TV doctors and talk show hosts, only to die out of popularity a few years later.

Unlike some other fad supplements, like raspberry ketones, these two seem to keep increasing in popularity - is this because they're effective, though?

Science wise, the few studies done seem promising, but they're confounded by industry funding so I question how these ingredients would hold up with independent peer reviewed research. We will just have to wait and see when people do some well controlled studies on these ingredients.

The bright side is, Tetrogen uses the forms of extract which have science backing them. I see plenty of fat burners out there cheaping out and using low doses of the non-patented versions of these extracts. I also liked the fact that African Mango appears to work synergistically with both Cissus and Dyglomera - even if they aren't the most effective fat burners alone, they could be promising when combined.

---- EFFECTIVENESS - 17/20 ----

Effectiveness was probably the biggest surprise I had with Tetrogen.
When I get to about 13% body fat on my fat loss cycle, I hit a wall. I'm a former fatty and spent most of my youth at over 20% body fat, so it makes sense my body doesn't want to get too skinny.

When I reach 13% it usually takes me 4 months to reach 10% body fat - and those 4 months come with a lot of hunger pains and cravings from hell. My intermittent fasting also becomes a lot harder the minute I hit 13% BF.

I started Tetrogen when I was at 13.2% body fat, using the 7 point caliper calculation.
I noticed things really sped up towards the end of the first bottle. I can't really figure out why that was. It could be the proposed synergy between IGOB and Dyglomera. Studies implied the combo works best with about 12 weeks of use. Looks like Tetrogen isn't a case of diminishing returns. At least not with the first few bottles of use.

Another thing I really liked was that Lipofuel capsaicin didn't give me spicy burps or "spicy visits to the toilet" like standard capsaicin does to me.

Diet & Results

I consumed 400 calories below maintenance throughout the entire diet, readjusting every 4 weeks.

My weight and body fat percentage were as follows:
Started Tetrogen June 4th, 2018
Weight: 179.1lbs
Body Fat: 13.2%

July 2nd
Weight: 175.7lbs
Body Fat: 12.0%

Finished Second Bottle August 6th (Didn't take a few days while travelling)
Weight: 168.1lbs
Body Fat: 10.3%

I was really excited by the result since I hit 10% almost twice as fast as I normally do.
The question is what was responsible for the result?

Are African Mango and Dyglomera underrated supplements? Do they only become an amazing fat burner when combined together with the addition of Cissus? Is Lipofuel Capsaicin a game changer?

Or is Tetrogen just a really well rounded supplement that does exactly what the company claims; optimizing your hormones for ideal weight loss.

I really can't say.

All I can say is I expected a fraction of what I got with this product.

I deducted 3 points on effectiveness for 3 reasons:

#1 - It's Stimulant Free

I guess this is a pro for some people, I just feel that stimulants really help me when I'm losing weight.

Personally, I took caffeine, synephrine, and yohimbe while running my first bottle of Tetrogen. I stopped taking the stimulants when the weather got too hot here (I live in the tropics) a few days into the second bottle. I was on these supplements for 4 months before I tried Tetrogen, and I often run them while dieting, so I don't think they're responsible for my faster rate of fat loss. Even in the case where they impacted my fat loss, I had significantly better results on the second bottle.

#2 - No Noticeable Muscle Sparing Effects

Makes sense since it looks like this product is targeted towards people outside of the fitness space.

#3 - Could Be Even Better

This is just a 5 ingredient formula. I can only imagine how awesome this supplement would be if they added a few other ingredients that fit into their "balance the body for fat loss" angle.

Off the top of my head it would be nice to see vitamin D3, LCLT, 5-HTP, and Curcumin inside, since these are less common cutting supplements that have been shown to improve conditions in the human body to promote fat loss.
Of course, you can buy these products separately, it would just be nice to have them since you're paying 45 bucks per bottle if you don't get it while it's on sale.

---- PRICE - 3.5/5 ----

When I first looked up Tetrogen, it was a bit pricey for me at 45 bucks per bottle. When you order you get 2 bottles, one of the day formula and one of the night formula, for a total of 89. After you buy they offer you a really good deal on a longer term supply, I can't remember the exact numbers but it was tempting.

What got me to order it was when I saw it on sale and in hindsight I'm glad I ordered it. If price is an issue for you, I'd try to wait until they have a sale or email out a deal to their list.
Only reason I didn't deduct more points on price was because of the line-up of ingredients.

Everything except the green tea extract and melatonin are patented supplement forms (CQR cissus, IGOB African Mango, Lipofuel Capsaicin, etc) You're inevitably gonna pay a higher price when most of the ingredients are patented, have improved bioavailability versus the standard form, and one ingredient (Lipofuel) is only found in this formula (as far as I'm aware).

---- SIDE EFFECTS - 6/5 ----

I noticed zero negative side effects, not even the usual discomfort I experience on capsaicin.
Didn't get much of a drop in water weight either, but I'm almost half a year into my weight loss so most of my water is gone.

I added a point because I got a completely unexpected side effect, joint relief. I had arthroscopic surgery in my right shoulder a few years back and too much bench pressing tends to aggravate it. A few days into my first bottle and my shoulder had a noticeable improvement (I didn't realized CQR was cissus until after I ordered, and suddenly I understood the lack of joint pain).

CONCLUSION

Tetrogen was probably the most surprising supplement I've ever tried. I wasn't expecting much, but the results really spoke for themselves.

This was the fat loss equivalent of what Arachidonic Acid did for me for muscle-building-wise (I never got much taking ArA for fat loss).

I finished my second bottle of Tetrogen a little over a month ago and my fat loss has slowed once again. I'm at 9.9% Body Fat right now and aiming for 9.0%.

I ended up ordering one more month of supply last week to get me there. This time I'll stack it with Forskolin and curcumin to help get me there.

If you can afford it, I'd definitely give it a try. It seems to be great for pushing past plateaus once you've made some solid progress with your weight loss.

Hope you enjoyed my review!

---- FINAL SCORE - 88% ----

Quick Summary

You know what it is. This is the best vitamin product. Back up.

Introduction

Ah yes. THE PAK. The quintessential kitchen-sink multi-vitamin for active lifters. If you haven't tried Animal Pak, do you even lift bruh?

I'm a believer in consistently taking a daily multivitamin in order to ensure you're meeting core nutritional needs. I usually stick to a basic, one-pill multi with a relatively simple ingredient profile; ON's Opti-Men is a good example. However I've run Animal Pak before - both the new powder formula and the older version of the paks - thus I jumped on the chance to try the newer formulation of the pill paks.

One final introductory note: I view multi-vitamins the same way I view protein - as a mandatory dietary staple; not a product I expect will take me to the next level.

Ingredient Profile

Animal Pak is absolutely effing loaded and is slightly different from its powdered brother. There are five major complexes: Vitamin, Amino Acid, Performance, Anti-Oxidant, and Digestive Enzyme. While the powder includes a Uni-Pro Blend in the Performance Complex (a prop blend of protein and organ support ingredients), the pill paks include a fully disclosed profile of liver and organ support that is higher dosed and more robust than the powder, but lacks the inclusion of whey protein. A small difference, but notable. I personally prefer the profile of the pill paks here. Say that five times fast.

The only other change between the pill paks and the powder seems to be in the Amino Acid Complex. There are marginal differences in each of these ingredients between these two versions, but overall I think the pill version comes out slightly ahead.

I could write a doctoral thesis on the profile of Pak and how it compares to other products, which ingredients are appropriately dosed, which aren't, and so on. I'll try to do a quick hitter here:

Aside from the Vitamin complex, the other four profiles are basically unmatched by any competitor multi-vitamin. They are insanely robust. Even Vital 4U and its 14 different pills don't hold a candle to Pak on these four platforms. That said, Vital 4U has generally higher dosages of core vitamins and minerals i.e. vitamins A and C, and more ingredients that support the immune system and mental clarity. Even so, when looking at the Vitamin complex in a silo (which I feel is the most important of the five) it takes a product like Vital 4U stack up against the Pak. Your basic one-a-days aren't going to come close.

That's not to say the Pak is flawless. I think some of the profiles are a bit gratuitous. Most of the ingredients in the Amino Acid complex are under dosed, some drastically so. Tyrosine, for example, has a recommended daily dose of 500-1000mg daily. You get 164mg from 2 Paks. Now, I understand the intent here is to support reaching daily values, not to provide the full daily dose, but does 20% of your daily dose of something like Tyrosine really make a difference?

Regardless, as was the case with Animal Pak Powder, it's the Vitamin and Enzyme complexes that are the MVPs for me.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Each pak is 11 hard-packed pills that range from small to relatively large. I'll admit, even for someone like me who generally has no issues with pills, this is still a LOT of swallowing (zing). It took me around 10 oz. of water to get down all of these pills, and I was generally dosing only one pak daily with dinner. No issues with odor or powder burps it's just a lot of pills.

If you struggle with pills - go get the powder.

Effectiveness

It's rather difficult to gauge a vitamin's effectiveness, but I knew I was taking the Pak. I absolutely felt a stronger sense of general health and wellness. Admittedly this feeling could be totally psychosomatic, but I did not get sick or have any sort of health issues while running this product. Both my kids came down with a small bug during the month I was running Animal Pak, and as usual I skated through unscathed. I haven't been sick in about a year, and when I ran the Animal Pak Powder I avoided the flu despite my entire family and half my office coming down with it. I have to think that's a testament to the effectiveness of this brand and this product.

One other note on effectiveness - the Pak doesn't fully replace a proper Digestive Enzyme. I didn't have quite the regularity that I do when I'm running that type of supplement, but I did notice a significant difference in my movements, even more so than I experienced while running the powder version (which is interesting given the digestive enzyme profile is identical). Again, although it may not fully cover a certain health aspect, the Pak assists and supports across the board.

Value

The industry norm for a men's multi is roughly .50c per dose, with the more aggressive products running closer to $1.00 per day. The Pak falls in this range. At $29 for 44 paks and a recommended dosage of 2 paks daily for active individuals, you're looking at a price point of $1.32 per serving. Pretty pricey. That said, I saw solid effectiveness from running 1 pak per day and I honestly think smaller individuals or those already running a robust stack with a true digestive enzyme and amino acid supplement would do just fine with a single pak daily.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

My recommendation of Animal Pak varies depending on the person. It is a solid, EXTREMELY well-rounded multi that I think can be used in a variety of fashions and can be relatively affordable depending on your wallet and how you dose the product. Am I buying this year round? No. But when I need as much health support as possible, this is where I am turning. Animal Pak is the king.

Quick Summary

C4 On The Go Carbonated is marketed by Cellucor as both a preworkout drink and an energy drink. I have used it as both and it works. As is the norm with Cellucor, the flavors are mostly really good. Fans of the classic C4 preworkout will want to at least try this!

Introduction

What's up guys (and gals)? I'm an avid preworkout user albeit, I use the powders mostly. I had ordered a couple other products directly from Cellucor before C4 On The Go Carbonated came out and they sent me a can to try out. I didn't use it as PW, I just opened it and drank it. Since then, I've used C4 On The Go Carbonated occasionally as a PW but predominantly for a quick pick me up during the day.

Ingredient Profile

First and foremost, there's no sugar, which is normal for a PW but not always the case for energy drinks.
Ok, here we go:
Niacin - 30 MG
Vitamin B6 - 500MCG
Vitamin B-12 -35MCG
Potassium - 90 MG

The next group of ingredients is a prop blend they call "Explosive Performance Energy Blend" with an overall total of 6.73g.
This consists of Citrulline Malate, Cellucor's Carnosyn Beta-Alanine and "Beta Power" Betaine, also some Tyrosine and 200mg of caffeine.

Based on these ingredients alone, it seems more like a preworkout than an energy drink.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

These come in 16oz cans which constitutes one serving. When I take this, I usually drink an entire can whether I'm using it as a PW or energy drink.

As I mentioned, the flavors are so good (except for Strawberry Watermelon)
. Twisted Limeade is oh so good! It tastes a little bit like Mountain Dew.
Frosted Atomic Snowcone is basically their blue raspberry flavor.
I have tried the grape, and it's not bad but not as good as the first two.
Strawberry Watermelon is the only one I've tried that is not too good.
I know there is also an orange flavor that just came out but I have not tried that one yet.

Effectiveness

As I mentioned, this is marketed as both a PW AND as an energy drink and I've used it in both manners.
When I use it as a PW, I drink one about 15 mins before a workout. It usually kicks in within 20-30 mins. I get the "tingly" feeling from the niacin and beta alanine pretty quickly. It does give me an energy boost but it's not prolonged. It's more like a "burst" of energy. The can mentions mental focus and alertness which I will get into more when I talk about using it as an energy drink as I didn't notice it too much (just a tad) as a PW.

Mostly, I'll take a can to work and drink it halfway through the day for energy or I'll take it on the weekends sometimes just to wake myself up when I'm tired. As an energy drink, I do get the tingly feeling and an immediate burst of energy and feeling pretty good but it wears off quickly. I'd say within 30-40 mins it begins to wear off. Obviously, everyone's body and tolerance is different but that's what I experienced. The "alertness" and mental focus aspects are more noticeable when using this as an energy drink, which is another reason why I use it at work. Overall, it gives me smooth energy but if you're looking for something that's going to make you bounce off the walls or ready to conquer the world, this isn't it.

Value

It's $29.99 for a 12 pack of any flavor, pretty much everywhere. Cellucor is consistently giving 15-20% your order depending on how much you spend. Some other retailers will occasionally have this for buy one, get one 50% off but $29.99 is the norm.
So at the regular price, it's about $2.50/can which is not terrible in terms of an energy drink.
I think if you use it just as a PW or just as a energy drink, the value is not as good but if you use it for both, it's priced pretty normally compared to the rest of the market.

Side Effects

I use PWs regularly so my body is used to most of these ingredients. So, I didn't notice any side effects. I know a few people that have taken it and had a slight crash when coming down off of it but again everybody's tolerance is different. If you consistently take any PW, you probably won't feel any side effects.

Conclusion

I'm a fan of Cellucor, and overall I like this product. If you're looking for something strictly as an energy drink, there's definitely stronger alternatives that are strictly energy drinks but this is a solid drink literally when you're on the go. Grab one from the fridge and hit the gym or if you need quick energy but don't need to be bouncing off the walls, grab one. For me, it's kind of like a novelty. I have it around and the twisted limeade flavor is so good that I look for any excuse to drink one and if my regular PW is running low, sometimes I'll use these for a few days. I don't believe the "On the Go" line is designed as an every day use drink so if you know that upfront, you will probably enjoy it. At the very least, do yourself a favor and try the twisted limeade on a hot day.

Quick Summary

A PWO that will give you average results. It carries a hefty price tag unless you can get this on sale for what you get, but at least it does come with a fully disclosed ingredient profile unlike most Insane Labz products. Nothing stellar here.

Introduction

38 years old and lift four days a week while doing physical therapy twice a week for my left ankle due to total reconstructive surgery. This will be my last review as a 38 year old man, I turn 39 tomorrow so will automatically have more wisdom in my future reviews. A while back I found myself checking out Insane Labz more and more often, so I ordered some products over time when they were on sale to see if this was just clever marketing with cool names, or an actual effective product. I have found that some of their products work great, while others do nothing. Sin was one of the only PWO's by the company that had a completely transparent label so I decided to give it a shot. Lets see how much of a Sin it was buying this product.

Ingredient Profile

As mentioned above, this comes with a completely transparent ingredient profile, which I require in my PWO's because at my age I don't need to be messing or guessing with stimulants. This is broken down into three different blends, and being this is the first review on this product, let us break it down as I normally do. Of note each scoop is 14.6g, however I did not measure it for accuracy.

Other Companies Envy (10.5g)

Creatine Monohydrate (5g): Creatine is among the most well-researched and effective supplements. It can help with exercise performance by rapidly producing energy during activity. Creatine may also provide cognitive benefits. This is your standard "cheap" version of Creatine. I typically like to take in 8-10g Creatine on workout days, so this is a good start and I can take my other serving with my post workout shake. Good dose here.

Beta Alanine (3g): Beta-alanine is the building block of carnosine, a molecule that helps buffer acid in muscles, increasing physical performance in the 60-240-second range. Beta-alanine can aid lean-mass gain. Carnosine appears to be an antioxidant and anti-aging compound. (Examine.com) You want 2-5g of this daily to see a difference, so this is a good dose.

Betaine Anhydrous (1.5g): Betaine may provide increased power output and minor increases in workout volume and endurance. The dosage you want here is 2.5g daily, so this is under-dosed here. They need to up this 1g or just remove it.

Agmatine Sulfate (1g): There are many different things that Agmatine can do for your body, but it is found here to increase your Nitric Oxide Levels. No real known dosage exists, but you usually see this dosed around the 1-2g mark. So this is fine.

Energy & Wrath (1.065g)

Cognizin (citicoline) (500mg): A patented form of Citicoline, this is here for focus. Dosing usually ranges from 500mg - 2g, so we have the low end of the spectrum here, but not under-dosed.

Caffiene Anhydrous (315mg): We all know what this is, our energy boost. Not a bad dose considering its Anhydrous, this really comes down to personal preference. Personally I like to be in the 300mg range if its not time released, so this is fine by me.

AMPiberry (juniperus communis) (150mg): Depending what you search for you will see different facts about this. Some say this is the replacement for DMHA, and some companies have done this, others call this simple a super food. Either way this works best when paired with caffeine and other stimulants. It will assist you in long lasting energy. This is a fairly new ingredient to me, but I could not find any recommendations on dosage.

Dimethylethanolamine (100mg): Also known as DMAE. Really this is used to prevent cognitive decline, but I would guess the intended purpose here is for added focus. I could not find recommendations on dosage or anything like that. I am not sure I see much of a purpose for this here.

Huperzine A (1%) (100mcg): The one focus ingredient I am a fan of. Huperzine-A is a cognitive enhancer that inhibits an enzyme that degrades the learning neurotransmitter, acetylcholine; due to this, a relative increase occurs. It belongs to the cholinergics class of molecules, and may be useful in fighting cognitive decline in the elderly. May need to be cycled. (Examine.com) 50-200mcg daily are typical dosages, and usually you want to cycle this every 2-4 weeks. A good middle dose here.

Testosterone Gluttony (100mg)

Blamus (50mg): Obviously this is here to boost some testosterone, and studies have only been done on rats from what I can surmise. From the study "While no marked elevation in serum free testosterone levels was found in the 10-mg or 25-mg BlaMus groups, the 50-mg group showed a significant increase in serum free testosterone levels after 28 days of supplementation." So who knows, you can read the article here: http://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/sports-energy/black-musli-extract-boosts-testosterone-rats-study-suggests

DHEA (50mg): DHEA is a naturally occurring hormone and either exerts benefits on its own, or can convert into both testosterone or estrogen depending on the body's need. DHEA supplementation is potent for reducing the 'effects of aging', but appears quite unreliable in its benefits. Supplementation of DHEA appears to be effective in persons over 40 in the dosage range of 25-50mg, while prolonged usage of 100mg appears to be safe in this demographic. While the usage of DHEA in young persons for the purpose of testosterone enhancement is not clear, it tends to be used at 200mg for this purpose. (Examine.com) So depending on your age, is how you will benefit from this, basically if you are not 40 or older, this will probably do nothing.

A pretty interesting ingredient profile. Personally I would like to see them up the Betaine to 2.5g and drop the Testosterone boosting properties, as that is unnecessary to me in a PWO, because you will not take it daily as most people have rest days. Who the hell takes a PWO on a rest day? Not bad otherwise, at least nothing in here really stands out as a true filler ingredient.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: I ordered the 7nvy Fruit flavor. Fancy name aside, its Fruit Punch. It actually tasted pretty good, kind of like a watered down hawaiian punch that was not so sweet. Very easy to sip or slam as needed, so no complaints here.

Mixability: This mixed real easily with minimal effort in my shaker. The dyes did stain my clear shakers a bit, but it washed out easily. No real leftover grit or anything to worry about.

Dosing: Very simply, one scoop about 20-30 minutes prior to your workout. With the amount of caffeine in here, you would never want to take much more than one scoop. The directions even state not to exceed one scoop in a 24 hour period, which is good because you never know what people will do these days.

Effectiveness

So now the important part, and why this is just an average PWO in my head. I workout around 6am so having that nice kick in the butt to get to the gym and crush some weights is needed that early in the morning. Its not required, but I love the feeling of a great PWO. I especially like it when I start to get fired up on my drive to the gym. I actually took this on and off over the last few months as this never really got me too excited. I will break this down by what I look for in a PWO:

Energy: Within about 20 minutes of taking this I would get a nice energy boost. However the energy levels seemed to be all up front and would die out fairly quickly during my workout. My workouts average between 60 - 90 minutes, and this would wear off right around the 50-60 minute mark, making the end of my workouts a bit of a chore. This did not make me jittery or anything like that, but did provide a smooth energy (probably the AMPiberry), but again just did not last that long. Pretty average in energy levels.

Pump: I do not expect all PWO's to give me a pump, but when you throw in any sort of NO type ingredient I expect something. Well I never experienced a pump at all here, so nothing to even talk about.

Focus: This seemed to be lacking as well. I have taken products with lower doses of Huperzine and it worked better than this. While I did have some focus, I think that was more or less my own personal discipline than Sin itself. So again, nothing to note here.

Endurance: As mentioned above the endurance was really the killer. This would be great up front and then die out. I have had PWO's last well beyond my workout, and this just simply did not do it.

While this may sound like a pretty mediocre PWO, it did its job and what I needed it to do. Honestly, this is almost a good beginner PWO for people since it has no real exotic ingredients and someone with less experience may benefit from this more. I think the ingredients used may have been cheap and that is why it did not have the lasting effects you would expect. End of the day, it got my to the gym, slightly fired up, but I had to really push through the tail end of my workouts. Average says it all and in this flooded market it simply does not stand out.

Value

The cheapest you can find this right now is via Insane Labz themselves for $29.95 for 25 servings. That comes out to $1 a serving before you account for shipping and handling which is usually $4.95. If you are a prime member you can grab this on Amazon for $34.95 coming out to $1.40 a serving. So this is pretty expensive in my opinion for the job that it does, and just expensive for a PWO in general. Worth the value, no I think not. I picked this up last November as a black Friday deal getting Sin and Acid both for $64.95, not a great deal either. This is how we learn.

Side Effects

Had to visit the bathroom about 10-15 minutes after taking this for some minor GI distress. This is very common for me when I take in any caffeine, so no big deal. No unusual side effects to speak of.

Conclusion

When I was thinking about writing this review, I figured I would give this an average recommendation. After writing this review and realizing how expensive this PWO is, and how much it did not do I simply cannot recommend this product. I will give it a MEH, because it does work, but just nothing stellar. If you can get this on a sweet deal, then give it a shot, otherwise this becomes just another PWO in an already flooded market. Time to wash away the SIN.

Quick Summary

Cellucor's "C4" lineup is an old classic. I've used many incarnations of C4 over the years and this one doesn't disappoint but is it really the "ultimate" pre-workout compared to the competition? I'd say no, though it is solid overall if you know what you're getting.

Introduction

What's up everybody? This is my first review on SR. I have been working out consistently for about the last 4 years. Prior to that, I still worked out but not on a consistent basis. I really discovered pre-workouts about 2 and a half years ago and have used many. A particular athlete that I support raves about Cellucor products so I thought I would give them a try. I used "regular" C4 as my go-to pre-workout for a long time while trying others every once in while to change things up. I am also currently taking creatine monohydrate, nutrabio's super carb, glutamine, and casein at night.

Ingredient Profile

C4 Ultimate has what many people look for in a pre-workout, in general: 300mg of caffeine, 1 gram of creatine nitrate NO3-T ("creatine performance complex"), Beta Alanine (3.2 grams CarnoSyn), Citrulline nitrate and malate (1 gram and 6 grams respectively) "Citrulline "Performance Complex."
There are solid amounts(for a pre-workout) of classic vitamins like Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Niacin

Overall, it's solid in terms of what's in there, although it's not entirely transparent so we don't know exactly how much of each ingredient is in their "energy complex" for example. There's definitely more in terms of variety, than traditional C4.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

For the most part, I mix this in a vortex mixer, so it's hard to say specifically how it mixes compared to others. When I do mix it in a glass or shaker bottle though, there is some residue left over at the bottom, typically.

One thing I really like about Cellucor is that their flavors are always on point. I've had the icy blue razz flavor and strawberry watermelon. I like them both but of those two, I prefer the icy blue razz. Strawberry watermelon is too much watermelon and not enough strawberry in my opinion.

This goes down very easy and at first it had a slight artificial taste but now I'm used to it but it definitely does not have that typical "chemical" taste that some PWs have.

Effectiveness

When I first started taking this right after a batch of regular C4 was done, I could definitely feel the effects. I go to the gym very early in the morning so I would take this on the ride to the gym (about 15 mins). Usually by the end of a short warm up I really feel it. Since I wake up very early (2-3 AM) to work out, I'm inherently tired. This not only gives me the "tingling" feeling but also makes me feel very awake and energized. I know some people look for the "focus" aspect of a PW. In that regard, I felt maybe a slight increase in focus but not vastly different from regular C4. The energy level increase is definitely more pronounced and prolonged than regular C4.
Over time, as with almost all PWs, my body has adjusted to it so I don't feel it AS MUCH each time I used it however on days I don't, it's noticeable from an overall energy standpoint. I take Super Carb after my work outs, so it's not that contributing to the energy.

Value

It's pretty much $39.99 everywhere. You can get it a little cheaper on a monthly subscription from Vitamin Shoppe or GNC or places that offer those programs. Just from the ingredient profile, and comparing it to similar competitors, it's a decent value. I wouldn't call it "too expensive" per se but I wouldn't say it's on the cheaper end. If you compare this to the other incarnations of C4 (C4, C4 ripped, C4 extreme, C4 sport), the difference from an effectiveness standpoint (not just comparing ingredient for ingredient) is not that big thus if you like using C4 PWs, the better value might be to stick with the regular C4 for about $10 less.

Side Effects

None. I did not feel a crash and did not feel like I was jittery or had "too much energy" like some people experience.

Conclusion

Overall, I would recommend C4 ultimate for the "average" gym-goer. It is probably too intense for beginners (who might consider it ultimate) and probably just average for very serious lifters. I like Cellucor and I've always liked C4. Ultimate has a great ingredient profile and probably will work for you depending on your goals. I've definitely used worse PWs and I've used better, more intense PWs as well. I have found that some of the more intense PWs taste very artificial or distinctly like chemicals and that's not the case here which is why I go back to C4 Ultimate a lot because I know the taste is consistent.

Introduction

Huge thanks to VMI Sports for hooking me up with another one of their products. They always have the best customer service and are great to work with. A little background about myself, I am a student-athlete currently in the fall season of training.

Ingredient Profile

1.5g L-Carnitine 750mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 750mg L-Carnitine L-Tartrate

L-Carnitine is a natural amino acid produced in your body. It helps with energy levels and burning fat by transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria. It is also thought to help with cardiovascular health. A little fun fact I found while researching the ingredient is that it potentially can help with male infertility.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The recommended dosage is one tablespoon on an empty stomach or prior to exercise. There are several different ways you can take this as its a pretty concentrated. I tried diluting it with pre-workout and water and also taking it like a 5-hour energy shot. I had the patriots pop flavor. This isn't the best tasting supplement but with the small dosage, you aren't sipping on it like an awful tasting pre-workout.

Effectiveness

I tried to take this on the mornings where I had to get going fast without breakfast. Without stimulants, you won't be getting a huge burst of energy but that doesn't mean you won't be feeling the effects. I'm a pretty sweaty person in general but this supp had me sweating minutes into my workouts. MarsheS brought up a really good point in his review about how to take this on an empty stomach for the best results. While I didn't always do this his theory makes sense and if I ever grab this again I will be solely taking without food and maybe even halfway through weight training as they suggested.
I did drop weight while using this but as always there are a lot of factors that go into dropping weight, however, I'm sure this product did help.

Value

This product is listed as $25 on the VMI Sports website. With 30 servings that's less than a dollar per drink. Can't get much better of a value than that in my opinion.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

L-Carnitine was a new supplement for me. I enjoyed taking it and seeing some overall positive result over the course of taking this. If I pick this up again I would be interested in pairing this with some intermittent fasting with this in the morning before eating any meals for the day. Again thanks to VMI Sports and Supplement Reviews!

Introduction

Quick thank you to SR Troops and TBN labs for allowing me to review this product. I'm always on the lookout for great protein supplements, and I was interested in this product because of TBN's reputation for quality ingredients and products.

Ingredient Profile

115 Calories
1.5g of Fat
5g of Carbs
22g of Protein

Total Body Protein contains an excellent blend of whey, casein, and egg proteins with very little fillers and additives. The protein ingredients are a part of what TBN refer to as their "grass fed whey matrix". It is generally accepted that grass fed cows produce beef and milk that are higher in nutrients. Kudos to TBN for going the extra step and trying to include a higher quality of ingredients in their product.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: 6/10
I requested and received the Graham Cracker flavor. Personally, I've consumed enough chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavored protein powders to last me a lifetime. Now I prefer to experiment with more exotic and unique flavors. The graham cracker flavor was part of the reason I wanted to try this product, however, it failed to reach my expectations. That's not to say that the taste was bad; it just wasn't as strong as I would have liked. The flavor was very light, to the point of being sort of bland. I experimented with mixing this product with both milk and water, and found that the milk somewhat overpowered the flavor. I would like to see the flavor strengthened, and maybe even sweetened a little more.

Mixability:
No issues with mixability. Honestly this was one of the finest protein powders I have used to this date. There was a small amount of foaming, but not enough for it to matter.

Dosing:
One scoop in 8oz of milk or water. I used this product once a day, varying between just after waking and just before bed.

Effectiveness

Protein is protein. No matter the source, as long as you area taking in the right amount daily, you will see results. What sets protein powders apart from each other in this regard is the additional benefits depending on other ingredients or protein types. This product is very light on the stomach, comparable to other products such as VMI's Protolyte. What this means is I could take this in the mornings before work or a work out without feeling bloated, sluggish, or over full. The product also digested very wellTotal Body Protein uses a blended protein containing both fast and slow digesting protein types. The benefit to have slower digesting protein is to keep you feeling satiated over a longer period of time, and TBN definitely delivered. When using this product before bed, I found myself waking the next morning without feeling hungry or craving food. Some days I was even able to fast until noon without feeling hungry. I also noticed a difference in my recovery from fatigue and DOMS while using this product. While it did not completely wipe out my soreness, I did feel much more refreshed from day to day, even after grueling two hour workouts.

Value

About $35 for 30 servings. While this is a little pricier than some, I have paid higher prices per serving for protein products that I have liked much less. I don't mind paying a few extra dollars for quality ingredients and a quality product.

Side Effects

No negative side effects experienced throughout the use of this product.

Conclusion

Total Body Protein is an excellent product and fairly priced. I definitely look forward to trying more of their products in the future.

Quick Summary

Trying some Myokem products recently and was never disappointed. Magnitropin is one of the good ones but from past reviews I expected even more. Guess this is a case of managing expectations. After all, this is a natural test booster, not a pro hormone. Overall one of the best test boosters I have tried.

Introduction

36 years old financial auditor trying to balance life with three kids and a busy job. Trying to get in some quality time at the gym in the meantime. When I manage to squeeze in some gym time I can use all the supplement help that's out there.
I have tried different types of natural test boosters In the past. Some with success, some without.
When Magnitropin appeared in the Troops program I couldn't wait to give it a try. I have read very positive reviews on SR before. The lack of availability of Myokem products caused me to not purchase this myself. I wanted to buy some Myokem products before but they were sold out on online stores and not widely available overall. Huge thanks to Myokem for letting me run this product.

Ingredient Profile

As a EU resident, the EU program has some drawbacks where the biggest one is that many brands do not ship products which is understandable. Some brands like Myokem do, which is great. What's also great is that the ingredient profile is extensively written down in reviews by US members who received there products 1-2 weeks before I did ;) Good job Muscleman100..Darkman and others.

1.45g PAEDERIA FOETIDA EXTRACT: Paederia foetida is a plant that goes by various names, including Chinese fever vine, and is the best test booster. Has antioxidative and antiinflammatory properties which is always a plus. One study suggests testosterone increasing properties

300mg CISTANCHE DESERTICOLA EXTRACT: Cistanche deserticola extract has been found to improve muscle recovery, strength, and endurance.

300mg GENTIANA LUTEA EXTRACT: Gentiana lutea extract improves your digestion while stimulating your appetite, encouraging greater food intake to fuel growing muscle mass.

102mg EPICATECHIN: Studies suggest that epicatechin has been found to increase your resistance to fatigue and can effectively promote muscle growth and increased strength by stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

7.5mg BIOPERINE BLACK PEPPER EXTRACT: Black pepper extract is a potent source of piperine which allows supplements to spend the right amount of time circulating in your body.

As with most natural test boosting ingredients, research is somewhat ambiguous or needs more research. I normally break down my reviews by comparing amounts of mg to researched amounts to spot underdosed ingredients. Because of the lack of scientific research in humans on the ingredients this is not possible for this specific ingredient panel. Myokem chose to go with ingredients that show promise; The ingredient profile is well designed. More and more products contain epicatechin which seems to product some results. Magnitropin uses a fair amount.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No taste. Three pills in the morning and two in the evening.

Effectiveness

This products was effective in some aspects in the test spectrum. I read some reviews and noticed the effectives I experienced was in line with other reviews, but not with all. I especially experienced an increase in appetite and ate quite a bit more. Definitely dug in my protein bar supply a lot. The most pronounces effect came in fuller muscles and especially vascularity. Darkman compares it to "a newbie using creatine for the first time, just without the bloat". I think this perfectly describes the effects..with some added vascularity. I even noticed veins in places I never have, like on my shins. And some (minor) increased strength. What I found to be great about magnitropin was the lack of side effects. I have tried some other test boosters in the past and I am one of the biggest fans of Arimistane as an ingredient. Arimistane however causes joint pains. Magnitropin caused no side effects at all. Overall I do think I think Armistane based products provide better results in muscle hardening and a leaned out look.

Value

Magnitropin is available on Myokem's website, Amazon for 55 dollars or just under 2 dollars a day.I think BPN carries Magnitropin but currectly sold out. This is not cheap but with Myokem you are getting a quality product. I still find it odd that such a reputable brand with such high quality products is not available at more places. I get that a lot of consumers would rather go for any cheaper alternative, but as consumers get more and more informed (like from Sr.com) I think the willingness to pay a premium for quality products increases. Myokem competes in this high quality segment of the market and I strongly believe they could benefit from greater availability.

Side Effects

No real side effects. I read some other reviews and was quite surprised not to read that no other Trooper experienced a dry mouth. Especially in the first week I had this a lot.

Conclusion

Another great product from Myokem. It is weird to state I was slightly disappointed after proof reading my own review, but past reviews on Sr.com were so raving I guess I expected even more. Overall a big thumbs up for one of the better test boosters out there.

Quick Summary

From the brand:

Branch Chained Amino Acids are the building blocks for our muscle cells; without them, we don't exist. But as we train, work, sleep, and just live our lives, they become depleted. Even if we eat consistently throughout the day there are still gaps that need to be filled to optimize our performance. This is where Breach takes the lead on muscle growth and repair. Alongside the BCAA's found in Breach we included a vitamin and electrolyte mix so you stay hydrated and utilize Breach as an all-day muscle building and hydrating sports drink.

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, another thank you to Redcon1 for their continued participation here on SR.com. Today I am going to speak about my experiences with their BCAA product BREACH. While on the outset, this may look like a standard BCAA supplement; one look at the label told me there was a little more to it with the added extras. While the recent conversations about amino products have mostly focused on EAAs being superior, most of those formulas are still heavily weighted with these three amino acids. My main focus while using this product was intra-workout consumption. Let's see what, if any, difference it made in my training, recovery and hydration. Redcon1 also put together a nice FAQ page about this product that answers ten common questions a consumer may have (https://redcon1.com/pages/breach-faq).

Ingredient Profile

As with every performance based (non-protein) supplement I have seen from Redcon1, we have full disclosure supplement facts for the active ingredients.

The formula starts off with the dosage of the BCAAs at five grams using the industry standard 2:1:1 ratio. Five grams is the "common" dose that most companies consider to be effective. For me, this is the absolute minimum that I would expect in a product like this. That is because some of the newer brands to hit the market have products with increased doses from six grams up to ten grams per serving. For BREACH, we are off to an average start here.

Here is a small excerpt about this ingredient from a GNC article: "BCAAs are the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, which comprise around 35% of your body's muscle protein. They're "essential" because your body doesn't make them on its own-you have to get them from food and workout supplements. Like other amino acids, they're the building blocks of protein. But these particular aminos may also help preserve muscle glycogen stores, which fuel your muscles and minimize protein breakdown during exercise. Translation? BCAAs can help you get more out of your daily gym sessions." (http://www.gnc.com/health-articles-tips/sports-performance/what-are-bcaas.html)

Following the aminos, we receive a one gram dose of coconut water powder for hydration. Some products in this category have a larger dose of this ingredient while most have a much smaller dose, commonly ranging from 100mg to 500mg. "Coconut water powder is able to replenish lost micronutrients such as potassium, sodium, and chloride (Chavalittamrong et al., 1982). When added to a post-workout nutrition program, coconut water is able to aid in rehydration (Ismail et al., 2007) and provide the body with lost electrolytes. Non-exercise related, coconut water also has added health benefits such as lowering blood pressure (Alleyne et al., 2005) and lowering triglycerides and cholesterol levels (Sandhya et al., 2006)."

Our next ingredient is a one gram dose of Glycerol. This is an ingredient I normally see if pre-workout supplements to help with the pump. There is a trademarked version of this ingredient (HydroMax) but it does not appear that BREACH uses it. Glycerol transforms your muscles into ultra-absorbent sponges that allows them to soak up extra water, creating a state of "hyperhydration." This creates massive cellular swelling, which aside from improved performance, makes for some pretty sick "water-based" pumps as well. It is a little different to see this ingredient included in an amino product and that is one of the points that caught my eye and led me to claim it.

We now move onto the ingredient Taurine, which is included at the one gram dose. Found in vast quantities in the brain, heart, and skeletal muscles, taurine is a semi conditional that provides multiple benefits to the hard-training athlete. First and foremost, taurine functions as a cell volumizer[1], encouraging your muscles to absorb extra water, which leads to improved hydration, stamina, and muscle fullness.[2] Since taurine is also present in the brain, it can enhance focus and reduce brain fatigue[3], helping you stay in the zone no matter how long you're in the gym. For a little more information, check out this article: https://www.tigerfitness.com/articles/post/taurine-pre-workout-supplement

We finish off the formula with 500mg of combined electrolytes (340mg potassium and 160mg sodium). Personally, I am a big fan of the potassium dosage as that is an electrolyte that myself and many others struggle to consume enough of. "Providing the counterpunch to sodium is potassium, the electrolyte that forms the other half of the electrical pump responsible for regulating electrolyte balance and neurotransmission.[2] Much like sodium, potassium is lost is vast quantities during intense exercise, setting you up for increased fatigue and cramping. Consuming sufficient potassium ensures sustained performance, mental clarity, and carbohydrate metabolism."

Our remaining ingredients are the fillers including flavoring, artificial sweeteners and stabilizers. A nice bonus is BREACH does not use any artificial colors, which are useless in my opinion. Each scoop of BREACH is 11.5 grams with 8.5 grams of that being the active ingredients; giving us a yield of ~74% "good" stuff with 26% being fillers. This is about average in my opinion when compared to similar products on the market. I would much rather see the ratio be at least 80% actives but I know companies need to make some sacrifices to achieve the desired flavor, mixability and stability of the product in the tub. If this product outperforms other amino acid products on the market, I can look past the lower than desired percentage of actives. After all, results matter!

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste >> There are currently six flavors available for this product and I received the strawberry kiwi flavor as requested. Unlike some other amino acid products I have used, this flavor was not "punch you in the mouth" strong. When mixed with the recommended amount of water, it had a nice refreshing taste of both strawberry and kiwi (as you would expect from the flavor). There was also a slight undertone of coconut towards the end, likely because of the coconut water powder. Since the flavor was not too strong in the beginning, this was not an amino product that could be watered down multiple times like some others. Overall, I enjoyed it but wouldn't mind if it was a little stronger so I could water it down at least once while still receiving some leftover flavor for my water.

Mixability >>This is where the product struggled a little bit during my use and the amount of water used did not change this. I started with the recommended eight to ten ounces for one scoop and there would always be some debris left on the sides of my shaker cup. Then if left to sit, there would also be some product that would settle at the bottom. Not sure if it was the coconut water powder, the glycerol, some aminos or a combination of them all. I also increased the amount of water used a few times to see if that would improve mixability, but it did not. This issue was mainly solved with a quick shake in between sips.

Dosing >> This product is billed as a one scoop product that can be taken any time of day. When BCAAs were first introduced to the market, much of the research showed their benefits when taking during training (intra-workout). That is how I used this product throughout the entire tub, except on a few occasions where I used it during other sports activities.

Effectiveness

After using the entire tub, the best way I can describe this supplement is solid. To me, it is an average BCAA/intra-workout product for those who do not use a carb based or stimulant containing intra. There was never a WOW moment while using this during my workouts, good or bad. As mentioned, the BCAA dosage is on the lower end when compared to some others on the market but that did not seem to affect my muscle soreness or recovery. I am not prone to cramping during my workouts and never did while using this product either. I enjoyed the peace of mind knowing I was getting in some extra electrolytes from each scoop along with the possible health benefits from the coconut water powder.

I did not notice any significant change when it came to endurance during my workouts when compared to similar products or any cellular swelling from the Glycerol or Taurine. With no side effects experienced and a pleasant taste, this was a product that I looked forward to drinking during each workout and would be interested in trying the other flavors as well.

The other times outside of the gym when I used this supplement was during rounds of golf. With being in the heat of summer, spending four plus hours outside in 90*+ heat can really zap my energy and performance on the course. That normally starts about half-way through my round (even sooner if I am not playing well LOL). Instead of my normal energy bar or sports drink, I would take a scoop of BREACH. This is where I believe the hydration aspects of this product were more beneficial. I would sweat much more and for longer when compared to my time spent in an air conditioned gym. One to two scoops of BREACH throughout the round kept my body feeling good, performing as it should and gave me the energy to finish the round without the need for stimulants.

Value

As with all Redcon1 products that I have seen and tried, prices can and will fluctuate across the web and your desired flavor may have an effect as well. Each tub includes 30 servings and I have seen tubs pop up on eBay for as low as $19.99 with free shipping. As of now, Amazon has the Watermelon flavor listed for just under $19 but the Tiger's Blood for almost $35. This is a perfect example where shopping around will definitely benefit you with this product. IllPumpYouUp.com currently has four flavors listed on their site for $19.95. If you want the selection of all the available flavors for the same price, you will have to go to websites like Muscle and Strength or directly to the Redcon1 site.

If purchased from their site, you can pay for your supplements using an interest free payment plan that will spread the cost out over eight weeks. RedCon1 also seems to run some great sales and promotions at least once per month, so be on the lookout for those. If you follow a website like PricePlow, they will always notify you when a promotion gets started.

Side Effects

I did not experience any negative side effects during my use of this product. The only issues I could foresee for others would be if you are allergic to coconut or you know your body does not react well to glycerol. There are no artificial colors included as well, which is always a positive in my book.

Conclusion

In the end, the decision to purchase this supplement is going to come down to price for me. Unless you are a person who really looks out for one or more of the added extras (ie: Coconut Water, Glycerol, Taurine), this would not be my top recommendation but still an option. As I mentioned in the effectiveness section, there was never a WOW moment while using this that would move BREACH to the top of my list. I know that may be an odd statement to make for a BCAA/intra-workout product but we supplement junkies can always hope, right? It has a transparent label, good flavor, no issues with the powder itself, no side effects and can possibly be found at a reasonable price plus no artificial colors! In school, BREACH would pass the test but it is not on the honor roll.

Once again, thank you to RedCon1 for being a part of SR.com and sending this product out to me.

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

Quick Summary

A fairly priced blended protein that works great for a post workout shake. Super easy to digest with some clinically dosed extra's. Unfortunately I did not care for the flavor I tried, but it was very drinkable, and I will simply try a different flavor next time.

Introduction

38 years old and lift four days a week while doing physical therapy twice a week for my left ankle due to total reconstructive surgery. I have really been interested in Ronnie Coleman's supplement line, and it was recommended to me a while back to try out his Pro-Antium. Given that the last review is nearly two years old, time to knock the dust off on this blended protein and get a fresh review in. I typically like to use a blended protein post workout, it keeps me full enough to have a time gap in between my post workout protein and breakfast. Lets get into this.

Ingredient Profile

I am not going to belabor the point here, there are 28 other reviews talking about the ingredient profile. Instead I will point out the scoop size, protein blend, and the features that make this product stand out in an already flooded market. First off, each scoop is pretty large coming in at 51g. Each scoop nets you 170 calories, 2.5g fat, 150mg sodium, 8g carbs, 30g Protein, 5g Creatine Monohydrate, and 2.5g Betaine Anhydrous. I have to watch my sodium intake, so 150mg is not a big deal as some other blended proteins go to the 250mg+ level, which I do not care for. Ahh the joys of getting older.

The protein complex consists of Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Whey Protein Isolate, Micellar Casein, and Egg While Albumin. Some issues I have here is this label is not totally transparent as we have no clue how much of the 30g consists of which protein. Also, it would be nice to have an Amino Acid panel listed on the product or on the website somewhere. I don't get too concerned with the Amino Acid panels personally as I always have some extra BCAA/EAA supplement in my stack, but I know some people like to rely on their protein and know how much they are getting. Other than that its a nice mix of quick digesting and long digesting proteins.

The extra's are what make this a great post workout shake. First of all having 5g of Creatine Mono is pretty great in my opinion, as I like to take 5g pre workout and 5g post, so if my PWO has creatine then I am all set with no extra creatine needed. The 2.5g of Betaine is a nice clinical dose, as recommendations state 1.25g twice a day, but here you are covered. If you did not know, Betaine may provide increased power output and minor increases in workout volume and endurance. Finally, you also get an unknown dosage of an Enzyme Blend consisting of Protease, Amylase, and Lactase. All good things to aid in your digestion.

Overall, I think the ingredient profile here is pretty great. To truly make this better I will reiterate that it would be great to have the amount of each protein in the blend as well as an Amino Acid panel. Otherwise, I like the added extra's and this truly helps this product to stand out in my opinion.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: I bought the Peanut Butter Pie flavor, because I love most things Peanut Butter. Well I was fairly dissapointed to say the least here, and it had a hint of peanut butter to it, but kind of a flat taste. It tasted odd and took me a good week or so to really get used to the taste. I was never excited to take this for the flavor, which is a real bummer for a blended protein as they should be a treat after a hard workout. Looking at the RCSS website, I see this flavor is no longer available so it appears Ronnie may have gotten rid of it. This actually tasted worse when combined with milk, which was even stranger, so I stuck with water. Its very drinkable but pretty much tasted like greasy peanut butter to me.

Mixability: This mixed well with 8-10oz of water or milk. I always used a shaker and had no issues with shaking this up a few times. This never stained my shaker or left any weird residue or anything like that. Pretty good mixability for such a large scoop.

Dosing: I took one scoop post workout, and would take one scoop on rest days when I woke up. In my opinion this is the perfect post workout protein blend, but you can take this as needed to supplement your daily diet.

Effectiveness

I gauge the effectiveness of my protein poweders based off digestability and how it filled me up. Pro-Antium was very easy to digest, it was almost easier than some Whey Protein isolates I have had in the past. This is likely due to the added Enzymes here, either way this was a great product diestion wise. I typically drank this within 30 minutes after my workout, and about an hour prior to breakfast. This kept me full for that hour gap very easily and at times I went up to two hours until I ate and was never starving. So this blend did its job in that expectation for me. I really did enjoy the fact that this had added Creatine and Betaine to it, as I like to take both post workout. Obviously, both ingredients work great Pre-workout, but I think this protein is a bit heavy to take pre, but I guess that all depends on how much time you give yourself. Typically I drink a Whey protein isolate once I wake up about an hour before hitting the gym so I am not starving during my workout.

The only claim on the tub is that this is a supreme multifaceted protein complex. I would say that is not a far stretch considering the ingredients we get here along with the protein blend. This never caused me to have any bloating or extra gas, so at the end of the day this is a great blended protein to add to your daily routine.

Value

As of this writing you can get this for $52.99 giving you 50 servings (5.6lbs) from the RCSS website. That comes out to $1.06 a scoop before shipping and handling. It also appears that if you go to lockout supplements you can pick up a tub of stawberry shortcake for $39.95, but the actual size is confusing since it states its 4.7lb with the ingredient label saying its 5lbs. I personally think what RCSS sells this for is a good price when its on sale. 50 scoops should last you close to two months, as I really do not see much of a point in taking more than one scoop a day. This worked really well for me, so its slighly above average value wise in my opinion. If you are in the market for this, always go to priceplow.com first and search for the product, that way you can always get the best deal.

Side Effects

None at all.

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed this as a post workout protein drink. The added enzymes truly made this one of the easiest proteins to digest and I like the added extra's as they are dosed well and not just fillers. Sure, some things can be improved here, but I was happy with what we get. Once again Ronnie, you did a nice job here. I look forward to trying a different flavor in the future, I got my eye on Cookies n cream when I need blended protein in my stack again. I highly recommend this product if you are in the market for some blended protein. Luckily, you will not have to deal with that Peanut Butter pie flavor.

Quick Summary

I'm a morning lifter and while Amino Octane wouldn't cut it as a PWO for those of you looking for a big boost at 4am, it does work great for a jolt of energy in the afternoon or an evening lift when your schedule has been thrown off.

Introduction

Hi everyone-- ohhhh baby am I in the red on my reviews right now. Life is kicking my butt, but excuses are for losers! I'm trying my best to get caught back up as quickly as possible!

I chose amino octane mainly for exactly what I used it for-- an afternoon pickup that would replace a cup of coffee with something that would instead provide some hydration while feeding my muscles with nutrients to continue promoting an anabolic environment and reduce DOMS. Overall I was very happy with it, though I'm not sure how much of an impact it actually made on my training day after day.

Ingredient Profile

Universal fills Amino Octane with a duo of prop blends. First are the aminos: This is a 5g serving that runs the gamut. From first to last we have Taurine, Glutamine, all 3 BCAAs, Beta Alanine, Tyrosine, Arginine, Lysine HCl, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine and Histidine. If I were to guess, I'd say that everything after the Beta Alanine is a trace amount serving, and the Beta Alanine itself is probably about 500mg. I have no way to prove that though and I really don't have a major issue with it. I don't think this product is intended to be a standalone product in any sense-- as a PWO or recovery agent.

Second is the Energy blend. This is not quite proprietary because we know that of the 175 total mg's, 125mg is caffeine anhydrous. Next we have a 50mg blend of Green Tea Leaf extract and theacrine.

As mentioned, while this could stand alone as an afternoon PWO or a PWO for someone more stim sensitive, I think it's intended to fall into an overall stack outside of those categories.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received Peach Mango and I grew to really enjoy it. My wife tried it at one point and wasn't a fan, and I'm not sure the flavor profile was entirely accurate, but I found it tasty nonetheless. It was almost more like an Orange Julius (orange and vanilla) than peach and mango. At least, that was how it tasted to me.

Mixability was superb in any amount of water. I never saw any clumping and hardly any settling occurred.

Dosing was always in the afternoon for me. This would replace a 2pm coffee usually, and on a few occasions was used as a PWO for a rare afternoon lift.

Effectiveness

As mentioned in the intro, I used Amino Octane with the intent that it would help me with 3 things: energy, hydration, and soreness. I'd say that it worked well in that order. It was best at providing a jolt of energy that was smooth and lasted well into the evening. Since it was replacing a cup of coffee and I preferred it to be watered down as well, it also really helped me increase my water intake and improve my hydration. Lastly, it seemed to make a minor impact on my delayed onset muscle soreness. There wasn't a huge decrease, but it was certainly noticeable. It was most likely just a result of improved blood flow from the primary ingredient, Taurine. Since finishing the bottle I've noticed a slight uptick in soreness overall, so that's the basis of my claim as opposed to a noticeable change when I started using this.

Value

The best price I was able to find was $14.99 for 30 servings. Worth it all day! That was found at All Star Health.

Side Effects

Amino breath... get some gum.

Conclusion

Overall I thought this was great, and when compared to it's (most likely) closest competitor ON's Amino Energy, it's a better priced option with more kick. I'd say this is a great buy for people new to the gym and supplements who want to try a PWO, people returning to the gym in that same category, or experienced lifters/supplement users that simply need a pickup in the afternoon like I did. Big thanks to Universal for giving me the opportunity to try this!!

Quick Summary

If you want to try a stim free fat burner that not only burns fat but effectively suppresses your appetite, then Thyrovate is your supplement.

Introduction

I would like to think Myokem for participating in the TrooPer Program and supplying the product for me to review. I am always willing to try many different things and after looking at Thyrovate, I decided to try to get some results out of it.

While taking the supplement, I was also doing a little bit more cardio than normal. I wanted to give It a fair shake since it is supposed to be a really good product and I was super excited. My starting weight was around 205 for this.

Ingredient Profile

The ingredient profile is one reason I decided to try the product. It had some things I have never tried before and I was curious. I will list the ingredients, but in the previous reviews, they were excellently explained and I could not out do the explanation of them!
The ingredients on this have already been excellently explained by WarMachine and Reaper61 so I'll provide the abridged version here:

Ingredient Profile:
Japanese Mugwart 300mg (appetite suppressant)
IFAS503 250 mg (Thyroid support)
Olive Leaf Extract 200mg (Energy)
Weak Jumby Pepper Ext 140 mg (test and cortisol assist)
Sensoril (Ashwagandha Ext) 125mg ( Metabolism boost)
Paradoxine (Grains of Paradise) 80 mg (Help metabolize carbs)
Wakame Extract 20mg
Bioperine 5mg

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No Taste at all. Pill form and easy to swallow capsules.
Dosing:

4 caps daily put into two separate servings with food in the morning and evening. I took my first dose in the morning prior to lifting with a light meal and then once more with my afternoon meal.

Effectiveness

7.0/10
For a product of this type, I was extremely surprised with the results that I achieved. Usually if I take a fat burner, I want the caffeine so I can be so energized I can't stand it. However, with Thyrovate, I was able to have good energy and I was not all over the place as with some of the other stimulant burners. I did not even throw in a Bang or any other energy supplement to use this either. I was straight up Thyrovate for the month.
My appetite was almost non existent while on this. I would find myself going a long time without even thinking about anything food related. I did not have any cravings for sugar or anything in the junk manner either. I would say the suppression part of the product was a success. My waste shrunk as well. I have been consistent at a 34 pant size for a long time now. With the diet and nutrition alongside the supplementation of Thyrovate I am sitting at a 32 and they are slightly loose. All in all, I lost around five pounds of consistent weight. I have been able to keep it off of me too, which is a great thing.

Value

7.0/10
Around 40.00 on Amazon is the cheapest I have seen it. This is not an extremely bad price since it does actually work. You get what you pay for and this product is worth it in my opinion.

Side Effects

None noted

Conclusion

7.0/10
To conclude, Thyrovate is a hit. It is a motivator for sure in the fact that with diet and training, the results will be there for you. As a non stim fat burner, you will not be disappointed when you take it. The clean energy and appetite control alone is worth its weight in gold. Also, judging from some of the other reviews around town, it looks like the consensus is that you will lose around 4-5 lbs give or take a few pounds.