Quick Summary

Protolyte is a superb protein product that will also provide the additional benefits of electrolyte replenishment and BCAAs supplemented recovery. In addition, it provides these benefits and extras without the added artificial ingredients nonsense

Introduction

First off, an apology to VMI for the delay in this review as it is a few days overdue. Second, per usual, a special thanks to VMI for their continued support here on SR.com. Today, I discuss my experiences with their whey protein isolate Protolyte. We bros love our brotein. Truthfully, protein is probably the most frequently used supplement staple in many regimens. As the basic building block of biological tissue such as muscle tissue, supplementing with protein can help ensure improved muscle recovery and anabolic support to help us reach our goals. It can also aid in dietary goals such as losing or gaining weight depending on your fitness objectives. In short, protein supplements are very versatile and can be used in plenty of applications. There are more protein supplements that one could count on today's market, so it pays to research. From my experience, VMI has delivered with the handful of products that I've used from them, so I was more than eager to try out Protolyte after a great experience with Major Mass.

Ingredient Profile

First, each serving size will provide a total of 105 calories. Furthermore, each scoop contains less than a gram of total fat, 1g of carbs, and 0g of sugar.

Moving on to the more core an feature ingredients, each scoop provides 24g of whey protein isolate. The source of isolate in protolyte is non-gmi and cold processed. This makes the source of protein from Protolyte the cleanest and more bioavailable in nutrients.

Continuing we the find the feature extras of Protolyte in the form of electrolytes, glutamine, and BCAAs. The electrolytes include magnesium bisglycinate chelate at 500mg, calcium bisglycinate chelate at 300mg, potassium glycinate complex at 183mg, an chromium nicotinate glycinate chelate at 8mg. These forms of electrolytes are particularly favored as they are more bioavailable and can be absorbed more efficiently. The extras also include a total of 5.2g of BCAAs and 4g of glutamine for enhanced recovery support.

Lastly Protolyte contains no aspartame, lactose, or gluten.

As one can clearly see, this is definitely a clean, high quality protein product that can be used by any athlete regardless of goals. Though, given the low calorie, carb, and sugar amount, one could argue this is more suitable for those looking to cut fat or recomp.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received vanilla peanut butter and it was nothing short of delicious. I used water and milk (skim, 1%, or almond) when preparing my shakes with Protolyte. It tasted great in water, but in milk, the flavor was a guilty treat level of good.

It mixed completely and thoroughly in any liquid with any preparation method.

I used Protolyte post workout since I figured the added aminos and electrolytes would do best for my recovery and hydration replenishment. I took one scoop about 30-40 minutes post workout with either water or milk if available. On non-training days, I took one scoop and prepared a morning shake with almond, some fruit, and oats.

Effectiveness

I don't want to sound repetitive, but as I said in several past protein product reviews, I grade efficacy on recovery and how it supported my dietary macro quotes.

The high quality protein and the added BCAAs and glutamine helped very well in getting my recovery into high gear. I was much less sore after workouts and didn't experience significant DOMS or "hangover" lethargy the following mornings. This allowed me to continuously go into each planned workout with more energy and endurance.

Combined with great taste, and a subsequent dose of protein and extras, I found this to be a highly effective and convenient way to maintain macro intake. Of course, while I was still getting the main bulk of my nutrients from food, Protolyte helped keep my body in an anabolic favoring environment without adding any unnecessary sugars, fats, or carbs. Furthermore, the electrolytes helped me maintain adequate hydration levels to help avoid and reduce occasional minor muscle cramps I would get in rare instances post workout.

Value

The cheapest price for a standard 1.63 lbs tub containing 25 servings I was able to find was on AllStarHealth for 35 dollars. However, on VMI's direct website, a larger tub containing 70 servings is currently available for 80 dollars.

When comparing these options, in my opinion, the smaller tub is cheaper and more value efficient option. While the larger tub provides more than double the servings, a price of 80- dollars is too steep for my taste. Truthfully, I still find the 35 dollar price a bit pricey as well. Protolyte is highly effective and of superb quality. Also, the extras truly do have a profound additional set of benefits. However, one would definitely want to look out for price deals, coupons, and BOGO options should they ever be offered.

Still, I think Protolyte is worth the investment even for a try.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

VMI hit a homerun in the protein supplement market with Protolyte. The high quality protein isolate source combined with the additional benefits of electrolytes, BCAAs, glutamine, being free of unnecessary additives, and having a favorable profile free of excess carbs, sugar, and fats make Protolyte an ideal choice for supporting recovery and hydration. Just be sure you're doing some stringent shopping and keep a lookout for deals when possible due to the price tag.

Oh, and it taste great too.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!

GO RED SOX!!!

Quick Summary

Amino Code is a high quality and effective amino acid supplement with the added benefit of helping to maintain hydration, while providing all the goodness of both BCAAs and EAAs.

Introduction

A special thanks to Ultra Human for their participation here on SR.com. Also, apologies for the delay in the review. Today, I will be reviewing my experience with their amino acid product Amino Code. As I've stated plenty of times already in past reviews, amino acid products are highly versatile since they benefit all intervals of training (pre, intra, post). They can help increase natural energy, improve muscular recovery, enhance endurance, and may help with fat loss if your diet is in check. I'm no stranger to amino acids so I knew what to possibly expect from Amino Code.

Ingredient Profile

Like I said in the profile, Amino Code has two prop blends. Prop blends is never anything I and I am sure no one ever likes to see in a product. However, I've used supplements with prop blends in the past with good results. Therefore, unless the blend itself is outrageously underdosed with too many ingredients to count, it is not always an instant deal breaker.

With that said, the profile begins with vitamin b6 at 2mg, calcium at 25mg, magnesium at 25mg, potassium at 40 mg, and sodium at 35mg.

Next comes the first prop blend which is the Amino Acid Matrix dosed at 4,250mg containing l-leucine, l-lysine HCL, L-valine, L-isoleucine, L-phenylalanine, taurine, L-threonine, L-glycine, L-alanine, L-methionine, Sustamine (L-Alanyl-L-Tryptophan), and L-proline. In addition to the well-known BCAAs, the other amino acids are essential in the sense that they all have their own benefits to fitness development. The feature ingredient is the Sustamine, also known as the "cousin" of glutamine. It is considered a more bioavailable and stable form of glutamine that has been shown to enhance the immune system, improve endurance, balance hydration levels, support energy, and better one's recovery.

Following is the Electrolyte Mineral Blend at 2,527mg. The blend begins with coconut water powder dosed at 2100mg. As a known source of B vitamins and electrolytes, coconut water is very helpful in maintaining hydration levels. Moving further into the blend includes another secondary blend containing potassium glycinate chelate, sodium chloride, calcium bisglycinate chelate, magnesium aspartate, dimagnesium malate, calcium citrate tetrahydrate dosed at 427 mg.

Clearly, there is underdosing in the amino acid blend considering that the BCAAs like leucine can be dosed around 3-6g in many supplements and at only 4,250mg, we obviously don't have that much. I guess the electrolyte matrix is okay considering there is no dosage range so to speak for electrolyte oriented benefits.

As a final note, Amino code has no sugar, 3g carbs, no artificial additives, and is gluten free.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the dragon berry flavor and it was actually not bad. It had a more modest berry flavor to it with a slightly dilute aftertaste. Not the most enjoyable, but definitely not the worst.

It mixed fine in water or a sports drink without undissolved grit.

Considering I had 40 servings to my disposal I decided to use Amino Code both intra and post workout. For intra support, I mixed a serving with a Powerade Zero or G2 drink and drank it during my workout. For post workout, I mixed a serving with just water and consumed it. On non-training days I took a serving with water and consumed it sometime around midday.

Effectiveness

First I'll discuss intra workout usage:

The extra hydration benefits were very helpful, especially during my high intensity cardio and boxing sessions. I tend to sweat big time during these workouts so staying hydrated is key. In addition, Amino Code helped me stay well hydrated during high volume TUT intervals during my weight training sessions as well. The extra amino acids kept my soreness and exhaustion between workout movements and sets minimal, allowing me to perform sets with less rest in between and bang out additional reps. I also had more endurance during intensive cardio, boxing, and prolonged high volume weight movements as well.

Next the post-workout usage:

With the help of the extra amino acids, particularly the Sustamine, I was recovering quicker and post workout fatigue was minimized. I wasn't as sore or DOMS ridden as usual and was able to go into next workouts with more energy and endurance.

In summary, Amino Code was highly effective in both areas. Again, I didn't use it pre workout, so I cannot comment on that.

Value

The cheapest price I found for Amino Code was 39.89 on Amazon. You get 40 servings in each tub, so that comes to about a buck a serving. The value does take a little dip if you have to use two servings a day for effects, but the dip is not critical since it will still last at least 20 days as opposed to 15 if it were only 30 total servings. In short, this is a good value in my opinion considering the effectiveness of Amino Code.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

Amino Code is a great amino acid supplement that will be beneficial in helping to improve endurance, recovery, intra workout energy, and maintain adequate hydration. The prop blends may not be a welcome sight, but don't let that deter you as this product is still quite effective to meet various fitness goals. Be sure your training and diet are in check as always.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!

GO RED SOX!!!

Quick Summary

All I have to say is WOW. I think VMI has ruined protein for me for the rest of my life, because if I cannot get my hands on ProtoLyte then everything else is going to feel inferior.

Introduction

While you should always want to get your protein from whole food sources, sometimes you need to through in a protein powder to either meet your Macro's or just to get enough protein throughout the day. This is where VMI is stealing the spotlight. They have given us a protein powder that not only delivers in giving clean protein, but they are also giving you the added benefit of electrolytes. I really want to thank VMI for letting me experience and run a tub of ProtoLyte.

Ingredient Profile

In true fashion VMI gives us a fully disclosed label for our protein enjoyment:

Calories-105
Fat<1g
Carbs 1g
Protein 24g

Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate (TRAACS) 500mg
Calcium Bisglycinate Chelate (TRAACS) 300mg
Potassium Glycinate Complex (Albion) 183mg
Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate (TRAACS) 8mg

With ingredients being Non-GMO Cold Pressed Whey Protein Isolate, peanut flour, cocoa powder, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Sucralose, and Enzyme Blend.

While this is not every single thing listed on the nutrition panel, it highlights the important factors that we focus on in regards to a protein powder.

I really enjoyed this because of the fact that it has a very low amount of carbs in it, while still delivering 24g of protein and 0g of sugar all while only costing you 105 calories out of your daily total. To me, this is the best of all worlds when it comes to an ingredients profile.

Outside of all of that, the fact that they have added in electrolytes is a huge plus. with the more protein that your body intakes, the more your body needs fluid to use it. If you use up all of your fluid, it can lead to dehydration, and if you are continuing to use protein, then you could become a dehydrated mess fast. With the addition of electrolytes, it can help your body maintain that crucial balance.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I requested and received the Chocolate Peanut butter flavor and it was an absolute home run. The best way I can describe this is to take 1 scoop of ON chocolate protein powder and mix it with a serving of PB2FIT and boom you have this flavor, except VMI delivers a much richer flavor profile. Even when mixed with water and yogurt, the flavor was absolutely fantastic.

Mixability was effortless. This protein mixed very well, every single time. As I mentioned, I would mix it in with a serving of greek yogurt and there were no issues there. Some powders will get super clumpy when I do this, but not this one, it mixed in like a champ.

Dosing was 1 scoop 29.6g per 10oz of milk or water.

Effectiveness

So when rating the effectiveness, it is usually difficult with a protein powder, but this one made it easy. I would consume this as a post cardio shake since it was light on carbs and had electrolytes in it, and I found it to be a superb product for this. When I say post cardio, I am referring to unit PT where running 3 miles is a short workout, so you can see that hydration can become a factor in this area. With sweat going out, your electrolytes are going out as well, and then if you consumer protein on top of that, dehydration can creep in, but by drinking this, it helped keep me full, feel recovered, and most importantly not feel superly dehydrated from a run and consuming calories.

On other days where cardio wasn't such a big deal, I would come home and mix it with some greek yogurt as a cool, yet satisfying dinner treat. Again, the electrolytes, low carbs, and protein content made this a solid meal that I looked forward to having. It was so good, it really felt like a cheat meal, rather than just getting calories and protein in for the day.

Outside of all of this, it did help me feel better recovered from whatever I was doing, which tells me that it was an effective product and that the protein that was provided was properly used by my body for muscle repair.

Value

So, if there was ever a weak link for this product, it would be the price. Don't get me wrong, it is nothing astronomical as we have seen with some proteins on here, but still, the cheapest I could find this was $38 for 25 servings on campusprotein.com This comes out to be $1.52 a serving. Since running this product VMI has since created a 70 serving tub but right now I can only find it on their site for $80 which will drop the price to $1.14 per serving. I would pay that for the bigger tub, and honestly, I would pay the price for the smaller tub but then again that is just me.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

This is a great tasting, great digesting, low sugar, fat, and carb protein powder that delivers clean WPI and electrolytes. What more could you ask for? VMI did a great job with this, and to me, they have personally raised the standard on what a Whey protein should be. They practically have a flavor for all tastes out there, so there is something for everyone. Me personally, I think I have found my ON Gold Standard Whey replacement, and do not see myself going back anytime soon. As I have previously said VMI has ruined the protein game for me, because nothing will ever be the same after trying the best.

Quick Summary

L-Carnitine heat delivers when it comes to generating a sweat. This fills in all the gaps for me that I was missing with their other Carnitine product. Heat does a great job of delivering the right amount of grains of paradise as well as 3 different types of carnitine.

Introduction

Back at it again with another winning product from VMI Sports. Big thanks to these guys for participating in the Trooper program and for letting me try L-Carnitine 1500 heat. This will make the third ever liquid carnitine product that I have used, and with one other being VMI's L-Carnitine 3000. I am always looking for something that I can get my hands on that will help burn some fat and increase my energy. Additionally, I love it when a product can help me generate a sweat easier, because from a psychological standpoint if I am sweating I must be working hard, and that encourages me to work even harder.

Ingredient Profile

VMI keeps it simple and to the point with a fully disclosed label:
L-Carnitine 500mg
Acetyl L-Carnitine 500mg
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate 500mg
Green Tea Leaf Extract 50mg
Gamma Butyrobetaine ethyl ester Chloride 25mg
Grains Of Paradise extract 15mg
BioPerine 2.5mg

All of this is delivered via a 15ml dose that you can take up to twice a day. Personally, I am a fan of GBB because of its ability to enhance the effects of carnitine in the system. I also love grains of paradise due to the internal heat feeling that they can generate plus its ability to boost energy output without having to use stimulants. Both have been proven to be effective fat burners on their own, and even better when brought together in the same product. Again VMI also uses three different kinds of Carnitine in this like they did in their other product, which is fine with me because it allows a multi-angle strategy to burn fat in the body rather than just dosing with one version and hope that it works on every body type.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I requested and received their Patriot Pop heat flavor due to me using the same flavor for the L-Carnitine 3000. Again, just like the other product, the flavor did not disappoint. both times, I could taste a hint of pear, but they both tasted just like the Bombsicles we grew up with, the only real difference was the Heat version had a little spice going down, due to the Grains of Paradise which was to be expected.

Mixability really was not a big deal since this is a liquid product from the get-go. With that being said VMI still says to give it a shake before every serving, which will only ensure that all ingredients are mixed and good to go in case of any settling. One thing I did notice with this was the color of the liquid. The 3000 version, for the most part, was clear, and this one seemed to take on the appearance of rusty water. It's by no means a deal breaker, I just found it interesting that the additional ingredients changed the color.

Dosing was 15ml on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before my workout. I found that my sweet spot was a 17ml dose once a day.

Effectiveness

So get ready to feel hot and sweat. This stuff works in the realm of increasing your internal temperature and making you sweat. Normally during my workouts, I can get through my first movement without having to ditch layers of clothing, but while taking this, I could barely make it through the warm-ups without feeling like I was a sweaty mess. Don't get me wrong, I love that feeling and most of the time I would push on with my hoody on just so I would sweat even more. One thing I notice while taking their 3000 version was the increased mental focus that I had, and once again this VMI product delivered as well.

So now here I am a sweaty focused gym rat, and I am loving life. In regards to fat loss, while it was not truly noticeable on the scale, visually I can tell that my water was leaving and the subcutaneous fat was being reduced as well. Overall I was very happy with the effects of this product and this is my number one choice for a product in its category.

Value

You can find this on campusprotein.com for $20 for 31 servings which gives you a cost of $.65 per serving. I don't know about you, but to me for the effects that I got with this, I will gladly pay that price. Additionally, based on the selection on campus protein's site, it looks like VMI is dropping a lot of new flavors for this soon.

Side Effects

So the only real side effects that a user will fight is sweating, but then again that is part of why you are taking this.

Conclusion

Once again, I ask VMI to deliver, and once again they make good on that challenge. These guys are killing it right now, and I do not see them stopping anytime soon. I was very impressed with this product. After using the L-Carnitine3000 I was left feeling a little disappointed because I missed the heat of grains of paradise and the big sweat that it brings on, and literally after I posted that review, they drop the heat version. It's like they read my mind, which really shows that they are in tune with their consumers and are trying to delivery products for every type out there. I highly recommend that you give this liquid carnitine a try because you will not be disappointed.

Quick Summary

I really liked this pre-workout, when buying I was looking for a good priced pre-workout with creatine in it and something that provide me with energy. This product had the caffeine amount and ingredient list I was looking for at a decent price.

Introduction

So a little bit about me, I'm someone who used to workout a lot when I was younger, and I loved it, I got in really good shape and I packed a lot of muscle. Fast forward five years, not so much muscle anymore and packed on a lot of weight. I've been working out for about a year since then and I was looking for a pre-workout that would give me both focus and energy as I do a lot of cardio these days before weights. My training usually includes a 40 minute cardio routine before lifting and I needed both the push to finish and the focus as I sometimes get bored and just move on early. In my experience this combination of focus and energy is what works for me. I tried this product when I saw it included a combination of ingredients I was looking for and it was decently priced. I bought it and I don't regret it, it worked for me and it did what I was looking for.

Ingredient Profile

Performance Composite* Creatine Monohydrate 3 g **
I was looking for Creatine in my pre-workout, instead of having to mix in my own.
3 g was exactly what I was looking for, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, 2g per day for maintenance is recommended. Usually what I'd do is mix in my own Creatine into my pre-workout but I liked that this included it already.

Beta-Alanine (as CarnoSyn) 1.6 g **
This helps with your muscle performance, and this is that tingling feeling some people might get when taking pre-workouts. It supports muscle power output and your workout performance in short to medium duration. This feels like a good amount to me, just enough to let you know its there but not burning or itching for me.

Black Pepper Extract (Piper nigrum)(fruit)(BIOPERINE) 5 g **
Simply put it helps in weight loss by increasing metabolic rate.

Pump Matrix* Velox Patented Performance Blend L-Arginine 1.5 g **
L-Citrulline 1.5 g **
Creatine Nitrate (NO3-T) 1 g **
Calcium Glycerophosphate 250 mg **
Magnesium Glycerophosphate 250 mg **
Energy & Focus Complex*
Caffeine (from green tea leaf and/or green coffee bean) 150 mg **
Caffeine Anhydrous 150 mg **
Good amount of caffeine including both sources would be around 300 mg. I'm somebody who used to just take energy drinks before working out and usually the caffeine dosage in some of the most popular one's were around this amount 200-300 mg.

Longan Extract (fruit)(as Euphoria) 150 mg **
Yohimbe Extract (bark) 26 mg **

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This was my only complaint about this product, maybe I should of chose a different flavor but Island Cooler is the one I picked and it wasn't to my liking.
I usually just mixed with water and it mixed pretty well but sometimes it would leave powder on the bottom. Settling at the bottom is something I noticed just making the last sip something I didn't look forward to it. Kind of a grittiness taste at the end. The flavor wasn't just bad to me either, I have a friend I usually work out with and he also uses this product, he also thought the flavor tasted really bad. Towards the end I couldn't even drink it with just water alone because if I didn't just hold my nose when drinking it, I usually regretted it. Maybe I just got a bad batch, I'm not sure but very bad flavor in my opinion. So I usually took 3/4 of a scoop to a full scoop about 15 minutes before working out and this seemed to do the trick perfectly. I'm not one to overdo it when it comes to dosage but my friend would sometimes add a bit more, but never me. I never did more than one scoop because thats what worked well for me.

Effectiveness

Very good effectiveness, it gave me the energy I needed to finish my cardio and move on to the weights. I loved how well this pre-workout worked and it's a great product to use if your trying to do the same. Great energy levels though out my workout all the way towards the end, and I usually do 30-40 minutes of cardio before I even touch the weights. When it came to focus, I loved it, it helped me concentrate on what I was doing, usually I get bored when doing cardio and just want to go straight to weights but with this I was able to always to finish the time I set forth before I got there. It's like the time just sort of flies by. Pump is probably something it could improve on I mean it felt okay when lifting but it didn't really stand out too much to me. I really wanted something that would help me focus and give me energy as I do a lot of cardio but the pump was a decent addition I'd say. It was okay and it wasn't something that deterred me from the product.

Value

Great Value, one of the cheaper pre-workouts you'll find, the price was one of main selling points for me. When you compare the effectiveness with the price, its a no brainer, buy it.

Side Effects

Sometimes with these pre-workouts you get side effects like a hard crash after your done working out, but I was pleased to find that I never experienced this or any other side effects with this product.

Conclusion

Great pre-workout, it worked very well and it was at a very good price. I'm gonna buy this again in the future. It provided a good amount of energy and I really enjoyed using it. I loved using this product, it helped me with my workout the very first time I used it. It also didn't have the crash that I sometimes get after using other pre-workouts. What attracted me to this particular pre-workout over the others I found was the brand name stuck out, it's made by BSN which has been around forever and I've used some of their other products with good results. I would definitely buy again, it's a great price and it gave me what I was looking for. The only drawback I would say was the flavor I didn't particularly enjoy the flavor I bought, which was Island Cooler. It included what I was looking for in terms of focus and energy and it worked just as described. I had the energy to finish my cardio and still some left over to lift and thats what I wanted.

Quick Summary

Amnes1a is quite oddly named so considering that it causes you to have significantly more vivid and easy to remember dreams upon waking. Though I thought the product itself was effective at improving my overall sleep quality, I personally felt like the improvement on sleep was just slightly better in comparison to using melatonin by itself which would save you a significant amount of money if you decided to go with the later. There currently isn't a whole lot of good clinical research on the effects of the herbal ingredients included in Amnes1a, so it's hard to really put an objective finger on its effectiveness from a scientific standpoint, thought the current studies do suggest characteristics of the ingredients that would enhance overall sleep quality. If you're pretty new to the sleeping supplement scene then I'd have to suggest you at least give melatonin at 3mg a go for a bit and if you feel like you need a little bit more ZzzZ's then possibly give Amnes1a a try.

Introduction

Having a good night's sleep is absolutely essential for any significant muscle gain and many people resort to using dietary supplements to enhance and maximize the little amount of sleep we can manage to get. I've been using the old-school ZMA and melatonin supplements for years but it's always nice to see new products get released to look for potential improvement, so when I saw the chance to hop on board with Amnes1a I had to see if I could potentially find a new groundbreaking supplement to enhance my ZzZz's better than the tried and true supplements many of us have come to use. Quick shout out to Olympus Labs for giving me the opportunity to try out Amnes1a! Lets see how it stacks up!

Ingredient Profile

I have only added a handful of the ingredients on the label that I found to be of interest to save this review from becoming too long-winded.

Magnesium (133mg): Since our bodies require increased relaxation at night to initiate sleep, we are able to utilize minerals like magnesium which activate the parasympathetic system (responsible for keeping us calm and relaxed) to ease our minds into slumber, however most studies that utilized magnesium to improve sleep used dosages of around 225mg leaving the dose in Amnes1a significantly missing the clinical dosing.
Melatonin (3mg): The core ingredient and powerful sleeping aid of pretty much any sleep enhancing supplement. Melatonin help bring our minds into REM sleep for longer durations as well as normalize our wake cycle. It has been known to cause increased vivid dreaming which may prove to be too much for the inexperienced user but it's a pretty interesting experience.
KannaEase (25mg): Herbal ingredient extract that has shown to reduce anxiety, stress and improve overall mood.
Valeriana officinalis (450mg): Another herbal ingredient that has been shown to treat stress, anxiety in addition to blood pressure.
Dioscorea psuedojaponica (300mg): Wasn't able to find anything significant regarding findings for this ingredient other than that it is a Taiwanese yam.
L-Theanine (100mg): Has been shown to improve sleep quality especially when combined with melatonin in doses around 100-200mg.

Extra kudos though to Olympus Lab for not plaguing this product with any proprietary blends :]

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Since it's a pretty standard capsule supplement there really is no taste nor mixability rating here. It is dosed at a daily 4 capsule serving which can be a little tough to throw down for individuals that really hate swallowing pills but otherwise it's a fairly convenient "pop it before bedtime" supplement.

Effectiveness

I typically took Amnes1a about 20 minutes prior to hopping into bed and mixed it into my pre-slumber ritual that includes drinking a casein shake, brushing teeth, and re-hydrating. I personally didn't notice any added benefit with it initiating me to go to sleep but it definitely made a difference once you're in dream world. Contrary to the name of the product my dreams were so insanely vivid that I pretty much remembered nearly every moment of my dreams upon waking up, this could really be a good thing or a bad thing for individuals. I know that some people like to just sleep and wake up when little splotches of memory from their dreams the night before but when you remember a serious chunk of your dream it can get pretty unnerving especially if your dreams aren't so pleasant. The first time I took this supplement I almost thought I was transcended into Narnia for the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe if anyone remembers that, because I swear that weeks went by in my dreams only to wake up 8 hours later in my bed, not a totally calming feeling to be honest when I woke up from those. I do know that this is a common side effect of using melatonin however and since it appears to work synergistically with L-theanine I imagine that the effect is increased more-so. Other than that though I did wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to take the day head on but I honestly can say that it was only marginally better than when I just take a melatonin supplement alone which is leaps and bounds cheaper if you compare pricing. Overall, I do think the product works but I think a lot of the added herbal ingredients had minimal effect on my sleep quality from my personal opinion.

Value

I looked around the internet and was able to find Amnes1a priced at $35 for the 120 capsule, 30 day serving bottle. At just north of $1 per serving I dont think this is a bad deal considering the blend of ingredients that you are getting but from my personal experience with it, I would just cut out the ingredients I thought were ineffective and just buy melatonin and L-theanine separately for a fraction of the price with a likely similar experience.

Side Effects

Other than very vivid dreams I didn't notice any significant side effects from using Amnes1a.

Conclusion

Amnes1a if a fairly new contender in the sleep supplement market and I do commend Olympus Labs for trying to formulate something new and innovative for consumers to utilize but unfortunately the product fell kind of short in my opinion. Though I do think they have some pretty good ingredients in this product, I feel like they are so few that it would be cheaper to purchase them separately for significantly less money and use them to create a cocktail that is similar in effectiveness. Again this is my personal opinion and view on the product though potentially other individuals may have much more positive effects from the herbal blend then I did. Like I said before, if you've been using sleeping supplements for a good while and the usual melatonin isn't quite doing it for you anymore and you're willing to throw a couple bucks down to try something slightly new and different I do believe that it's worth the price of admission for Amnes1a otherwise I'd have to suggest you sleep on this one. Cheers Fellas!

Quick Summary

I've been a Purus fan since the OG muscle marinade and their last amino product amino d I really enjoyed so I grabbed this to give a shot

Ingredient Profile

A very simple ingredient list here, it is free of dyes or fillers. A very clean amino option at a 5:1:1 ratio of instantized bcaas. Ratios have been switched up and who really knows what the best ratio is. The actual amount of aminos here is low at 3.5 grams, but they are instantized which is supposed to require less. Also they added 1 gram of FOS dietary fiber in order to slow down the absorption rate of the bcaas.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

There is zero sugar in this as well. They have some very different flavors from your ordinary choices. I received the strawberry lemonade flavor and it was very enjoyable not overly sweet with a nice crisp bite when drank with cold water. Mixing in a shaker was easy with very little settling. I used this during workouts to give my water a little taste.

Effectiveness

This served its purpose for me and what I expected out of it which was to flavor my water without any extra sugars and get a few extra bcaas in my system during workouts. I didn't notice any difference in my recovery times when adding this into my stack, but at such a low dosage I didn't expect much. The added fiber may have had a slight effect with digestion, because I did seem to be fairly regular during the run.

Value

You can find this for around $20 for 30 servings which isn't awful but I would rather spend an extra few dollars and get a few extra grams of bcaas and other ingredients.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

The taste was good here but I felt like purus could have done a little more here especially since it seems like this is now there only amino product.

Introduction

Shout out to SR and Olympus Labs for the allowing me to sample AMNES1A. This is only the second night time product I have tried so I am still a newb to these supps. The last one worked pretty well so I thought I would give this stuff a try.

Ingredient Profile

AMNES1A is made up of the following:
133mg of magnesium
500mg of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to help induce a deeper sleep.
450mg of Valeriana officinalis to help you fall to sleep quicker.
300mg of Melissa officinalis is to help improve move and reduce stress.
300mg of Dioscorea pseudojaponica claims to help you build lean mass and improve recovery.
300mg of Passionflower Extract is to help with relaxation.
100mg of Theanine
25mg of KannaEase promote better feeling and reduce stress.
3mg of Melatonin

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste and mixability is both N/A since this is a capsule. Dosing is 4 capsules 1 to 2 hours before bed. I took this product an hour before bed.

Effectiveness

As for effectiveness, I had some excellent sleep while taking this. I already sleep really well, but this stuff knocked me out within an hour so I had to be careful when I took it in the evening so I could stay up later if I needed too. What I liked about AMNES1A was I did not wake up feeling drowsy the next day. Woke up as if it was a normal night and ready to hit the day. I did not notice my mood was any better but I'm a pretty easy going guy so not a good judge there. My body did seem to feel slightly better the next day so I would say it helped with the recovery, which I wasn't so sure how much or if I would even notice.

Value

As for value, at basically $50 for a month supply, it seems a little steep for me. Especially compared to other similar products. I don't mind to spend $50 on other products, but not to sleep better. However, with that said. I sleep pretty well most anyways so maybe that plays a part in it for others looking for sleep.

Side Effects

I experienced no side effects while taking this.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I thought AMNES1A was a solid product. If someone does not mind spending the $50, then I highly recommend picking this up for a try. You won't be disappointed.

I picked up this gem from the SR.com TROOP program. It had been a long time since I had taken a multi-vitamin consistently. I began to see the difference really quick. I have been on a solid diet and exercise program for a while. I watch my macros and still don't eat as "good" as I should. I don't get a lot of the micronutrients that some fruits and vegetables provide. That's where a multi comes in handy for me.

Ingredient Profile

Mega Multi has a solid ingredient profile. Of course, since it's a vitamin they list all the ingredients individually. I would never buy a multi if I saw that it was a prop blend. The label is extremely long so I wont list the individual ingredients. I have included a picture of the label so you can see what all is in there. I love the sufficient amount of essential vitamins and minerals needed each day to perform at your best. I feel like vitamins E and C are under dosed, but that seems to be my only real complaint of the ingredient label. Now, don't get me wrong, they are still useful and will help the average Joe get healthier. Vitamin K is missing. That's kind of bothersome, but not to the point where I wouldn't recommend it to people. Most don't even look for vitamin K in a multi like I do. Other than that I think it's quite good. Especially for the money you spend.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste- No taste because they're in pill form

Mixability- You don't mix pills... DUH

Dosing- 1 Pill a day. That's probably what I like most. I always took it after lunch.

Effectiveness

I really felt like, since it had been so long since I had taken a multi-vitamin that this product helped me overall to feel better and be in a better mood. I don't feel like it did anything outlandish. However, I do, 100% believe it helped me get back on track by making me feel better, in general. I can't say I "felt" anything like I do with preworkout products. I can't say you will experience a different look like you can with pump products. But, I can say that if you don't take a multi-vitamin regularly and you start you can definitely tell a difference in your overall being after just a few days. Unless you get a bad multi. Natural energy and overall health is the goal of a multi and this one, I believe, helps with both.

Value

Does it get any better than $20 for a two month supply of something? I didn't think so. At first glance I thought it might just be a 30 day supply. However, when I realized you only had to take 1 a day I realized that this was even better. Averaging $10 a month ona multi is light on anyone's supplement budget. I wish it were more widely available though. It seems the only place you can find it is Flex Nutrition's website.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

In conclusion, I feel like you get a really good multi-vitamin for an even better price. Let's review... Great ingredient profile with the exception of the missing vitamin K, 60 day supply for only $20, clean, natural energy with some overall health improvement, and easy to swallow. I can see my self ordering another bottle or two in the future. I don't see a reason why not, to be honest. Lastly, thank you to Flex Nutrition and SR.com. You guys ROCK for helping folks out like you do. I'm just happy to be apart of it.

Quick Summary

Amino acids have been soaring in popularity over the last decade. Energy, Stimulant, Nootropic pick me up products have recently become the next big hit over the recent years. So why not put them both together and see what happens

Introduction

Optimum Nutrition, A staple company in the industry for years on end. ON is one of the few brands known by lifters and non lifters alike. ON has always held a reputation for bringing out quality products and great taste. With the sudden popularity of energy and stimulants ON has brought forth their version of a "Pick me Up" drink that can be sipped throughout the day with the benefit of Essential Amino Acids to help with muscle recovery, focus and energy.

Ingredient Profile

Each serving size is 2 scoops (9grams)
When you break down the 9gram serving there are 57% active ingredients listed below and 43% colors, additions and artificial flavors. On paper 57% actives are quite low for an Amino Acid supplement, I like to see the actives at least 70-80% but on the flip side you can expect a great tasting drink.

"Amino Blend" 5 Grams
All Micronized Taurine, Glutamine, Arginine, Leucine, Beta Alanine, citrulline, Isoleucine, Valine, Tyrosine, Histidine, Lysine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Methionine.

"Energy Blend" 160mg
Caffiene, Green Tea Extract, Green Coffee Extract.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: Dont expect anything less then what you are used to with ON, the flavors are good and with the wide range of available flavors including their cafe series you will easily find one you love.
Mixability: all the active ingredients are micronized, there will be little to no trouble having this dissolve in water, i have been able to mix this simply with a spoon without too much vigor so a Shaker bottle is not necessarily needed.
Dosing: This is where i tend to have the largest concerns. The 5g of Aminos are under a proprietary blend so we cant know exactly what doses we are getting of any amino. So at first glance i would have to assume that this is a little under dosed.

Effectiveness

This area took me a while to wrap my head around. Please understand that the Proprietary blending is not inherently wrong and until just a few years ago the majority of supplements were prop blends but without knowing the exact doses I am a little confused at what I can use this product for.
As a pre-workout there are too many ingredients missing and you dont know the ratio of stimulants you're getting
As an Amino supplement it is hard to determine if there are enough active ingredients to support Muscle recovery, protein synthesis or endurance.
What i will say though is that as a general "pick me up" it is great, This is obviously dependent on each individuals caffeine tolerance, but having it in the morning or when the mid day blues kick in, it works just fine with giving you a subtle kick of energy. I enjoy the cafe series and add 1 or 2 scoops to my morning coffee instead of any sweeteners or creamers.
With the above said though I do not look to This product as my daily EAA supplement so the 5 grams are irrelevant, i use this strictly as a pick me up.

Value

Now Value is why this product is not rated as low as my review might suggest it should be.
ON EA Energy ranges from $14.99 - $26.99 here in the Canadian market, Also depending on how much caffeine you want and knowing that this may not be the ideal Amino Acid supplement then 1 or 2 scoop servings are fine. At the labelled 2 scoop serving and if i take the mid level price listed ($19.99) you are at $0.33cents per 1 scoop serve or $0.66cents per 2 scoop serve.
This is extremely cheap for either a caffeine or Amino source.

Side Effects

Nothing bothered my here. The Caffeine wasnt so high that i needed a buffer or ingredients to keep the risk of crashing away.

Conclusion

The Product for me is fine as long as you know what you are using it for. Personally The Aminos are not the primary use. I use this strictly as a subtle and great tasting caffeine source that isnt too high that could result in sweats or jitters. It is just enough, similar to a daily or morning coffee and cheaper than a cup of coffee too.

Quick Summary

From the brand:

Dymatize Elite Casein helps keep your muscles supplied with a steady stream of amino acids, the building blocks of muscle. This helps avoid the catabolic state of muscle protein breakdown that begins to happen when your muscles are deprived of the right nutrients. Casein is a unique protein derived from milk that breaks down slowly in your digestive system, keeping you fuller longer and providing a sustained release of muscle-building amino acids. This makes casein the ideal choice any time your body goes without protein for an extended period, especially just before bedtime.

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 Dymatize for participating in the SR.com TROOPer program and making this product available for us to try and review. For those unfamiliar, casein proteins absorb much slower than whey proteins, allowing for a longer-term release of amino acids into the bloodstream. Dymatize is known for their high-quality ISO 100 and Elite Whey proteins but their casein seems to fly under the radar in my opinion. Let's see how this tub went for me and if it deserves the same acclaim as the others.

Ingredient Profile

As you would expect from a single source protein powder, the ingredient profile is pretty straight-forward here. Your first ingredient and the vast majority of each scoop is micellar casein. A brief description of this protein found from doing a Google search is: Casein protein is the protein found in the curds of milk and is slowly absorbed by the body. This contrasts to the most popular supplement on the sports nutrition market, whey protein, which is used for its fast absorption rate. Casein has earned the name 'the bedtime protein because it is most commonly consumed before sleep to provide the body with a slow releasing source of protein over an extended period of time.

The benefits of casein can be summed up with: Supplementing with casein just before going to sleep, it can be absorbed throughout the night, benefiting the body's needs for protein synthesis over the 6-8 hours of rest. When you are asleep you are not ingesting food or protein. By supplementing with casein before bed, you will have protein in your system throughout the night to increase protein synthesis and help increase muscle growth. This can be beneficial to anyone who is training regularly.

Casein protein ingestion before sleep has been proven to result in an increase in protein synthesis after a workout. Casein protein is also higher in calcium contents and can be a good source of fat loss. If you are an individual who engages in long, strenuous workouts then casein supplementation can be very beneficial for your caloric needs.

The slow absorption makes casein great for night time ingestion. A study done by Snijders et al. (2015) demonstrated that post-resistance training gains in muscle mass and strength are shown to be further increased after daily supplementation with 27.5 g of dietary casein protein consumed prior to sleep. Casein supplementation can further augment the skeletal muscle adaptive response to prolonged resistance training.

Outside of the protein, the remaining amount of each scoop is made up of the fillers which include the flavoring, thickeners and artificial sweeteners. Pretty standard stuff for any type of protein powder; whey, casein or a blend.

As for the macros, those may vary slightly depending on the flavor that you choose. Per scoop will yield you around 130 calories with one and a half grams of fat, three grams of carbs (zero sugar) and 25 grams of protein. The scoop size will also vary slightly based on the flavor but the protein content by weight is around 70-75% for this protein. Another large brand that makes a casein protein similar to this also has a protein content of around 70-75% per scoop. In the end, you are getting your serving of casein protein along with the ingredients to make it taste good. Most people do not want a plain unflavored protein powder, so Dymatize must add those extras for the consumers to enjoy the product with hopes they keep coming back for more.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste >> This product is available in four flavors: cinnamon bun, cookies and cream, rich chocolate and smooth vanilla. I was sent the cinnamon bun flavor and loved it! Personally, I love cinnamon and go through quite a lot of it each week. The taste of this protein nailed the cinnamon aspect with the added sweetness you would expect from the rest of the cinnamon roll and icing. No complaints here and I would probably not even bother with the other flavors currently available because this one is so good.

Mixability >> For anyone new to taking a casein protein, don't expect the mixability to be the same as whey. Casein mixes much thicker and often requires more water and arm work to achieve the desired consistency. While most whey proteins can be mixed in a blender bottle without the blender ball, I would recommend using the blender ball when making a casein shake for the best results. Yes, you can get everything mixed decently well without the blender ball if you use a good amount of water but for the smoothest shake without the risk of little clumps; use the blender ball. I did for every shake that I made and each one came out perfect, no surprises. Please note that my shakes were always made with water and using milk or a milk-alternative may produce different results.

Dosing >> Per the label, mix one scoop with 10-12 ounces of your favorite beverage. For optimum results, drink in the evening before bed, in place of small meals, or any other time when steady amino release is desired.

Effectiveness

As with any protein product, the effectiveness is going to depend on the individual, how they used the supplement and what their goals are. Personally, this product excelled in the two ways that I used it. The first was when I knew there was going to be a big gap between meals and I needed long lasting energy. Depending on my schedule, I would mix one to two scoops of this protein and drink before my plans. This would keep me full and provided energy without any additional food intake for up to eight hours without any stomach pain or other problems. I did not need to focus on or think about food during this time and my full attention would be with the task at hand.

The second way I used this protein was as it is normally suggested, before bed. If I had some extra protein macros at the end of the night, this was a perfect before bed snack to tide me over. No problems with digestion during the night and I would not wake up the next morning with hunger pains or the feeling that I needed to eat right away. With the sweet taste, this product was also effective at knocking out any sweet tooth craving that I would have after dinner. Instead of reaching for candy, ice cream or a baked cinnamon roll; a scoop or two of this worked out perfectly.

In terms of building muscle or losing fat while using this product; those aspects are determined by many other factors in a person's life and no protein supplement should make or break one's progress. Did this product help me build muscle? Possibly, or at least it helped me maintain my current muscle mass because it helped make sure my protein intake was met each day. Did this product help me lose fat? Again, possibly or at the very least it helped me maintain my current status. I could also make a case that it was effective at keeping me from gaining weight because it replaced unhealthier sweet snacks at night that are just full of sugar, fat and carbs with little to no protein.

Value

This product comes in multiple flavors and two tub sizes. The smallest size is a two-pound tub that can be found online for around $27 at the current time (AllStarHealth.com). This size tub gets you about 26 servings. As with most proteins, the flavor can sometimes change the price and/or be on a special discount. The other size available is a four-pound tub, which the same website currently has listed for $45. This size tub gets you about 51 servings. If you want a specific flavor, you may have to pay a little bit more at a specific retailer if the lowest cost one is out of stock or does not carry the flavor you want.

**Please also note that Dymatize recently went through a re-branding of their products and some products with the older labeling and possibly different formulas/ingredients are still on the market. The older packaging used black containers while the newest products are white and blue. As retailers work to clear out the inventory of the older label products, you may be able to find an excellent clearance deal on those. Just pay attention to the listed best by dates for the previous versions.

Side Effects

None experienced. While casein does not digest as quickly as whey, I did not experience any stomach issues while taking it. There are very few carbs and no sugar listed for each scoop, so I can only assume the lactose content is low or non-existent.

Conclusion

In the end, Dymatize's Elite Casein turned out to be everything I would hope and look for with this type of protein. The flavor was great and something I could drink on a continual basis. I do hope they come out with some more exotic flavors in the future to compete with the other big brands in this category. Only four flavors does not leave much room for change. The effectiveness in the two ways that I used this product was as expected and helped me achieve the desired outcome I was looking for. The price is in-line with the current market for casein protein from the big, reputable brands. With no negative side effects experienced; overall, we have winner with this product if you are looking into supplementing with casein protein. Once again thank you to Dymatize for sending a tub out to me for this review.

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

Quick Summary

Flex Mega Multi is a superb multivitamin that will help keep your daily micronutrient intake on par provided your diet is in check.

Introduction

A special thanks to Flex Nutrition for their continued participation here on SR.com. Also, an apology for the tardiness of this review. Today, I discuss my experience with their multivitamin, Mega Multi. Like many others, a multivitamin is a basic staple in my general supplement and dietary regimen. Multivitamins can help ensure your daily micro quotas are in check. Of course, as both me and other s would advocate, always make sure you're getting what you need primarily through your main diet.

Ingredient Profile

As with all multivitamins, the profile is quite extensive and long. Therefore, instead of listing the ingredients and dosages, I have included an image for breakdown and listing of the ingredients. So, please refer to it for a reference to the profile.

Mega Multi contains sufficient amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals needed as outlined by a basic dietary intake value. It is well dosed for the most part, but there are some main ingredients I would like to see higher. For example, rather than only 400 IU of vitamin D, I would prefer at least 1 full gram since vitamin D has several functions in the body and should be dosed higher to meet demands. I would also like higher doses of the vitamin E and vitamin C. Also, there is no vitamin K, which is a bit of a downer considering this is supposed to be a multivitamin supplement and you'd expect all general vitamins to be present. However, setting those aside, the main vitamin profile is sufficient enough.

I like how Mega Multi uses chelated forms of most of the minerals. Chelated forms of minerals are more favorably absorbed and bioavailable. I would like to see the magnesium dosed higher though.

Mega Multi also has some bonuses such as citrus bioflavonoids for additional immunity support. Others such as choline bitartrate are added for increased brain health support and nootropic benefits. There are others for increased general health support, but again, please refer to the included image for a complete breakdown of the profile.

I would prefer the addition of some digestive enzymes and probiotics as additional bonuses, but this is not mandatory.

Dosing

You only require one capsule a day with food, making dosing a breeze. I took one cap first thing in the morning with breakfast. The caps are a little on the large size, but not horse pill size.

Effectiveness

You don't necessarily "feel" a multivitamin take effect as it's benefits stem from your body's general state of health. I mainly gauige efficacy on how I believe it aided my health and helped act as a micronutrient insurance policy.

While using Mega Multi, the convenience of having to take only one vitamin capsule was a great and easy way to make sure I was getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals each in conjunction with my dietary food intake.

I never fell ill and I did feel a little more naturally energetic while on Mega Multi. Therefore, I can say that is did help give my immune system somewhat of a boost and supported better natural energy levels. I also had some improvement in focus thanks to the choline, but nothing spectacular in this sense.

Not much more I can say instead of I was not experiencing any of the signs or symptoms ( i.e low energy, difficulty concentrating, impaired immunity) of certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies. As a result, I can say that the all the nutrients were properly absorbed and bioavailable.

Value

At only 20 dollars for a two month supply provided in each bottle, this is a fantastic price. Many of today's multivitamins will often provide only a one month supply at similar or even higher prices. Given Mega Multi's efficacy and supply in each bottle, 20 dollars is more than a reasonable value and well worth the investment.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

At a great price with a sufficient profile, Mega Multi is a very good general staple to have on hand for health support and to keep your micro-nutrient intake on point. Again, be sure your nutrients are coming mostly and primarily from your dietary food intake.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!

GO RED SOX!!!

Quick Summary

Fade out was effective at even half a scoop. It worked quickly and it rarely left any sort of hangover.

Introduction

Big thanks to start to Redcon1. I'm someone who often has trouble sleeping and is always hesitant to take sleep supplements because I rarely hit 8 hours a night and worry about sleeping to deeply to wake up if something goes bang in the night. But after my wife started giving me crap for "never" sleeping, Redcon1 released this to the troops and I had the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: appease the old lady and try another product from one of my favorite companies.

A quick note on Redcon1's customer service first. When this arrived, the package had been crushed in the mail and then left in the rain for a couple days due to arriving while I was on vacation. I sent a note to the rep and a replacement arrived in like 3 days or so. To add a little context, about a month earlier I'd ordered some protein from MyProtein and the bag was somehow sliced open in the mail. It took MP about 21 days to replace that. To fanboy on them even more, they have hands down the best communication in the industry. You get emails at every step of the shipping progress, plus they care enough to follow up and ask for your feedback. I've also gotten texts from their local rep to notify me about deals happening. Altogether they just seem to have their S together better than most, if not any, other companies in the business.

Ingredient Profile

4-amino-3-phenylbutonic acid (1g) - [AKA Phenibut] This is a key ingredient to Fade Out and also one to be very careful with. It can become dangerous when combined with benzos, barbituates, alcohol, or other depressants. Phenibut works by stimulating GABA receptors and enhances the effects of GABA itself.

Mucuna Pruriens (1g) - [AKA Velvet Bean] This ingredient contains high levels of L-Dopa, the precursor to dopamine. At higher doses it can actually aid in testosterone production and have an energizing effect, but my guess here at this dose is that it is meant for its ability to lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

GABA (1g) - GABA and Phenibut go hand and hand. Your body already contains GABA receptors that essentially make you sleep when activated, and phenibut serves as an agonist for GABA by binding to GABA receptors and acting as a catalyst of sorts for the depressant effects of the GABA itself.

Arginine-HCL (1g) - Arginine can help stimulate sleep by shutting off ammonia production in the body.

Phenylalanine (750mg) - Phenylalanine is converted to L-Tyrosine which is then converted to L-Dopa, again the precursor to Dopamine.

Valerian Root (600mg) - Another sedative and anti-anxiety ingredient

Ornithine HCL (500mg) - Like Arginine, this also helps in the reduction of ammonia being produced in the body. Ammonia is one of the biggest sleep disrupters.

Theanine (500mg) - Often seen in preworkouts, this is another ingredient that can also be used for its relaxing effects which is why it's often found in tandem with high amounts of caffeine.

Magnesium (150mg) - Without magnesium in your body you'd seize up into one big cramp. This will help your muscles relax and ultimately reduce muscle soreness and aid in providing deeper sleep.

Vitamin C (100mg) - This may not be an ingredient you think of when it comes to sleeping, but the big concern is really the lack of it rather than the benefit it has. People with low vitamin-c levels can have trouble falling into a deep relaxing sleep and supplementing the diet can change that, as well as reducing other symptoms of wakefulness like restless leg syndrome.

Zinc (10mg) - Studies have shown zinc to be an effective sleep regulator. It has been shown to increase the amount and the quality of sleep in both animals and humans.

Vitamin B-6 (6mg) - This can help regulate the body's levels of tryptophan, which can in turn lead to your body producing sleep-inducing melatonin

Melatonin (5mg) - This is probably the most commonly known natural sleep aid, and 5mg is a pretty big dose. I was worried about not waking up easily with this much melatonin.

Vitamin E Acetate (10iu) - Vitamin E might also help relieve restless leg syndrome.

Overall this is an incredibly well-rounded ingredient panel. Everything is very obvious in its intent and Redcon1 seemed to take the care to produce Fade Out in a way that would attack symptoms that would lead to restless sleep from multiple angles using ingredients that would hit your mind at different times and in different ways throughout the night.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Dosing: I really didn't need to take a full scoop of this for it to work. I'd usually take slightly less if I was about to get less sleep, and a full scoop if I knew I'd be able to get 8 hours.

Mixability: This had some settling occur each time, so expect to drink it while particles are suspended in the liquid.

Taste: Think... metamucil. I received the orange flavor and while it was by no means objectionable, it wasn't something I'd ever crave either. It covered up the taste of a bunch of ingredients that I assume must be yucky tasting, and I never had to plug my nose to get it down. It was just "fine".

Effectiveness

I would have given this product a 10 if I had more experience with sleep products in general. I just can't imagine something working better than this. I didn't always use a full scoop and the only thing that seemed to impact would be how deeply I slept. Within 5 minutes of taking this I'd always feel sort of woozy, calm, and a bit lightheaded-- but not at all in an unpleasant way. I'd be completely relaxed and overall felt great. I wouldn't fall asleep the second my head hit the pillow, but I also didn't spend hours tossing and turning, or waking up throughout the night like I usually do.

One of the biggest perks for me was the fact that I could still wake up if I had to. A few nights I was woken up by my son, another night my wife woke me up because she thought she heard something, and each time I was able to wake up and inspect then go right back to sleep without issue. I could remember what I'd done in the middle of the night upon waking, and I didn't have any memory or time loss.

In the morning I almost never had any cobwebs. I often took this when I knew I'd only be getting 4-6 hours of sleep and still it was always better to wake up having taken it than having not taken it. Mind you, I was careful about not taking a full scoop if it was going to be less than 8 hours.

Value

The cheapest I was able to find this was $25.99 at Muscle & Strength. For less than $1/serving this product is a steal. On the high end it's listed at $49.99. I would have a hard time justifying paying that price, personally.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

If you want to fall asleep fast and stay asleep until you're ready to wake up, or wake up abruptly on command, then I'd say this is for you. If that doesn't apply to you, I think you're an alien or something and I don't know what to tell you. This is something I think anyone in need of a better night's rest should give a shot. Simple as that.

Thank you again to Redcon1 as always!

Quick Summary

European Pre workout that packs quite a punch!

Introduction

At 34 years old, I am often intrigued by the different supplements that are out there in the world. While looking around some German lifting sights, I came across an ad for T1 Virus. At first I thought it was very gimmicky, then I did some research on the product and found that it seemed pretty decent. I then found the best place to order and a few weeks later, I got my shipment from a nice supplement company in Germany. Now to the review, I hope you enjoy.

Ingredient Profile

This product is pretty straightforward on the ingredient profile. It is however in German. This is not a problem, as you can quickly figure out what the ingredient is.

Fuel Blend:
Vitamin C 150mg
Calcium 150 MG
Magnesium 100 MG
Niacin 30 MG

Power/Strength & Endurance Matrix:
I'll give you a little definition of the general benefits as well as the ingredient profile. It is fairly lengthy I apologize, but I feel like it all needed to be on the list.

Beta Alanine Polyhydrate 3000mg (Buffers acid in muscles and increases physical performance)

Creatine Polyhydrate 3000mg

Betaine HCL 2000mg (Amino that can fight heart disease and helps promote muscle gain through promotion of Protein synthesis.)

Taurine 2000mg (helps with cardiovascular functions)

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine 600mg (Brain and lung support. Also helps with Endurance)

Alpha GPC 150mg (has ability to enhance growth hormone production. Helps with cognitive functioning as well)

Pump/Vascularity & Energy Amplifier:

Citrulline Polyhydrate 6000mg ( nitric oxide booster)

Arginine Polyhydrate 4000mg ( nitric oxide booster)

Glyceromax 1500mg ( pump agent. Glycerol is able to significantly increase your blood volume, which will further boost your pump during exercise.)

Red Beet Powder 500mg (Nitric oxide booster. Rich in nitrates)

L-Norvaline 250mg ( Research has shown that l-norvaline can increase you body's nitric oxide production by 55%)

Resveratrol 200mg ( resveratrol keeps the blood vessels healthy and elastic, which is good for dilation in veins)

Weissdornblattextract 200mg (hawthorne Leaf Extract) (increases blood supply to muscles)

Hydrate and Defend:

Coconut Water 500mg (Helps with hydration during workouts)

Hesperidin 100mg ( Hesperidin stimulates stem cells to develop into muscle cells, which faster and more pronounced muscle growth and significantly speeds up your recovery after intense workouts. T1 Virus contains the full dosage of hesperidin.)

White Willow Bark Extract 100mg ( Anti Inflammatory agent)

Focus & Drive Intensifier

L-Acetyl Tyrosin 1500mg (increases strength)

Eria Jarensis Extract 250mg ( stimulant similar to DMAA)

caffeine 200mg (stimulant)

Dimethylaminoethanol 200mg (Focus enhancing abilities)

Absorption enhancer
Sodium bicarbonate 50mg (helps with acid in stomach)
Piperin 5mg (basically helps all of the abovementioned ingredients to absorb better)

If you notice the "Polyhydrate" behind the ingredients. Polyhydrate is something GN Labs created that protects from gastric acid destruction.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste:
I unfortunately chose the flavor Lemon Cola. It is definitely a unique flavor. Reminds me of a Ricola Cough drop. It isn't a horrible flavor, it is just different.

Mixability:
The product itself was harder than a brick bat in the container. I assume this is because it took a journey from Frankfurt Germany to Western Kentucky. I took it all out and softened it back up. After it was broken up, the product mixed well in my 20 ounce shaker bottle. There was no residue in the bottom of the cup once I was finished.

Dosing:
The dosing was pretty straightforward. One serving 15-30 minutes prior to training. The serving size is 3 scoops. The scoops are pretty small so when you first use it, you don't think you are getting enough product.

Effectiveness

8.5/10
This product is a sleeper cell waiting to attack. It does not hit you as some products does and makes you attack the weights right out of the gate. It creeps up on you and gradually makes you feel like a beast. The first workout I had with T1, I was doing upper body. I completed my normal routine without a hiccup. I noticed I still had energy to go so I did some dips. I was able to complete 4 sets of 10 dips without full fatigue! I followed that off with Pushups and again, stamina for days. Not only was my first workout strong, but it continued until the bottle was empty. I was completely satisfied with this product. Leg day was not even a challenge anymore when I am supplementing with this. I am focused and I feel confident in my lifts.

Value

7.5/10
The price of this product varies between 40 and 50 dollars depending on where you purchase it. I was able to find it for around 42 dollars(US) which was close to 2.50 per serving. That may seem High for 17 servings, but if you take into consideration the results you achieve, it is worth it in my opinion. Keep in mind also I lift 4 days per week and have one cardio day. I don't use pre-workout on cardio days, so that bottle lasts the month.

Side Effects

I experienced no negative side effects while taking this product.

Conclusion

Overall----8.0/10
T1 virus is one of the strongest products I have tried as far as a Preworkout. The ingredients seem to work extremely well together to get you through the hardest workouts. I have ordered more of this as well as the non stim "anti Virus". If you are able to get online and purchase this, I would highly recommend it. It was a bit gimmicky if you watch the adverts for it online, but they were not kidding around when they talk about how strong it is.

Quick Summary

Creatine in my opinion is one of the staples in my supplement stack. I was extremely excited to see this pop up on my board and be able to give it a shot!

Introduction

Thank you to beast sports nutrition and the SR troops for making this happen!

Ingredient Profile

Creature provides a blend of 5 creatines containing 4g. Creatine mono di-creatine malate, creatine anhydrous, crea-trona and creatine gluconate.

1g of optimizers (Not sure exactly what this does)

Other than that it is a very basic ingredient profile. sucralose for the sweetner and no artificial dyes. Instead they use beet extract.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I got the fruit punch flavor and it was extremely good! Just one scoop of this mixed into some water or.... if you are crazy like me straight to the mouth and wash it down with water. I always took this after every one of my workouts. To me it makes more sense to take it after a workout that way when the muscles are exhausted and are looking for nutrients etc this will absorb better... but that's just my thinking.

Effectiveness

This product was extremely effective. i do not respond to just creatine mono...learned that the hard way sadly. So a product that contains all of these different forms of creatine is much more beneficial... i definitely did see more size and strength gains. nothing ridiculous and i did experience a very very small water retention but nothing that i freaked out about. i did forget to take it a few times and did notice a little water loss but i also think it was because my eating has not been the best. Sometimes I would wake up flat and others with some size.... diet has been all over lately.

Value

Tiger fitness has it at $15.99 for 60 servings which to me is a steal!

Side Effects

only side effect that i got was upset stomach every now and then after taking it. But nothing serious.

Conclusion

To me this product is up on my buy forever list! I loved the gains that I got from it and how much it actually helped me out. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone out there that does not see results with just regular creatine mono. some people might get upset stomachs so i would watch out on that part. Other than that lift and grind it out!

Quick Summary

A natty test booster from MTS Nutrition that worked extremely well in areas such as energy, libido and performance. It has a fully transparent label and effective ingredients, as well as a full 30 day cycle. The value is great for what it is. The best test booser I have tried up to date, although there is room for slight improvements. Other than that, this is a great product.

Introduction

Hey SR team. Redweilerfan here with another favorite type of review; namely that of a test booster. Today I will discuss my experience with Barracuda from Marc Lobliners MTS Nutrition. But before anything else, I want to give a massive shout out and a huge thanks to Clipper for sending me this product within the frame work of the old Bounty Program to try out. As a European Trooper, with basically no possibilities to participate in the ordinary TROOPER program, this sure was a blessing. So, thank you for the opportunity, it's much appreciated.

Okay, so a few words on me before we hit the review itself. I'm 42 and have been involved in body building for a long time. As age has sneakily crept up on me, I have realized that building lean muscle mass has really become an uphill battle, and I'm more prone to injuries overall. Add to that; an overall sense of my natural testosterone levels going down the last 2 years. Sure, it's a natural process, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! Therefore, enter test boosters! I still work out 4 times a week and I figured that test boosters may provide me with a little edge in my training routine, and perhaps also give me back hints of my "glory days". I have really come to appreciate this category of supplements, although there are many scam companies out there, trying to hook men like me in with fancy labels and outrageous claims. So, therefore I think it is important to actually review products like this here on SR, so that people can get honest and unbiased reviews. For the sake of transparency, I must say that I haven't done any blood work before starting with this product, so I can't say with scientific validation that this actually increased my T-levels. It has to be anecdotal in nature. That said, buckle up guys.

Ingredient Profile

This is a powdered test booster and per 1 scoop (8.2 g) you get;

D-Aspartic acid 3 g
L-Carnitine l-Tartrate 3 g
Macapure maca extract (standardized to min 0.6 % macamides & macaenes) 300 mg
Safed Musli extract (standardized to min 50 % Sapponins) (root) 250 mg
Eurycoma Longifolia extract (4:1) (root) 200 mg
Testosurge (Fenugreek extract standardized min 80 % grecunin) (seed) 200 mg
Black pepper extract (standardized min 98 % piperine) (fruit)

Okay, so we have a pretty good formula and a transparent label here. Kudos to MTS for that. Let's take a look at the ingredients and what they will do for us;

DAA: one of the best scientifically validated test boosting ingredients on the market today. DAA is an amino acid that the body can produce itself, that is, it is a non essential amino acid. In some scientific studies DAA in a 3 g dose has been reported to actually increase testosterone levels with up to 42 % and 33 % respectively in resistance trained men. It works by stimulating testosterone production in the testes mainly and a 12 day period of consecutive use seems to be necessary for providing that effect. Of all ingredients currently available on the test boosting market, this is one of the most promising ones, with scientific backing and there is a growing consensus that this ingredient actually works. I usually respond very well to DAA, so kudos for including it here in a full clinical dose.

LCLT: this ingredient on its own doesn't have much to do with raising testosterone, but it seems to have a positive effect on androgen receptors in the body. Thus, it seems to influence your androgen receptors to be more sensitive to your endogenous free testosterone, and as a consequence, you can benefit more from your already existing testosterone via its increased adhesion to your androgen receptors. Otherwise, LCLT is often used as a fat burner and as an energizer. 3 g seems to be a high dose. This is the first time I have seen this particular ingredient included in a test booster. Interesting approach.

Maca: a widely popular ingredient nowadays which is an aphrodisiac more than a real test boosting agent. According to Examine.com maca does in fact not raise testosterone at all, but rather works as an aphrodisiac. Clinical dosages are between 1500 to 3000 mg daily, so we have to conclude that the 300 mg dose here is heavily under dosed. I have tried this in 3000 mg daily before and I didn't really benefit anything from it to tell you the truth. But maybe it can work synergistically with the other ingredients here? There are many other health benefits tied to this ingredient, such as stress reduction for example.

Safed Musli extract: this is an Ayurvedic herb used in Indian traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac and as an ingredient that helps with erectile dysfunction. It has been shown to increase libido and erectile function in animals, mostly rats. However, there is lacking serious human studies on this ingredient, and as a test boosting agent it has been met with much scepticism when it comes to human use. Therefore it is equally hard to assess the 250 mg dose here as clinical or not given the lack of scientific studies in humans. Even so, I don't mind its inclusion here. There seems to exist lots of anecdotal evidence for its purported effects. I'll take it.

Eurycoma Longifolia extract: often referred to as Longjack, Malaysian ginseng or Tongkat Ali. This is an herb with documented libido enhancing properties in animals, as well as sperm increasing ones. It also appears to have strong anti-estrogenic effects in some in vitro studies. How this relates to human use is not really scientifically validated in any way, especially oral administration of the extract. But overall, this seems promising and I really like its inclusion here in this product. 200 mg seems to be an "okay" dose, with the abovementioned in mind. Again, I'll take it.

Testosurge: a patented form of Fenugreek, a classic ingredient in almost all test boosters on the market. The scientific evidence of this as a test booster seems to be conflictual to say the least. Some studies has shown an increase of testosterone in resistance trained men, some studies observed no increase at all, and some studies actually has reported a decrease in endogenous testosterone production. This seems to be related to fenugreek stimulating Prolactin, a hormone with estrogenic properties. So, it's hard to know what to make of this ingredient. Also, dosages for increasing testosterone seem to be in the 500-600 mg daily, and with only 200 mg here it seems to be under dosed. It does have a high amount of the active substance grecunin (90 %) so it is not always the total dose that is decisive in the overall scheme of things.

Black pepper extract: we all recognize this ingredient. It is used for increasing bio availability of the included ingredients. The 5 mg dose is a standardized one and probably effective for what it is included for.

All in all, a pretty interesting formula, with a few well documented ingredients and some others with less scientific value, but with good anecdotal value nonetheless.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This is my first encounter with a powdered test booster, since all the others I have tried were in tablet or capsule form. Barracuda comes in 2 flavors; blue raspberry and mango. I went for the mango version since I'm a sucker for tropical flavors. Now, most of us that have tried test boosters know that the taste, even in tablet form, usually is pretty nasty. This is due to all the herbal ingredients, and especially DAA has that sour and pungent flavor to it. So, how did MTS manage to handle this issue? Well, they did a pretty good job all things considered, but the bad taste is still there. It tastes like some version of mango yes, but that sourness and pungent herbal tone is still massive here. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy drinking this, but it wasn't all that bad either. It comes with the territory I guess. I give it a 5 out 10 rating flavor wise. Mixability was not the best, but that was equally expected. Test boosting herbs are not the easiest to mix, but most of the powder was dissolving in water. Some residue landed on the bottom so if you don't drink it right away you will have to shake it again. You can also just put the powder in an ordinary glass of water, stir with a spoon and chug it. MTS recommends 6-8 oz of water and you only need to take one scoop a day. I like that. It is easy and convenient; you just mix it and knock it back, no need to take like 8 tablets a day here. MTS also recommend that you take this with your first meal of the day, or pre workout 30-45 minutes before training.

Effectiveness

Did this product work? Overall, I would say YES! But there are some minor issues I want to bring up as well. Let's divide this section into categories;

Energy: low testosterone often comes with lack of energy and with sluggishness. Such symptoms are usually the first sign of dropping T-levels. This affects men who are training obviously. For me, Barracuda shined in this regard. I felt a big surge of natural energy throughout my use of this product. I wouldn't say that I felt like 20 again, that would be an exaggeration, but I definitely felt alert throughout my day overall. I woke up refreshed and the natural energy helped me out both in the gym and at work when things were hectic. The energy was usable in the gym and gave me a noticeable endurance as well, especially in relation to cardio. I also felt energetic in the late afternoons, and that's a statement since I usually have a drop in energy around 4-5 pm. Like clockwork. But when I was on Barracuda I hardly noticed that at all, maybe like 1 or 2 times. Otherwise I always feel that energy drop, so that was a good effect that proves that the product worked. High energy with this product.

Libido/sexual health: another reason for many (middle aged) men to resort to test boosters, the drop in libido or other sexual issues that comes naturally with age. This was a pretty odd experience to be honest. First week or so I felt a slight increase in libido. Then for almost 2 weeks I felt basically nothing. That was a disappointment; a big part of the 30 day cycle didn't really give me much libido boost. But just hold on here. With like 1 1/2 week left the libido suddenly got off the charts! I had sex on my mind constantly. Couldn't get one of my female co workers out of my head either lol! Barracuda, what did you do to me?! It was almost an animal-like feeling. It was like being a teenager times ten. Libido from morning to evening and even in my dreams haha! Okay, calm down now! So, the sexual side of things was a bit strange and didn't follow the usual pattern one tends to see in test boosters. But it worked after all, and it worked big time.

Sleep: test boosters tend to provide some good sleep and Barracuda did that in some regards I think. There isn't magnesium, zinc or vitamin D in the product, which can promote good deep sleep. But overall it was okay. I had plenty of vivid dreams and many of them sexual in nature, go figure! But I think that the lack of ZMA and vitamin D is a bit of a negative in all honesty. These ingredients are proven test boosting compounds and could have been the icing on the cake here. Just my preferences though. If MTS ever wants to improve the product, I would suggest adding these ingredients.

Alpha male feeling/aggressiveness: didn't feel alpha all the time to tell you the truth. I have felt it with other test booster products but not explicitly here. There were glimpses here and there where those things shined, but not consistent over the full cycle. That's okay. I don't need to go around feeling alpha or aggressive all day either. Again, this is a natty test booster, not anabolic steroids. But there were times

Lean mass/hardening/performance: I didn't notice much with the first two categories. With some anti-estrogenic ingredients in large dosages you can get that hardening effect. I also think that you would have to use a product for months in order to reap those benefits. Performance wise I felt as I said an increase in endurance, especially cardio related. Count in the energy as well. Overall, I had the feeling of improved performance in the gym even if I didn't break any PBs. I felt constantly on the go.

Value

Right of the bat I will say that the value is good here. Test boosters are usually expensive and you can find products that go for $ 80-90. And they usually have prop blends and questionable ingredients or dosages. But Barracuda is not one of those hyper expensive or shady products. In fact, the price is very fair I would say, considering the test booster category in general. First off, you get a full month supply, that is, 30 days worth. Many test boosters only lasts for like 15-20 days. Second, you have a fully transparent label which increases value in my book. At Muscle & Strength you can find this for $ 34.99, which comes out to about $ 1.17 a day. You have the same price on Tiger Fitness and on I'll Pump You Up.com. The same goes for Amazon. So, considering that this is a 30 day supply and that it is a test booster, I would say that the value is very nice indeed. One of the better products on the market in that regard.

Side Effects

A couple of times drinking this triggered some acid reflux so taking this with a meal may be a good way of minimising that. Otherwise, nothing to report in this category.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend this product for those who are looking for a reasonably priced and effective test booster. In some regards, this was an excellent product; it gave me plenty of natural energy, alertness and endurance in the gym. Many older guys are looking for just those effects, so in that sense this was a success. However, the libido aspect was weird and came up late in the cycle. But when it came, bro, I'll tell ya! Sleep was okay, but I feel that ZMA and vitamin D should have been included in the profile, that would have made it more complete and the sleep aspect would have been more improved. But overall, those things are just minor complaints. I think that this has been the best test booster I have taken up to date. It provided me with a good deal of benefits and the value is great as well. I enjoyed the ride with it. MTS is a well known and established company and this is a solid product from them. I recommend it. Again, thanks to Clipper, Tommy and SR.com for the opportunity to try it out.