Introduction

Thanks to RedCon1 for their participation in the SR Troop Program and sending a bottle of Mental Trigger my way for review. Mental Trigger is in the ever growing class of focus/nootropic supplements. A category that seems to be aimed more at tasks not involving working out. And personally I love this category of supplements. My work life involves long days that are sometimes quite arduous. So having something to put a little extra pep in my step and keep me sharp is a huge plus.

Ingredient Profile

While doing my research on this supplement to find the low price I came across a discrepancy. That discrepancy is that both Muscle & Science and Lucky Vitamin list this supplement as containing Noopept. The bottle I received and their website do not include this ingredient. I'm going to assume that the bottle and Redcon1's website are correct on this one. Maybe a formula change has taken place? The onus is probably more so on the retailers but seeing as I am fond of noopept, I would be thoroughly pissed if I ordered this and it showed up without my favorite nootropic compound. I included a small screen grab from Muscle & Science's website and the profile from Redcon1's website as well so you can see for yourself. Anyway, moving onto the rest of the story.

Good old caffeine anhydrous makes an appearance at 250mg per serving (2 capsules) and I have said before that I think 250mg is the sweet spot for caffeine.

Next on the list is 100mg of Hesperidin. I wasn't very familiar with this compound so I did some digging on its efficacy as to how it would fit into a focus supplement. It seems to serve as somewhat of a neuroprotectant and protects organs other than the brain from oxidative stress. The research doesn't seem to be very strong in its support in this regard and even if it was the recommended dose to reap the benefits is 500mg. So not much going here with a dose of 100mg of a compound without strong research to support its efficacy that should be dosed at 500mg.

Moving onto the next ingredient and you have 50mg of Theacrine. The effects of Theacrine can be similar to caffeine as a standalone but it has gained popularity in the last few years as being stacked with caffeine to help enhance the positive effects and mitigate the negative effects over caffeine by itself.

Next is Mucuna Pruriens (standardized to 60% L-Dopa) at 35mg. Most people have seen this on a supplement label at one time or another. As the name would allude, L-Dopa is a precursor to dopamine. Let's just first say that 35mg is not much of a dose when you consider that 5g is the studied effective dose of Mucuna Pruriens powder. Even an L-Dopa extract should be supplemented at 500-1000mg. So why even talk about potential cognitive benefits when you won't get any at this dosage?

For the next horrendously under dosed compound we arrive at 30mg of Alpha-GPC. Effective clinical dosage would be somewhere between 300-600mg. Unless this is some kind of super extract that I am unaware of, this is dosed at 5-10% of where it should be. So why even bother talking about it any further?

Rounding out the profile is 5mg of BioPerine (black pepper fruit extract) which has been shown to improve bio-availability of other supplements. Most of the actual research I could find pertained to enhancing the absorption of curcumin and is often found alongside tumeric in a dose range of 10mg-20mg.

Dosing

The recommended protocol is 2 capsules in the morning 30-45 minutes before breakfast and an optional 2 more 30-45 minutes before lunch. With 30 servings in the bottle you are going to run dry real quick at 4 capsules per day. The majority of my run was spent taking 2 before breakfast to help kick start my day.

Effectiveness

It didn't fall completely flat for me but this was far from the best focus/nootropic supplement I have taken. Honestly the effects weren't much different than popping a couple of cheap caffeine pills. Did it increase energy and focus? On a negligible level yes. But nothing like I was hoping.

Value

The cheapest I found anyone selling Mental Trigger was $38.99 and you have to also add shipping to that unless you are spending over $99 at M&S. Otherwise the two places I looked were $50 for a bottle. Given the generally under dosed nature of this product and the price tag and then factoring it only lasting 15 days if you do two doses per day, the value is pretty horrible. Even at one dose per day the value isn't good. There are supplements in this category that can be found for less and work much better in my opinion.

Side Effects

No unwanted side effects from taking Mental Trigger.

Conclusion

This is my first experience with RedCon1 and I'm not going to bash the whole company. It seems like they do have products that people enjoy out there. But I am definitely not recommending this one to any of you boys and girls. There are just too many better options out there to spend hard earned dollars on this one.

Introduction

I really get into smoothie's in the morning from time to time, and now the wife has started to enjoy them as well. The thing is she hate's my typical protein powder choices I typically get, so I tried this out and was able to sneak it in her smoothie to make it a bit more healthy and she loves it. So besides me having to trick her into eating her healthy food's was able to find a nice new protein that I liked for cooking and smoothies.

Ingredient Profile

Serving Size 1 Scoop (33g)
Servings Per Container14
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1.5 g 2%
Saturated Fat .5 g 3%
Cholesterol 45 mg 15%
Sodium 180 mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 8 g 3% Very low carbs.
Total Sugars 5 g
Protein 20 g 40%
Calcium 200 mg 15%
Potassium 250 mg 6%
Not a significant source of trans fat, dietary fiber, added sugars, vitamin D and iron.
The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Ingredients:
Greek Yogurt Protein Powder (Whey Protein Concentrate, Skim Milk, Yogurt Cultures [Heat Treated After Culturing]), Whey Protein Concentrate, Gum Blend (Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carrageenan), Natural Flavor, Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate, Mono & Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tri-Calcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Milled Chia Seed, Lecithin, Blueberry Powder, Freeze Dried Blueberry Granules, Salt, Sucralose.
CONTAINS: MILK AND SOY.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I had the blueberry, and it was really really good.
I tried this 3 different ways. Mixed as just a protein drink it does have a thicker more fluffy feel and the taste is really nice.
Mixed in with my smoothie is where it really comes into play. It does make it a touch thicker, but not much .
Now another way I have used this is with my morning waffles. I just add a scoop or two the the batter and boom you have protein waffles. I then just add some peanut butter to them with sugar free syrup and they are really great.
This stuff mixes great no matter how or what you mix with it.

Effectiveness

Typical protein protein. If you can digest it well it is a good protein. I did enjoy using this and might get this again if I have money burning my pocket. I did not get any crazy gains from this or anything, but I did enjoy this one a lot. I would like to try the strawberry flavor one next time. And I would like to maybe venture into cooking different things with this like cupcakes or something.
If you are looking for a fun different type of protein powder I think you should give this a go.

Value

Amazon is my normal go to place and usually beats most places. At 18 bucks for 14 servings is not a bad deal. Like I said this is not going to be a main source of protein powder. Just a fun desert type protein that is pretty darn good.

Side Effects

I never had issues

Conclusion

Optimum makes some solid supplement's and keeps their prices on point as well. I have them for years and most likely will continue to do so. I have to say this one is a bit different and I really liked this one a lot.

Quick Summary

Creatine, it's not steroid's but it can make you look like you take them.... no not really. Now if you go by the typical muscletech claim's you may believe just that though.
Creatine is one of the most tried and true supplement's that actually dose bring on benefit's.

Introduction

I love getting my workout in and having the all swole up feeling. But sometime's I find it harder to do that now day's than I used to for some reason. I do cycle off and on creatine. It has always worked well for me, I do have some types that I prefer over others but I think that is just personal choice.

Ingredient Profile

Micronized creatine monohydrate 5g
I looked at the fine print on the label. I does say it is packaged in USA but it is made in china. So I am going to guess that would be the creatine.
Now I will say this stuff is very fine , like grity powered sugar fine.
No dyes which a plus. It is just a simple product.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

It is completely tasteless, mixes very well. I did do a loading phase with this just because I had the extra serving's to be able to do so. Normally I do not load up on creatine , I am on the fence to say it does any good to load or not. I did take 10g on workout days and 5 grams off days.

Effectiveness

Pumps certainly increased. The pumps lasted much longer. Also come on much faster than normal.
Strength . I am not sure. I had bummed my knee up some and it really effected almost every workout I had after that. That being said I did more hypertrophy work than I have been doing. Which was a relief on my body somewhat.
I was recovering as well as I would expect to be on creatine.
Honestly for a muscletech product I really feel like this one, even though it is just creatine. This one really was performing quite well.

Value

This is where this really shines, Amazon has 400g which is 80 servings for 7.69$! I seriously doubt you will find a better deal than that for creatine!

Side Effects

I did not have any bad side effects.

Conclusion

I was a fan of Muscletech years ago. Then they really went down hill for a long time. They have seemed to try and turn things around here as of late and this is one that is proving it. I would like to see them source their products here in the USA like other top brands.
Not really much more I can say about this simple product.

Quick Summary

A great fat burner that is easy to take.

Introduction

Thank you to Flex Nutrition for giving me another product to try. This is one of many products I have tried by Flex Nutrition. I've had some success with Flex Nutrition and some that didn't go the way I thought it would. The Incinerator was definitely a success and something I highly recommend to others.

Ingredient Profile

The product has Lyzme5 500 mg, Conjugated Linoleic Acid or CLA 300 mg, Raspberry Ketones 175 mg, Garcinia Cambogia 100 mg, and Green Tea 75 mg per serving which is 2 capsules. Lyzme5 is a new patent ingredient that is trimethylated which is 3 different methylate. Methylate is a chemical or compound that affects protein. Methylate will aid enzymes, hormones, and even genes to detoxify the body. The methylate works with the liver to help burn energy of lipids to lose weight. It will convert the toxic amino acids to healthy amino acids. CLA is a natural in the body and is a fatty acid that can help with weight loss. Raspberry Ketones have been around for a while and will break down the fats in cells for fat loss. Garcinia Cambogia is for loss of appetite. Green Tea is similar to caffeine and will help increase energy. All these ingredients are beneficial and some are used for weight loss in many supplements on the market. What I find unique is a combination of all the items working together. The Lyzme5 was the most interesting as it works with the amino acids to detoxify the body of bad amino acids to help protein. I give this a high review since it is a unique use of the ingredients together.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste and mixability are not ranked as this is a capsule form. The dosing is you could take up to 4 capsules per day with 1-2 capsules about 30 minutes before meals. I give it a good review because the dosing is easy to do and changeable due to the body's response.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness was great. In the beginning, I started taking 1 capsule in the morning and 1 capsule in the afternoon with an increase of up to 4 per day. Eventually, I was up to 2 in the morning before and 2 in the afternoon before lunch. At first, there was only a 1-2 pounds of weight loss in the first 2 weeks but it increased to 7 pounds of weight loss over 5 weeks. I believe this was a combination of the Incinerator along with exercise of 4 times per week and a diet plan that consisted of 150 grams of protein, less than 75 grams of carbs and 2000 calories per day. The results were much more than I anticipated because I have tried other weight loss supplements in the past and only have had moderate success of 2-3 pounds of weight loss in one month. This was definitely something that worked well for me as I was able to lose more weight with Incinerator than any other on the market. I would give this a high recommendation to anyone that is looking to lose weight. This is definitely the most effective one I've ever tried. I give this a very high rating.

Value

The tub has 60 capsules and you can take up to 4 per day. I would recommend 3 per day which will get you 20 days. Amazon listed Incinerator but no price as it was unavailable. The Flex Nutrition website has it for $40 but it was on sale for $29. At the $29 cost and taking 3 per day, it will run you $1.45 per day. This cost may seem high to you, but for me, it would be worth it. There are a lot of weight loss products out there and there are ones from $5 to $100 but the question is, are they working for you. I would gladly pay this price since I was able to lose 7 pounds without changing my diet or workout schedule. When I am trying to lose weight, I really struggle with it. If I want to lose weight, I might get 5 pounds per month but usually end up with only 2-3 pounds. I know I could lose more weight if I cut down on calories, but I am trying to keep muscle and do not want to lose any muscle gains. With this weight loss and seeing no muscle loss or fewer weights being used in my workout, I believe this is a wonderful value. I give it a high-ranking.

Side Effects

I did have an increase in headaches. Part of my problem is due to the brain hemorrhage I had in 2014, so I can't say that Incinerator caused more. I just know that it was giving me head pain for a while.

Conclusion

For me, this was a great product. It has good ingredients with capsules that are easy to take before breakfast and lunch. It was effective for me in losing weight. The cost and value are dead on. The side effect was off but hard to measure for me due to medical problems. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to lose weight.

Introduction

Greetings SR! Back with a pretty unusual product compared to most of the other supps that we review, FREEZiNda. First and foremost, a shout-out and thanks to FREEZiNDA for their participation in the TROOPs program that brings you this review today. I've got a heck of a sweet tooth and this product works to convert normal protein powder into a frozen dessert. Does it work...stay tuned!

Ingredient Profile

No Rating
Nutritional Info:
Calories: 50
Fat: Zippo
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 45mg
Carbs: 18g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 0g

Ingredients:
Vegetable Glycerine
Erythirtol
Sugar
Baking Powder
Guar Gum
Xanthan Gum

So different profile to evaluate as this isn't meant to help you workout better or recover, its supposed to make protein...well...into dessert. With that in mind, the ingredients are mostly sugar alcohol and stuff to make it pretty creamy. To do that, the ingredients create 3/4 of a pint of dessert when you combine about 3/4 of a cup of protein with a dry and wet bag of ingredients and 1 cup of water. The result is whatever of cup of your favorite protein is in nutritional information with about 150 calories, almost all from the sugar alcohol.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

5.5

So I made this two ways, both with Optimum Nutrition's products. The first one I tried was the Gold Standard in my favorite flavor from them, coffee. After seeing other's reviews, I skipped even trying to use a spoon and went straight to the blender bottle and mixed the protein in the water first and then added the two bags from FREEZiNda. The result was pretty uniform, although there were a few small chunks of powder (probably due to there only being less than 4 oz of water per normal sized scoop of protein). Regardless, it wasn't bad at all. This created a product that had about 410 calories and 55g of protein (just over 2 scoops of protein).

The second type of powder I used was their casein and gotta say, that didn't mix up almost at all. After adding all the ingredients, the shaker ball was almost immobile as the resulting mixture was so thick. I had to add about an extra 2 oz of water to get it to mix up at all. This product was about 390 calories.

Effectiveness

5.5

So what was the results of all this chemical whatsitall? Well, the whey protein was a fairly decent desert. Was it ice cream? No, not even really a little bit. If you've ever had shaved ice, it was much more that consistency where you can see the ice crystals formed as you pull out scoops with a spoon. I didn't notice any real different to the flavor, it still tasted like coffee protein powder to me.

For the casein, that went poorly. You can see in my uploaded pic but the stiffness of the mixture didn't get any better after being in the freezer overnight, it was extremely hard and was essentially just frozen protein powder. There wasn't any creaminess to it and it was rather difficult to eat.

Value

4.0

Amazon was out of this at the time of writing the review so FREEZiNda's own website was the only option and they only had 10 packs for $30. At $3 a pack I'm having a hard time with this product. For 3 bucks, your finished product is about 3/4 of a pint, so it's almost exactly the same per oz as Halo. Except...you still need to buy your protein! Unless you are using lower quality protein, you can expect to spend at least $4 for 3/4 of a pint of desert. While its a neat idea, that's pretty darn expensive, especially if you need to commit to multiple packs at once (its advertised as a 5 pk so I assume you can find it somewhere).

Side Effects

None noticed, sugar alcohols aren't the easiest for some people to digest but I haven't seen any issues them.

Conclusion

5.1

The idea of this product is great, but the execution just didn't work for me. I enjoyed the dessert for what it was, a high protein coffee icy, but it definitely wasn't ice cream, it wasn't low in calories, and it wouldn't be a good value at the price. Honestly, I would rather either just pick up Halo at the lower protein amount or just chug a normal shake right before i had some real ice cream, calories be damned! There is some novelty for this product, so it gets a meh from me overall, but I can't find the value in it past that.

Introduction

Beast has been kind to me lately. They've sent me three of their products to review - the first of which being their standard BCAA 2:1:1 product. As I've written in other reviews, I'm a fan of consistently supplementing BCAAs for overall health and recovery. I try to ensure I'm ingesting 5-10g of BCAAs every morning during my fasted window, regardless of whether I work out or not.

Ingredient Profile

All I really care about in my intra-workouts/BCAA supplements is the actual dosing of BCAAs. 5g of essential BCAAs per serving has been clinically proven to be the minimum effective dose for an average-sized human. Beast's BCAA hits that nail right on the head with exactly 5g at the 2:1:1 ration (as is specified in the name of the product).

Also included are some goodies including B6, B12, and sodium, as well as small doses of Glycine (cognition improvement and fatigue fighter), Taurine, and L-Alanine. While I appreciate the inclusion of these essential amino acids, the doses not high enough to be considered effective, at least not on their own. Stacked on top of a preworkout or other product though and they could be providing some additional benefits.

One other ingredient of note here is Tart Cherry Extract, which is touted for its antioxidant and recovery properties. Again, the dose is low - you get 240mg per scoop against a standard dosing of 1000mg daily - but still, I like the inclusion of this supplement. Another nice addition.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I requested and received the Tropical Breeze flavor. Tasted like a kid's tropical fruit punch. Seemed heavy on the pineapple flavoring, but wasn't overly sweet or overpowering. Decent, but not the best tasting BCAA I've had recently.

I dosed one scoop every morning in 32oz of water and either sipped through my workout or drank down within my first hour at work.

Mixability was decent; basically what I expect from a solid BCAA. Some foaming and clumping around the lid of my shaker bottle as well as a bit of residue at the bottom of my bottle. Nothing extreme though and not a knock on the product in any way given that BCAAs are hydrophobic by nature. It really shouldn't dissolve super easily.

Effectiveness

I personally can't tell the difference between most BCAA products. I do notice a difference in my recovery time and the amount of DOMS I experience when I'm taking a BCAA versus when I'm not, but not usually between individual supplements. BCAA 2:1:1 was right on par with most other intraworkout products I've reviewed recently. I can't say I noticed any spike in recovery due to the inclusion of the aforementioned goodies e.g. Tart Cherry Powder or Glycine, but overall my recovery was solid and I wasn't having to deal with any hardcore DOMS.

Coming off an intraworkout that completely lacked electrolyte support made me appreciate the inclusion of sodium here. Though not as effective as other supplements I've tried that are loaded with potassium, magnesium, and chloride, I did still notice a small boost to stamina while running Beast 2:1:1 vs. not having any re-hydration supplementation. Personally, I'd like to see Beast go this route with this product - drop the small dosages of Taurine and L-Alanine and give me more hydration support and mid-workout recovery. That's just my personal preference however.

Value

Most solid BCAA supplements will cost you around .80c per serving. Some of the flashier products with broader ingredient profiles will run you closer to $1.00 per scoop. You can grab a 30 scoop tub of Beast BCAA 2:1:1 for $22 or .73c per scoop. A very competitive price point. No, you may not be getting the flashier profile or larger BCAA dose of a product like Nutrex's AminoCharger or NutraBio's IntraBlast, but this is still a really good, affordable BCAA option.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

Beast has a solid BCAA product on their hands here. Effectively dosed at a competitive price, with a few extras in the profile that may provide additional benefits depending on what else is in your stack. If you're looking for an affordable BCAA supplement, this one is absolutely worth considering.

Quick Summary

Genetidyne proteins are all about the mix ins. Lots of companies model their products after popular foods (cereal, cake, etc), but Gentidyne uses real mix ins, e.g. their snickers protein has crushed up snickers bars in it. When I saw this protein on stack3d, I had to try it.

Introduction

I'm a competing powerlifter on the tail end of a long cut. I like using protein powder to keep my protein up and my calories down. In addition to making shakes, I also like making proats, protein mug cakes, and protein with yogurt.

Ingredient Profile

Casolate is a casein blend. It has Micellar Casein, WPI-90 (cold-processed), and WPC-80. Unfortunately, I don't know how much of each protein type is used, but the micellar casein is listed first.

In one scoop (30g), you get 20g protein, 3g carbs (<2g sugar), <2g fat (1g saturated), for 109 calories. The amino profile is also listed on the tub. Each serving has 4.1g BCAAs in it.

It is fairly low in sodium (31mg), and cholesterol (15mg).

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I got the chocolate w/ special dark, featuring of course, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate. The taste was very good, 8.5/10. It was sweet without being cloying. I really enjoyed the bits of dark chocolate, although they do sink to the bottom, so you need a spoon if you're making a shake. I do, though, think the flavor could have been a bit richer.

This protein made for a good shake, but it made for even better protein yogurt. The mug cakes were a bit dry. Ultra Peptide 2 is still the best for them.

The mixability was pretty good. There was no clumping when I used a shaker bottle and very little foaming. I do, though, wish that the protein mixed thicker. The shakes were pretty thin, which is surprising for a protein blend. I didn't see any thickening agents in the ingredients list, and I think this product could have used some.

One serving only has 20g of protein, so I would either mix it with 1 cup of Fairlife (bringing me to 33g) or use 1.5 scoops of protein powder at a time.

Effectiveness

This product was pretty effective for me.

It tasted good, making it easy to drink. It didn't cause me any stomach issues, and it has the full amino profile on the tub, so it's easy to make sure that I was getting enough leucine each time I used it. I am for 2.5-3g leucine each meal to optimize MPS.

It was also good for satiety. After drinking a protein shake, I'm usually hungry again after 2 hours or so. With Casolate, I would be satiated for 3-3.5 hours. When you're cutting, every little bit helps.

Value

This product comes in 2lb tubs and 5lb tubs. A 2lb tub is $36, giving you $1.2 serving. I think this is average for protein blends. A 5lb tub is $61, giving you 80 cents/serving. This is a pretty solid deal.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

This was another good protein powder from Genetidyne. I would order Casolate again, but I'd probably try a new flavor, like reeses pieces or oreo. If you like candy in your protein shakes, then look no further. Genetidyne is what you want.

Quick Summary

This is a product that showed up on my Facebook news feed with a special of two tubs of protein for $2 with free shipping. This was a similar deal to what I received on this brands Fish Oil that I have also reviewed on here.

Introduction

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

As mentioned above, I received two tubs of this product as part of a Facebook deal. Personally, I have never used a collagen protein powder until trying this one; only read about them in the news and the benefits associated. Since this deal was only going to cost me two dollars, I figured it was worth a shot and even if this product turned out to be a complete bust, I really wouldn't lose anything (barring any negative health reactions).

Ingredient Profile

The ingredient profile and supplement facts is pretty simple for this product. Each scoop which weighs in at about eight grams provides you with seven grams of protein and 28 calories. The protein comes from the "Multi-Collagen Complex" which consists of hydrolized bovine collagen peptides, chicken bone broth collagen concentrate, hydrolyzed fish collagen peptides and eggshell membrane collagen. This 7.8g complex is the only source of ingredients providing the seven grams of protein per scoop. There are no other ingredients included for flavoring, sweetness, mouth feel or mixability.

Moving into the collagen protein and the claims made, the front of the tub talks about five types of collagen (I, II, III, IV, X). When searching the web for the benefits of collagen protein, I came upon this website (https://www.amymyersmd.com/2017/05/top-7-health-benefits-collagen-get/#close) which lists these benefits:

Helps Repair a Leaky Gut
Strengthens and Repairs Hair, Skin and Nails
It's Anti-inflammatory to Prevent Joint Pain
Supports Weight Management
Helps Protect Your Heart
Supports Bone Formation, Growth and Repair
Improves Detoxification and Liver Function

I will go more into my thoughts about these claims in the effectiveness section.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste >> This product only comes in an unflavored version and by itself in water, it is nasty tasting. Since there is no other ingredients included for taste or sweetness, you are drinking the pure protein contents. It did not cause me to throw up or come close but it was just an unpleasant thing to drink if you did not add anything else. It is actually recommended to use this in juice, coffee, tea or a smoothie recipe. I usually mixed it in with a scoop of whey protein and that solved the taste issue. If possible, mix this powder with a strong tasting beverage to help counteract the flavor (or lack there of). If you do not want to mix it with other beverage, my other recommendation would be to add some cinnamon to the powder and mix.

Mixability >> On its own, the protein powder would mix pretty well in a shaker cup but would produce some foam. This would dissipate if left to sit for a short while. The powder is very fine, so by itself there was no issue with sediment at the bottom or on the sides of the shaker. When mixed with a whey protein, everything would mix according to the characteristics of the whey. If the whey would mix well on its own, adding a scoop or two of the collagen product would not affect it except for the additional foam.

Dosing >> As with most protein powder supplements, the dosing is left up to the individual and how they decide to use it to achieve their desired goals. In comparison to most protein powder supplements where one scoop will get you between 20 to 30 grams of protein, each small scoop of this product only gets you seven grams of protein. With that in mind, most people will likely use multiple scoops each time, especially if this is going to be their only source of protein for the meal.

Effectiveness

The claims made by the brand is this powerful Collagen Protein combination supports healthy and beautiful hair, skin, and nails along with providing joint support and aiding in digestion. From doing some research on the web, these seem to be the common claims across various articles that I read but none of them have been scientifically proven. Personally, I picked this product up because of the special discount I received and figured at worst this would be just another protein supplement for me to use. And that is exactly what it ended up being. As a male, I do not specifically notice or keep track of the health of my skin, nails or hair. Before taking this supplement, everything was fine and normal in my opinion. My nails were not brittle, my hair was not falling out and nothing about my skin was an issue. After going through two tubs of this protein, I can say nothing has noticeably improved or gotten worse.

In relation to the claims of providing joint support and aiding in digestion; my starting point included a little joint pain in my knees and no problems with digestion. The pain in my knees has been a constant issue for many years because of sports injuries from high school football along with other repetitive activities over time. I was hoping for some benefits from using this supplement in this category but sadly nothing changed after using the two tubs. The lingering pain is still there and I can not report any significant or even minor improvement. Since I had no digestion problems before taking this supplement, I can not speak to any effectiveness after taking it for this review. Some people report good results from collagen protein improving their digestion issues in a gentler way than traditional laxatives.

In the end, the only positive rating I can give this product for effectiveness is being an easy way to increase my protein intake without having to worry about the other macros since there is no carbs or fat in this product. Basically this supplement is like a high quality whey protein isolate with some possible additional benefits for your hair, skin, nails, joints and digestion.

Value

At the special Facebook discount I received for this product, it has a great value since I was able to receive two pounds of protein for only two dollars. That is a one time deal and is not something I will be eligible for again. Putting that aside, the retail price currently on Amazon is just over $29 per tub with free shipping. The more tubs you buy, the bigger discount the company offers you. Buy two, save 10%. Buy three, save 15%. Buy four, save 20%. Since these only come in one pound tubs, that is the only way you are going to be able to save any money on this product. Even with the biggest discount available, you would still be spending over $23 per one pound tub. For the effectiveness that I received from using this product, that cost is too expensive for me to consider ever buying again. Maybe that price could be more feasible for someone who has some major health problems and this product provides amazing benefits, but not for me. There is a money back guarantee listed on the Amazon product page but I do not know how that process works with the brand.

Side Effects

I did not experience any side effects from using this supplement. It is sourced from various types of animals and contains egg, so be cautious of that if you are allergic to or trying to avoid any of those products.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I am thankful that I received this product at such a great promotional price. The various claims/benefits did not show themselves for me while using this product. After the first tub, I looked at this product as just a macro filler to help me get my protein in each day. I stopped expecting any of the other benefits claimed and just used the powder until it was gone so nothing went to waste. This was my first experience with a collagen protein and will likely be my last because I did not see or experience any significant benefits compared to a traditional whey or milk based protein powder. I did not have any negative effects from consuming this, which is why I did not rate it a "No" for the "Recommended?" section but the price will definitely keep me away from purchasing this again. As I mentioned in the value section, this product does list a money back guarantee; so if you are on the fence about trying a collagen protein, this may be the one to go with. If you don't like it, send it back to Amazon and get a refund. "Nothing to lose" as the company claims.

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

Quick Summary

New test booster from one of my favorite companies.

Introduction

This was a fairly hyped supplement from Kaged Muscle that was just released the end of February. I am a fan of Kaged supplements and I saw a deal on bodybuilding.com for this, so I decided to purchase a bottle. I am currently cutting right now and going to the gym about 5 times a week.

Ingredient Profile

This profile is stacked with patented ingredients that are said to help naturally boost your testosterone levels.

OptiZinc - According to InterHealth, the maker or OptiZinc, zinc monomethionine (the zinc that is included in Ferodrox) is zinc paired with the amino acid methionine. They state that this is 20% zinc and absorbs better than zinc sulfate. Examine.com states that zinc is one of the 24 micronutrients needed for survival. Athletes and those who follow strict diets can be deficient in zinc. Zinc is said to raise testosterone levels, but only if the user is already deficient in zinc. A high dosage is considered to be anywhere from 25-45 mg. Ferodrox contains 30 mg.

KSM-66 Ashwagandha Extract - 600 mg per serving. Ashwagandha is best known for reducing cortisol levels. It is said to also help athletic performance and virility. 600 mg is a common dosage of KSM-66 in supplements.

LJ100 Eurycoma Longifolia Root Extract - 200 mg. Patented form of Tongkat Ali/LongJack. HP, maker of LJ100, gives a long list of all their claimed benefits of this extract on their site. They say it helps sports and endurance, sex and libido, weight loss and mood, and healthy aging. Under these topics, they claim it helps testosterone levels, promoting an anabolic environment, reduces cortisol, increases libido, improves mood among many, many others. However, Examine states that there is not solid research backing testosterone boosting. They do however suggest that this extract increases libido levels.

PrimaVie - 200 mg. Patented form of Shilajit. Natreon, maker of PrimaVie, states that this complex supports male sexual health, increases endurance and fitness levels, and is a mitochondrial energy booster. Natreon provides a certain process to remove most of the heavy metals that are normally contained in shilajit. Examine does not really give any research or a summary of this ingredient.

Diindolylmethane - 120 mg. Micropure form of this ingredient, more well known as DIM, that is found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli. It is said to be a promising anti-estrogenic ingredient.

BioPerine - 10 mg. Common ingredient that can help absorption of all the other ingredients.

All in all, these are high-quality ingredients that are found in many other natural test boosting products. The dosages are well within the ranges of studied dosages, especially since they are all patented forms. The capsules are vegetarian and are supposed to be delivered as a delayed release. The capsules are supposed to bypass your stomach and all the ingredients are supposed to be absorbed by the small intestines.

Dosing

Instructions state to take two capsules in the morning or one in the morning, one in the evening. I dosed it two capsules in the morning for my convenience.

Effectiveness

I will start by saying I did not have any tests run prior, during, or after running one bottle of this. With that being said, I was pretty disappointed with the apparent effectiveness of this product despite the patented ingredients. I think the best aspect of this product was that libido was slightly improved, which I noticed about a week after taking this. I also saw a little increase in vascularity in my arms, but I was also intentionally cutting, so that could have been part of the reason as well.

I have had other products that have increased both libido and vascularity more. I really did not see anything else that would tell me that this product was working. I have not had issues with acne in years, but I did not even have a pimple during my month run with this. Usually a few pimples are almost expected with test boosters. I was not necessarily training for strength, but nothing really gave me a solid indication that this helped in that aspect. I do not think my endurance was increased much more either. My recovery also was not expedited in anyway.

It is possible that my goals and age (27) were not the best indicators of the effectiveness of this product, but I have had some pretty good experiences in the past with natural test boosters with similar ingredients. It also could be more effective if it was ran for a full eight week cycle, which is more common with natural test boosters, but it was too expensive for me to do that. With that in mind, it should be noted that nowhere on the label states to stop consumption after eight weeks followed by a four week break that is normal with other similar products. I thought that was pretty interesting.

Value

Normally, this is selling for $60 for 30 servings (60 capsules). I saw a 25% off discount on bodybuilding.com a while ago, so I thought it was a good time to purchase a bottle. After the 25% off discount, I was able to get this for $45. For the ingredients that are contained in Ferodrox, $45 is a decent price for a month run, but $60 is just too expensive for me to consider running this. Normal price places this at $2 a serving.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

If you can catch this on sale and think you would benefit from these patented ingredients, I think it could be worth it. However, at full price, I think there are other products that are just as, if not more effective. Of course, you are getting pure ingredients in here, so all that should be taking in consideration.

Introduction

A special thanks to Performax labs for their participation here on SR.com. Today, I discuss my experiences with their Nootropic Nootropimax. Focus and mood factors are never things I've had trouble with since I tend to be a strong minded, pleasant guy. However, keeping my focus and cognition sharp while maintaining a proper mood amongst life's stressors can sometimes prove to be in need of a little help. I've tried a handful of nootropics in the best and most have been highly effective. Therefore, nootropimax caught my eye as a potentially interesting new one to try out.

Ingredient Profile

The profile is fully disclosed with plenty of well known ingredients. They are not anything new so I won't go to in depth, but just provide a quick overview.

Bacopa Monnieri (45% Bacosides Extract) at 300mg - Known to help improve cognition mainly through mind relaxation properties. It also has axiety relief properties and has been suggested to possibly also help with depression.

CDP-choline at 250mg - A special form of choline that acts as a brain nutrient to enhance cognitive function. It has been shown to improve memory, mood, and act as a brain protectant (and possible treatment) to neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia/Alzheimer's.

L-Ornithine HCL at 250mg - MMA Freak noted how he was confused about the addition of this ingredient in a nootropic and I must agree. L-Ornithine's benefits are aimed primarily at waste elimination from the body by helping to catalyze the urea excretion process. Clearly, less wastes is favorable to the body's overall well-being, but as a nootropic, I would guess it was included due to proposed fatigue reduction and anxiety reducing properties.

Caffeine Anhydrous at 150mg - A well known stimulant that we know all too well. Caffeine in general can have supplemental cognition enhancement properties.

DiCaffeine Malate at 150mg - Another form of caffeine attached to malic acid. This form is supposedly more digestive friendly to those with sensitive GI issues.

L-Theanine at 100mg - L-Theanine it best known for its complimenting cognitive enhancement benefits when it exerts a synergistic effect in combination with caffeine. It aids in increasing focus, concentration, and mental clarity.

Theacrine at 50mg - Similar to L-theanine, theacrine works in synergy with caffeine to aid in mental clarity, cognition, mood, and attentiveness. It helps to prolong the overall positive effects of caffeine.

Sceletium Tortuosum at 25mg - I had to do a little research on this one. It is a plant from South Africa that contains alkaloids with positive psychoactive effects. It has been demonstrated to help elevate mood, alleviate anxiety, and promote more calming mental clarity. It does this by increasing serotonin in the brain.

Noopept at 20mg- Noopept is an effective nootropic compound that has been shown to have neuroprotective properties while helping to prevent (and possibly reversing) age-related mental and cognitive decline.

Huperzine-A at 10mg - Helps to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine. Since acetylcholine is essential to several neuro-related actions, having prolonged duration of it's actions helps to improve alertness, memory, mood, concentration, focus, and protection against cognitive decline related to age and disorders.

Dosing

The directions call for 2 caps taken daily on an empty stomach. As much as 3 caps are allowed in a 24-hour period. I started with 2 caps for the first two weeks, then bumped to 3 caps for the rest of the cycle. All doses were taken on an empty stomach.

Effectiveness

At 2 caps, Nootropimax gave me some notable nootropic effects, but to a moderate degree at best. 3 caps helped to increase the effects slightly, but not by a significant degree.

I experienced some improvements in focus, mood, and had more alertness. Focus and concentration in the gym and at work improved moderately as I was less distracted and more honed on my objectives and tasks. Overall energy was also improved.

My mood was a little bit more positive oriented and I was having leds bouts of irritability and "on-edge" type moments.

Overall, Nootopimax fell short in comparison to other nootropics I've used in the past with similar pricing. It is definitely worth a try and has potential for other users, but I believe could've been more effective.

Value

I found Nootropimax for as low as 36 dollars on Amazon. If you follow the 2 cap protocol, the bottle will last a full month. If you need 3 caps, the bottle lasts for a shorter duration and this does bring the value down. Given the falling short of efficacy, the value is definitely not the most expensive, but not the best in terms of value for effectiveness. It is a little cheaper compared to other nootropics I've tried. Though, I've found those nootropics to be more effective and to have a better value based on bottle quantity and getting what you pay for.

If you follow the 2 cap protocol, the value is significantly better. So, if you feel 2 caps will be all you need, then nootropimax is worth the investment to try out.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

Nootropimax is worth a try, but I personally would've liked more based on my experience with other nootropics. It did have its benefits, but not to the degree I would've preferred. Based on my need for 3 caps and the price, I would probably invest in other nootropics I've used before. Again, nootropimax is worth a go if you feel 2 caps is all you'll need.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!

GO BRUINS!!!

Introduction

I want to give a big thanks to Nutrex Research for giving me the opportunity to review Amino Charger + Hydration. I like to use comparable products to this mainly for amping up my hydration (recovery is an added bonus). I train in my garage usually for around 2 hours here in Florida. It can get pretty hot and for some reason I sweat like a pig. For that reason I take my hydration levels seriously and look for ways to aid in that area. I have used many Nutrex Research supplements in the past however this was my first time using Amino Charger + Hydration. My experience with Nutrex supplements in the past were solid so when this became available I had to give it a shot.

Ingredient Profile

The label features a transparent ingredient profile (w/ dosages) featuring 3 main categories:

1, Total Electrolyte Complex - 6 ingredients
- Calcium 63mg
- Phosphorus 31mg
- Magnesium (TRAACS) 62mg
- Sodium 200mg
- Chloride 230mg
- Potassium 160mg

All ingredients aid in replenishing your electrolyte levels with the most important in my mind (Sodium).

2. Clinically Dosed BCAA 2:1:1 6g - 3 ingredients
- Leucine 3g
- Isoleucine 1.5g
- Valine 1.5g

Standard BCAA dosing - for those who may not know BCAAs help stimulate muscle protein synthesis & aid in recovery (dreaded DOMs)

3. Amino Acid Hydration Complex 1.75g - 3 ingredients
- Taurine 1g
- MGG 500mg
- Coconut Water Powder 250mg

MGG or known as Magnesium Glycinate Glutamine Chelate is an anti catabolic. This helps prevent muscle breakdown & catabolism which breaks down more complex properties.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste - I received the Grape/Apple flavor which is one of a handful of flavors currently available. The taste was great exactly how I envisioned it tasting... a sweet apple/grape flavor that wasn't over powering. Easily one the of the better tasting Intra-Workout products out there.

Mixability - For some reason there seems to be some issues with BCAA supplements whether it be foaming or clumping. There was a little of both but nothing too bad. I'd advise using a shaker cup over stirring otherwise it wont dissolve all the way.

Dosing - I mixed one scoop with 10-12 oz water and sipped on while training.

Effectiveness

Most people like to start with recovery however the main purpose using this was hydration aid (myself). My hydration levels were kept in check with the added electrolyte & hydration complexes. It was easy to tell Amino Charger + Hydration was working my performance never dwindled during my training as I was sweating. Another way to tell - military way: pee color. Anyways in addition my recovery saw a nice increase with fewer DOMs & recovery speed. With the aid in recovery I didn't feel like my following workouts were affected in a negative way. Overall Amino Charger + Hydration did its job in both areas.

Value

The cheapest value was on Amazon for $23.06 (30 servings). Other retailers sell Amino Charger + Hydration for around $27.00 a tub. Using the Amazon price you're looking at .77 cents per serving - or .90 cents with other retailers. I find this to be a good price when compared to similar products especially with how effective this was for me.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you're in the market for an intra-workout product that works then give Amino Charger + Hydration a shot. Not only was this effective but the taste was great and the price is even better. Once again I want to thank Nutrex Research for participating in the SR TROOP Program.

Quick Summary

This has been one of my go-to whey proteins over the years as I can usually find it on sale somewhere and I like the fact that @ 25g protein per serving, it's more cost effective than many other proteins on the market.

Introduction

Let me start by saying that I am by no means an expert when it comes to supplements. I tend to like trying different products from different companies just to see what works and what doesn't. Fitness has always been a part of my life and I enjoy keeping in shape through a variety of exercises and diet. As I've aged, it's sometimes not as easy to get motivated for a monster workout anymore so I've learned to just "maintain" what I have through a more basic fitness routine of dumb bells, plyometrics, push ups, running and cycling. I started adding supplements to my diet about 15 years ago initially as a way to increase muscle growth and bulk. Now, I use them more for maintaining muscle and boosting my energy level.

Ingredient Profile

The first thing I look for in a whey protein is the amount of grams per serving. This whey from Twinlab comes in at 25g which is slightly above average compared to many other similarly priced proteins. This is a whey protein blend (whey protein concentrates and isolates). Other ingredients of note for this whey are:

Total Fat 2.5g
Cholesterol 80 mg
Sugars 2 g
Sodium 100 mg
It does contain milk and soy.

Their label states the following:

- No individual amino acids, fillers or extenders used to overstate the labeled protein content
- Naturally packed with Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) to help promote lean muscle growth and recovery
- Quick absorbing Whey Protein Blend to speed amino acid delivery to muscles after exercise

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I have tried both the Vanilla Rush and Chocolate flavors and found both of them to be better than average tasting and extremely mixable with milk. While I have not tested the mixability with water, I'm sure it would be equally sufficient. One scoop of 25 g is fine for me after a workout.

Effectiveness

While I do not do any rigorous tests of a supplements effectiveness, I can say that while taking this whey protein, I was able to maintain muscle mass and weight.

Value

Better than average value based on protein content and price.

Side Effects

None. Personally I experienced less than average burping/belching/gas issues with this protein.

Conclusion

If you're looking for an affordable, quality protein from a name brand manufacturer that comes in a variety of flavors, I would suggest that you consider giving this one a try. I have typically found the best prices to be at Swansonvitamins.com and through various re-sellers on eBay.

Quick Summary

Nutrabio is the industry's gold standard when it comes to transparency in labeling and trustworthy manufacturing. This product measures up as well as any whey concentrate on the market, but for whatever reason caused me GI issues that I haven't run into with any other whey concentrates.

Introduction

I hate to knock on a company I respect so highly, but need to be honest above all else. I received classic whey along with 2 other products in NutraBio's most recent TROOP offering. I was really excited to try it, but ultimately let down when it came to digestion. According to the other reviews it appears I'm the only one who experienced this issue, so while I would never try this product again it's the feedback from other TROOPers and the reputation of NutraBio that is moving my rating from a no to a meh.

Ingredient Profile

One of the things I think we all love about NutraBio is their transparency. They don't just tell you the measurements of active ingredients, they give you the whole f-ing recipe-- right on down to the amount of xanthan gum. I would literally trust them with my child.

In terms of Macronutrients, Classic Whey delivers 25g of protein in a 34.13 gram scoop. There are 3g of carbohydrates including 2g of sugar, and 2g of fat (1g saturated). Each scoop is 130 calories. The remaining 4.13 grams represent additional minerals and electrolytes, and flavoring. This is sweetened with sucralose (80mg).

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: I received the cookies and cream and initially found it to be delicious. Side effects later detracted from this, but I want to emphasize that I wasn't getting tired of the flavor, just put off by anticipated digestive issues.

Mixability: Among the best of any protein I've had. I mixed this with milk at times, as well as water at times. Whichever one I used, I always mixed this in a shaker. I never ran into any clumps at all, but I do pride myself on my protein shaking abilities.

Dosing: This lived in my office pantry and I usually took it midday after my lunch (1:30 or so). On a couple occasions I took a 2nd scoop at 5 for my commute home.

Effectiveness

From a macro standpoint, this fit into my meals very well. It's not an isolate so it would be unfair to compare it to one, and with concentrates you will inevitably see a few more calories along with carbs and fats. I'm totally fine with that and actually very rarely take isolates anyway.

From a recovery/growth standpoint, it's tough to determine. I usually take in anywhere from 60g-90g of my daily protein requirements from powder, which works out to be 3-4 scoops daily. Two scoops are part of a post-workout shake that I don't really mess. The other 1-2 scoops are taken in the afternoon/early evening.

The knock on the effectiveness is that despite this fitting into everything from a nutrient standpoint very well, it gave me stomach aches every time that inhibited my ability to keep up with my eating plans after drinking it. That was my only problem with this product.

Value

Nutrabio is never the cheapest and aren't in the business of racing to the bottom anyway. They're all about quality and their price-tags reflect that. The cheapest I was able to find this was at Suppz.com where it's listed at $32.99 and the site is offering an additional 10% off all Nutrabio products. That's affordable, but still on the upper end of all whey concentrates.

Side Effects

Stomach aches-- literally every time I drank it, regardless of whether I mixed it with milk or water, and whether I took it on an empty stomach or with food. Taking with food or drinking it very fast made things worse. The onset was rapid as well. I could feel cramping towards the top of my stomach immediately after finishing the shake and it would linger 2-3 hours afterwards.

Conclusion

Overall I think I'm the outlier based on other reviews and the fact that they had no issues, and therefore I'd recommend trying this to anyone but can't personally give it the "good" rating. I want to thank Nutrabio for participating in the TROOPs program and I'm bummed this product didn't workout as hoped. It's the first Nutrabio product I haven't absolutely loved. All the same, this is a great brand and my personal experience shouldn't dictate anyone's buying decision until the purchaser has considered all the other reviews here from other trusted reviewers.

Introduction

I'm admittedly a novice when it comes to diuretics and water-cutting products. My opinion is, unless you're trying to make weight for a sporting event or are competing in an actual bodybuilding show, there really isn't much of a reason to take this type of supplement given its short-term effects. Still, since I've been in a weight-loss competition with my buddy since January and with our weigh-in date happening in late March, I figured I'd grab a tub of Waterloss for an extra competitive edge.

Ingredient Profile

Waterloss is comprised of a prop blend of three ingredients for a total of 1.15g per scoop.

Horsetail extract - a plant stem extract (not actual horse hair FYI) that is known as a common diuretic and used for a variety of purposes. Not enough research exists regarding effective dosage, however I did find one article stating a common starting dose was 300mg, three times daily.

Phyllanthus amarus extract - a leaf extract similar to Horsetail extract in that it is a known diuretic with a host of other positive properties e.g. anti-diabetic, anti-flammatory, anti-microbial, etc. Again, effective dosing information is difficult to uncover, but an average dose is suggested to be around 500mg once daily.

Sophora japonica - a flower commonly used in Chinese medicine which exhibits strong antioxidant properties and supports circulatory system health. And hey, wouldn't you know, I could barely find anything regarding effective dosages. The best I could locate was a scholarly article from 1998 claiming a traditional decoction was dosed at 300-600mg daily.

Given the lack of research and the fact the product is a prop blend, it's impossible to determine if any/all of the ingredients are appropriately dosed. But using what I found as a baseline, I suspect Waterloss is nearly on point here.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Waterloss comes in one flavor - pineapple. Prime Nutrition did an outstanding job with the taste. They really nailed the flavoring. It's just the right balance tart and sweet and not at all overbearing, at least not when mixed in 32oz. of water. And there were no issues at all with mixability.

The directions on the tub are to consume one serving in the AM with a possible additional serving in the PM until the desired effect is achieved. I didn't really have a "desired effect" in terms of physique, and I was also nervous about prolonged use of a supplement with which I have minimal experience. Thus, most days, I stuck to one scoop in the morning and added a second evening dose on occasion (maybe two times a week).

Effectiveness

In terms of immediate effects, I can't say I noticed any differences when taking Waterloss. Now, I drink a LOT of water/fluids every day (usually a gallon between 7am and 1pm) so frequent urination is common for me. I don't believe I went more frequently while running this product, nor did I experience any sort of immediate psychological effects (see Wade419's review). For me, this was just a nice pineapple flavoring that I added to one of my morning water bottles.

I also don't have the type of physique where I think this type of product really shines. I'm lean and decently built, but I'm also a dad and work a desk job. I'm carrying around a few extra pounds and am probably around 15-17% body fat. On par with active adults, but certainly not on the same level as elite athletes.

I did notice, after about four days of use, that my arms and chest looked and felt drier and tighter. Slightly more defined and vascular. Nothing dramatic, but honestly it was about what I was expecting.

As for weight loss, I'm estimating Waterloss helped me cut around 1.5 lbs of water weight. My competition ran for 10 weeks from mid-January to late March with a goal net loss of 20 lbs each. My opening weigh-in was 219 lbs. and my end weight-in was 203 lbs. for a loss of 16 lbs. Didn't quite get my goal but I did win our bet. I've mostly continued with a stricter diet and exercise routine since the end of the competition (have relaxed it slightly) and I've found since I've stopped taking Waterloss that my normal morning weigh-ins are coming in consistently at 205 lbs, hence my conclusion. Perhaps I would have seen more pronounced results had I been more strict with taking two doses in a day, but considering I had no negative side effects or issues with dehydration, I was satisfied with these results.

Value

The cheapest I found Waterloss was $29 on Amazon for 90 scoops. That's a meager .32c per scoop or potentially .64c per day if you're steadily taking two scoops daily. Diuretics aren't a particularly expensive category of supplement. Most of the pills and powders I browsed through ran around .50c per day cost depending on the complexity of the profile. Personally I find Waterloss to be competitively priced.

Side Effects

No issues at all.

Conclusion

If you're a competitive athlete or prepping for a physique show then Waterloss should definitely be on your list of diuretics to consider. It's well priced, gentle on the stomach and GI track, tastes good, and is comprised of well-known ingredients with diuretic properties. Personally, I'm not adding any water-shedding product to my everyday stack as it just doesn't make sense to me. But hey, if you're trying to prep for a beach trip or a summer vacation and need a fast way to trim up your physique, give Waterloss a look.

INTRODUCTION

Thanks to Beast Sports Nutrition for participating in the SR TROOPS program and to SupplementReviews for making this connection possible. Some people think multivitamins are necessary, others say they aren't. But the necessities of a normal person living their daily life (work-home) are not the same necessities as someone who does any kind of physical exercise (weightlifting, cardio, crossfit, etc). Someone who lives a normal daily life without exercise might not need a multivitamin or maybe not take it as often as someone who does any kind of exercise. People who exercise put their bodies under a lot of stress, all kinds of stress, related to the exercise routine, weather conditions (if training outside for example), etc. Also, people who exercise will obviously use more Vitamins and Minerals than someone who doesn't exercise.

Another argument against multivitamin supplements is that you can get enough vitamins and minerals with the food you eat. Yes, it's true that you can get a good amount of vitamins and minerals with the food we eat. But how do I know I'm getting all of them? And how do I know how much amount I'm getting of each? Let's say I eat a balanced healthy diet, eating fruits, veggies, etc. But is that enough to get let's say Vitamin K (just an example)? Or is it enough to get Zinc? Magnesium?

Conclusion of my Introduction: At the end of the day, the easiest way to GUARANTEE I'm getting a good amount of all vitamins and minerals is through a Multivitamin supplement. Diets and the food we eat will always have certain vitamins and minerals we can't get enough. If we exercise, the necessity of taking a multivitamin supplement increases because we lose some of them through exercise. Some biological processes require some vitamins and minerals to be available to them at an exact time. So I don't see the harm of taking a multivitamin supplement. I think they are necessary. It's like an insurance. You can live without an insurance but someday you might need it and it will be very helpful.

CLAIMS

Helps to support:
- Intense Physical Training
- Heart Health
- Healthy Digestion for Nutrient Absorption
- Joint Support
- Mental Focus and Brain Support
- Immune Support

PURPOSE OF INGREDIENTS

These are Beast Sports Nutrition words:
Beast Super Foods Blend: Contains over 40 Vitamins, minerals, healthy greens and reds. Everything from Vitamins A, C, D, E, K to Iron, Magnesium and Zinc to Red Raspberry, Spinach and Cranberry. This synergistic blend supports overall well-being and body function.

Beast Probiotic Complex: Promotes Gut health and may aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. Gut health and proper digestion ensures you get the most from meals and supplements.

Beast Joint Complex: Contains key ingredients that studies have shown may contribute to joint health.

Beast Fish Oil + CLA Complex: The high purity fish oil and CLA blend is high in EPA and DHA. It promotes overall health, brain function, heart health, boosts your immune system and helps increase your metabolic rate.

Beast Cognitive Complex: This scientifically developed blend of Bacopa Monnieri, Ashwagandha, Ginkgo Biloba, Huperzine and L-Alpha Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline promote optimal brain health and function.

Beast Heart Complex: Contains Coenzyme Q10, Garlic and Hawthorn Berry, shown to help overall heart health.

INGREDIENT PROFILE

Vitamin A 5,000 IU 100%
Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 200 mg 417%
Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) 400 IU 100%
Vitamin E (as DL-Alpha Acetate) 40 IU 133%
Vitamin K1 (as Phytomenadione) 80 mcg 100%
Vitamin B1 (as Thiamine) 7.5 mg 500%
Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin) 8.5 mg 500%
Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide/Nicotinamide) 20 mg 100%
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 10 mg 500%
Vitamin B9 (as Folic Acid) 400 mcg 100%
Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) 30 mcg 500%
Biotin 300 mcg 100%
Pantothenic Acid (as D-Calcium Pantothenate) 20 mg 200%
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate) 100 mg 10%
Iron (as Ferrous Sulfate Monohydrate) 4.5 mg 25%
Iodine (as Potassium Iodine) 75 mcg 50%
Magnesium (as Magnesium Aspartate) 100 mg 25%
Zinc (as Zinc Aspartate) 15 mg 100%
Selenium (as Selenium Yeast) 70 mcg 100%
Copper (as Copper Gluconate) 500 mcg 25%
Manganese (as Manganese Citrate) 2 mg 100%
Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) 120 mcg 100%
Molybdenum (as Sodium Molybdate) 75 mcg 100%

Beast Joint Complex Blend 1,400mg **
Glucosamine Sulfate 2KCL, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Boswellia serrata (65% Boswellic Acid) Gum Resin Extract, Turmeric (Curcuma longa) (Root) Powder

Beast Essential Fatty Acid Complex Blend 1000mg **
Fish Oil containing EPA and DHA, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Lipase

Beast Cognitive Complex Blend 611mg **
Bacopa monnieri (Leaf), Ashwagandha withania somnifera (Root) Powder, Ginkgo biloba (Leaf) Extract, Huperzia serrata (Herb) Extract (Huperzine A 1%), L-Alpha Glycerylphosphoryl Choline

Beast Heart Complex Blend 530mg **
Garlic (Allium sativum) (Bulb) Powder, Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycanthus) (Berry) Powder, Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone)

Beast Super Foods Blend 212.5mg **
Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) (Fruit) Powder, Carrot (Duacus carota) (Root) Powder, Alfalfa (Aerial Parts), Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) (Sprout) Powder, Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris) (Whole Plant) Powder, Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) (Leaf) Powder, Beet (Beta vulgaris) (Root) Extract, Garlic (Allium M sativum) (Bulb) Powder, White Kidney (Phaseolus vulgaris) (Bean) Powder, Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) (Algae) Powder, Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) (Head), Barley Grass (Hordeum vulgare L.) Juice Powder, Apple Juice (Malus pumila) (Fruit) Powder, Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) (Fruit) Powder, Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) (Fruit) Powder, Cherry (Prunus avium) (Fruit) Extract, Mango (Mangifera indica) (Fruit) Powder, Raspberry Fruit Powder

Probiotic Complex Blend 112mg **
Probiotic Blend (15 Billion CFU/g) (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. brevis, L. casei, B. longum, B. bifidum, L. salivarius, L. plantarum), Bacillus Coagulans (6 Billion CFU/g), Saccharomyces Boulardii (20 Billion CFU/g)

MY THOUGHTS: Overall, we have a very good selection and variety of ingredients. I like higher doses on Vitamin C but considering this comes in capsule form, then those 200mg should be enough, it wouldn't hurt to add a few more hundreds of milligrams to Vitamin C though. I like the inclusion of Vitamin K1, not many supplements have this Vitamin. Vitamin K helps with bones and cardiovascular health. I particularly like this benefit: "It reduces the calcification and stiffening of arteries, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular-related mortality." Magnesium has 100mg which is 25% of Daily Value. I would have liked something close to 100%. Some people might complain about the B Vitamins not being high like in other products but I'm satisfied with this amount because we also consume B vitamins from other products. Also, recently, excessive amounts of Vitamins B6 and B12 have been linked with a few diseases so these amounts are adequate, they are high but not extremely high.

As for the blends, most of them are obviously underdosed but the point is for them to work well together. I liked the inclusion of "Lipase" because according to SupplementReviews, Lipase is an: "Enzyme used by the body to break down fats in food so that they can be absorbed in the intestines and transported throughout the body." Unfortunately, I don't know if the dose is good enough to have that benefit. You can't expect a supplement to have a full dose on all ingredients and be $29.99 lol. BUT! I atleast expect them to be close to their full dose OR have atleast 1 ingredient of the blend at full dose and the others with an acceptable amount (half-full dose maybe?). But it's impossible to know the dose of each ingredient with these Proprietary Blends. From what I can see, none of the 2 scenarios posted (all close to full dose or 1 ingredient with full dose) is present on these Packs. Like I said, I liked the selection and variety of the ingredients added, that's why I'm going to give it a 7/10 here.

SIZE/FORM OF CAPS/DOSING

- SIZE of the product is 30 packs. Each pack has 8 capsules. Not small, not big, just average size. Easy to swallow.

- The form of caps is CAPSULES. Usually this type of products are in tablet form so this is a big advantage here when it comes to absorption/digestion. They also have drawings on the box showing which blends are in which capsules. Most were easy to identify physically, others not so easy. The beast joint complex and Beast Probiotic Complex capsules are very similar but it didn't matter to me as I took the 8 of them at once. (2 by 2)

- DOSING: I tried this product several ways. 2 weeks post-workout after Dinner, 1 week after Breakfast and a few days pre-workout. I decided to try them 2 weeks post-workout so all the ingredients could help me with overall recovery after lifting. Obviously, this is the hardest way of perceiving if it works or not as it is combined with plenty of other supplements/ingredients... but let's see how it worked.

EFFECTIVENESS

2 weeks Post-Workout: Toughest moment on paper to judge the effectiveness. Can't say if it really helped with my recovery. I can say it helped to digest the food I ate though. Dinner is usually my heaviest meal so that's why I can say it helped here. I'm happy with this benefit because Dinner is also usually my meal with the most amount of Protein, including the Protein consumed from Supplements so good job from the Probiotic Complex Blend and the other ingredients indirectly. If I was to use this product again, I would use it 1 week post-workout, 2 weeks after breakfast and 1 week Pre-workout to see if I could feel the effectiveness more. About the Joint Complex Blend, I was taking VMI Arimidrol which is supposed to lower estrogen. That has the side effect of causing joint pain. I think the Joint Complex Blend helped me control that side effect as the pain was lower than the one caused by Arimistane but it still feels underdosed unfortunately.

1 week after Breakfast: I thought this moment was going to be easier to judge but it wasn't. People usually expect some overall well-being feeling, some natural clean energy from the B vitamins, etc. But the thing is it's easy to get confused by Placebo here, you have to know how to distinguish between Placebo and overall well being. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to conclude if that feeling was overall well-being or Placebo. About the natural clean energy, I was a bit dissapointed too BUT I think it was more because my body was already too exhausted from the preworkout I was taking (Full Spectrum RX) the day before... I also think I needed more than 1 week to notice the effects on this moment of the day.

1 week Pre-Workout: I took 1 pack with my preworkout (Full Spectrum RX) but if you look at the ingredients that preworkout has, you will see that it was impossible for me to feel any effects of the pack on my workout. Full Spectrum RX has abundant stimulants and abundant ingredients so that's why I only tried it once. The other days I tried the packs pre-workout were during my 1 week off stimulants. I'm a fan of taking multivitamins pre-workout because I feel they work. When I first heard about it from my brother, I was skeptic but when he tells me something like that, I know I have to listen to him and try it so if you haven't tried it, I suggest you try any multivitamin supplement with your preworkout or your preworkout meal. So during that week off stimulants, the Packs, along with my BCAA and Creatine did an acceptable job. Some energy and help on endurance to keep going. Not the best but it got the job done.

Final Thoughts: Before taking Beast Packs, I had several months without taking a Multivitamin (since November 2017). I could feel the difference between taking a Multivitamin supplement and not taking one so that's positive. Obviously, some of the blends like the Heart Complex Blend, Super Foods Blend, etc are difficult to feel although I'm glad the Beast Packs had the Heart Complex Blend. With the crazy amount of stimulants from Full Spectrum RX, I was happy with the Heart Complex Blend hahaha! One surprising thing was that I never had crashes after my workouts from Full Spectrum Rx. I was expecting some because of the high amount of stimulants. Maybe the Beast Packs helped to prevent the crashes? Just speculation.

Final Thoughts #2: Yea yea, I have so much to say, sorry. Never got sick during the month of taking this. I got a bit sick 10 days AFTER FINISHING the Beast Packs but it only lasted 1 day after taking medicine once. It was my fault though, I picked 2 caps of VMI Arimidrol from the floor and that's how I got sick. I'm happy it only lasted 1 day, I'm almost sure the Beast Packs helped my immune system and that's why it only lasted a day. It usually takes a few days but it just took me 1. My immune system got stronger but not strong enough to prevent the disease? That's what I think. Oh and you will definitely feel the Cayenne powder all the time lol, seems to have a "high" dose which tells me more that Super Foods Blends is underdosed lol.

It was difficult for me to give it a score. I'm going to give a 7.3. I thought about giving it something between 6 and 8. The difference between both is a lot, at the end I concluded that 8 was too much and 6 was too low so a 7.3 seems fair enough.

VALUE

AllStarHealth.com has it for $28.99, IllPumpYouUp.com has it for $29.99, Bodybuilding.com & MuscleandStrength.com for $34.99, A1Supplements.com for $35.95, Beastsports.com (Beast website) for $38.99. The Beast Packs don't compete directly with your basic multivitamin, Beast Packs' competition are Universal Animal Pak, Cutler Pro Pack, ProSupps VitaLinx, etc. They have basically the same price, each one of them has like a specific emphasis, for example, Animal Pak has some aminoacids and some ingredients for liver protection, VitaLinx has ingredients for the joints, an enzyme blend and ingredients for weight management. I guess we can say the Beast Packs have a Probiotic Complex blend, Heart Complex blend, Fatty Acid blend and the Super Foods blend as their elements of making this "special". So it's the consumers choice...

My suggestion is to try them all and judge them yourself. So based on what I explained, I thought about giving it an 8.5 because I think it has more ingredients than their competition but the problem is that most of the ingredients are underdosed so I decided to lower it to 8. More dose of several ingredients would make this Pack the best of the best! For now, it's an interesting choice, just like the others. Beast Packs come in capsule form though, take that into account! Easier to swallow and easier to handle for your organism!

SIDE EFFECTS

None.

CONCLUSION

The selection and variety of ingredients is better than a lot of other supplements including its direct competition but their low dose is stopping this product from becoming the best. I have to agree with what user "Gdolce42" said on his Conclusion: "(...)but you need more than one round of it for it to make a difference." The Beast Packs did a good job, more than acceptable, more than just a small boost but I didn't perceive the effects enough to give it an 8. I gave it an 8 Overall because the fact that this comes in capsule form, easy to swallow, gives it advantage compared to its competition. Also, the box has a lot of information on what the product pretends, it has pictures of the capsules and the purpose of each blend. It also has like another opening to the sides to get the Packs easily (see pic below). The packs are also easy to open. Sorry about the box not being intact xD.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE COMPANY

1. I know it will be difficult for you to increase the dose of the blends BUT atleast increase the Magnesium and Vitamin C amount. I think you can do this without having to sacrifice the price. They also have benefits for bones/joints directly and indirectly so they can help the Joint Complex Blend on that too. This is my principal suggestion. #2 is also a suggestion but I know it probably won't happen lol.

2. Analyze more about the line I said in my review: "I atleast expect them (ingredients in Proprietary Blends) to be close to their full dose OR have atleast 1 ingredient of the blend at full dose and the others with an acceptable amount (half-full dose maybe?)" None of the ingredients in your Beast Blends fit that criteria. If you could modify the doses and make them fit 1 of the 2 scenarios (criteria) I said, then your product should shine. I don't mind Proprietary Blends but as long as it's not clear if the formula is underdosed and/or obviously if the product is effective. In your formulas, the Blends are clearly underdosed and don't fit any of my 2 scenarios posted above.

Quick Summary

A solid contender within the complete preworkout category with interesting ingredients, nice results and it covers several key aspects of a good preworkout experience. However, the price tag is steep and it is not easily available either. With that in mind this one fades away in the light of other more competitively priced preworkouts in the same category. Recommended, but with some caveats thrown in here.

Introduction

Hello SR nation! Redweilerfan here with another preworkout review. This time I will review a British pre that actually was bought in Prague in the Czech Republic; MyoCell 5-Phase from Amix Nutrition. My brother and his wife were there on a little vacation some time ago, and I asked them to pop into a supplement store and buy me a pre and a test booster that were popular over there. The guy in the store pointed to this pre and said that it was pretty popular in Eastern Europe when it came to the complete pre category. Said and done, this found its way to me and this is my experience with it. I had never heard of it, but I do like to try different and unknown brands, because sometimes you can really find that golden nugget among the not so famous brands. MyoCell 5-Phase is made in collaboration with German body builder Dennis Wolf who came at 4th place in the 2015 Mr Olympia contest. Lets go IN DEPTH with this one.

Ingredient Profile

As I said, this is an attempt at a complete pre and here are the ingredients. The tub contains 20 servings and each scoop serving is 25 g. We have a fully transparent label, which is a plus in my book;

Creatine Load Phase 1: 6000 mg

Creatine monohydrate 3000 mg
Creatine ethyl ester 750 mg
Creatine Nitrate 750 mg
Creatine HCL 750 mg
Kre Alkalyn 750 mg

NO Boost - Phase 2: 6000 mg

L-Arginine AKG 2000 mg
L-Arginine HCL 1000 mg
Beta alanine (CarnoSyn) 2000 mg
L-Citrulline Malate 1000 mg

AminoShock - Phase 3: 6000 mg

Micronized L-Glutamine 1500 mg
L-Glutamine AKG 1500 mg
Instantized L-Leucine 1500 mg
Instantized L-Isoleucine 750 mg
Instantized L-Valine 750 mg

Performance & Focus - Phase 4: 3302.5 mg

Taurine 2000 mg
Glucuronolactone 500 mg
Caffeine anhydrous 300 mg
Tyrosine 100 mg
Green Tea (standardized for 25 % polyphenols) 100 mg
Green Coffee Bean extract (standardized for 45 % polyphenols) 100 mg
Guarana Dried extract (standardized for 20 % caffeine alkaloids) 100 mg
Rhodiola Rosea (standardized for 4 % rosavins) 100 mg
BioPerine (standardized for 95 % piperine) 2,5 mg

Total amount of caffeine per scoop: 320 mg

Anabolic Fusion - Phase 5: 2150 mg

L-Glycine 1000 mg
Vitamin C 500 mg (625 % of your daily allowance)
Inosine 150 mg
ActiNOS (patent pending nitric oxide synthase activating peptide) 150 mg
HICA (alpha-hydroxy-isocaproic acid) 100 mg
AstraGin 100 mg

So, we have a long list of ingredients; let's highlight some of them and what they are good for;

Creatine blend; we have 5 different types of creatine here and the total amount of 6 g definitely is over dosed (5 g monohydrate is usually regarded as clinical, 750 of the HCL version is a clinical dose and we have it here). Creatine is one of the most researched ingredients in the world and it is highly effective in providing endurance and strength, thus helping you to max out those extra reps that count. Interesting with 5 types of creatine here; some people are so called non-responders to mono, so the other versions may assist such people in reaping the benefits of creatine.

NO blend: AAKG is a highly effective NO-booster and is unfortunately quite under rated these days. Arginine comes here in a total dose of 3 g (included the HCL version) and thus we have a clinical dose, albeit in the lower end of the spectrum (clinical dose 3-6 g). 1 g of citrulline malate is extremely under dosed (clinical dose is 3-4 g minimal) and I guess that Amix were looking for a synergistic effect with the arginine here. Beta alanine (oddly placed in the NO-category) comes in the highly touted CarnoSyn version in 2 g, which is under dosed (clinical dose 3.2 g). I still believe that 2 g will provide you with sufficient effect for noticing a difference in your workouts. Beta alanine delays the build up of foremost lactic acid in your working muscles, thus allowing you to squeeze out some extra reps before muscle fatigue sets in. It can also decrease needed resting time between sets.

Amino blend: we have BCAAs together with glutamine here for triggering protein synthesis and helping with recovery. Glutamine comes here in 2 versions in 3 g taken together and 5 g is usually regarded as clinical dose. The position of glutamine in sport supplementation is debated as to its efficacy; but I don't mind its presence her. BCAAs are under dosed as well, but I don't think it has any practical consequences since most people supplement with BCAAs post workout as well. I see it as a nice addition and if a company claims to have a complete pre, then they should add BCAAs.

Performance & focus blend: taurine at 2 g is a spot on high dose. Taurine contributes to increased blood flow and helps with maximising power output as well. Definitely a full clinical dose here (500 mg - 2 g). Glucuronolactone in 500 mg contributes to providing energy and is a nice addition in my book. Tyrosine in 100 mg is embarrassingly low and under dosed, it helps with mental focus, but I seriously doubt that 100 mg will do anything here. We have a total amount of 320 mg of caffeine, which helps with both physical and mental stimulation during your workout. 20 of those 320 mg come from caffeine sources that hit you in a more mild way than the anhydrous, which hits you pretty fast. A good blend of caffeine and the total dose is spot on for most people. If you are sensitive to caffeine you should perhaps not take a full scoop here. For me, 320 mg is absolutely no problem at all. Rhodiola is for taking the edge of the stims and 100 mg is a very low dose. Some claim that rhodiola is effective against fatigue, but then you would need pretty big dosages, so this feels like a filler ingredient here. Bioperine is there for absorption overall (oddly placed in the performance and focus blend) so that your body can suck all these goodies up.

Anabolic fusion blend: lastly we have glycine at 1 g. This is a non essential amino acid that primarily has been investigated for its sleep improving properties. There are indications of glycine having a triggering effect on human growth hormone (thus the "anabolic" blend here), but the dosages for that effect to happen is up to 22 g (!). So 1 g becomes a filler ingredient here in my book. Vitamin C is included in this blend and is here mainly for absorption I would say. However, vitamin C has strong antioxidant properties and may, according to scientific findings, contribute in preventing muscle damage and reducing DOMS. Inosine is a compound that sometimes is taken for improving athletic performance, but the science behind this is not conclusive. It has some regenerative properties and is used in treating different conditions that involves nerve damage. If 200 mg is a "clinical" dose is really impossible to say here since we don't know what it is supposed to do in this blend. ActiNOS is a bioactive protein peptide that is supposed to increase nitric oxide boost and protein synthesis, but the scientific evidence seems to be scant. HICA is an interesting ingredient when it comes to anabolism, it is basically a metabolite of leucine; a chemical waste product if you will. However, HICA has some interesting properties that are beneficial for muscle growth; it can bind hydrogen ions which are responsible for muscle fatigue and thus provide an anabolic environment, it works against catabolic processes (muscle breakdown) and may participate in lean mass increase. Finally, we have Astragin, which consists of astragalus, a compound with immune boosting properties as well as other health benefits such as cardiac protection. However, the dose of 100 mg is ridiculously low ("clinical dose" is up to 30 g) so this becomes a filler ingredient here.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I got the Tropic Lemon-Lime flavor and it was pleasant and enjoyable. It reminds me of lime juice with a hint of something I can't really describe (perhaps that would be the "tropical" flavor). The best way to describe it would be to compare the taste to the taste of the Brazilian drink Caiparinha, if you ever have tried that. You have that similar taste, minus the sweetness since this was pretty light, but still enjoyable. I give it a 7/10. It also comes in fruit punch. Mixability is a bit tricky; it isn't the best I have seen. There are no lumps or clumps, but a pretty good deal of residue always remains, which I attribute mainly to the creatine and amino acids in here. You will have to shake it every now and then if you like to sip your pre. Otherwise, just shake it and knock it back and you are good to go. Dosing is one scoop (25 g) in 200-300 ml of water, 30 min before workout.

Effectiveness

Overall I found this pre to be quite effective in many areas. Let's split the categories up;

Energy/focus: I'm pretty caffeine tolerant so 320 mg isn't a super dose for me, but still a decent dose anyway. I got some good energy out of this one, not a "punch in the face" or "bouncing off the walls" type of energy, but nonetheless a nice level overall. Mostly I had energy for workouts up to 90 min or so. Sometimes I can workout up to 2 hours, and then I noticed, depending on my overall feel of the day, that the energy became a bit lacking towards the end of the workout. Focus was actually decent, I was a bit afraid that this aspect would be totally lacking since the tyrosine here is ridiculously dosed at 100 mg. But there was some focus to get me through my workouts nonetheless, even if it wasn't anything major. Not tunnel vision by any means, but still some decent basic focus. What I did like here was the fact that I more easily adopted that aggressive mind set which is a good element in body building workouts. It was easier to swing those curls with this pre in the blood! So that was a bit surprising.

Pumps/vascularity: Not gonna lie here guys, this was not the best aspect of MyoCell. I got some vascularity in the chest mainly, but overall I have seen better. Pumps were okay, but I found that aspect to be lacking overall to be honest. That's kind of disappointing when you are doing serious biceps/triceps exercises and the pumps don't show up. This pre doesn't score well in that department. This could be due to the high rate of deterioration of arginine in the blood and the low dose of citrulline malate.

Strength/endurance: This was a more positive aspect here; I definitely felt a solid endurance overall and strength was up too. I felt it especially when doing preacher curls or working my shoulders with dumbbells. I could up the weights a few lbs, which wasn't bad at all.

Value

My brother paid around 35 U.S dollars for this and with only 20 servings this isn't the best value. That comes out to around $ 1.75 per serving and you can definitely find cheaper pres than that. You can also purchase this from Amix Nutritions own web shop for 44.90 British pounds, which would be around $ 63, yikes! It is also available on Amazon for 41, yikes again.. So, the value isn't the best part here and overall I guess that the best price comes from buying it directly in Eastern Europe or maybe order it from some web based supplement store there. Now, I got it for free thanks to my brother's generosity, but otherwise I wouldn't buy this on my own. Even if this was a 30 servings tub, it still would be expensive.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

An interesting pre that produced some good results in the gym, it tasted nice and there are some pretty good ingredients in it. However, it is very expensive and not easily available. Only 20 servings per tub also limit the value. Pumps weren't the best, although there were positive sides concerning strength endurance and energy. If you ever find yourselves going to the U.K or Eastern Europe on business or vacation, and if you spot this one for a decent price, I would say go for it. Otherwise, one would best stay clear from it.