Quick Summary

I'm always trying to up my protein intake; I'm also struggling to stay awake far too often. Could this be my stone for killing two birds? That was my hope when I picked it up on the TROOPs Dash and I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint. It's versatile and handy to have around. Thanks to Muscle Nutrition for letting me give it a shot!

Introduction

Hi Everyone- As I mentioned in the summary, I often find myself struggling to hit my macros and also to stay awake-- particularly at the end of the day. This product looked like it could help me in both categories so I decided to give it a go. It isn't the first protein + caffeine combo I've used, but it may have proven itself to be the most effective. It boasts a respectable ingredient panel along with easy to follow macros that will fit easily into most regiments. Let's see how it did...

Ingredient Profile

Protein Coffee Drink Mix's (creative name) ingredient panel is interesting and handy. In each serving you get 20g of protein and only 2.5g of fat (.5 saturated), 7g of carbs, and 3g of sugar (0g added)-- all within 130k/cal total. Each scoop also hits you with 120mg of caffeine-- the equivalent of about 2 cups of coffee! If that wasn't enough already, you also have a panel of vitamins and minerals to go with it all. None of these are worth going into depth on since they are all 30% of your daily recommended intake or less (most are 20%), but it's a well rounded panel nonetheless.

What I really appreciated was that the first three ingredient are whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and coffee. There was no soy in this product besides the lecithin. If they used soy protein it would be game over, but instead they invested in quality ingredients. Kudos there.

This is sweetened with sucralose, which I prefer, but many others avoid.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The taste of this was pretty great. When mixed on its own it could sometimes taste a bit chemical-ly but not overbearingly so. Mixability overall was very good and only resulted in small chunks when done in a shaker.

The best preparation method for this seemed to be adding it to milk and ice in the blender. The result was arguably indistinguishable from a Frappuccino. ... I think. I don't drink very many Frappuccinos, but I imagine them to be sweet and easy on the palate... like this.

Other ways I prepped it were with a scoop of chocolate casein and another time with a scoop of salted caramel whey. When prepared as written above, these recipes were all quite tasty.

Effectiveness

This is the 3rd or 4th protein/caffeine combo I've used. I'd say it actually takes the crown of them all. This would actually provide me a boost in energy whereas others struggled in that department. Also, the fact that isolate is the primary ingredient makes it a really clean way to up my protein intake. I could never use this as a sole protein source and therefore can't attest to it's individual impact on muscle growth and DOMs, but in the scheme of tracking how much protein I'm ingesting, this made it easier and tastier than normal.

Value

The best price I could find this was for $29.99 plus $15.99 for shipping from Amazon. That's really a nonstarter for me considering you're only getting 14 servings. If it were free shipping I might be able to justify the price there since it provides more than your standard cup of coffee and would then cost about the same, but at $45... I can't. This product is very hard to find though, and maybe once it's proliferated a bit you'll see the price drop accordingly.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

I say give it a shot if you can find it without the shipping charge. As far as protein coffee goes this one is great, and it's an awesome follow up to a morning lift or a great way to fit in some macros + energy in the afternoon. The taste is superb and won't leave you unhappy.

Thanks again to Muscle Nutrition for sending this out!

Quick Summary

Nutrabio BCAA 5000 is a great BCAAs product that's both effective and highly versatile, with a good value to match.

Introduction

A special thanks to Nutrabio for their continuous participation here on SR.com. Today, I discuss my experiences with their BCAAs product BCAA 5000. BCAAs are one of the most versatile supplements in the fitness industry. They help support the growth and repair of muscle tissue and can help support endurance. I mostly use BCAAs for recovery, but will use them for intra workout support at times for better endurance. Regardless what your fitness goals are, BCAAs can have their place in your regimen.

Ingredient Profile

The profile is the basic 2:1:1 ratio you typically find in a majority of BCAAs products, but at different doses.

One scoop provides:

L-Leucine: 2.5g
L-Iso-Leucine: 1.25g
L-Valine: 1.25g

As you can see this adds up to a total of 5g of BCAAs. I personally would prefer subsequently higher dosages, but if the product has enough servings to compensate for multiple daily servings, the dosages aren't terribly low.

Per usual of Nutrabio, there are no added fillers or unnecessary, unwanted ingredients such as artificial additives.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the grape flavor. I found it to have the right amount of enjoyable sweetness without having any bad aftertastes or chemical aroma.

Mixability was a bit of an issue. I did experience some minimal clumping and sediment upon mixture with both water or a sports drink. As advised in previous reviews, you should allow a minute to allow it to settle. This will help encourage a more thorough preparation.

I used one scoop intra and one scoop post workout on training days. On non-training days, I stuck to using only one scoop consumed in the morning or during a work shift in the afternoons or evenings. I did not take it pre since I had a pre workout to cover that area.

Effectiveness

As an intra workout supplement I found that BCAA 5000 helped give me a good endurance boost by helping to keep my fatigue to minimum, while helping to maintain a good pump. I was able to execute more frequent reps and sets with shorter rest periods in between intervals. I also had more stamina during my cardio and boxing sessions as well. Lasly, my post workout DOMS was noticeably reduced.

A post workout serving helped my recovery following intensive training sessions and during the days that would follow. I experienced less DOMS and fatigue induced lethargy in the mornings and throughout the day. I had more natural energy leading up to my training sessions each day.

The last thing to note is that even though I did not use a scoop pre workout, I did see a decent heighten in my energy during gym sessions.

Overall, BCAA 5000 delivered where I wanted it to.

Value

Each tub contains 60 servings, which is a two month's supply if you use only one serving. However, even if you're a two serving user like me, that is still at least one month's worth. I've seen BCAA 5000 go for as low as 30 dollars on online retailers. For the amount of servings, efficacy, and quality of the product, this is an excellent value in my opinion.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

As expected similar from past products I've used from them, Nutrabio has delivered well with BCAA 5000. The enhanced endurance and recovery will be much welcomed in order to help achieve fitness goals regardless of what they may be. Furthermore, the value and amount of servings in each tub are excellent, making BCAA 5000 well worth the investment for those who use BCAAs as a regular part of their regimen.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!!

GO PATS!!!

Quick Summary

Nootropic that gave me some very minor focus with a slight crash afterwards. Most ingredients are under-dosed, however you can get this at a cheap price on Amazon.

Introduction

39 years old and I lift 5 days a week. In the last year I have gotten into trying Nootropics to aid me in focus and an energy boost to get rid of those afternoon blues. Thank you to TROOPer and Formula 168 for the opportunity to try this.

Ingredient Profile

Fully disclosed label which is always appreciated. This contains quite a bit of ingredients, some common and others not so common, so I will briefly hit each one. Dosage is based off one serving (2 Capsules).

L-Theanine (280mg): L-Theanine is a relaxing and nondietary amino acid found pretty much exclusively in teas from Camellia sinensis (alongside green tea catechins and caffeine) and is known to promote relaxation without sedation. It appears to be effective at this as well as reducing stress at standard dosages. L-Theanine tends to be taken in the dosage of 100-200mg, usually alongside caffeine. (Examine.com) Here we have a healthy dose.

N-Acetyl L-Carnitine HCL (230mg): Known as ALCAR this has a variety of uses, but for this purpose it is to improve cognition. ALCAR is typically dosed at 630-2,500mg daily for cognitive enhancement, so this is a bit low.

Bacopa Extract (Std. to 50% Total Bacosides) (220mg): Bacopa monnieri is a nootropic herb that has been used in traditional medicine for longevity and cognitive enhancement. Supplementation can reduce anxiety and improve memory formation. You want this at 300mg with 55% Bacosides, so we have a low dose and a bit low on the standardization.

DMAE L-Bitartrate (200mg): DMAE is a compound that is known as a mind health compound. It does this by reducing buildup of what is known as the 'age pigment', which impairs cognitive function and is implicated in the cognitive decline with age. It can also increase levels of the compound involved with memory, acetylcholine. No known dosages exist.

Alpha lipoic Acid (190mg): Typically taken with L-Carnitine, ALA provides a short but potent reduction of oxidation by increasing anti-oxidant enzymes, and may decrease blood glucose acutely. This may aid in neurological decline as well. Typical dosage is 300-600mg, so we are low here.

Green Tea Extract (Std. to 98% Polyphenols & 50% EGCG) (144mg): Typically used for fat-burning, you want 400-600mg with 50% EGCG. We have a low dose here, and really I am not sure why this ingredient is included.

Boswellia Serrata Extract (Std. to 65% Boswellic Acid) (50mg): An Ayurvedic herb also classified as a phytopharmaceutical (H15; Europe) which appears to be quite anti-inflammatory, helpful against osteoarthritis, and may help cerebral edema. Boswellia serrata appears to have preliminary evidence for anti-inflammatory joint disorders. 100-250mg daily with food is recommended, so we have a low dose here. Another ingredient I do not see as needed.

Cat's Claw Powder (30mg): Uncaria Tomentosa (Cat's Claw) is an Amazonian vine that has been traditionally recommended for anti-inflammatory and fatigue syndromes. 250-350mg daily is recommended, so a low dose here.

Macuna Prureins Extract 4:1 (25mg) Also known as Velvet Bean this is your source of L-Dopa which has many uses ranging from mood to aiding in parkinsons disease. No real dosage requirements that I know of, but I am typically used to seeing this in the 100-150mg range in Nootropics.

Ginkgo Biloba Extract 4:1 (15mg) Ginkgo biloba is the most commonly ingested herb for brain health. While it may boost cognition in older populations, this effect is not very reliable or generalizable. For cognitive enhancement, take 120-240mg, one to four hours before performance. To alleviate cognitive decline in older adults, take 40-120mg, three times a day. Once again a low dose.

Huperzine A (2mcg): Huperzine-A is a cognitive enhancer that inhibits an enzyme that degrades the learning neurotransmitter, acetylcholine; due to this, a relative increase occurs. Typically this is dosed between 50-200mcg daily, so this is a low dose here.

So as you can see this has a lot of ingredients, with the majority of them being below the recommended dosages.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste/Mixability: Nothing to report here as these are capsules. No weird taste or smell.

Dosing: Directions state to take 2 capsules when focus is needed, not to exceed 4 capsules per day. I dosed this once a day at 2 capsules mid afternoon.

Effectiveness

The first three or four days on this, I thought that it worked well. After dose 4 however, and throughout the bottle from there it seemed to not do much of anything for me. I am thinking this may have been a placebo effect. The first few days I felt a slight boost in energy and did get some nice focus. After that there was no real energy boost and I felt there was some slight focus in there, but not a lot from what I have experienced on other Nootropics in the past. Most days I would also have a slight crash after about 2 hours of taking this, which really surprised me since this is not a high stim product. Either way the product had very minor results for me, and overall did not work that well. It may work better for others.

Value

You can go to the Formula 168 website and get a 14 day free trial, however, you are signing up for a subscription. Only other place that sells this is Amazon where you can get this for a one time purchase of $21.95 with free shipping for Prime members. That comes out to 73 cents a day, which really is not a bad deal at all. However, the effects were not enough for me, so not much more than average value here.

Side Effects

Most days I had a slight crash two hours after taking this.

Conclusion

Overall, this is an under-dosed Nootropic that gave me some very minor focus. Nootropics are all the rage these days and I have had better ones in the past.

Quick Summary

What is up SR! I will not fail on my Reviews, been a heck of a few months and things are starting to look up.
I also wanted to Apologize to VMI for taking it down to the last day for posting my review.

Introduction

Alright so I have been training 3 times a week and I for the most part focus on compound movements but I always include accessory and endurance exercises that help bring in as much blood flow into the muscle as possible.

Ingredient Profile

The Pill form of Vasogen is a slightly different from the powder form. The ingredient that are omitted in this pill form is L-Taurine. The only other notable difference is that the "Vasogen Swell Matrix Blend" has 100 milligrams more in the Pill form.

Now what is in these little red pills?

**Hawthorne Berry** - This has been proven to help cardiovascular health and expand the individuals blood vessels. Expanding the blood vessels will obviously help achieve a better pump.

**Schizandra berry** - This little unique berry actually helps the body control the production of cortisol (the stress hormone). We want to keep this controlled as this little hormone if over produced can hinder our performance in and out of the gym.

**Theobromine** - Has effects of expanding the blood vessels. Can be used as a stimulant and can help with mental function.

These are some of the ingredients in Vasogen, I thought would be of interest to you.

Taste/Dosing

Taste: To me it does not apply as the pills for have a taste to them at all.

Dosing: I will explain my dosing in this section but will elaborate on why in the Effectiveness section.

Method 1: Initially I dosed Vasogen as directed, 2 capsules 20 min before a workout. Then the same 2 capsules 30 min before workout.

Method 2: I also tried taking 2 capsules on non-training days as the bottle indicates, followed by the same 2 capsules on training days withing the time frame indicated on the bottle.

Method 3: My method and I do not recommend to anyone as the bottle states not to consume more than 2 capsules in a 24 hr period was 3 and then 4 capsules 30 min prior to a workout.

Effectiveness

Keep in mind that part of my workouts included 2-3 exercises with 4-5 sets of 15-20 reps, with only 30 second rest times. You know the pump can be real when taking really short breaks and pumping out that many reps (with proper form obviously).

Method 1 and 2: The pumps did not feel different or "stronger" I noticed nothing different this time around with one serving (2 caps). I thought to myself "I probably need to do more reps and it will kick in" I then proceeded to increase the rep scheme to 20 and slower and controlled reps. this also produced no change in pump. I thought that stacking it as the bottle says to take it on off days would make the effects kick in but I was wrong.

Method 3: This is where I felt a change to my pumps. Unfortunately it was not like the pumps I received while taking Vasogen in a powdered form. I Did feel an increase in blood flow to the muscles and it was easier to obtain a pump. I was able to complete 15-20 reps without being in that sweet pain of the pump. I probably could have done maybe 3-4 more sets to reach that painful pump that we chase.

I am not saying that this not a good product. I am only informing you that I was not able to match the pumps that the powder version of Vasogen gave me. I dont know maybe the absorption is off because of the capsule casing? I honestly dont know why, I Love all VMI products that I have tried and was pretty bummed about this not working out the way I hoped it would.

Value

My honest opinion is that this is an expensive product as you will need multiple servings for a very slight pump. You can purchase a bottle with 30 servings for around 30 dollars online.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

I was pretty disappointed with the performance of Vasogen this time around. The good thing is that These reviews help Awesome Companies like VMI improve their products. This time around Vasogen pill form was not for me, but I know that the powder form is waiting for me.