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

TestoFuel is a products that is not widely available in any store or online. I only happen to find it at the websites below:

1 - https://www.testofuel.com/one-box-testofuel.html?tf_source=google&tf_medium=cpc&tf_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI05Tc-eaZ3wIVpiCtBh2AmgdHEAkYASABEgL5xPD_BwE

2 - https://www.roarambition.com/testofuel.html

The price point for Testofuel is around a little steeper as you are paying over $2.00 a serving.

Ingredient Profile

Vitamin Section
Vitamin D3 5K iu
Vitamin K2 18mcg
Vitamin B6 5mg
Magnesium 200mg
Zinc 10mg

Test/Libido boosting ingredients
D-Aspartic Acid - 2300mg - Has been proven to help increase lean body mass, and boost testosterone naturally.

Asian Red Panax Ginseng - 100mg - This ingredient is really interesting as it is not neseceraly a test booster but it does help ones overall health, thus providing help with the boy down there. Some of the Benefits that you can expect are boost in immune health, increased energy, increase in brain function.

Fenugreek seeds - 100mg - Has been used as test and libido booster and helps increase muscle mass after weight training.

Oyster extract - 100mg: This is has been proven to help increase immunity and improve sexual health. They have also been classed as a superfood because they help at counteracting fatigue and benefit general health.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

0 Taste and Mixability

Dosing was done as the bottle states. 4 capsules a day spread out throughout the day taken with a meal or snack.

Effectiveness

I have taken a few test boosters in my lifting life and know what to look out for as far as effect of a good Testosterone booster.
I will be rating this product on 3 sections Strength, Performance and Libido.
Strength Score: 7/10
While taking Testofuel I noticed a slight increase in strength. I noticed that weights that normally felt heavy in my bench, squat, deadlift and overhead press were not as heavy. I wasn't on a specific program where I was trying to get as strong as possible. I was and am training to be a better version of myself and not let myself go. There were days where I knew a specific weight should have felt heavier because of the type of day I had. As I have mentioned before I train in all types of Set/rep ranges depending on the exercise.

Performance Score: 7.5/10
This section is not very easy to review, because there are so many factors that can have an effect ones performance. I did notice that when I had a difficult/long day at work and was mentally and physically tired I was still able to perform and meet my expectation.

Libido 7/10
So as far as Libido goes, it was increased slightly. I noticed that I was more easily ready to go and a seconds notice. The wife also noticed that I was getting a tad bit more annoying and needy.

All things considered Testofuel is a decent test booster. But below you will see why I gave a Meh!

Value

As I mentioned above I was only able to find this online from to places and both had the same price of $65 per bottle until you buy 3 bottles ($195) they give you a free bottle. So what I am trying to say is that at over 2 dollars a serving Testofuel may not be the most bang for your buck.

Side Effects

Some acne on back my upper back and my legs.

Conclusion

My gathered thoughts on Testofuel is that it is a product that works and has proven ingredients that work well together. But that Price point is a Meh for me, especially with other products out there that will offer similar results at a better price point.

Introduction

Let's get this out of the way now. Creatine is the most researched and proven workout supplement on the market. Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard when it comes to creatine supplementation. Simple. Cheap. Effective. With that said, however, supplement companies are always looking for an opportunity to improve products and take an edge over the competition. In this case, blended creatines are designed with the intention of improving absorption, reducing side effects, and increasing effectiveness. VMI has put together a valiant effort with S.M.A.R.T. Creatine.

Ingredient Profile

Creatine Citrate - 1.2g
Creatine bonded to a citrate molecule. Creatine citrate has been shown to be more water soluble, however scientific studies have not proven that the increased solubility leads to more effective absorption. Rather, it seems the inclusion of creatine citrate is more effective at improving mixability of the powder while still delivering a dosage of creatine.

Magnesium Creatine Chelate (Magnapower) - 1.2g
Creatine bonded to magnesium. Magnapower is believed to be as effective as creatine monohydrate without the bloating and water retention commonly associated with monohydrate. The inclusion of magnesium is also believed to assist in metabolizing the creatine, which may increase effectiveness, however scientific results have not shown any significant increases at this time.

Creatine Pyruvate - 1.2g
Creatine bonded to pyruvic acid molecules. Studies have shown that creatine pyruvate may elevate creatine levels within plasma. This has not been proven to have a significant effect on absorption. Scientific studies thus far have not shown any significant advantages over creatine monohydrate.

Overall, this product is dosed at 3.6g of creatine, somewhat below the recommended maintenance dosage of 5g. Some studies suggest that 3g is a sufficient maintenance dose, however I prefer to follow the tried and true 5g recommendation.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste:
Unfortunately, flavorless does not mean tasteless. I had hoped to receive one of the flavored versions, as most reviewers seemed happy with them, however I was sent the unflavored version. No big deal, beggars cant be choosers, and VMI is always as accommodating as they can be. This stuff was harsh though. Very strong chemical flavor when mixed only with water. Mixing it with my preworkout or BCAAs helped, but the taste was still present. While the unflavored version may not have the dyes that others have complained about with the flavored versions, if you are picky about taste, you may want to avoid this one.

Mixability:
Mixability was about on par with what I've come to expect from creatine. If there was any improvement due to the creatine citrate, it wasn't significant enough for me to notice.

Dosing:
1 scoop daily. No loading phase. I typically mixed it with my preworkout and drank it upon arriving at the gym.

Effectiveness

So, does it work?

Throughout my run of this product, I found it to be about as effective as plain old creatine monohydrate. After about a week of taking this product consistently, I began to notice some strength gains, as well as that familiar fullness in my muscles. I also found myself able to push more weight for more reps, with more energy throughout my workouts as well. Though I was unable to accurately determine if I had gained any lean muscle, I can confidently say that I had increased strength wise.

After finishing the product, I eliminated creatine from my stack in order to compare the results of my cycle on the product with my cycle off of the product. The first two weeks did not show any significant decline in strength or overall endurance, however I did feel the fullness in my muscles had faded by that time. Unfortunately, I suffered a non gym related injury to my right shoulder around that time and was unable to workout for a few weeks. Therefore I was unable to how long my body had retained the effects of the supplement.

Value

This is where this product takes the biggest hit. I was generally able to find the product between $20 to $30 from online retailers. While you can sometimes catch it on sale for cheaper, that seems to be the going rate. While I believe that is fair for a blended creatine with high quality ingredients, the fact that it does not seem to be any more effective than plain creatine monohydrate gives me pause. If the amount of creatine per serving was higher, or if the product was significantly more effective, I would have no issues paying that price. But as it is, I feel it is more prudent to just purchase creatine monohydrate.

Side Effects

No adverse side effects were experienced throughout the use of this product.

Conclusion

In conclusion, VMI Sport's S.M.A.R.T. Creatine does exactly what a creatine supplement is supposed to. Nothing more, nothing less. It would be SMARTER and more prudent to just purchase the cheaper creatine monohydrate and achieve the same results. So why do I recommend this product then? For the simple fact that there is nothing wrong with the product if it is judged on its own as opposed to comparing it to monohydrate. Also, because some people do suffer from water retention and bloating when taking just monohydrate, and this product may be able to provide the same results without the side effects. While I am satisfied with the product, I will not likely purchase it myself unless I can find it on sale.

Quick Summary

A good natural protein blend protein that will be a thick protein shake.

Introduction

Thanks to the people at Body Nutrition. I wanted to try this because it was a natural protein powder. I have only tried a few natural protein powders, so I wanted to give it a chance.

Ingredient Profile

This is a blend of whey, casein, and egg protein for a natural blend.

Nutrition Facts
1 scoop serving
125 calories
Total fat 1.5 g
Carbs 4 g
Sugar 1g
Protein 25

The nutrition was fantastic. I give that a very high-ranking. This is a 100% protein so it is clean protein.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I was able to get the dark chocolate which was not bad but not great either. The mixability was fine. It was a thick shake, so I used at least 10oz of liquid. The protein would break down well. The directions say dosing was to take 1 scoop and it had a good amount of protein. One scoop would be 25 grams of protein. I would mix one after a workout. Overall, it was a standard protein shake a fair ranking.

----Effectiveness---
This was an effective protein since it is hard to figure elements. I had good muscle recovery following a workout. I usually take a protein shake after the workout to keep from getting sore and worn out which this delivered. Sometimes protein shakes can make her stomach upset but that was never an issue. I was able to get the things that I needed with my protein. I would say it was effective, so I give it a good ranking.

Value

The price range was around $30 which $1 per serving for 30 servings. Price is standard for a normal protein powder but a great one for 100% natural. If you are into natural whey, the price can get really high. Value for me is high.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

I feel that this was a productive natural protein powder. The ingredients were good, especially since it natural. The nutrition was outstanding. The taste was fine. The mixability was not a problem. The dosing was good. The effectiveness was right. The price was a fantastic. I give this a high rating overall.

Quick Summary

Shrink Toning Lotion is marketed toward those looking to reduce cellulite and help tighten the areas to which it is applied. It initially looks like some cheesy informercial product aimed at the lazy people looking for a miracle cream, but I was actually quite surprised at how well it worked.

Introduction

Although new management has seemingly taken away our ability to review products and participate in the TROOP Program (I hope it's just a temporary glitch), I was lucky enough to latch onto a couple of TROOP items before the changeover. Thanks to Muscle Nutrition for allowing us to review their product. To the new management--please fix the glitch, if there is one. You're about to lose a TON of loyal workout enthusiasts by not allowing us to do what the site name implies.

Ingredient Profile

Shrink Toning Lotion contains a blend of ingredients designed to tighten the skin and shrink fat cells.

Deionized Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Soybean Oil, Glycerin, Carnitine, Caffeine, Coenzyme A, Coenzyme Q, Ethoxydiglycol, Sambucus, Nigra Flower Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butylene Glycol, PEG 8, Bupleurum Falcatum Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Palmitate, PEG-40 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid and Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E).

Many of the listed ingredients are to help transport the blend under the skin and into the cells. Here's a breakdown of what I was able to find on the key ingredients.
Soybean oil is supposed to help reduce cholesterol.

Glycerin: works to moisturize the skin by drawing water from the air into the skin's outer layer. It also forms a protective layer that helps prevent moisture loss.
Carnitine: L-carnitine functions by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondrion, where they are burned for energy.

Coenzyme A: a co-enzyme, notable for its role in the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, and the oxidation of pyruvate in the citric acid cycle.

Coenzyme Q: acts as an antioxidant, which protects cells from damage and plays an important part in the metabolism.

Sambucus: Also known as elderberry. It boosts the immune system and helps fight the flu.

Nigra Flower Extract: has potent antioxidant properties due to the flavonoid compounds naturally present. It also has skin-soothing effects.

Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E): a nutrient that's important to vision, reproduction, and the health of your blood, brain and skin.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Here's the dilemma that I have with Shrink Toning Lotion. There are no specific instructions on how much to use. It just says to apply to a clean, dry area of rhe skin with clean hands, preferably 10 minutes before a workout. I used a similar product in the past (Supernova by Evomuse) and the instructions stated to use a silver dollar amount in the palm and rub it into the desired area until fully absorbed. I did that with this product and after 30 days, there was still about 5-10 days of the lotion remaining.

Effectiveness

So, I felt a warm, pins and needles sensation when I first applied it, kind of like a toned down beta analine tingly sensation with a touch of heat added. It worked pretty well for me. It reduced the appearance of stretch marks and really tightened my midsection. There was a noticeable difference in my appearance. I don't think that this was due to water weight loss because I didn't urinate more frequently than normal. I've provided a before and after picture as an example. The pictures were taken exactly 30 days apart.

Value

Shrink Toning Lotion can be purchased on Amazon for $39.99, which puts it pretty much on par with most other similar products. The main difference here is that this is, IMHO, more than just some transdermal diuretic. When used in combination with a decent workout program, you can shed some stubborn fat while using this.

Side Effects

Warm, tingly sensation that subsides after about 10 minutes.

Conclusion

I didn't expect much, but Shrink Toning Lotion worked surprisingly well for me. Would I buy this again? Yes, definitely! I should note that this product probably works best for those who are already somewhat lean, probably in the 15% and below range. This is a great tool for those who are either recomping (like myself) or looking to lose some extra fat and tighten up the stubborn areas.

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.