Introduction

Energy drinks are the new craze, once only ruled by the handful of energy juggernauts who take up that entire freezer at your local corner store, now being combated by supplement companies looking to get their products in the hand of those who otherwise would never look twice. I became excited at the announcement of ProSupps entering the market with Power Potion, marketing it directly as an energy drink rather than a RTD pre-workout.

I became less excited at the thought of them signing DJ Khaled as an "athlete", but I digress.

Power Potion holds nothing back, packing in 50mg more caffeine than the infamous Bang & a much bigger punch than any energy drink I've ever had before. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this stuff is the energy equivalent of a punch to the face, and surprisingly, with zero crash (for me at least). I can't even begin to think of how many times I've leaned on Power Potion to get me through a double shift at work, or a long day out cutting & taking care of my lawn that nobody even sees, this stuff always delivered an intense amount of clean energy to make sure what got done, got done.

Though more than just caffeine, Power Potion packs a lot into a single can but it's all crammed into an "Other Ingredients" list so let's try our best to break that down.

Ingredient Profile

There's a decent amount of stuff stuffed in a can of Power Potion, the biggest kicker being the 350mg of caffeine. For perspective, a ton of people find Bang Energy to be to strong for them, and ProSupps jammed 50mg more than Bang into the Potion. Though weaker than the Hyde Pre-Workout, a lot of pre-workout companies won't touch more than 300mg of caffeine, let alone push 350mg into an energy drink. Similar to Bang also, we get our three BCAA's thrown into the mix at an undisclosed amount. While it's a nice touch, there's probably the bare minimum in here and at that amount it's almost useless. They could ditch the BCAA's & the product wouldn't change a bit, and that makes me even more curious about the CoQ-10, Taurine, and Citrulline dosages in here considering they're just tossed into this list of "other ingredients" at the bottom of the label. There's a lot to like here, and the fact that it's all undisclosed in a random ingredient profile doesn't really bother me too much. I'm not looking for anything more than an energy kick here and it seems like a lot of this stuff was just tossed in for good measure and just so they can say it's there. The L-Carnitine amount probably isn't enough to have a lasting effect since you're probably not drinking one of these consistently day after day, and the only thing I can see actually working in here is the CDP Choline since there is a noticeable boost in focus after drinking one.

To be real though, what are we looking for when we grab an energy drink off the shelf? Energy and focus, which is delivered just fine even after trying to sort out the messy ingredient profile.

Taste/Dosing

Power Potion is currently available in five flavors: Winter Blast, Island Punch, Cherry Cola, Pineapple Cooler & Purple Mist. The store I bought these at were nice enough to allow me to make a variety pack seeing as I needed to try every flavor I possibly could at my cheapest option. The taste was a bit of a surprise to me, they're not extremely sweet or up front, but instead have a smooth & enjoyable flavor profile. These were super easy to pick up & drink at anytime, and all flavors were as enjoyable as the others. It was a little bit of a challenge to open up the fridge and make a decision day after day but no matter which I grabbed, I enjoyed it fully. Just as a little side note, don't let these get warm. The flavor is great until they sit in the cup holder a little to long and only than does chugging become the only option.

I probably wouldn't recommend someone to drink more than one of these a day, or even consume any other caffeinated products within the same day as a Power Potion. I saved these for off days from the gym, when I was working a 14 hour shift or just an afternoon pick me up on the way to the beach. About 3/4 of my way through the package, I was forced to take 2 weeks off from consuming caffeine, and downing one of these on my first day allowed back on it was a life changing experience, so save these for those active rest days from training!

Effectiveness

I typically don't call myself a fan of energy drinks, nor find myself drinking these for much longer in my life, but Power Potion is such a good pick me up I found myself looking forward to grabbing one. The energy hits fast, most of the time I found myself speeding up about halfway through on average, and the biggest hit came about 15 minutes after finishing the can. I'd be practically dragging my feet and maybe it's placebo, but I felt an almost instant turn around in mental focus and physical energy, which really allowed me to finish off manual labor on a real high note. I only live about a half an hour from the nearest beach, and those days in the sun physically kill me, but Power Potion kept me kicking even through happy hour at the beach bar.

The biggest downfall that always comes with these heavy stimulant drinks, is the crash. I was ready to experience the worst crash of my life the first few days I was drinking Power Potion, and it never happened. The energy wore off really smooth and never left me needing a nap or ready for bed before sundown. It also never kept me awake to long, as I'd drink one pretty late in the day and still manage to fall asleep without the jitters at a very reasonable time. Maybe it's my adrenal glands being shot? Who knows, but it was a huge benefit to me.

Value

A pack of 15 cans of Hyde Power Potion will run you anywhere from $30 to $35, breaking that down to an extremely reasonable $2.33 a can. If bought single, the price at my local Vitamin Shoppe is $2.99, and if you love one flavor enough it's a nice bargain to grab the case. For the amount of caffeine you're getting and the effectiveness, $3 isn't bad at all considering it's only about $.30 more than their competitors average price. At both the case and single price, I have zero complaints about cost here.

Side Effects

No Side Effects.

Conclusion

Power Potion was a huge surprise to me, and I'm ecstatic seeing a company like ProSupps making this kind of impact in the energy drink department. With two more flavors announced recently, and an overall positive response from everybody trying them, it seems like Power Potion could be a contender for best new carbonated energy drink here in 2018. With many more companies reaching their hands into the energy drink category, products like Power Potion are going to make it extremely difficult for someone to come in swinging as hard as ProSupps has. You just can't beat the kick this stuff gives you, and the flavor makes these extremely easy to enjoy. If you're a fan of the Hyde Pre-Workout, definitely make it a priority to try Power Potion soon, you won't regret it.

Introduction

Hello everyone. A little background on me. I am a college triathlete so a large portion of my training is cardio. I lift a few times a week so I was using this pre for those sessions.

Ingredient Profile

I like to start this section by saying I'm in no way a professional nutritionist or scientist and speak from research, experience with the product, and experience with other pre-workouts.

Copy Pasted from website:
Citrulline Malate 8,000 mg - Explosive power & strength*
Beta Alanine 3.500 mg - Promotes Muscular endurance* (Gives tingling feeling)
L-Taurine 2,250 mg - Cellular health*
Agmatine Sulfate 1,500 mg - Muscular endurance & recovery*
AAKG 1,250 mg - Increases nitric oxide levels in blood*
Beat Root Extract 1,000 mg - Improves blood flow and stamina*

Full Spectrum RX Energy/Focus Matrix

Caffeine Anhydrous 350 mg, L-Dopa 250 mg, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine 250 mg, L-Theanine 200 mg, 2-Aminoisoheptane 175 mg, L-Norvaline 100 mg, Dendrobium Nobile 50 mg
Higenamine Hydrochloride 50 mg, Naringin 50 mg, Phenylethylamine Hydrochloride 50 mg, Noopept 30 mg, Octopamine Hydrochloride 30 mg, N-Methyl Tyramine Hydrochloride 25 mg, Synephrine Hydrochloride 20 mg, Rutaecarpine 10 mg, Huperzine 10 mg, Alpha Yohimbine 1 mcg

Full SpectrumRX does a great job listing all of its ingredients with no prop blends. Nothing seems to be underdosed and the ingredients all work well together. This is a complete Pre-workout with a great list of ingredients.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This is the one category this product lacks in. The first thing I noticed was how large the scoop was. 1 serving is huge with 22.26 grams of powder in one scoop. Since there's so much powder per scoop it's hard to get the drink fully mixed. This is also one of the worst tasting pres I have tried. It's definitely one to down and forget about.

Effectiveness

The first time I took this pre-workout I went through my normal lifting routine. It wasn't until I was showering after that I realized how effective this pre-workout is. I was still feeling the effects with a boost of energy and a feeling that I could conquer the world. I consistently felt the stims pumping me up and pushing me through the workouts and leaving me with energy to finish my day. Occasionally I'll end a lift with a long run. Once I got moving through the drink became more of a burden, feeling heavy in my stomach. I avoided the drink completely for purely cardio workouts based off of this. Overall though the benefits from the lift outweighed this slight bump and were easy to overcome by just not taking if a run is on the schedule.

Value

While this product is on the more expensive side of pres you're paying for what you get. A container can be found for $50. The ingredients and effectiveness are worth the money. If you can find a deal or a way to get the price down a little bit then I would without a doubt recommend Full SpecteumRX.

Side Effects

With the power of the stims in this pre-workout, you might be left jittery. Careful not to take too close to bedtime or you may be up awhile too. Overall pretty common side effects for pre-workouts.

Conclusion

Once you get past the mixing and the taste this is one of the best pre-workouts I've had in a long time. Full SpectrunRX has made its way into my rotation of favorite supps and I look forward to trying another flavor in hopes of a better taste!!!

Quick Summary

Solid product that will help you in all of your focusing needs

Introduction

First of all, thank you Black Lion Research and the TROOper program for allowing me to try this out.

I personally, have never tried any Nootropics before so I naturally was curious as to how it would work out. With claims of focus, energy, and overall cognitive dominance, I was all in! I need a good daily boost when I am in my office or when the children are begging me to chase them around the house, so this was ideal.

Ingredient Profile

I will list the ingredient profile along with the general function of it as well. This is a proprietary blend of 1000 MG.

Brain Factor 7: This ingredient has been shown increase ability for memory and also will help you have a better attention span.

Centella Asiatica Extract: Fun fact, this ingredient not only help with cognition, but also has been linked to helping wounds heal and reducing anxiety among other benefits.

Salidroside: Salidroside is found in the plant Rhodiola rosea. It has been claimed to be one of the compounds responsible for the antidepressant actions of this plant.

Caffeine: This will be the energy to help you get a little more boost in your pills.

Tyrosol: has been shown to protect your body's cells from dangerous free radicals, reduce your heart disease risk and much more, including helping your central nervous system get kick started.
I'm never really a fan of Prop blend, but I have never tried most of the ingredients in the profile, so I was intrigued.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No taste due to capsules.
I would take one in the morning and one in the in the afternoon after lunch. No other caffeine or supplements were included other than an occasional protein shake.

Effectiveness

7.1/10

While I cannot say that my IQ increased, I will say that I noticed it was working. After about 45 minutes after taking, I could feel the energy in my body. My ability to comprehend things also appeared to be in check as well. I normally do not drink caffeine or other stimulants other than a pre workout, so this was a surprise having something that jolted my system into overtime. I was focused on the tasks at hand and rarely strayed from such tasks. In the office, I was able to get most of my paperwork done daily and have time for breaks. In court, I was able to focus on what the judge and lawyers were saying so I could stay in the game. I also felt similar effects that I experienced with Ostarine as far as a feeling of euphoria. I secretly felt like I was the wittiest one at the water cooler! I did not notice any gym effects, but I don't think this was meant for the gym. The only downside to it, I did notice that it did not last long. It seemed maybe 3 or 4 hours was about the right amount of time for my energy. Luckily I took a serving about four hours apart.

Value

6.8/10
I was able to find this product for around $36 online. That is about 60. per pill or 1.20 per serving. I always say you get what you pay for, so I believe this is fair price for a cognitive enhancing product. It does mostly what it says it does and that is worth it in my books.

Side Effects

At first I had a mild headache, but after a few days, it was no longer an issue. I had read on their forum that it was due to it working. The overload of dopamine in the brain was the near exact words on the forum.

Conclusion

Overall:
7/10
Honesty, I did not have high hopes for this product due to the fact I have never taking any such product, nor have no experience with any of the ingredients. I was extremely skeptical. After 30 days of taking NOOTROL, I can say I will probably be buying more products in this category. While it falls short of a "limitless" pill, it is definitely a cognitive wakeup pill that you will not be disappointed for trying.

Quick Summary

Fade out by Redcon1, is a sleep aid formula that was quite effective. The only downside is it left me with a slight sleep hangover if I got under 7 hours sleep. Oddly, as opposed to other sleep aid supplements, I didn't have vivid dreams with this product.

Introduction

First off, I would like to thank Redcon1 and SR.com for the opportunity to try Fade Out.

I dabbled with probably a dozen different sleep supplements in my life. Although sleep is important, in terms of hours, I have no problem falling asleep and sleep supplements are not a staple for me

Why I picked the product:
I have read a lot of positive reviews here on sr.com and seen positive feedback in general about their products on social media. Also, wanted to see how it compared to my favorite sleep aid from RCSS.

Ingredient Profile

I am not going to get too detailed about the potential benefits of each ingredient, as many of the prior reviewers have provided that information in detail.

I will delve into some with my experience of some of the ingredients where applicable.

4-amino-3-phenylbutonic acid-1gram -aka Phenibut- I have had issues in the past with this ingredient, where as I woke up from sleep super dizzy with a past product that had a similar dosage. However, I had no such issues with Fade Out. I proceeded with caution initially at scoop and increased from there. Possibly the quality of the ingredient was better??

Mucuna Pruriens-1gram)-aka velvet bean- This is pretty standard in sleep aid products I have tried. I noticed similar effects, boost in libido, better feeling of wellbeing.

GABA-1 gram- Another ingredient that is pretty standard in sleep aids. This acts as a relaxer. I do not have issues falling alseep, so it was tough to gauge.

Arginine-HCL-1 gram-Increases blood vessel flow

Phenylalanine 750mg- Another relaxation ingredient usually found in sleep aids and some preworkouts.

Valerian Root-600mg- Known for calming effects. I have taken this as a stand alone ingredient in times of anxiety with success.

Ornithine HCL-500mg -this is suppose to pair well with Arginine

Theanine-500mg- seen more and more in prewrkouts to counter stimulants, has a relaxing effect

Several Minerals and Vitamins that can be found in bare bones sleep aid supplements like ZMA:
Magnesium 150mg
Vitamin C 100mg
Zinc 10mg
Vitamin B-6-6mg

Melatonin 5mg- Another popular stand alone sleep aid, which the body produces naturally. I have had issues in the past with this product, with similar dosages that resulted in me waking up groggy.
Vitamin E Acetate 10iu's

Clearly a ton of stuff in this product. All dosages are reasonable and at effective levels.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: I received the Orange flavor, it wasn't bad. A slight tang, but ok tasting. Not something I would rant about or say was bad.

Mixability: Slight settling at the bottom of the glass, so I added some more water which alleviated the remaining particles.

Dosing: I started with scoop as my bas experience with Phenibut in the past and quickly moved to 1 scoop. I mixed it in about 6 ounces of water and took it 15-30 min prior to bed (as in head on pillow ready to sleep).

Effectiveness

Great product with a ton of sleep inducing ingredients, which also gives you a deep sleep.

As an aging male, I always have to wake up to urinate at least once a night. Upon taking the product, I noticed this kept me asleep about 50% of the nights I had taken it. This is unheard of for me and no I didn't urinate in my bed the other 50% of the time.

I do not have issues falling alsleep, its more of a quality issue with me. With the product I woke up more rested. Although, I needed at least 7 hours of sleep or else I was a bit groggy on such mornings. In order to get the full 7 hours, I would go to bed earlier.

One odd thing to note, with the majority of other sleep aids, I always had very vivid dreams that I clearly remembered the next morning. I didn't have any vivid dreams and rarely remembered a dream.

Value

As of this review, the cheapest I can find this product is currently at I'll pump you up for $26.95. That's decent for all the ingredients you are getting.

Side Effects

Slight grogginess with less than 7 hours sleep

Conclusion

A solid sleep aid supplement, that brings all the ingredients needed to fall asleep and provide a restful sleep. This product is on my radar to buy and I am looking forward to the experience again.

Quick Summary

This is your all natural isolate whey protolyte protein without all the extra calories/fats/carbs. Does come with a rather high price tag and rather foamy.

Introduction

First off I want to thank VMI Sports for letting us troopers have the chance to give this product a try. I have tried a lot of their products and really enjoyed them and when I saw they now had this protolyte in an all natural I figured I would give it a try since I really liked their regular protolyte. Sometimes when it comes to an all natural type protein I am not always sure how it will perform. Having all natural is better in ways than regular protein but not always performs as well.

Ingredient Profile

1 scoop= 27.6g
100 calories
Total fat 0g
Cholesterol 1mg
Sodium 40mg
Potassium 166 mg
Carbs <1g
Sugar 0g
Protein 21g

This is 100% cold pressed and Filtered WPI.
21g of protein per scoop.
No artificial sweeteners no fillers
TRAACS Minerals and electrolytes for recovery and hydration.
Gluten Free, Lactose Free, NON GMO Protein.
Zero Sugars and is naturally sweetened.
It does contain xanthan gum, stevia, and enzyme blend
10.5g of EAAS

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I had the chocolate fudge cookie. This reminded me a lot of a real light tasting chocolate milk. Kind of like when you are making chocolate milk at home and you put your milk in the glass and then add some chocolate syrup to it but don't put very much chocolate in it. I thought for being all natural on taste it turned out to be fairy decent on taste and enjoyed it.

Mixing was no real issue. I did notice some foaming but I did not think it was as bad as other were saying it was. Maybe with the chocolate the foaming is not as bad as it is with the vanilla. I used one scoop post workout. Post workout is when I would normally take this. This could be taken pretty much anytime you feel the need or trying to get in your marco count.

Effectiveness

This I would use mainly for my post workout shake. I always try to take in protein right away after I get done working out. I felt my overall recovery from this was decent. I did feel a bit better and less sore. I know my DOMs were not as noticeable especially on legs which I had changed the workout I was doing for them a little bit and figured I would be more sore like. I felt this gave me some better energy and was able to perform a little better in the gym. I do think this helped but I think their regular protolyte was a bit more effective for me.

If your trying to watch your marco count I think this is great for that. With only 105 calories and hardly any fat this is a rather clean protein and won't cause you to gain much in any extra weight or make you feel real bloated like either. While using this I did not feel all bloated like and it was very good on my stomach and never caused me any unwanted digestive issues. This did make me feel more full like after I would take this but that did not seem to last as long. I know that while I was using this I did seem to lean up a bit more and still was able to put on some muscle mass.

Value

The cheapest I could find this was on amazon.com and they want $39.99 for 25 servings. I think for a protein powder like this it is rather spendy and not really worth the extra cost.

Side Effects

Nothing I noticed.

Conclusion

For being all natural type protein I think this was a fairly decent product and did help me a bit. If your someone trying to watch your macro count I think this is a good choice to go with. This has a lot of good ingredients in it and they do try to keep it very clean like and not add a bunch of other fillers and stuff you don't need. If your someone trying to cut or lean up more I think this is great to use but if your trying to add more weight and bulk some I would maybe look else where. For being all natural I think they did a good job on taste and this won't cause you any unwanted gut issues. For this being all natural I do think the price for this is a bit high and hope they drop the price a bit at some point. It's still a decent protein but just to pricy for what you get. Again I want to give a big shout out to VMI Sports for making this product and letting me have the chance to give this a try.

Quick Summary

Hey guys, back again to try this L-CARNITINE product by VMI Sports. First, I'd like to thank VMI for sending me a bottle and participating in the TROOP program.

Introduction

I was looking to cut some weight this summer and re-comp my body after punishing it with school and work, so I gave this product a try as it is a great addition to any fat-burning program. To be honest, I have taken supplements like L-CARNITINE in the past and I know that this is a supplement that is supposed to be taken over a long period of time, this is not something that one takes and should expect to see or feel anything extreme.

Let me provide more of a context as to my coming to take this product. For about three months I stopped all work outs and pretty much let my diet go in order to focus solely on school. This for sure took a toll on me as I began to weight 235, where I am usually around 220. That being said, I wanted to go on a solid workout regime of sprints at the park as well as get back on my diet. I decided to reserve this item from the TROOP vault as I know L-Carnitine is a solid edition to a cutting stack. I worked out for about 4-5 days a week, in the blistering sun, either doing Insanity by Shaun T or sprints at a park near me. I ate pretty solidly, chicken and veggies with my weekends kinda being a free-for-all at times. I took this product on an empty stomach first thing in the morning along with half a scoop of Performax Labs "Stim-Max". As a result, within a month I was able to shed 5 solid pounds which I have managed to keep off. What follows is a breakdown of my experience and opinion with the supplement

Ingredient Profile

1.5g L-Carnitine (500mg L-Carnitine + 500mg Acetyl-L-Carnitine + 500mg L-Carnitine L-Tartrate)
- L-Carnitine is naturally occurring in the body and supplementation can help the body metabolize fat and use it for energy. This product utilizes three different forms, each having their own level of bio-availability. At 1500 mgs, this is pretty well dosed as the recommended dose is between 500- 2,000 mgs. This is an interesting product as it has various forms of L-Carnitine; therefore, it may allow your body to more fully absorb the L-Carnitine due to the different processes by which the different forms of L-Carnitine are absorbed, as such this is a dynamic L-Carnitine product.

Green Tea Leaf Extract (50 mgs)
- This ingredient has been used in numerous weight-loss product as it has been shown to boost the metabolism

Gamma-Butyrobetaine Ethyl Ester Chloride (25 mgs)
- Gamma-Butyrobetaine is a precursor to Carnitine, which can help boost the body's carnitine production by up to 300%

Grains of Paradise (15 mgs)
- There is research that shows that this can enhance energy expenditure and can reduce body fat.

BioPerine (2.5 mgs)
- BioPerine is most commonly used in supplements the help the body absorb the other ingredients in the product.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the Patriot Pop flavor, which is supposed to taste like the bomb pops (lemon, cherry, and blue raspberry) that are now a pretty notorious flavor in supplements. I, personally, am a huge fan of Bomb pop flavors in supplements, which was most successfully done in Mesomorph. I did not like the way VMI did the bomb pop flavor in this product. I tried it every day first day in the morning for a month and I never really tasted the iconic bomb pop taste. I expected more from VMI as the K-XR flavor profiling is always on point but I couldn't really taste the flavor in here. Not that the flavor was completely bad, I just couldn't really understand why it was called Patriot Pop.

Effectiveness

Just as any L-Carnitine supplement, if you're expecting this is to do anything specifically noticeable within one bottle then you should lower your expectations. These supplements are, in my opinion, comparable to CLA products in that they should be used regularly for months in order to keep body fat compositions on the lower end of the spectrum. To me, it did its job in a way. I used this in conjunction with a stim-based supplement (Stim-Max) which has its own varying degrees of thermogenic properies. To clarify, I was not dieting before I took this supplement and I was not exercising. I had a dramatic switch to doing nothing to doing everything, so I would not put the 5 pounds of weight loss on this product in itself. I did not feel any sensation or any specific feeling from this product but I'm sure, on the cellular level, it was getting some work down. As anyone who hasn't worked out in a few months and goes back to working out knows, it is hard to match the level of intensity day-in and day-out. With this product and with my diet regime, I was able to perform consistently; therefore, I would say that this product did its job.

Value

I mean, I see this on the VMI website for $24.99 which is a ridiculously expensive price. However, I see the product listed on several other sites for $14.99 which is about the usual price for products of this nature. At the price of $15 this product is a great addition to a cutting stack for anyone who has the extra money to cover your bases.

Side Effects

There are none that I am aware of

Conclusion

Not a bad product. I would like to try the other flavors to see if they are any better because I know VMI is good with flavor profiling but this is isn't the one. Along with the other ingredients, this product is not bad. This product utilizes ingredients that really are not present in other comparable products but I believe it's just a novelty. The dosing of the other ingredients seem to tell me that they are just there to give the product more appeal but they really are not necessary.

Overall, I believe this is something of a "luxury" item and by that I mean that it is not something that I would use as a stable in my supplement stacks. Whenever I decide to cut some weight I usually start with a good thermogenic weight loss pill or powder and a multi-vitamin. This is the bare bones of a cutting stack, in my opinion. If you are fortunate to be able to afford other products to give you more of an edge and make sure your body is pushing your metabolism to the max, then I would suggest a product such as this. The great thing about these L-Carnitine liquids is that they are easy to take, they usually taste great, and they help ensure that your body is at the peak of its energy out-put, on a cellular level. Furthermore, this is a great form as most liquids are going to be easier for the body to absorb then its pill counterparts. I would recommend this to someone who is seeking that extra push or "oompf", if you will, or someone who is trying to build a complete cutting stack and has the money to spend.

Quick Summary

Major Mass is a versatile mass gainer that can be substituted as a meal replacement. My experience with Major Mass was quite positive.

Introduction

In essence the purpose of a Mass gainer is to add calories with the convenience of it being in a shake form and not having to sit down and chow down on a whole meal. We all have hectic moments in our life, or there are days where you know you need to eat/ingest some calories but you don't want to cook or you don't want to eat that "Suffer Chicken"(Bone Dry once reheated). Well don't worry Major Mass provides the convenience and flavor.

Ingredient Profile

Below is a quick breakdown of some of the ingredients that

Protein:

Whey Concentrate
Whey Isolate
Milk Isolate

Carbs:

Maltodextrine
Carb 10 (Derived from from peas)
Dextrose

Fats:

MCT Oil
Avocado Oil
Coconut Oil

Looking over this profile you can tell that they did their research on how to provide a quality ingredients. One example is not using cheaper alternatives to carb sources (even though there is some dextrose), and Fats. I mean there is probably very few companies out there using Avocado oil, MCT oil and Coconut oil as the fat source for their mass gainer products.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the S'mores flavors, right off the bat VMI is nailing it with the flavors. Not that this tastes exactly like S'mores but it is very delicious and you even get mini marshmallows. Personally this tasted like a Chocolate milk shake to me. Mixability was pretty fantastic, the only thing that seemed to settle was this very tasty chocolate substance, only if left in the shaker or cup for a few minutes without any movement at all. 99% of the time I found that 250 calories or 2 scoops was the perfect dose for me. I only ended up drinking one 4 scoop serving once, because I forgot my lunch at home and did not want to eat garbage food. This managed to keep me feeling satisfied until after my workout.

Effectiveness

So in this portion of the review you would normally state how the product made you feel. In this case I will judge Major Mass on its ability to keep me feeling satiated.

Major Mass is a versatile product, because it can be a perfect pre and post workout meal. Now did it keep me feeling satisfied or did was I still hangry?

As I mentioned above 2 scoops was my sweet spot and preferred dose. I would use it in the mornings on my way to work, I rather have those extra 15-20 minutes of sleep instead of a hot breakfast. Especially with such delicious flavor it was like a treat in itself. I would normally either drink in my car on my way to work at 7:45am or once at work 8:15am. Now lunch time is closer to 1 or 1:30 pm depending on how busy I am. So I was without food for anywhere between 5 - 6. Major Mass managed to keep me feeling full pretty much the 6 hours on occasions. This is meal replacement with versatility and quality of ingredients from a trusted company. I give Major Mass a Major thumbs up!

Value

*I will provide my thoughts on value based on a 2 scoop serving. Providing you with 30 servings*

I found Major Mass on Campus Protein for $39.99 this gives you a price per serving of $1.33. With total honesty a healthy meal/snack with similar macros will probably cost you more. As a SUPPLEMENT I can find good value especially because VMI is using quality ingredients.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

I have mentioned that Major Mass provides its consumers with quality ingredients, easy dosing at either 2 or 4 scoops and very delicious flavor. It has the ability to keep you feeling satiated and at the same time make sure you don't eat garbage sweets.

Decent fat burner that is priced low enough to at least give a shot.

Introduction

Shoutout to Flex Nutrition for sending me a couple of bottles of this stuff. I always appreciate the kind gestures for us TROOPer's. I have tried Flex Nutrition products several times and have always felt like they are a solid company with a solid reputation. In part, because their products aren't overpriced and they seem to work. I took this product while trying to do a quick shred of 15lbs for summer.

Ingredient Profile

Label starts out by listing 500mg's of Lyzme5. After doing some research it seems that Lyzme5 can help to reduce cholesterol, and helps your liver to get lipids into the bloodstream so that your body can use this as an energy source. This was all new to me...but hey, I saw it on the internet so it has to be true. The rest of the ingredients seem to be common weight loss ingredients. Green Tea, Garcinia Cambogia, and Raspberry Ketones. If these products are accurately dosed then it can definitely aide in fat loss. With this particular product the dosing seems low

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: Two caps so no taste.
Look: Spotted dark brown on a light brown
Mixability: Didn't mix with anything
Dosing: 2 caps, first thing in the morning and two more before lunch was the way I took em.

Effectiveness

I actually managed to lose 12lbs during the time I took this product. My diet was fairly good. I had switched my exercise routine up at this time. I can't say that I would have lost less without the product but I can't say it didn't help either. I took the pills as regularly scheduled as I could. I'm sure some of the weight was water weight. I'm not sure how much body fat I lost during this time. I noticed a slight increase in energy as well. Especially when taking it upon rising out of bed on an empty stomach.

Value

If you want to pay $30 for a bottle to try out for a couple weeks at the recommended dosage then I wouldn't think it was a bad investment. If you want a full month supply for $60 then go for it. If it were me, I would try the first couple of weeks and see what I thought. If you are trying to cut like I did, it might be worth it. Are there better options for the money out there? Possibly... try it out and see what you think.

Side Effects

Surprisingly, NONE

Conclusion

I like the product. I'm ok with the price. I think it helped me lose the 12lbs. Yes, I would be willing to purchase another bottle at that price. It's NOT a miracle pill. It takes dedication to a workout program as well as a balanced diet. You do those two things and I think this product could help you "Incinerate" the fat from your body. Lastly, thanks to Flex Nutrition for partnering with SR.com to send this out to us. I appreciate you both!

Quick Summary

UP Energy is an energy drink released by Christian Guzman. This energy drink is similar to most out on the market like Rockstar and Monster. The product comes in three flavors for now. Flavors are shown in colors because the product chose to stick with a minimalistic look on the can. Therefore the flavors are not listed, but the cans are red, white and blue. UP was actually just re branded under a new name - 3D Energy. UP energy is what we have on supplementreviews.com so here it goes.

Introduction

18 years old and I lift 5 days a week. This is my forth review on this beautiful site! I drank this energy drink during my shifts at my local gym, where Im a personal group fitness instructor, and I work behind the desk. I drank UP energy when I was behind the desk and needed a boost and reached for this because I get a discount on all the products my gym sells. I have had these multiple times, mostly going for the blue razz berry because that is my absolute favorite.

Ingredient Profile

The ingredients in UP Energy are pretty similar to other energy drinks. Taurine and L Cartinine are included in the drink like Monster Energy. UP is coming at you with 15 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrates. It is not too bad, but there are options out there for less carbs and 0 calories.

Im putting the ingredients below

Serving Size: 16 fl. oz.
Servings Per Container: 1
Calories 15
Total fat 0g
Sat fat 0g
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 250mg
Total carbohydrate 7g
Dietary fiber 0g
Total sugar 0g
Sugar alcohol 2g
Protein 0g
Proprietary energy blend 1.5g
Taurine, caffeine - 200mg, panax ginseng root extract, l-carnitine tartrate, glucuronolactions, inositol, guarana seed extract.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I've had all three flavors by UP that are currently out. The brand doesn't disclose what flavors they are and leaves it up to the drinkers to decide. So for me its a guessing game
Blue Can - Blue Razz berry 9/10. Razz berry flavored drinks have always been my favorite (takes me back to the blue slush puppies)

Red Can - Some type of dragonfruit/fruit punch tasting 6/10. The issue here is the flavor is enjoyable, but you do not know what you are drinking. Sometimes it tastes like fruit punch and others you just cant put your finger on that taste.

White - A fruity mixture - very hard to identify 4/10. I was very sweet, and just not my kind of drink.

No mixability here, just crack the can.

Effectiveness

This energy was pretty effective in making me feel energized. I drank 1 can of the blue razz berry today at work yesterday and I felt great! At least, for the first few hours. About two hours after I was extremely drowsy and tired again. I have never really had an energy crash before but knew right away what happened once I hit that feeling. I felt like I needed to eat or drink a poo to of water. Not sure what separates this energy drink apart from the others. Other times I have drank this on an empty stomach before working out. Maybe this is to my fault, and why I normally experience a crash. I've found that most times I drink this UP energy I experience the same feeling. I have used this before as a pre-workout, and the energy lasted about 30 minutes into my workout and did not make me feel any more pumped up or great during my workout.

Value

THIS IS ONLY FOR MY GYM
The cost for a case of 12 UP energy is 29.99. That is 2.50 for one can of UP Energy. Pretty good for an energy drink, but as a lover of energy drinks myself, I would much rather fork over the extra 50 cents for a Bang energy.

We have found that when placing these for sale versus the Bang Energy's. Bang energy's sell for three dollars while we have been running a sale on UP energy for 1.50. We just cant seem to sell them! Most people still paying the three dollars for the Bang.

Other then my gym, the cost for a 12 pack of UP is about 30 dollars. That comes out the 2.50 per can versus 1.79 for a bang which is my go to energy drink.

Side Effects

I have experienced crashes and fatigue after drinking

Conclusion

In conclusion, this drink fell short of a lot of my hopes. I wanted a nice drink with great flavors that I could switch off and on with other energy drinks. Instead, I found an energy drink with nothing very special too it, It is a little pricey, and this is the only one where I have experienced a crash with. The blue razz berry flavor was amazing, but the others were just meh.

Introduction

I want to thank Nature Restore for giving me the opportunity to test this fantastic product. I don't always take sleep aide products, but there are times when my sleep schedule is completely out of whack and I need something to help fall sleep and stay asleep at times, so I usually just take some melatonin, but I decided to try out SleepBoost which has melatonin as well as a bunch of other natural ingredients to help with sleep.

Ingredient Profile

3mg Melatonin is the perfect dose for me, some people like more or some like less, but i think it's right on the dot for most. It's a hormone naturally produced in your body that rises at night in order to induce sleepiness.

50mg L-Theanine is an amino acid that has shown anti-anxiety effects via the induction of alpha brain waves and also improves sleep quality.

200mg Magnesium Glycinate helps your body and brain relax in order to help fall asleep and stay asleep

50mg 5-HTP helps the body to produce more serotonin which helps with positive mood as well as promotes restful sleep

5mg of vitamin b6 works alongside magnesium in order to help regulate sleep wake cycle

200mg Reishi is shown to significantly decrease sleep latency, increase sleeping time, non-REM sleep time and light sleep time in animal studies.

200mg Zizyphus jujuba Numerous research on jujube has shown it can exert a sedative effect on the central nervous system.

200mg Valeriana officinalis has sedative effect and also improve the effects of other sleep inducing aids such as melatonin

500mg Xylaria nigripes exerts a sedative effect and enhances GABA activity.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

dosing is simple, just take 3 caps 1 hour before bed and don't exceed 12 caps in one day. I would sometimes take 2 or sometimes take 4 depending on how I was feeling

Effectiveness

9/10
definitely helped me fall asleep at night, unless I took pre workout past 6pm lol but that's normal. Not only did it help me fall asleep, but it helped me stay asleep and not wake up in the middle of the night as I sometimes do when taking other sleep aids. Did wakeup with slight grogginess when taking 4 caps, but nothing major or to turn you away. Now I'm already a heavy sleeper, but this helped me be an even heavier sleeper lol my girl would try and push me to my side of the bed if i was taking too much up and I would not wake up, so on work days where I had to wakeup very early I would try to stick to just 2 caps and maybe take another if I needed to.

Value

7.5/10
Im just putting the value at 7.5 because for 30 servings it's $15 on amazon when you can get 120 servings of 3mg of melatonin for $9. But you do get more
"sleepboosting" ingredients and I think this does help better than just straight melatonin

Side Effects

slight grogginess at higher doses

Conclusion

SleepBoost is a fantastic solution to those who just need that extra boost to help fall asleep and stay asleep at night.

Quick Summary

The newest version of Amino1 has not become a staple of mine but whenever I find it on sale I make sure to add it to my arsenal.

Introduction

A 30-year-old male that does double days more often than not while trying to build my second business as quickly as possible. I am vegetarian so supplementation is fairly essential with the way I train and if I am not getting enough of something my body makes it very clear. Although this is marketed as a post workout I have used it as an intra with notable success.

Ingredient Profile

Lots of aminos indeed. I actually really like the spread on this though I do wish they included more BCAAs and with regard to a few of the ingredients (taurine and glutamine specifically) I am already getting plenty. The profile includes

3g Arginine AKG to aid in nutrient delivery to muscle tissue via NO production.
1g Taurine which helps to maintain proper hydration and electrolyte balance. This is a solid dose especially since just about every decent PWO adds 1 to 2gs these days.
3g of a BCAA blend in a 3:1:2 ratio which is a dosed a little low.
1g of L-Glutamine which aids in muscle tissue repair and is critical to the immune system. 1g is fine considering this should only be holding you over just until your post workout meal which will have plenty.
1g of L-Alanine which has been shown to prevent and used in the glucose energy conversion process.
1g of L-Glycine which has been shown to aid in avoiding inflammation and encourage muscle and joint tissue repair among other functions. 1g is an acceptable dose.
200mg of coconut water to further aid with hydration and electrolyte balance.

I'm not huge on the artificial flavors and AceK especially because it already tastes mediocre at best.

Taste

I do not like fruit punch anything but it seems to be the flavor I always find on sale. As far as fruit punch goes, this one is alright in that it is a more subtle flavor with no bitter after taste.

Mixability

Mixes well with no issues. I usually mix it with about 16oz of water and begin sipping on it halfway through my routines while occasionally filling my bottle back up. This continuously dilutes the flavor and spreads out the dose though consequently it is front end heavy with this method.

Effectiveness

Kind of like protein I really look for what I don't experience. I do not ever get muscle cramps with this, soreness is kept to a minimum, I never get that cottonmouth from too much time training and I never bloat like I do occasionally when I go between dehydrated and hydrated states. I would say this product does everything it is designed to do.

Muscle Pharm does include some ingredients to help with protein synthesis and nitric oxide production but I am not able to see any measurable difference in my gains due to this alone. The fact that it seems to help keep my muscles from ever really breaking down to the point where I have to take an extra recovery day is plenty.

Value

I got my tubs for $11 each so at this price the value is off the charts. Most often however I see the average price is around $22 or so. Considering the lower dose of BCAAs and the likelihood that when using this as an intra/post product you may be dosing some aminos that were already covered in your pre-workout I would say the value is average. Although, if you are taking things such as Taurine and Glutamine separately this is an even more beneficial product and a heck of a lot more convenient than worrying about popping capsules or mixing in more powders.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

Recovery products like these are always hard for me to get excited about. They could be the most well-designed products in the entire world and then. Nothing happens. But I suppose that's as good as it gets. No soreness, no cramping, no exhaustion and no dehydration. I would not go out of my way to spend money on this product at full retail as most of the potentially beneficial ingredients are already covered for me in other products. I have not noticed any significant improvement in recovery or gains by adding this product to my routine. That said I have been pushing my body harder these past few months than I ever have before while on a diet where it is significantly harder for me to get the levels of protein I was once accustomed to. All the while, I haven't slowed down a bit.

Quick Summary

This product will help you focus but wears off fast.

Introduction

I have never tried a product from black lion research but was always interested in the brand. When I saw they were offering a nootropic I thought it would be a great product. I can sometimes have problems with focusing but not too often.

Ingredient Profile

Proprietary Blend: 1000 mg
Brain Factor 7, Centella Asiatica extract, Salidroside 10%, Caffeine, Tyrosol.

Brain Factor 7: Known as purified silk fibroin Brain Factor-7, this protein has been shown to help enhance memory, attention, and mathematical ability in normal persons while acting as a neuroprotectant helping to increase cerebral circulation, improve attention and cognitive flexibility.

Centella Asiatica Extract: A medicinal herb widely used in parts of Asia this ingredient has been shown to help improve cognition, reduce oxidative stress in the brain and defend against glutamate. It additionally helps to balance acetylcholine levels and boost both dopamine and serotonin levels.

Salidroside: Helps to balance neurotransmitter levels in the body.

Caffeine: Helps to boost energy and focus as well as caffeine helps to boost the effectiveness of other nootropics.

Tyrosol: Essentially a stronger version of Salidroside, Tyrosol helps to stimulate dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the central nervous system.

These ingredients seem promising. I do not have any experience with these ingredients other than caffeine. Based off what I read about them I had high hopes for this product and thought this would be one of the better nootropics I've tried. I think if they added noopept it could've been better.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Capsules so no taste or mixability.
I would take 1 capsule in the morning and another after I got back from the gym or after lunch on days I didnt workout.

Effectiveness

I was expecting a lot from this product at first. When I first took it I did not feel anything until an hour later when I was heading to the gym. I was more focused on my workouts and got a slight energy boost from the caffeine but not energy like it was a preworkout or energy drink. I would look at something and be focused on what I was looking at and not on anything else. My gym partner would sometimes tell me it's my turn because I would be too focused on something like my phone. During the workout I would be really focused on my set. When I got home I would take the second capsule and that would usually kick in faster than the first. In 30 minutes I would be super focused on tv or a video game. My skills at the games would not be too much better but my friends noticed I was doing slightly better and asked if I was practicing. I was more alert and had faster reaction times in the games I played. The effects would wear off after 3 - 4 hours and I would go back to usual with everything. I was angry at everything on the second day but other than that nothing bad happened from this. I'm almost positive the anger was from this and nothing else because I had the same diet, taking the same supplements, and nothing bad happened in my life.

Value

You can find this for $36 at strongsupplements.com. That is $1.20 a day for this or $0.60 a capsule. I think that is a fair price considering how good this worked but I would wait for a discount. I personally would not pay more than $30 or $25 for this.

Side Effects

Anger on second day

Conclusion

I think this is a great product for those looking for a new nootropic to buy. It is definitely one of the better ones I've tried but not the best. I would recommend this to someone looking for something new or who does not want to pay more than $40 for a nootropic.

Quick Summary

CTD Noxivol is a good product. Overall, the ingredient profile is not as appealing as the actual product it self but, I had some good workouts with it. In the review Ill go over what I liked, disliked and how it worked for me. I can say it is an interesting product but will I use it again? Give me some constructive criticism after please!

Introduction

Hello, my name is Richard and Im reviewing the CTD Sports Noxivol. First, reason I tried the product was because, many were have told me so many good things about the Noxivol tabs. I don't want to take 6 tabs a day especially when they are quite large, so I took the powder. Noxivol is known for great muscular pumps and holding the pump for an extended period of time. This is a big positive for me because my training regimen includes moderate frequency and high volume. I believe in muscle hyperemia and cell swelling to optimize hypertrophy. My main objective while training is putting as much blood in the muscle as possible! So pump products are a big help and great to incorporate in my supplement regimen.

Ingredient Profile

So ingredient profile includes L-Arginine which is a precursor to N.O and helps blood vessels open. A.K.G can enhance peak performance by getting rid of ammonia in the body. Beta Alanine is used to create carnosyn which enhances muscle contraction and muscular endurance. Ornithine, Histadine, Norvaline to create more N.O. in the body and muscular endurance. Cissus Quadrangularis, is used to easy the aches in joints and mood enhancement.
Alpha Gpc is a nootropic and cognitive enhancer, Rutaecarpine is an anti inflammatory, Vanadyl sulfate can help with growth and insulin sensitivity, and Bioperine for absorption.

All these ingredients are great, and do include good N.O. precursors/ inhibitors, they also have a great pump and endurance effect. And the ingredient combo is very special, because not companies put these ingredients in a normal pump product. However, the fact that it is a proprietary blend, so the dosage of each ingredient is not clear. In my opinion really brings down the trust of the products but some proprietary blends are good and some not so good.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Green apple tastes really good, and all other flavors i haven't tried, There is a fruit pinch and pineapple flavor though. Mixability is good, there will still be a little small amount of graininess on the bottom of the shaker but not bad. I use a shaker cup fill it with 10 oz water shake it up and drink it quickly. I like it to be very solute so that is why i use 10+ oz of water, and the green apple flavor still tastes good. As far as dosing goes I did half scoops for the longest time and It worked very well for me. If you like really concentrated tastes go with the full scoop in no more then 10 oz water. Full scoop is recommended for most but I felt good on half a scoop. Reason i used half scoops was the fact that nootropics can some times give me a light headed or dizzy feeling. A single scoop is 7.1 grams and 45 scoops in a container. Most of you aren't going to measure it but try using no more than one scoop, its not like pre workout the more you use the more you get used to it, especially when you have rutaecarpine in it decreasing acclimation to the product, and it has no caffeine.

Effectiveness

In effectiveness, ill give it a 7.5 out of 10 it works great and flavor is spot on. I like that I can get a good pump and have it last for the whole workout. It also gets me sweating a lot easier and a little more. Heavy sweating can happen with good pump boosters because the increased oxygen intake allows more energy to be use in the muscle so more energy used more heat meaning more heat. Overall, I feel I had better workouts with the product. Will it be like that all the time? No, id say 85% of my workouts were enhanced from this product. Not every workout can be good many factors go into having a good work out and the product can't control all of them. I have used it for all body part training, and the best days to see its effect is on an arm day or a chest and back day. If you are expecting for a vein popping pump or a muscle busting effect do keep in mind that it will help but don't get your hopes up. For an optimal pump we have to be in a good physiological state. Be hydrated, minerals have to be balanced, cells have to be receptive. I suggest to drink some water before and take a full scoop in a decent amount of water. I still use half to three quarters of a scoop but thats just me.

Value

Where i get it is $33.99 for 45 scoops so i think i get it at a good price! Plus i bargain shop, so Im trying to save any way possible! I usually get my supplements from a local store that price matches and usually has equal or lower prices than online. But for anyone out there interested in buying it, look online and really look for a good price. And if your local store has it ask if they can price match or bargain, most mom and pop shops can bargain but stores like GNC and VitaminShoppe can't. I myself wont be buying it every 45 days because my workouts should not revolve around if the product is working for me at the time of my workout. I also like to try new things... as well Im cheap and wont always be able to squeeze it in the budget and buy it.

Side Effects

No side effect except for increased sweating and crazy pumps.

Conclusion

So conclusion, if you can get it or some how get a sample of it, do try it. I like it fairly well, it might be under estimated because its a proprietary blend but if you like pump products, I can say it is worth the try. It has a special ingredient panel which is cool, not many companies use these ingredients in a typical pump booster. However, the only thing I don't like is it's a proprietary blend so you don't know how much of what you are getting and that can be a real mystery. Hopefully, it is all it says it is and not some fake placebo pump booster. Besides that I can approve of it. I may not buy it all the time but ill buy it time to time again. I like to try new things so I will try to circulate back to is some time in the near future. This is my first product review and wont be my last product review. Thanks everyone hope you can get some info from this and let me know if you have tried CTD Noxivol Powder!!

Introduction

Thank you SR troops and TBN Labs for the opportunity to give this mass gainer a try! We all know that for some of us hard gainers no matter how many calories you put in etc it never seems to help or some of us simply cannot eat enough to make up the calories to make those gains. I am one of those people that struggle with eating all my calories in a day.

Ingredient Profile

To be honest, What stood out the most to me was the fact that they use Stevia to sweeten it! But other than that.... 120,000mg total mass blend (whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, glutamine peptide, waxy maize, sweet potato powder, wild yam extract, brown rice powder, maltodextrin, and multi grains powder). 25g of protein, 93g of carbs, 4G of sugar, .

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The scoop on this bad boy was absolutely insane. It was tough at times to scoop a full scoop without taking some out so it doesnt tip back over in there. But other than that. I mixed one scoop with about 12fl oz of almond milk. Mixed it with my shaker and rarely had clumps. Sometimes it would be gritty but I think that was due to me not mixing enough milk at times. Oh forgot to mention. I got cookies and cream and mine had legit chunks of cookies in there!

Effectiveness

During my time of taking this product I felt my muscle a little bit fuller and overall felt great because this did not upset my stomach etc. I did gain a good 2-3 lbs and I feel like taking this mass gainer helped me out a good amount. The gainer helped me get a good night "meal" in before bedtime and it did help me with recovery a bit more as well as I did not feel as sore as before and my intensity was the same. Well actually a bit higher than normal because like I said before I was feeling real good. haha

Value

5lb 19 servings at $44.75
60 servings $84.75
Both prices come straight from their website.

Side Effects

None to report usually with gainers you experience some stomach discomfort etc but not with this!

Conclusion

If you are looking for a good gainer that is not artificially sweetened. Please look into this product and you will not regret it. We are all trying to make those gains when bulking and I am sure most struggle with calories. This definitely has all you need in one with an amazing taste to go along with it!

---Quick Summary---

Decent BCAA with the average ingredient profile that claims to get you ripped while taking it. To me, it was no different than any other BCAA drinks I've had. Just a little more expensive.

---Introduction---

What's up SR.com folks. 37y/o male with roughly 7 years of working out and taking supplement experience. I am here today to review the BCCA product "BCAA Ripped" by Beast Sports Nutrition. I like to sip on BCAA's during my workouts, pickup basketball games, and sometimes during the day when drinking water starts to suck. When I saw this I thought I'd give it a shot to see how it tasted and to see if it could help with my workouts and recovery.

Ingredient Profile

The ingredient profile is simple with a twist.

L-Leucine 2500 mg
L-Isoleucine 1250 mg
L-Valine 1250 mg

BCAA Ripped also says it has 3,000mg's of mixed-chain triglycerides,. I had to look this up on the good old Google to see what these are supposed to do and according to them it is used by athletes to help build more lean muscle as well as weight control. Some of the other benefits I read about seem to include possibly lowering fat from the body and lowering cholesterol. If this is true I think this is great and it should be in more products. The final ingredient that's supposed to help get you "Ripped" is 250mg's of CLA. We all know, at that dose, you aren't getting any help from CLA.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Dosing - 1 scoop with 6-12oz of water is the way I rolled.

Mixability - This product mixed fine. No issues

Taste - I received the coconut crme flavor. Didn't taste bad at all in small amounts. I tried to put a few servings in my water jug one day and I eventually got tired of drinking it and wanted plain water back.

Effectiveness

I just never noticed anything at all with this product. I definitely didn't lose any body weight. But, that wasn't necessarily the goal. It's always hard for me to judge a BCAA drink. I put em in the same category as protein shakes. It's just to hard to tell if they are working at the specific time you are drinking them or after. You just drink them and hope for the best. I didn't get my cholesterol tested before I started taking it so I'm not sure if that was lowered or not. However, I don't have any issues with that to begin with. I never expected to see anything from the amount of CLA in the product either.

Value

A1 Supps is carrying the product for $26.95 plus shipping & tax for just 20 servings. Definitely cannot justify spending that kind of money on a BCAA product that doesn't have a way of letting you know it is working. at over $1 a serving it's to expensive for me. There are plenty of BCAA drinks on the market to help you through your workout for cheaper per serving.

Side Effects

No Side Effects

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's just average. It's no different than any other BCAA product on the market. The taste was just OK. The price is to expensive. It mixes well. I didn't notice any side effects and I guess it could have lowered my already low cholesterol. Who knows? I will say though, I want to thank Beast Sports Nutrition for still giving us sr.com TROOPer's the opportunity to at least give it a shot. I appreciate that. Some products just aren't for everybody. Take care.

Quick Summary

This product helps block against the build up of estrogen and costirol and give you more energy. Also you will look leaner and your skin will look more dryer. The only issues you may deal with are dry achy joints.

Introduction

First off I want to thank VMI Sports for letting us troopers have the chance to give this product a try. I have never really been much into using products like this and it had been a couple years since I used a product like this. After checking out some of the reviews on here and seeing that it was getting some pretty good reviews I thought I would give this try. My one concern with this that I was reading was a lot of people got really dry achy joints and that kept me from trying it sooner because I have had this issue at times and know how miserable it can be to deal with. I thought if this starts to happen and it's to much I will back off.

Ingredient Profile

I like that they fully disclose everything that is in this. The ingredients they use in this are rather potent and effective at blocking the build up of estrogen and cortisol.

Calcium-D-Glucarate helps the body get rid of excess estrogen by inhibiting beta-glucaronidase not allowing it to be reabsorbed into the body.

Indole-3-Carbinol is a powerful anti-estrogen compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. I3C is regularly used to balance hormone levels, support optimal liver and intestine function, and enhance immune system functioning.

Diindolylmethane is the active component of I3C. Basically, think of DIM as a more "refined" form of I3C that optimizes hormone levels and puts a stop to estrogen proliferation.

Chrysin a bioflavonoid found in significant amounts of bee pollen and honey. Chrysin is a well known natural testosterone booster, which encourages greater testosterone production and inhibits the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.

Astragin is included to help bioavailability of this

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No taste since these come in pill form and nothing to mix.
Take 2 pills daily prior to food/meal, on an empty stomach

Effectiveness

This will be my first time using any kind of estrogen blocker in at least 2 years. After reading the reviews on here and hearing what good results people were getting from this I was rather excited to give this a try. I will start off by saying that this stuff works and works really well. The ingredients they use in this are rather potent so they are effective.

I noticed that this took me about 10 days or so before I started to really notice anything from this. The biggest things I noticed from this was how much leaner I started to get. Also my skin started to look a lot more dryer and seemed to be a lot more thinner like. I was noticing a lot more cuts in my muscles and any vascularity I got was a lot more noticeable. I did notice a slight drop in my body weight but only by a couple pounds or so. Also I noticed that while I was on this my appetite seemed to be a little less than it normal was. Not sure if this was causing that but I am guessing it was since I was leaning up a little more and had the slight drop in body weight. My overall strength gains from this were not to much and feel this did not to much to help that.

I do think this does a good job at helping you have a nice boost in your libido. It's was nothing crazy like but it was noticeable. Also I feel this does a good job at controlling your cortisol better. The results I was noticing from all these areas I mentioned I thought was really good and very impressed with how it was helping me but there was one main issue I had with this which I did not like. I know on other reviews people were talking about getting dry achy joints from this and this happened to me badly. I tend to have issues real bad at times with achy joints. After being on this for a few weeks. I really started to notice more pain in my elbows and forearms and even a little bit into my wrists. It was to the point at times I had to back off a bit on some of the stuff I was doing because it was bothering me to much. This is the one thing about this product that frustrated me and really wish I could avoid. I heard that some people started taking fish oils to help with the dry joints and I started doing that also and feel it helped some but not a real lot. Since I have stopped taking this I feel my joints are starting to feel a little better but still having some issues.

Value

The cheapest I could find this was on allstarhealth.com and they want $24.19 for 30 servings. For a product like this and being so effective I really think this is a pretty good value for this.

Side Effects

Real dry achy joints

Conclusion

Overall I feel this is a very solid and effective product. What this product does and the results you will get from this are amazing. I would have to say this is one of the better estrogen blocker and cortisol controller you can find. For value I think this is more than worth trying. The big issue for me was the dry achy joint this caused me. Even with this issue I still really enjoyed this product a lot. I think this product is more than worth giving a try. I know not everyone had issues with their joints so maybe you will be just fine. I would say make sure you are taking fish oils with this just to be safe. Again I want to give a big shout out to VMI Sports for making this product and letting me have the chance to give it a try.