Quick Summary

Not all omega/fatty acid supplements are created equal. This product has a high EPA ratio to help it stave off inflammation better than many others.

Introduction

Hey- thanks for the fish oils Clippy!!

What's up SR? This review was made possible by the generosity of SR upper management! If you're like me, fish oils are probably a cornerstone of your supplement stack at all times. However, not all fish oils are created equal. What I look for when selecting a product in this category is a high EPA content, because it is the EPA fatty acid that provides the most benefit for reducing inflammation. Muscletech's Omega 4x SX-7 Black Onyx has more than double the EPA content as it does DHA, plus a third fatty acid I was previously unfamiliar with: DPA.

Ingredient Profile

Each gel cap of Omega 4x SX-7 Black Onyx contains 1500mg of fish oil, including 1200mg of Omega-3 fatty acids, and specifically 750mg of EPA, 300mg of DHA and 150mg of DPA.

The difference between these types of fatty acids really boils down to their molecular weight or size. All three of these omega-3 fatty acids share the ability to reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health, but not equally as well. DHA is more adept at improving visual development and function. It is also the most common fatty acid in our brain and has shown to be effective at improving cognitive function and development as well.

EPA is a more novel fatty acid for our bodies. At a cellular level, DHA is abundant and found in every cell throughout the body-- EPA is not. EPA can effectively shut off the supply of arachidonic acid which is necessary for the production of eicosanoids that can cause inflammation, so if you're selecting a fish oil with the hope that it will reduce inflammation or make your joints feel better, you want to find one with more EPA than DHA.

DPA is a newer addition to the omega-3 party but has gotten a lot of attention for its potency. It has even stronger anti-inflammatory properties than both EPA and DHA, so it is a great thing to see if that, again, is your goal while taking an omega-3 supplement.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No taste to these, including after taste. No mixing is needed either.

I take my fish oils before bed. I'd typically take 3 and hit the sack. If you're taking these in the morning or any time during the day, you may find yourself more prone to fishy burps. Because I take these at night I really can't attest whether or not those are an issue, which is actually why I like to just take them at night anyway!

Effectiveness

While taking Omega4x SX-7 Black Onyx I also went through a run of an aromatase inhibitor known to cause joint pain because of its drying effect. I am also very prone to knee soreness in my left knee and tennis elbow in my left elbow. The joint that reliably causes me the most discomfort is my right shoulder though. While taking this, my knee and elbow pain was completely eliminated. I've been off of it for about a week now and have already noticed the knee pain is back, so I do attribute the alleviation of the pain to this product. My elbow is still fine, but that is the least acute area that I regularly deal with. My shoulder pain was eliminated for about 75% of the run on the AI, but it did present itself pretty heavily towards the end. The drying effect of the AI is very potent though, so the fact that this product was able to keep it at bay as long as it did while also eliminating it in other areas entirely was very impressive to me. Inflammation is the only area I can really attest to. The underlying benefits of fish oil on my cardiovascular and neurological health are not noticeable, but I'm confident in the effects because of the impressive reduction in inflammation that was demonstrated while taking it.

Value

I anticipated Omega 4x SX-7 Black Onyx to be much more expensive than it is. In some cases that's the truth and I found it for as much as $25.75 on eBay, but I also found it for as little as $6.99 at muscleandstrength.com. That's price is for 100 pills. I took 3 daily, so that's 33 servings plus an extra pill for good luck, at a cost of $0.21/serving. Given the benefits I experienced while taking this and its impressive impact on reducing joint inflammation, I would be glad to pay that all day!

Side Effects

None at all. No burps.

Conclusion

Overall, I'm very impressed with this. I think of MuscleTech as a company that's quick to hype its products and slow to deliver, but the last few I've taken have really worked quite well. This is far and away the most effective fish oil I've taken for reducing joint pain, and I have already ordered a new bottle. My only gripe is the name which I find to be very sensationalized for a product that is really quite simple. That said, if that were the only complaint I had about all my supplements, I'd be a happy camper!

Thanks again Clippy for selecting this and sending it out to me. It worked well and next time you might want to keep it for yourself!!

Quick Summary

Redcon1 managed to take their highly successful pre-workout and make it even better after a reformulation they were pressed to make with the crackdown down on DMHA.

Introduction

Those who have read my review of the previous version of Total War (with DMHA) know that I was highly impressed and considered it to be in the top tier of workouts. When I found out that it was being reformulated, I was sure a decline was coming with the new version. Turns out I was way of and was pleasantly surprised to find out that this version was even better than the last.

Ingredient Profile

9.5/10

The new Total War is about 50/50 in terms of ingredients being carried over from the old version. The Citrulline and Agmatine remain the same with 6g and 1g respectively. Bioperine also remains the same at 10mg, as does Beta-Alanine at 3.2g and caffeine and Taurine at 250mg and 1g each.

The obvious exclusion is the controversial DMHA, and they removed the Yohimbine as well. The key ingredients added to this were 150mg of AMPiberry and 100mg of Infinergy (extended release caffeine). I think this was a pretty fair trade off in terms of replacing the DMHA while (theoretically) still helping with focus and energy.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

7.5/10

I had the Strawberry Kiwi flavor and it was a bit improvement over the gummy candy flavor I had prior. A little gritty after first mixing, but nothing a few more shakes couldn't take care of. I'd say it's about middle of the road in terms of taste. Certainly not the best, but not as bad as others.

Effectiveness

9.4/10

Pumps: Enormous pumps every single time. I'm talking the kind that last well after your workout and make it hard to even drive home from the gym because everything just feels so engorged. It's really not a surprise to me considering Citrulline and Agmatine are my favorites and I've always responded very well to these for the most part.

Energy: Almost immediate and hard hitting. About 10-15 minutes after taking, I felt wide awake no matter how draining the day at work was and ready to hit the gym. However, it still wasn't the part that stood out the most. That would have to go to...

Focus: Razor sharp and intense. To me, beside the pump, what makes a pre-workout truly amazing is if it helps you become absolutely locked in to a primary task, and that's what the combination of ingredients in Total War did for me.

Endurance: I would say that Total War definitely helped me grind out an extra rep or two that I normally wouldn't get on my own. Not a ton, but the extra reps add up after a while.

Value

9.2/10

$40 directly through the Redcon1 website, which you can also take 10% off of by using the coupon code "PRICEPLOW". $37 for 30 servings of an elite, one scoop pre-workout is a steal in my book.

Side Effects

None

Overall

9.3/10

A truly elite pre-workout that is undoubtedly worth your attention. I'd advise anyone looking for the top tier pre-workouts to at least give this a test one time.

Quick Summary

Olympus Labs doing things differently by taking a BCAA product and stretching its limits by using some trademarked ingredients with a unique profile to help enhance recovery and ENDUR3 progress.

Introduction

I want to thank Olympus Labs for this opportunity. I'm a fan of all 9, but BCAA's are still a blessing. Plus, Olympus Labs are doing things differently as this isn't just any BCAA product. It goes beyond that with other added ingredients.

Ingredient Profile

7.5g InstaAminos at a 4:1:1 ratio which makes it 5g Leucine, 1.25g Isoleucine, and 1.25g Valine. They chose the higher route compared to the typical 2:1:1. I like that, as 4:1:1 allows a greater leucine content. I don't consider this a prop blend even though we have to do some math to find each content amount.

*Trademarked because they come from Compound Solutions. A quality company that I love. They offer TeaCrine, Dynamine, Vaso6, Carb10, and much more. I highly appreciate Olympus Labs for choosing them as a source.

2g Velositol - I like. Registered because Nutrition 21; the makers of Nitrosigine, hold a patent for this ingredient. It's an Amylopectin Chromium Complex combining some form of waxy maize (high in amylopectin) with both histidinate and picolinate. This is smart. It's basically a carbohydrate that has 2 ingredients to support a proper insulin and glucose response.

And it works. A study was done with 6g of protein though. They discovered that a 2g single dose serving of Velositol with a 6g serving of protein caused protein synthesis to increase by 24%. Protein synthesis went from 24% when taken alone, to 48% when taken with Velositol. That's a 24% increase. That's double overall. This is how they can claim: "doubles the power of protein in a single dose" This is how the bottom of the product can claim: "increase MPS by 24%".

That's awesome. I like that this is in here. It works with the given amount of BCAA's. I've seen protein use this, but it's funny as only 6g of whatever amount they use would only be utilized. I guess that is better than nothing! Personally, having this in here makes a positive difference both mentally and physically. I feel this makes the 7.5g of BCAA's more powerful.

2g Glutamine - People right away think gut health. I do appreciate that benefit from Glutamine, although I supplement glutamine for anxiety and sleep. I have low glutamate and GABA. Taking glutamine helps me maintain a balance. 2g is enough for being in a BCAA product. I've always been a fan of glutamine for recovery as well. The gut to me is our second brain. I like that Olympus Labs didn't shy away from using glutamine.

1g Taurine - This is a special ingredient. I use to think it didn't do much for me. But, that's because I judged it by itself before training. It's known to work best with caffeine for excitatory purposes. Here, we have no caffeine, yet taurine. Taurine is special because some will use it and some won't. I found taurine to be helpful for my anxiety and sleep as well. It's known to help increase GABA. I like that this is in here because as we train we deplete our Taurine levels. So this here is making sure we get some back. Taurine has hydrating and cardiovascular benefits as well.

980mg Electrolyte Matrix - consisting of:

Potassium Citrate - 150mg
Dicalcium Phosphate - 57mg
Sodium Citrate - 65mg
Magnesium Aspartate - 16mg

You can't go wrong with an electrolyte matrix! Electrolytes are very important! So important! Can't stress this enough. So awesome this was in here. It made everything even better. It gave me the added psychological boost like the Velositol did. It wish all amino acid products contained electrolytes. This shows how Olympus Labs are doing things differently.

480mg VitaCherry Sport - I like as well. My grandma always talks about cherries, goji berries, and prunes. Trademarked because FutureCeuticals; the makers of elevATP, hold a patent for this ingredient. Compound Solutions makes NordicCherry, but I like how they involved another quality source. Tart Cherry in a supplement form or from juice alone will help increase recovery time due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Reducing inflammation is important for reducing muscle damage and increasing muscle endurance. Can't go wrong with having this in here.

Overall, this is a wonderful list of ingredients to help increase recovery and ENDUR3 progress. I also like that they used trademarked ingredients to ensure maximum quality.

It says 10 calories because of the 2g Velositol, but the 7.5g of BCAA's still have calories. So the total is actually 40 calories per serving. All good, I understand.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste - this tasted amazing! Never had Dragons Mist before. I asked for their best flavor and this came. It tasted like those blue otter pops when I was a kid. I still don't even really know what those taste like. While drinking I'm thinking "is this blue blueberry?". But, blueberry is already blue, so I thought "blue raspberry?". Whatever it is, it tasted amazing and I couldn't get enough and currently craving more.

Mixability - after mixing, it made a beautiful looking whirlpool. I saw the color of the powder and was surprised by the color once mixed. It was a crazy bright blue. It was cool. It did foam somewhat as you can see in the photo, but it didn't bother me at all. Overall, it mixed great.

Dosing - I treated this more like a BCAA product than an Intra-workout product. I would use one scoop during my training and another a random time later. Sunday, my rest day I took one scoop in the morning and another a random time later. I would take this in the morning more than during my workout. 2 scoops a day made this go quick.

Effectiveness

I will say on the days I did take it during my training, I felt way more hydrated than just drinking water alone. I'm always going to the water fountain. But, I was going less to the water fountain on the days I didn't take this while training. Which means that taking it in the morning and another time during the day both was working together to maintain my hydration when training came. Now that it's gone, the water fountain is my go to Intra-workout again.

Other than that, it works. It makes me feel replenished when I'm feeling sluggish. Helped me stay hydrated while training. Some Intra-workout products go with adding caffeine and I'm glad Olympus Labs did not. If they did, then I couldn't treat this like a BCAA product. Which makes this a versatile product.

Value

Strongsupplementshop.com is the cheapest I could find at $34.95. This is a great deal as my last product that was only BCAA's is the same price. It says $48.99 on their website which makes sense, but obviously the less the better.

Side Effects

Nothing at all. No headaches. No stomach issues. No diarrhea. All good.

Conclusion

I really like this product. It's unique and it works. It taste great at a great price. I like how it uses trademarked ingredients and proper dosages. I do think I found a go to BCAA product rather than using a standalone one even if it's the same price or cheaper. This just makes me feel more satisfied. Overall, I approve and would highly recommend this product.

Quick Summary

Satisfied with the results, but not overwhelmed.

Introduction

As most people, I believe I could lose some fat on my belly. Formerly played football/soccer a lot and had a fat percentage of just under 10%. After some nasty injuries had to give that up. Since then mostly dependent on the gym (weights). Cardio isnt't what is used to be. Due to more extensive weight training and less cardio I gained some weight, sad to say not all muscle. I went from to 175 to 200 lbs, (which is not all that bad, because I'm 1.95m (6.4 feet). my fat percentage had taken a plunge to just under 20%. On the upside, this has given me the opportunity to try some weight loss supplements!

Ingredient Profile

134mcg Chormium (ChromeMate)
1G L-Carnitine Tartrate (Carnipure)
333mg Green Tea Extract
33mg Capsicum Fruit Extract (Capsimax)
100mg Gymnema Sylvestre Extract

Mostly tested and tried ingredients. ChromeMate combines the benefits of chromium and niacin. Chromium supresses appetite and decreases insulin levels. No overwhelming evidence for weight loss. Absorption should be better than your regular regular chromium. Carnipure is a special grade of L-Carnitine, manufactured by the Swiss company Lonza. A standard dose is between 0,5-2 g. Green tea extrac; high amount of evidence supporting weight (fat) loss benefits. Significant effects in humans are noted only at high doses, such as 400-500mg EGCG equivalent per day (at 50% EGCG). Clean burn contains 333mg, which is fairly low. Capsimax is natural capsicum extract from red hot chili peppers that should delivers all of the heat of capsaicin without the burn. The amount of capsimax is regularly low compared to other shred kind supplements where capsimax is included up to 125 mg.
I did not hear about Gymnema Sylvestre Extract before and had to read up on this one. The gymnasia Silvestre is a perennial woody vine that grows in tropical areas of India, Africa, and Australia and is used as an appetite suppressant. The common Hindi term for the plant is gurmar which means "sugar destroyer. Which of course sounds excellent.
Early research suggests that taking Gymnema sylvestre extract, hydroxycitric acid, and niacin-bound chromium might reduce body weight. Two of those are in Clean burn. I am not sure on the amount of mg's included.
I believe you should be somewhat sceptic towards weight loss formulas, a lot of people looking to shed some weight (fat) are willing to pay heavily to achieve this. judging on the ingredient profile clean burn looks like a good supplement. Most of the ingredients or not generic. The amount of green tea extract looks underdosed and the amount of capsimax seems to be on the lower side of the spectrum.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

6 capsules a day, two before each meal. Some aftertaste if not taken with enough water.. ust a little.

Effectiveness

A weight loss ingredient is always tricky. There are numerous ways to measure your bodyfat, but this is so much dependent on other factors of which diet and exercise are the two most important ones. My exercise routine and diet hadn't changed that much during the course of taking this supplement and I actually did lose bodyfat. The definition on my belly was somewhat enhanced and abs were a bit more visible. I am not nave and did not expect miracles. Clean burn did deliver some results, but to be perfectly honest not as much as I expected based on the ingredient profile and the positive review on SR. Then again, I believe fat loss is mostly achieved in the gym and at the dinner table.

Value

One bottle for 25 dollars is the cheapest I found this for. One bottle contains 180 pills, so that's a supply for one month at 0,83 a day. Not a hefty price. Compared to other fat burning/ weight loss supplements its fairly cheap.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

I like the transparent label, the use of non-generic ingredients and the inclusion of a rather unknown but promising looking ingredient in the form of Gymnema Sylvestre Extract . I would like to have seen the amount of green tea extract and capsimax upped a bit. The results were noticeable and alright. Satisfied but not overwhelmed would be a nice conclusion for clean burn.

Quick Summary

Lone ingredient supplement that aids in the reduction of fatigue.

Introduction/Ingredient Profile

Most of us have supplemented with beta alanine at some point if you have ever used a pre workout. Over the last few months, I have tried to slowly cut weight by running more and focusing on more endurance based workouts. I have kept rest times short and have usually worked in a 10-12 rep range. I figured claiming some beta alanine would benefit me. Here we have a single ingredient of CarnoSyn beta alanine. There is nothing else contained in here, not even any flavors or colors or anything like that. Each scoop contains 2 g of CarnoSyn. 3.2 g of CarnoSyn beta alanine is the effective dose to reduce muscular fatigue and improve endurance.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste: Does not really have much taste. It is slightly sweet and it does not really alter the taste of the drink that you mix it in.

Mixability: There may be some slight settling if you let it sit for a while since it is naturally on the grittier side. Usually just swirling it around will help mix it a bit.

Dosing: NutraBio suggest taking 1-3 servings per day around your workout after assessing your tolerance. They do not recommend adding a scoop to a supplement that already contains beta alanine. Since my pre-workout contained beta alanine, I chose to use a scoop in my intra workout since more and more studies suggest splitting up beta alanine dosages works best.

Effectiveness

I think that this was effective in helping me become less fatigued in the exercises where I used a higher rep range. It allowed me to be ready to go to my next set within 30-45 seconds. That is where I tried to keep my rest times and I was normally able to keep it that way. Obviously walking around the gym to a new spot for a different exercise kind of hindered the rest time, but I would have been able to perform the next set if everything was in front of me. This also slightly helped me with cardio. Since I may have to go into a second academy since I will be switching departments, I have been running outside more. Supplementing with beta alanine slightly delayed how tired my muscles became while running long distances.

Value

Going for about $32 on sites like bodybuilding and Suppz for 180 servings. At 2 g per scoop, a serving comes out to being about $0.18 per serving. This is pretty cheap, but there are other brands of CarnoSyn sold for slightly cheaper. CarnoSyn is a trademarked ingredient, so you should be getting the same product from all brands. I guess there is the possibility of impurities being present in the bottling process with other brands that use an unclean environment, but with NutraBio, being a GMP facility and having their products third party tested, that will not be the case with them.

Side Effects

Tingling, which is expected with beta alanine products. Sensation usually goes away shortly and will become less noticeable over extended, consistent use.

Conclusion

Not much to say for a single ingredient supplement except that it helps in endurance. This is a supplement that you can run year round without cycling off and NutraBio offers it cheap enough for you to be able to do so. Yeah, there are slightly cheaper options, but you are getting a patented ingredient with no impurities. Thank you NutraBio for sending it out.

Quick Summary

This is a blended creatine product consisting of 5 different types of creatines. I don't use blended creatine products real often but do like to try them from time to time. I think they can be really good at times if the formula is right and dosed properly. It's kind of nice having the different types of creatine working in you doing there own thing. Are blended creatines that much better not always but it's kind of nice to change it up once in awhile.

Introduction

First off I want to thank the team at sr.com and clipper83 for putting this product on the trooper program and letting me have the chance to give it a try. Isatori had no dealings with putting this on the trooper list. I am a firm believer in creatine products and always like to try and have them in my workout stacks. This is a blend of 5 different types of creatine plus it has a few other things thrown in. After checking this out first I thought it looked liked a decent product and something I thought would be worth giving a try. I know the company Isatori has some decent product and figured this would be also.

Ingredient Profile

0 Calories
0 carbs, and sugars
Chloride (as sodium chloride) 49mg
Sodium (as sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride) 74mg

Muscle Strength Power Creatine Complex 3g
In this part it consists of 5 different types of creatine. Di-Creatine Malate, Pure Creatine Monohydrate (MonoCre), CREATINE MagnaPower, Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate (Creatine ABB) and Creatine Anhydrous. Also in this part it has Betaine Anhydrous and Agmatine sulfate and supported by the Potentin Catalyst Matrix, that aids in absorption and utilization of the creatine. I think what they have in this part is really good stuff but feel it is a maybe a little under dosed. I would like to see this total upped to at least 5 or 6grams.

Here is a better break down of what each of these creatines do.
1. Di-Creatine Malate= Tri is the more absorbent and soluble of the two. Tri Creatine Malate is a compound of molecules created from malic acid and creatine. Tri Malate has 3 monohydrate molecules attached and Di Malate has 2

2.Creatine Mono= is a substance that is naturally found in our bodies. Over 90% of the creatine in the human body is found in muscle. ... Creatine monohydrate is the most cost-effective dietary supplement in terms of muscle mass and strength gains. Creatine can help support protein synthesis, which helps muscles grow.

3.Creatine Magnessium chelate (Creatine MagnaPower)= chemically bonds the creatine to magnesium. Creatine monohydrate on the other hand bonds the creatine to a water molecule. First, magnesium is an alkali compound which counteracts the acidic environment in the stomach which can otherwise lead to creatine being degraded into creatinine.

4.Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate= This metabolite increases protein synthesis and minimizes protein damage from intense training. Not only is creatine absoprtion and effectiveness increased by this bond, but an element of anabolism and anti-catabolism is obtained.

5. Creatine Anhydrous= Is the same as creatine monohydrate minus the water molecule. It offers more creatine per gram, but isn't any more.

The last part is Protein Catalyst Matrix 290mg
Sodium Bicarbonate chloride

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This comes in an unflavored powder. There was no real taste to it at all. Could hardly tell it was mixed in with my pre-workout. There was no sour or bitter taste to this at all.

Mixed really well and had no left over sediment on the sides of my shaker cup.

Here is how they recommend you take this. Take one serving (one scoop) one to two times per day. One serving should be taken 30-60 minutes before or after your workout. On non-training days, take one serving in the morning or the evening. There is a label on the container that shows how you should take this depending on if you workout in the AM or PM. If you workout AM take one scoop and then 6-10 hours later take second scoop. If you workout in the PM take one scoop 6-10 hours before that and then the second scoop with training. Since I normally workout 7 days a week I would do one scoop with my pre-workout and that was the only serving I would take. I would only do one serving per day. Part of the reason I did not do a second serving per day is that the pre-workout I was using did have some creatine in it.

Effectiveness

So far now I have used a few different blended creatine product and have really enjoyed them. Every once in a while I like to change things up and try blended creatine products to see if I can notice any real differences than just regular creatine mono. I found this to be a fairly decent product for me. Was this much better than just regular creatine mono in ways yes and in ways no. It's nice having the different types of creatine in here to hit you in different ways and at different times. The main thing is that each of the creatines they us I feel need to be fully dosed correctly to be effective. I do feel that some of the creatines in this were maybe a little under dosed and wish they would up this part a bit more. They do add a couple extra things in here betaine anhydrous and agmatine sulfate to help you more with pumps. I think this part could have been better. With those two ingredients included in the total prop blend of 4g with the creatines you know must be a bit under dosed.

I noticed that when I was on this my strength gains started to go up a lot more and all my lifts just felt better. On days when I would do back I do a lot of high volume stuff on the lat pull machine where I do 3-4 sets of 15 reps with a few different bars I use and was noticing how I was able to go a bit heavier than normal and be able to do 15 reps on each set. I felt I was able to push harder and go a lot longer during my workouts. I noticed I was starting to put on a lot more muscle mass and my muscles started to look more full and more leaner. I know my overall body weight had gone up a little since starting this. I also noticed that my DOM's were a lot less after my really hard workouts. I believe this really helped me at limiting my DOM's I would get which was nice. Some of the benefits from this is helping with recovery and endurance and overall I thought my recovery and endurance from this was much better. I did notice a little bit of bloating in my stomach but not to bad. I felt my energy from this was much improved and just felt better overall. I felt like the more I was on this the better it seemed to work for me.

They use a protein catalyst matrix which helps optimize absorption through the digestive track so more creatine reaches the muscles to positively affect muscle growth, strength and power. Also this helps improve strength, power muscle mass and recovery primarily through the Creatine ATP metabolic pathway. This helps give you more creatine in your muscle cells, and becomes more efficient and effective at supply energy for muscular contraction. The overall formula is used to help get creatine more efficiently to the muscle fiber so it is readily available to improve the Creatine ATP system.

Value

The cheapest I could find this was on bodybuilding.com and they wanted $20.79 for 50 servings. Right now all Isatori products on there are 20% off. This comes out to .42cents per serving. If your able to get by with one scoop per day then the price I don't think is to bad for a blended creatine product. If your having to do two scoops per day then this will start to get a little on the pricey side. I know you can get a lot of bulk size creatines with a lot more servings and cheaper but this is a blend of creatines so that will cost you a little more.

Side Effects

Maybe just a little bit of gas this may have caused me. It was for sure nothing like I have noticed with other blended creatine products I have used before. In the past with other blend creatine products I would have gas that was just plain awful and it would get really annoying after awhile because it was so bad. So thankful this did not cause that to happen this time.

Conclusion

For the most part I very much enjoyed this product and what it did for me. I think this is a fairly decent blended creatine product and very much worth using it. I think if they could upped the 4g to at least 5g or 6g it would help make this product a little better. If you want some good strength gains in your lifts and a lot better endurance and energy I would highly recommend this product. It's a fairly reasonably priced product and won't break your wallet which is nice. This would be a product I would be more than happy to use again because if I am wanting to use a blended creatine product again. Do I feel blended creatine products are that much better no not always but they are nice to have for a change because how they work a little differently than just having one type of creatine. Again I want to give a big shout out to the SR team and Clipper83 for putting this on the trooper list.

Quick Summary

Estrogen blocker that will help you get that lean look. Title referenced to matrix since the pills are all blue.

Introduction

First and foremost I would like to thank VMI Sports for sending me out their product so I could try it and review it for you guys. I would also like to thank SR for providing me the opportunity and the tools so that I can share with you guys my experience.

I like these products because they actually help you lean out enough so that to give you an illusion that you are actually bigger. I like that feeling a lot .. so that is why I choose to claim these blue pill's ...

Ingredient Profile

The profile in this product is pretty simple .. it has two active ingredients ...

The main ingredient is Acacetin (100mg) and it is an anti-aromatase and estrogenic activity blocker. In one research study, Acacetin lowered aromatase synthesis by over 60%. There is no supported dosage amount for Acacetin so I don't know what to say about the dosage offered here.

The second ingredient Astragalus Extract is (250mg) probably added for support and doesn't have anything to do with estrogen. This is primary used to boost your immune system. Because of its antioxidant effects it also helps the body fight free radical production that could damage your cells. The dosage is pretty good but it should be taken three times a day at that dosage ...

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Nothing to taste ... I took these like instructed ... 30 minutes before working out ... or 30 minutes before breakfast when not planning to work out.

Effectiveness

This definitely made me look leaner and more impressive. I generally have a lot of body fat on me so working out and not seeing results usually comes hand in hand. My abs do not look like they are bulging .. my triceps are hidden and it's hard for them to penetrate that wall of fat. But Alas! I took Arimidrol and things started to slowly creep up on me. I don't know how to explain to you the thrill you feel when you finally see that work in the mirror. It's refreshing ... but just like the matrix it's an illusion ... that will not last you long ... And than it hits me ... keep trying to loose that weight ... Although as a inspirational supplement this is good ... and it works ... So, if you also need a estrogen blocker while on a natural t-boost you would also want to take that to make sure you don't build to much estrogen. This pill will give you a look into the future of what you will look like with a little more effort in loosing weight and working harder.

Value

You can get this from Amazon for 25$ with prime ... that comes down to 83 cents per serving. Not that bad if you want that uplifting moment that will motivate you to work harder and try to loose weight. I tried to compare this to another product but it doesn't seem to be anything out there to compare it to. There are other estrogen blockers out there but they use DIM as their primary ingredient so it wouldn't be fare to compare.

Side Effects

None that I have experienced .. but I do take a lot of supplements that aid in joint ... and so should you. Especially when starting with this supplement.

Conclusion

Definitely worth to try by anyone thinking about getting natural t-boost and worrying about those horrifying female dog boobs ... Another reason why I would suggest this product is to give yourself a look into the future ... To see yourself in a few weeks or months if applied a proper diet and good workout regime. This personally was my main benefit that I received from this supplement. I want to thank you for reading this review and wish you a wonderful day.

Quick Summary

Super Sauna worked well at first, but its success was short lived. As a fat burner, it was so so.

Introduction

I'm a competing powerlifter trying to cut down to get into a new weight class. I'm about 4 weeks out and only have a couple pounds to go. When I saw Super Sauna in the Troops Program, I was excited to try it. I figured every little bit helps.

Ingredient Profile

We have an open label product, which I like. In one scoop of Super Sauna (5g), we have:

LCLT (100mg)- This is a form of l-carnitine often used for recovery. 100mg is a pretty small dose. 1-2g would be better.

Grains of Paradise (30mg). This spice is common in West Africa. Recently, it's made an appearance as a fat burner. 30mg is a decent dose.

Gamma-butyrobetaine HCI (25mg)- This compound will make you sweat, and it may help boost your metabolism. I couldn't find much on it (outside of rat studies).

BioPerine (5mg)- This is a patented form of piperine and can help improve the absorbability of some supplements. I don't think, however, any of the ingredients in this formula have been shown to benefit from piperine. Often, this ingredient is added for no reason (other than marketing).

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste

I got the Lemon Dropkick. The initial taste was fine, 7.5/10, but the after taste is a bit rough.

Mixability

So the powder dissolves fine, but be careful with how you mix it. I first tried stirring it with a spoon, and I quickly realized that was a mistake. It felt like I was being maced.

I tried stirring it and leaning back and it was still kind of like being maced. It's worth it to use a shaker bottle, just so you can mix the powder while it's enclosed.

Dosing

I used one serving before each workout. I didn't find a scoop in my container, so I just used a spoon and a food scale.

Effectiveness

At first, Super Sauna was pretty effective for me. I could feel my body warm up right away when I used it, my heart rate was higher through out the workout (I can see my HR on a screen at the gym), and when I compared my fitness tracker data on my first Super Sauna workout to a similar workout the week before, I saw a 12% increase in my calories burned per minute, i.e. I burned 5.4 cals/min instead of 4.8

Unfortunately, however, these results did not last for very long. Although I could subjectively feel Super Sauna in my additional workouts (higher body temp, sweating, etc), my heart rate did not stay elevated as it did the first day.

On my second workout, I only saw a 6% increase in my calories burned per minute. Then it quickly fell to only a 1% increase, and by the end of the week, my calories burned were the same. I adapted to the product very quickly.

Maybe other people can get more use out of it, but I only had two good days with the product.

Value

I've seen this product sell for $19, which is pretty cheap. There are 30 servings in a tub. The product, though, has no caffeine, so most people would probably add it to a caffeinated product, which does take away from the value a bit. I saw this as an add on to a pre-workout vs. being a full one.

Side Effects

The spice in the product can be a bit rough, but I found it worse when I was mixing the product than when I was actually drinking it. If you don't like spicy things, I would stay away.

Conclusion

I did get some use out of the product, but it wasn't enough for me to want to recommend it. It could be worth a try at it's lowest price, and if you did get it, I would cycle it, e.g. 2 days on, 2 days off.

Quick Summary

My review of Furious Formulations Aminos Baby! I want to thank Furious Formulations for sending me their amino to review!

Introduction

I am a 27 year old firefighter from Ohio. My main fitness goals are to maintain a solid shape for my job and to build muscle mass / strength.

Ingredient Profile

This ingredient is fairly simple but has a bit of a twist compared to most amino products out there. To start their amino blend is a 2:1:1 ratio. That consists of L-Leucine 3,000mg, L-Valine 1,500mg, and L-Isoleucine 1,500mg. It also includes 2,000mg of L-Glutamine. Those ingredients all aid in recovery and muscle building. Next up is 480mg of Cherry Pure which is tart cherry concentrate. This ingredient helps to decrease inflammation after a lift. The last group of ingredients are a blend of healthy red and green veggies / fruits. The blend is called Spectra Orac and it is 100mg. The blend contains many antioxidants and improves overall health.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The flavor I received was Grape Bubble Trubble. The flavor was super enjoyable. It tasted just like a piece of grape bubble gum. It was much better than gum because the flavor didn't disappear after 3 chews. It was a treat to drink each time. It mixed up perfectly in a shaker each time. There was some minor powder left at the bottom but it mixed up nicely again with a little shake. The dosing seemed spot on with one scoop being 12 grams. The scoop is an average size.

Effectiveness

I found this amino product to be quite effective. Firstly it helped crave my sweet tooth each day and that was helpful. I always drank this at night or upon waking up. I felt like this helped improve my recovery each day. I usually feel some sort of soreness the following days after a lift. This product helped to cut that soreness to about half of its normal amount. That was helpful because I was able to lift that same body part again sooner than usual. My joints would sometimes hurt after leg or lower back day and that was almost gone while taking this. I credit that to the tart cherry and the super food blend.

Value

I found this product on a few different sites including the companies website and amazon. The price I found on both sites were 29.99. There are 30 servings per tub and it breaks down to about $1 per serving. I find this price to be fair due to the extra additions they have put into a base amino product. Although there are many cheaper amino products out there that are simply just aminos.

Side Effects

I experienced no negative side effects during my usage of this product.

Conclusion

To conclude I give a thumbs up to Furious Formulations on their amino product. I really enjoyed the taste and it was effective for me. I recommend this product for anyone looking into a unique amino powder. I would definitely try this again. I look forward to trying more of this brands products!

Quick Summary

Be warned! Half scoop first time!
Hit's hard with energy and focus.
Bring more clothes.. you will sweat!
Great profile but a bit pricey

Introduction

40 year old , Semi powerlifter, semi just workout because it keeps me from going insane. Getting a solid Preworkout is gold nowday's. Seeing what this one had to offer I was excited to give it a go.

Ingredient Profile

Good grief what a profile on this one. Starts off simple and gets better as you read down the label.
Consists of 3 blend matrix's but they are fully disclosed.
First is a vitablend
Vitamin C 300mg.. This should be a staple for anyone. I would like to see this at 500mg.
Niacin 30 mg
B6 10 mg
B12 200mcg.

Next is the Swolematrix
L-Citrulline 6g.
CarnoSyn Beta Alanine at 3.2 g
Betaine Anhydrous 2g
Agmatine 1 g

Next is where it shines the Neurohack complex
N-Acetyl-L- Tyrosine 750 mg
Alpha-GPC 300mg
methylliberine ( dynamine )40% 250mg
Theacrine ( teacrine ) 40% 125mg
L-Theanine 100mg
Huperzine A 50mcg
Caffeine anhydrous 300mg
And for absorption Bioprine 5mg
Now The last major three ingredients should give you an idea of what you are dealing with here.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I had the tigers blood and I was so stoked to get this. But I was really let down by this. I don't know if they have ever had a tigers blood snow cone but this was not it for me . No matter how I mixed it I did not enjoy this. I was like a tropical punch with some weird stuff in it.
It does mix well .
I dosed this mostly at half scoop on most days. Deadlift and squats got the full scoop.

Effectiveness

Well damn it's strong. The first time I took a full scoop and it knocked me on my butt. I had not had much to eat and almost ruined the workout. But I could not ignore how much I was sweating and the focus and drive I was having in the gym.
Next few time's I took half scoop and it was perfect for normal days. But lets get to where it really kicks you in the rear.
I have set 4 huge PR's while on this at full scoop. Maybe it was this. Maybe it was just the day. But I have to say the focus is what really gets me going on a good Preworkout.
While on this I have Broke my deadlift by 35 lbs and pulled 475 for 2. Then two days later pulled 495 off 2 inch blocks.
Come in the next week and squat 405 x 2 and benched 335 pause for 4. So yea something is going on here.
Now the bad part. Even though this does kick like a horse it maybe a bit much for some. That is why I stuck with half to 3/4 scoops for most part.
Also even with the Swolematrix I never really got those huge pumps like was hoping for. But with this much stimulate in this is only going to counter the pumps. So it makes sense.

But as mentioned the focus is really off the charts on this. Its like your in a bad mood and just want to be left alone kinda thing. At least it was for me. I loved this part of the product. My gym partner says he is going to buy me more so I will shut - up more often. HA

Value

Well right now they have a BOGO offer going on. BOGO2018 so that is a great deal . 43 bucks and get 40 servings at full dose and even more if used like me.

Side Effects

If you do not eat a bit and take a full dose... be warned.
Dont take it too late in the evening.. Can cause some restless nights.
Not much pump.

Conclusion

MDRN Athlete has done well with this. I think the focus and sweat inducing workouts are some of the best I have had in while.
Love to see what else they come out with . But I hope they come down south and get some real tiger's blood snow cone before they continue with that flavor. I think the pump's would have been better if it did not have such a big dose of caffeine and other stimulates. I am okay with that though as it still delivered in other areas.

Quick Summary

Really solid in producing an actual thermogenic effect, but I question its true effectiveness as a fat loss agent. A nice cutting stack add on.

Introduction

In all honesty I've not had much success with non-stim fat burners, particularly thermos. I find most to be minimally effective and/or the cause of significant negative side effects. Even so, as I have been on a cut since the start of the New Year, I was on the lookout for stim-free fat support to help me reach and maintain my goal weight of 200 lbs.

This is my second of three Beast product reviews. I very much enjoyed their BCAA 2:1:1 supplement and appreciate their involvement with the Troop program.

Ingredient Profile

SuperSauna's profile is relatively basic. The backbone is a thermogenic sweat compound comprised of Grains of Paradise extract, GBEE (improves blood circulation), and Black Pepper extract (Bioperine - used to improve supplement absorption). Also included are L-Carnitine Tartrate, an antioxidant that converts fat into energy, as well Vitamin C and some sodium and potassium for hydration and electrolyte support.

The most important ingredient, IMO, is the GoP extract. That's the core of the sweat compound and the source of actual sweating. Grains of Paradise is a spice with a similar composition to ginger that shows some promise in controlling fat mass and alleviating digestive ailments, among other benefits. Because it is a spice the extract can cause sweating when ingested.

No studies have been done with respect to effective dosage although 10mg appears to be the dosage floor. You're getting a 60mg prop blend of the aforementioned three ingredients per serving, so it does appear the GoP is well dosed.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I requested and received the Lemon Dropkick flavor. Beast did a nice job here - the flavoring is on point with just the right amount of sweetness. Tastes like a solid lemonade. There is a good punch of spiciness and heat as well. If you've ever had a steak au poivre you'll know what I mean. It has a strong peppery kick without the actual flavor of pepper. Hard to describe but not unpleasant in any way (for me at least).

I generally mixed one scoop in 32oz. ice water. My dose timing was inconsistent - I usually just took a scoop whenever I felt like it, most commonly between 10am and 3pm. I didn't use this every day but tried to ensure I was taking in at least four servings a week.

Effectiveness

Since January 1st I've actually lost ~16 pounds. Started the year weighing in at 219 and was 203 this AM, with the low point being 201. I tried unsuccessfully to stack SuperSauna with a diuretic at the end of March to cut out those last few pounds of water weight in order to hit my goal of 199 lb. Didn't quite get there, but overall have been happy with my results.

Now, that said, SuperSauna was, in some scenarios, the best supplement at actually generating a thermogenic effect that I've ever taken. I am NOT a sweaty guy. At all. I barely sweat in the gym even during a solid workout. I can't say I've really ever taken a product and thought "wow that really made me sweat". That is, until I took SuperSauna.

Now I'm not saying I was dripping or anything along those lines, but I noticed a marked increase in my sweating especially when I took a scoop of Sauna on an empty stomach. I definitely felt warmer and could feel most of my body sweating slightly. The effects lasted maybe an hour or so and were not unpleasant or uncomfortable in any way. Now, I'm usually fasted until about noon as I practice an IF eating protocol, and it was those 11AM scoops where I really noticed this effect. They diminished dramatically (to practically nothing) when I took Sauna after a meal.

I was pretty surprised by this result, especially considering I'd run a fat loss supplement a few months ago that also contained GoP and experienced no such effects. That was a pill product though, so I'm wondering if this delivery method is more effective.

All that said, I can't point to SuperSauna and say it actually caused me to lose weight. I hit 205 lbs. right around the end of March and I've been pretty stagnant since then. I came in at 203 for the end of my competition, and that was with the added help of true diuretic. I popped back up to 205 shortly after and it was really only after I went on vacation when I was able to get down to 201 (don't ask me how, no idea).

Yes, Sauna helped provide a temporary leaning and tightening effect via improved water loss, but nothing in terms of permanent fat loss.

Value

Thermogenic fat loss agents are an odd bag with most falling into the category of being only partially effective. They are also usually tough to compare pricewise give the drastically different ingredient profiles. Most fat burners will run you $1.00 per day though, meaning SuperSauna is right on target. At $25 for a 30 scoop tub, you're talking .83c per scoop. A decent price, but potentially tough to justify given its profile and what you can expect in terms of results. Really depends on your goals.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

If all you want is to sweat, grab a tub of this. Beast's claim that this product "actually makes you sweat" is right on target and true. But don't look to SuperSauna for long-term goal attainment. This can help in the short term to cut a bit of water weight and would be nice to stack with other fat loss products (if you've got the funds that is), but I feel they are stronger options available if you're in the market for a strong fat loss agent.

Quick Summary

A good multivitamin that's easy to work into your daily product intake, but the cost is higher than most multivitamins.

Introduction

Thank you Flex Nutrition for the 4th product of yours that I've tried. Flex Nutrition does have products I have tried that is good stuff and then some stuff I put in the middle of the pack. This was a good multivitamin but was missing some core stuff and the cost was a lot higher than I normally pay.

Ingredient Profile

This is a long list and I want to list everything because it is a multivitamin. Vitamin A 10,000 IU, vitamin C 250 mg, vitamin D3 400 IU, vitamin D-3 400 IU, vitamin E 50 IU, vitamin B-1 100 mg, vitamin B-2 100 mg, niacin 100 mg, vitamin B-6 100 mg, folic acid 400 MCG, vitamin B-12 100 MCG, biotin 100 MCG, Panathenaic acid 100 mg, calcium 50 mg, iron 18 mg, iodine 150 MCG, magnesium 25 mg, zinc 15 mg, selenium 20MCG, copper 500 MCG, manganese 6 mg, chromium 250 MCG, potassium 10 mg, choline bitartrate 100 mg, inositol 100 mg, PABA 100 mg, citrus bioflavonoids 50 mg, betaine HCI 30 mg, rutin powder 50 mg, and trace mineral complex 1 mg. The ingredients listed are in good amounts and you can not get a multivitamin to fill all your needs. For example, I need 5000 IU of vitamin D3 (per blood work) so I have to take added vitamin D3 outside of what I can get in a multivitamin. Also, the body can only absorb so many vitamins so taking a high amount of vitamins is not very healthy, plus it is just a waste of money. I recommend doing your research on how much your body can take in before it stops absorbing it. I am going to do another review on the other multivitamin I have taken for years because it has a lot more vitamins and has many other things that this product does not contain. I wanted to know how Mega Multi compares to other multivitamins and if it meets the recommended daily intake. I am not trying to say Mega Multi is not good. I just want to compare it. The recommended daily vitamin intake amount depends on age and gender so the amounts of each vitamin are not listed. The core daily vitamins are listed below.

Vitamin A, Biotin, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C, Choline, Thiamine, Chromium, Magnesium, Selenium, Vitamin D, Folate, Vitamin B-6, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin B-12, Fluoride, Molybdenum, Vitamin K, Pantothenic Acid, Iodine, and Phosphorus. First, what is missing from Mega Multi that need to be added? Riboflavin, thiamine, folate, fluoride, molybdenum, vitamin K, and phosphorus. Second, what is included that is not listed on the recommended intake. Folic acid, inositol, PABA, citrus bioflavonoids, betaine HCI, rutin powder, and trace mineral complex. Third, how much of each vitamin is too low or too high that is recommended. I am not going to look at each one, so I just looked at a few random ones based on my age and sex (39-year-old male). Information is below.

Vitamin A Recommend Max 10,000 IU and Mega Multi 10,000 IU. Niacin Recommend Max 35 mg and Mega Multi 100 mg. Zinc Recommend Max 40 mg and Mega Multi 15 mg. Copper Recommend Max 10,000 mcg and Mega Multi 500 mcg. Vitamin E Recommend Max 1,100 IE and Mega Multi 50 IE

As you can see, Mega Multi is short on some max but I did check to make sure it meets the minimal amount, which all did. All this is interesting but not enough to worry me. It is good to know what is missing and what to add. I believe that Mega Multi should add the recommended vitamins to its product. I give this a middle rating as it is not great, but it is not bad either.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste and mixability are not a part of this as it is tablet form. You are to take this once per day so the dosing is good. I will give this a high-ranking.

Effectiveness

There is no real way to test the effectiveness of a multivitamin. What I will say is that I have taken multivitamins daily for years. Some leave you feeling better and some may give you an upset stomach. This was one of the multivitamins that continued to make me feel healthy and I did not have any stomach issues. This was an effective multivitamin that did what I was wanting it to do. I give it a high-ranking.

Value

I was able to get a 60-day supply (60 tablets) and the cost is $22 for the 60 tablets so it is $.36 for a tablet. This is a high cost for me. My normal multivitamin is an Equate basic multivitamin for adults (I am not an Equate rep, I am just comparing to my normal supplement) and it is $8 for 200 tablets. I give the value a low ranking because the cost does not out way the benefits of other multivitamins on the market.

Side Effects

No bad side effects. When I 1st started taking them I did start to get a mellow yellow pee but nothing that was unusual.

Conclusion

This was just not a product I would try again. This does have a lot of ingredients but not all the ones I look for and not all the amounts I need. It was effective and dosing was no problem. It had a minor side effect but no problem. The value is low because the cost is too high. I just can not justify purchasing this product because there are so many options on the market at more reasonable prices. I would not recommend it again.

Quick Summary

Quick thank you to Flex Nutrition for the opportunity and for the SR Troops as well! Absolutely loved this product!

Introduction

I have been on and off on fish oil as I never saw significant effects. But I started experiencing randomn joint pains and I just so happened to have this in hand at the same time and man.... let me tell you this tough rocks! Helped with my joint pain a good amount and it is just good for overall health!

Ingredient Profile

Here we are looking at just 10 calories, 400mg EPA and 300mg DHA.

For my case I took 2-3 capsules. But most people will be ok with just 1 daily to reach the recommended dosage with most Fish Oils. With this product it is recommended to take 2 capsules/day.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

2 capsules a day. No side effects at all. Easy to take as they are the coated softgels. Just take it down the chute and that's it. I did have some fish burps every now and then but it was never an everyday thing. I took them every morning with breakfast.

Effectiveness

Like I said I did notice an improvement with my joint issue nothing like a miracle but it did help with some of the pain. It was mostly my right elbow that would give me problems during my workouts but after taking the fish oil it helped with the pain. Other than that I had no other joint pain to report. I was already in good overall health to begin with other than the joint issue. But I still liked this product as I could tell it was working.

Value

I looked around and looks like you can get 120 softgels for $22. Which is a good deal in my book. A little more than some fish oils but you get good quality out of it.

Side Effects

Some fish burps but other than that nothing else to report.

Conclusion

This product is excellent if you are missing some omega 3 fattys in your diet and are also looking to relieve some joint health. It did a great job at keeping my joints from creeking and I felt more confident at the gym as I did not feel like I was gonna break my elbow doing certain things. Would definitely recommend this!

Quick Summary

Yet again, MuscleTech has claimed to re-invent the wheel in revolutionary fat loss, however, what they have created is a weight loss placebo that may only show signs of working if you run it for longer than 60 days a.k.a. buy 4 or more bottles.

Introduction

Big thanks to Clipper for letting me pick this up through the bounty program. Summer is around the corner and its time to shed the winter weight. Stimulant fat burners are great and we know it can generate results that we want, but what if we are sleeping, or need something that will burn fat but not make us feel jittery? MuscleTech has brought LeanX which is a non-stimulant fat burner that is supposed to contain well-researched ingredients that will help you reach your goal, but will it?

Ingredient Profile

So I will give them this, they do provide you with an open-label on this product so you know what you are taking and exactly how much you are getting from it.

Non-Stimulant Support Matrix
N-Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCI 500 mg
Choline Bitartrate 100 mg
Dill Extract (as Anethum Graveolens) (seed) 50 mg
Lion's Mane (as Hericium erinaceus) (Mycelial biomass) 50 mg
Bioperine Black Pepper Extract (as Piper Nigrum) (fruit) Standardized for 95% piperine 5 mg

Weight Loss Plus Complex
C.canephora robusta extract (Robusta Coffee) (Bean) Standardized for 45% Chlorogenic acids 200 mg
Rhodiola Extract (as Rhodiola rosea) (root) Standardized for 3% rosavins, 1% salidrosides 50 mg
Ophiopogon Extract (As Ophiopogon japonicus) (root) Supplying polysaccharides 50 mg
Cayenne Pepper (as Capsicum annuum) (fruit) 5 mg

As you can see there are a lot of ingredients that have been put into this but we need to take a closer look at what they are especially some of the less common ones.

Dill Extract: MuscleTech's reason for adding this ingredient is: "The seed of Anethum graveolens has been used traditionally for a long time." So what is this actually used for that is beneficial to the user? According to the NIH Dill seed when used medicinally "Anethum is used as an ingredient in gripe water, given to relieve colic pain in babies and flatulence in young children.[5] The seed is aromatic, carminative, mildly diuretic, galactagogue, stimulant, and stomachic.[10,11] The essential oil in the seed relieves intestinal spasms and griping, helping to settle colic.[12,13] The carminative volatile oil improves appetite, relieves gas and aids digestion."

So is MuscleTech helping us lose weight by balancing our gas and digestion?

The second less common ingredient is Lions Mane. Again according to MuscleTech "Lions Mane is A unique mushroom with a long history of traditional use, containing compounds called hericenones."

Lion's Mane is a relatively new ingredient to the supplement world and it is mainly known for its nootropic abilities rather than weight loss. I completely understand the need for a mood enhancer, especially if you are someone who is really going through a hard strict diet. The toll of reducing food and calories on the body is hard, and having something that helps reduce the stress is great. However, research is still weak on this ingredient and there has not been a confirmed dose that actually works. Additionally, studies have shown that this has potentially shown fat burning abilities in mice, but it was only used when combined with a high-fat diet. So with that being said, if you are not doing a high-fat diet, this ingredient might not generate support with fat loss.

Ophiopogon Extract. Once again, MuscleTech's reason is "An herb with long-standing traditional use." (I hope you are noticing a theme of weak justifications.)

So if you look this ingredient up, it's not hard to find what it is primarily used for. The primary use of Ophiopogon is moisturizing. It can be used to soothe dry, scaly and itching skin. Simply use moisturizers containing Ophiopogon extracts for deep moisturizing of severely dry skin. Since it can also cool you from the inside, Ophiopogon can be used to soothe irritated and dried lungs, especially in those who have upper respiratory infections and those who smoke. It is also ideal for those who have been exposed to smoke, heat, and other conditions that dry the lungs. This herb is found in a number of tonics and herbal supplements for improving heart function. It can help cool down the heart and soothe it to regulate its functioning.

So once again, not a lot of fat burning properties in this product, or for that matter, the ingredients used are not even strongly backed by the company with a justification on why they think they should be in there.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste a mixability was not a factor because this comes in a capsule.

Dosing was 2 capsules twice a day giving you 27 servings per bottle, however, MuscleTech recommends that the user uses this product for a MINUMUM of 60 days to see great results. So that means, since there are only 27 servings per bottle, you need to buy 3 bottles to see the "true" benefits of the product.

Effectiveness

So here we are at the effectiveness. You have probably guessed it, this stuff did not work. I honestly think I have had better fat loss results from taking a normal multi-vitamin. Not only did I not see effective weight management results, I did not see a decrease in appetite, or even feel a nootropic effect from the lion's mane. I honestly would take both doses a day, and forget that I even took them because they were that disappointing. I did not notice a difference in ease of bowel movements or reduction of gas, and my skin was not healthier looking. I only mention that because the included ingredients are used for that. One of the reasons I chose to get this through the bounty program was that I read the reviews and scores on bodybuilding.com (lol yeah I know) and they were positive reviews and high scores. Well, this right here should tell you that SR is the real deal when it comes to product feedback instead of sites like bodybuilding.com. Based off of what I read there, I should have seen a weight drop of at least 5lbs with this bottle, however not a single pound was shed. I really do not know what has happened to MuscleTech. I loved all of their stuff when they first started up, especially products like Thermogain and Thermoshred. However, this is nowhere near that and the company has really lost its way on creating quality products. More does not equal better. Honestly, just don't buy this. That's how I rate the effectiveness of this.

Value

So as I mentioned earlier per MuscleTech you need 3 bottles of this to see what they deem "best results". Right now this is $20 on BB.com and they have a buy one get one free. So for one bottle without a sale, you are looking at $.74 per serving with the sale price you are $.37 per serving, and to be effective per MuscleTech's standards you would have to buy a bottle to get one free, and then buy another bottle so you are looking at $.49 per serving. You might be saying why is this rated so low when everything is under a dollar?

Simple matter of fact is, this will not always be on sale, to where you will have to pay full retail value which would be $60 for three bottles, and you also have to consider what if this does not work? Now you are out money with a ton of pills left over that you may not use.

Side Effects

None to include effectiveness from the product

Conclusion

I think I have beat this horse enough. Do not buy it. The ingredients are not researched enough and do not effectively provide weight management support. Additionally, do not believe everything you read on the internet. BB.com will tell you that this product is great and you can get super lean by taking it, but its all marketing. Do yourself a favor and find a different fat burner. Even if it cost more, you will be happier and will thank yourself in the long run.

Quick Summary

Nice ingredient profile for $39.99 (30 servings) including creatine and Epicatechin - an ingredient that is new to me/first time use, that I was excited to try. This product however didn't give me any breakthrough results, and it didn't work any better than a typical creatine product should work and the epicatechin was nothing special for me. This product wasn't in a league of it's own like I thought it might be.

Introduction

I'm 29 1/2, and have been going to the gym for 9 1/2 years. I started off the skinniest weakest kid, and gained a lot of size and strength over the years. I workout with weights, and my goals are to build strength and endurance. I decided to purchase this product and give it a try with the hopes of increasing strength, and increasing some lean muscle / becoming a bit leaner.. Wasn't really looking so much to put on mass as mass wise I was happy where I'm at... Just wanted more strength, and to be more lean. Was excited to use this product because of the Epicatechin ingredient, which is something I've never used before.

Ingredient Profile

Full Yield Creatine:
-Creatine HCL 3.21G delivering 2.5G of creatine
-Creatine Monohydrate 2.84G delivering 2.5G of creatine

Betaine (Trimethylglycine) 2.5G
Carnosyn Beta Alanine 2G

Astragin 50mg

*Epicatechin (90%) 200mg.

Epicatechin is the reason I was excited to try this product, as this is something I've never used before. Epicatechin is a flavonol, that is plant based and found in trace amounts in many foods. Epicatechin is found to act as a myostatin inhibitor.

Myostatin is a myokine protein that inhibits muscle growth. It has been found many years ago in lab testing that animals that lacked or had a fault in myostatin due to a gene issue has significantly more muscle mass than other animals who didn't lack this. Epicatechin is believed to inhibit myostatin by increasing follistatin. Inhibiting myostatin, which limits one's muscle growth, is believed to increase one's muscle growth potential.

I was excited to try this product, as in the past I was looking into using a myostatin inhibitor product, but decided not to, due to them being on the expensive side and coming with very mixed reviews.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste - I went with the neutral taste, and I would mix it in my post workout whey protein. Although this is unflavored, it tasted bitter, and gave my protein a bitter/sour taste to it.

Mixability - This product mixed pretty well in my protein, no problems there.

Dosing - This product's instructions says to use 1 Scoop (11.6G) in 8-10ozof water of choice of beverage within 30 minutes AFTER exercise. And for best results, to use on non training days as well.

I took this product just like that. I mixed it in my whey protein and consumed immediately after working out, and I usually used it on my off days, however some off days I would just use my other regular creatine supplements.. I was typically using this product atleast 5 days a week.

Effectiveness

This product just didn't give me the extra results I was looking for, and worked about as good as a typical creatine product should work. I thought maybe using Epicatechin would give me something noticeable, but it just didn't.

No noticeable change in body composition - After using this product, I didn't look any bigger, or any leaner. Yes, this product doesn't state it is a fat burner, however, epicatechin is said to build lean muscle mass while reducing body fat. This product just didn't do that for me, I looked exactly the same after using it for about 5-6 weeks.

Strength - I was hoping to get stronger while using this, as that was my #1 goal for using this. That didn't exactly happen either. I didn't lift any heavier weight or hit any 1 rep PRs while using this product. However, I did add an extra rep or 2 to some of the weight that I was already lifting. So I did hit some rep PRs during my use of this product, but just didn't hit any heavier lifts.

Value

I bought this product at GNC for $39.99 for 30 servings. It was a decent value, and if it worked better I'd be giving the value a better rating. Myostatin inhibitors / epicatechin products sell on amazon and other online websites for around the same price and more. Some myostatin products can be quite pricey. This is a myostatin inhibitor product, that also comes with a nice creatine blend and other ingredients for $39.99. So for that, it is priced pretty fairly. I just can't give this a great value review, because it didn't really do much for me, compared to other basic creatine products I've used for much cheaper.

The Epicatechin just didn't do it for me.

Epicatechin is also said to lower cholesterol and improve heart and brain function. Well my brain didn't functionany better on this product, and I don't have blood labs to show how it affected cholesterol. However in terms of athletic performance, this ingredient just didn't do it.

Side Effects

None to Report.

Conclusion

I was excited to use this product for the Epicatechin ingredient and myostatin inhibitor purposes. The epicatechin here didn't do it for me, and didn't give me anything extra or make any noticeable affects. This product had a nice creatine blend, and while it wasn't a total dud of a product, it just didn't do anything extra for me, and didn't work any better than much cheaper/more basic creatine products that I've used in the past.

In all fairness, I am an experienced lifter, so right now it's hard for any product that's not a steroid, to really make a huge difference, or even a noticeable difference, but with all the hype around the potential of a myostatin inhibitor I was hoping it could do something, but that just wasn't the case.

Now I did click "Yes" for recommending the product, and from my review it doesn't sound like I would recommend this product. It was a toss up between "yes" and "meh".. overall, I would recommend trying this product, because at $39.99 it's not a terrible price, it still is a nice creatine blend, and overall a nice ingredient profile. So for that price, it doesn't hurt to try, and perhaps someone else might have better results with this product than I have.

Why I Chose This Supplement

In all my years of supplementing diet and exercise I have never really given L-Carnitine a shot as a standalone product. I have taken many products that combine L-Carnitine with other compounds but never a standalone. I was interested to see if A.) there would be a quantifiable difference by adding it to my regiment by itself and B.) if the claims that it aides a ketogenic diet as nicely as some claim.

Quick Summary

L-Carnitine is a compound that is not technically an amino acid but does have like qualities to both amino acids and vitamins. It is a naturally occurring compound produced in both the livers and kidneys and stored in muscle tissue. It is a pretty well studied compound and some of the functions important to people who would supplement L-Carnitine include but are not limited to things like transport of fatty acids, resistance to fatigue and a host of other benefits. Lots of great articles are out there that go into more detail if one were so inclined to read up further on the subject.

Introduction

I want to extend thanks to VMI Sports for their generous participation in the Troop Program and their incredibly expedient response time. L-Carnitine 3000 is a flavored liquid L-Carnitine supplement that contains three forms of L-Carnitine. It is available in three flavors which include gummy bear, patriot pop, and orange pineapple. I was sent the patriot pop flavor for my run.

Ingredient Profile

So not much to cover on the ingredient profile. Just three forms of L-Carnitine totaling 3000mg of total L-Carnitine divided as follows.

1.5g L-Carnitine
750mg Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)
750mg L-Carnitine-L-Tartrate

There are supposed benefits to each form which I won't really go into detail about. Notably though ALCAR is said to be able to more readily cross the blood brain barrier and thus having more impact on cognitive function than other forms of L-Carnitine. All in all if the science backs the claims then the ratio and idea of using three different forms is fairly well thought out.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I was worried about how it would fare in the taste department but I gotta say that the patriot pop was quite enjoyable. Maybe not the best tasting supplement I've ever had but they hit the nail on the head with the flavor as it literally tasted like drinking a melted bomb pop.

Dosing was simple as my protocol included taking one dose in the morning prior to fasted cardio/yoga.

Effectiveness

I honestly didn't think that I would have much in the way of quantifiable effects from a standalone L-Carnitine supplement but I did feel a little more energized during my morning routines. Even in the absence of stimulants there was a noticeable difference in how I felt throughout the workout. It was a pleasant surprise. In terms of fat loss I really didn't get to run it long enough to quantify the efficacy as a fat loss aide. But more on that later.

Value

Most people are going to use this in a one serving per day model so a single bottle will provide 31 servings or days worth of L-Carnitine. You can find this for about $20 per bottle shipped so roughly $.65 per day to add this to your arsenal. In terms of value compared to other L-Carnitine supplements this is actually pretty strong even when compared with capsules and bulk powder. And the convenience of liquid form that actually tastes good is just added value over the bulk powders and pills.

Side Effects

So it seems like I really liked the product so why not give it a yes on recommended right? Well because I can't seem to take this supplement due to the side effects. Mind you that I did not notice this side effect but rather my wife noticed. Apparently a potential but less common side is that it can give you a fishy body odor. Or as my wife so eloquently put it "You smell like a dirty vagina when you sweat". So not necessarily a physically damaging side effect but certainly not something conducive to a happy home and work life. I don't know if the dose is too high or if this pertains directly to my genetics but apparently I stink from taking this supplement. I obviously had to cut this short and just review based off of what I have run thus far.

This was very disappointing to me as I was enjoying taking this product. I am not discouraging anyone from trying this product because you may not have this particular issue but I also feel obligated to share this experience. This is not a negative mark on VMI Sports by any means either. By all accounts it is a competitively priced product that may be great for some.

Conclusion

Don't let my review scare you away from this or other L-Carnitine products. As I said the cases of this seem to be pretty rare and the effects went away almost immediately after I quit taking L-Carnitine. Maybe in the future I will try a lower dosed product and see if the outcome is different for me.