Quick Summary

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

Introduction

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

Ingredient Profile

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

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

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

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

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

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

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

Effectiveness

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

Value

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

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

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

Thanks again to Muscle Nutrition for sending this out!

Quick Summary

Fat burners have been around for many years. Seems like at some point, nearly every supplement company came out with their version of a "fat burner." While these products come and go, I can't see Platinum Labs Opti-burn Amped going anywhere anytime soon. Platinum Labs has figured out the key to fat loss with this product.

Introduction

Hi all. I was researching some other products on here several months ago when I came across this product. I was not even really cutting at the time or in the market for a fat burner. Normally I view them as "scams" or "placebo effect" products but I couldn't ignore all the trusted reviews on here so I ordered a bottle and decided to start cutting. While runnning this product, I was also using Nutrabio's Creatine Monohydrate, Animal Pak, and Nutrabio's Muscle Matrix Protein.

Ingredient Profile

Platinum Labs really found the magic formula with these ingredients at these dosages:

First of all, it's mostly disclosed. The only undisclosed part are the amounts of "other ingredients" which include magnesium, sodium, flavoring, sucralose, malic and citric acid.
Here are the disclosed ingredients:

Carnitine (HCL) - 2.5 grams - I'm a fan of carnitine although I don't separately supplement with it. Carnitine is a staple ingredient in any fat burner product for its energy, metabolism, and overall "well being" properties. At 2.5 grams, this is an effective amount in my opinion.

Taurine - 1.5 grams - Nearly every energy drink has taurine in it and studies have shown it improves energy, and could improve mental capacity. I think this is a good dosage. To me Taurine is effective when combined with other ingredients (mainly caffeine) but by itself I don't know how effective it truly is. That said, it is a piece of the formula here and properly dosed.

CLA (500 MG)- I'm not a huge fan of CLA. It is a chemical found in fatty acids that allegedly helps with weight loss. There's evidence supporting weight loss in animals but I'm not convinced with the weight loss "evidence" for humans. It seems that more studies show CLA is better as an anti-inflammatory product than a specific weight loss product. At 500 MG, it's a solid dose based on daily values but for weight loss, if it really does help with weight loss, I'd like to see closer to a gram. That said, as a supporting ingredient in an overall formula, it probably contributes.

Lotus Leaf 10:1 extract (300 MG) - I don't have any prior experience with Lotus Leaf but from doing some research before I bought the product, it appears it has been shown to possibly be good for regulating blood pressure, reducing strees (which is probably a byproduct of BP regulating properties), digestion and, it also has been shown to reduce water retention, which is why I think it's a great addition to this overall ingredient profile.

African Mango seed 10:1 extract -(300 MG) - Again, this is another ingredient that by itself it's questionable if it really does anything at all. There are some studies showing that it can help with reducing cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, and control appetite (due to high fiber content). I think it compliments these other ingredients at this dosage, so I like that it's in here actually.

Horsetail stem - 4:1 extract - (300 mg) - Horsetail is a great plant that has been used for a variety of things ranging from hair growth/hair loss prevention, TB, urinary tract infections. It's included in this product for its diuretic effects. There really isn't a proven clinical dose as a diuretic so I can't say purely from the amount, whether or not it is properly dosed however I did pee my brains out when running this supplement so I imagine the Horsetail played a role.

Caffeine Anhydrous (250 MG) - This is a must in stim fat burners. I think this is a good dosage for its purpose. I always look at the overall purpose of the supp when considering the dosage of a particular ingredient. If I were using this soley as a pre-workout or was looking for pre-workout effects, me personally, I would like to see slightly more caffeine but as part of an ingredient profile for a fat burner, this is right on point IMO.

Green Coffee bean extract (250 MG) & Green Tea Extract (200 MG) - I combined these two because IMO they do more or less the same thing. Green Tea and Green Tea extract in particular have been shown to increase energy (mostly due to caffeine), regulate metabolism and provide anti-oxidant properties. Nearly every fat burner out there has green coffee bean extract or green tea extract in some form. I drink green tea daily (you should too) so I know it does increase energy and help my metabolism. 200 MG is good. I would maybe like to see a little bit more. I'm not as familiar with the green coffee bean extract dosages but it appears that this is a good dosage based on what I can find.

Raspberry Ketones(250 MG) - Again, not sure if this does anything by itself. There are a lot of claims out there but tests have never been done on humans, only rats and mice. There is some speculation that it could help in regulating metabolism.

Dandelion Root Extract (200 MG) - helps with blood sugar levels, acts as an anti-inflammatory, may have a positive effect on cholesterol. I know some people that use this as a separate supplement and have noted the anti-inflammatory properties, so in that regard I think it does work.

Higenamine HCL (50 MG) - This ingredient intrigues me. It seems to be showing up in many pre-workouts and is said to increase energy and also mood, cognitive focus, and also acts as a muscle relaxer. It was actually recently banned by WADA in professional sports, so any athletes on here BE CAREFUL with this product if you are tested. From what I can tell 50 MG is a solid dosage.

It may seem like I wasn't high on a lot of these ingredients, and I'm not as stand alone supps, but in this combination it is a "magic" profile, as you will see below when I talk about effectiveness

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I was told the "Australian Summer" flavor is really good but I tried "Lemon & Lime" and I have to say it was fantastic! I found myself wanting to take more than one serving throughout the day because it tasted so good. There's no chemical taste whatsoever, it just tastes mostly like lemonade with lime infusion. I will tell you, the powder itself has a weird smell. Not necessarily a bad smell but when I opened it, I had to sniff it a couple of times because it was just strange. I can't explain it. It was almost like a "smokey" or "musty citrus" smell. The powder looks a little bit like sand. Kind of a coarse light brownish color. I only have experience with the Lemon and Lime Flavor so I'm not sure if they all look like this.

I mixed it in a shaker bottle mostly and few times in a vortex mixer. It always mixes smooth, very smooth which surprised me because just looking at the powder it doesn't look like it would. The color when mixed with water is like a yellowish, brownish color. Don't let this scare you, trust me, it tastes soooo good.

For the first week I ran this, I took it as a pre-workout about 30 mins before my workouts. The container says to take it immediately upon waking up, before your first meal of the day.
As a pre-workout, it was ok. Not great, not terrible. I felt the energy and maybe a slight increase in focus. However, the product is not intended as a pre-workout supplement so I can't knock it based on that.
After about a week, I started taking it after my workout (I lift early in the morning), usually while eating breakfast. I found this worked best for me.

Effectiveness

After running one tub (12.6 oz), I lost a little over 7 pounds! I changed nothing in my routine as far as working out (did same amount of lifting and some cardio) or eating, so clearly this product worked! Almost too well. I think I thought I would probably lose 3-5 pounds most of it being water so this exceeded my expectations. I have dabbled with other thermogenics/fat burners over the years and had mild success at best but this stuff tasted so good that I thought there was no way it would work or that it would be "placebo effect" fat loss but it definitely was not.

I've always been kinda "skinny fat" over the years and this stuff has significantly helped in reducing extra fat in the typical male problem areas (abs, love handles, etc).

I would recommend taking one dose a day, and despite the good taste, do not exceed that amount. I can't imagine what would happen if someone was running this and hitting cardio really hard.

Some reviewers have talked about this significantly killing their appetite. I didn't notice that to that degree. I think it only slightly decreased my overall appetite.

Value

I got this for $36 from LuckyVitamin.com and at less than $1.00/serving this is a steal, or at least it was for me, given how effective the product is. It's a little difficult to find and the few places that do have it usually have it for $39.99 which is still a good price, IMO.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

Let's be honest, even if they won't (or don't want to) admit it, most people have at least a little extra body fat they would like to get rid of. Do yourself a favor and try a tub of this. If you like lemonade, get the Lemon & Lime flavor, drink this with your breakfast, and don't change anything. The results are real. I knocked some of the ingredients as standalones but together, Platinum Labs figured out the magic formula. Don't wast your money on any other fat burners. Seriously.

Introduction

First off I want to thank Body Nutrition for letting us troopers have the chance to give this product a try. I had been looking into this company for awhile now and was rather interested in wanting to try them. I know awhile back I contacted them about wanting to try their products and in return would do a review for them but they were not interested in doing so at the time. Then finally I saw they decided to put a bunch of their products on the trooper list and knew I needed to give this a try. From time to time I like to change my protein up a little and go with a nice blended protein and that is just what this is and looked to be pretty good.

Ingredient Profile

This is made up of a blended protein. You get a total of 25g of protein which is made up of Whey, Casein, and egg protein. You get 45% whey 45% casein and 10% egg whites. This is Gluten free no wheat or gluten ingredients (excluding Cookies & Cream, which contains wheat). You get a total of 5.9g of BCAA and 5.1g of glutamine. 2.7g Leucine, 1.5g Isoleucine, & 1.7g Valine for Muscle Synthesis & Recovery. This has Prebiotic fiber & enzymes
prebiotic inulin fiber & protease enzymes promote digestive health. This is low in carbs and sodium. They use no sugar or salt. The benefits of supplementing with both micellar casein and egg white alongside whey are their very different rates of absorption. While whey is quickly broken down within an hour, egg proteins are absorbed within 2.5 to 3 hours and micellar caseins are digested over the course of 7 hours. Taken together, this means that Trutein promotes stabilized total-body amino acid saturation to continually fuel muscle synthesis & recovery.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

According to their website they have a total of 18 flavors to choose from but some of them I think are seasonal and not always available. This part was hard to decided on just one flavor since there were a lot of them I would have liked to try. I asked to try the shamrock shake flavor but was tolded that was a seasonal flavor and not available right now so I went with the chocolate mint flavor and that is what I was sent. I have had chocolate mint before in other brands but was never been over impressed with how it was. I thought I would give it another try since I do really like chocolate and mint together. WOW was this ever strong. They really nailed this on tastes for sure. I think the overall mint part was maybe a bit to strong in this and after awhile got kind of tired of the mint part being so strong. I will say you really have to like mint a lot because it is really strong in this. I did get a lot of after taste of the mint after I drank this which I did not always like so much. I do really like how they give you a really strong taste and don't give you a real water down taste at all. After knowing how strong this tasted I really wish I would have gone with a different flavor. The chocolate mint was not bad just a little to strong on the mint part and I think I would have enjoy some of the other flavors a lot more so.

This mixed really well and had not left residue or anything that was stuck to the bottom of my shaker bottle. I would do just one scoop after my workouts and that is all you need. You could also take this right away in the morning if you like because of the different kinds of protein in it. I did use it a few times right away in the morning before work.

Effectiveness

Overall I thought this was really good on my stomach and never caused me any unwanted gut issues at all. This seemed to digest really well in my stomach and because of the digestive enzymes they use I think really helped that a lot. After I would take this I feel this really helped take away my appetite for awhile and kept me feeling more full like for awhile after taking it. Without the digestive enzymes in this I think it would have keep me feeling more full even a little longer. Also I felt like this always digested really quickly because I never had that feeling of this just sitting in my stomach for awhile before it would start to digest. So overall the way this digests and made my gut feel was really good and the digestive enzymes they use really help a lot I think.

While I was using this I did notice a good increase in my recovery and had a lot less issues with any soreness and my DOMs seemed to be way less. Since I have not been on this for a couple weeks now I can notice a big difference not being on it anymore so I know it did help me a lot on my recovery. Also I feel this helped keep my weight up a little more which I am ok with since I am trying to bulk a little more at the moment. Since being off this my weight has dropped a couple pounds or so. This will help you maintain a little more while using it which I do really like. I know some of my strength gains seemed to be a little better while I was using this. I did feel a lot better overall while using this and a lot more ready the next day. I have used a few different blended proteins in the past and I feel this was one of the better ones I have used in terms of effectiveness and how well it worked for me.

Value

Looks like the only place I can find the 2lb container is on their own website and they want $36.95 for 27 servings. This I do think is a little high considering your only getting 27 servings. I would rather see this for around $30 give or take. You do have to realize that this is a blended protein and they tend to be a little more costly.

Side Effects

Nothing I noticed.

Conclusion

For this being a blended protein I feel it is one of the better ones out there and really works well. With the added digestive enzymes and fiber they use I feel it really helps make this a much better and more effective product. Also I give them big props on the taste factor and how well they make this taste. After using this and knowing how they flavor this I would really be interested in trying some of their other flavors. This is a product I would for sure recommend giving a try if your looking for a good blended protein. It would be nice to see a few more site carrying their product line. It's not to bad on price but can get a little pricey if you use it all the time. I would say go with the 4lb tubs instead of 2lb just because the price is a little better and will last you a bit longer. This is for sure a blended protein product I would be more than happy to use again when needed. I know after using this has got my interest in wanted to try some of their other products. Again I want to give a big shout out to Body Nutrition for making this product and letting me have the chance to give this product a try.

Introduction

I'm a college student currently bulking and interested in supplements, nutrition and fitness! Also thanks to Supreme Nutrition for shipping this out and participating in the trooper program. Let's get started!

Ingredient Profile

The serving size is huge (around 20 grams):
- BCAAs (5 grams): Even tho we don't know the exact ratios; clinically dosed, Leucine tends to be supplemented in the 2-5g range, it is one of the three branched chain amino acids and sometimes referred to as the 'main' amino acid due to the most popular benefit of BCAAs plus it is able to reliably increase muscle protein synthesis after meals even though the studies are still in progress. Leucine, however, is non-stimulatory. The recommended dosage range for isoleucine per se is 48-72mg/kg and it is intermediate for its ability to induce muscle protein synthesis (stronger than valine, but much weaker than leucine) but is able to significantly increase glucose uptake and the usage of glucose during exercise. There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest an optimal dose of valine supplementation and for what purposes valine supplementation might actually be useful for. In isolation, there is currently no hugely significant benefit of its supplementation that cannot be replicated by either leucine or isoleucine supplementation.

- Creatine monohydrate (5 grams): Creatine is capable of providing the working muscles with energy to allow you to push harder in the gym, all while helping to reduce muscle fatigue. It doesn't just stop there. If creatine is added to a solid training protocol, individuals have the ability to improve their overall strength and body composition. Full clinical dose as well.

- Citrulline malate (2.77 grams): It has the ability to increase nitric oxide production, allowing your blood vessels to expand and dilate. This ingredient in itself has many benefits such as aiding in shuttling nutrients to the working muscles, promoting healthy energy levels, and improving blood flow.

- aAKG (2 grams): Standard pre-workout dose is 3 to 6 g. Outdated nitric oxide booster, most companies have moved to agmatine.

- Taurine (1.5 grams): Taurine is known for its nootropic effect and its ability to increase blood flow when exercising plus it can aid various anti-oxidant defense systems.

- Beta-Alanine (1.5 grams): It has been shown to not only improve recovery time and muscle endurance but also delay fatigue, worth saying it's around half the clinical dose (3.2 grams) and also not Carnosyn B-Alanine.

- Magnesium citrate (480 mg): Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral and the second most prevalent electrolyte in the human body. Magnesium deficiencies are common in developed countries. A deficiency increases blood pressure, reduces glucose tolerance and causes neural excitation.

- Caffeine (300 mg): Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and it can be used to improve physical strength and endurance. It is classified as a nootropic because it sensitizes neurons and provides mental stimulation

- Pine bark extract (150 mg): Pine Bark Extract is investigated for its general health and anti-diabetic properties and its ability to enhance Nitric Oxide,

I would have loved if they had added more beta-alanine to the mix (around 2 grams total would be alright for a single serving) and a different form of long-lasting caffeine but that always comes down to personal preferences.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

There are currently two flavors available: watermelon and Blue Raspberry. I got blue raspberry and the flavor is fantastic, tastes like those blue, frozen ice creams, not overly sweet or strong yet smooth and really refreshing.

Mixability is good, no residues left on the bottom of the shaker cup. However, It does foam a bit given the amount of BCAAs in there.

Dosing is 1 scoop pre-workout BUT 1 scoop does NOT get you 20 grams of product, after using a scale to test it, the result was that 1 full scoop equals 13 to 14 grams of product, so you have to use 1 scoop and about a quarter more to get the full serving.

Effectiveness

As a European I have always felt "cheated" by our local supplement companies; the competition isn't that strong, most of their formulas are generally under-dosed, overpriced or certain ingredients are banned and can't be produced and/or manufactured here. Most of the time I'd have to buy the "good stuff" from American websites and even then, the chances of getting effective products would decrease given the shipping costs and problems involving customs. It's nice seeing a product like this one being European based, tho I still think the price is the issue, but we'll get to that later.

When it comes down to effectiveness, I like to break down the effects in different categories:

- Muscle power and endurance: As I said in one of my last reviews; even though the beta alanine falls a bit short when we compare it with the clinical dose it works well in conjunction with the full dose of creatine, I usually like to take my creatine both before and after my workout (generally 2.5 grams before and 2.5 after) but this time I didn't add it to my stack just so I could test how this product really performed and I'm happy with the results thus far. Bulking + creatine does wonders when paired together and this product did not disappoint in this regard. Muscle endurance was nothing to write home unless I paired it with a beta-alanine based product, however.

- Energy: Hits fast, it's long lasting and made me experience no crash afterward. I commented before that they've yet to disclose the type of caffeine they're using but I'd assume it's just anhydrous. One detail I noticed was that the more I trained the more energy I'd get, this may be from the magnesium + caffeine combo which would be interesting to test further in future occasions.

- Focus: Besides the caffeine-induced focus there're not that many focus ingredients here so I can't really say I felt anything special.

- Pumps: Solid pumps all around and noticeable vascularity. Even though each ingredient doesn't hit the clinical mark, when you add them up you get a good amount of nitric oxide boosters (a bit shy of 5 grams.)

- Recovery: I don't usually add this category to pre-workout reviews but since the product has 5 grams of BCAAs I'd like to point out that it added with recovery. I'm a fan of training first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and I used to take a standalone BCAA product, but it was not needed anymore while I was testing this one.

Value

I'm really torn with this one. According to the website, it's 30 British pounds for 20 servings, which is a decent price for a well-dosed pre-workout BUT when you change the currency in the website it goes up to 63 dollars for 20 servings which is just ridiculous (at this exact time 30 British pounds equal around 38 US dollars)

Now, If I rate it based on American dollars, each serving would cost 3.15 bucks BUT if I rate it based on British pounds, given that it's a British company, each serving would cost 1.5 pounds. Not bad given that you wouldn't need to buy a BCAA product or creatine to pair it with.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

Clean source of long-lasting energy with no crash, muscle power, and BCAAs that makes this product one of the best European-made pre-workouts in the market.

Quick Summary

Alpha Lion delivers solid on the great pre workout that is SuperHuman, delivering energy, focus, pumps, vascularity, and endurance all in one.

Introduction

A special thanks to Alpha Lion for their participation here on SR.com. Today, I discuss my experience with their pre workout product SuperHuman. With pre workouts, I desire increased energy, sharper focus, fuller pumps, and perhaps an increase in endurance depending on the ingredients. I was curious to give SuperHuman a go after reading what appeared to be an extensive profile.

Ingredient Profile

The profile is fully disclosed with all ingredients and dosages.

First we have the Superhuman Energy matrix containing caffeine from Anhydrous and citrate at 350mg, 2-aminoisoheptane at100mg, and N-Methyl Tyramine HCl at 75mg

Next is the Superhuman Pump Matrix containing, L-Citrulline malate at 7g, Green Tea Extract (VASO6) at 150mg, L-Taurine at 1g, Nitrosigine (inositol Arginine Silicate) at 750mg, and L-Norvaline 60mg.

Third we have the Superhuman strength matrix consisting of Beta Alanine at 3.5g, and Betaine Anhydrous at 2g

Fourth is the Anti-Crash Matrix which had L-theanine at 350mg.

Finishing off the profile is the Superhuman Absorption matrix with Black Pepper extract (95% piperine) at 10mg.

Overall, the profile is solid with plenty of well known ingredients and dosed appropriately.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I received the Kandy Kryptonite. I had no idea what to expect, but I will say that is was very good. It tasted just like sweet tarts candy with a hint of sourness, but nothing unpleasant.

It mixed fine in water with no issue.

I took one scoop about 15 minutes before my workouts.

Effectiveness

I'm gonna use my category format with this one.

Energy (8.5/10): The energy was real strong, clean, consistent throughout my training sessions, and did not result in a crash at any time. I was pounding away mercilessly at al training movements during each consecutive workout day after day.

Focus (7/10): While not a significant nootropic effect, I still had a good improvement in my focus. I was less distracted and had a more targeted mindset with clearer thought processes towards each one of my training sessions' goals.

Pump (8/10): I got a solid pump effect that was prominent with both high volume and higher intensity sets. Swole feel in all trained muscle groups and pump induced fullness were all noticeably increased. Lastly, I had more vascularity throughout.

Endurance (7/10): Wasn't expecting much of an endurance increased, but I did have a good reduction in my fatigue and cranked out more reps for longer sessions at times. Mhy endurance during my cardio sessions and days where I focus on high volume heavy compound movements are where the endurance boost was most evident. It was not the greatest endurance increase I felt, but still a benefit nonetheless.

In nutshell, Super Human delivered hard hits in all areas.

Value

The one downside with Super Human is that the tub only comes with 21 servings as oppose to a full 30 day supply. The cheapest price I found Super Human was on Suppz.com for 40 dollars even. I feel that is a bit more of a steep price for a pre workout, especially if you aren't getting a full month's supply. At the same time, Super Human is also highly effective. I would say it is worth the investment for at least a try out, but you'll definitely wanna look out for sales on Alpha Lion's own website if possible.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

In closing, while the price tag is a bit expensive, Super Human is a fantastic pre workout that will hit in all areas. The pump, focus, endurance, and energy enhancement benefits are sure to make you feel truly SUPERHUMAN.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!!

GO PATS!!!!

Quick Summary

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

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

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

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

Ingredient Profile

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

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

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

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

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

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

0 Taste and Mixability

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

Effectiveness

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

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

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

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

Value

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

Side Effects

Some acne on back my upper back and my legs.

Conclusion

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

Introduction

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

Ingredient Profile

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

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

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

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

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

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

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

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

Effectiveness

So, does it work?

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

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

Value

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

Side Effects

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

Conclusion

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

Quick Summary

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

Introduction

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

Ingredient Profile

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

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

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

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

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

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

Value

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

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

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

Quick Summary

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

Introduction

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

Ingredient Profile

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

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

Effectiveness

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

Value

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

Side Effects

Warm, tingly sensation that subsides after about 10 minutes.

Conclusion

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

Quick Summary

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

Introduction

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

Ingredient Profile

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

One scoop provides:

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

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

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

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

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

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

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

Effectiveness

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

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

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

Overall, BCAA 5000 delivered where I wanted it to.

Value

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

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

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

WARMACHINE OUT!!!!

GO PATS!!!