US-based BSN (or Bio-Engineered Supplements and Nutrition, Inc) began life in 2001.
Its original owners were Scott James and Chris Ferguson, who started the brand in the back of room of their small supplement store in Delray Beach, Florida. It was purchased by Glanbia PLC in 2011.
BSN’s main headquarters are in Boca Raton, Florida. However, it has a total of 10 international offices. As part of its ‘sustainability strategy’, the Glanbia website affirms its commitment to finding “new ways to deliver better nutrition” and to lower its “environmental footprint”. As part of this pledge, it says it focuses on compliance with all regulations on emissions and hazardous waste.
From 2001 until 2013 alone, BSN won 38 1st place awards from Bodybuilding.com. These include “Supplement Company of the Month” (September 2013), and “2013 Creatine Supplement of the Year” for the Cell Mass 2.0 post-workout.
Its parent company is a global operation, which helps ensure the BSN continues to build on its success and recognition. In fact, over 40,000 retailers in the US alone stock BSN products, while the brand enjoys a strong presence in over 90 countries across the world.
BSN is endorsed by several people in the world of fitness and nutrition. These include Adrienne Ochoo (IFBB Pro Bikini Competitor), Arron Sain (celebrity chef), Scott Herman (YouTube fitness star), and Dr Teddy Willsey (physical therapist and strength coach).
The BSN range includes protein powders, pre-workouts, and recovery/performance products. The marketing for N.O.-Xplode states the brand was “the pre-workout category creator”. But while this is a debated claim, N.O.-Explode is very popular – and almost certainly it’s best-known supplement. It comes in five flavors: ‘Blue Raz’, ‘Watermelon’, ‘Green Apple’, ‘Fruit Punch’, and ‘Grape’.
Another top-selling BSN product is Syntha-6 – an “ultra-premium blended protein formula”, which the brand says, “tastes like ice cream” and “mixes like a milkshake”. The original version of Syntha-6 is available in nine flavors, including ‘Banana’, Chocolate Cake Batter’, ‘Pumpkin Pie’, and ‘Peanut Butter Cookie’.
Other versions of this product include Syntha-6 Edge (which contains more protein and fewer carbs), and Syntha-6 Isolate, which “combines the advantages of both fast and slow digesting protein sources”.