Two days ago I rattled off a post on Omega Sports’ FlashOver. FlashOver is a potent, pithy supplement that comes in a small can but carries a big stick. FlashOver also only contains eight ingredients and no proprietary blends, and I expatiated about how refreshing that was, how that works better, etc. And I meant it; FlashOver is an answer to Jack3d, is great if you’re on a budget ($19.99 for 45 scoops), and contains proven ingredients at clinical dosages. I even called it a category killer, a title I had reserved for supplements like it and Jack3d (if you want to get technical, I suppose Jack3d is also a category creator, see below), and even Maximize V2. These simple, sensibly priced supplements, which contain less ingredients but higher doses, were causing an upheaval in the pre-workout category. They worked — often much better than their more expensive counterparts. Jack3d created a new category in the consumer’s mind, and FlashOver was an inspired addition to it. See, FlashOver is part of Omega Sports’ Alpha Series: “an economical, basic approach to formulation and supplementation. Each product is scaled down to include only the most basic, proven ingredients without fluff or filler.” Despite FlashOver’s success, however, Omega Sports is unveiling a category creator of their own, Ultima, and in doing so, breaking all the rules. Ultima represents something else entirely — an anomaly. Read on.

A few things in Ultima I’ve never seen before:

1) A lack of proprietary blend in an ingredient list this long (For an explanation of why this is so rare, I again invite you to this post)

2) The most bioavailable/co-enzymated forms of the b-vitamin and mineral absorption co-factors in such high dosages (hint: they’re expensive)

3) A caffeine-free formula with serious stimulant potential, which is also stackable with other caffeine-based products (more on this later)

4) A pre-workout formula that ostensibly costs this much to make

5) No herbal ingredients whatsoever

6) N-alpha-acetyl-carnosine (AACA), and the accompanying three-stage, timed-release intramuscular carnosine-boosting blend

7) 40 scoops, with absolutely no need to take more than one scoop to get the efficacious dose

In the past, I’ve consistently pushed simplicity. I’ve railed against long ingredient lists more times than I care to recount. “Less ingredients, higher dosages!” has always been my rallying cry — the mantra of my pre-workout priesthood. And now, it seems, I must put that notion aside: Ultima is a pre-workout whose lengthy ingredient list makes the product categorically better. The difference is why.

Most companies put more ingredients into their products for a laundry list of crappy reasons: anything from “someone else is using it too” to “we were able to source it cheaply” to “it’ll look more potent because we’re using more stuff.” That’s like buying a car with features you don’t need or won’t use because your neighbor has those features, or buying a cassette deck instead of CD player because it was cheaper — despite you only owning CDs. I still think Ultima represents a streamlined product — one that’s stripped down to only the essentials — it just does more. A stock, fresh-off-the-assembly-line Audi R8 outperforms a Ford Taurus, and Audi’s engineers aren’t fond of superfluity. The car, like Ultima, just does more. If it didn’t work, it wouldn’t be in Ultima. Simplicity is beautiful, and I’m going to keep pushing it.

Another theme I’ve hammered home is pre-workouts as “feeling” products, i.e., they don’t directly cause an increase performance; rather, they impart a certain feeling to the user who is then able to train harder because of this beneficial feeling; some liken this to an increased desire to train, or a decreased perception of fatigue, or mental alacrity; in any case, the feeling is largely unique to the individual. Count this, then, as another mold Ultima breaks: the increase in performance is real, tangible, and appreciable. This time, the difference is the dosages, the synergy, and the absorption. Not a single corner was cut nor compromise made; “if there is a patented, studied, more expensive form of any nutrient that we felt was essential in our product, we used it.”

I’m won’t dissect each ingredient for you (this post would have chapters). If you’d like to read more about all of them, go here. I have no qualms with Omega Sports’ write-up. Trust me when I tell you they are not putting extra marketing spin on it, which is another reason I like them. Their write-ups are always in an accurate, easy-to-read list format. Granted, they make some claims – ”ULTIMA SIMPLY IS THE BEST PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT EVER CREATED,” (their CAPS, not mine) or “the dose of methylcobalamin alone would be more expensive than the cost of this entire product if attempted by other companies” — but when I read those, I smirk. The corners of my mouth tug up. I don’t retch like I do when I read some other companies’ ad copy; my stomach does NOt want to eXPLODE (giggles, and all that). Chalk up the two statements I quoted as marketing spin, but not extra marketing spin. Omega Sports earned the right to those statements because they made a fantastic product. And sometimes you have to beat your own drum to help the customer separate the wheat from the chaff because this is an industry driven by advertising.

Ultima is everything most other $50 pre-workouts (we sell it for $44.99, and we make nothing on it, to give you an idea of the cost) wish they were. Like buying an Audi R8, you will pay a bit more for beautiful engineering, but that’s what you get with Ultima: a high-performance blend that hides nothing (rightfully so) and wastes nothing. There is no glut, no excess; there is only cutting edge performance formulated by a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry. Why wouldn’t Ultima lay all its cards on the table (i.e., not use a proprietary blend)? The industry has never seen a product like this before, and as Omega Sports fittingly declares on their website, “playtime is over.”

Alas, playtime is over for me as well, and I’m going to go workout. I kicked around the idea of stacking Ultima with another caffeine-containing pre-workout the entire time I was writing this post (I tried it as a standalone — loved it) and I ULTIMAtely decided it’s time (yep, that just happened). I’m going to stack one scoop of Ultima with one scoop of FlashOver, and if they are henceforth no further postings on this blog, you’ll know why: I died. But I’d be willing to bet I had an amazing workout in the process. Until next time… or not?

(And if I don’t come back, you still should definitely buy Ultima. It won’t disappoint. Oh, and heckle the new guy they hire in my stead, will you? I’d like to die thinking I’m hard to replace.)

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo DaVinci

Buy Omega Sports FlashOver from Best Price Nutrition for $19.99

A Pre-Workout Supplement History

During the meteoric rise of pre-workout supplements, the trend was toward complexity. It appeared to be a race to the top: whoever had more ingredients that did more things would win. First we needed energy. Then we needed pump, too. Then creatine. Then amino acids. Then insulin sensitizers. Then absorption co-factors. Then cognitive enhancers. Then fatigue fighters (and on and on, ad nauseam). In actuality, it was a race to the bottom: with ever-expanding ingredient lists came ever-decreasing dosages (and a commensurate decrease in effectiveness).

Let’s be honest: when a company’s formulators — often the owner(s) or marketer(s), not the lab coats — make a product, their overriding goal is to turn a profit. It is not to put out the best product possible. This is the sad truth. They’d like you to believe they spent thousands of dollars on research and development — they didn’t. They sat down and said, “let’s create a product that fits into a $10-$20 box (even less, perhaps?) that we can sell to distributors for $20-$30, and they can sell it to customers for $40-$50.” The take-home point is the first part: the $10-$20 box. Ingredients cost money. The more ingredients a company crams into their $10-$20 box, the lesser the amount of each ingredient. This should be obvious; the boxes — budgets — are finite and only hold so much. The next logical step, then, is to conceal the true size of the box, and proprietary blends accomplish this nicely. Note the gambit employed in its entirety: a deceptively large ingredient list appears to cost more — the actual doses are concealed — thus the customer believes they are getting more value for their money.

This industry is driven by profit. Believing otherwise is foolish given the recent economic backdrop. And the recession notwithstanding, businesses exist to make money. I’d love to eat crow on this one, but I daresay no companies are saying, “let’s make a better product — thereby increasing costs — and charge less for it! Our margins may crumble but at least we’ll have a killer supplement.” That’s a world I’d like to live in, but the skeptic in me says, “nah”; rather, costs are being cut and companies are looking for ways to charge more for the same trite $10-$20 box. Want proof? The pre-workout category leaders all have at least 20 ingredients — some number in the 40s. Category leaders are nice, and popular by definition, but not remarkable in any regard. I call this the Red Bull effect: the market-leading energy drink does not taste the best, work the best, or look the best. This demonstrates an Immutable Law of Marketing, the Law of Leadership: it’s better to be first than best. Red Bull leads the market because it was the first energy drink — not the best. Me, however? I side with the little guys, the ones pulling themselves up by their bootstraps: the companies trying to produce remarkable products – category killers. Enter Omega Sports FlashOver. (As a side note that further proves my point, check out this Rockstar Recovery Lemonade. I’d take one over a Red Bull any time.)

Two things should immediately leap off the page and slap you in the face: there are only 8 ingredients and the amount of each is listed. No fluff. No filler. No superfluous crap. Each of these ingredients works, and each is heftily dosed. Here is Omega Sports’ ingredient write-up, which I have no objections to, with bold emphasis mine:

“When constructing FlashOver, Omega Sports listened to the people. Over and over again, we heard that energy and muscle pump were by far the most important aspects when choosing a pre-workout product. So Omega Sports went ahead and created the very strongest product possible in these regards. Where many concentrated pre-workout products deliver serious energy, they often fail at producing any kind of significant muscle pump. Not with FlashOver. With the inclusion of GMS and a seriously huge dose of Norvaline, FlashOver is guaranteed to produce the most intense muscle pumps you have ever experienced. Together with intense, super focused energy, FlashOver is the absolute king of the concentrated pre-workout category.

Creatine Monohydrate

Let’s face it – no other ingredient in the history of sports supplementation has more proven research behind it than creatine monohydrate. Tried and true, it is the workhorse of our industry. It works and works well at increasing strength and intense athletic output. Supplements that are non-hormonal and claim to increase strength without creatine monohydrate are simply incomplete. There is no other supplement that gives you more bang for your buck than this diamond in the rough.

Beta-Alanine

If Creatine Monohydrate is your All-Star, Beta-Alanine is the un-sung supporting hero. In the last five years, no other ingredient has received so much scrutiny – and passed with flying colors than Beta-Alanine. Working in part by increasing the buffering capacity of working muscles, Beta-Alanine allows athletes to workout harder for longer periods of time. Where before you would hit the wall, with Beta-Alanine, you can push out that one last rep. Furthermore, research shows that when combined with Creatine Mononhydrate, the effects of Beta-Alanine are greatly increased. True synergy. Possibly the best 1-2 punch in sports nutrition.

Glycerol Mono Stereate

Omega Sports was the very first company to use GMS was back in 2004. Now, virtually every company in our industry utilizing this ingredient. Why? Because it works! GMS helps to draw more fluid and nutrients into muscle cells, creating a more vascular, dense look. Also, an increase in intra-muscular fluid and nutrients translates into increased strength gains, which would logically allow an increase in true muscle mass due to an ability to continually lift more and more weight.

N-Acetyl Tyrosine

N-Acetyl Tyrosine, or NAT, is an ingredient found in many energy drinks and pre-workout products. NAT is the acetylated version of the amino acid tyrosine, which is a precursor for the synthesis of the catecholamines epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine – which support brain function, mental acuity, alertness, possible feelings of euphoria and increased adrenaline output. Because FlashOver utilizes the acetylated version of Tyrosine, it is up to 20 times more soluable in water, as well as better absorbed and better utilized by the body than regular Tyrosine.

Phenethylamine HCL

Phenethylamine, or PEA, is the chemical found in such foods as chocolate which produce feelings of euphoria, alertness and increased attention. It is believed to work by making the brain release b-endorphin, an opioid peptide which is the driving force behind the pleasurable effects. For this reason, PEA has been dubbed “the love molecule.” When used in supplementation, PEA’s effects are virtually instantaneous.

Norvaline

L-Norvaline is an analog of the branched chain amino acid Valine. L-Norvaline works by inhibiting the arginase enzyme thus increasing arginine concentrations, which in turn increase circulating levels of Nitric Oxide, or NO2. NO2 is what is responsible for producing rapid and dramatic muscle pumps. Norvaline is a very expensive ingredient, and is usually severely under dosed in most products. FlashOver, however, provides a hefty dose of Norvaline for the most intense pumps of your life.

Caffeine

Let’s face it –  other than creatine monohydrate, the most widely used ingredient in the sports nutrition industry is caffeine. Caffeine is somewhat of a wonder drug. Praised for its ability to increase metal alertness, cognitive ability, and even ergogenic output (strength) caffeine is a truly multi-faceted ingredient. Simply stated, any pre-workout product without caffeine is not complete.

1,3 Dimethylamylamine

1,3 Dimethylamylamine is a natural constitute of geranium oil, introduced to the sports nutrition industry by Patrick Arnold. 1,3 Dimethylamylamine is a sympathomimetic amine, meaning it mimics norepinephrine, which revs up the metabolic rate of muscle cells, increases fat mobilization and kicks up alertness.

Although simple on paper, FlashOver is a seriously potent supplement. Care should be taken when using as to not overdose on its powerful ingredients. Always start with the smallest dose possible before moving up to multiple servings. FlashOver may be too intense for some users, so please proceed with caution. For those of you who can handle FlashOver, the most intense workouts of your life await.“

…

My favorite sentence from the above quote is “although simple on paper, FlashOver is a seriously potent supplement,” except I would rewrite it like this: “FlashOver is a seriously potent supplement because it is simple on paper.” Simplicity is potency, at least in the supplement world, and paring anything in life down to the essential(s) creates devastating focus and effectiveness on the task at hand. Anything non-essential is noise, and noise begets distraction.

Another quote underscores the salient difference between FlashOver and Jack3d: “Where many concentrated pre-workout products deliver serious energy, they often fail at producing any kind of significant muscle pump.” Jack3d is incredible for mental focus; I’ve even taken it to study. FlashOver delivers a similar but distinct mental effect (more alertness/euphoria?), but the ergogenic effect — the pumps and strength and endurance — blows Jack3d out of the water. It’s easy to see why, too: the doses of geranium, norvaline, and N-acetyl tyrosine are absurdly high. The only thing Omega Sports may have missed the boat on is the flavor. Although not bad, it doesn’t taste like “fiery fruit punch” — more like bubble gum.

The best part? The price is simple, too: only $19.99.

Buy iForce Maximize from Best Price Nutrition for $29.99

Let’s be honest: most sequels suck — especially if the original was good. It’s a problem of expectations: people expect every sequel to be better than the original, and when the original was good, it’s usually not practicable. And the original, with it’s lack of proprietary blends, was good — game-changing, write-home-to-mom good. So good you might have to take it off the pedestal I have it on to read it.

Then, it left. Quite suddenly, and without much explanation, it was being “reformulated.” I was distraught — disconsolate. After Maximize, the other pre-workouts were afterthoughts (except this one, but that’s a post for a different day).

For two months I languished in the doldrums of NO-Xplodes, SuperPump250s (venerable, but unexciting), and White Floods; wallowed in the mundanities of NO Shotguns and Hemo Rages; and weathered the lassitude bestowed by NaNO Vapors, Dark Rages, and Xpand Xtreme Pumps. Even Jack3d, once a personal favorite, couldn’t fill the gaping void Maximize left in my pre-workout life. I was without, and it was awful: there was no magic tub to open and scoop into a shaker bottle while knowing categorically an amazing workout was to follow.

Then came Maximize V2, and thus, my love affair began anew. (Yes, that last sentence rhymed, and no, I’m not changing it.)

What’s Different?

They mercilessly trimmed the fat in Maximize V2. I’ve been ceaselessly beating my drum about how BCAAs/glutamine are redundant, how you don’t need novel forms of creatine (monohydrate is more than sufficient), and how arginine is a shameless scam: they’re all gone. I feel validated; I kind of like these iFORCE guys.

Notable additions include agmatine, beta-alanine, and creatine monohydrate. You can read about agmatine here, and lack of beta-alanine, according to this video, was the biggest oversight in original Maximize. Furthermore, the doses of the retained ingredients went up, the servings per bottle went up as well, and the price of the product ($29.99) went down.

There is one flaw I cannot leave unaddressed: Maximize V2 regressed into a proprietary blend product. This isn’t a flaw in effectiveness, however, and is really only an objection in the moral sense on my part. The formula got simpler and the dosages went up, so the usual reason for using a proprietary blend — hiding the fact that your product sucks behind way too many ingredients — isn’t being employed.

As with the original, Maximize V2 is only available in one flavor: raspberry lemonade. I find the flavor to be slightly better than marginal, and I’ve heard mixed reviews from customers. Still, we don’t drink these products for the flavor(s), so suck it up. It’s not unpalatable by any means; it’s kind of like a knock-off Country Time raspberry lemonade. I was also told a second flavor is in the works, tentatively named “jungle juice.” For the record, I am tentatively very tentative about that flavor. The last time I had jungle juice was in college, and I don’t think I remember what it tastes like, exactly — nor do I remember much of anything from that evening.

…And the big difference?

Oh yes, one other thing — one tiny little tidbit I neglected to mention: Maximize V2 packs a stimulant wallop of epic proportions. All hyperbole aside, it kicks — hard. Like slap-in-the-face hard. Like battering-ram hard. Like caffeine + methyl synephrine + geranium synergism ecstasy hard. (And yes, that was without the hyperbole.)

The inside “scoop”

I was able to unearth a quote from an iFORCE rep about Maximize V2:

“ill put it this way:

-creatine dose is a full dose at 2 scoops

-enough taurine to get rid of back pumps

-geranium is dosed like Jack3d on steroidzz

-caffeine isnt over 200mg/serving

-tyrosine is dosed the same as the original (750mg)

hope that helps!”

That’s about as close to debunking the proprietary blend as you’re going to get, and it’s pretty reassuring to boot.

So there you have it. If you liked the original, you’ll love this. If you didn’t like the original, you’ll love this. If you have a pulse and are fond of exercise, you’ll probably love this, too. Given the recent infatuation with the undead — à la Twilight and True Blood, among others — if you lack a pulse, but not necessarily enthusiasm for the gym, you’ll like it as well. (We don’t discriminate here at Best Price Nutrition.)

Buy iForce Maximize from Best Price Nutrition for $29.99

Buy iForce Adipoxil from Best Price Nutrition for $24.99

Just as Jack3d’s retail price caused an upheaval in the pricing structure of pre-workout powders, iFORCE’s Adipoxil is turning the fat burner category’s baseline pricing upside down. 120 capsules for $24.99 is unheard of, and doesn’t come with a dubious dosing schedule as seen on many similar products, e.g., “take 3-4 capsules, 3 times per day.” With a maximum consumption of 4 capsules per day - many people only needing 2 per day, at least initially - Adipoxil is perhaps the best balance of price and quality in the fat-loss category. Even if you aggressively dosed it at 4 capsules right out of the gate, you would still get a 30-day supply for less than a dollar a day ($.83, to be exact), and the blend appears to be more than on par with many of the less affordable products, too. If you need to iFORCE yourself to lose some weight for the impending summer swimsuit season, look no further (but please overlook my egregious pun).

Adipoxil is based off of three matrices (iFORCE is really big on matrices nowadays, take a look at any of their products): uncoupling metabolic adipose destruction (UMAD) complex, thermophoric mental incinerator (TMI), and lipolytic oxidation protocol. As to why the first two have acronyms but the third one does not, or why the first is a complex as well as a matrix and the third is both a protocol and a matrix, is beyond me. I also cannot read the first one, “UMAD”, with mentally answering, “yes, I am mad, damnit.” Sometimes this industry just leaves me scratching my head. Does this product come with a secret decoder ring, like in Christmas Story? “Be sure to… take your… Adipoxil?” Alas, the matrices do have potent ingredients, despite their names. I’m sure they meant well.

I like my matrices as compounds AND protocols!

The first matrix is the UMAD complex, which consists of 3,3 diiodo L-thyronine, 3,5 diiodo L-thyronine. This compound can be referred to as T2, whereas the main form of thyroid hormone in your body is T3 (triiodo L-thyronine). Although some people have referred to T2 as a prohormone, it is very much an active thyroid hormone (albeit one that your body doesn’t produce or use on its own). Here’s a list of effects that thyroid hormones have in the body:

• Increased oxygen consumption (metabolic rate)
• Increased thermogenesis (heat production)
• Increased number of beta-adrenergic receptors in the heart, skeletal muscle, adipose tissues, and lymphocytes (these receptors bind fat-mobilizing hormones)
• Increased sensitivity to catecholamines (fat-mobilizing, fight-or-flight hormones)
• Increased number of red blood cells and increased oxygen delivery
• Increased lypolysis (breakdown of fat)
• Increased liver glycogen breakdown
• Increased liver glucose production
• Increased intestinal glucose absorption
• Increased protein turnover
• Decreased cholesterol levels

Many of these effects make thyroid hormones very beneficial in fat-loss efforts. The second matrix is the thermophoric mental incinerator. The main component of this is Advantra Z, which is a patented extract of bitter orange (citrus aurantium). Specifically, it contains the adrenergic amines synephrine, N-methyltyramine, hordenine, octopamine, tyramine. It is touted to do the following:

• Stimulate thermogenesis
• Reduce weight
• Increase lean muscle mass to total body mass
• Improve athletic performance
• Suppress appetite

There is some research showing that these ingredients can work in synergy with one another, i.e., this amine blend would be superior to any similar dosage of one of them alone. It is worth noting, too, that I’m unaware of anyone else using Advantra Z in a fat burner right now, so it certainly is novel and anecdotally it definitely “feels” different than most other products I’ve used. It is not a jittery fat burner by any means. The company with the patent on Advantra Z attributes this to the amines used not being readily able to cross the blood brain barrier, and thus the effects are exerted more in the peripheral nervous system/tissue than in the brain. Additionally, the amines preferentially stimulate the beta-3 adrenergic receptors with minimal impact on alpha 1,2 and beta 1,2 receptors, which means that Advantra Z increases the metabolic rate (thermogenesis) without affecting heart rate or blood pressure. There is also additional octopamine HCL, presumptively due to its strong affinity for, again, the beta-3 adrenergic receptor.

The final matrix is the lipolytic oxidation protocol. This section has perhaps the most “common” ingredients you might see in a product in this category, but that’s not to say that they’re bad. Rather, you might consider this section the “usual suspects”: cayenne pepper, raspberry ketones, caffeine anhydrous, chlorogenic acid (50% green coffee bean extract), fucoxanthin, and 10% yohimbine HCL. Just as the name implies, many of these ingredients are aimed at liberating and releasing free fatty acids to be used for energy (oxidized). The newcomer in the group might be chlorogenic acid (50% green coffee bean extract). Watch for this one to become more prevalent in the industry; it has some very interesting effects on blood sugar stabilization and preferential fatty acid oxidation (rather than glucose).

Green coffee beans: little known fat-loss weapon?

When I discuss fat burners, I have often said that it’s the indirect effects that ultimately allow you to burn fat: you will have more energy to train harder and thus burn more calories, your appetite will be suppressed so you will eat less calories, and the beneficial effects on mood may allow you to adhere to a diet plan because you don’t feel lethargic or deprived. Most “fat burners” don’t directly burn fat - it’s somewhat of a misnomer. Adipoxil, however, may be ready to turn this aspect of fat-loss on its head too. From feeling this stuff firsthand and seeing the synergy amongst the ingredients, I think it’s about as close as anyone has come to a true fat burner in the literal sense: something that directly oxidizes a greater amount of fatty acids than you would without. And at $24.99, just about everyone can use a bit of direct fatty acid oxidation this summer, don’t you think?

Buy iForce Adipoxil from Best Price Nutrition for $24.99, or give us a call at 800-499-4810 if you still have questions!

Buy Infinite Labs Juggernaut from Best Price Nutrition for $34.99

Not just another pre-workout (and if we’re being honest, there are hundreds of pre-workout products), Infinite Labs Juggernaut offers what I believe to be the best value on the market. At $29.99 for 40 scoops, and most users needing only 1-1.5 scoops (as there is 200mg caffeine per scoop), Juggernaut is good for anywhere between 40 and 26 workouts. That’s clocking in at less than $1 per workout. Even the naysayers who stick to coffee as their pre-workout drink of choice probably spend more, depending on where they get their coffee.

This is where the discerning customer asks: “yeah, but does it work?”

And subsequently, the discerning Best Price Nutrition blog writer answers: “let’s take a look.” You guys know I won’t make blatantly unsubstantiated claims, e.g., “yeah, it works… totally. Because, you know, it does. So buy it.” Only all the other websites do that.

Any good businessman knows that in order to find a niche for your product, you have to be the best in a single category, e.g., best-tasting, most caffeine, least expensive, etc. This is usually referred to as differentiation. Juggernaut has, ahem, “the highest glycerol load on the market” (hey, that’s their ad copy, not mine). They’ve differentiated themselves that way. What is glycerol, you ask?

Without getting into too much biochemical detail, suffice it to say glycerol aids in hyperhydration when dosed appropriately and the person ingesting it is already adequately hydrated. Glycerol, the form in Juggernaut, is superior to glycerol monostearate, another common form. There is some anecdotal evidence that the hyperhydration glycerol induces pulls other nutrients along with it into the muscle, thus having an osmotic effect (this is theoretically very good, but the research isn’t cut and dry). Glycerol’s hyperhydration effect is very conducive to “pumps” in the working muscle as increased muscle cell volume increases intramuscular tension, AKA “pump.” So this is a good thing, and I’d much rather have the “highest glycerol load on the market” than the highest arginine load on the market. More on that later.

Other than that, this is a bit of a “kitchen sink” product (as in, “everything but the kitchen sink” is included), but in a good way. There’s arginine, citrulline, norvaline, b-vitamins, whey hydrolysates, creatine, taurine, acetyl-l-carnitine, beta-alanine, caffeine, alpha-GPC (don’t know this one? Read about it here), electrolytes, minerals, waxy maize, blood sugar/insulin support, antioxidants, and even more I’m not going to list.

I kind of view this as the ultimate “I’m on a budget” pre-workout product. For thirty dollars you are simply not going to get a more comprehensive product than this. On top of that, it tastes good (I’ve had crimson punch and raspberry lemonade so if anyone’s had orange, chime in) and the energy is right up there with a Jack3d, SuperPump250, or NO-Xplode as these are consistently lauded as the best pre-workouts from purely a stimulant perspective.

If I had to find a negative in this product, it would have to be the inclusion of arginine (arginine does what you think it’s going to do when administered via IV but not orally, more info here and here) and the use of hydrolyzed whey instead of hydrolyzed casein.

Arginine is going to have its meteoric fall just as it had its meteoric rise very soon, mark my words. In addition the fact that orally administered arginine does NOTHING for pumps, there is new research coming out showing that arginine creates a gradient effect outside of the cell pulling valuable water and amino acid from inside muscle cells (good: that’s where we want it) to the extra cellular fluid (bad: now it needs to be transported back in). I’m going to do a blog post about this soon, but for now suffice it to say you can hedge your bets against this effect by consuming an amino acid supplement pre- and post-workout. Juggernaut doesn’t contain very much arginine compared to other products, so don’t interpret this as a reason to avoid it altogether.

As far as the hydrolyzed whey versus hydrolyzed casein goes, I’ve written about it before: PeptoPro, a patented form of hydrolyzed casein, is the one with all the research in its corner when it comes to speed of absorption from the splanchnic bed — basically, the intestinal lining. When it comes to maximizing anabolism in and around the workout window, rapid influxes and spikes in plasma amino acid concentrations is what we are looking for. PeptoPro confers this advantage to the highest degree.

I think Juggernaut is a great pre-workout supplement for those looking for a change of pace from their current pre-workout of choice, or those that currently take several of the things found within it individually. It is also very affordable. Finally, Lee Priest loves it and the man’s arms are like legs of lesser mortals. So you’ve got that going for you. Give it a try and let us know what you think! You can always call us at 800-499-4810 if this article requires further explanation.

Buy Infinite Labs Juggernaut from Best Price Nutrition for $34.99

Until next time,

Tim and the Best Price Nutrition Team

 

Buy USPLabs Jack3d from Best Price Nutrition for $22.99

There has been considerable “buzz” on the ‘net about USPLab’s Jack3d, and rightfully so. This product was a paradigm-shifter when it launched due to its price point (almost all prior pre-workout products cost between $30 and $50, whereas we sell Jack3d at the guaranteed lowest price on the Internet of $22.99 for the same number of servings), formula (again, usually you’ll find a laundry list of crap a mile long, but Jack3d only has 6 ingredients — simpler is better), and, perhaps most importantly, effect (try it — you’ll see what I mean).

The current Jack3d (note the “3″ instead of an “e”) is actually the third iteration of the formula. The first version of the product, “Jacked”, had a proprietary blend of 3,166mg, was flavored differently, and apparently there was some confusion about patent infringement conerning creatine and sodium bicarbonate blend with supplement manufacturer BSN of NO-Xplode fame. There was also a separate issue with naming rights. Here’s a quote from a USPLabs rep:

“We had to remove the Fizz because BSN has liscensed the Patent for combo of creatine and sodium bicorbonate. That is why the FIZZ is gone and so the taste had to changed [sic] for that reason. Changed name from JACKED to Jack3d because another company has a trade mark on Jacked. We increased the amount of beta A and AAKG, but everything else is exactly the same including the price.”

“Jack3d”, the second effort, saw its proprietary blend increased from 3,166mg to 3,500mg, with the increase purportedly coming from beta-alanine and arginine alpha-ketoglutarate if you believe our intrepid USPLabs representative (I do). So the first formula revision was actually an upgrade, but here’s where it gets interesting: if you look at the label for the difference between the second and third versions — a change that was not highly publicized — there is one conspicuous absence: theophylline.

There were rumors flying all over internet message boards as to why theophylline was removed. For the official stance, I’ll call in another USPLabs rep (this one appears to be much more literate):

“The only ingredient that was removed since the first run of Jack3d is theophylline (in the latest version). Originally, theophylline was a part of the methylxanthine complex in Jack3d that would exert it’s effects partly via competitive inhibition of cAMP degradation, apart from the synergistic interaction with 1,3-Dimethylamylamine. This change, and the corresponding label changes, were undertaken to match FDA compliance requirements in terms of ingredients and their nomenclature. Back to theophylline. As it turns out, due to the small amount of theophylline originally used, coupled with the fact that caffeine could exert comparable effects in the formula without theophylline, the elimination of theophylline was not at the expense of formula potency. Furthermore, USPLabs took the opportunity of the removal of theophylline to increase the per-scoop amounts of creatine and schizandrol A.”

I think what’s interesting here is the interpretation of the word small, i.e. “…the small amount of theophylline originally used.” How much is small? If you look at the amount in tea, for example, the amount is downright minute: ~1mg/L, perhaps a bit more in yerba maté. As a reference point, most theophylline prescriptions (and thus, “prescription-strength”) contain 200-300mg — a couple orders of magnitude more. Alas, we may never know for sure unless a USPLabs rep is willing to divulge the milligram amounts; this is why I detest proprietary blends, by the way, although I do recognize that they are a necessary evil.

Anyway, USPLabs maintains that their removal of theophylline was entirely voluntary; furthermore, it didn’t weaken the formula — “the elimination of theophylline from the blend did not result in any decipherable loss in formula potency.” As mentioned above, with per-scoop increases in creatine and schizandrol A, there was a concomitant increase in proprietary blend size (again), but this time from 3,500mg to 4,145mg. One more thing I can’t help but notice: the first two versions of this product recommended two scoops, but the third version recommends three.

In any case, there is a reason why USPLab’s Jack3d catapulted up the ranks of best-selling pre-workout drinks, going from relative obscurity to threatening the category magnates, SuperPump250 and NO-Xplode, in less than a year’s time: the stuff works. I’ve castigated arginine and proprietary blends before (both present in Jack3d), and often lauded the scientifically proven combination of creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine (again, Jack3d has both). There are pros and cons to the formula “on paper,” but all pre-workout drinks are feeling products; the most important thing about any of them is that they make you feel fantastic before your workout. That alone will have more performance-enhancing effects than any other factor, and Jack3d seems to accomplish this quite resoundingly. I’m not buying or selling, but like everyone else on the Internet seems to be, I find myself taking Jack3d more often than not.

Buy USPLabs Jack3d from Best Price Nutrition for $22.99

Buy MAN Swagger from Best Price Nutrition for $26.99

Every once in awhile, a product comes out that I feel compelled to do a write-up on; it’s either because I love a product or because I strongly dislike a popular product and I hate seeing people waste their money on it.

MAN’s new product, “Swagger” (aptly named, if I do say so myself),  fits the bill of the former. I daresay that I love this product. I liked it on paper, but sometimes a wicked-looking formula will fail to deliver. Not this one. The feel matches the formula.

As usual, I’ll justify myself:

1) The right amount of caffeine:

225mg (per serving — 3 capsules) is just about my sweet spot for caffeine content: any more than 300mg and I’m useless, but any less than 200 and I don’t get much out of it. Plus, it’s split into three capsules (at 75mg apiece), so you can ratchet the amount up or down depending on tolerance and desired effect (and time of day, and blah, blah, blah). Many products are so inundated with caffeine — just to make you feel “buzzed” — that they aren’t actually doing anything from a fat-loss standpoint; making you feel like a rodent on cocaine isn’t conducive to anything but, well, feeling like a rodent on cocaine.

2) Full Disclosure:

I’ve talked about this before. I am much more receptive to new products when companies don’t try to conceal their formulas behind the guise of proprietary blends. Swagger is one of the rare products that tells you, down to the milligram, how much of each ingredient it contains. Let me tell you a secret: simpler is better. Full disclosure’s rarity (at least, in this industry) is only rivaled by its awesomeness. Nothing is more reassuring than knowing you — and your wallet — aren’t getting hosed by some half-ass, pixie-dusted “kitchen sink” product.

The blend is novel and fairly unique, which also garners high marks from me, and takes an expansive approach to fat-loss by offering more than a typical hackneyed fat-burner. Specifically, it addresses all four things I want from a product aimed at fat-loss: appetite suppression, increased energy, increased energy expenditure, and cognitive support. Most products fulfill about two of the four, or decide to forgo anything that might resemble an effective formula in favor of enough stimulants to kill a horse.

There’s Bacopa, Citicoline, Picamilon, 1,3-Dimethylamylamine… lots of interesting, uncommon ingredients. If you have a question about what any of them do just ask. This is one of the better fat-loss products I’ve seen recently, and I’ve been enjoying it simply for the feeling it imparts (i.e., you can still take it even if you do not have any fat-loss goals). Enjoy!

Buy MAN Swagger from Best Price Nutrition for $26.99.

Questions? Call 800-499-4810, or leave ‘em in the comments!

Buy iForce Hemavol from Best Price Nutrition for $36.99

Here at Best Price Nutrition, we’ve known for years that arginine, well, doesn’t really work. At least, it doesn’t do what it is touted to do on every single supplement label: vasodilate, increase nitric oxide levels, impart a better “pump”. The wool has been pulled over the collective eyes of the supplement industry for quite some time; this is the unfortunate result of an industry that spends billions a year on marketing to uneducated consumers. While informing said consumers instead of pitching them more bullshit is central to our business identity, it often feels like slogging uphill and it would be nice if we had a supplement company on our side (i.e., the righteous side, of course) for once. Enter iFORCE Nutrition’s Hemavol.

Again, there is no arginine (gasp!?) in this product. If that distresses you, go back and read the first paragraph again. Here’s what there is in this product:

Hemodynamix Matrix:

-Agamatine Sulfate 1000mg

-Citrulline Malate 5000mg

-Glycerol Monostearate 2000mg

-Norvaline 250mg

Agmatine and Citrulline are the shining stars here, with Norvaline getting an honorable mention. Agmatine inhibits endothelial nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that breaks down nitric oxide in your blood. Instead of the crapshoot that is ingesting arginine and hoping that it eventually turns itself into nitric oxide, and then hoping that your body doesn’t break down that nitric oxide, you just directly boost the levels of nitric oxide in your blood. If blocking an enzyme sounds like sketchy voodoo science to you, bear in mind this is exactly how most prescription drugs work.

Citrulline malate is an interesting ingredient that has been used for years in Europe as a fatigue-fighter, among other things. This is not a new ingredient by any means, and I won’t bill it as such; you can find citrulline entering sports performance write-ups in the United States as early as 1998. This is the quick and dirty: citrulline significantly increases aerobic performance at a dosage of 6g per day - some studies go as high as 18g per day. It will also indirectly boost anaerobic performance by boosting the re-absorption of bicarbonates that protect against metabolic acidosis and by raising the anaerobic threshold. Yes, the supplement only has 5g of citrulline, but the dosage is already 10 capsules. If you really want the 6g, take 12 capsules or add in a few scoops of Scivation’s Xtend (2 scoops has 1g of citrulline).

Norvaline is finally gaining traction because it too inhibits an enzyme: arginase, the enzyme that degrades arginine. What I didn’t mention above is that both agmatine and citrulline are both derived from arginine, and may actually be superior in bolstering plasma levels of arginine than, well, arginine itself; this has to do with agmatine and citrulline dodging liver metabolism whereas arginine cannot.

Long story short, you’re blowing the door off the limiting factors of endothelial nitric oxide levels as opposed to previously only gently knocking (with arginine). Enjoy.

NO2 Vasodilation Support Matrix: L-Alpha-Glycerophosphorylcholine (Alpha-GPC), Vitamin C, Rutacaerpine, Epimedium

Alpha-GPC is an awesome addition to this product that is just now peeking its head over the vast horizon that is sports performance supplements, but despite its late entrance, it is a very welcome addition. Not only does it sensitize the body’s growth hormone receptors, thereby making growth hormone more effective, but it also has a powerful effect on the central nervous system by acting as a parasympathomimetic acetylcholine precursor, and rapidly delivers choline across the blood brain barrier. Canadian strength coach Christian Thibaudeau lauds Alpha-GPC as his favorite supplement, “… it is the only supplement I’ve ever tried that made me significantly stronger the first time I ever took it.” Don’t overlook this ingredient: it is not cheap, and certainly not a “cutting-corners” filler ingredient.

Quite simply, if you’re looking for a nitric oxide supplement that actually works, this is as close to defying the laws of physiology I’ve seen a supplement company come up with, and I’m thoroughly impressed.

Buy iForce Hemavol from Best Price Nutrition for $36.99

Buy 20 Packets of MRI Black Powder for $18.99 or 1.76lbs for $36.99

Lately, I’ve been on a mission to find the best pre-workout drink available (see my previous post on Maximize from IForce). Again, I am not a huge fan of nitric oxide products personally, but after getting an exhaustive amount of inquiries, I’ve concluded that I might actually be the only one on the planet who cannot claim to have had lengthy affairs with several of them. After watching an elderly gentleman get robbed by what appeared to be an unruly mob of NO-Xplode-toting 8th graders on bicycles from my office window, I have officially adopted the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality” (the pre-workout drink users, not the prepubescent bicycle gang, however tempting).

At the very least, I need to further acquaint myself with these products so I can make more accurate product recommendations to our customers. Anyway, next on my slate is “Black Powder” from MRI, whose powder, in what was either a tragic oversight or a failed attempt at irony on MRI’s part, isn’t actually black at all? Very confusing.

First Impression(s):

When examining the label of a product like this, I always look for two things first: servings per container and calorie/carbohydrate content. The servings per container are 40, identical to almost every other product in this category. The carbohydrate content was met with a sigh on my end. 45kcal and 11g of carbohydrate are disappointing because when I am dieting I don’t want the excess calories; I’d much rather get them from whole food sources. Plus, the more carbohydrates per scoop, the less “active” ingredients there are per serving. Consider that a serving is 20g in size and right off the bat you lose 11g of that from the carbohydrate content. That only leaves 9g of “active” ingredients. More than half of your product, per serving, is maltodextrin (hint: go look up how cheap maltodextrin is). Finally, this is the industry norm so I don’t know if it would be fair to say I’m disappointed, but the label is riddled with proprietary blends which make it next to impossible to discern how much of each ingredient that you are actually getting. (For a more in-depth discussion of why this is bad, and a look at a product that had the gall to break the rules, click here).

Ingredients:

Proprietary Blend for Size & Recovery (3000mg): L-Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate & L-Arginine HCL
There’s nothing novel or interesting here. It’s arginine. Does a single amino acid actually induce vasodilation? Probably not. I’ve always felt that arginine products functioned via a unique mechanism of action that I call… placebo. Let’s examine why.

The general idea goes something like this: Arginine -> Nitric Oxide -> Vasodilation -> Greater Blood Flow -> Greater Nutrient Delivery -> Greater Muscle Growth.

Let’s throw some skepticism at the issue. I’m ready and willing to admit that arginine is the precursor to NO synthesis. After that, these companies lose me. Look, I’ve pored over the research and it’s simply not there. Here’s a bulleted list of reasons (all validated by said research) why the above theory is not valid:

-10g administered orally caused no vasodilation effect, but caused gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea.
-Oral arginine only has 70% bioavailability, and up to 50% of that can be broken down into ornithine (note: these percentages refer to L-Arginine).
-The minimum effective dose threshold via I.V. was 30g to induce vasodilation.
-21g/day (7g administered 3 times daily) also had no effect on vasodilation.
-20g/day for 28 days also had no effect on vasodilation.
-A 6 day arginine-free diet had no effect on nitric oxide synthesis.

As you can see, there is absolutely nothing compelling about the research. So, what’s going on here? Are we just being scammed? Well, kind of. More like deliberately misled. Arginine is a powerful stimulator of pancreatic insulin release (Schmidt et al. 1992). Insulin drastically increases nitric oxide synthesis compared to fasting levels. Not arginine. And, again, how do we stimulate insulin release? Carbohydrates (well, if you want to nitpick, obviously amino acids can do it too). Ever heard guys that are doing a low/no-carbohydrate diet and complaining how they can’t get a pump? Why do you think that is? Usually they’re ingesting more protein (hence more amino acids, hence more arginine) than usual. They’re also ingesting more fats. Fats blunt insulin release. Less insulin equals fewer pumps.

Do you really need all the extra arginine, given the price? Don’t get me wrong – I’m not some carbohydrate Nazi. I’m just pointing out that sipping on half-strength Gatorade mixed with a half-scoop of whey or some peptide-bonded amino acids before/during your workout will have the same effect. Why break the bank? Guys have been getting big, strong, and vascular for a long time – long before nitric oxide products were available, long before supplementing with Black Powder pre-workout. What happened to common sense?

Other ingredients of interest include creatine anhydrous and creatine ethyl-ester, CarnoSyn® beta-alanine, caffeine, green tea extract, taurine, phosphates/minerals, and B-vitamins. The problem is that you don’t seem to be getting enough of each. The exact amounts, however, are hidden within the proprietary blend, so you can’t be sure (see why this is annoying?).

Finally, I wanted to address one thing. The entire premise of MRI’s Black Powder is the “ACTINOS₂IR” whey peptide fraction. Apparently, it boosts nitric oxide 950%. Compared to what and in whom? Placebo or control group? Double-blind? Humans or rats? Trained or untrained subjects? The research is incredibly hard to find. The study, from what I can tell, was done in-house at Glanbia PLC, the company that owns the trademark on ACTINOS₂IR. There is another, larger problem with this whole thing as well. Even if ACTINOS₂IR does what it claims (doubtful) it is a “whey peptide fraction”, that would mean it is composed of amino acids. Amino acids have caloric content. They have not listed any protein content on the label, nor are there any additional calories allotted to this magical peptide fraction. We have 11g of carbohydrates (clocking in at 4kcal/g, just like proteins) per serving on the label. 11g carbohydrates x 4kcal/g = 44kcal from carbohydrates. The label lists 45kcal per serving. So either MRI rounded 44kcal up to 45kcal on the label, or this magical “whey peptide fraction” is so small that it only yields 1kcal per serving.

[caption id="attachment_78" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="No, we don't sell this. Don't ask."]

All hopped-up on NO-Xplode

In either case, despite its purported effect, there is probably not enough of it to do anything at all. Was this the studied amount? Or did the study use something like 10g of ACTINOS₂IR, which would yield 40kcal, assuming it was purely amino acids? See the bait-and-switch here? Don’t fall for it. (*Note: if someone reading this has seen or can find the studies to perhaps clarify things a bit, by all means leave a link in the comments. I gave up after two hours.)

Taste/Mixability:

The powder both tastes good and mixes fine. You would expect something that contains 11g of carbohydrate per serving to taste good – they don’t need to use as many artificial sweeteners. It is when you try to flavor some of the lower/no-carbohydrate pre-workout drinks that you run into trouble. I tried the orange flavor and it was enjoyable, although, as mentioned above, I kept hoping for the drink to turn black as night when I mixed it due to the product’s name (it wasn’t – just light orange). I think that’d be hilarious to have in the gym with you – e.g. “what are you drinking, tar?”

If you guys want, I’ll make a product like that and sell it through Best Price. Imagine the marketing possibilities! “Unlock the anabolic potential of the color black! It’s like becoming a blind-man dropped into a black hole – instantly! You have to take it every other day because if you don’t, you will actually go blind! Our warehouse operators have to wear night vision goggles when we produce it!” You get the idea. Seriously, though, let me know. If not, I can always just sell it to MuscleTech.

Effect:

I did not notice any effect from this product. I may be slightly desensitized to caffeine at this point, but I still didn’t really “feel it”. Same with the beta-alanine - usually if you get a high enough dose of it you get a harmless tingling sensation on your skin known as paresthesia. I did not feel it.

Final Thoughts:

I think that the price of this product does not really justify its effectiveness. I’m trying to be fair in my assessment; I just feel that sometimes everyone is missing the forest for the trees with things like this. You’d be amazed how many people are not getting in enough protein, not getting enough essential fats, and not getting enough calories, and yet they keep going from one pre-workout supplement to the next because they feel like that’s the missing link in their supplement and training regimen. There is usually no protein in any of these supplements. You can’t synthesize new muscle tissue (which is composed of proteins) without ingesting protein. That’d be like me asking you to build a house without giving you any bricks. It doesn’t matter how motivated you are. If you still want to try it, go ahead. We offer the 20-packet size for only $18.99. I’m not trying to get you to NOT buy something from us. I just think there are better things available - in the pre-workout category and overall - and that’s my honest opinion. Feel free to call us at (800) 499 – 4810 and we can make some suggestions if you like, or hop on the live chat. The bottom line is that you should find something that you enjoy drinking and drags you off the couch if you’re a bit low on energy. If it tastes good and has some performance enhancing ingredients in it, it’s a win-win proposition. Just remember why you’re taking these products and what they do (and, perhaps more importantly, what they don’t do). I want your business, but I want you to come back, too. And the best way for me to do that is to make sure you’re buying things that work, and that help you meet your individual goals. And if you have tried the product before, give us a review! Here’s the links:

Buy 20 Packets of MRI Black Powder for $18.99 or 1.76lbs for $36.99

Citation:

HH Schmidt, TD Warner, K Ishii, H Sheng, and F Murad. 1992. Insulin secretion from pancreatic B cells caused by L-arginine-derived nitrogen oxides. Science, Vol 255, Issue 5045, 721-723.