BioSteel HPSD

Overview

Here’s what BioSteel have to say:

BioSteel Sports™ High Performance Sports Drink provides accelerated in-game or in-workout performance.

·                                 Allows for optimal concentration levels and sustained energy

·                                 Decreases exercise-induced muscle breakdown in your body

·                                 Helps stimulate muscle repair

·                                 Supports your immune system health during periods of physical stress

Other Advantages

·                                 Diabetic friendly

·                                 Vegan friendly amino acid blend

·                                 Sugar Free

·                                 Gluten free

·                                 Caffeine free

·                                 Lactose free

·                                 Certified Banned Substance Free

The BioSteel Science

BioSteel Sports ™ HPSD uses a precise ratio of amino acids, electrolytes, organic minerals and B vitamins to fuel your body and fight exhaustion - helping you reach peak performance in any sport or physical activity.

Amino Acids

Amino Acids are protein in its simplest form. They are quickly absorbed into your body, providing sustained energy, mental clarity and quicker recovery when you need it most.

Electrolytes (Organic Mineral Matrix)

Heavy exercise makes you sweat and lose electrolytes. BioSteel HPSD's organic mineral matrix will maintain your electrolyte balance and hydration.

Vitamin B Blend

The B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism, which help:

·                                 Support and increase the rate of metabolism

·                                 Maintain healthy skin and muscle tone

·                                 Enhance immune and nervous system function

Nutritional Information

Looking purely at the nutritional information you’ll be forgiven for thinking this is just a fancy BCAA product. Without being caffeinated or having any carbs/sugars this doesn't look like the standard Intra drink that we've become accustomed to.

BioSteel have protected their formulas by placing them under proprietary blends but they have given the total amount of the Amino Acids, 3.8g, in one serving.

The Vitamin B Blend isn’t a new concept but BioSteel have added some new elements that aren’t often seen – Cyanocobalamin (Vit B12 to you and me) helps with metabolism and protein synthesis. Pantothenic Acid is a great inclusion here as it more or less forces your body to properly utilize protien and carbs to build and repair muscle.

Taste

It only comes in Mixed Berry – I found it tasted more like sherbet. Everyone who tasted it said it tasted like something slightly different but everyone agreed that it was delicious. It caused no bloating, had no nasty after-taste and was very easy to drink over the course of a workout.

Side Effects

None.

Price

£44.99 (£35.99 if you sign up to the BioSteel website) as this has 60 servings in you are looking at 75p per serving or 60p if you sign up. Not cheapest Intra on the market by any means but we have had much worse products that cost much more come across our desks.

Results

High Performance Sports Drink (HPSD) is supposed to increase endurance, athletic ability and improve your gym results. Based on these aspects HPSD is an unbelievable success. HPSD is an unrivalled Intra product when it comes to endurance and muscular endurance – you just don’t get tired when you take this product. I was able to blow through entire workouts that would usually floor me and still have some left in the tank. This product would be amazing for volume cycles or cutting down when the restricted calories begin to take their toll.

HPSD won’t improve your strength – although I would be interested to mix some creatine and maybe DAA into this to see how that effects it – but it certainly keeps you sharp and focused, making it a great choice for sports and competitions.

I didn’t notice too much difference on the recovery front but this could be because I was always in a calorie surplus when this was on trial, on paper this should definitely speed up recovery and reduce muscle pain when dieting.

I would recommend HPSD to anyone who is cutting down to help maintain energy levels and retain muscle mass. The price tag will turn some people off but this is a high end product for the serious athletes and fitness fans who are looking to take their results to next level. 9.5/10

You can buy HPSD here

Ride The Lightning

Overview

Here is what they have to say:

Ride The Lightning is engineered to give you a unique and intense training experience with an explosive, skin shredding pump effect. A great tasting pre-workout, suitable for both men and women.

Nutritional Information

A basic but potent 5 ingredient build. Hopefully no-one here needs to be told how useful Creatine is so all we’ll say on that is that it is in the most tested and widely considered “best” form, Monohydrate. Caffeine is kept fairly moderate at 300mg but a double scoop will net you between 3 and 4 cups of coffee worth (600mg).

Arginine AKG is an amino acid that helps with muscle pumps and improving general performance. Beta Alanine is the ingredient that makes you tingle but it also improves stamina and delays muscular fatigue. Tyrosine also helps endurance and plays a vital role in delaying muscular fatigue.

All of the ingredients are effectively dosed.

Taste

It currently only comes in Fruit Punch Fury which tastes very weak with one scoop and far too powerful with two scoops. The taste isn’t bad but I just haven’t been able to get it quite right with the water levels. It mixes up fine and has no aftertaste.

Some of the team have taken to using less water and almost taking it as a shot. Each to their own I guess.

Side Effects

The first few time it was used the tingles were very pronounced but that calmed down after several uses.

Price

£21.99 for a tub with 50 servings in (assuming 1 scoop)

Results

Ride The Lightning promised to be the strongest preworkout we have ever tried. Some of the team agreed – others didn’t! Ride The Lightning uses a tried and tested formula so we knew that the doses were great and had a rough idea of what we’d be going to experience. The female reviewers were content with one scoop but the male ones found that two scoops were needed to really make an impact.

The energy rush is quite intense and hits hard and fast – about 10 minutes after consuming it you’ll feel the rush. Worth bearing in mind when you take it as I had it hit me when I was still on the way to the gym and preworkout in traffic is no fun at all. The pump is pretty good but nothing mind blowing or painful. Super high reps aren’t required – anything over 8 and you’ll feel it kicking in.

The real star of Ride The Lightning is the endurance. Once I upgraded to two scoops I didn’t tire out. I could easily complete my workout, then cardio, then my partners workout, then a triathlon, then return a gold ring to Mordor etc. You just don’t get tired. Muscular fatigue is greatly delayed as well – I wouldn’t say strength was increased but if you can normally lift it for 5 then you’ll be able to hit 8 or 9 easily.

Another bonus is it’s quite cheap! Coming it at only 43p per serving.

Whilst Ride The Lightning probably wasn’t the strongest preworkout we’ve ever had it certain ranks as one of the greats due to its price point and expolsive energy that doesn’t fade. 8.5/10

You can buy Ride The Lightning here

Cognizance Enhance

 

Overview

Here’s what Cognizance have to say:

Athletic Performance

Take your game to the next level! ENHANCE is proven to lead to an increase in lean muscle build and responsive energy. Its ingredients specifically target an enhanced recovery for muscle regeneration.

Sexual Function

Naturally, ENHANCE will have a direct effect on your hormones, culminating in a surge of increased Libido, Sexual Function and impacting on Fertility

Immune Boost and Mood Support

The carry over of these health benefits is an influence on your mood, and receptive brain activity. The positive changes to your health, reflect in your body and in your mind.

Nutritional Information

INGREDIENTS                          PER SERVING
(MG)

Goji Berry Extract                     200

Maca Extract                            500

Tribulus Terrestris                   250

Vitamin B6                               5

Enhance has only 4 main ingredients and all of them are fairly common in testosterone support products. The dosing is pretty good and within the effective range. I would have liked to see a little bit more Tribulus Terrestris but that’s a fairly minor gripe.

• Goji Berry has links to various health benefits including heart health and blood pressure but in Enhance they will be banking on its links to increased Athletic Performance.
• Maca Extract is proven to increase stamina and energy – it also has links to helping with erectile dysfunction and improved sexual performance.
• Tribulus Terrestris is the main muscle building compound in Enhance – it has links to increased testosterone, increases in buidling lean muscle and increased strength.
• Vitamin B6 increase protein synthesis.

Taste

They don’t have an after-taste.

Side Effects

None – most Test Boosters carry one or two side effects but Enhance doesn't have a drawback.

Price

£21.99 for 30 days supply

Results

Its hard to review products like this because it can be hard to quantify how successful they have been. There are a few key markers such as; strength increase, muscle gain, fat loss around the belly, acne across upper back, libido increases etc.

A lot of people expect natural testosterone booster to produce the same results as steroids or even prohormones – the reality is that they are much milder (and safer) and can be used over longer periods of time. Enhance is a bit of a slow burner and we didn't notice some results until week 4. Enhance definitely increased recovery time from the beginning, its is great for reducing DOMS and getting you back in the gym. Mood elevation is quite prevalent early on as well. Fat loss around the belly and strength gains took a lot longer to come through. We ran Enhance for 8 weeks and it took until week 4 for those to start showing. No acne across the upper back popped up during the whole cycle so that was nice surprise.

Enhance is very competitively priced but take into account that you may need to run it for 2 months to see results. It is nice to have a testosterone booster that doesn't carry any side effects.

Enhance has a lot of things going in its favour and if you are looking for a boost in the gym and don’t mind a little wait for a safe edge then absolutely try Enhance. 8.5/10

You can buy Enhance here.

Bio-Synergy Whey Hey

 

Overview

Here's what Bio-Synergy have to say:

Bio-Synergy Whey Hey is a delicious, light and refreshing whey protein powder.

With over 21 grams of protein and 4.8 grams of BCAAs per serving, this low-fat, gluten free protein powder is enough to make anyone go nuts. Don’t be shy, grab a tub of Whey Hey and #MakeItHappen

Nutritional Information

 

A nice simple “pure” protein powder. Nothing added, no fancy extras, just a supplement to help you hit macros. Keeping it simple like this should ensure that it can be slotted into every diet plan. We always need more protein!

Fats have been kept fairly low and the protein content is fine at 21.5g of Whey Protein Concentrate and a little bit of Milk Protein. The only thing that is a bit out of place is the sugar content which is a fairly high 7.22g per shake. This comes from both the coconut flavouring and sucralose.

Taste

We have sampled both the coconut and watermelon flavours and they are amazing. The coconut is the best tasting shake on the market. Period. No competition. You could drop a little rum in it and have it is a cocktail! Just make sure you like coconut before you order as it is a strong flavour. The watermelon is also a very strong tasting shake – I was less keen on this one but other members of the team lapped it up. They are both fairly sweet tasting but not in a sickly way. 

Side Effects

None

Price

Both Coconut and Watermelon are priced at £49.99 for 2.25kg providing 64 servings. So you're looking at £0.78 a serving which isn’t that bad when you put it like that.

Results

Taste is king here. Bio-Synergy have obviously set out to make the best tasting shake they could. The nutritional content has suffered slightly because of this plan but they definitely succeeded in making an amazing tasting shake. Both of their offerings taste fantastic but its you’re stance on the high sugar content that will probably sway you one way or the other with Whey Hey.

Since this is a pure protein product you could in theory place it in any supplement stack on any diet plan but, again, the sugar content might stop you on a strict cutting cycle. If you’re bulking, maintaining or just don’t care about the sugar then Whey Hey will make a great shake to take postworkout – you can then at least put the sugars to work.

The price seems a lot on the surface but once you split it out to the per serving amount its actually really competitive.

In summary: Sugars bad. Taste amazing.

8.5/10

You can buy Whey Hey Coconut here

You can buy Whey Hey Watermelon here.

USN Amino Stim

 

Overview

USN have built an amino product with the addition of stimulants to propel your workouts to new heights. Flooding your muscles with both BCAAs and EAAs will create the perfect environment to add slabs of rock hard muscle to your body. 

USN want your workouts to be the best they can to come out of the gym feeling like you have accomplished something. They feel that this product can make sure that you have the necessary energy and drive to make that happen each and every time you set foot in the iron paradise! 

Amino Stim comes in 6 flavours.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 10g

Per 10g

Calories 10  

Carbohydrates 2g

Calcium (Dicalcium Phosphate) 24mg

Potassium (Monopotassium Phosphate) 55mg

Focus Energy & recovery Blend - Taurine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine, L-Threonine, L-Histidine,

L-Methionine, L-Lysine, DL-Phenylalanine, L-Glutamine, HydroMax™, Betaine Anhydrous (BetaPower®), Agmatine Sulfate (Agmapure®), L-Tyrosine, Choline Bitartrate, Caffeine Anhydrous (75mg)

Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Artificial Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium), Silicon Dioxide, Red Beet Powder (color).

Amino Stim is a BCAA product with added kick. You have the usual 3 BCAAs along with some of the Essential Amino Acids making the formula more potent. Amino Stim is also laced with a small amount of caffeine which almost acts as a top up after your preworkout. It’s a shame we aren’t given an exact breakdown of the nutritional profile but rather told that it’s a blend.

Coming in at 10 calaroies per serving this can be used on any cycle and regardless of your stance on carbs during your workout (for the record I’m incredibly pro-carbs).

Taste

We used the Blue Raspberry flavour and its taste great but does have a slight aftertaste, not so much to spoil the product but enough to notice. It also comes in Acai Berry, Orange and Mango, Pineapple Punch, Watermelon and I’m genuinley disappointed that I didn’t try Strawberry Limeade because that sounds amazing.

The products mixes up in a standard shaker or USN steel shakers without a trace of grit.

Side Effects

None

Price

£29.99 for a tub with 30 servings in.

Results

Amino Stim is primarily going to be used as an intra product although technically it could be used at any time. Amino Stim won’t interfere with any of your other supplements unless you are particularly sensitive to caffeine. USN have wisely included EAAs alongside the BCAAs making the product more effective. This product is designed primarily for endurance during the workout with the extra boost of caffeine being the driving force behind Amin Stim.

An important factor of an intra is that it doesn’t cause bloating, discomfort or interfere with your workout. I never experienced any issues with Amino Stim – its easy to drink and tastes great. Blue Raspberry does have a slight aftertaste but it doesn’t detract from the products excellence.

USN’s products aren’t known for being cheap and Amino Stim isn’t breaking the trend. At £29.99 it isn’t over priced but it will put it out of some peoples price range. Coming in at just under £1 a serving it is above the average cost for similar products.

If you can handle the cost then Amino Stim is excellent. It excels in almost every area and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. 9/10

You can buy Amino Stim here

Muscle Magpie Ho'Whey

 

Overview

HO’WHEY, powered by Muscle Magpie, is a high quality, fast release whey protein formula that uses 100% premium whey. HO’WHEY combines a specially developed blend of whey isolate, hydrolysed whey and whey concentrate and is designed to give you an immediate supply of high quality amino acids. Muscle Magpie insists on quality assurance as standard so has further enhanced and fortified HO’WHEY with Glutamine, BCAA’s and Digestive Enzymes.

Glutamine (4g per serving) is the most abundant amino acid found in skeletal muscle. Glutamine gets depleted during times of intense exercise and becomes conditionally essential. High levels of Glutamine are vital for muscle health and recovery. BCAA’s [Branched Chain Amino Acids] (5g per serving) are considered to be the most crucial amino acids for athletes. We have strengthened HO’WHEY with BCAA’s to ensure that there is a sufficient pool of these vital amino acids. Digestive Enzymes (50mg per serving) have been added to HO’WHEY in order to maximize and magnify absorption.

With 22g high quality protein per serving, this low carb, low calorie, low fat, protein shake will tick all the boxes for you!

Nutritional Information

 

22g of protein from Whey Concentrate, Isolate and Hydrolysed Whey. The protein has been fortified with glutamine and BCAAs. The carbs (1.7g) and fats (2g) are kept low to fit in with any diet plan. Although the Sugars are less than 1.5g it would have been nice to see just Stevia used - although trace amounts of sucralose isn’t going to hurt too much.

Although no creatine has been included you do receive Glutamine in a fairly strong dose and a digestive enzyme to make sure you absorb as much as possible.

Taste

We have tried all 5 flavours Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry & Banana. All of them are very pleasant to drink but the Mint Chocolate does have a slight aftertaste which is a shame because it tastes like melted Mint Aero. There isn’t really a weak flavour among them but if I had to rank them I’d say the Banana is the best. All of them mix well in a standard shaker in single or double servings and apart from the mint chocolate none of them have an aftertaste.

Side Effects

None

Price

£27.99 for a tub with 30 servings. If you use code MAGPIE20 then you get 20% off making it a much better at £22.39 per tub.

Results

Muscle Magpie is a pure protein shake so its not specifically designed for postworkout, fat loss or mass gain. Its basic structure isn’t a drawback it just means that it can be used on any cycle to help you hit your macros. The nutritional information itself is fairly good – decent protein content, low fats, low carbs. The Glutamine is nice addition as speeding up recovery will help with almost any cycle. The extra BCAAs are a little bit overkill but they aren’t going to hurt you. We never experienced any side effects with Ho’Whey so the digestive enzyme must be working.

Ho’Whey tastes great in all its flavours but I have to recommend the Banana, 350ml of water and a double scoop of Ho’Whey and you have a high protein banana milkshake. The vanilla flavour was actually very useful for baking protein treats.

Muscle Magpie have priced Ho’Whey competitively but with the additional 20% discount code (MAGPIE20) it makes it only £0.75 a serving which is excellent.

Ho’Whey is a great all round protein shake that can be slotted into any diet to help fit your macros. 8/10

You can buy Ho’Whey here – remember to use MAGPIE20 for your discount

Biosynergy Insanity

Overview

Here’s what BioSynergy has to say:

Insanity is an explosive pre workout supplement designed for people who are serious about increasing their performance, size and strength in the gym. The insane blend of creatine monohydrate, arginine AAKG, beta alanine, caffeine, taurine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid is designed to help you lift more weight, push through more sets and truly take your training to the next level. Train insane or remain the same with Insanity.

Nutritional Information

Good doses of all the usual suspects – creatine, AAKG, Beta-Alanine and Taurine. Caffeine is kept to a moderate level, it’ll still be effective but wont lead to a massive energy spike and crash. Pantothenic Acid helps the body make use of protien and turns carbs, in this case a small amount of dextrose, into energy.

Insanity doesn’t have any ground breaking ingredients included but it has everything a good preworkout should.

Taste

I had Cherry Bomb and it was actually fairly nice (for a preworkout) it tastes very strong and takes a few servings to get used to it but it grows on you. Mixes up fine and as a bonus the bright red/pink colour will look awesome in a DuelFuel shaker.

Side Effects

None – the Beta-Alanine may cause some tingling but it’ll pass in 10-15 minutes and I only experienced it when I up the dosage.

Price

£34.99 for a 250g tub with 50 5g servings in – or 25 10g servings depending on how strong you want it.

Results

Insanity is a solid preworkout but there are a few drawbacks. Biosynergy has crafted a fairly standard preworkout. None of the ingredients are unique or groundbreaking but they are high quality and they are within effective dosing ranges. This makes for a pre that will work much like any of the high quality ones on the market. The flavour is what sets it apart. Preworkouts are known for not tasting great but Insanity’s Cherry Bomb makes an impact. It can be a little bit sweet but it tastes really nice.  

Insanity is geared more towards strength and muscular endurance rather than a buzz and energy spike. This will keep your muscles working rather than make you feel like you've had a bump of MDMA.

The price point will depend on how strong you are going to need it. Our male reviewers need a double dose making it cost about £1.40 per serving but our female reviewers found it to be effective with only a single serving coming in at £0.70.

The main drawback to Insanity is the packaging. The tube it comes in is fairly narrow and when you get near to the bottom of the tube it can be difficult to get the product out. The product itself it a well crafted, if slightly unoriginal, preworkout that’s sure to give you the kick you need to give it your all. 7.5/10

You can buy Insanity here

Multipower Mass Gainer

Overview

Here’s what Multipower have to say:

Trying to put on size but struggling to take on the required amount of calories? Multipower's Mass Gainer is the solution to your problem! More than 1,000 great tasting calories per serving will give you the muscle gains you’ve been dreaming of. A high quality protein complex (whey, casein, milk and egg protein) in combination with an energy boosting blend of complex carbohydrates (maltodextrine, waxy maize and barley starch (Vitargo)) will give your body all nutrients you need to build lean body mass. The product is refined by valuable medium chain triglycerides (MCT) plus Vitamin B6 to support your protein metabolism and hormonal activity. Try it now and take your strength and size to the next level!

Nutritional Information

Nutrition Information per	260 g**
Energy	4407 kJ / 1043 kcal
Fat	13 g
of which saturates	11 g
Carbohydrate	177 g
of which Sugars	68 g
Dietary Fibre	3,1 g
Protein	52 g
Salt	0,34 g

A serving will give you near enough 1050 calories made up from 177g carbs (maltodextrin, dextrose and Vitargo) and 52g protein (mostly whey and milk protein’s with a  little egg albumen thrown in). The dietary fibre is a little low at 3g but you should be eating enough veggies for that not to matter too much.

It’s a fairly basic gainer with no extras (creatine, glutamine, extra BCAAs, t-boosters etc).

Taste

I had the chocolate and it was a bit too thick for me but had a nice taste – it mixed up surprisingly easy for a gainer.

Side Effects

None

Price

£84.99 for a bag with 21 servings in.

Results

Multipower have delivered a basic product but not a bad one. It will add mass to you. Adding a few 1000 extra calories can’t fail to add mass. It won’t all be clean mass you must be prepared to add fat along with muscle as with any good bulking program or mass gainer supplement.

I was a bit surprised not to see some of the extras I’ve come to expect in all good gainers – especially creatine. Since there aren’t any extras included you would think that it would be a cheap product – nope! Its £4 a serving. That is incredibly expensive.

There is nothing wrong with this product – it’s a good gainer but there are more complete gainers out there for a cheaper price and it is as simple as that. The price is really the deal breaker here. 4/10

You can buy Multipower Mass Gainer here 

Efectiv Nutrition IntraFuel

 

Overview

Here’s what Efectiv Nutrition have to say:

This is INTRA-FUEL, a unique amino and carbohydrate recovery fuel for athletes who perform at the highest level.

INTRA-FUEL uses Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin (Cluster Dextrin) carbohydrates with a specific blend of Branch Chain Amino Acids, Vitamins and Minerals, to aid in recovery, and support the immune system during and after intense physical exercise such as competitive endurance activities.

Cyclic Dextrins are highly soluble and slow releasing carbohydrates delivering bioavailable carbohydrates, a requirement to replace muscle glycogen during and after exercise.

This unique formula contains carbohydrates which have a fast gastric emptying time due to low osmolality, which may be beneficial with carbohydrate intake around times of exercise.

Nutritional Information

Container Size: 908g
Serving Size: 1 Scoop (40g)
Servings Per Container: 23
 
Amount Per Serving:
Energy (kcal): 148
Fat: 0g
-Saturates: 0g
Total Carbohydrates: 30.9g
-Sugars:  0.8g
Protein: 0g
Salt: 0.7g

Vitamin B5: 2.5mg
Vitamin B6: 1.0mg
Vitamin C: 200mg
Magnesium: 60.0mg
Zinc: 2.5mg
L-Leucine: 2.0g
L-Isoleucine: 1.0g
L-Valine: 1.0g
L-Citrulline: 1.5g
L-Glutamine: 1.0g

Who likes to carb up during exercise? All of you. Excellent. This is pretty much a Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin (HBCD from now on) product with a more marketable name. HBCD is used by a lot of professionals in the fitness industry at the moment – the craze started a few years back and hasn’t died off yet as the results can be so impressive.

The actual amount of HBCD is a bit on the low side in my opinion but double portions can be used safely. The vitamins and amino acids that have been used help the uptake of glycogen but would have benefited from the inclusion of Essential Amino Acids as well rather than just the BCAAs. Glutamine can be put in any product for any reason and it will always be a good thing.

Taste

IntraFuel tastes like weak orange juice. I really liked it, it was refreshing and has no unpleasant aftertaste. It mixes up almost instantly and never has any grit left.

Side Effects

None – taking more than one dose may cause an upset stomach in some people.

Price

£37.99 for a tub with 23 servings in. I have seen it as cheap as £23 though so it pays to shop around.

Results

I really like HBCD products – I tend to use them whenever I’m not reviewing an intra. They can be especially useful during a strength or mass phase. Efectiv Nutrition IntraFuel does exactly what you’d expect an intra product to do; its great for hydrating you, great for keeping your energy/strength levels high and can really help sustain an awesome pump. This product could be used in a cutting program as well but that will depend on how you handle carbs, personally I like carbs around the workout to help performance but I know some people are advocates of super low carb diets on a cut and have had success with this approach. As another bonus recovery times should decrease.

I think Efectiv have lightly dosed their HBCD but I imagine this is trying to fit into the majority of peoples needs – I personally would have like the dose to be nearer the 50–60g mark. You could take a double dose easy enough (use an empty 4pt milk container) but this is far from cost effective. Speaking of the price it is quite steep considering the get the full benefits of HBCD you will likely need to double the dose. If you shop around you should be able to find the product substantially cheaper.

Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin is great as an intra and should be used by anyone who wants to maximise their gains in the gym and IntraFuel isn’t a bad choice, its just a bit lightly dosed for the larger individual. If you can find IntraFuel at a good price then give it a go – you should be able to notice the different from the first serving.

7/10

You can buy IntraFuel here

Monkey Nutrition GRO

 

Overview

Monkey GRO incorporates amino acids combined with hydrochloride (HCL) molecules, to increase efficacy in the body's natural production of human growth hormone. These nutrients work in synergy to maximise the potential for the secretion of anabolic hormones, which control the replication and repair of DNA & RNA, protect the liver, boost immune function and ultimately stimulate the growth and repair of muscle tissue. Using Monkey GRO whilst in a rested state will further increase the production of naturally occurring growth hormones, which increases the body’s fat reducing ability, resulting in a leaner body composition.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving

Arginine (L-arginine hcl) 400 mg  

Ornithine (L-ornithine hcl) 300 mg

Lysine (L-lysine hcl) 100 mg

Glutamine (L-glutamine hcl) 300 mg

Colostrum (bovine) 200 mg

Ornithine Alphaketoglutarate 100 mg

Glycine (L-glycine hcl) 100 mg

Sorry to disappoint you but there is no actual Human Growth Hormone in this just ingredients to help NATURALLY increase the production of HGH.

You will probably recognise Arginine, Glutamine, Lysine and Glycine but might not be familiar with the other 3:

Ornithine – amino acid that when combined with Arginine has been shown to improve strength and power

Ornithine Alphaketoglutarate – used for muscle growth

Colostrum (bovine) - cow's milk secreted during the first few days following calving. It is rich in immunoglobulins, growth factors, cytokines and boosts the immune system.

It seems like a good bunch of ingredients geared towards recovery more than anything else.

Taste

No taste or aftertaste with these capsules.

Side Effects

None

Price

£18.99 for 60 capsules (30 days supply)

Results

GRO is a bit of an awkward one to review because its results will vary so much from person to person. Please bear in mind that this is based off my personal experience with GRO and yours may differ.

I found GRO to be beneficial for recovery but not much else. The simple reason for this could well be that time scale that I used it for – only 30 days. Based on the nutritional breakdown there is no reason why you wouldn’t begin to see minor muscle growth if used for several months. You would of course have to still work in the gym – as always this isn’t a magic pill. Recovery times (and leg day pain) were noticeably decreased but I can’t say that I noticed any muscle growth or fat loss during the month – as I’ve said this could be due to length of the product trial.

I think GRO is priced fairly and in line with similar products. Since there are no side effects with GRO (although it won’t be kind to those of you who are lactose intolerant) if you want to take a gamble on it then it certainly won’t hurt you but if you want to see solid results beyond decreased recovery time then be prepared to use it for at least 3 months. It does come packaged with several of Monkey Nutrition’s stacks so that might be the best way to try GRO.

The fact that recovery times are noticeably decrease means that GRO is working away in the background which would give me enough confidence in the product to invest in the next bottle.

7.5/10

You can buy GRO here

Better yet buy a stack with it in! 

XBrain Protein Shot

Overview

Here’s what XBrain have to say:

XBrain’s Protein Shots are a revolutionary solution to post workout supplements. Created with the best Protein complexes in the world, and without harmful artificial flavours or sweeteners, the Protein Shots are the most convenient way of making sure that your body has the amino acids to fuel optimum recovery and muscle gain after exercise.

Nutritional Information

Since this is a “shot” there isn’t much to this product. It’s a nice convenient way to add 20g of protein to your diet. The protein itself is a mix of Whey Protein and Hydrolysed Beef Collagen – they have different amino acid profiles to give you head start on muscle building and recovery. The sugars in XBrains shot are from Stevia and there is nothing artificial included.

Taste

It’s called Tropical Explosion but there is no real flavour it just tastes a bit tangy and not very nice. Fortunately it’s a shot so there isn’t much to taste and there isn’t an aftertaste.

Side Effects

None

Price

£29.99 for a pack of 12.

Results

Convenience is the name of the game here. Whether you think that these are good value for money and essential or a rip off and a gimmick will depend entirely on how strapped for time and forgetful you are. Personally I like to have a ready to drink (RTD) supplement in the house – not for day to day use but for when I’m in a rush or travelling. They are really useful to keep in the glove-box for when you get to the gym and realise everything is still on the kitchen counter.

The nutritional profile is quite basic yet very clever at the same time. The inclusion of Hydrolysed Beef proteins is a good choice because hydrolysed proteins are absorbed very rapidly, so if you take a Protein Shot straight after your workout amino acid concentrations in muscle cells will peak at the same time as you experience a peak in anabolic hormones, allowing for maximum muscle gain/recovery. I have always liked XBrain’s commitment to keeping their products free from fillers, artificial flavourings and bad sugars, this product is no exception and the only “sweetener” is stevia.

Protein Shot doesn’t taste particularly nice and it’s fairly expensive but that all comes down to personal choice and how you value the supplements you take. There can be no doubt that XBrain Protein Shot is a good product and would be useful for any cycle. I don’t think anyone would use this on a day to day basis but as a backup in the car it could be a muscle saver.

8/10

You can buy XBrain Protein Shot here

Monkey Nutrition Primal26Pro

 

Overview

Here’s what Monkey Nutrition have to say:

Protein supplementation just got serious! Primal26 PRO is the upgraded version of the award winning Primal26 and one of the most advanced powders on the World market today. Fortified with a clinically tested, superior digestive enzyme complex, Primal26 Pro increases amino acid concentrations in the blood by up to 55 times, when compared with other fortified powders, allowing for more effective growth and recovery. The ProHydrolase enzyme complex helps to ensure smaller, non-immunogenic protein peptides are formed, reducing inflammation and the potential for gastric discomfort, which are often associated with protein consumption.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size 1 scoop (31g)

Calories: 110

Total Fat                      0.5g

    Saturated Fat            0g    

    Trans Fat                  0g   

Cholesterol                   0mg

Sodium                         50mg

Potassium                     180mg

Total Carbohydrate      2g

    Dietary Fiber            1g

    Sugars                      1g

Protein                         26g

Nothing overly special on display here – 26g of protein is a decent amount – the protein is Whey Protein Isolate. It’s Monkey Nutrition so you know the protein is of the highest quality. The carbs/fats are incredibly low. Stevia is used instead of sugar to further improve the nutritional content.

This nutritional breakdown is taken from the Chocolate flavour but its worth noting the Vanilla flavour has 0g of fat and only 1g of Carbs. I always preferred Vanilla anyway….

Taste

I used French Vanilla and it’s a massive improvement over the original Primal26. Its not the best tasting protein shake on the market but its not unpleasant to drink either. You have to drink it within 30(ish) minutes of mixing though or the flavour breaks down and it tastes horrible. Its quite "thin" so your out of luck if you like thick shakes.

Side Effects

None – no bloating, gas or any unwanted side effects.

Price

£39.95 for 868g bag (28 servings)

Results

So its all pretty basic, standard stuff right? Well no not quite. One of the main things that sets Primal26Pro apart from the rest is the addition of ProHydrolase. You’ll be forgiven for not having heard of it before – this is the first product we’ve seen that has added anything like it. It can be quite complicated to explain how it works so in fairly simple terms it’s a digestive enzyme that helps pre-digest protein so that amino acid levels experience a massive spike in the bloodstream. This makes the protein near enough 100% available to be used by the body. This, in theory, means you could only take half a scoop of Primal26Pro – 13g of protein – and you probably would have more protein available than if you took a 20g protein shake without the ProHydrolase.

The taste is alright I preferred the French Vanilla to Velvet Chocolate but both were drinkable. The catch here is you have to drink it when you mix it so it’s no good for people like me who like to premix all my shakes the day before. If you leave it for more than 30 minutes then the ProHydrolase will have broken down the flavourings and it tastes horrible! Primal26Pro works out at £1.42 a serving so its not a cheap investment.

Primal26Pro might be the definitive shake on the market at the moment but it does still come with a few drawbacks. It is a bit of an issue that you can't leave it mixed for more than 30 minutes so its no good for travelling with or preparing the next days shakes. It’s quite pricey in the smaller bags so it might be worth investing and buying the 2325g bag which brings price per serving down to £1.19.

9/10

You can buy Primal26Pro here

Monkey Nutrition X-Blend

 

Overview

Here’s what Monkey Nutrition have to say:

Monkey brings you precision bio-engineering in the form of Monkey X-Blend. This blend of 10 proteins is one of the most advanced protein formulations on the planet! Monkey X-Blend is a blend dominated by the finest quality whey protein concentrate, milk protein, whey protein isolate and egg white protein; leaving all other predominantly whey protein concentrate blends standing and making X-Blend the premium ‘time-release’ protein powder on the market today! Monkey raises the bar further by fusing lactoferrin and taurine into the blend and adding extra BCAAs and L-Glutamine.

Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein found in whole milk. It has a high iron binding rate; meaning it survives the initial stages of protein digestion, leaving the biological activity of peptides intact, this results in increased muscle recovery and heightened immunity.

Taurine is an amino acid that is integral to proper immune function. It also helps the cells to hold on to potassium; this improves the degree and frequency to which your muscles contract and allows for more productive growth.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving:

Calories:                       130

AMOUNT

Total Fat                      1.5 g                     

Saturated Fat                1.0 g          

Trans Fat                      0 g

Cholesterol                   25 mg    

Sodium                         105 mg                

Total Carbohydrate      4 g      

Dietary Fiber                1 g               

Sugars                          1 g   

Protein                         24 g                       

24g of protein from 10 sources (Whey, Milk & Egg and various derivatives) is more than enough to provide a nice time release protein hit to ensure your muscles are being fed properly until the next meal. The sugar is kept low and Sucralose has been chosen lessen the “damage” of sweetening a shake.

Along with BCAAs you also get some Essential Amino Acids – it has been proven that BCAAs are more effective when in the presence of EAA as well. You receive a healthy dose of Glutamine which has a myriad of benefits but muscle retention and recovery are among the best.  

Taste

I used the Chocolate flavour and it was very pleasant but it did tend to un-mix itself if left for a while are preparing it. When drank within about 20 minutes of making it then it had no issues.

Side Effects

None

Price

£17.50 – 14 servings

£31.95 – 28 servings

£67.99 – 75 servings

It is quite expensive when buying the smaller bags but with the biggest the price per serving reduces to 90p so much better value and well worth the investment.

Results

Protein blends can range from a cheap trick to hide poor quality to an amazing muscle building tool. This is the latter. X-Blend, in my opinion, is the best blend on the market at the moment. I can’t think of a better one – there are a lot of very good ones but for a pure protein punch this is leading the pack.

The nutritional breakdown is more or less what I expected, low fats, low sugar (sucralose), low carb and high protein. The protein 10 way split should drip feed you for a few hours and would actually make a very good post workout shake – not ideal for recovery or bulking but for either building or maintaining when dieting down it would be a great choice. From the look of the website it is only available in Chocolate at the moment – it tastes great but a little variety never hurt.

X-Blend is fairly filling which for a 130 calorie shake is quite an achievement so when you are on a cut and have restricted your calories X-Blend could be a diet saver. It is expensive if you are buying a smaller bag but if you are willing to invest and buy a 75 serving bag (should last between 2-3 months) then you are looking at 90p a serving which for the quality of this product is amazing value.

X-Blend is a great choice for every cycle, every goal, every time of day and every person. This should be your go to time release blend. 9.5/10

You can buy X-Blend here.