Saturday, 21 August 2010

Product Review #1

Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to the sports-supplements that I consider to be my essential foundation for intensive training:

Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Series

I feel like a grizzled veteran when I say that I have utilised and stayed with this advanced whey-based protein throughout its evolution - from the original Nitro-Tech, to Hardcore, and now to the Pro Series range. At the age of 20, when I moved to the States to begin my wrestling training, I was completely ignorant of sports-supplementation and unaware to the myriad array of products available. Luckily, I befriended a Welsh former NABBA Body-building judge who suggested I try MuscleTech's Nitro-Tech protein, and I've been hooked ever since.

There's a lot of hype and false promises in the sports-supplement industry, and unfortunately there will always be 'cowboy' companies that guarantee that their products are better than others. There are good points and bad points to any supplement available, and the bottom line is that when the science is equal, opinion takes over. I choose MuscleTech products because it's a simple case of "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it" - I have made consistant gains using Nitro-Tech, the flavours have improved in quality over the course of it's evolution, and it is still regarded by many to be the premier protein supplement to take for dedicated athletes.

Of course, the Achilles heel to the MuscleTech range has always been price - MT's products are some of the highest priced supplements available. However, in light of present-day economics, there are a couple of important factors to consider before this turns you away:

  1. There are a growing number of inferior quality companies and products that promise the most at the lowest price. However, they nearly all deliver the least. Be weary of fancy labels and bold claims - always check the basics: available protein content, carbs, fat, sugar and sodium. The Internet makes comparing nutritional contents easy, and if a product can't provide these details then that's another warning light.
  2. Body-building is just that: You are building your body. Personally, be it in my whole food diet or the supplements I take, I want the highest quality products available as the building blocks for my physique. MuscleTech is regarded as one of (if not, the No.1) sports-supplement company. Whenever possible, go with well-established, results-driven companies.
  3. If anyone is training under any kind of anti-drug wellness policy, I used MT products throughout my wrestling career. I was blood and urine tested on a monthly basis, and never once did I have any problems - contamination of supplements with banned substances is the number one concern among the industry, and could potentially lead to massive changes in the market place in the years to come

On a less serious note, the available flavours for Nitro-Tech HC/PS at Explosive Nutrition include: Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, Banana Cream and Cookies and Cream. Banana is by far my best choice - not too sweet, yet very delicious. Vanilla and Chocolate are classics that you can't go wrong with. Personally, I find the Strawberry flavour a little too sweet for my taste, and with no disrespect to MT, I wouldn't touch Cookies and Cream with a 10-foot barge pole!

Cell-Tech Hardcore Pro Series

Again, I have used this creatine product throughout the course of it's evolution. My biggest complaint when I began using this product was the harshness, the acidity of the flavour and the after-taste. Of course, having never used creatine products before, I had no basis for comparison. But I stuck with it because, again, it's MT - I was using a high-quality creatine supplement. I'm happy to say that over time the harshness of Cell-Tech has been greatly diminished, and the current incarnation in the Pro Series range is very easy to drink.

This is an important factor to consider when using Cell-Tech and Nitro-Tech in conjunction with one another (as is the preferred method for greatest results). Why? because:

  1. Taking both drinks together can make you feel a little sickly for an hour or two, and you will need to piss like a race horse for a while (plenty of water should be taken regardless of choice). If you are using both together, I suggest staying away from the more sweeter-tasting flavours i.e. strawberry, C n'C.
  2. When you go through the loading phase with Cell-Tech (to build up adequate levels of creatine in your system for the first five days), you take this twice a day, morning and post-workout...I've recently begun getting up at 4:30am to start training, and you want to make it as easy on your stomach as possible!

The age-old negative factor to Cell-Tech has been the sugar content that may turn people away. However, if you have performed intensive weight resistance training, your body is in need for quick assimilating carbs post-workout - the kind that Cell-Tech is designed to deliver. Personally, you should always keep your sugar intake to a minimum. With Cell-Tech, I just make the extra effort.

Sci-Mx L-Glutaimine

Many people who are serious about beginning a weight resistance program often ask me the loaded question: "What supplements should I take". This question easily leads to 'information-overload', but my advice has always been to keep it simple, keep it basic. I always suggest a good quality basic whey protein powder, and L-Glutamine. I won't waste time by repeating the science available in the official product description (clink the link at the top of the page), but among other advantages, Glutamine can:

  1. Repair muscle tissue, prevent post-workout breakdown
  2. Increase natural GH levels resulting in lower levels of fat
  3. Enhance strength and sporting performance

Glutamine is neutral tasting and mixes easily. Take 20g a day - personally, I mix 10g with my Cell-Tech to be taken immediately post-workout, and 10g with my Nitro-Tech as my last shake before I go to bed. Glutamine also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive as a supplement. It is also a 'pure' supplement, meaning that there are no gimmick extras added to it. I choose Sci-Mx, because having done a little research into the company, I found their previous reviews to be solid, and they boasted the purest Glutamine quality available.

Sci-Mx Omega Lean CLA

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a fantastic supplement that I was regrettably unaware of until only a year or so ago. Click the link, check out the science, but again, I consider this to be a foundation supplement for anyone wishing to make significant improvements to their physique. Among other benefits, CLA:

  1. Breaks down saturated fat
  2. Reduces accumulated fat storage
  3. Has a powerful anti-Catabolic property - meaning you lose fat, not muscle

Personally, I take 6 caps a day - morning, afternoon, evening. Of course, the only drawback as I see it is the volume needed compared to the volume sold. Any size less than the 160 caps range is cost ineffective, and to be honest, if another company on Explosive Nutrition's site sold CLA in the 180 caps range, I would go with that product instead (30 days a month, 6 caps a day = 180 caps/month). Still, Sci-Mx is a proven company with a well-established range of high quality products.

Animal Pak

No dedicated athlete, no matter their skill level, should go without a comprehensive, correctly proportioned multi-vitamin. There's a great many to choose from these days, make no mistake about it. The afore-mentioned is perhaps the longest running sports multi-vitamin available, but again - my argument of "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it" comes in to play. Animal Pak provides everything your body requires to support intensive training in the proportions that your body needs. At 44 paks, you're assured an easy month's supply (although truly intensive workouts may require up to 2 paks a day).

Recently, I had up-graded to MuscleTech's Anabolic Vitakic multi-vitamin, as I consider it an advancement of Animal Pak. However, until this product is soon made available on Explosive Nutrition, go with the Animal.

"Not Everyone can be the best - but everyone can be the best that they can be"

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