Supplement Reviews

  • Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey Review

    We review Optimum Platinum Hydrowhey, a popular protein powder supplement recently released by Optimum Nutrition.
  • Bronx Wild Bull Micronised Creatine Monohydrate Review

    Introduction

    Creatine Monohydrate, pretty much every gym junkie uses it, thinks it's an awesome supplement, and wouldn't go a gym session without it. It is a proven mass and strength amplifier as well as an endurance enhancer. So today I'm going to take a small dive into the world of creatine monohydrate and hopefully not come out to bloated (yes it was a bad pun). So without further ado, on with the review! I'm reviewing Bronx creatine.

    Ease of Mixing - 2/5

    Mixability, well anyone who has used creatine monohydrate is well aware of its lack of solubility in water. There's almost always undissolved creatine monohydrate left in the bottom on the glass (depending on dosage) no matter how long you mix it.

    Now a way to assist in the creatine monohydrate's solubility is to use boiling water, it won't denature the creatine monohydrate as it has a degradation temperature of approx. 300 degrees but it will help dissolve a much larger amount of the creatine monohydrate than cold or room temperature water. It's not a perfect solution mind you as some residue will always be left in the bottom. Note: Don't forget to let the mixture cool down, or you'll end up with a severely burnt mouth.

    Taste - N/A

    Creatine monohydrate doesn't have any real taste to it; you would have to have the pallet of Matt Preston off Masterchef to taste anything. You will notice a slightly grainy texture however, but it's nothing unpleasant.

    Effectiveness 4/5

    Gain 5kg of lean muscle in as little as 2 weeks, and increase in poundages lifted in the same time period. Okay you may have read these claims, and then upon taking creatine monohydrate thought "ah, that sure didn't happen to me".

    I'm here to tell you, creatine monohydrate is not a wonder drug nor is it going to give you out of this world gains. CM is a solid supplement, but as I have said before a solid nutritional base is what's going to give you the best gains out of anything (yes this includes anabolic steroids). It definitely can aid you in your muscle gaining goals, and it should be on your staple supplements list, but you're not going to look like Branch Warren after a week's loading.

    • Best practice for CM Dosing:

    To give CM the best chance of uptake and usability in your body, use the following approach:

    - Mix approx. 20-30g of High GI carbohydrate's (e.g. Maltodextrin is cheap and effective, but anything with glucose will do the trick) in water and drink.

    - This will cause an insulin spike large enough to aid in the uptake and transport of the CM and make it more usable by your body.

    Following this, use the steps defined above in the "Ease of Mixing" section and you're on your way.

    • Best practice for CM Loading:

    Note: CM loading is simply a fancy term which means to get your muscles saturated with Creatine in the smallest amount of time possible. In addition some users experience bloating, cramping and minor nausea during the loading phase. I personally experienced the minor nausea during the loading phase, but after a couple of days I felt fine.

    - Dosing approx. 20-30g per day for 5-6 days will provide sufficient time for your muscles to become fully saturated with Creatine.

    - Following the initial loading phase, you can continue to take a "maintenance" dosage of Creatine for 30 days, at a dosage rate of 5g per day. There is also no need to cycle off Creatine as no adverse side effects have been discovered from pro-longed usage.

    • Dosage Timing:

    The general best practice for Creatine dosing is directly after your workout. Easiest way is to mix in into your post workout shake along with your protein powder and carbohydrate supplements. Note: You can take an extra dose of Creatine in the morning approx. 30mins before breakfast if you so desire, however it is debatable whether this extra dose is beneficial or if it just ends up in the toilet.

    Nutritional Analysis 5/5

    Creatine is a natural substance found in the human body, hence the great results often seen from additional Creatine supplementation. The body recognises and understands what to do with Creatine.
    The predominant amount of the body's Creatine supply is found in skeletal muscle, with a smaller amount found in the brain, heart and testes.

    Value for Money 5/5

    Simply brilliant, creatine monohydrate is by far one of the cheapest supplements you will ever purchase. The 500g container I purchased set me back a cool $29.95, which converts to approx. 100 serves based on a 5g dosage. You won't find a cheaper supplement out there that is a beneficial as CM.

    Overall Conclusion 4/5

    I have used creatine monohydrate for 4 years and have found it to be one of the best bang for buck supplements on the market. It's tried and tested, and it works, what more can you ask for in a supplement? Hence why it's on my staple supplements list alongside my Whey Protein, Waxy Maize and free form BCAAs.

    If you haven't tried creatine monohydrate before and would like to put your supplement money to good use, you won't find a better product.

    You can buy creatine from our online supplement store!

  • BSN True Mass Weight Gainer Review

    Introduction

    Bio-Engineered Supplements & Nutrition or BSN as they're more commonly known as, are an industry leading American based supplement company. However some of the anti-BSN lifters out there have been known to state that BSN stands for something a little less flattering. With that being said today we take a look at BSN's answer to weight management / mass gaining, the suitably dubbed "True-Mass".

    Ease of mixing - 5/5

    From the first serve Wow! Now I've used a handful of mass gainers over the years along with a few concoctions of my own, and I've never come across one which dissimulates into milk this easy. A full serve (145g) with 500mls of no fat milk in a 700ml shaker and the mixture blended without hassle at all. I was amazed when I didn't have to bring out the "Hulk Smash" to get the sediment off the bottom of the shaker, now anyone who's used mass gainers is well aware of how rare this is.

    Taste - 4/5

    Flavour systems, flavour systems, most people have no idea about the R & D that goes into a winning flavour system. Let me tell you it's not a quick process nor is it a cheap endeavor, and BSN have hit the nail directly on the head with "True-Mass".

    How many times have you seen a variant of the label "Delicious Chocolate" and only upon drinking it realised it tastes more like the underside of one of your gym shoes? The "Chocolate Milk Shake" flavour of "True-Mass" I'm currently burning through is outstanding, there's a consistent deep velvety chocolate flavour that doesn't have the unkind artificial trail off taste of many of its competitors.

    Effectiveness - 4/5

    A supplement's effectiveness is directly measurable to how well the individual taking its knowledge of nutrition is. I hate to say it, but taking a serving of "True-Mass" every other day when your eating is sub-par/irregular isn't going to do anything for your physique goals. However if you're eating your 6-8 meals a day, getting your required protein, carbohydrate and fat intake, adding a serve or two of "True-Mass" to your diet will give you that calorie boost required to help promote some LBM gains.

    Nutritional analysis - 3/5

    Now to the fun stuff, "True-Mass" contains an extremely large list of ingredients. Yet all of them play their role in delivering a sustained release feeding system.

    • Protein Blend consisting of:
      • WPI (Whey Protein Isolate)
        • Faster absorption rate compared to WPC
        • Perfect for post workout usage
        • Cleaner nutrient profile for dieting (i.e. almost no carbs and fat)
      • WPC (Whey Protein Concentrate)
        • Slower absorption rate compared to WPI, however some users report stomach cramping when using on its own
        • Low levels of carbs and fat
      • Caseins
        • Slow absorption rate (similar to real food digestion times)
        • Perfect for before bed due to slow release protein
        • Keeps you feeling fuller for longer
      • Egg whites (albumen)
        • Fast absorption rate (not as fast as whey)
        • Rich in vitamins E, K, A and B
        • Highest bio-availability protein (essentially means your body can use 100% of its nutrients)
    • Now to the carbohydrates, this is where the formula falls down in my opinion. Mass gainers in their essence tend to be full of Maltodextrin and I feel this is a terrible way to make up calories.

    It's imperative to note that when looking for a mass gainer that you look at sugar content. "True-Mass" has 14g of sugar per serve. Now that's not that bad compared to many of its competitors, however it's not too good either.

    • The fat content is also a little high; a full serve contains 16g, 5g of which is saturated. The fat sources used for "True-Mass" are predominately MCT oil and EFA.
      • MCT Oil
        • A medium chair triglyceride which naturally occurs in coconut oil.
        • Processed by the liver and immediately burned to produce energy and thus less likely to become stored as body fat.
      • EFA
        • Essential fatty acids, which are required for healthy heart functionality.
        • Promotes good circulation throughout the body, which aids in producing a full pump during workouts.

    Value for money - 3/5

    Nothing in this life comes cheap, and good quality supplements are no exception unfortunately. "True-Mass" is pricey there's no way getting around that fact, however if used correctly and in line with a correct hyper caloric diet it can definitely help you attain your mass gain goals.

    Overall conclusion 3.5/5

    Personally I've always liked BSN products and find them to be of high quality, that's my personal opinion and I'm sticking to it.

    "True-Mass" is a solid product with a few issues around sugar and fat content; however this can be rectified by halving the recommended dosage and adding no fat milk. This will still leave you feeling satisfied and provide you with a calorie boost to your diet. The taste is great and with the complete protein profile it provides, you're sure to stay as anabolic as ever. Just don't try reading the containers label in direct sun-light, it could leave you blind.

    You can purchase BSN True Mass within our supplement store!

  • Universal Nutrition Real Gains Review

    Universal Nutrition’s Real Gains is a protein supplement that fits into the weight gainer category. We review Universal Real Gains weight gainer.
  • Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Review

    Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is a popular protein powder. With such a solid reputation, how does it stack up to the other supplements available? We review this protein powder.
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