Natural Workout Supplements for Men

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Pleased so far
By K. Custer
Efficacy: In my experience this is a highly effective product. I've been using it prior to P90X workouts, which I start at 5:15 AM each morning. I've tried skipping NO Shotgun on the less intensive days (YogaX, XStretch) and I was practically falling asleep during the videos. If you are a working professional with kids and are trying to figure out how to make time for fitness training, this product will help. I find the increased energy and focus stick with me for a good portion of the work day.Taste: The downside of this product is that it tastes horrible. I cannot fathom how some people's reviews describe this as delicious. There is absolutely nothing "exotic" about Exotic Fruit. My recommendation is to drink this stuff as cold as possible. Your taste perception of sweet beverages, including artificially sweetened ones like VPX NO Shotgun, decreases when they are cold (this is why room temperature coca-cola is unbearably sweet). When using this product I pre-chill the water in a blender bottle overnight, mix it up in the morning, and slam it in four gulps. Holding your nose while you drink it isn't such a bad idea either!Safety: I am not a physician, but I do have a doctorate in Neuroscience. I spent quite a bit of time investigating the different stimulants in this product. Besides caffeine, which obviously is quite safe, VPX NO Shotgun contains a variety of different phenethylamine alkaloids. To the extent that these compounds actually reach the brain when orally ingested, they exhibit their effects primarily through augmenting catecholamine release (norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine). It's possible this product could have affect your mood. If you take an anti-depressant product (particularly an SNRI or MAO-inhibitor) I would not use this product. But that's just my non-medical opinion.Overall: Good product. Will continue using for a while and will probably cycle off at some point.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
What this stuff actually IS
By Laurel
If you can't wade through the buzz words and hype to figure out what you're actually buying, I don't blame you. I've spent quite a while puzzling over the label and the nutrition facts, looking things up, and I'm still having trouble. Here's what I've found the product to contain, in basic terms:1) Protein.One scoop (28 in a canister) gives you 18 grams of protein. The important attribute is 22% glutamine [common, non-essential amino acid. You want this to be low] , 21% branched-chain amino acids [essential, useful for muscle building and repair] , 41% essential amino acids [obviously also essential, meaning they must be supplied by diet]There are also fancy things claimed, like "Myogenic Hyperplasia Factor-1" but once it gets into your digestive system, it's all broken down into amino acids, so honestly it's all just protein.2) Various Vitamins and MineralsThere are small amounts of B6, Folate, and Calcium. Nothing worth noting.3) CreatineProperly used, creatine causes immediate muscle volume growth along with improved endurance for strength-based activities. The amount in VPX NO-Shotgun is not sufficient for the "loading" phase of creatine supplementation, but looks sufficient for continued use. It would probably also offer a little bit of endurance boost for a someone who hasn't loaded creatine, but would not offer an substantial gain in muscle mass.4) Various supplements to improve metabolism, healing, and energy use5) Caffeine6) Artificial sweetener (if you need carbohydrates, you're not getting them here)On quick survey, it looks like a decent blend for a serious athlete. I'd be careful of using it in combination with, well, ANYTHING else, though -- herbs, coffee, medicines. This is potent stuff.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
BEST PRE-WORKOUT ENERGY BOOSTER/BEATS JACK'D
By PourHomme80
I have been taking this pre-workout creatine based energy booster on and off for about 1 year.The important compounds in this product are:Creatine (CEX)Arginine (AEX)Glutamine (GEX)Beta-Alanine (BAEX)Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAEX)Ethyl Ester (EX)This combination helps the body absorb these compounds quicker and therefore helps me get in the zone about 20 minutes after I've taken it. I usually get on the treadmill, do a quick 15 minute run, start feeling the energizing effects, then start my weight training. The effects last about an hour or so; I usually go to the gym around 6pm which is when i take this and then i get home and sleep very well so if anyone is worried about this keeping them up, I don't think this should be a problem. I tried the popular "Jack'd" as well but unfortunately outside of one really intense week, the effects wore off fairly quickly and I quickly went back to Shotgun.This item has helped me lower my body fat and increase my muscle gain in a way which I couldn't achieve just on Protein shakes.Im a big review reader and have ultimately decided on the following workout supplements:5'11, 170lbs, 10% body fat:1. Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men Multivitamins, 180-Count2. Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound3. NO Shotgun4. Power Crunch Triple Chocolate, 1.4-Ounce Bar (Pack of 12)5. Source Naturals L-Glutamine Powder, 16 OunceLet me know if any of you guys have any tips on supplements I may not be aware of.Thanks!