Supplement Company Of The Month: IForce Nutrition

New Exercise and Fitness Review

Vital Stats

Name: iForce Nutrition
Founder/CEO: Dave Nelson
In Operation Since: December 2005
Facility Location: 1330 Specialty Drive, Vista, CA 92081
Website: www.iforcenutrition.com

Why do you lift? Do you want to increase your athletic performance or your aesthetic appeal?

That’s the question a trainer will ask you, with good reason; we’ve been taught that those two goals are separate. But Dave Nelson, founder of iForce Nutrition, doesn’t believe it. His company was founded on the idea that everyone, everywhere can enjoy athletic competition, and look and feel better as a result.

You can see this commitment in the name of their flagship product: Compete! The exclamation point is part of the name, because for nearly 10 years, this strident company has been broadcasting that command to anyone who’ll listen. Two people who heard the call were IFBB pro Jose Raymond and rising NPC star Dusty Hanshaw. Raymond, Hanshaw, and Nelson gave us the inside perspective on iForce.

What is the driving force behind your company? What are your goals in the industry?

Athletes! We create products and specific formulations to assist athletes to perform at their best. IFN products start with a concept to create performance. Each athlete requires proper nutrients at the appropriate times. It is our primary purpose to develop, and get to market, products which produce results.

IFN has its roots in the hardcore athlete. “Health enthusiasts” aren’t our primary target audience. We create new and innovative products to give our athletes an edge in their sport. IFN is creating a community of athletes to share training, nutrition, and life experiences. All top-level athletes know that all aspects of your life determine your performance.

“Athletes! We create products and specific formulations to assist athletes to perform at their best.”

What do you think is more important to your customers: strength or aesthetics?

Athletes begin their workout regimens to get stronger! They develop technique and learn how to lift more weight. We eat and rest to make sure that at every workout the intensity level is increased. Once strength is accomplished, most athletes look to be more aesthetic. As the athlete matures over time, aesthetics finally kick into high gear.

Supplement customers tend to stick with companies they love and trust. How do you sway new and dedicated customers to your brand?

Testimonials are our biggest driving force to introduce consumers to IFN. Our current customers know the focus of our company, and let everyone they meet know. We develop products for athletes, and all athletes like to learn what works for athletes they respect. Our main athletes at IFN, Dusty Hanshaw and Jose Raymond, demonstrate how far you can take a physique in bodybuilding. These aren’t just great athletes; they are also excellent mentors for athletes entering the bodybuilding sport.

Tell us about Hemavol, your well-known pump-enhancing product.

I’ll let Vaughn DuBow discuss Hemavol. He’s the designer of the supplement.

Vaughn: Just like Arnold said in “Pumping Iron,” “[The pump is] the greatest feeling you can get in a gym.” That still holds true today. Customers today expect massive pumps that kick in fast and hard, along with amazing flavoring. Hemavol is designed to give users the biggest possible pump they can imagine, along with tangible performance benefits. When you look good—from having a big, swollen pump—you feel good, which helps you perform at your best.

“Hemavol is designed to give users the biggest possible pump they can imagine, along with tangible performance benefits.”

Let’s say a customer is just starting a fitness regimen, but can only afford one product. Which of your supplements do you recommend?

Compete! It’s designed to assist the athlete in their performance during exercise and sporting events. There are many key points to the product: It maintains positive nitrogen balance, moves lactic acid out of the muscle, increases ATP production, and helps increase both focus and hydration. Most athletes don’t realize that just a 2-percent drop in hydration can cause a 20-percent decrease in performance. That is huge when the game, race, fight, or competition is on the line.

What do you think is the biggest and most important recent development in the supplement industry?

GMP! Good Manufacturing Practices add value to our industry. The FDA has guidelines in place of how products are to be manufactured. By enforcing these guidelines, we take out of the industry the people who are not supposed to be in it. These processes and the enforcement are the key to our industry’s continued growth and recognition.

Do you perceive yours as a niche company, or can these products work in any household?

If “athletes” is a niche, then maybe we are a niche company, because we are focused on athletes of all levels. We aim to support the high school football player, the pro athlete, and the mom or dad deciding to get out there and compete in something—anything. They’re all athletes, and they could all use the help of iForce. The only personality type which is not in our vision and our target market is the lazy and inactive type.

What are some new products we can look out for?

Keep an eye out for our newest offerings in 2015:

• Thermoxyn: True fat burning


• Max Out: Ultimate pre-workout


• HEMAVO2: Next-level cell volumization


• Mass Gainz: True lean mass


• Compete!: World’s greatest sport drink

Jose Raymond

What led you to become a bodybuilder? How does iForce help you at this stage in your career?

My older brother Tito started training me when I was very young. I did it for stress management and to get stronger for football and wrestling. My body responded very well immediately! By the age of 18, Tito convinced me to enter my first bodybuilding competition, the New England Championships. I won the overall teen division in 1993. I’ve been hooked ever since!

Along the way, iForce has been an incredible help to me in many ways. Having the most effective supplements at my disposal allowed me to continue to improve in size and strength, and also gave me longevity. I’m always fully charged and hydrated, and my joints are healing, regenerating, and it all gets me ready for my next brutal workout! I also have iForce to thank for my ever-expanding fan base. They help me reach fans through our extensive presence on social media and my busy schedule traveling the world, meeting fans face to face!

“Having the most effective supplements at my disposal allowed me to continue to improve in size and strength, and also gave me longevity.”

What’s more important to you: having a good-looking body, or one you can use in athletic environments? Is it possible to excel at both?

It is important for me to not only look good but to be functional as well. I wouldn’t have the physique I do if I wasn’t able to perform proper exercises and maintain a certain amount of flexibility. I always considered myself an athlete first. I may be big and muscular, but I’m a lot more nimble than one might think.

A video posted by Jose Raymond (@theebostonmass) on Dec 2, 2014 at 1:47pm PST

Do you feel like iForce supplements help you more with specific body-part workouts? Do you take something special for leg day? For chest?

I don’t take any specific supplements for any one body part. It’s more like the system of supplements I take as a whole allow me to train at optimum levels on a consistent basis. I use the joint relief religiously for joint health and integrity. I take Compete! for recovery and hydration. I stack Max Out, Hemavol, and potassium nitrate for my pre-workout to help drive blood and nutrients into my muscles. I take Isotean immediately after I train to help recover, repair, and grow muscle tissue.

Dusty Hanshaw

What is your favorite iForce supplement, and how does it help your performance in the weight room?

My favorite iForce supplement is without question Compete! It’s the only one I wouldn’t ever train without, off-season or pre-contest. Having the amino acids and electrolytes throughout my workout keeps my body both hydrated and anabolic from warm-up to cool-down. Compete! is stimulant-free, but you can feel your body using its ingredients to perform at the highest level possible throughout your entire workout.

I tell fans to drink only water while they’re training, up until the point where fatigue starts to set in. At that point switch to Compete! and notice how quickly your performance increases and how fresh you feel. After just one day of that little experiment, you will never want to train without Compete! again.

Where will bodybuilding take you? How far can you go up the ranks?

My career is just getting started, and it will be a story of nonstop improvement through hard work and discipline. My dream is to prove to other athletes, whether they are bodybuilders or not, that they can do anything they set their mind to.

How high I can climb in the ranks? I never put limits on myself. Instead I focus on one goal at a time. My first goal will be to win an IFBB title. I will focus on that until it is completed. Once that goal is obtained, I will continue to raise the bar for myself until my career is over and I am on to new challenges within the industry. [Only] then will I know exactly how far I was able to get. One thing I know now is that anything is possible, and I won’t be outworked.

A photo posted by Dusty Hanshaw (@dustyhanshaw08) on Nov 26, 2014 at 6:17pm PST

How has iForce helped you on your rise?

The different ways that iForce has helped me during my career are too many to list! They saw a future in me before any other company even knew my name. iForce had a vision for me and they supported the vision I had for myself. They stood by my side at the highest points of my young career, and never left at the lowest points.

The loyalty that iForce has shown me, coupled with their willingness to use me as the face of the company over the years, has allowed me to make my climb to the pro ranks. I am a lot more publicly visible than other athletes. They supply me with the best products on the market to help me succeed. All this helps me constantly improve my physique.

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Supplement Company Of The Month: Twinlab

Twinlab dates back to the dawn of modern bodybuilding, but it has stayed true to its twin priorities of health and performance. Here’s its story!

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Supplement Company Of The Month: IForce Nutrition

Supplement Company Of The Month: Twinlab

New Exercise and Fitness Review

Vital Stats

Name: Twinlab
CEO: Tom Tolworthy
In Operation Since: 1968
Facility Location: American Fork, UT
Website: twinlabfuel.com
Prizes/Awards: Fat Burner of the Year Nominee (Bodybuilding.com for ProSeries Ripped Fuel), Nexty Award 2013 (CleanSeries), Better Nutrition (CleanSeries), Vity Award (Amino Fuel)

The history of health and performance supplements couldn’t be written without a big chapter devoted to Twinlab. The company was born in 1968, at the dawn of bodybuilding’s golden age, and it has been setting the benchmark of quality and consistency ever since.

Everyone you know, from your grandma on down the line, has probably taken a Twinlab vitamin or supplement at some point. Check their medicine cabinet, and that telltale amber bottle with the white duotone label will be there.

But now, nearly 50 years into the story, the brand is getting redefined through fresh efforts by Chris Thompson, the company’s VP of Sports Nutrition, and the founder of the company’s powerhouse ProSeries line.

You may know Thompson already if you’ve met him in the Bodybuilding.com forums or watched his Fit 360 profile.

This company has seen it all, and now it wants to see a new generation of athletes and bodybuilders shatter their ideas of what is possible.

Thompson himself, one of the three heads of the popular Twinlab Muscle Militia, gave us the lowdown.

Q Twinlab is a company with a long, storied history. Can you give our readers some insight into your origins?

Chris Thompson: VP of Sports Nutrition, Twinlab

It’s true, Twinlab was there at the very beginning, and we’ve helped shape what became a multibillion-dollar industry. The company was started by the Blechman family in 1968, and named after the fact that they had two sets of twins.

Initially, Twinlab marketed a liquid protein supplement called LPP. After the formula was adopted by bodybuilders as the protein supplement of choice, the company expanded quickly into a large variety of sports nutrition and wellness supplements, and has become one of the largest global players in the industry.

We’ve never strayed from our values of producing top-quality, no-shortcut formulas that deliver results. It’s why we’re still thriving today when many others have burned out and left the market.

This company produces so many different products! How do you keep coming up with new ideas?

The ideas are easy! It’s what makes being part of this industry so interesting. There are always new ingredients, new ideas out there, and ways to improve.

Frankly, the much harder part comes when we have to pick and choose what to launch, but that process helps hone only the best ideas.

Do you have a favorite Twinlab product?

My personal favorite is MVP Fuel. It is without a doubt the best pre-workout available. When other brands were launching “concentrates,” we flipped it and went for full-dosing with ingredients that work, instead of delivering less product to put more money in our wallets.

It’s a source of great pride for me that we didn’t take the bait and shortchange our customers. And sure enough, the market is starting to recognize that you really need full dosing to get the performance you need.

For many of our readers, you are synonymous with the Muscle Militia and Twinlab’s Pro-Series line. What does Pro-Series mean?

We have this saying where, if we’re evaluating something or someone and call it Pro-Series, that’s the ultimate compliment. It means it’s deeply authentic, true, and pure—no show, all go. That’s how we view ourselves, and that’s the standard we hold ourselves to every day.

TWINLAB MUSCLE MILITIA
Watch The Video – 03:12

As for the Militia and our other brand reps, there’s nothing casual about it. Not only do we believe in what we do, it also drives how we eat, how we think, and how we live. It’s a passion and a lifestyle. Many of our sports-dedicated Twinlab reps run their own bodybuilding shows.

They compete themselves, and have clientele they train. I personally respond to thousands of inquiries on the forums and through social media, helping people around the world reach their goals.

Why do so many of your products include the term “fuel?”

We focus on “fuel” for a couple of reasons. First, that’s how we view our products: They are simply tools used to fuel better performance. While many other brands have tried to co-opt the name by using “fuel” in advertising or even their product names, there’s still only one original.

Secondly, it is pure branding. It binds our products together and signals to our customers that they are getting a true Twinlab quality-tested formula.

What new products of yours have been getting the biggest response?

The pipeline is jammed full, so I’ll keep it to two items—even though it kills me to limit myself!

First, Twinlab Pro-Series Vita Fuel. This is an incredible advance in multivitamin and multimineral technology. It’s a bilayer tablet, so the vitamins and minerals are released at different rates. Since water-soluble vitamins simply pass through the body if they’re not needed, to us it only seemed logical that you’d want to release the vitamins over time.

We’ve grown into a real expert in making dual tabs in our own facility. Most others can’t or don’t do it because the equipment is expensive, and it is as much an art as a science.

My second choice would be our all-new MCT Fuel. I just love this product because it’s one of those “secret ingredients” out there that deserves so much more attention than it gets. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are healthy fats, primarily from coconut oil. They have the inherent energy of a fat, but burn more like a carb, and if the body doesn’t need the energy, it passes through versus being stored.

I love it because it’s old-school and so basic, yet incredibly effective for energy and stamina. Sales of MCT Fuel haves grown steadily for years, and I think our new packaging will help people start to see the importance of adding this into their routine.

Where do you think this company will be in 10 years?

Twinlab’s Top Products

• Pro-Series MVP Fuel


• Pro-Series Ripped Fuel


• Pro-Series Diet Fuel


• Pro-Series Test Fuel


• 100% Whey Fuel


• Amino Fuel


• IsoWhey Fuel


• Creatine Fuel


• L-Carnitine Fuel 1100


• MCT Fuel


• Nitric Fuel


• Super Gainers Fuel


• Tribulus Fuel


• Ultra Fuel


• Yohimbe Fuel

Ahead of the curve, as always. In the past three years we have created new, authentic brands targeting growing niches in the sports nutrition space. Sports nutrition is getting big, and expanding to new audiences.

We want to make sure we don’t abandon our customers for supposedly greener pastures. For example, we launched Pro-Series just this year as a rededication to the elite bodybuilding athlete.

On the other side of the spectrum, we launched CleanSeries for customers who do not want to sacrifice performance for peace of mind. The CleanSeries line has more third-party performance and safety certifications than any other supplement on the market, in any category. We will lead, not follow.

People are becoming less intimidated and more aware of what the products do, and if they stick to reputable brands like Twinlab, they don’t have to be concerned about contamination or adulteration, which are two major obstacles for our industry continuing to expand.

The Internet makes your products available at the push of a button! But, how else do you reach customers? Are there any old-school methods that still work?

Simply put, you need to be where your customers are. That means online, but also in stores, doing demos, at gyms and events, doing interviews and road shows, and certainly making your brand available through social media.

There’s nothing more invigorating to me that talking directly to our consumers. They keep my eye directly on why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Ethics are important to supplements buyers. What does your company do to ensure ethical and quality standards?

This is so simple to answer. It’s doing the right thing. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

First, it means that we invest in our own manufacturing plant so we can be the control freaks we want to be. It means we test inbound materials and outbound finished goods to high standards, and unquestioningly reject items that don’t meet those standards, even though we know other companies don’t.

You know, sometimes there’s a reason why some products are priced as low as they are! That’s not good for our customers. That’s not good for Twinlab. That’s not long-term thinking.

What we do only works because we have the best team in the business. That makes the seemingly impossible not only possible, but consistently achieved.

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Supplement Company Of The Month: Twinlab

Supplement Company Of The Month: Twinlab

New Exercise and Fitness Review

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Supplement Company Of The Month: Twinlab

Best Supplement Stacks For Women - 2014 Holiday Fit Gift Guide

New Exercise and Fitness Review

Training and nutrition make up the bulk of a person’s fitness results, but supplements can help push folks in the direction they want to go. We understand that the options can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve designed stacks—or collections—of supplements that will aid in a specific goal. Whether the goal is to build muscle, burn fat and lose weight, or just look great naked, there’s a supplement stack for people at every level!

1

Women’s Fat Loss 20-30 Stack – Advanced

For the woman in your life, we’ve put together this powerhouse stack to provide fat-burning efficiency and bolster optimal health. Between Jamie Eason Signature Series multi-vitamin and protein, delicious Dymatize protein, FitMiss weight loss support, and NLA fat-shredders, we’ve got all your nutritional bases covered.

2

B-Elite Fuel

As they say, proper nutrition is 80 percent of the weight-loss battle. B-Elite Fuel meal plans help you easily dial in your nutrition and get clean, unprocessed foods into your diet. No messy kitchen, guesswork, food scales, or headaches—just wholesome, easy meals delivered right to your door.

3

ON Women’s Weight Loss

Are you ready to transform your body? Your body will need protein to support new muscle growth, a women’s multivitamin, CLA to help burn fat, and AmiN.O. Energy to inject you with energy to hit the gym hard.

4

Women’s Fat Loss 20-39

Want some help to shed weight post-holidays? We have the perfect combination of supplements to set a strong foundation for your newfound health: Jamie Eason Signature Series Krill Oil, Optimum Nutrition multivitamin, NLA For Her whey protein, and FitMiss Tone for weight-loss support.

5

Her Bizzy Diet

For the woman on the go who still wants to nail her weight management, HerBizzyDiet offers all the nutrition and resources to get or keep you in shape. The stack includes a multivitamin with antioxidants and probiotics, fat-burners, detoxifiers, and a high-protein meal replacement to curb your hunger.

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Best Supplement Stacks For Women - 2014 Holiday Fit Gift Guide

The Benefits Of ZMA: More Than A Sleep Supplement

New Exercise and Fitness Review

ZMA is a combination of zinc monomethionine/asparate and magnesium aspartate plus vitamin B6. It’s strongly supported by clinical research to be an effective supplement for enhancing muscle recovery, boosting muscle size and strength, and even aiding fat loss.*

I’ve been recommending ZMA supplementation for many years. Yet because ZMA is just a mineral supplement—and other supplements like creatine and NO-boosters seem to promise more—few people feel the need to bother with ZMA. That’s unfortunate. If you’re someone who doesn’t feel that taking ZMA is critical for your results, you may change your mind after reading this article.

ZMA is not a testosterone booster. Yes, research shows that it may help athletes maintain higher testosterone levels during intense training periods, though it is not designed to boost levels of the primary muscle-building hormone. It’s simply the most effective way to supplement with two very critical minerals: zinc and magnesium.

Minerals Matter

Zinc is an essential mineral with antioxidant properties that stimulates the activity of many enzymes in the body. These enzymes are critical for numerous biochemical reactions. Zinc has been found to be critical for protein synthesis, the molecular mechanism that leads to muscle recovery and growth.

Numerous research studies have suggested that zinc and magnesium help enhance muscle size, muscle strength, and fat loss, not to mention overall health and well-being.*

Magnesium is also an essential mineral involved in numerous reactions in the body. It’s important for healthy function of the cardiovascular system, metabolic rate, and of course bone health.* Together, zinc and magnesium offer a wide assortment of physique and performance benefits.

In fact, numerous research studies have suggested that these two minerals help enhance muscle size, muscle strength, and fat loss, not to mention overall health and well-being.*

Anabolic Factors

Research suggests that ZMA has significant anabolic benefits. A study performed at Western Washington University (Bellingham) had NCAA football players take ZMA or a placebo every night during an eight-week spring training program. They reported that the athletes taking the ZMA supplement experienced more than a 30-percent increase in testosterone levels, and about a 5-percent increase in levels of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).* Those taking a placebo had a 10-percent decrease in testosterone levels and a greater than 20-percent decrease in levels of IGF-1.

In addition to the improvements in their anabolic hormone levels, the ZMA-supplemented athletes made significantly greater gains in strength and power, and achieved better sleep quality, than a placebo group. Better sleep quality also helps to aid muscle recovery from tough workouts. These benefits occurred in the ZMA group despite the fact that the analyses of their diets found that the athletes were all consuming well over the recommended intake for zinc. In addition to the study performed by the Western Washington University researcher, several other studies have also found that zinc and magnesium offer potent anabolic properties.*

Better sleep quality also helps to aid muscle recovery from tough workouts.

A 2007 study from Selcuk University (Konya, Turkey) reported that four weeks of zinc supplementation in men increased testosterone levels at rest and after exercise.* The same researchers also found similar results for zinc supplementation on testosterone levels in a prior study with competitive wrestlers. Researchers from the USDA reported that zinc depletion decreased muscle endurance in subjects. This means that maintaining optimal zinc levels is critical for your ability to complete a number of reps with a given weight.

The same Western Washington University research team that did the ZMA research also discovered in an earlier study that when subjects supplemented with magnesium while following a 7-week leg training program, their leg strength increased by 20-percent more than those taking a placebo.*

Both zinc and magnesium are also suggested to blunt cortisol, a catabolic hormone. German researchers found that triathletes taking a magnesium supplement for four weeks maintained healthy cortisol levels at rest and after a triathlon, as compared to athletes taking a placebo.* And Brazilian researchers also reported that subjects supplementing with zinc maintained healthy cortisol balance.*

ZMA may also boost growth hormone (GH) levels, albeit indirectly. ZMA enhances sleep quality due to magnesium’s ability to normalize and extend stage 3 and stage 4 slow-wave sleep. This is critical, as deeper sleep can help to raise GH levels, which peak during the night.

Metabolic Muster

Zinc is also critical for maintaining thyroid hormone production. This is important for keeping your metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn each day) and fat-burning capabilities up. Being low in zinc can limit thyroid hormone production, and compromised thyroid hormone function results in a lower metabolic rate, which makes it harder to drop body fat. Research confirms that when your diet is low in zinc, thyroid hormone levels fall and resting metabolic rate drops.

One study from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) found that subjects placed on a low-zinc diet had significantly lowered metabolic rates. When the subjects took 25 mg of zinc each day for 20 days, their metabolic rate jumped up to levels that were higher than even before they followed the low-zinc diet.* The Selcuk University studies also showed that four weeks of zinc supplementation increased thyroid hormone levels in male wrestlers and sedentary men.

It appears that zinc is not only critical for thyroid function, but also for maintaining levels of the hormone leptin. This hormone is also important for keeping your metabolic rate high as well as keeping hunger down. Being deficient in zinc has been shown to significantly lower leptin levels.

Support Immunity

It is well established that zinc is critical for immune function. Zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system. Research from the Cleveland Clinic suggests that supplementing with zinc helps to support a strong immune system.

Zinc also functions as a powerful antioxidant. This mighty mineral activates an enzyme that may help support overall health and immune function.* Zinc’s powerful antioxidant properties can enhance not just your health but your post-workout recovery as well. Zinc’s immune-boosting effects can help to keep you healthy and in the gym.

Yes, You’re Deficient

Research has confirmed that athletes are often deficient in both zinc and magnesium. This is most likely due to several factors, such as zinc lost through sweat during training, increased use of zinc by the body for recovery and protein synthesis following training, and an increased loss of zinc through urine. There may also be dietary factors involved.

Refined sugars, as well as white-flour products such as white bread, can lower blood levels of zinc and magnesium.

Refined sugars, as well as white-flour products such as white bread, can lower blood levels of zinc and magnesium. Foods rich in calcium, such as dairy products, inhibit absorption of both zinc and magnesium by the small intestines. Copper, as well as foods rich in phytates (phosphorous compounds found in whole-grain breads, cereals, and legumes) also hinder the absorption of zinc by the small intestines. And alcohol decreases the absorption of zinc and magnesium, and increases their loss through urine.

Given that you likely are not adequately absorbing the zinc from your whole foods, and that you are losing large amounts of the zinc that you do absorb, you should seriously consider taking a ZMA supplement to maximize muscle mass and strength gains, as well as to drop body fat and support healthy immune function.

If you are using my Vita JYM multivitamin, it is critical that you use ZMA. I omitted zinc and magnesium from Vita JYM to prevent their competition with other nutrients, and to allow for the maximal uptake and utilization of zinc through ZMA.

Do’s and Don’ts

• 
  

  While taking a plain zinc and magnesium supplement together may provide you with adequate amounts of these important minerals and cost less than a ZMA supplement, I still suggest you spend the money on ZMA. The form of zinc and magnesium used in ZMA is a chelate known as zinc monomethionine/aspartate and magnesium aspartate.

  
  

  This form helps to minimize interference in the absorption of both these minerals. Furthermore, this form of ZMA provides zinc and magnesium aspartate in the proper dosage, while also serving up the proper amount of vitamin B6, which aids magnesium uptake and utilization by the body.

  
  


• 
  

  Specific dosages were found to produce positive effects in athletes’ hormone and strength levels. Men should look for ZMA supplements that provide 30 mg of zinc, 450 mg of magnesium, and 10-11 mg of B6; no more, no less. Women should take a 20 mg dose of zinc, 300 mg of magnesium, and 6-7 mg B6. Since a full dose of ZMA is usually 3 capsules, the dose for women can be achieved by taking 2 capsules. Also, be sure that it lists ZMA from SNAC Systems on the label. Anything else is not true ZMA.

  
  


• 
  

  Be aware that, with zinc, there can be too much of a good thing. Taking in too much zinc—upwards of 50 mg of absorbed zinc— can lead to negative effects on the immune system and metabolic rate, adversely impact muscle recovery and growth, and even reduce levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. It can also interfere with copper uptake. In other words, the effects will be the opposite of what’s intended in the first place.

  
  


• 
  

  What about magnesium? Taking more than 450 mg of it can actually interfere with optimal sleep.

  
  


• 
  

  One of the most important aspects of supplementing with ZMA is timing. I have always recommended taking it about 1 hour before bed and 1-2 hours after you eat. This will not only help to maximize its uptake and utilization, as clinical research confirms, but taking ZMA at this time of day will also enhance sleep quality.

  
  


• 
  

  It’s critical that you do not take ZMA with any food, particularly food rich in calcium, like dairy. Both zinc and magnesium are poorly absorbed when taken with food. Sometimes, it’s a two-way street. Calcium, for example, interferes with zinc uptake while zinc interferes with the absorption of amino acids. One way to enhance the uptake of ZMA is to take it with 5 mg of BioPerine, a black pepper extract that’s been found to enhance absorption.

  
  

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Brandão-Neto, J., et al. Zinc acutely and temporarily inhibits adrenal cortisol secretion in humans. A preliminary report. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1990 Jan;24(1):83-9.


2. Brilla, L. R. and Conte, V. Effects of a Novel Zinc-Magnesium Formulation on Hormones and Strength. Journal of Exercise Physiology online. 3 (4): 2000.


3. Brilla, L. R. and Haley, T. F. Effect of magnesium supplementation on strength training in humans. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Jun;11(3):326-9.


4. Cinar, V., et al. Effects of magnesium supplementation on blood parameters of athletes at rest and after exercise. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2007 Mar;115(3):205-12.


5. Cinar, V., et al. The effects of magnesium supplementation on thyroid hormones of sedentars and Tae-Kwon-Do sportsperson at resting and exhaustion. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2007 Oct;28(5):708-12.


6. Cordova, A. and Navas, F. J. Effect of training on zinc metabolism — changes in serum and sweat zinc concentrations in sportsmen. Ann Nutr Metab 1998:42:274-82.


7. Evans, G. W. and Johnson, E. C. Effect of iron, vitamin B-6 and picolinic acid on zinc absorption in the rat. J Nutr 1981:111: 68-75.


8. Freake, H. C., et al. Actions and Interactions of Thyroid Hormone and Zinc Status in Growing Rats. J. Nutr. 131: 1135-1141, 2001.


9. Golf, S. W., et al. On the significance of magnesium in extreme physical stress. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 1998:12:197-202.


10. Haralambie, G., et al. Serum zinc in athletes in training. Int J Sports Med. 1981 Aug;2 (3):135-8.


11. Kilic, M., et al. Effect of fatiguing bicycle exercise on thyroid hormone and testosterone levels in sedentary males supplemented with oral zinc. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2007 Oct;28 (5):681-5.


12. Kilic, M., et al. The effect of exhaustion exercise on thyroid hormones and testosterone levels of elite athletes receiving oral zinc. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2006 Feb-Apr;27(1-2):247-52.


13. Kilic, M., et al. Effect of zinc supplementation on hematological parameters in athletes. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2004 Jul;100(1):31-8.


14. Konig, D., et al. Zinc, iron, and magnesium status in athletes— influence on the regulation of exercise-induced stress and immune function. Exerc Immunol Rev 1998:4:2-21.


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Vital Stats

Name: Beast Sports Nutrition
Founder/CEO: Tony Altieri
In Operation Since: 1995
Facility Location: Boca Raton, FL
Phone: 561-367-1474
Website: BEASTsports.com
Prizes/Awards: Breakout Brand of the Year 2012 & 2013

Beast Sports Nutrition has been around the supplement scene for nearly two decades, but has skyrocketed in popularity during the last few years.

That’s why our readers named it the “Breakout Brand of the Year” last year in Bodybuilding.com’s annual Supplement Awards.

That’s also why it made perfect sense to change the company’s labeling aesthetic from its previous dark, rich tones and beefy script to something sportier and lighter. This company has a bright future!

Many supp companies have come and gone since this one began stocking shelves, but Beast is still here, feeding the beast inside you.

Get the inside scoop from the man who’s been there from the start: CEO Tony Altieri!

Q Tell our readers how your company started.

I’ve always had a passion for sports nutrition, going back to my teens and 20s. By the mid-1990s I decided to start selling sports nutrition as a mail order venture, and not long after, Beast Sports was born.

Who are some important people who helped you in the beginning?

I made some relationships with some of the best formulators in the business. If you’re going to make the best products, you need the best people backing it up. I felt it was important not just to have the highest-quality ingredients, but to also offer ingredients unique for the sports nutrition industry and to create formulations that are multi-purpose.

We make products that fill the many needs of today’s athlete. The idea was to create quality products that were the most effective and a far better value for our customers.

What are some of your top products right now?

Everyone knows us by our Creature product. It is the leader in the creatine category, but Super Test has established itself as one of the best testosterone products on the market.

Aminolytes is catching on as a favorite in the amino category, because it appeals to all types of athletes. Beast Mode is top-ranked and has established itself as a leader in the pre-workout category. Our Beast Whey is our fastest growing product, though.

Are you coming out with any new and exciting products in the near future?

Yes, of course! I won’t get into much detail here, but we are launching some new products at the Olympia Weekend expo, some of which will take some categories by storm. Shows like these are opportunities to actually meet the people who use our products, and also enlighten some people that may not have used our products before.

Does Beast perform its own research? How much will science guide your future?

Truth in labeling is one of the only ways to build trust. We communicate with surgical clarity in all of our packaging.

We are always seeking new and innovative ingredients to add to our formulas as long as they meet our stringent standards. The future of this industry is going to be based on compliance with the guidelines as set forth by the FDA.

While science will guide our future, we are always mindful that the ingredients we put into our products need to be of the highest quality but also compliant.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of companies out there putting non-compliant products in the marketplace and I expect them to be flushed out in the not-too-distant future.

It takes courage to lead by example, as we do. We adhere to the strictest ingredient quality control and testing protocols, which requires unwavering dedication and the courage to start over and not stop until it’s not only right, but perfect.

We focus on safety, transparency, honesty, effectiveness, and experience with the best sports nutrition products to the market. For the past 19 years, Beast has been manufacturing its products under the strictest of protocols, and we continually test for lead and other harmful contaminants.

Truth in labeling is one of the only ways to build trust. We communicate with surgical clarity in all of our packaging. That’s the true-blue Beast ethic.

Beast has a substantial social media presence! Why is that so important to your brand?

Social media is a key avenue to maintain close contact with the people who matter most to us: our customers. That’s not rhetoric. If our customers and fans don’t adore our products and our brand, then we miss the mark.

We view social media as a great way to stay transparent and inform our audience about our new products, innovations, and to spotlight our hard-working brand ambassadors. It has also become a tool for communicating with our customers and gaining a better insight to what they expect from us.

Social sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also help us gather their feedback on our products.

Beast made a big labeling switch in early 2013. How has the move helped the company?

The new Beast blue design was a decision to communicate who and what we really are and stand for. “WE ARE THE TRUE BLUE” – No other company in the sports supplement industry can make that claim. We lead by example. We actually care. We listen. We grow and evolve. When an individual buys a Beast product, they can rest assured there isn’t a better product on the market. We need our customers to experience the Beast way of life. That experience can only come from trying and trusting a brand that’s been around for nearly 20 years and still growing.

Our perspective of health and fitness ranges from the highest levels of physical competition to fitness goals as simple as staying in shape. We want you to become a better parent and spend a healthy and long life with your family. We aim to deliver nutritional products which benefit our customers.

Efficaciousness and long-term benefits are the core concepts which drive our research and overall product and formulation design. For these reasons we remain the leading manufacturer of multifunctional, performance-based nutritional supplements which empower and enhance quality of life.

Live life like a beast! We do.

Katie Chung Hua

Beast has always been a positive family that encourages me to pursue my dreams. They stand behind their customers’ dreams and help give them the tools to pursue them.

We all play a part in Beast Sports Nutrition because they listen to our ideas and suggestions.

Brandon Fokken

I’m a better trainer, competitor, and even a better person because of Team Beast. They pass their values on to our family of athletes. I’ve been humbled by the many stories of setbacks, strength, perseverance, and triumphs that people have shared with me since I became part of the team.

That I’m able to help, motivate or inspire them in some way is beyond humbling, and something I’m proud to be a part of.

Sean Sarantos

It’s nice to be a part of a small group of individuals who share the same common goal of wanting to help others improve their lives through health and fitness.

From day one, it has been nothing but positive energy and sharing information that can help others. There’s nothing better than that!

I use Beast Whey for all my protein pancake and waffle recipes. It is the perfect flavor and consistency to make the absolute best-tasting breakfast.

I also started using the Beast Mode pre-workout, and that stuff is insane! I’m hitting new PRs weekly.

Tabitha Klausen

I absolutely love being a part of Team Beast. They have given me and my fellow athletes the opportunity to be ourselves and share our knowledge with the #beastnation! Beast is also extremely supportive of me and my goals.

I love their products and recommend them to all my clients, family, and friends. I use them to achieve my own goals.

I am proud to be a part of this awesome team and brand!

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Supplement Company Of The Month: Beast Sports Nutrition