3… 2… 1… Candy BLASTOFF!! Nutrabolics Supernova + Anabolic State

[InfiniteRecomp]

First, thanks andrewwww! for the super-sweet hookup.

You might be thinking from the title that I was awarded the ultra-novel Candy Blast flavor of both Supernova preworkout and Anabolic State BCAA. Really I received Candy Blast A.S. and Black Cherry Lime ‘Nova. However, they BOTH taste like candy; and I LOOOOVE candy in the morning.

This is going to be a multi-part review as a traverse 20 workouts (the # of scoops in Supernova). First, I’m going to break down the label ingredients and you’ll see why Nutrabolics is one of the tops on my list.

Here we go….

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Boom

I started to get into the label breakdown, but there is just so much going on there that I have to post that a little later (so much depth on the ingredients and why each)


First taste: I thought I was going to be trying out Supernova Candy Blast - there is so much talk about that flavor - but thankful for Black Cherry Lime, regardless. It actually tastes like a sour candy - so I got my candy. Anabolic State is Candy Blast and also good.

I'll go into more details over the next few posts - but suffice it to say that I'm very well pleased with flavor quality and depth, mixability, and initial performance (I couldn't flex my arms any more on bis/tris day.)

For mixability: Neither had ANY leftover flakes - NICE! more details coming...

[Kon_Rock]

Oh what, I want the Grenade

This is an amazing combo, I love it. That HiCA in Anabolic State is wonderful.

Great review big guy

[JonHolland89]

Nice initial review man. I love both of those flavors!

[andrewwww]

Great initial review man! The Anabolic State is such a great product with the addition of HICA really helps with DOMS.

Along for the ride in here!

[emergency]

subbed and in on this. cant go wrong with candy anytime of the day

[InfiniteRecomp]

subbed and in on this. cant go wrong with candy anytime of the day

found a 4.5 lb bag of haribo gummi bears. Almost bought for post workout.

I still might - but I like my marshmallow cereal.

[emergency]

found a 4.5 lb bag of haribo gummi bears. Almost bought for post workout.

I still might - but I like my marshmallow cereal.

that works, maybe we will come out with a candy blast WAXYBOLIC

[emergency]

how's things going up in here?

[InfiniteRecomp]

Just got back from vacay - was great. I know I overate a few days, so I took a couple days to take it easy, barely counted, but went for baseline calories and foods with micronutrient value. Came back 1.4# lighter and ready to hit it.

I ran into an acquaintance of mine at a meeting and got a tip for legs. Today was my first morning home and tried it out as my only workout for this week (can't count doing 10 pullups in the hotel gym to get some blood moving as a workout).


I was sweating hard and breathing heavy. Glad I had supernova to help me kick it back in. Will do more reporting this upcoming week, along with some thoughts on intraworkout carbs vs not.

[emergency]

Just got back from vacay - was great. I know I overate a few days, so I took a couple days to take it easy, barely counted, but went for baseline calories and foods with micronutrient value. Came back 1.4# lighter and ready to hit it.

I ran into an acquaintance of mine at a meeting and got a tip for legs. Today was my first morning home and tried it out as my only workout for this week (can't count doing 10 pullups in the hotel gym to get some blood moving as a workout).


I was sweating hard and breathing heavy. Glad I had supernova to help me kick it back in. Will do more reporting this upcoming week, along with some thoughts on intraworkout carbs vs not.

good to have you back from the vacation and looking forward to upcoming week.

[andrewwww]

Just got back from vacay - was great. I know I overate a few days, so I took a couple days to take it easy, barely counted, but went for baseline calories and foods with micronutrient value. Came back 1.4# lighter and ready to hit it.

I ran into an acquaintance of mine at a meeting and got a tip for legs. Today was my first morning home and tried it out as my only workout for this week (can't count doing 10 pullups in the hotel gym to get some blood moving as a workout).


I was sweating hard and breathing heavy. Glad I had supernova to help me kick it back in. Will do more reporting this upcoming week, along with some thoughts on intraworkout carbs vs not.

VACA is always good..most of the time anyways unless you get food bacteria infection like i did once! Wasnt fun man..

Looks like supernova and anabolic state are helping you push that extra mile

[InfiniteRecomp]

VACA is always good..most of the time anyways unless you get food bacteria infection like i did once! Wasnt fun man..

Looks like supernova and anabolic state are helping you push that extra mile

Started with some sickness for a day - on the road as I was approaching our destination. I had to hand the wheel over, but got better the next day and the rest was awesome. Perhaps that's where the 1.4# went.

[emergency]

Started with some sickness for a day - on the road as I was approaching our destination. I had to hand the wheel over, but got better the next day and the rest was awesome. Perhaps that's where the 1.4# went.

yep being sick is always a weight killer.

[InfiniteRecomp]

Some Label Goodness

SUPERNOVA

SUPPLEMENT FACTS
Serving Size 1 Scoop (14.4 g)
Servings Per Container 20

• Citrulline Malate (2:1) 6000mg
• CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine (3-Aminopropanoic acid) 1600 mg
• Betaine ((Carboxymethyl) trimethylammonium hydroxide inner salt) 1500 mg

• Noble orchid (Dendrobium nobile, Stem) 600 mg
• Cacao (4:1) extract (Theobroma cacao, Seed) [Standardized to 12% Theobromine and 9% Caffeine Equivalent to 1200 mg raw herb] 300 mg
• Caffeine (1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine) 200 mg
• Bitter orange (5:1) extract (Citrus aurantium, Fruit peel) [Standardized to 30% Synephrine; Equivalent to 500 mg raw herb] 100 mg

• L-Theanine 100 mg
• Huperzine A ([5R-(5alpha,9beta,11E)]-5-Amino-11-ethylidene-5,6,9,10-tetrahydro-7-methyl-5,9-methanocycloocta[b]pyridin-2(1H)-one, Huperzine A, Huperzia serrata - Whole plant) 150 mcg

Other Ingredients: Natural and Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Red Beet Powder, Annatto.

Suggested Use: Add one scoop of SUPERNOVA (14.4 g) to 8 oz – 10 oz / 250 mL – 300 mL of cold water and shake for a few seconds. Consume 15 minutes before exercise. Begin with one serving to assess tolerance before considering increasing the dosage. Never exceed two servings per day. For best results, combine with a diet and exercise program.

Warning: For adult use only. Keep out of reach of children. Consult your physician before using the product if you have any medical condition. Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing.

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Stamina and recovery
Energy and metabolic rate
Nootropics

Label Reactions: 20 scoops, that’s it? But wait, I exercise 5x weekly. This would last 4 weeks, just two days shy of a full month. I like things that last a month - makes it predictable. Thus, 20 scoops aren’t so bad. And with the strength of the ingredients, there is no way I’m doing more than a scoop as I’ve been able to do with some other pre workouts. Let’s go to the ingredients: the first one that stands out to me is 6g Citrulline! Pump City!

L-Citrulline is an amino acid. It is turned into L-arginine in the kidneys after supplementation, which means L-citrulline supplementation is a more effective method of increasing L-arginine levels in the body than L-arginine supplementation.
…To supplement L-citrulline to enhance sports performance, take 6,000 – 8,000 mg of citrulline malate about an hour before exercise.

-examine.com

Some of the primary benefits of using in exercise is reduced fatigue and soreness. Now I see why this is heavily dosed, while ß-alanine & betaine are moderate.

Beta-alanine is the building block of carnosine, a molecule that helps buffer acid in muscles, increasing physical performance in the 60–240-second range. Beta-alanine can aid lean-mass gain. Carnosine appears to be an antioxidant and anti-aging compound.
…Standard daily dose: 2–5 g.
While beta-alanine is a popular ingredient in pre-workout stacks, supplementation is actually not timing-dependent.
Large doses of beta-alanine may result in a tingling feeling called paresthesia. This harmless side effect can be avoided by using a time-release formulation or by taking smaller doses (0.8–1 g) several times a day.

- examine.com

Overall research seems to indicate minor effectiveness at reducing fatigue and increasing power output, thus it is a less significant player in the formula.

Betaine (trimethylglycine) is an active metabolite of Choline in the body and a component of beetroot. It serves a vital role in methylation in the body alongside folate, and is an osmoregulator like Creatine. Betaine is also a possible ergogenic aid.

In regards to physical performance, right now the theory which seems to be 'most correct' in estimating how betaine increases physical performance is the osmolyte theory where (secondary to water retention in a cell) a cell is not as easily damaged and can perform better in periods where cells would normally be damaged, but not inherently.
If this is the case, then studies need to be conducted on creatine and betaine coingestion since creatine also has this property and is probably potent enough to fully wash out any potential osmolytic benefit of betaine. Furthermore, creatine is reliable whereas betaine is not.
Kurtis Frank

- examine.com

It seems like the strongest benefit is improving cholesterol profile, which is certainly welcome, and a 1.5g dose would certainly be in range to provide benefit there, but not very much corroborative evidence on endurance and power output (though one study showed 6% increase in total volume) and minor evidence supporting a temporary increase in IGF-1.

OK, this is getting deep. Let’s get back to more reaction, less full-on research.

energy stuff: The inclusion of theobromine is a little odd to me (chocolate ‘caffeine’), perhaps to tame the caff. anhydrous which can make me jittery. I do have a good mood feeling getting into my workouts. Dendrobium is supposed to have some stimulant effect (via phenylethylamine compounds), but the evidence is weak. Doesn’t make me not want it; it’s just one of those ‘by the way’ ingredients. Synephrine gives me a bit of a rush and then sweat. That’s probably one major reason why I’ve been sweating more since I’ve started it. Though it’s getting warmer outside, I still exercise early enough in the day that the air outside my garage is cool, and we keep our house cool as well.

brain stuff: Theanine - supposed to be a relaxer and de-stressor without sedating; but here’s a quick bit of science.

Interestingly, the relaxing and attention promoting properties of L-theanine coupled with the lack of sedation may L-Theanine have its most significant supplemental role in attenuating the 'edge' of many stimulants. A combination of L-Theanine with caffeine (200mg each) is noted to be synergistic in promoting cognition and attention.

- examine.com

So, it takes the edge off and promotes focus. Good deal. I knew I liked this stuff. I wonder how much synergy you get here since the above quote indicates 200mg each. We have 100mg Theanine.

OK, I lied. More research:

Huperzine-A is a compound extracted from the herbs of the Huperziceae family. It is known as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, which means that it stops an enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine which results in increases in acetylcholine.

Acetylcholine is known as the learning neurotransmitter, and is involved in muscle contraction as well. Increasing levels of acetylcholine is routinely used as a technique amongst weight-lifters and scholars.

Huperzine-A appears to be a relatively safe compound from animal studies of toxicity and studies in humans showing no side-effects at dosages routinely supplemented with. Huperzine-A is in preliminary trials for usage in fighting Alzheimer's Disease as well.
[-right]- examine.com[/right]

I’m certainly down with that.

the fillers: Natural and artificial flavors - okay. Makes it tasty. There are very few products that can get by with only natural flavors and keep the scoop size small. What I like is that (and more important to me) there is no harsh dye, just beet & annatto. Sweeteners are Ace-K & Sucralose - again not perfect, but what are you gonna do. At least they took care to balance it right. I’ve had no lingering aftertaste on ’Nova yet. (glad it doesn't taste 'cheesy' )


more to come... and some workout results.

[andrewwww]

Nice breakdown there. Great to see a label reader

Be sure to check out Nutrabolics latest magazine there is a digital copy https://www.nutrabolics.com/

[brazilianbadboy]

Damn that sounds tasty!
I have some pineapple anabolic state right now that im using. Always loved their pineapple. and curious enough the fruit punch which i HATE but Nutrabolics was the first that made it right.

[InfiniteRecomp]

I'm sure Pineapple rocks, too. And I might have gone with that since I love putting pineapple-coconut drink mix in my intra. but that Candy Blast - I may have to do another scoop this afternoon just because; oh yeah, and for recovery purposes too - blasted back today. Will detail...


These reviews give me a chance to understand ingredients, what works, and what is 'bro-science' . I honestly never thought about theanine (other than adding it to ZMA for relaxation) and didn't know what huperzine-a did. People who are not as into this stuff ask me about nutrition and supplementation often; so I like to be a knowledgeable resource. Example: yesterday my boss asked me about creatine. He exercises alot, but more for running, endurance, obstacle course stuff.

[InfiniteRecomp]

So, here's my experience today and a little result overall so far.

Tuesday is back workout. I took the tip for legs that I got from an acquaintance and applied it to my back routine, modifying exercises to suit. Therefore, today was the first for this specific rep scheme/plan.


Weighted Pull Ups - 90 secs rest
Set 1 : 180.0x12 (BW)
Set 2 : 200.0x8 (BW+20)
Set 3 : 200.0x8
Set 4 : 200.0x6
Set 5 : 190.0x9 (BW+10)
Set 6 : 180.0x9

I think I went up in weight too fast. I've pulled 35# before, but for less reps. Idea was to stay in hypertrophy rep range.

Dumbbell Incline Bench Two Arm Row - palms neutral - 60 secs rest
Set 1 : 30.0x15
Set 2 : 40.0x12
Set 3 : 50.0x10
Set 4 : 60.0x8
Set 5 : 60.0x8
Set 6 : 50.0x10
Set 7 : 40.0x12
Set 8 : 35.0x15

Barbell Bent Over Row - 60 secs rest
4 Sets : 115.0x12 (reverse grip on alternate sets)

AB Circuit
Hanging Pike / Plank / Medicine Ball Twist
6 reps / 1:00 / 20#x15
8 reps / 1:00 / 20#x15

Session Length 00:44:15

and finished by practicing a couple vacuums between putting away my toys. I have in mind to practice 5 on ab days, doing some of them while getting ready, etc. I did another 1, a half-1, and 1 at work.


I drank up half my 'Nova about 15 minutes before, and finished the other half just a few minutes before heading into the gym and lightly stretching/prepping. I can feel the cognition kicking in, but after using this a few times I no longer get the ß-alanine buzz.

PUMP: Before I even got to the rows I felt my lats were engorged. After the first set of incline rows, I wanted to rip my shirt off it was so bad (bad meaning good). Felt amazing, and my back is one of the harder areas to feel any pump. The smaller the muscle, the easier it is. I didn't even put any pineapple into my wake-n-shake (I save that for arm day ) By the time I got to doing my ab circuit, My body was looking overall pretty good, even though I could only really view from the front. Pump effect is universal and knows no boundaries. I could even see lats and they looked juicy!

ENERGY / METABOLISM: Sweat started kicking in after about the 5th set of pullups. I'm not wearing that shirt a second time. Again, between the pump and the heat factor (it was still cool outside ~high 60s) That shirt was coming off sooner or later. I just don't like going shirtless when I have to make bench contact.

FOCUS / COGNITION: I noticed greater focus in about ten minutes. It was easy to plan my next set, keep moving, record in my app, and generally pay attention to what I was doing. My mood was good, too. It was tough to get through, but at no point was I even thinking that it was time to cut it short - which normally happens if abs or k-k-k-k-cardio is involved.

[emergency]

solid session today bro, find two scoops is even better for me especially those pumps and energy .

[neoes1um]

Oh what, I want the Grenade

This is an amazing combo, I love it. That HiCA in Anabolic State is wonderful.

Great review big guy

[InfiniteRecomp]

solid session today bro, find two scoops is even better for me especially those pumps and energy .

Thanks!

this is my inner conflict:

200mg caffeine x 2 ==

Oh what, I want the Grenade
This is an amazing combo, I love it. That HiCA in Anabolic State is wonderful.
Great review big guy

Thanks!

Anabolic State review coming. and some more 'Nova 'Notes

[InfiniteRecomp]

ANABOLIC STATE

Serving Size 1 Scoop (12.5 g)
Servings Per Container 30
Amount Per Serving

L-Leucine 3,000 mg
L-Glutamine 3,000 mg
L-Isoleucine 1,500 mg
L-Valine 1,500 mg
HICA (alpha-hydroxyisocaproic acid) 500 mg
L-Lysine HCL 500 mg

Other Ingredients:
Natural and Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Red Beet Powder.

Directions For Anabolic State: Add 1 scoop (12.5 g) of ANABOLIC STATE™ to 8 oz - 10 oz / 250 ml - 300 ml of cold water and shake for a few seconds. Consume 1-3 servings daily to hydrate and help promote muscle building and reduce muscle soreness during or after an intense exercise session. For best results, combine with a diet and exercise program.


Label thoughts: WAIT! That’s it? Seems so simple in a category riddled with complex formulas and a ton o’ stuff. Let’s start with the BCAAs - 2:1:1 ratio, pretty common, BUT; most BCAA products have 5g total from what I’ve seen. Nutrabolics took care and consideration to hit that 3g Leucine threshold for stimulating MPS (muscle protein synthesis, for those reading who may be under 100 posts). 3g of glutamine is helpful for recovery, gut health, immunity, etc. Glad to see it in here, but I was always under the impression that 5g is ’standard’, though I hardly see anyone putting that much in unless it’s l-gutmaine only.

Though it could be helpful at any time to promote recovery (kinda obvious with glutamine + BCAA) I’ve been using Anabolic State intraworkout almost exclusively, and eating every three hours. If I have a period of time where my meals were 5+ hours apart, I might do a scoop in between. Why mostly intraworkout?

Supplementing BCAAs prevents a serum decline in BCAAs, which occurs during exercise. A serum decline would normally cause a tryptophan influx into the brain, followed by serotonin production, which causes fatigue.

- examine.com

Here’s a reason you want glutamine:

A conditionally essential amino acid which only appears to benefit the body as supplementation when otherwise deficient (vegans, vegetarians with low dairy intake) or during prolonged endurance exercise. Anecdotally reported to reduce sugar cravings.

- examine.com

Could benefit endurance? But, how much is good?

Typically, the best dosage is between 2 to 5 grams twice daily, and up to 10 grams daily for serious power athletes. Although the effects of excess glutamine rarely cause problems, if you are taking L-glutamine long-term, it’s a good idea to also supplement with B vitamins. This especially applies to vitamin B12, which controls glutamine buildup in the body.

- DrAxe.com

As I have speculated, 10g per day is max optimal, but as indicated above 2g twice (4g) per day should be sufficient. at one scoop, I’m getting 3g supplemental, and with a diet of sufficient quality foods I should be able to hit at least 5g. If I had scored a 70 scoop tub (*ahem*) then I’d probably find a way to fit in a second scoop every day for the glutamine and recovery benefits absolutely. As a matter of fact, I think I would recommend that for anyone who lifts and is in it for longevity (remember the glutamine health benefits, or better yet, read them here https://draxe.com/l-glutamine-benefi...ffects-dosage/ - it’s amazing. I’m going to suggest this to my wife for health.

a bit of a mystery to me: 500mg lysine. I did some reading and it appears to help move copper in the intestines which is helpful (balances out iron) and is another protein building block, but the recommended dosage is 2g; however, it was noted that the average diet is not deficient, so this would be just a little extra help, and since glutamine is also a multi-performing amino working in the same centers there could be some synergistic effect.

Lastly: HICA - totally clueless. aka Leucic acid

HICA is claimed to be an anti-catabolic and anabolic agent similar to HMB. The limited evidence that exists right now (literally one study in athletes and a mention of a pilot study conducted by the same researchers) suggests that there is benefit, but beyond needing replication this study is also confounded.

- examine.com

the currently accepted dosage is 500mg 3x daily. Another reason to grab a second scoop later in the day, so that you get at least 2 of the 4 recommended.

I'll add some experiences, and share today's leg workout tomorrow...

[emergency]

nice write up on Anabolic State man and with solid sources in there for us as well. I double scoop this myself 1 intra and 1 post.

[InfiniteRecomp]

nice write up on Anabolic State man and with solid sources in there for us as well. I double scoop this myself 1 intra and 1 post.

I prepped a second scoop to take today, both intra to flavor up 16oz water. 1 scoop in 16oz is a little light. I just could not rationalize needing 6g leucine in my 45-50 minute workout window. I ended up doing 1 scoop plus some flavor squirt thing I picked up. Mighty tasty and served well. If doing a second scoop I'd recommend spacing it between meals as previously posted.

Intra & Post is also a good plan. My postworkout includes cereal and protein, so I'm covered for now. If going for straight fatloss (personally) , I would do another scoop right after and delay eating for a little while.

[andrewwww]

Nice breakdown on anabolic state. The hica really shines at 2 scoops. Almost non existence DOMS.

[InfiniteRecomp]

i got doms b/c I switched my workout and increased total volume (I think volume is more). Man, my pecs, lats, and the back of my knees - oy vey!

I went ahead and did the store review before finishing up here.

ANABOLIC STATE STORE REVIEW

SUPERNOVA STORE REVIEW

[emergency]

i got doms b/c I switched my workout and increased total volume (I think volume is more). Man, my pecs, lats, and the back of my knees - oy vey!

I went ahead and did the store review before finishing up here.

ANABOLIC STATE STORE REVIEW

SUPERNOVA STORE REVIEW

thanks for taking the time for the store reviews as well for us.

[NutritionNut4]

i got doms b/c I switched my workout and increased total volume (I think volume is more). Man, my pecs, lats, and the back of my knees - oy vey!

I went ahead and did the store review before finishing up here.





[/center]

Do you take anything for DOMS?

[InfiniteRecomp]

thanks for taking the time for the store reviews as well for us.

As if it were a favor. You guys did me the favor. This thread and store reviews are the least I could do. I'm grateful that these are such awesome products that I can feel good about doing a writeup. Thanks again.

I have some scoops left, and not forgetting. Just running at work.

[InfiniteRecomp]

Do you take anything for DOMS?

More Anabolic State. get the 70 scoop tub. It's to be expected though whenever switching movement patterns, rep schemes; basically reconfiguring my workout. Next week it will be less. This being my second week of doing 8 sets of squats at higher reps, I haven't had the soreness I had last week. My body is ready.


Let's me know I'm alive