Category: Product Reviews

St John’s Wort: Benefits, Side Effects & Dosage

St John’s Wort is one of the most popular herbal supplements we stock here at SS Healthfoods. Not only has it been shown to combat ‘the blues’ or treat mild to moderate depression but it can also combat nervousness, poor appetite & fatigue.

In this post, we’re going to be conducting a review into the effectiveness of St John’s Wort and measure the side effects, benefits and how it can be used for treating depression.

What is St John’s Wort?

Mind, which is a mental health charity in the United Kingdom outlines that St John’s Wort has been around for hundreds of years, primarily to treat mental health issues. St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum as its known botanically) a herbaceous perennial plant which can grow up to 1m high.

It is native to Europe and Asia and it is typically a wild plant that has star-shaped, yellow flowers. The reason why it’s named St Jon’s Wort is that it is harvested traditionally around the time of St John’s Day (who was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ in the New Testament), which is June 24th, the day of his birth.

The yellow star-shaped flowers and its buds are usually dried and made into capsules or tea for consumption, but sometimes the flower is pressed and it is also used for oils and other liquid extracts.

St John’s Wort Benefits

As previously mentioned, St John’s Wort is used as a mood enhancer as it is used to treat mild depression but also it may also help with nerves, anxiety, poor appetite or fatigue.

Cochrane conducted a systematic review and it came to the conclusion that St John’s Wort has the potential to be effective in treating major depression. This is sort of backed up in a 2016 review of 35 different studies that came to the conclusion that St John’s Wort reduced the effects of mild to moderate depression more than prescription antidepressants and a placebo effect.

It is not limited to just people’s mood either, a 2017 study showed that the herbal plant was extremely effective in treating body injuries such as bruises, burns & sores.

With St John’s Wort mood-enhancing effects, it also increases the body’s levels of serotonin, which is a brain chemical which has been thought to regulate things like anxiety, happiness & mood. People who have been trialled with mild depression have found that sometimes increased serotonin levels brighten their mood.

St. John’s Wort Side Effects

One thing to immediately note is that when you combine St John’s Wort with certain antidepressants, it can lead to a potentially life-threatening amount of serotonin in your brain. It can also bring on the early stages of Serotonin Syndrome. Other symptoms listed by the United States National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health include things such as:

  • Higher blood pressure & high blood pressure in general
  • Increase in body temperature
  • Increased agitation levels
  • Whilst not limited to those four symptoms, there are many more you should undertake research on before taking the supplement. There have also been claims that St John’s Wort has adverse effects on people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia by increasing the severity of the psychotic symptoms that they are showing.

As well as increasing the levels of serotonin to dangerous levels in the brain, St John’s Wort can also weaken many prescription medicines such as other antidepressants, contraception & cancer medicines. St John’s Wort gives its user stimulation, which can actually worsen the feelings of anxiety sometimes.

There have also been studies conducted on the following conditions. However, according to Medical News Today, they need further research & evidence and have yet to be concluded successfully. The following conditions analysed by scientists are:

  • Perimenopausal symptoms
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Seasonal affective disorder
  • Social phobia
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Sharp pains in nerves
  • A sensation of burning mouth
  • Post-surgery pain.

St John’s Wort Dosage

You can get different dosages from different brands and products you buy. Mind states that although there is no standard dosage restrictions in the United Kingdom that a suggested dosage is between 200mg and 1,000mg of 0.3% of standardised hypericum extract per day.

Blair Green Thielemer told Healthline that dosage for St John’s Wort varies due to the product not having standard manufacturing procedures.

He did go onto say that a normal dose for the average person goes from 300mg to 1,200 mg per day. His advice is also to break it up throughout the day, ie 300mg three times daily or 600mg twice daily.

It is always best to assess the dosage and its effects on you by supplementing a lower dosage first and then assessing your tolerance and its effectiveness on you. You should also consult a doctor or GP before supplementing because as previously mentioned, it may interact differently with different things in your body.

The easiest and most convenient way to consume St John’s Wort is via capsule form, as it gives you the ability to take it anywhere you want and be able to fit in your supplementation around your own schedule.

What St John’s Wort products are there?

Here at SS Healthfoods, we stock two different types of St John’s Wort. Both extremely effective and from the same brand, Swanson.

One of the Swanson’s St John’s Wort comes in a 120 capsule container, each containing a 375mg capsule. Going off the dosage advice above you can take up to 2 and some capsules, but depending on your tolerance and height/weight. It may differ slightly.

The second product is Swanson’s St John’s Wort Extract which comes in 120 capsules and each capsule containing 300mg. You may think that the only difference between them is their dosage, but one is the whole herb and this one is an extract.

Using the guide Imortalitea has on its website, whole herbs are consumed fresh or preserved for consumption. Extracts have been made by chemically profiling the whole herb, this is because scientists can identify any particular compound they believe has a certain benefit. Although, some people do believe that this actually makes the supplement less effective – which there is no evidence to prove. It all comes down to your personal preference when choosing between an extract and whole herb.

Muscletech Nitro Tech Review-2020

Are you looking for a new protein supplement? Perhaps you’re using Optimum Nutrition or Dymatize and fancy a change.

Whilst Muscle Tech Nitrotech is not one of the biggest protein powders in the game, the nitro tech mix gives you powerful protein formula ever developed to help you in your goals in the gym, whether that be increasing muscle mass or losing fast.

For over twenty years, Nitro-Tech has been a world-leading protein range. Using years of research and science, it is one of the most trusted protein brands, with customers all over the world. The MuscleTech brand has many different products. Here at SS Healthfoods, we stock MuscleTech Performance Series Nitro-Tech 2.2lbs (907g),  MuscleTech NitroTech 100% Whey Gold 2.5lb as well as many more.

For the purpose of this blog post, we’re going to be looking in detail at Muscletech Nitrotech Whey Gold + Isolate Gold, which we stock in the 1.8 kg tub. Nitrotech Whey Gold + Isolate Gold contains both Whey Peptides and Whey Isolate, giving your body the highest biological value (BV) in protein fractions.

BV is the measurement of how your body processes, absorbs and retains protein. The higher the BV value, the higher the potential for muscle building. Per 2 scoops, there is 50g of protein. 11.2g of which occurs naturally from Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s).

The whey peptides enable your body to get the initial boost of protein, which makes it a brilliant post-workout, but the extras you get from this product puts it in a different class from regular whey proteins.

The main points that Muscletech make about the product are:

  • 50g Protein
  • Fast Absorption
  • Great Post Workout
  • Builds Lean Muscle

Taste

Muscletech claim that “partnered with some of the world’s leading flavour scientists to deliver truly mouth-watering flavours you’ll love to indulge in!” But we’ll let you be the judge of that.

After a quick look at external reviews on SupplementReviews.com, I found this review of the taste. “The vanilla tasted like vanilla, 7.5/10. There weren’t any interesting undertones or other tastes present”.  Whilst BluReviews.com raves about the taste of the product.

So, it might not be the best thing you’ve ever tasted, but it certainly does the job. A solid 7.5/10 (at an absolute minimum) is always a good benchmark, and if the taste is really important to you, check out this article from Iceshaker on how to improve your protein shake taste.

Nutritional Information

Above, you can see the full, nutritional information, but let’s run through some more in detail. One thing I see when I look at the nutritional information is the lack of creatine monohydrate. Whilst it’s not uncommon to see protein powders that don’t have creatine in their product, the sheer amount of protein powders out there force manufacturers to innovate, and if you are looking to build muscle – you can find a variety of cheap creatines to go with your NitroTech.

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Protein Per Serving

A Muscletech NitroTech Whey Gold + Isolate Gold serving is 1 scoop, It has 25g of protein per 35g scoop, which makes it at about 72% protein. To compare other protein powders, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey has 24g (approx. 78% protein) and BSN Syntha-6 EDGE has a protein content of 24g also (approx. 65% protein). So whilst Nitrotech may not have the best protein percentage, it has more protein than one of the most popular protein powders in the game and just means that you may have to add a bit colder water or milk.  The regular Nitro-Tech contains 30 grams of protein per serving, which seem like more but it does not have a complete amino acid profile or the science behind it like Whey Gold + Isolate Gold Does.

Pros and Cons

PROS

  • Reduces fatigue
  • Promotes lean muscle mass
  • Good pre and post-workout
  • 2g sugars

CONS

  • Unsuitable for Vegans
  • Larger scoop than average
  • Not a wide variety of flavours

Side Effects

As with everything, having too much of something can have consequences. Webmd has highlighted the problem of having too much protein here – High doses can cause some side effects such as increased bowel movements, nausea, thirst, bloating, cramps, reduced appetite, tiredness (fatigue), and headache.

Price Breakdown

As of 26th November 2019, we have Muscletech Nitro Tech Whey + Gold Isolate priced at £46.95. You get approx. 83 servings in a 1.8kg tub. That works out at about 57p per serving, and when compared with Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey and BSN Syntha 6 EDGE, it works out cheaper than both of them as they are 70p and 75p per serving each respectively.

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Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Review 2020

One of the heavyweights in the weight gainer sector, one full serving of Serious Mass packs a whopping 1,250 calories and is ideal for those who are wanting to increase their muscle mass. The high-calorie protein powder comes hand-in-hand with 50g protein. It comes in different flavours: Banana, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cookies and Cream & Chocolate Mint.

In this review, we’re going to be answering a few questions like its serving size, side effects, how to use it for weight training and more!

Taste

As much as we think that Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass has a great taste, that is a matter of opinion and for all you know we could be lying to promote it. So here are some reviews from Bodybuilding.com.

Dave’s review from Bodybuilding.com says “I sampled the chocolate flavor of this weight gainer. I found that it was a heavy milk chocolate taste. I felt that the taste was satisfactory but not particularly good. Therefore, for taste, I award the chocolate flavor of Serious Mass a 6/10”.

Jake from primeweightgain.com says “I’m using the Vanilla flavour and for me the product tastes great. I have found that 100g of Serious Mass mixes in well with 500ml of water in a shaker”

So, the taste may not be the best thing in the world, but mass gainers aren’t really all that tasty in general. But, when you couple the taste with science, it doesn’t really matter.

What Will Serious Mass Do For Me?

When you’re looking to increase muscle mass/muscle size, it is quite hard to hit the calories you need unless you’re eating terribly. That’s why using a 1,250 Serious Mass shake instead of a Maccies is so much better for your body & goals.

When you use Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass alongside with a good exercise routine, Optimum Nutrition claims it can be a mass gain formula that will help you build muscle mass (and/or muscle size).

Serious Mass is packed with calories, carbs and protein, but also other things. Alongside the primary sources of fuel, Serious Mass contains Creatine Monohydrate and Glutamine that help your body with that post-workout recovery after an intense workout.

When you work out, your body’s sensitivity to insulin level rises, which makes it harder for the body to gain fat. This is why Serious Mass is heavily recommended to be used alongside a heavy workout. Otherwise, you may start to see some unwanted fat.

Pros & Cons

PROS

Serious Mass is very high in carbohydrates & protein, this makes it very easy for you to hit your daily goal in these areas.
Its high carb content makes it ideal to replace your empty glycogen stores.
As previously stated, it is very hard to cleanly eat 1,250 calories per day. This shake will keep you ticking over whilst promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass contains no added sugar.
Contains 25 vitamins and minerals per serving, meaning there are no extras you have to buy to go alongside your diet.

CONS

One serving is 334g (better to use a blender for best texture).
Not suitable for some people, including vegans and people needing a free-from diet as it contains milk, eggs & wheat.
Taste has mixed Reviews.
£2.56 per serving compared to Mutant Mass’ £1.73 per serving.

Nutritional Information

Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass’ main goal is to enable you to increase your calories and should not be used if you are trying to use it for weight loss. The average person should aim to consume 2,000 calories every day, based on the recommended daily intake. Serious Mass would add another 62.5% worth of calories to your daily intake, and since one pound of fat is 3,500 – you can expect to put on a pound every three days if you use Serious Mass correctly with your diet.

As mentioned in the ‘Pros & Cons’ section, Serious Mass contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. In fact, each serving contains your full recommended amount of Vitamin A. This might make it wise to avoid foods that are full of Vitamin A such as Spinach, Kale & Carrots, as you could be at risk of overconsumption which can lead to vomiting, fever and irritability.

One handy aspect of Serious Mass is that it contains Creatine, a supplement that many people in the gym take. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition says that supplementing other supplements with Creatine puts you at a higher risk of kidney failure, so best to use the Creatine that is integrated within.

SUPPLEMENT FACTS:

Serving Size: 2 Heaping Scoops of Serious Mass (334g)

Servings Per Container: 16

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 1252

Calories from Fat 40

Total Fat 4.8g 7%

Saturated Fat 1.9g 10%

Cholesterol 75mg 25%

Total Carbohydrate 252 g 84%

Sugars 40 g

Protein 50 g 100%

Vitamin C 60 mg 100%,Vitamin D 200 I.U. 50%,Vitamin E 30 I.U. 100%, Thiamin 5 mg 330%,Riboflavin 5 mg 290%, Niacin 50 mg 250%, Vitamin B6 5 mg 250%, Folic Acid 400 mcg 100%, Vitamin B12 20 mcg 330%, Biotin 300 mcg 100%, Pantothenic Acid 100 mg 1000%, Calcium 730 mg 70%, Iron 6 mg 35%, Phosphorus 350 mg 35%, Iodine 75 mcg 50%, Magnesium 186 mg 45%, Zinc 30 mg 200%, Selenium 200 mcg 290%, Copper 1 mg 50%, Manganese 10 mg 500%, Chromium 600 mcg 500%, Molybdenum 150 mcg 200%, Sodium 600 mg 25%, Potassium 1230 mg 35%, Choline 250 mg, Inositol 250 mg,PABA 5 mg, Creatine Monohydrate 1 g, L-Glutamine 500 mg

Ingredients: Complex Carbohydrates, Proprietary Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate, Egg Albumen, L-Glutamine), Artificial Flavor, Serious Mass Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Potassium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Magnesium Aspartate, Beta Carotene, Inositol, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Boron Amino Acid Chelate, Niacinamide, Manganese Glycinate, Kelp, d-alpha-Tocopherol Succinate, Ferrous Fumarate, Copper Gluconate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Para-Aminobenzoic Acid, Chromium Picolinate, Selenium Glycinate, Molybdenum Glycinate, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin), Medium Chain Triglycerides, Creatine Monohydrate, Acesulfame Potassium. (Vanilla shown, Slight variations may occur among flavours.)

Price Breakdown

Here at SS Healthfoods, we only stock the 5.4kg bag of Serious Mass. This is because we feel that it is the best value for money. There are a recommended 16 servings in the bag, making it out to £2.26 per serving (which may seem a lot at supplement prices, but cheaper than a meal deal and a hell of a lot more calories!).

Although, if you know your diet down to the calories, then you can measure your Serious Mass to the grain. Then for 312 calories, the price works out at only 56p. That is cheaper than a chocolate bar, healthier and a lot more calories.

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Applied Nutrition Vegan-Pro vs Reflex Vegan Protein

Challenge two in our product comparison series, is between two plant-based protein heavyweights. These contenders are Applied Nutrition’s Vegan-Pro and Reflex’ Vegan Protein.

These two sources of protein are great for those on a vegan diet or vegetarian diet, wishing to find meat substitutes. Whilst meat may be a great source of protein, vegan protein is still protein rich. Although they help vegans and vegetarians, anyone can enjoy these plant proteins in their diet.

This article shows the benefits of consuming vegan protein. It also gives a comparison of two of the finest vegan proteins that help you reach your goals.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CONSUMING VEGAN PROTEIN POWDER?

There’s a reason why considerable amounts of athletes across many different sports are consuming more plant-based foods. Here are three primary reasons why supplementing with vegan protein powders are highly beneficial for you.

Reduce Inflammation

Certain types of animal protein products have been shown to cause swelling and inflammation in muscles and joints. This is the case in individuals who consume high volumes of dairy proteins. These may increase recovery time, causing your workouts to suffer as a result. Vegan protein sources have been shown to reduce this inflammation.

Many vegan protein powders offer anti inflammation properties. These may help improve joint mobility and has been shown to minimize joint problems. Many vegan proteins contain added properties that fight this. For instance, you can find plant-based protein powders with turmeric, cinnamon, green blends and other recovery properties.

Increase Recovery

Most plant proteins provide a higher rate of nutrient absorption compared to animal proteins. These more natural and digestible forms of plant-protein can increase the rate of recovery after exercise.

Plant-based proteins also tend to be lower in saturated fats and cholesterol, compared to proteins from milk, such as whey. This can therefore improve your heart health. A healthier heart also leads to faster recovery times.

Improve Digestion

Many plant protein foods can improve digestion within our bodies. This is because of the amount of fibre they contain to their animal product counterparts which contain minimal amounts. It is even more evident in certain legumes and seed- based proteins such as lentils, hemp seeds, chia seeds and peas. These contain a lot of fibre, all of which help digestion in your bodies.

Some animal proteins like whey can cause bloating and digestive issues in some individuals. Vegan proteins tend to digest easier and promote good processes within the body. This good digestion is ideal for all athletes as it helps you train better, so plant proteins are ideal. It is hard to train well when experiencing bad digestion.

By using the right combination of plant proteins, you can have all the same benefits as animal proteins, and more.

LET’S LOOK AT OUR CONTENDERS:

Applied Nutrition Vegan-Pro

The challenge commences with Applied Nutrition’s plant based protein. It is a high-quality protein powder containing a blend of Soya, Pea, Brown Rice & Hemp.

These help to increase your overall daily protein intake. It is a complete protein, containing the full range of your essential amino acids you need. These are the building blocks for muscle growth and repair. It has a high protein content, packing a hefty 24g of protein per serving.

It is a big contender in the vegan protein world and is a force to be reckoned with.

Reflex Vegan Protein

It’s close competitor follows with Reflex’s plant based protein. This plant food is made from pea protein and contains 18g protein per serving. It also contains LactoSpore, a friendly bacteria and digestive enzymes that aids nutrient absorption in your body.

It’s free from artificial sweeteners and sugars, is gluten free and free from soya, chemicals and GMO’s. It gives Applied nutrition’s Vegan-Pro a serious run for it’s money.

THEY BOTH LOOK GOOD, BUT HOW DO THEY COMPARE INDIVIDUALLY?

Calories

Calories are an important aspect of any person’s diet. Consume more than your body uses, you’ll gain weight, eat less calories than your body needs, then you’ll lose weight. Therefore, it’s important to know how much you are consuming to achieve your goals, whether that be weight gain or weight loss.

The Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Pro protein powder contains 108 calories per 30 gram serving.

Reflex’s Vegan protein contains slightly less calories at 92 per serving. However, the serving size is 5 grams less than that of Applied Nutrition and works out at 110 calories when the same serving size of 30 grams.

The Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Pro powder therefore has less calories than Reflex’s Vegan Protein. However, this is only by 2 calories, therefore the difference between the two is minimal.

Protein

Protein is the building block of everything in the body and especially important to building new muscle in the gym. If you fail to get enough protein it will be more difficult for your body to build more muscle in your body as there will be less protein synthesis. This is where vegan protein powders are a good source of protein as they can provide a large proportion of your daily requirements in one sitting.

The Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Pro gives a whopping 24g of protein per 30g serving, this comes from a combination of Soya, Pea, Brown Rice & Hemp Protein to deliver a premium powder. This is also a complete protein source as the combination of different plant proteins fives the required amino acid profile your body needs.

Reflex’s Vegan Protein on the other hand gives 18g of protein per 25g serving, which works out at 22.8g of protein per 30g serving. This protein comes from peas only, so does not have the same amino acid profile Applied Nutrition’s protein powder has. However, pea protein is a powerful protein source and when included in your diet with other plant foods can still build muscle.

Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Protein therefore has a slighter larger quantity of protein per serving but once again has a very similar amount to Reflex’s protein powder so does not vary greatly.

Nutritional Content

The nutritional content of the protein powders is important as they may help to achieve your goals better and achieve a balanced diet. Some proteins may contain different ingredients and will therefore change the nutritional content of one protein powder to another.

The Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Pro contains very little amounts of Fat, Saturated Fat, Carbohydrates and Sugars. This therefore makes it a very useful product to include into your diet as it massively boosts your protein intake without impacting on your other macros.

As stated previously, it also contains all 9 essential amino acids needed for muscle growth and due to the variety of ingredients also contains more vitamins and minerals from the different protein sources. Furthermore, due to the hemp protein included, the protein will also include some omega-3 fatty acids that is also needed by your body for good health.

Reflex’s Vegan Protein has a very slight increase in fat and saturated fat but this is still very low and also has a low carbohydrate and sugar nutritional value like Applied Nutrition’s. However, it does not contain the same levels of vitamins and minerals Applied Nutrition’s vegan protein will contain. However, where this product gains an advantage is through the added digestive enzymes that make helps the body digest the protein which Applied Nutrition’s vegan protein does not have.

Price

Price is an important aspect of any purchasing decision so it is important to compare. Both products are 2.1kg in size and it is therefore easy to compare the price.

Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Pro is currently retailing for £24.99 as of 29/01/2020, creating a serving cost of 35p.

Reflex’s Vegan Protein is currently retailing for £26.95 as of 29/01/2020 and has a serving cost of 32p

Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Protein therefore has a cheaper overall cost but Reflex’s Vegan Protein has a cheaper cost per serving but this is because the serving sizes are 5g smaller.

SO WHICH ONE SHOULD I BUY?

The Applied Nutrition’s Vegan Pro is clearly dominant in most areas and could be argued to be a better overall product to reach your fitness goals. However, Reflex’s Vegan Protein is a close competitor with elements Applied Nutrition does not have. Both are extremely good proteins and will help achieve your goals.

Want to purchase them now?

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Gold Standard Whey vs. BSN Syntha-6 Edge

First up in our series where we review two different products from the same category, we have Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey and BSN Syntha-6 Edge.

These two products are two of the most premium protein powders we have on offer. Their macronutrient profile makes them one of the best choices you can make whilst on your fitness journey.

Sources of protein foods are Chicken, Beef & Almonds but also you can source it from drinks such as mixed protein powder and RTG protein drinks. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to be focusing on the shakes.

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In any fitness journey, you need to track your calorie intake, there’s no point doing all of the work to burn calories or build muscle if you’re eating too much. The number of calories you consume per day ultimately determines whether you’ll have enough energy to work out, or even put on more fat.

Gold Standard Whey contains 111kcal per serving whereas BSN Syntha-6 has 153kcal per serving. However, for the average man needs 56 grams of protein per day, therefore if we’re going to average it for the amount of you need per day then it would be 241kcal for Gold Standard Whey and 332kcal for Syntha-6. For women, it is recommended that they consume 46g of protein per day, that would mean Gold Standard Whey would be 213kcal and Syntha-6 would be 294kcal.

That means overall, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey is less in calories.

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We need protein to repair the muscles in our body when we’re working out, to ensure that we don’t damage our body by repetitive strain on our muscle groups.

Per serving, both Gold Standard Whey & Syntha-6 both have 24g of protein. However, Gold Standard Whey has a 30.7g scoop while Syntha-6 has a 37g scoop. This means that Gold Standard Whey is 78.17% protein whereas Syntha-6 is 64.86%.

That means, overall, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey is higher in protein.

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For the price, we’re going to be using the 2.2 kg version of Gold Standard Whey, which currently retails on our website for £51.35 (as of 22/10/19) and the 1.8 kg tub of Syntha-6 Edge, which currently retails on our website for 35.95 (as of 22/10/19).

If you’re looking for a price per serving, Gold Standard Whey is 70p per serving whereas Syntha-6 Edge is 75p. However, I know that a lot of people want to know the price against the amount of protein they are getting, so let me run that down for you.

For every 100 grams of protein, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey costs £2.90 whilst BSN’s Syntha-6 Edge costs £3.12 per 100 grams of protein.

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Based on this article, it looks clear as day that you should buy Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey, that’s not entirely true.

Whilst Gold Standard Whey has better macros and better value-for-money, Syntha-6 has more carbs and fats. More carbs and fats in a protein shake can improve your efforts in muscle gain, and it will fill you up more if you’re looking to use protein powder as a makeshift meal replacement.

They’re both incredible protein powders, so why not check them out on our website.

Rich Piana 5150 Pre-Workout vs. Applied Nutrition ABE

Choosing a pre-workout that will fuel your workout can be a difficult decision, especially with the number of products that are on the market. Sometimes, you may find yourself choosing the most popular ones. That’s why we’re here today, to break down two of the most popular products, Rich Piana’s 5150 pre-workout and Applied Nutrition’s All Balck Everything (ABE).

 

What is Pre-Workout?

 

Pre-workout is a supplement that is sold by lots of companies, often promising you enhanced formulas that will benefit you during your workout (such as focus throughout your training). A lot of the time, their formula contains researched, active ingredients that give you continual focus.

Each pre-workout is different, each has its own formula that can help you in certain ways. Such as caffeine content, whether nitric oxide is present or whether it has natural flavouring. 

They’re often very high in caffeine formulas which gives you an extreme amount of energy and can increase physical performance.

 

Brief Overview of the Products

 

5150

Rich Piana’s 5150 is a high-caffeine pre-workout. Designed to give you the biggest pump possible.  Its high caffeine content is enough for two days, nevermind one. 5150 contains 6 different types of Caffeine and 4g of L-Citrulline to increase your energy and focus output.

With 3 delicious flavours to choose from, the mixture will leave a fruity taste in your mouth and prepare you properly for the workout ahead. The Guarana Extract (22%) Seed performs a vital role in the formula.

 

ALL BLACK EVERYTHING

Applied Nutrition ABE (All Black Everything) is a powerful pre-workout, it energises you, reduces tiredness and combats fatigue. It gives you laser focus throughout your gym sessions to boost your workout potential. ABE comes in multiple flavours such as Bubblegum, Candy Ice Blast, Cherry Cola & many more.

ABE also delivers a unique blend of the most vital and researched active ingredients to help you combat fatigue and provide continual support to your body throughout your workout.

 

Calories & Ingredients

No matter whether you’re trying to gain or lose weight, or even maintain your weight – counting your calories is essential during your journey. Thankfully, pre-workout tastes horrible with milk (one of the only drawbacks of protein powder is how great it tastes with milk).

Applied Nutrition’s ABE only contains one calorie per its 10.5g serving and contains 200mg of caffeine per serving. This is alongside 3.25g of Creatine, 2g of Beta-Alanine, 4g of Citrulline Malate and a significant amount of Vitamin B3 & B12.

Rich Piana’s 5150, on the other hand, is harder. We cannot find an accurate calorie count for the pre-workout, but the good news is since it’s a pre-workout we can’t imagine it being that much in the slightest – so nothing to worry about there. Their ‘Stim-Crazy Caffeine Complex’ includes Caffeine Anhydrous, Dicaffeine Malate, Green Tea Leaf, Yerba Mate Extract Leaf, Guarana Extract Seed & Green Coffee Bean Extract Seed.

Alongside that, it also offers you 4g of L-Citrulline per serving, 2,000mg of L-Taurine and 1,000mg of Vitamin B12. 5150 also contains Choline Bitartrate, a highly effective molecule which acts as a neurotransmitter for brain function.

 

Price Breakdown

As of the 4th of February 2020, we currently sell Rich Piana 5150 pre-workout for £22.49 & Applied Nutrition ABE for £17.95. This means that 5150 is only 75p per serving and ABE is only 60p, although if you wanted to have the same amount of caffeine as 5150 in your ABE mixture, that would go to £1.20 per serving as you’d effectively be putting two scoops in instead of one.

 

Reviews & Recommendations

An SS Healthfoods recommendation is that ABE is a better pre-workout across the board because it contains high amounts of creatine and beta-alanine, with a still high amount of caffeine. If you’re a seasoned gym veteran with a high tolerance to caffeine then 5150 is for you. Today.com states that caffeine can help you stop and focus, and if that’s what a cup of coffee can do, imagine what almost 10 shots of espresso can do.

Don’t just take our word for it, here are some reviews we found online.

Rich Piana’s 5150 is rated 4.5/5 stars on SupplementReviews.com with multiple users commenting on how long and effective the pump is at getting them through their workouts.

FitnessDealNews.com also mirrors what Supplement Reviews said and went into further detail on how the pure Citrulline works by saying “First, this is not Citrulline Malate, This is pure Citrulline. And at 4g, it is a really high number compared to other pre-workouts – And that is a good thing. L-Citrulline is known to be effective in increasing muscle pump and reducing muscular soreness.”

BastardsOfIron.com loves Applied Nutrition ABE, it was said in the article “I would recommend ABE if you have experienced stim based pre-workouts before but if you haven’t I would suggest on trying something a little less potent and building up to ABE”. Which is fair, but you also have to test every other pre-workouts potency and assess your tolerance to it.

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