Weekly Supplement BS Report

November 11, 2009 by admin  
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This week we’re going to switch gears a little bit. Instead of focusing on the BS, let’s take a look at stupidity within the dietary supplement industry.
 

ON's New HydroWhey

ON's New HydroWhey

Unfortunately, we live in a world of excess, a world in which the mantra “more is better” has greatly overshadowed balance. Kids have 2 or 3 ipods even though they only have 2 ears. Families have 3 or 4 cars even though they only have 2 licensed drivers. Lifters use 800-1000mg of test, even though 500mg will do. And the list could go on and on…
 
And never is excess more in fashion than in protein consumption.

 

Just last week I ran into an old buddy at my gym. He’d just finished his workout, and was guzzling down a protein drink in a can I’d never seen before. I asked him the usual questions: where he got it, how much did it cost, and how much protein was in it. Even though it was a cheap knock-off brand, it had 35 grams of protein per can. And to my surprise, that was the second can he had drank in the last 20 minutes. For those that lack math skills, that’s 70g of protein in 20 minutes. And even more surprising, he was grinning ear to ear because he thought it was all going straight to his muscles. Apparently, he also lived by the mantra “more is better.”

 

Now if you read my article a couple weeks ago about protein pulsing, you probably have an idea where I’m going with this. Anything in excess is unhealthy for you, even water. So guess where almost 50g of that 70g of protein went? Fat and oxidation. No one needs 70g of protein at one sitting. In fact, according to the majority of clinical studies out there, no one really needs more than 20-25g of protein at one sitting. 70g of protein at one sitting is no more anabolic than 25g of protein at one sitting. The only benefit the extra protein provides is extra calories. And for many of us, that’s not really a benefit.

 

20-30g of protein is more than enough protein to switch your body from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. Rarely will a clinical study use more than 25g of protein. Why? Because that’s all that’s needed to turn on muscle protein synthesis. Anything more than that, and it’s not being used for its intended purpose: muscle protein synthesis. A study I had in the protein pulsing article looked at the correlation between the amount of protein consumed and muscle protein synthesis. The result: 40g was no more effective than 20g. And anything excess was oxidized.

 

Why do people consume more than 30g in one sitting? Why do manufacturers put 40g of protein in one serving? I have no idea. Stupidity maybe? Ignorance?

 

It makes entirely more sense to split up the 40g shake. Take 20g now, and then 20g 2 hours later. You’ll get a much longer anabolic response. And I’d be willing to bet, you’ll also lose a little fat.

 

Stop wasting your money. Train smart. Eat smart. Supplement smart.

 

 

 

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Weekly Supplement BS report #4

October 8, 2009 by admin  
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Weekly Supplement BS Report #4

October 6th, 2009 Volume I Issue 5

Are you pissing it away?

Are you pissing it away?

This last week has been kind of crazy at Muscle Geeks so I’m a little behind schedule. Our facebook app has moved from the planning stage to the development stage, we’ve decided to give our website a complete makeover, and we’re adding product descriptions to every product in our store. Plus, we’re also preparing for an advertising launch at 10 major colleges over the next 3 months. On top of all of that, my deadline for an article in Fitness and Physique Magazine was due this past weekend.

Now that all is back to normal, I can get back to the real BS.
This week’s article is going to be a little shorter than the rest. It’s not because of time constraints though. It’s actually because I’m not really for sure what I believe just yet… I don’t know if I really can call it BS. But if I can, my diet will be forever changed.

I first came across this topic around 6-8 months ago on a bodybuilding message board. The members were debating the topic of “protein pulsing.” Apparently over the last couple of years, there’s been a growing amount of research supporting its benefits for bodybuilders. According to its supporters, muscle protein synthesis slows almost to a halt if the muscle is constantly supplied with amino acids, similar to how Type II Diabetes develops. They theorize that’s it’s better to let your body reach a catabolic state (almost zero amino acids in the bloodstream), and then quickly flood your bloodstream with amino acids via a fast-digesting protein. This way, your muscles do not become “desensitized” to amino acids and muscle protein synthesis is improved above and beyond that of a normal protein intake. If this theory holds true, the old way of thinking about protein intake (1-2g per pound of body weight) may vary well be sent to the the BS box along with creatine ethyl ester, serum creatine, etc.

 

After I had read the entire discussion and reviewed some of the studies, I thought I’d try it out. So I developed my own protein pulsing protocol, and have been using it for the last 3 months. I’ve been consuming between 150-180g daily instead of my usual 250g daily. Thus far, I must say I have been impressed. It appears as though I’ve lost a little flab, while subsequently adding a little size (via the mirror, no objective tests). I’m also hovering around 205 lbs, 5-7 lbs over my average weight. I’m most happy with my weights though. On almost every major lift, I’ve either hit my all-time max even though I’m 15-20 pounds lighter than when I hit them prior to, or I’ve surpassed my all-time maxes. That’s pretty impressive, especially when you consider my diet really hasn’t changed (other than the decrease in calories from less protein) and I haven’t added any other supplements than what I normally take. And even my weight routine is relatively the same.

 

However, even with my own personal results, I still wasn’t convinced protein pulsing was superior. There’s just too many factors involved in strength training and bodybuilding. I could easily be overlooking something that I’m doing now that I wasn’t doing before. Sometimes the most trivial things can make the biggest difference. Then two things crossed my desk. I was perusing Function Ingredients magazine, and there was a small article about a doctor out of Texas who wholeheartedly believes that the body cannot digest more than 20g of protein per sitting. According to him, anything more the 20 grams, and you’re wasting it. However, there was no supportive material with it, just the doctor’s opinion. Then a fellow Geek brought the following study to my attention:

Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men.

Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, Tang JE, Glover EI, Wilkinson SB, Prior T, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM.

Exercise Metabolism Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan;89(1):161-8. Epub 2008 Dec 3

BACKGROUND: The anabolic effect of resistance exercise is enhanced by the provision of dietary protein. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the ingested protein dose response of muscle (MPS) and albumin protein synthesis (APS) after resistance exercise. In addition, we measured the phosphorylation of candidate signaling proteins thought to regulate acute changes in MPS. DESIGN: Six healthy young men reported to the laboratory on 5 separate occasions to perform an intense bout of leg-based resistance exercise. After exercise, participants consumed, in a randomized order, drinks containing 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 g whole egg protein. Protein synthesis and whole-body leucine oxidation were measured over 4 h after exercise by a primed constant infusion of [1-(13)C]leucine. RESULTS: MPS displayed a dose response to dietary protein ingestion and was maximally stimulated at 20 g. The phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (Thr(389)), ribosomal protein S6 (Ser(240/244)), and the epsilon-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (Ser(539)) were unaffected by protein ingestion. APS increased in a dose-dependent manner and also reached a plateau at 20 g ingested protein. Leucine oxidation was significantly increased after 20 and 40 g protein were ingested. CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of 20 g intact protein is sufficient to maximally stimulate MPS and APS after resistance exercise. Phosphorylation of candidate signaling proteins was not enhanced with any dose of protein ingested, which suggested that the stimulation of MPS after resistance exercise may be related to amino acid availability. Finally, dietary protein consumed after exercise in excess of the rate at which it can be incorporated into tissue protein stimulates irreversible oxidation.

Hmmm… Do we really need all that protein? Is timing more important than quantity? Has the bodybuilding community been wrong all these years? Does the average (non-enhanced) gym rat really need to be consuming 1-2 grams per body weight?

Honestly, I don’t know. I think this is a no-win argument. I can probably argue both sides relatively easily from a scientific standpoint and from a real-world standpoint. In fact, both methods have been successful for me. I’ve ballooned up to 225-230 lbs while consuming 300-350g of protein daily, and I’ve quietly grown to 205 lbs with just 0.73g per pound of body weight. During both of those stages, I’ve achieved my all-time maxes in all three of my major lifts.

I’ll take the easy way out though. I won’t call BS on it just yet. I think they both have their places in a transformation. It’s just something to think about, and possibly experiment with especially if you’re in a rut.

Just be warned, you’ve probably already been beat down with the various carb cycling diets out there. Protein cycling is next…

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Huge Muscle Geek Sale - 30-35% below Wholesale. No membership required!

August 13, 2009 by admin  
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The Good news
This weekend the Europa Super Show is taking place in Dallas, Texas. In honor of the show, a lot of the supplement manufacturers like Cytosport, Gaspari, and MHP are offering damn good discounts. The majority of the discounts are between 30 and 35% off of WHOLESALE pricing. And because we’re Muscle Geeks, these discounts are passed directly to you. So , if there’s ever been a time to stock up, it’s this weekend. It’ll be awhile until we see Superpump 250, NO Shotgun, and Dymatize Elite Protein at these prices. Trust me. Prices are good until August 17th at 11 pm CST.

The better news
This is the only weekend that you don’t have to be a Muscle Geek to purchase supplements from us. Yes, that’s right. Call it a trial membership, test order, or whatever you want. No strings attached. (Seriously, this isn’t like most “trial orders” where you have to sign up for a membership, but you’ll be charged 30 days later if you don’t remember to cancel. Use us and abuse us. You can be one and done if you so choose). Order as much or as little as you like. It doesn’t even have to be from the sale category. Anything and everything is within your limits.

Apparently, a lot of potential Muscle Geeks have “commitment phobia.” The thought of a 12 month membership at $4 per month makes them a little apprehensive. Who would have thought? A guy with commitment phobia? So, what better time to offer a free trial than during one of the biggest sales of the year. So, please take advantage of this while you can because I guarantee we won’t offer another “free trial” this year!

The nuts and bolts – You do not have to be a member to purchase
Dates: August 14th – August 17th at 11:00 PM CST
Link: http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=5734&stype=43&sCat=32
Select *August 14th – 17th Special
Products: See attached PDF for more information

CytoSport Muscle Milk 2.48 lbs All Flavors - $19.99
CytoSport Muscle Milk 5 lbs All Flavors - $39.99
CytoSport Collegiate Muscle Milk 5.29 lbs All Flavors - $27.50
CytoSport Muscle Milk Light 1.65 lbs All Flavors - $17.99
CytoSport Muscle Milk Light 3.31 lbs All Flavors - $33.99
CytoSport Muscle Milk Cytomax 4.5 lbs All Flavors - $20.99
CytoSport Monster Milk 2.2 lbs All Flavors - $23.50
Cytosport Monster Milk 4.4 lbs All Flavors - $44.99
CytoSport Monster Mass 5.95 lbs All Flavors - $28.99
Cytosport Monster Maize 2.98 lbs All Flavors - $14.50
Cytosport Monster Amino 2.65 lbs All Flavors - $18.99
Cytosport Monster Pump 2.65 lbs All Flavors - $23.24

Gaspari Superpump 250 1.78 lbs All Flavors - $27.99
Gaspari Novedex XT 60 caps - $24.99
Gaspari SizeOn 2.84 lbs All Flavors - $33.50
Gaspari SizeOn 240 tabs - $33.50
Gaspari Myofusion 5 lbs All Flavors - $30.99
Gaspari Real Mass 5.95 lbs All Flavors - $30.99

Dymatize Elite Protein 25 lbs - $119.99 (Buy 4 get 1 Free)
*Free 5 lb flavor is Chocolate

Scivation Sesamin 180 caps - $27.50
Scivation Extend 390g All Flavors - $14.99
Scivation Extend 1170g All Flavors - $38.99

Next Protein Designer Whey 2 lbs All Flavors - $16.99

Supreme Protein Carb Conscious Bars (12) All Flavors - $22.99

MHP Dark Matter 2.64 lbs All Flavors - $27.50
MHP Dark Rage 1.9 lbs $29.50
MHP Probolic -SR 2 lbs All Flavors - $19.99
MHP Probolic-SR 4 lbs All Flavors - $34.99
MHP Trac Extreme 775g All Flavors - $29.99
MHP Secretagogue Gold 30/bx - $37.99
MHP Sarm-X 60 tabs - $33.99

Primaforce Glutaform 1000g - $24.50
Primaforce Creaform 1000g - $17.99
Primaforce BCAA 500g - $21.99
Primaforce Beta Alanine 500g - $21.99
Primaforce L-Leucine 500g - $16.99

VPX Shotgun 1.42 lbs All Flavors - Buy 3 get 1 Free $96.99
*Free Flavor is Fruit
VPX NO Synthesize 1.3 lbs All Flavors - Buy 3 get 1 Free $96.99
*Free Flavor is Black Cherry
VPX Redline 120 caps - Buy 3 get 1 Free $91.99

By the way, if you do buy a membership during this sale, get a free Muscle Geeks t-shirt, which is super fly, and a free Muscle Geeks gym tote, which is also super fly.

Take me to the Muscle Geek Sale!

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Muscle Geeks: Greatest invention since the telephone

June 24, 2009 by admin  
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Not really. But, the future of our company is eerily similar to the early days of the telephone. See, the telephone’s success was largely dependent on one factor: mass usage. The more people that had a telephone, the more valuable it became. What benefit would it offer you if you’re the only person in the world that had one? Zero! It’d be completely useless to you. You wouldn’t understand/see the real benefit unless everyone (or almost everyone) had one. Only then would it achieve its true potential, the vision that Alexander Graham Bell had for it. The original customers took a risk, and chose that vision over the short-term pitfalls. They saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Muscle Geeks’ future success will largely be determined in much the same way. Our true vision will not be seen until we have mass usage, 5,000 or more members, which is entirely possible (we’re actually projecting 10,000 members by 2010). The larger our community becomes, the greater our savings will be. Supplement volume dictates manufacturers’ discounts: the more members, the more volume, the bigger the discounts, and the cheaper the prices. 

Side note: Don’t get us wrong. Even with only 100 members, you’ll still save money with Muscle Geeks. Our prices are still among the cheapest on the planet. Plus, we offer the Muscle Geek Guarantee: If you don’t save your initial $65 membership fee within the first 12 months, we’ll refund the $65 and give you another $35 for your hassle.

Don’t settle for the prices you’re paying right now because it’s probably way too much. You’re probably paying an extra 10, 20 or even 30% PER supplement. We need to pool our buying power together so that we don’t have to pay that extra 30%. Muscle Geeks allows us to accomplish that.

Take the following example:
When we started Muscle Geeks with zero members, our BSN discount was 20% off wholesale cost. After almost 100 members, we were able to negotiate a 25% discount for BSN items. If we had 10,000 members, I guarantee we’d be negotiating ~40% discount or more. Look at these numbers:
  • NO-Xlpode with a 20% discount: $34.84
  • NO-Xlpode with current 25% discount: $32.66 (a little over $2 savings)
  • NO-Xlpode with a 40% discount: $26.13.

I dare you to find a supplement retailer that sells NO-Xlpode for $26.13. You probably couldn’t find one that came within $7 of $26.13. That’s our vision: prices so low that makes our members think “those Geeks must be doing something illegal.”

Another side note: Most supplement retailers mark up BSN products very little, even GNC. Because of its popularity, low prices on BSN supplements draws consumers to their store. Then the retailers mark up the other manufacturers to “make up for the loss” on BSN supplements. Wal-Mart does this with their $4 generics. Thus, this example doesn’t fully depict the true Muscle Geek difference. All of our products are $1.99 over cost no matter the manufacturer. We used the NO-Xlpode example because 90% of supplement users are familiar with the average price for a bottle.

That’s why we’re pushing so hard for immediate growth. We won’t reach our true potential with 100, 500, or even 1000 members. We were built to serve 10,000 or even 100,000 members. We strongly believe that Muscle Geeks will change the supplement industry much like the telephone changed communication. This is the first supplement retailer that puts the customer in charge. We’ve completely reversed roles. And that, in turn, results in potentially huge savings. We need you, and we need you now!

What do you have to lose? If you’re buying your supplements somewhere else, we guarantee our prices are just as good. Join Muscle Geeks, and at worst, you’ll be paying the exact same price as you’re paying now. And at best, which is almost guaranteed, if we all join together, our prices will be by far the cheapest on the planet, and we’ll save a ton of money. Plus, you have the Muscle Geek Guarantee so you could actually make $35 if it isn’t what you expected. We’ve tried to eliminate as much risk for you as possible, without impairing our growth. Why buy from a company when you can become part of a company? See the light!

So please, let’s join forces and get the lowest possible prices on supplements we can. Let’s stop wasting money, and start saving money.

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