What's the deal with these supplements?

We recently decided to bring in Good Stuff Supplementation – Active 8 and Active BCAAs because we really like the products. We know you have lots of questions, so hopefully we can answer a of the common questions we've been getting.  

Should I take a pre-workout?  
When should I take BCAAs and how much?

Both are great questions and important to consider before spending money on supplements. To cut to the chase, a pre-workout should do a couple things. It should provide us with a better ability to produce energy under stressful circumstances, ie training, help us to prevent muscle wasting. Second to this, they should activate us through nervous system pathways so you feel “excited”. The problem with most supplements on the market is the doses fall short of what has been shown to elicit a response, in addition to supplements that sound great but are still unproven/useless. We recently ended a partnership agreement with Progenex. I felt the products were overpriced for the consumers and some fell into the category I mentioned above. Hype.

BCAAs are used in many ways to improve performance. They are beneficial during periods of heavy training and stress to help optimize recovery. Supplementation ranges typically from 5 – 25 gr per day.
The Active 8 supplement landed on our desk a few weeks back and as I looked at the ingredients, I asked who brought it in. Heidi informed me that her old Professor who was a Partner in Rivalus developed it. Rivalus has always made decent supplements in an industry full of garbage. I’m not crazy about the coloring or the sweeteners but honestly, both Active 8 and Active BCAAs taste a hell of a lot better than straight BCAAs, creatine and caffeine! Overall I like the amounts of individual ingredients in both the Active 8 and Active BCAAs. The creatine could be a touch higher in the Active 8 but overall both contain a decent amount of quality ingredients in the range of proper doses. The price is also reasonable for supplements.
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The following are the supplements found in both the Active 8 and the Active BCAAs:
 
Beta Alanine – determines the amount of carnosine in muscles. Carnosine decrease fatigue and increases the ability to contract to a greater degree.
L Citruline – works to help increase blood flow to the working muscles through vasodilation, eliminates nitrogen waste, and can also help raise GH levels.
Creatine Monohydrate – helps to replenish ATP at a faster rate. ATP is what our cells use as energy from carbs, fats and even protein sources.  
L Arginine – Is involved in the production of proteins and muscle.
Caffeine – Is a central nervous system stimulant that can lessen our perception of pain and help with alertness.
BCAA – Are essential acids, Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. These 3 min amino acids make up roughly 35% of the essential amino acids in our bodies. These amino acids are promote protein synthesis and help with glucose metabolism.
L-Glutamine – Is involved in many aspects of recovery and repair, helps to maintain the body’s acid base balance and aids in anabolic or growth processes.
Theobromine – Is a stimulant found in the cocoa plant.

Important:  As you’ve probably heard us saying, supplementation is not the golden ticket to performance. If a person’s diet is sub-par, stress levels are too high, or a person isn’t sleeping, recovery and adaptation to training is very difficult no matter the supplementation. Think of it more as the extra 2 or 3%, like icing on top.

If you’d like to sample some, please let us know.
See you under the Barbell, behind the sled or grinding on the bike!
Graham