Supplement Guides on PricePlow
Welcome to PricePlow, the sports supplement industry's premier thought leaders!
This page links to our “best of” lists and “mega posts” – extremely well-researched articles ranging from scams to avoid to buyer's guides to in-depth ingredient analyses.
Critical Information
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The Amino Acid Protein Spiking Scandal
Read and understand this before ever buying protein powder!
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Proprietary Blends
Understand the risks of encountering a “Batch-to-Batch Bait and Switch” when buying a proprietary blend!
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Nutrition Facts Label Rounding Scams
Learn about a scam where brands take advantage of the FDA's labeling laws and use rounding to their advantage with ultra-small serving sizes.
Ingredient Analyses
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Muscle Building Supplements:
- HMB (β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate): Performance-Driven Muscle Supplement
- GG-Gold (Geranylgeraniol): The Most Important Essential Nutrient You’ve Never Heard Of
- RipFACTOR: The Muscle Accelerator from PLT Health
RipFACTOR is a powerful ingredient standardized from Mangifera indica and Sphaeranthus indicus that the industry shouldn’t overlook. It offers numerous benefits for optimizing physical performance, with two clinically-published human studies.
- PeptiStrong: Natural Anabolic Ingredient from Fava Beans
- Turkesterone
- Rhaponticum Carthamoides: The MAX Phytoecdysteroid Source
- EAA vs. BCAA
- Betaine
- Beta Alanine
- Ingredient Optimized (io) Protein (ioWhey and ioPea): Protein-Enhancing Technology for Greater Gains
- Velositol: Enhancing Muscle Protein Synthesis for Protein Powders and Aminos
- Pumpkin Seed Protein: Upending the Plant Protein Market
- Phosphatidic Acid
- Epicatechin
- Arachidonic Acid
- Tongkat Ali
- Tomatidine
- Spilanthes Acmella
- Laxogenin
- Dextrose
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Non-Stimulatory Performance Enhancers
Hydration: The Ultimate Guide. How do you stay hydrated? This article covers the best approach to fluid and electrolyte intake, also cautioning against what may harm your hydration status
- EndoFlo: Enhancing Vascular Health, Pumps, and Workout Performance
- Hydration: The Ultimate Guide to Electrolyte and Fluid Balance
- Nucleotides
- NMN Supplements (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide): The NAD+ Energy Precursor
- BioNMN: A Reliable NMN Supplement Ingredient
- The FDA vs. NMN (will be updated regularly)
- NucleoPrime: Step Up Your Immune and Recovery Stack
- NMN Supplements (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide): The NAD+ Energy Precursor
- Peak ATP: The Ultimate Guide to Disodium ATP Supplements
- PurpleForce: AMPK-Boosting Purple Tea Extract with GHG
- Senactiv: Regenerate Senescent Cells and Perform Better
- Taurine: An effective endurance-booster in just one use!
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Glycerol: The Ultimate Guide for Hydration, Heat Protection, and Pumps
- HydroPrime: Glycerol With More Pumps and Less Clumps
- Cordyceps
- Beta-Glucans: Mother Nature's Immunity Agents
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Weight Loss Ingredients (non-stimulatory)
- Berberine: The Best Glucose Disposal Ingredient Just Got Better
Berberine is a nutrient partitioning ingredient that sends more carbs to muscle! Read about Berberine and GlucoVantage in the above guide.!
- GlucoVantage: NNB Nutrition's Dihydroberberine
- BAIBA: New Ingredient Generates Exercise in a Pill?!
- MitoBurn: L-BAIBA (“The Exercise Molecule”) is finally on the market!
- Grains of Paradise
- CaloriBurn: Taking Grains of Paradise to Hot New Heights
Finally, a grains of paradise extract that actually passes lab tests for all clinical constituents!
- See also: WAT to BAT: A High-Metabolism Guide to Brown and White Fat
- MCT Oil: The Dietary Fat Source Built for Efficient Energy
- C8Vantage: C8 MCT Powder for Maximum Energy, Clarity, and Performance
- Chromium Picolinate: The Ultimate Trace Mineral For Insulin Sensitivity
- Chromax: 25+ Years of Insulin Sensitivity Improvement
- Chromax and Hunger Regulation: The Chromium / Appetite Connection
- aXivite Phenylcapsaicin: Performance-Enhancing Spice with Less Burn
- Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA): The Cognitive-Boosting Antioxidant
- InnoSlim: NuLivScience’s Potent Stimulant-Free Fat Burning Ingredient
- Bergamot: Natural Cardiovascular / Lipid Support
- Ephedra
- Forskolin
- Dehydrozingerone (Anti-inflammatory adipose tissue blocker from ginger)
- ZinjaBurn: “The Adipose Tissue Assassin”
- Gamma Butyrobetaine (GBB) – Super Carnitine That Makes You Sweat?!
- Ecklonia Cava
- Sinetrol
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Nootropics (cognitive focus and brain enhancers)
- Rhodiola – The Salidroside-Powered Adaptogen of the Vikings
- RhodioPrime 6X – The Strongest Rhodiola Extract (6% Salidroside)
- Zynamite: Next-Generation Brain and Body Support using Mangiferin
- Zembrin: The Best-Studied Kanna Extract on the Market
- Choline
- Cognizin® Citicoline: The Brain Choline
- Bacopa Monnieri
- L-Tyrosine vs N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
- nooLVL – Clinically-Validated Focus for Gamers
- SAMe (S-Adenosyl Methionine)
- Gotu Kola
- Vinpocetine
Rhodiola: The Adaptogen Powered by Salidroside. In this article, we dive deep into rhodiola, and take a different approach to the adaptogenic herb!
- FDA vs. Picamilon
- Rhodiola – The Salidroside-Powered Adaptogen of the Vikings
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Stimulants
- Paraxanthine (the primary caffeine metabolite, launched in the MuscleTech iQ Series)
- zümXR: Extended and Delayed Released Caffeine from PLT Health
- Ephedra (hint: the ephedrine alkaloids have been removed and replaced with other ingredients)
- Higenamine: The Underrated Appetite Supressant Stimulant
- Dynamine
- Eria Jarensis Extract / N-phenethyl-dimethylamine
- Theacrine
- Caffeine and Athletic Performance – Can High Pre-Workout Doses of Caffeine be Optimal?
Nutrition21's nooLVL
is the first clinically tested focus ingredient on actual gamers – who played modern games!
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Men's Fertility Supplements
- Zinc Picolinate (ZinMax): A Highly Bioavailable Form of Zinc
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Sleep Ingredients
- Magnesium Glycinate: A Master Class in Magnesium & Glycine
- Anandamide: The Body’s Blissful Endocannabinoid Molecule
- Venetron: A Synergistic Extract for Mood, Stress, and Sleep
- ETAS: Boost Heat Shock Protein Production
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Gut Supplements
- Digexin: Relieve Constipation, Stress, and Poor Sleep via the Gut-Brain Axis
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Joint Supplements
- Curcumin for Joint Pain
- MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) Supplements
- Cissus Quadrangularis
- ParActin
- (See also Anandamide above)
- Arecoline (Potentially carcinogenic ingredient in new pre workouts and fat burners)
- AMP Citrate (banned)
- Isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO Fiber): A Fraudulent “Fiber”?
- Maximum Shred (Scam: $87 Product with $4 of Ingredients)
- Instant Knockout (Is this questionably-dosed fat burner worth $59?!)
- Labz Supplement Brands
- Soylent (see also the Soylent Lawsuit)
- Beware: Ion Exchange Whey — An Inferior type of protein processing
Other Scams / Scandals / Potentially Unsafe Ingredients
Contact us if you have ideas / requests for new ones.
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Betaine: A Safe, Natural Muscle Builder
Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen an ingredient added to all kinds of muscle-builders, creatine powders, and pre workouts: betaine.
Is this the “next creatine”? Is it worth taking?
TL;DR Yes, take it. Betaine works similarly to creatine, but differently enough that we suggest taking both for size and strength gains.[…]Continue Reading →
Best Sleep Aid Guide: Supplements, Ingredients, & Herbs
Insomnia is a wretched beast, affecting anywhere from ¼[1] to nearly ⅓[2] of the US Population.
Everyone has their tips on for behaviorally combating insomnia. We don’t — you can read that anywhere else.
In this guide, we’re going to get to what you want: supplements to help you sleep.
Note that we’re talking […]
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What’s the Best Form of Magnesium?
TL;DR: Magnesium Citrate is the best in terms of cost/effectiveness, while Magnesium Glycinate is the best overall but costs a bit more.
So you know you want to take a magnesium supplement, but you’re not sure which one is best for you? That’s what we’re here for – we break it down below.
For us, […]
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STOP Underdosing Creatine in Pre-Workouts!
At this stage in the game, we don’t need to tell you that creatine is an incredible supplement. It’s one of the most well-researched compounds on the market, it’s safe, it’s simple, and it’s cheap.
But right now, the state of creatine is a mess… and the big brand pre workouts are to blame[…]
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Amino Acid Spiking Scam: Is Your Protein Really PROTEIN?
If you’ve been dieting or using supplements over the past few years, then there’s no way you’ve missed this aggravating situation:
Protein prices are constantly rising.
Things got especially bad when Gatorade started adding whey protein to their recovery sports drinks — a decision that threw massive ripples into the entire market.[1,2,3]
To combat these […]
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The Top 5 Anxiety Supplements
Looking to relax?
Here are the top five supplements for relaxation: L-TheanineIf you’re a Type A individual and you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a relaxed, carefree “Type Bro” without using recreational drugs, 200mg of L-theanine will do you good. This might be especially beneficial because L-theanine can take […]
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An Introduction to Strongman Training – 3 Part Video Series
Big Tex Gym in Austin, TX recently hosted an introductory strongman training seminar by Texas Strongman Nick Klugiewicz.
In this seminar, Nick covers the following events:
Continental Clean Log Press Thomas Inch Dumbbell Press Farmer’s Walk…as well as an equipment Q&A at the end and a brief introduction in the beginning.
Throughout the seminar, […]
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How Supplements are Regulated in the US
When you hear about the government litigating against a supplement company on the news, there are several different agencies that can be (or are) involved. Each agency’s role is different, specific, and specialized. Which agency a company is facing off with gives details to the charges. For supplements the two major players are the FTC[…]
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