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
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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.
RipFACTOR: The Muscle Accelerator from PLT Health
- 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)
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Berberine is a nutrient partitioning ingredient that sends more carbs to muscle! Read about Berberine and GlucoVantage in the above guide.!
Berberine: The Best Glucose Disposal Ingredient Just Got Better
- 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
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Finally, a grains of paradise extract that actually passes lab tests for all clinical constituents!
CaloriBurn: Taking Grains of Paradise to Hot New Heights
- See also: WAT to BAT: A High-Metabolism Guide to Brown and White Fat
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- CapsiBurn: Aura Scientific’s Advanced Thermogenic Fat Burning Ingredient
- Ecklonia Cava: The Super Seaweed with Metabolism and Brain-Boosting Benefits from Nootropics Depot
- 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
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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
- Yohimbe
- 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
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Nutrition21's nooLVL is the first clinically tested focus ingredient on actual gamers – who played modern games!
Caffeine and Athletic Performance – Can High Pre-Workout Doses of Caffeine be Optimal?
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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)
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Anti-Aging
- Fisetin: The Black Belt Senolytic Anti-Aging Fisetein Ingredient (ProFisetin)
- Spermidine
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Other Scams / Scandals / Potentially Unsafe Ingredients
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- 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
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Contact us if you have ideas / requests for new ones.
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Buying Whey Protein Isolate? Consider This Label Trick…
In our last article, we put together a quick whey protein buyer’s guide, discussing what type of whey protein you should look for (if at all!), depending on your lactose sensitivity.
For those who are quite lactose intolerant but not “devastatingly” lactose intolerant, it’s suggested that you get a pure whey protein isolate powder, or […]
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EAA is the New BCAA: Essential Amino Acids Stage a Coup
“BCAAs vs. EAAs?”
For quite a while, that was the big argument. Over the decades, branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements have been some of the most popular (and profitable) products on the market. Catapulted into the spotlight by some early — and somewhat questionable — research, along with a lot of savvy marketing, BCAAs quickly […]
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Dynamine: A Neuroactivating “Stimulant” by Compound Solutions
Major Announcement! Dynamine has achieved GRAS Status with the FDA with several new safety studies! Read more in our Dynamine GRAS announcement to understand the importance of this decision.
Compound Solutions is regarded as one of the premier companies on the market, known for innovation, effectiveness, and a commitment to scientific research. Chances are, you’ve […]
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Bait and Switch: The REAL Reason to Hate Proprietary Blends
Over the past decade, the supplement industry has made a serious shift towards open labeling practices and away from proprietary blends. Nearly all new brands on the scene are opting to disclose the dosages of all active ingredients, while the older brands that fail to do have been dying slow deaths, need to resort to […]
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DMHA / 2-Aminoisoheptane / Octodrine: Stimulant in Dispute with FDA
Note: This article was originally published in early 2015 but was last updated in 2023 with legal updates regarding Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals’ lawsuit against the FDA.
New year, new stimulant? You bet!
In the wake of the removal of other popular stimulants over the past few years, a battle has raged to fill the void left […]
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MSM Supplements: Joint Support for Athletes AND Aging!
To any athlete looking to achieve consistent and long-term results, joint health should be considered as important as proper training and diet. If the joints aren’t fully functional, then strength and speed will be suboptimal, no matter how good the diet is.
Unfortunately, the joint supplement market is littered with several inferior ingredients that are […]
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Spilanthes Acmella: Testosterone-Boosting Flower of Power
2024 Update – New human data has been published on the trademarked SA3X extract. Read about it in our article titled “SA3X: Spilanthes Acmella Testosterone Booster by NutraShure“.
Spilanthes Acmella is a food used throughout history as a medicine specifically for its pain relieving properties. It’s also known as the Toothache Plant, or […]
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Tomatidine: The Muscle-Building Nightshade
Tomatoes are one of the most commonly-eaten foods around the world. Over time, scientists have discovered a multitude of natural compounds inside, nearly every one of them beneficial in some capacity.
Never did we imagine that one of these compounds inside would be anabolic, though, and could help build muscle. But that’s actually just […]
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Grains of Paradise: Fat Fighting Spice of the Goddesses
Grains of Paradise is a spice routinely used in many styles of cooking to deliver a bit of “pop” to a dish. So why are we seeing it in fat burning supplements lately? Put simply: because it works – and there’s now legitimate weight loss studies performed on actual humans to verify those claims.
Also […]
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Want to Die Sooner? Then Don’t Eat Your Vegetables
We’ve always “known”, but now we know. In lieu of the “Standard American Diet”, eating your fruits and vegetables makes you live longer.
Or, to put it in a way that will hit closer to home, not eating vegetables in this food environment generally makes one die sooner.
Nearly every health enthusiast, doctor, […]
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