Luis Gonzalez, VP of Sales at NuLiv Science, joins the PricePlow Podcast for a thorough podcast covering the full ingredient portfolio, the groundbreaking 2026 AstraGin® whey protein absorption study, Senactiv®'s senolytic research arc, and more on Episode #217
NuLiv Science ingredients are everywhere in the modern supplement stack. AstraGin® shows up in pre-workouts, protein powders, energy drinks, and gut health supplements. Senactiv® anchors some of the most performance-focused formulas in sports nutrition. Yet for all that visibility, the brand hasn't sat down for an in-depth podcast with Team PricePlow for quite some time.
Episode #217 brings in Luis Gonzalez, VP of Sales at NuLiv Science, for a 70-minute walkthrough of the NuLiv story and its full ingredient portfolio. Mike hosts solo and the two cover Luis's path from financial services into supplement sales, the full NuLiv Science ingredient lineup, the evolution of the brand's research, and every ingredient in the portfolio: AstraGin®, Senactiv®, Zylaria®, InnoSlim®, JointIQ®, Astrion®, and CordycepsPrime™.
The centerpiece is NuLiv's most ambitious AstraGin® clinical to date: a 2026 whey protein absorption study documenting 12% to 14% amino acid uptake improvements and a meaningful zonulin reduction across three age demographics. A lot has changed since Episode #059 in 2021. This episode gets you fully caught up, and Luis has a pretty cool story getting into the industry as well.
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https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nuliv-science-luis-gonzalez-217
Video: Luis Gonzalez of NuLiv Science: AstraGin, Senactiv Senolytics, and the Full 2026 Portfolio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:04 — 55.9MB)
Detailed Show Notes: NuLiv Science’s Full Ingredient Portfolio with Luis Gonzalez
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0:00 - Introduction
Mike kicks off Episode #217 solo and welcomes Luis Gonzalez, VP of Sales at NuLiv Science. Despite seven or eight years of working together across trade shows and formulation discussions, this is the first proper podcast sit-down between the two. Mike flags this should have happened a long time ago given how widely NuLiv Science ingredients appear across the industry.
Luis is equally enthusiastic. He calls it exciting to finally talk shop on camera, and the two quickly settle into what becomes a wide-ranging conversation: Luis's personal backstory, the NuLiv Science company history, their complete ingredient portfolio, new research, and where the brand's marketing focus is heading through the rest of 2026.
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1:30 - Luis's Path from Financial Services to NuLiv Science
Luis's entry into the supplement industry is genuinely unusual. In 2014, he was working in financial services and banking, very focused on sales, while also living an active gym lifestyle. As Instagram picked up momentum that year, he signed on as an affiliate for supplement brands (eventually representing around 12 different companies) mainly to get free products and see what actually worked.
It was during this period that Ken Montez, NuLiv Science's VP of International, found Luis on Instagram through a social post and reached out about the brand's ambassador program. NuLiv started sending him pill packs of AstraGin® and Senactiv®. Two years in, Ken noticed Luis consistently asked for more Senactiv specifically, which sparked a deeper conversation about Luis's experience and ultimately led to a job offer.
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5:00 - Getting NuLiv Science Into Sports Nutrition
In 2016, Luis signed on as a 1099 independent sales rep for NuLiv Science. Pure commission, no monthly guarantee. He received a Google Drive folder full of documents and the directive to figure it out. His primary brief from Ken was to bring in sports nutrition clients. AstraGin® and Senactiv® had started appearing in a handful of brand formulas around 2014 (early clients included MusclePharm, BSN, and Optimum Nutrition), but sports nutrition was the clear growth target.
What made Luis a natural fit was something Ken identified early: most of the NuLiv team wasn't deeply embedded in the gym and sports nutrition culture. Luis was. He went after potential clients on Instagram and LinkedIn, shadowing Ken on early pitches for roughly the first six months before building his own approach. The goal was simple: get in front of brands who wanted to put the best science-backed ingredients in their products.
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7:15 - NuLiv's Content-First Strategy
As Luis settled into his sales role, he and Ken began discussing where NuLiv Science had an edge. As a family-run company without the budget for massive multi-arm human clinical trials, they asked: what can we do exceptionally well right now while data rolls in more slowly? The answer was relationships and content. They decided to become the biggest cheerleaders for their customers' products, believing that kind of genuine support was something other ingredient suppliers just weren't doing at the time.
That philosophy eventually grew into something real. NuLiv Science now runs a full media studio out of its HQ, and roughly 80% of staff there work on the marketing and video side. What started as "let's give this a year and see" became a core part of how the brand operates, supporting client brands with content and introductions through their network in ways that go well beyond simply supplying an ingredient.
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9:30 - The Ghost Connection: How Senactiv Found Its Audience
Ghost Lifestyle was an early and pivotal client for Senactiv® (then called ActiGin®). Ken Montez reached out to Dan Lourenço via a persistent string of Facebook messages before someone at Ghost finally responded. It took Dan about a year to stop by NuLiv's trade show booth, but once he sat down with Ken and NuLiv founder Michael Wang, the passion and depth of knowledge Michael brought to the science conversation made a strong impression. Dan saw someone who would keep coming out with new research and new ingredients, and that built trust.
What Dan and co-founder Ryan Hughes experienced with Senactiv personally was something Mike also understands well: better sustained performance across extended efforts. Mike swims while Dan and Ryan play hockey. The ingredient is consistently described as reducing that "winded" feeling during sustained exertion. Apparently NuLiv was quietly supplying Senactiv to U.S. Olympic athletes, including rowers and boxers, even before the ingredient launched publicly. For more on Ghost's journey with NuLiv's ingredients, see Episode #143 with Dan Lourenço.
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13:30 - Senactiv: Ten Papers and a Research Arc Unlike Any Other
Level up your energy levels with Senactiv from Nuliv Science!
Senactiv now has 10 published human clinical papers, and the trajectory of that research tells an interesting story. The first three studies focused on oxygen utilization, increased glycogen storage, and reduction in post-workout muscle inflammation -- the early "why you feel better and perform longer" data that got brands like Ghost hooked. You can read the foundation research in NuLiv's Senactiv 2021 perceived exertion study.
The fourth study changed the research direction entirely. Evidence emerged that Senactiv was clearing out senescent cells -- the "zombie cells" that accumulate in muscle tissue as people age and stop dividing or contributing to function. The last six published papers have built on this senolytic mechanism, documenting the clearance of those dysfunctional cells and the subsequent recruitment of new satellite cells, essentially pushing muscle tissue into a more youthful, functional state. Luis teases a brand-new, just-published study showing stem cell regeneration findings with Senactiv.[1] NuLiv is holding off on promoting it for a few more weeks to give the AstraGin 2026 study more time in the spotlight. See our full Senactiv overview for the existing research.
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21:00 - Senactiv Doses: 50mg vs. 100mg
The dosing picture for Senactiv has gotten more nuanced as the research has expanded. Luis explains the current breakdown: the 100mg clinical dose is associated with the original performance benefits, specifically the glycogen storage increase and extended exercise time to exhaustion data from those first three studies. The 50mg dose is where the senolytic and longevity research sits, covering the senescent cell clearance, satellite cell recruitment, and now stem cell regeneration findings.[1]
This gives formulators real flexibility. Apollon Nutrition founder Robert "Robik" Samborsky (Episode #211) uses Senactiv across his product line and barely questions a new ingredient when Luis brings one to him. Luis is currently using it himself through GNC's Beyond Raw Lit V2, which carries Senactiv in the formula.
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23:30 - Zylaria®: Deep Sleep, GABA Support, and No Next-Day Grogginess
Increase the absorption and effectiveness of your supplements with AstraGin from NuLiv Science!
Zylaria® is NuLiv's sleep and mood-support ingredient, and it's worth clarifying a naming distinction Mike raises on the episode: the plant species is Xylaria nigripes (spelled with an X), a medicinal fungus that grows in termite mounds underground. NuLiv's branded extract is Zylaria (spelled with a Z). When you're searching for sleep ingredient research, look for the Z.
The clinical dose is 500mg, and Zylaria doesn't work quite like melatonin. It won't make your eyes droop 45 minutes before bed. Instead, it supports deeper, more restorative sleep by regulating brainwave activity and supporting GABA levels in the brain. The benefit people report most is how they feel the next morning: refreshed without the groggy or hungover sensation that often follows sleep aids. Luis notes that Robik uses it on long flights, typically going well above the clinical dose, which Luis does not recommend... but that's Robik being Robik! Regulatory compliance note: Zylaria is not approved in many countries outside the U.S. due to its composition.
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26:00 - AstraGin as Flagship (And the CordycepsPrime™ Volume Surprise)
AstraGin® is unquestionably NuLiv Science's flagship ingredient by brand visibility and sports nutrition adoption, with over 30 pre-clinical and human studies and presence across virtually every product category. But Luis shares one of the more surprising facts of the episode: by total volume (kilos per year), CordycepsPrime™ is actually NuLiv's biggest seller. Most NuLiv sports nutrition customers have no idea the company even sells mushrooms.
The reason comes down to NuLiv's MLM channel, which buys CordycepsPrime™ in large quantities for health and wellness products. NuLiv Science was originally founded as a mushroom company in 1997, and cordyceps were the core offering for the first 13 years. Most sports nutrition brands don't go near premium mushroom extracts because of the price point, but MLM clients prioritize quality and safety documentation above cost, making NuLiv's high-specification CordycepsPrime™ a natural fit for that channel.
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27:30 - The 2026 AstraGin Study: Whey Protein, Amino Acid Absorption, and Zonulin
The most recent AstraGin clinical (the one getting the most attention heading into mid-2026) looked at something NuLiv's sports nutrition positioning had never formally addressed: what does AstraGin do when paired with whey protein across a broad range of ages? The study enrolled participants across three demographic groups: ages 18 to 30, 30 to 60, and 60 to 80. The outcome covered amino acid absorption, whey protein uptake efficiency, and gut integrity markers.
AstraGin® is more than a pre-workout ingredient. A 2026 clinical trial shows significant BCAA absorption improvements from whey protein, faster amino acid delivery, and a 13% drop in zonulin after 4 weeks.
The headline results: 12% to 14% improvement in amino acid absorption on average, and a ~13% reduction in zonulin (a marker for intestinal permeability, informally associated with "leaky gut") in the AstraGin group versus a 0.9% placebo reduction over four weeks.
What the team didn't expect, and Luis calls out specifically, was that older participants showed the greatest response. The 60-to-80 age group got more out of the ingredient than the 18-to-30 group, which makes sense physiologically: gut integrity and nutrient absorption efficiency tend to decline with age, so there's more room for improvement.
Mike connects this to a core challenge: older adults need more protein to trigger muscle protein synthesis, but they're typically eating less and absorbing less efficiently. AstraGin appears to address both sides of that equation. Read the full breakdown at our dedicated AstraGin 2026 study article.
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33:45 - AstraGin for Gut Health and Healthy Aging
The zonulin data opens a broader conversation about where AstraGin belongs in the supplement market. NuLiv ran a previous IBD pilot trial and conducted rat studies with induced ulcerative colitis, and participants with existing gut issues showed even greater responses than the general population in those early trials. Luis is careful to note they don't want anyone to have gut issues, but the research suggests that someone with existing gut health challenges may get more benefit from AstraGin than a healthy 18-year-old who's absorbing everything efficiently to begin with.
Mike pushes on the market positioning angle: NuLiv has the sports nutrition credibility, but the biggest opportunity is probably aging consumers who have more to gain from gut optimization and amino acid absorption support. The gut health market and the healthy aging market are both asking the questions AstraGin's research now answers -- it's a matter of breaking out of the sports nutrition positioning that's defined the ingredient for years. Luis agrees, and points to Vitafoods Europe as evidence: internationally, attendees rarely ask about pre-workout-style nutrient absorption benefits. They ask about gut health, longevity, and systemic wellness. That's the market NuLiv is increasingly targeting.
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38:45 - NuLiv's Origins: Founded as a Mushroom Company in 1997
Listen to Gerhard Hoermann of NuLiv Science talk about the end of 2021 and the company's ingredient offerings which go well beyond AstraGin on Episode #059 of the PricePlow Podcast
NuLiv Science was founded in 1997 by Michael Wang, the company's original founder and father of current CEO Richard Wang. The impetus came from Michael's brother, who worked at a research lab in China and struggled to source high-quality mushroom extracts safe enough to use with patients. Michael founded NuLiv Science to solve that problem, initially supplying mushroom ingredients to healthcare practitioners, chiropractors, and MLM clients.
NuLiv was registered as the second ingredient supplier in the United States to offer cordyceps, a fact Luis mentions almost in passing but that speaks to the company's depth in that space. The brand remained mushroom-only until around 2010, when the research work that would become AstraGin and ActiGin (later Senactiv) started moving into the sports nutrition channel. For most of the industry, NuLiv's mushroom history is completely invisible, which makes CordycepsPrime's position as the brand's top-volume ingredient that much more of a surprise.
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40:45 - MLM Clients, Quality Standards, and Vitafoods Europe
Luis addresses the MLM channel directly and offers a perspective that may surprise anyone who defaults to skepticism about MLM-associated products: these companies are among the hardest clients to pass quality and safety documentation for. NuLiv went through additional testing requirements just to get certain ingredients approved for MLM use. Luis and Mike both note that MLM companies at scale can't afford to cut corners on quality, given the regulatory and reputational exposure. That dynamic pushes ingredient quality up for everyone.
The Vitafoods Europe conversation shifts the international lens. Luis just returned from the show, where NuLiv has exhibited there for six or seven years, with the last two in Barcelona after moving from Geneva. This year's show was their busiest yet in terms of foot traffic. He also attended Vitafoods India earlier in 2026.
The international difference is clear: visitors to NuLiv's booth rarely ask about pre-workout-style performance benefits. The questions center on gut health, longevity, joint health, and aging -- a consistent reminder that the sports nutrition lens is primarily a North American and U.K. one that's often just the "tip of the spear" for the industry as a whole.
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46:45 - JointIQ® and the "Same Plant, Different Compounds" Explanation
What are the differences in these NuLiv Science ingredients that use similar plants? We dive into the Astragalosides and Ginsenosides inside, and break down the different constituents of four of NuLiv Science's major sports nutrition ingredients.
JointIQ® is one of NuLiv's newer ingredients (roughly a year old as of this recording), isolated from a single specific compound within Astragalus membranaceus. Unlike AstraGin and Senactiv, which pull from two plants, JointIQ is a single-plant extract targeting collagen synthesis and joint health support, with the first human clinical trial having just come back from publication. At Vitafoods, joint health was a consistent point of interest from international attendees.
The JointIQ discussion naturally leads into a question NuLiv gets often: "Aren't you just selling us the same ingredient over and over again?" Luis explains it using a cannabis analogy Ken Montez uses well: just as THC, CBD, and hemp all come from the same plant but produce entirely different effects, isolating specific compounds from Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng at different extract ratios yields ingredients with completely different mechanisms and applications.
Mike references the Astragalosides and Ginsenosides article the PricePlow team wrote after a deep-dive call with NuLiv's science team as the best primer on this differentiation: key compounds like Astragaloside IV and the various ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and others) hit different receptors, activate different pathways, and can produce opposite effects at the right extraction ratios.
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50:45 - InnoSlim and the GLP-1 Market Shift
InnoSlim® was actually discovered by accident. While NuLiv was optimizing AstraGin's extract ratios, the research team found that certain astragalosides increased nutrient absorption while others had the opposite effect. Those "opposite" compounds, once isolated and studied, became InnoSlim, a stim-free slimming ingredient with two human clinical trials and 22 non-human studies behind it, targeting glucose uptake reduction and metabolic support. Ken Montez notably lost 70 pounds on the ingredient, taking double the clinical dose (500mg daily versus the clinical 250mg).
The honest current state: demand has simply dropped. The InnoSlim article covers the full science, but in the market, GLP-1 drugs have largely displaced interest in stimulant-free slimming ingredients. Brands building fat-loss or GLP-1 support products are defaulting to inexpensive generic ingredients rather than patented, research-backed ones. Luis acknowledges this directly. InnoSlim remains a scientifically credible ingredient, but NuLiv's current research investment is concentrated elsewhere.
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53:45 - NuLiv Ingredients as GLP-1 Adjuncts
InnoSlim is a stimulant-free weight loss ingredient with human clinical data showing it can assist weight loss, improve lipids, reduce insulin resistance, and far more - all covered in this deep-dive article
GLP-1 receptor agonists dominate weight-loss conversations in 2026, and Luis sees a real opportunity for NuLiv's portfolio to serve people using them. One well-documented side effect of GLP-1 use is reduced appetite and food intake, which can translate to lower protein consumption and, if left unaddressed, muscle mass loss. Luis makes the case for two ingredients as particularly well-suited GLP-1 adjuncts.
AstraGin makes sense in protein products targeting GLP-1 users: if someone is eating less protein, maximizing amino acid absorption from what they do consume is a high-leverage intervention. Senactiv fits from the muscle preservation angle, with its senolytic research supporting the maintenance of healthy, functional muscle tissue.
Mike adds a speculative angle: he thinks there may be an underexplored connection between senescent cell accumulation and the metabolic burden of excess body fat, suggesting Senactiv's clearance mechanism could have applications beyond pure exercise performance. Luis plans to push his marketing team to build out the GLP-1 support education category, and notes the supplement industry broadly hasn't done enough to address this yet.
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57:45 - Grinding the 1099 Hustle: Luis's Path to VP of Sales
Luis closes out the career narrative Mike started earlier. It took roughly 10 to 11 months from his 2016 start date before Luis landed his first client. The first 14 months, his commission income ranged from about $800 per month down to $300 per month at a low point when things weren't clicking. Richard Wang kept enough faith in him to let it ride, and within that 14-month window a couple of meaningful clients came in. That was enough to get Luis brought on as a W2 employee, and he's been with NuLiv ever since.
His role today as VP of Sales works in tandem with Ken Montez in a dynamic he compares to the team's working relationship at PricePlow: Ken is visionary and marketing-focused, Luis is detail-oriented and numbers-driven. Ken handles bigger-picture strategy and works closely with the marketing team; Luis tracks goals, manages bonuses, and handles the granular details of the sales operation. Mike's takeaway for anyone listening: just keep plugging away. Consistency eventually produces results, even when the results don't come immediately.
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1:01:45 - Formulator's Corner: The GLP-1 Support Stack
Research has shown that Astrion's combination helps the skin nourish and hydrate itself
When Mike asks for formulator ideas, Luis doesn't hesitate: GLP-1 support products are the biggest underserved opportunity he sees right now. A few protein brands have already been forward-thinking about pairing AstraGin with protein (Luis mentions Alpha Lion and Panda as examples of protein brands using AstraGin ahead of the recent study), and the 2026 clinical trial gives that pairing a fresh research tailwind.
The ideal GLP-1 support product, in Luis's framing, combines AstraGin for nutrient absorption (helping GLP-1 users get more out of reduced food intake) and Senactiv for muscle preservation (supporting healthy, youthful muscle tissue in people who may be becoming more active as they lose weight). He notes that NuLiv's marketing team will be building this out, and he hopes the broader supplement industry follows. There's a real gap in the market for credible, science-backed supplementation guidance for GLP-1 users.
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1:05:30 - New Senactiv Research, Astrion Skin Health, and Closing Thoughts
Luis confirms that a brand-new Senactiv study (with stem cell regeneration findings) was published just before this recording.[1] NuLiv is intentionally holding back the announcement to give the AstraGin 2026 study a few more weeks of attention, but Luis commits to sending Mike the full text so it can be linked in the show notes and covered on PricePlow once NuLiv is ready to promote it.
Before signing off, Mike circles back to Astrion®, NuLiv's skin health ingredient. Luis makes a notable point: the biggest study NuLiv has ever conducted isn't on AstraGin or Senactiv -- it's on Astrion. The Astrion® study enrolled 150 participants, published in the Journal of Cosmetics, and examined three groups: oral supplementation, topical application, and a combination of both. Results across all three groups were very positive, and Luis signals that Astrion is going to get significantly more attention from NuLiv going into 2026 and beyond.
Mike asks about social media, and Luis is most active on LinkedIn and runs a video series on Instagram aimed at new supplement brand founders, though his Instagram handle wasn't confirmed during the recording.
Where to Follow and Learn More
Connect with Luis Gonzalez
- LinkedIn: Luis Gonzalez
- Instagram: @luisjr_fit
Connect with NuLiv Science
- NuLivScience.com
- LinkedIn: NuLiv Science
- Instagram: @nulivscience
- NuLiv Science on PricePlow - sign up for news and price alerts
Resources Mentioned
- 2026 Study: AstraGin Enhances Whey Protein Amino Acid Absorption, Muscle Function, and Gut Integrity
- Astragalosides and Ginsenosides: Differentiating NuLiv Science's Ingredients
- Senactiv from NuLiv Science: Regenerate Senescent Cells and Perform Better
- Senactiv Reduces Perceived Exertion and Exercise Inflammation: New 2021 Study
- InnoSlim: Potent Stim-Free Weight Loss Ingredient by NuLiv Science (2022 Updates)
- NuLiv Science Astrion: Deep-Acting Skin Health Ingredient
- NuLiv, New Year: Start 2022 Right with NuLiv Science Ingredients
Previous Podcasts Discussed
- Episode #059: Gerhard Hoermann - NuLiv Science Expanding Its Offerings
- Episode #143: Ghost Legend V4 and the Ghost 100 Year Plan (Dan Lourenço)
- Episode #211: Robert Samborsky - The Full Apollon Nutrition Origin Story
- Episode #209: Darren Thompson of PerfectShaker
Products Discussed
Thanks to Luis Gonzalez for finally making it onto the show after years of working alongside the PricePlow team, and to the NuLiv Science team for consistently pushing the research forward. It's clear that AstraGin®, Senactiv®, and the rest of the portfolio have plenty of runway left as the science expands into gut health, healthy aging, and GLP-1 support. We'll be updating several of our NuLiv Science ingredient articles with the newer findings, and the new Senactiv® stem cell study will be linked here once NuLiv officially promotes it.
A quick shout-out to PerfectShaker for sponsoring the PricePlow Podcast in 2026. Spencer apparently has a NuLiv Science branded shaker cup in the mail for Luis as we speak. Check out PerfectShaker.com for their full lineup of premium shaker cups, or listen to Darren Thompson's Episode #209 to hear the full story behind the brand.
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