Arms Race Vigor: New Flavors (Bombsicle!) for the New Formula

Back in November, Arms Race Nutrition released a limited-edition flavor, Apple Pie Moonshine, across four supplements: Harness, Replenish, Daily Pump, and Vigor. On top of its incredible novelty, the flavor served as a quiet test run for an upgraded Vigor formula, ARN’s creatine muscle-building formula.

Today, we have a new Vigor flavor, and with it, the Vigor V2 formula has been cemented:

A new Bombsicle flavor of Arms Race Nutrition’s Vigor fortified creatine supplement is out, and with that, it cements the new 2nd edition version of the supplement!

Arms Race Vigor upgrade solidified in new Bombsicle flavor

There’s a boatload of research backing up creatine’s efficacy for improving athletic performance, but ARN takes it a step further with the latest version of Vigor. They’ve bolstered the classic athletic supplement ingredient with several additions aimed at maximizing the strength and performance benefits of creatine.

An enhanced creatine + betaine supplement

The new Vigor (introduced as “Vigor 2nd Edition” on their website) now contains creatine monohydrate, betaine, PeakO2 (mushrooms), ElevATP, and Senactiv. The newcomers are ElevATP and Senactiv, replacing CoQ10 and AstraGin.

Even better? We get Vigor in a brand new ARN flavor. It’s called Bombsicle, and gulping it down feels just as energizing and American as it sounds.

We’re going to dive into a little summary on how Arms Race Nutrition Vigor works, but first, let’s check PricePlow for good ARN deals, and watch our video review of the new Bombsicle flavor:

Arms Race Nutrition Vigor – How It Works

• Creatine Monohydrate – 5000mg

  

  Arms Race Nutrition Vigor Ingredients — as shown in the “2nd Edition”, where ElevATP and Senactiv replace CoQ10 and AstraGin.

  Creatine is a compound that helps increase the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule that provides energy to cells in the body. We know that creatine has a wide range of health benefits and has been extensively studied for its ability to improve athletic performance. It has been shown to increase max power output, the number of reps during a maximal effort, and the total work performed during exercise^[1]. It also improves performance in activities such as sprinting, swimming, and soccer.^[1-8]

  In addition to its short-term benefits, creatine supplementation can also lead to long-term benefits when taken over a prolonged period of time. The benefits of creatine compound with every workout, ultimately leading to increased power and more muscle mass.^[6-12]

  There is also some evidence to suggest that creatine supplementation may have cognitive benefits, such as improving short-term memory and reasoning ability.^[13] However, the research is thinner in this area and requires more study to demonstrate the true cognitive effects of creatine.

  Creatine monohydrate is king, and creatine is safe

  If you’re here, you likely already know that creatine is incredible and both safe, and effective, so you’re probably more interested to see how ARN is improving upon it below. But if you’re not yet confident with that statement and want to dive deeper into creatine, we suggest reading the ISSN’s position stand on the safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.^[14]

  Further, if you want a recent study comparing the various forms of creatine, and why sticking with plain creatine monohydrate is the choice thing to do, there’s a recently-published article from 2022 with 255 references comparing the various forms.^[15] Conclusion? Monohydrate is still king of the research, and likely always will be.

• Betaine Anhydrous – 2500mg

  

  A landmark 2013 study showed that 2.5 grams of betaine every day can have profound effects on body mass and strength^[19,20]

  Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine (TMG), is a compound that promotes cellular energy production by acting as a methyl donor. Methyl donors are carrier molecules that transport methyl groups, which are involved in various metabolic processes, including the management of blood homocysteine levels^[16], which is important for maintaining good cardiovascular health.

  So while creatine above provides phosphate groups, betaine provides these methyl groups — both very necessary, and both synergistic for the body.

  Even better, betaine is also an osmolyte, a substance that helps to increase hydration in cells, improve access to nutrients, and increase resistance to heat stress.^[17-19]

  There’s evidence to show that betaine can improve heat resistance, endurance, and power output. One landmark study found that daily supplementation with 2.5 grams of betaine for six weeks led to 5.3 pounds of muscle gain and 6.4 pounds of fat loss in men.^[19,20] Another study in women found that combining 2.5 grams of betaine with a strength training program led to 4.4 pounds of body fat loss over eight weeks.^[21]

  The above studies are the main reasons betaine is included, but athletes training with it while using enough water also report better pumps as well – the hydration aspect shouldn’t be forgotten!

• PeakO2 – 2000mg

  PeakO2 is a blend of medicinal mushrooms that has been gaining popularity in the supplement industry. The blend is led by Cordyceps militaris, which has been shown to support oxygen uptake and increase power output.^[22]

  In a 2016 study, researchers found that chronic use of the mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris could enhance aerobic performance and delay fatigue in trained athletes. The subjects in the study saw significant improvements in VO2 max, endurance, and peak power output after consuming 4g of the blend daily for three weeks.^[22]

  In 2017, researchers conducted two trials to examine the effects of different doses of PeakO2. The first trial used a 2g daily dose for 28 days, while the second trial used a 12g daily dose for 7 days. The low-dose group saw significant decreases in time to fatigue and blood lactate levels, as well as an increase in VO2 max after 4 weeks of supplementation.^[23] The high-dose group saw similar improvements, as well as decreases in submaximal heart rate and increases in peak power output.

  These results suggest that the 2g dose of PeakO2 in Vigor V2 may be sufficient for athletes to realize positive performance improvements.

  Cordyceps militaris for the win

  We’ve been big on emphasizing cordyceps militaris over cordyceps sinensis. Reason being, militaris has a “cleaner” body of research, since sinensis is often mis-identified.^[24-27] Militaris, however, doesn’t have these problems and has greater bioactive potency,^[28] and shows more biological activity.^[29,30] One study showed that supports increased ATP production.^[31]

  For these reasons, we’re happy to see Vigor include a mushroom blend led by cordyceps militaris.

• ElevATP (Ancient Peat and Apple Extract) – 150mg

  

  Bombsicle is now available in all four key ARN athletic supplements!

  A new ingredient in the upgraded Vigor released in early 2023, ElevATP is made from a patented blend of peat moss and apples that’s been shown to increase ATP production.^[32] As we touched on above, ATP is a vital energy source for cells in the body, and increasing its production can have numerous health and performance benefits.

  One study published in 2016 found that taking 150 milligrams of ElevATP daily for eight weeks led to significant increases in one rep max for squats and deadlifts, as well as increases in jump velocity and power, compared to a placebo control group.^[33]

  This may synergize with creatine – we’re always looking for healthy ways to maintain high ATP levels during training. It replaced coenzyme Q10 from the previous versions of vigor – while CoQ10 is a great antioxidant, ElevATP has more performance-based research behind it, which is generally the goal for Arms Race Nutrition’s customers.

• SenActiv (Panax notoginseng (root) and Rosa roxburghii (fruit)) Extracts – 50mg

  Senactiv is a senolytic agent, a type of nutraceutical that promotes the breakdown and recycling of senescent cells. The idea here is to help clear out old/dying/dead cells to make way for fresher, newer ones that function better. This ingredient is extracted from Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii and is produced by NuLiv Science, an industry staple for ginseng extracts.

  

  Julian Smith delivered an incredible Apple Pie Moonshine flavor

  Multiple studies have been conducted on the active compounds in Senactiv, which have been found to have various beneficial effects. For example, one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that people who supplemented with the ginseng-derived component of Senactiv before exercise had significantly reduced muscle damage and inflammation, faster glycogen replenishment, and increased time to exhaustion at 80% VO2max compared to the placebo group.^[34]

  Another study found that people who took Senactiv before leg exercises had lower perceived exertion and reduced inflammatory markers the following day. Senactiv’s mechanisms of action are unique and contribute to the effectiveness of creatine supplementation via the promotion of performance on a cellular level.^[35]

  On Senactiv replacing AstraGin…

  This replaced AstraGin from the original version. AstraGin is another ingredient from NuLiv Science that promotes absorption and uptake – it has some of the same constituents (namely the ginseng). In a supplement like Vigor, we do like Senactiv more if we had to choose between the two.

  In addition, if you use other sports nutrition supplements, there’s a very good chance you’re already getting AstraGin in, since it’s seemingly everywhere lately! So this is a win-win for a majority of Arms Race Nutrition “arms dealers”.

All Arms Race Nutrition Vigor flavors

The new Vigor formula launched with ARN’s limited-edition Apple Pie Moonshine flavor, and as of the writing of this article, Bombsicle is next. Over time, the other flavors listed below will convert over, so check the store’s label to be sure:

Juiced-Up Creatine Intra-Workout

Somehow, the new Vigor is better than the original, and that’s saying a lot. We’ve really grown to enjoy this supplement, especially with the Apple Pie Moonshine launch. While we’re sorry to see AstraGin go from the newest formulation, the addition of ElevATP and SenActiv really work with creatine to target the fundamental basis of athletic performance: cellular energy.

Utilizing science-backed ingredients like good ol’ creatine and some newer players on the field like ElevATP, the new Vigor has been designed to wage an all-out assault on lethargy and fatigue, all the way down to the cellular level. ATP is absolutely vital to exercise performance, and ARN takes it seriously with its new and improved Vigor formulation.

Throw in a patriotic, flavorful display of jingoistic domination and you have yourself the recipe for an awesome workout.