Core Nutritionals BOLIC V2: Updated Formula w/ PeptiStrong

In recent years, the gang at Core Nutritionals has gone heavy on the health and wellness supplements with its popular Lifeline Series, and it really knocked it out of the park. Then the company released two incredible collaborations in PUDD’N Moose Tracks and Fun Sweets Cotton Candy Flavored Pre-Workouts. While maintaining a playful atmosphere, the Core team’s rigorous science-based approach to formulation, has kept them abreast of cutting-edge research trends.

But Core’s bread and butter is really in the realm of bodybuilding, and that means muscle.

Core BOLIC – Next-Gen Muscle Builder Upgraded

Being founded by legendary bodybuilder Doug Miller, it’s no surprise that Core Nutritionals is bringing their same rigorous and innovative approach to the muscle builder category. Today, we’re announcing the upgrade of Core BOLIC, an anabolic formula that relies heavily on the non-linear, informational mechanisms that have dominated research discussions in recent months.

Neil Foster of Nuritas joins the PricePlow Podcast to discuss PeptiStrong, the natural pro-anabolic peptide network for muscle growth and recovery

The headliner ingredient, PeptiStrong, is hot, hot, hot – this is a peptide network isolated from fava bean by artificial intelligence research tools, and patented by parent company Nuritas. We recently interviewed Neil Foster, head of strategic partnerships, for episode #112 of the PricePlow Podcast, and talked about all things PeptiStrong for a solid hour.

What’s really interesting about PeptiStrong is that, although it’s technically a protein, it doesn’t mechanistically increase the anabolic response the way that dietary protein is understood to do. This is because peptides are used as messengers, and the message this one sends is for muscle – giving outsized non-linear effects on the way your body metabolizes protein and turns it into muscle.

Myostatin Inhibitors in Core BOLIC

It also appears that one of PeptiStrong’s mechanisms is myostatin inhibition, which, as most readers know, is a huge deal in supplement science. But as if one myostatin inhibitor isn’t enough, Core has stacked it with epicatechin, which also has documented myostatin-inhibiting effects!

From what we’re seeing, this is a low-risk, high-reward strategy from Core — the formula is simple and makes incredible sense. While the evidence of myostatin inhibition from these ingredients remains preliminary, the potential for improved natural muscle growth is looking more and more likely.

Let’s get into how this formula works, but first, check the PricePlow news and deals:

Be sure to check the label to see if you have BOLIC version 1 or this new version 2, as the two formulas are completely different.

Core BOLIC Ingredients (2023 Edition)

In a single 4-capsule serving of BOLIC from Core Nutritionals, you get the following:

Fava Bean (Vicia faba) Hydrolysate (as PeptiStrong) – 2,400 mg

We’ve all heard about the importance of dietary protein for muscle growth. But, as it turns out, not all proteins are created equal. Different proteins, and foods in general,^[1] have different informational effects on the human body – they have the potential to affect personal health by changing epigenetic and hormonal expression.^[1-3]

By activating or deactivating certain bio-informational switches, we can actually change the amount of muscle we gain or fat we lose, without necessarily manipulating our caloric intake.

That’s where PeptiStrong, a natural network of peptides – short chains of 2 to 50 amino acids – derived from fava beans, has a part to play. Fava beans contain over 400 different peptides,^[4] but the ones that make up PeptiStrong were chosen for their ability to selectively activate mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which governs the synthesis of new muscle tissue.

Human study 1: PeptiStrong’s impact on recovery and strength gains after muscle damage

Read our in depth article on PeptiStrong here.

In 2023, a group of researchers embarked on a study to investigate PeptiStrong’s potential in enhancing recovery from muscle damage after intense workouts. To serve as subjects in their randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, they recruited 30 healthy recreationally athletic males aged 30 to 45. The experiment kicked off with a baseline strength assessment on the first day. Subsequently, participants were administered either a placebo or 2.4 grams of PeptiStrong daily for a period of 14 days.^[5]

On the 15th day, neither PeptiStrong nor the placebo was administered, and a rigorous test was conducted. Participants underwent an intense knee flexion and extension assessment after a 5 minute cycling warm-up, ensuring a precise and high-intensity effort level. The knee strength test comprised a warm-up set of 5 repetitions, gradually escalating from 60% to 100% maximum effort, followed by two sets of 5 repetitions performed at maximum effort.^[5]

To put it simply, this is a very challenging leg exercise that is known to cause significant muscle damage.^[6,7]

The researchers examined the subjects’ recovery progress by testing different biomarkers 48 and 72 hours after the initial test day (i.e., on the 17th and 18th days), while the supplementation regimen continued.^[5]

Participants who received PeptiStrong recovered significantly faster and reported less soreness compared to the placebo group. “Delta Peak Torque/BW” means the alteration in peak torque capacity relative to body weight.^[5]

At the 72-hour mark, the researchers made a remarkable discovery: The PeptiStrong group had not only fully recovered from the muscle damage incurred on the initial test day, their strength had actually increased above baseline! In contrast, the placebo group had not even fully returned to their baseline strength.^[5]

Furthermore, the PeptiStrong group had markedly better scores on the fatigue index, indicating a substantial improvement to muscular endurance among those using PeptiStrong.^[5]

Lastly, measurements of key biomarkers, including crucial myokines, indicated that PeptiStrong users experienced a heightened inflammatory response post-workout, a time when inflammation is actually a beneficial part of the anabolic response.^[5]

PeptiStrong supplementation positively affected the blood concentrations of various myokines that are crucial for muscle growth.^[5]

Even more outstanding is PeptiStrong’s impact on myostatin, a protein that is known to inhibit muscle protein synthesis:

PeptiStrong’s downregulation of myostatin, a protein that inhibits the anabolic response.^[5]

The discovery of an effective myostatin inhibitor has long been something of a holy grail for the industry, so it’s truly amazing to see Nuritas actually pull it off. This study, which used minuscule doses of PeptiStrong by dietary protein standards, illustrates how peptides can have non-linear informational effects on metabolism and body composition. And for that, manipulating messenger molecules like myostatin is key.

Human study 2: Recovery after immobilization-induced catabolism

In a separate study, also published in 2023, researchers examined PeptiStrong’s ability to preserve muscle tissue during forced immobilization. For this study, 30 young men were enlisted to wear a plaster cast for 7 days, which restricted knee flexion and, consequently, induced muscular atrophy (catabolism) in the affected leg.^[8]

Subjects were randomized to get either 20 grams of PeptiStrong or 20 grams of milk protein daily, for the duration of the study period. In other words, this study was designed to measure PeptiStrong’s effectiveness, gram-for-gram, compared to a common dietary protein.

The researchers then evaluated muscle atrophy in both groups. They found that the PeptiStrong group had an average muscle protein synthesis rate approximately four times higher than that of the milk protein group. Needless to say, they also recovered a lot faster than the milk protein group.^[8]

In comparison to the milk protein (control) group, the PeptiStrong group had a significantly higher myofibrillar protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR), indicating a swifter recovery from muscular atrophy induced by forced immobilization.^[8]

Even though both groups had roughly the same degree of muscle loss, once the subjects were able to move their legs, the PeptiStrong group recovered far faster.

If you want to learn more about how PeptiStrong works, check out our long-form article,

PeptiStrong: Natural Anabolic Ingredient from Fava Beans, or watch PricePlow Podcast Episode #112 with Neil Foster of Nuritas.

Maral Root Extract (Rhaponticum carthamoides) (10:1) – 350 mg

Derived from the perennial herb Rhaponticum carthamoides, which is native to central Asia, maral root extract is a potent source of phytoecdysteroids, testosterone-like compounds prized for their anabolic effects.

Rhaponticum extracts are usually standardized for 20-hydroxyecdysone, also called ecdysterone or 20HE, which is the most extensively studied of all known phytoecdysteroids. As we were saying above, it’s been exhaustively demonstrated that ecdysterone can increase muscle growth, like testosterone does, without triggering the negative feedback loop on testosterone production typically associated with anabolic steroid use. This is thanks to its low affinity for the androgen receptor, which it typically doesn’t activate.^[9,10]

Numerous animal studies have demonstrated ecdysterone can reduce serum estrogen levels while increasing serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), resulting in the development of larger muscle fibers.^[9,11]

A comprehensive research review from the late ’90s reinforced the findings of individual studies, concluding that ecdysterone has significant anabolic properties in rats. This review actually went so far as to suggest that ecdysterone could outperform certain anabolic steroids!^[12]

Combining this new Core Bolic V2 with their PEAK product will have you feeling extra strong!

Most importantly, though, there have been numerous human trials on ecdysterone. One great example is a 2019 study conducted on German college weightlifters, which demonstrated that ecdysterone can dose-dependently increase muscle gains.^[13]

Camellia sinensis Extract (Bean) (std. to 90% Epicatechin) – 300 mg

Epicatechin is a powerful antioxidant that occurs naturally in tea. In fact, green tea’s relatively high content of epicatechin, compared to other forms of tea, is the main reason why green tea is widely regarded as the healthiest tea. Epicatechin is also primarily responsible for the health benefits associated with dark chocolate consumption.

This antioxidant can have some powerful effects on muscle growth, thanks to its impact on circulation, recovery from exercise, and, perhaps most importantly, myostatin, the muscle growth inhibitor we discussed in the PeptiStrong section.

Combining Core PUMP with the new Bolic V2 will lead to epic pumps.

In one study, where subjects consumed 30 grams of 70% dark chocolate daily for two weeks, they experienced a remarkable 54% increase in their nitric oxide (NO) blood levels.^[14] To validate this effect, another group was given white chocolate, which lacks epicatechin. Lo and behold, white chocolate caused no change in NO production.

Epicatechin appears to upregulate NO production by inhibiting arginase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down the amino arginine in your bloodstream.^[15] This is significant because arginine serves as a precursor to NO,^[16] meaning that by keeping more arginine active, the body can produce greater amounts of NO.

So what does this have to do with Core BOLIC? Well, increased NO means more vasodilation, a phenomenon where your arteries expand in diameter. This allows greater blood flow and muscle perfusion, with improved delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells. Ultimately, this translates to improved recovery, and, in the long run, noticeably greater muscle gains.^[17]

Thanks to its impact on blood flow, NO can increase the growth of satellite cells in skeletal muscle.^[18] This a key factor in muscle growth, as satellite cells make a crucial contribution to muscular hypertrophy.^[19] In fact, the decline in satellite cell concentration we experience as we age plays a significant role in age-related muscle loss.^[20]

Is epicatechin a myostatin inhibitor?

There’s currently only one study on this topic, a proof-of-concept study that included both animal and human experiments.

Want biceps like Doug Miller? The new BOLIC can help you get there

In the animal experiment, researchers found that older mice had 18% higher levels of myostatin and 30% lower levels of follistatin (an anabolic messenger that is basically myostatin’s antagonist),^[21] indicating reduced muscle potential due to aging. Treating these elderly mice with epicatechin brought their myostatin levels back down to match those of untreated, younger animals, and increased their follistatin levels by 56%.^[21]

In the human experiment, six participants with an average age of 40 were given 1 milligram of epicatechin per kilogram of body weight twice daily. For an adult weighing 185 pounds, this translates to 170 milligrams of epicatechin per day,^[21] which is significantly less than the dose used in Core BOLIC.

The human subjects also saw significant improvements. Follistatin levels increased by approximately 50%, and myostatin decreased by 16.6%.^[21] Additionally, their grip strength saw a notable 7% improvement.^[21]

All of this pretty strongly suggests that epicatechin is a powerful anabolic agent, which is why you’re seeing it show up in formulas like Core BOLIC.

BioPerine (Piper nigrum) (Fruit) (std. to 95% Piperine) – 10 mg

Lastly, there’s BioPerine, a black pepper extract standardized for the alkaloid piperine.

BioPerine is always a welcome addition because by inhibiting certain stomach enzymes, piperine spares supplements and nutrients from premature digestion. This means they can remain intact as they pass through the stomach, reach the intestines, and be absorbed into the bloodstream where they have their actual bioactive effects.^[21]

Additionally, piperine upregulates glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4),^[22] a transporter protein that promotes healthy glucose disposal. Piperine is also believed to help improve conditions like fatty liver, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress.^[23,24]

Dosage and Directions

As you may see in our podcast with Neil Foster, the trio discusses dosing and timing and it doesn’t fully matter. Do whatever will be regular for you. PeptiStrong is great for recovery, so many take it post workout and/or before bed.

Our argument here, however, is that pre-workout makes sense since epicatechin can boost nitric oxide, and this could support more blood flow during workouts.

Boost your muscles’ natural performance and recovery abilities with PeptiStrong, a natural anabolic peptide network found in fava beans.

If you’re not sure, then feel free to split doses, with two capsules sometime in the morning pre-workout, and two capsules sometime in the afternoon/evening post-workout. Just don’t forget to take all four in a day!

Conclusion: BOLIC is Back and Better than Ever

Core BOLIC is definitely a next-gen muscle builder, and this one’s going to do well.

This product is one of a few that have firmly established an industry trend toward manipulating epigenetic and informational mechanisms for muscle growth. Of course, steroid hormones are technically an informational mechanism, but ingredients like PeptiStrong, phytoecdysteroids, and epicatechin are much more targeted. They’re activating anabolic pathways that don’t compromise your body’s hormonal equilibrium.