The stars are aligning for a big year for Merica Labz, the world’s most patriotic supplement brand. With a beautiful restoration displayed in their updated Red, White, & Boom pre workout supplement to go along with the updated Patriot’s Whey, Merica Labz fans asked for more.
We got way more – first, in the form of more calories thanks to the incredible Super Sized weight gainer. But that wasn’t enough (it’s never enough*), because Merica Labz fans wanted more pumps! Asked and answered:
Presenting the updated Stars ‘N Pipes formula from Merica Labz – now with HydroPrime glycerol and Nitrosigine for incredible pumps from multiple angles!
Stars ‘N Pipes is upgraded with more powerful pumps!
The popular stimulant-free pre-workout supplement has not only been given a fresh look with Merica’s new branding, its formula’s been tweaked. On top of a huge helping of L-citrulline, we now have two more trademarked ingredients in the form of HydroPrime glycerol from NNB Nutrition and Nitrosigine from Nutrition21.
Topped off with one more nitric oxide amplifier, Stars ‘N Pipes is sure to be exactly what it claims on its new label: high-explosive pump agent. May want to watch out when bringing this bad boy through airport security!
The formula’s covered below, but first let’s show the new flavors (highlighted in yellow) and our video:
Merica Labz Stars N' Pipes – Deals and Price Drop Alerts
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Disclosure: PricePlow relies on pricing from stores with which we have a business relationship. We work hard to keep pricing current, but you may find a better offer.
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Note: Freedom is the one flavor that has the same name as the original version. If you want this new HydroPrime-powered formula, make sure you get the new branding with diagonal writing or check with your retailer.
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Stars n Pipes Ingredients
The perfect partner for BOOM, each 17.5 gram scoop of Stars ‘n Pipes brings you pumps from:
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L-Citrulline – 6000 mg
Two trademarked ingredients, two other well-dosed additions… get ready for some pumps
The nitric oxide booster most athletes are now familiar with, L-citrulline is an amino acid that helps the body generate more L-arginine, which then goes on to generate more nitric oxide (NO).[1] With more nitric oxide production, you’re left with vasodilation, an effect where blood vessels relax and expand (dilate) and allow for greater blood flow.[2,3] With that, you get pumps — along with other physiological benefits like reduced blood pressure and better nutrient delivery.
Back in the olden days, before Merica Labz even existed, companies tried supplementing arginine directly, but it turned out to be ineffective unless taking very large doses because the digestive system breaks the arginine down too quickly (this is known as the “first-pass effect”),[4-7] and high-dose arginine wrecks the gut in the process.[8,9]
Using L-citrulline circumvents this and actually works better than arginine itself in humans![2] Reason being, citrulline gets converted into arginine later on (in the kidneys),[7] and at that point, the digestive system can’t touch the new arginine, which will then go on to produce more nitric oxide.
As if the blood flow and pumps weren’t enough, this also brings other great benefits:[10-13]
- Improved ATP production
- More work output
- Improved recovery
To get a statistically significant boost of NO, we generally need just 3 grams of citrulline,[14] and Merica Labz is giving us double that amount.
BOOM: It can get even better with a bit more
It’s updated, and bringing more energy and pumps than ever! Meet the latest and greatest version of the Red, White, & BOOM Pre Workout!
But what if we stack this with the Red, White, & BOOM pre workout?! Then we’re looking at 12 grams, which is beyond what researchers call the “maximal effective dose”, based upon a study where the law of diminishing returns was hit somewhere between 10 and 15 grams.[15,16] In that study, 10 grams of citrulline definitely outperforms 5 grams in terms of arginine generation, but the participants hit a bit of a wall up to 15 grams.[16]
This leads us to believe that somewhere between 10 and 13 grams is “ideal” if you’re really looking to blast those pipes on a big day (and can afford it – it’s really not “necessary” but we’re all about doing the unnecessary with Merica Labz).
To get that amount of citrulline combined in a scoop each of BOOM and Stars ‘N Pipes, you’d need well over 10 pounds of watermelon![15,17-19]
But in general, this is plenty of citrulline enough to take on its own, and another idea is to stack it with Merica Energy… or simply go stim-free and take it alone. There’s plenty inside.
Oh, and by the way – we have another massive nitric oxide booster coming, but first, let’s get hyperhydrated:
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HydroPrime (65% Glycerol Powder) – 5000 mg
Now that we’ve got the nitric oxide angle kicked off, we can focus on cell hydration, aka our “water pumps”. And it’s here in a big way, with a whopping five grams of HydroPrime, the industry’s premier glycerol powder from NNB Nutrition.
Tired of the clumping and grit from other glycerol powders? Then it’s time to try HydroPrime!
Glycerol is a sugar alcohol that “captures” and holds water it comes across – you may also know it by its other name, glycerine.[20] Once digested, glycerol disperses throughout the body and works to raise total water volume and increase osmotic pressure — taken with enough water, it becomes a state of hyperhydration.[21]
In the gym, this provides a unique hydration pump that has more volume and feels more “swole”, to use a Merica Labz-friendly broscience term. The majority of the research is on endurance, however:
Hydration gains, endurance gains
When the going gets tough in the final loop of this heat-based event, the glycerol group pulled through far faster at the end.[22]
A study published in 1996 found that 11 resistance-trained athletes who took glycerol alongside water were able to cycle until exhaustion for 21% longer than placebo.[23] Even more interesting, they were able to maintain lower heart rates, indicating less physiological and cardiometabolic stress in the glycerol group![23]
Since it’s a sugar alcohol, you may ask, “were the endurance gains due to glycerol providing energy though?” — but the researchers tested that. They found that adding carbohydrates to water and glycerol still outperformed the water + carbohydrate group that didn’t take glycerol.[23] The glycerol + carbs group lasted 123 minutes, while the carbohydrate group without glycerol only lasted 100 minutes.
What about power?
Endurance is great, but beyond pumps, most customers buying a product named Stars N’ Pipes are looking for power. In that case, a 2012 study showed that after 20 days of glycerol consumption, two glycerol groups had statistically significant increases in both anaerobic and aerobic power output compared to two non-glycerol groups.[24] More endurance, more power, more total volume — if you eat right, you should be able to see more gains. Merica Labz Super Sized can help with that, by the way.
More blood flow too?!
When it comes to hydration, endurance, cell volumization, and heat tolerance, water is king. And this simple ingredient — glycerol — enables you to hold more water for better performance!
Not that we need more blood flow with the citrulline (above) and Nitrosigine + pine bark (below), but we may get even more from glycerol in the right conditions. When training in intense heat, glycerol consumption has been shown to increase water retention and reduce the strain on the cardiovascular system – and there was actually greater forearm blood flow in the glycerol group![25]
The thermoregulation effect in the study is our primary benefit though — if you’re training in intense heat, you know that you need water, plenty of electrolytes… but don’t forget about the glycerol! HydroPrime is the first thing we reach for when it gets insanely hot down here in Texas.
Even crazier — glycerol may lead you to using the restroom less,[26,27] as covered in our article titled Urination at Night?! Add GLYCEROL to Your Sleep Aid!
HydroPrime: 65% Glycerol with more pumps and less clumps
More pumps, less clumps, and better performance!
Glycerol isn’t anything too new, but the issue was that glycerol supplements were well-known for their clumping and grittiness. Here at PricePlow, we actually requested that NNB Nutrition do something about this problem, asking them to create a better glycerol powder. They did just that, and it’s HydroPrime, a 65% glycerol by weight that has tested incredibly well in humidity chambers and has made its way into several pre-workout supplements.
None, however, have used a five gram dose, next to citrulline no less! We’re curious to see how this works out.
You can learn more about glycerol in our epic guide titled Glycerol: The Ultimate Guide for Hydration, Heat Protection, and Pumps.
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Nitrosigine (Inositol arginine silicate) – 1500 mg
Move over L-arginine, Nitrosigine (inositol-stabilized arginine silicate) actually makes it work as originally desired!
Getting back to nitric oxide production: while some researchers were figuring out how to use citrulline to avoid the first-pass effect,[2,4-7] other researchers were finding ways to improve arginine itself. The researchers at Nutrition21 did it by creating and patenting inositol-stabilized arginine silicate,[28] which worked the way we had originally hoped plain L-arginine would. They called it Nitrosigine, and it’s one of the industry’s better-studied ingredients, with new research supporting its use published nearly every year!
Here, we have a 1500 milligram dose, which is the clinically-studied dose used in all of Nutrition21’s research:
Nitrosigine’s composition increases the bioavailability of L-arginine, keeping it around long enough to get a massive nitric oxide boost – and it works better and longer than straight L-arginine or L-arginine HCl.[29,30] Research has shown that blood arginine levels increase for six hours after taking it[29,30] — and also limits arginase activity,[31] further helping to prevent the breakdown of the arginine.
Nitrosigine is research-backed and “gym backed” — Image courtesy Nutrition21
Interestingly, research has shown that citrulline also synergizes very well with arginine for this same reason[32-34] — it inhibits arginase activity — so you’re going to get a world of improvements with the blend in Stars ‘N Pipes. This dosage of Nitrosigine can improve blood flow as much as 8 grams of citrulline malate (which has roughly 4.5 grams of citrulline)[35]… Merica Labz of course chose to go with both.
Cognitive improvements too!
You think that blood flow only reaches your pipes?! Think again – the veins in your brain’s membrane are about to get some of that boost as well – several research studies have shown that Nitrosigine boosts mental energy, focus, and overall cognitive flexibility![30,36-41]
In fact, we recently spotted a new study published at the end of 2021 titled Acute Inositol-Stabilized Arginine Silicate Improves Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Adults where Nitrosigine significantly increased immediate memory score and RBANS (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status) versus placebo.[41] We’ll be covering that study shortly, so stay tuned to PricePlow on that one.
These studies are important because a couple of them have shown that Nitrosigine helped prevent cognitive decline caused by extreme exercise.[30,36]
And finally, back to athleticism, Nitrosigine can also decrease muscle inflammation and damage,[42] similar to citrulline’s downstream benefits.
You can read more in our article titled Nitrosigine: The Nitric Oxide Booster That Enhances Brain Function.
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Pine Bark Extract (95% Proanthocyanidins) – 250 mg
Pine bark extract is back in a big way – we’ve covered this in a bunch of nitric oxide enhancing supplements lately, and get more excited about the ingredient each time we dig deeper. Pine bark extract boosts eNOS, or endothelial nitric oxide synthase,[43-45] which is an enzyme that leads to greater nitric oxide production. The ingredient has been shown to improve both nitric oxide and blood flow in many studies.[45-47]
In addition, pine bark extract’s incredible antioxidant profile goes beyond eNOS, and has been used to treat numerous cardiovascular system issues over the years, providing several heart-healthy benefits.[43,44] Beyond those, it may also prevent inflammatory conditions and neurological problems,[44] by supporting blood flow and more.
Unsurprisingly in this supplement, Merica Labz provided a large dose, and it approaches a separate pathway than the citrulline/arginine nitric oxide boosters utilized above, as perfect “cap” to the formula.
Flavors Available
The flavors highlighted in yellow are the new flavors in the 2022 re-launch, with Freedom being the only flavor name kept from the original:
Get ready to lay the pipe with Stars ‘n Pipes!
NEVER BIG ENOUGH. Get ready for a mass gainer that’s made from whole food sources: Merica Labz Super Sized!
After an incredible Red, White, & BOOM release, the restoration of Merica Labz (also discussed in our updated Merica Energy article) is well underway. The honest truth is that BOOM really doesn’t need a ton of “help” – it’s a fantastic pre workout. But there are definitely times when you want more than just citrulline, and the added HydroPrime and Nitrosigine are epic pump-stackers.
In addition, there are times when you just don’t want the long-lasting stims in BOOM or other pre workouts. If you’re looking for a pump-heavy stim-free pre workout that doesn’t mess around with much else, Stars ‘N Pipes is where it’s at.
After your training, it’s time to work on keeping those pipes big and full. To pack in as many calories as you can, check out Merica Labz Super Sized, a weight gainer protein powder that will drive carbs and protein into the muscles you just blew out with your workout.
Now get ready to lay some Stars ‘N Pipes.
Merica Labz Stars N' Pipes – Deals and Price Drop Alerts
Get Price Alerts
No spam, no scams.
Disclosure: PricePlow relies on pricing from stores with which we have a business relationship. We work hard to keep pricing current, but you may find a better offer.
Posts are sponsored in part by the retailers and/or brands listed on this page.
Note: Freedom is the one flavor that has the same name as the original version. If you want this new HydroPrime-powered formula, make sure you get the new branding with diagonal writing or check with your retailer.
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