Performax Labs VasoMax: Inciting the 2021 PUMPDEMIC

In 2021, Performax Labs announced a rebrand, and hasn’t disappointed this far. While many brands weaken their formulas due to cost or “mainstreamization”, Performax Lbas decided to stay true to their brand, by keeping it aggressive.

They blew the doors down with an all new version of their stim-based pre workout, HyperMax Extreme, and have now released the stimulant-free pumped-up counterpart, VasoMax.

A serious upgrade for a serious pump supplement (VasoMax)

Prepare for the 2021 PUMPDEMIC! Performax Labs has upgraded VasoMax, and with a fully-dosed blend of both 3DPUMP and Nitrosigine, this one’s going to blow the doors off the gym

Performax Labs has taken this rebrand very seriously, and are doubling down on the 3DPUMP Breakthrough experience. Not only that, but they’ve loaded in a full clinical dose of Nitrosigine, making for a one-two punch that’s going to impress even the most “pump-challenged” individuals.

In this article, we detail the new VasoMax upgrades, and have also learned more about a key component in 3DPUMP, expanding on our earlier research of the ingredient.

It’s all below — this is one you won’t want to miss — but first, take a moment to sign up for PricePlow’s Performax Labs news alerts and check out our coupon-driven prices:

The new VasoMax 2021 Ingredients

Each two-scoop serving will have the following ingredients and doses:

• 3DPUMP-Breakthrough (L-Citrulline (vegan fermented), Glycerol, Amla (phyllanthus emblica) (fruit) Extract) – 6000mg

  

  VasoMax was already incredible, but it’s getting a lot better. This is going to be a fun one.

  2021’s newest pump ingredient arrival that’s also in the new HyperMax Extreme, 3DPUMP Breakthrough is a patented nitric oxide + blood flow + cellular hydration blend made from L-Citrulline, Glycerol, and Amla Fruit Extract. Given that it’s in both Performax Labs’ new pre workout supplements, you can bet that they’re betting big on taking this one to the max.

  In this 6 gram dose from two scoops of VasoMax, you’ll get 3 grams of L-citrulline, 1.2 grams of glycerol, and 165 milligrams of amla.

  The patent includes a pilot study,^[1] which tips its hat and gives us a bit of information regarding the secret weapon inside:

  The 3D PUMP Patent Pilot Study

  Inside of the patent, there’s a placebo-controlled pilot study detailed on a variation of 3DPUMP (the pilot used slightly less Amla than what ended up in the final product), and it went extraordinarily well. The researchers recruited weight-trained men (average age in their late 20s) and gave them four different treatments on four different training days, but all with the same workout:^[1]

  

  Performax Labs is bringing the house down with the latest in their HyperMax series. This also has 3DPUMP Breakthrough for a legendary stack!

  • Water (placebo)
  • 1.5 grams of 65% glycerol
  • 150 milligrams of Amla fruit extract
  • 1.35 grams of 65% glycerol and 150 milligrams of Amla fruit extract

  Each workout day was a leg day with seated leg extensions and loaded goblet squats, doing 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 60 second rest between sets, and then two minute rests between exercises.

  At the end of each training session, the researchers ran DEXA scans, measuring thigh circumference of the participants.

  Pilot study results

  While each group gained in leg size and lean body mass, the glycerol + Amla group significantly performed better. They achieved a 2.21 centimeter gain in thigh circumference and averaged an increase of 693.1 grams of total body mass, far greater than the respective 1.12 centimeter and 30.4 gram increases from the placebo group.^[1]

  However, an interesting bit is that the Amla-only group had even greater increases than the glycerol-only group, which shows us that Amla is likely the big secret here. And the 3D PUMP researchers have confirmed that to us, providing more information than we originally published in our early HyperMax Extreme article:

  • The secret’s in the Amla Fruit Extract

    Phyllanthus emblica is better known as Amla and is also sometimes referred to as Indian Gooseberry. It’s long been used for its cardiovascular benefits, since it has a rich antioxidant profile that boosts endothelial function and overall endothelial health, and can also reduce platelet aggregation.^[2] We always point out that Amla researchers have called it “the ayurvedic wonder” given its benefits,^[3] and the 3D PUMP developers have figured out exactly why.

    

    Are you ready for the PUMPDEMIC? Performax Labs has possibly the coolest shirt of the year here

    Although there isn’t much athlete-specific research on Amla itself, when we see terms like “improved blood flow” and “endothelial health”, we immediately start to wonder if there are constituents that are great for pre workouts. Turns out that there are.

    Low Molecular Weight Tannins

    3D PUMP’s inventors have told us that this Amla is screened for the key bioactives at >68% low molecular weight tannins (LMWt tannins), including emblicanin-A, emblicanin-B, punigluconin, and pedunculagin.^[4] These get converted into urolithins A-D,^[5] leading to potential mitochondrial enhancement over time^[6] as well as potential anabolic properties from increased urolithin B.^[7]

    In addition, there may be some added nootropic benefits!^[8]

    The more we learn about it, the more we’re excited about the Amla inside (and the fact that the final ingredient has 33% more than the pilot study used) — and we still have two other well-known pump ingredients in citrulline and glycerol:

    This brings us to the other two ingredients, which you’re likely more familiar with:

  • L-Citrulline

    With two scoops of VasoMax, you get 3 grams of L-Citrulline from 3D PUMP, a clinical dose shown to significantly boost nitric oxide (NO) level production (compared to 6 grams of citrulline malate).^[9] This amino acid is the precursor for another amino acid, L-arginine, which is used to generate more nitric oxide in the body via the nitric oxide synthase enzyme.^[10]

    When we have increased nitric oxide levels, we achieve an effect known as vasodilation where the blood vessels relax and widen, leading to improved blood flow. This leads to numerous cardiovascular benefits, but in our case, we focus on the pumps! It’s the gold standard nitric oxide pump supplement ingredient, since it works better than taking L-arginine for this purpose (L-arginine gets metabolized too quickly before it can convert to NO).^[11-13]

    Endurance and recovery benefits

    

    Once again, Performax Labs brings you this unique new pump agent that will amplify your citrulline pumps… and then some!

    With the mechanisms known, research has shown that citrulline helps us improve our work output, have better ATP production, and recover better.^[14-16] Meta analyses confirms this, demonstrating that citrulline lowers perceived exertion during training and assists with metabolic waste removal, which leads to less soreness.^[17]

    We see L-citrulline everywhere, but when it’s in 3DPUMP, you get the added synergy of Amla and the hyperhydrating glycerol:

  • Glycerol: “Hyperhydrate” your body

    To top out 3DPUMP, we move towards water retention and hyperhydration with glycerol, bringing a whole different type of pump. By improving water retention, supplementing this sugar alcohol has been shown to increase the body’s total water volume^[18] — assuming you drink it with enough water, which we command you to do with VasoMax.

    This then leads to a state known as “hyperhydration”,^[19] leading to improved endurance and even better performance in heat, especially when taken with enough fluids.^[20-22]

    The feeling is more of a “swole” effect from cellular volumization, and it’s a perfect companion to blood flow based effects. There are several other benefits, such as needing to urine less frequently, and they’re covered in our massive article titled Glycerol: The Ultimate Guide for Hydration, Heat Protection, and Pumps.^[23]

  Ultimately, however, we’ve seen glycerol and citrulline mixed together in pre workouts before — 3DPUMP really seems to get its edge from its Amla extract, and we’re now starting to realize why.

  Update from 2023: Since this article went live, another study has been published on 3DPump, comparing it to a greater dosage of citrulline. Learn about it in our new 3DPump research post.

• Taurine – 2000mg

  There’s more we can do for hydration than just the glycerol in 3DPUMP, however. If you want to improve cell volumization even further, you add another type of ingredient known as an osmolyte in taurine, which facilitates water storage and transfer amongst cells.^[24]

  The compound (known as an organic acid, not exactly an amino acid) is quite pervasive, but scientists still don’t understand all of its mechanisms. We do know that it leads to reduced oxidative stress, stronger muscle contractions via improved calcium signaling, better endurance (more on that below), and better fat digestion through improved bile production.^[24-26]

  Improving endurance with taurine

  

  Taurine’s Benefits (endurance-wise) can be seen after a single use!^[26]

  While the hydration benefits may provide a pump alongside glycerol (especially, again, if you drink enough fluids), the best end result are the improvements in endurance. A 2018 meta analysis looked at all taurine supplementation studies that measured endurance, and found that it works beyond a shadow of a doubt for reducing fatigue — and it works upon the first use.^[26]

  After all, what good is a pump supplement if you’re too tired to squeeze out those last few reps?

  In addition, taurine users have seen better cognitive performance^[25] and there may be some minor nitric oxide benefits as well,^[27] although those are primarily covered by the two ingredients above and below.

• Nitrosigine (Inositol-Stabilized Arginine Silicate) – 1500mg

  

  Yes! We have a full 1.5g dose of Nitrosigine for long-lasting pumps, endurance, and even some focus effects!

  Above in the 3DPUMP section, we mention that supplementing L-citrulline outperforms L-arginine for nitric oxide production because arginine is digested too quickly (due to the first-pass effect).^[11-13] While that’s true, the researchers at Nutrition21 fixed the problem with those old L-arginine supplements, patenting an insanely effective form using inositol-stabilized arginine silicate and calling it Nitrosigine.^[28] By combining and binding it in this manner, Nutrition21 found an incredible way to increase L-arginine’s bioavailability, which keeps it intact long enough for it to achieve a major nitric oxide boost beyond straight L-arginine or L-arginine HCl.^[29,30]

  Even better, the research studies showed that Nitrosigine boosts blood arginine levels for six hours after taking it (you only get one hour from arginine HCl), and it limits arginase activity.^[31] This means that it actually helps prevent the breakdown of arginine, since that’s what the arginase enzyme does — and this leads to the long-lasting effects.

  More Nitrosigine Research

  Studies have shown that 1.5 grams of NItrosigine improves blood flow and NO levels as much as 8 grams of citrulline malate,^[32] which is equivalent to a bit over 4 grams of straight L-citrulline. Performax Labs doesn’t mess around with VasoMax, though, and has decided to include it alongside 3DPUMP, which has 3 grams of citrulline. This gives you multiple nitric oxide boosting strategies.

  

  Nitrosigine is research-backed and “gym backed” — Image courtesy Nutrition21

  Those blood flow improvements don’t just go to your muscles either. Numerous research trials have demonstrated that Nitrosigine can increase focus, mental energy, and cognitive flexibility,^[30,33-37] an effect that inspired Nutrition21’s subsequent gaming ingredient, NooLVL.

  In addition, Nitrosigine can prevent the cognitive decline that occurs when under extreme exercise,^[30,33] so you can try to keep your head on straight while training in an insane session. And finally, data suggests that Nitrosigine can also decrease muscle damage and inflammation,^[38] going along with citrulline as a soreness reducer.

  1500 milligrams is the go-to dosage for the clinically-studied benefits discussed above.

  You can learn more about Nitrosigine and its additional studies in the articles below:

  • Nitrosigine: The Nitric Oxide Booster That Enhances Brain Function
  • Nitrosigine Put to the Test Against Citrulline Malate: New University Study
  • Nitrosigine Prevents Cognitive Decline After Strenuous Activity

• VASO6 (Green Tea [leaf] Extract) – 300mg

  VASO6 is made from six different green tea leaf extracts that have been combined to generate a powerful vasodilation effect using a different pathway than the citrulline and Nitrosigine components above.

  Research has shown that VASO6’s components can significantly boost nitric oxide levels,^[39-41] signaling for endothelial cell relaxation in your blood vessels to get improved blood flow and pumps. Similar effect as citrulline and Nitrosigine, but a different path to getting there, which means an additive effect!

  The way it’s happening is by interacting with nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme responsible for nitric oxide production.^[39] Because of this, we believe that VASO6 can potentiate the gains made from L-citrulline and Nitrosigine. Research has shown that VASO6 can induce blood vessel relaxation by as much as 15%.^[41]

  Further, VASO6’s components can increase glucose uptake into muscle cells and boost muscle protein synthesis,^[39,40] and we believe much of it is due to the unique type of epicatechin inside.^[41]

  300 milligrams is the standard dosage — Performax Labs isn’t skimping here with VasoMax.

• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt – 250mg

  

  Don’t fear the sodium!! We need it for optimal training!

  Those hydration gains from glycerol and taurine don’t mean anything if your cells can’t properly communicate and force muscle contractions! When we increase water retention, we also want to increase sodium, which should not be a new idea to most athletes.

  With 250 milligrams of pink Himalayan salt, VasoMax provides 100 milligrams of sodium, or 4% of the daily recommended value. Not enough for the day, but enough to keep your water balanced.

  Sodium is an electrolyte mineral that the body needs to perform muscle contractions.^[42] Put simply, it should never be forgotten by athletes and weight trainers^[43] — if you’re feeling “flat”, one of the first things to consider is to add more sodium to your pre workout regimen.

  To learn more about the importance of of salt in an athlete’s diet, we suggest you read the article titled none other than “The Importance of Salt in the Athlete’s Diet”.^[44]

• L-Glutathione – 200mg

  Glutathione is not just any antioxidant, but known as the master antioxidant. It’s built from three amino acids – glutamine, glycine, and cysteine – and is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the human body.^[45]

  

  This formula gives a whole new meaning to “Rocket Bomb”

  Increased glutathione status has been linked to numerous health benefits like improved insulin sensitivity and better liver health.^[46,47] There are many reasons why, such as its ability to counteract free radical chains and keep organ functions running optimally, but research has also found glutathione to improve circulation,^[48] which is a reason to add it to a supplement like VasoMax.

  The biggest question with straight L-glutathione is its oral bioavailability – it likely won’t remain intact throughout the entire digestive process.^[49] However, the individual components are still important, and we’ve seen other cysteine donors support muscular performance in other research studies.^[50] Most pre workouts don’t come with a cysteine donor, so adding some glutathione will still work better than zero glutathione.

• S7 – 50mg

  Continuing with the usage of antioxidants to promote performance, VasoMax has a clinical 50 milligram dose of S7 (short for SPECTRA7), which is a trademarked extract blend of green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, turmeric extract, tart cherry, blueberry, kale, and broccoli. The antioxidant components inside have been shown to reduce oxidative stress, and research has found that S7 can increase bioavailable nitric oxide concentration by up to 230%!^[44]

  This is another ingredient that’s also in HyperMax Extreme, so you can double down on the antioxidant potentiation by stacking them together.

• AstraGin (Panax notoginseng & Astragalus membranaceus Extract) – 50mg

  

  AstraGin is a combination of Astragalus and Panax Notoginseng that’s been shown to increase ingredient absorption, especially of amino acids!

  Finally, Performax Labs adds in a bioavailability-boosting ingredient to tie it all together: AstraGin. Made by NuLiv Science, this unique blend of Astragalus membranaceus and panax notoginseng helps to boost the absorption of the other ingredients in the supplement.

  It works through a few mechanisms, such as increasing intestinal permeability and upregulating three different key mRNA transporters we need for proper nutrient uptake:^[51]

  1. SGLT1 (Sodium-glucose cotransport 1) – controls sodium-dependent glucose uptake between and across cells.
  2. GLUT4 (Glucose transporter type 4) – a glucose transporter that helps keep normal glucose levels.
  3. CAT1 (Cationic amino acid transporter 1) – helps shuttle amino acids throughout the body.^[51]

  In addition, NuLiv Science has shown increased ATP production in liver cells with AstraGin, which may lead to increased workout energy.

  Below is a chart showing AstraGin’s effects on citrulline, which is included in VasoMax via 3DPUMP:^[51]

  

  One of AstraGin’s most popular use-cases is its ability to enhance citrulline absorption – especially right when we’d want it: during our workout!^[51]

Flavors Available

The 2021 launch kicked off with Mango Kiwi Cooler and Rocket Bomb, in 20 serving tubs (40 scoops total in the tub). You can see all of the available flavors below, but if you see Orange Mango or Raspberry Lemonade flavors, note that they are for the older formula:

Our previous image before we knew how insane this one would be!

It’s a Pumpdemic! Vaso to the Max

We’ve long loved Performax Labs, who’s always pushed things to the max. The recent release of HyperMax 3D Extreme demonstrated that, but guess what would max things out even more? That’s right — stacking that with the new VasoMax. We’re learning more about the 3DPUMP Breakthrough, especially on the Amla side, and are confident that combining it with a clinical dose of Nitrosigine is going to work wonders.

See all of Performax Labs‘ well-formulated products. This is a brand with brains, and that’s why we love them.

The 2021 rebrand of Performax Labs has hit every note we’ve appreciated. This brand is strong, edgy, and aggressive, and they’re keeping it that way. They know that, we know that, and now you know that.

Whether you stack it with HyperMax or not, it doesn’t totally matter, because either way, VasoMax is going to pump you up to the max.

Note: This article was originally published on October 11, 2017, and updated on October 7, 2021 with the new formula.