By: Matt Weik Every once in a while a product comes to market where all you can say is, “Why didn’t I think of that?”. The Best Bar Ever is one of those products. It was created in response to the company’s founders’ frustration with today’s protein bar landscape. Instead of being driven by health and quality, most protein bar … Read More
The “Topical” Topic: Reviewing MuscleGelz
By Louis Daniel Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to trying new supplements. The marketing game has gotten so crazy that it’s sometimes hard to see beyond the bullsh*t. So when a friend of mine suggested I try out a product by a new company called MuscleGelz I was on the skeptical side. The product is called AndroHard … Read More
Insect Based Protein?
By: Matt Weik IML Research Blog Remember back when you were in school and you were taught that people ate bugs to survive in the wilderness? Remember how disgusting that sounded? Well, now companies are expecting you to do that for fun. What?! Well, it seems like my reaction is the same as the majority of consumers out there—at least … Read More
A Hardcore Visionary: Rob DiMaggio – Industry Spotlight
By Dan Solomon The supplement industry, it’s loaded with dynamic personalities, risk-takers, and innovators. Over the years I’ve gotten to know many of them. No two are alike. Some have achieved ungodly wealth while others have struggled to survive beyond the first year. The real trailblazers are the company owners, those courageous men and women who put their money where … Read More
A Caffeine Study Gone Wrong!
By: Matt Weik When researchers begin a study or trial, generally every piece of the study has been laid out and double checked to ensure the safety of the participants and subjects. However, Northumbria University just got slammed with a hefty fine for completely botching their calculations on their caffeine study. Here in America, we love our coffee. Some of … Read More
Interview: A Conversation with Mike Arnold
By Matt Samansky Supplement Editor DigitalMuscle.com As part of DigitalMuscle.com’s ongoing coverage of the ever-changing sports supplement industry, our Supplement Editor Matt Samansky caught up with long time sports nutrition insider Mike Arnold to discuss a variety of topics, including the highly anticipated launch of his new supplement line. Matt Samansky also serves as editor at the Project Bodybuilding website. Question: First of … Read More
Supplement Commentary: The Future of the Pre-Workout
By: Matt Weik We live in a world where people who use pre-workouts are focused only on one thing — stimulants. That’s right, they want to feel jacked up. They want to feel as if ants are crawling under their skin, that tingly sensation telling them their pre-workout product is working. If they don’t feel it, it’s not working—right? This … Read More
Report: Big News For Your Joints!
By: Matt Weik When it comes to sports injuries, most occur from wear and tear as well as damage done directly to our ligaments and tendons due to force exerted on the body either by another competitor or the playing field itself. The amount of stress and demand put on our joints and ligaments is sometimes too great and injuries … Read More
GABA: The Forgotten Amino Acid (New Research)
By: Matt Weik GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) supplements have been around for quite some time. Their claim to fame has been to help with relaxation, improve sleep, improve your mood, as well as improve your focus. GABA is a naturally-occurring amino acid and inhibitory neurotransmitter found in our cells. A new study from Japan is actually showing the potential to now … Read More
Supplement Review: The “Execute” Pre-Workout
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor How can new supplement companies diversify their product line when it’s part of a market flooded by thousands? Rise Performance is one of these young companies that hopes to deliver a new concoction to the pre-workout genre. I was lucky enough to acquire a sample of their debut offering, a pre-workout called “Execute”. Let’s … Read More
The Vitamin Hot List: Essentials for Performance
By Gigi Amurao Supplements are a billion-dollar industry in the U.S., and many athletes believe that vitamins and other nutritional supplements are crucial to getting the results they want from all their hard work in the gym. In my opinion, though, less is more. Unless you have a specific illness, a nutritional deficiency, or hereditary problem, nothing beats a healthy … Read More
Nutrition Store is Now Open – 7,000 Products, Big Discounts!
DigitalMuscle.com, the fitness industry’s media hub, has completed its latest round of expansion, highlighted by the opening of the DigitalMuscle.com Nutrition Store, featuring an estimated 7,000 products and nearly 300 of the supplement industry’s top brands at great prices! DigitalMuscle.com founder and publisher Dan Solomon explains, “It’s been a mighty productive year. The launch of the nutrition store is our latest step … Read More
Supplement Review: Ultra Male Rx
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor I recently reviewed IronMag Labs’ leading muscle building supplement Super DMZ 5.0. Much like other steroidal compounds, Super DMZ supplementation may cause suppression, or failure to naturally achieve adequate testosterone production. Super DMZ is so strong that it requires post-cycle therapy to combat any possible chance of suppression. Enter Ultra Male. Ultra Male Rx … Read More
Cramps: The Science and a New Solution?
By: Matt Weik Most everyone has experienced a muscle cramp in their lifetime. Some are short-lived cramps while others are the kind that seem to come from the fiery depths of HELL. The 411 to avoid 911 We watch our favorite athletes sometimes come out of a game or a match with what appears to be an injury of some … Read More
Product Review: Mama T’s Protein Cookies
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor In recent years, we have seen the advent of healthful, creative and guilt-free protein packed snacks for the health conscious individual. Meal replacement bars, sugar-free puddings, and quite possibly most intriguing, the diet-friendly cookie! The newest fit-food company to try their hand in the protein cookie market comes all the way from Nova Scotia. … Read More
Pomegranate Juice: Something You KNEEd?
By: Matt Weik Runners and weightlifters know plenty about knee pain. For some of us it’s constant, for others it comes and goes. There are many products on the market that claim to help ease joint pain. Some of them are topical and smell terrible, while others come in a pill form and are taken daily (more for prevention/maintenance and … Read More
Product Review: Protein Pudding by Musclelicious
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor Are you tired of mixing up chalky protein powders into tasteless shakes and homemade sludge? Yeah, I am too! Today I’m providing the results from my review of the Musclelicious Foods’ Protein Puddings and Peanut Butter Balls! Musclelicious Foods vast menu of rich protein puddings and decadent peanut butter balls will satisfy your sweet … Read More
Supplement Review: D-HD Revitalize Max
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor Testosterone is arguably the most important hormone produced by the body. It’s responsible for the proper function of so many organs and its decline has detrimental effects on muscle gain and fat loss. The questions behind testosterone production have puzzled healthcare professionals and fitness enthusiasts for decades, but a group of German scientists might … Read More
Joint Supplements: Not Exciting….but Necessary!
By: Matt Weik If you’re anything like me, you get excited to take your joint and bone support supplements every day (can you smell the sarcasm?). I keep them next to my bed on the nightstand so I can wake up to the bottle every morning. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s exciting to even think about. Wait, … Read More
Supplement Review: Super DMZ 5.0
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor Welcome back to Supps with Samansky on DigitalMuscle.com! Where have I been? Long story short, I’ve been around. I completed my studies at Indiana University in May and I’m continuing to harness my passion for supplementation and nutrition. I’m proud to report that I’m a college graduate……but my appetite for learning will never end! My … Read More
Good News for the Sleep Deprived
By: Matt Weik Who doesn’t like sleep? Those fond memories of college where you could sleep in till noon without a care in the world so long as you didn’t have an early morning class. You’d stay up all night partying as if the morning would never come. Ok, I’m getting sidetracked – daydreaming of the good old days. These … Read More
Supplement Industry: Growing Muscle AND the Economy!
By: Matt Weik There’s so much negativity surrounding the sports supplement industry these days that it’s about time some positive news is shared. It seems like everyone wants to take a shot at the dietary supplement industry – whether it’s for bogus claims, fake studies, tainted products, placebo effects, high prices, poor quality, fairy dusted ingredients, the list goes on … Read More
A Hardcore Visionary: Rob DiMaggio – Industry Spotlight
By Dan Solomon The supplement industry, it’s loaded with dynamic personalities, risk-takers, and innovators. Over the years I’ve gotten to know many of them. No two are alike. Some have achieved ungodly wealth while others have struggled to survive beyond the first year. The real trailblazers are the company owners, those courageous men and women who put their money where … Read More
Research Report: mTor Triggers Muscle Cells
By: Matt Weik We all know how lucrative and how LARGE the supplement industry has become. Innovation keeps the industry growing and exciting. As research is made public, everyone is rushing to come out with something new and be the first to market. Speaking of which, a study has been released that shows some impressive results from the use of … Read More
Tart Cherry Powder: An Ergogenic Aid?
By: Matt Weik In an effort to get one step ahead of the competition, athletes are always looking for the next best thing to allow them to recover faster and boost their overall performance. A study by Texas A&M University is showing Tart Cherry powder could be the answer to endurance athletes’ prayers. Let’s first throw out a disclaimer, however, … Read More
Soy Story: Dr. Kalman Reveals What You Need To Know!
By Douglas Kalman PhD, RD, FACN Nutrition Editor “Soy”, just saying that word, the shortened descriptor for a healthy legume in some circles, can get you in trouble. Can you imagine that? For the past twenty or so years, soy has been thought predominately as a “female” protein. A protein source that was to solely be used by women or … Read More
Controversial Ingredient: 1,3-Dimethylamylamine (A Closer Look)
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor In 2006, USP Labs unleashed Jack3D, a product now revered among the best of supplement lore. Why was this pre-workout so popular and what made it so effective? Its success was attributed to its incorporation of an ingredient known as 1, 3-Dimethylamylamine. Put simply, 1, 3DMAA is an extremely strong stimulant with a molecular … Read More
Nutrition Labels. More Changes Coming?
By: Matt Weik Not too long ago I wrote an article about how the nutrition labels found on packaging could soon have “exercise equivalents” on them. The reason for this addition is to make people aware of how much someone would have to exercise in order to burn off a serving of whatever product they are looking to purchase or … Read More
Supplement Review: Xtend by SciVation
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor In an industry where copycat products flood the market, how many can say they were the first of its category to hit your shelf? Xtend by SciVation holds that distinction as the first branched-chain amino acid supplement to market. If you missed my introduction to branched-chain amino acids where I provide a scientific, unbiased … Read More
Understanding Branched Chain Amino Acids
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor BCAA’s have been a staple of the supplement industry since the turn of the century! For the sake of getting scientific, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. As you chew on your chicken breast, not only are you ingesting dozens of grams of proteins, but thousands of amino acids bonded together. Specifically, … Read More
Are the Animals Taking Over the Protein Market?
By: Matt Weik Exercisers around the United States are constantly shopping for a quality source of protein to use post workout. What they usually grab is a tub of their favorite flavor of whey protein from a manufacturer they trust. Whey has been used for a very long time, giving the consumer the protein requirements needed to help pack on … Read More
Are Allergy Meds Killing Your Gains?
By: Matt Weik Yes, you read the title correctly. Your over-the-counter allergy meds could actually be diminishing your potential muscle gains. Now don’t read this and say “I don’t care how bad I feel, I’m not taking any medication for my allergies.” That’s not what this article is all about, nor does it make sense if you’re suffering from the … Read More
Beware of Fake Supplement Reviews!
By: Matt Weik You’re in search of a new supplement to try… What do you do? Look for reviews on new products, right? What if I told you most of the reviews out there today are fake and paid for by supplement companies? One of the largest online supplement retailers is the worst offender, and they don’t seem to care. … Read More
Supplement Review: Bucked Up (A Deer Antler Pre-Workout)
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor Deer antler spray received its fair share of media attention. Ever since retired football star Ray Lewis tested positive for the stuff in 2013, the once popular supplement has lost some of its luster. That is, until I came across Bucked Up, a pre-workout powder by DAS Labs. SO what exactly is deer antler … Read More
Vitamins/Minerals Can Help Kids Grow Taller?
By: Matt Weik We’ve all been there. Or we had friends growing up that were well… short. Many of them got picked on for their size or picked last when playing ball on the schoolyard. Heck, looking at bodybuilders today, it makes you wonder if they were one of the smaller kids growing up since many of them are in … Read More
Lactobacillus Plantarum for Muscle Gains?
By: Matt Weik Before we all get our hopes up that this article will unlock the secret you’ve been waiting for to unleash untapped muscular gains, let’s get one thing straight. The results found in this study were done on male lab mice, not humans. You and I don’t have a tail or whiskers and we don’t run around on … Read More
Anti-Fungal Creams: Combating a Common Gym Hazard
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor Every once in a while, an athlete will experience the discomfort of a fungal infection. It’s not always pleasant to talk about, but it’s often a reality of life in the gym. Whether it be athlete’s foot, jock itch, or ringworm, fungal infections are seemingly inevitable no matter how many showers you take each … Read More
Multi-Vitamins: They Could Save Your Life!
By: Matt Weik It’s commonly recommended that all men, whether we exercise or not, should take a daily multivitamin. And now for good reason! Statistics show that anywhere between 70-89% of sudden heart attacks transpire with males. Half of men who die due to heart attacks had zero symptoms prior to the episode. If you are a male, you’re already … Read More
Supplement Review: Artisan Protein Snacks by Chronic Strength
By Matt Samansky Supplement Review Editor Spring has sprung…and so has the elastic on my jeans. It’s finally time to shed the puffy jackets along with the excess fat from those long winter months. Diet programs commence and, let’s be honest, they usually fail. According to a study conducted by Bodybuilding.com, 73% of people ditch their fitness aspirations before reaching … Read More
Dark Chocolate: An Ergogenic Aid?
By: Matt Weik Who would have thought that a visit to Chocolate World at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania would give athletes an advantage over their competition? As ridiculous as it sounds, it could actually be true! Recent studies are showing that dark chocolate is able to boost athletic performance. Elite endurance athletes listen up! No, this is not a joke. … Read More
Supplement Brands: Adapting to Female Demand
By: Matt Weik In an industry loaded with well-built men, the ladies often get the short end of the stick when it comes to nutritional supplements. In fact, many female athletes avoid supplements all together due to male-minded branding, while others don’t seem to mind if a tub of protein has a skull on the label. There’s definitely been a shift over … Read More
The Greatest Minds in Nutrition Will Gather!
By Dan Solomon Fitness Addicts – they come in all shapes and sizes; the endurance athlete, the bodybuilder, the sprinter, the yoga fanatic, the powerlifter, the cross-fitter, the bikini model, the tennis player. The list doesn’t end there. While it’s true that the global obsession for a fit lifestyle is divided into countless sub-sections, there’s ONE common thread that ties … Read More
Let’s Talk About Stress!
By Matt Weik We’ve all had those moments at work that make us wonder how we have any hair left! The stresses that can be formed throughout your normal 9-5 can be enough to drive anyone mad—not to mention the anxiety and fatigue that seems to come along with it. A recent study, however, seems to have found a way … Read More
Antioxidants: The Cell Protector
By: Matt Weik Our bodies are constantly under attack! Thanks to antioxidants, our cells are shielded from harm. Antioxidants help protect the body from free radical damage. Here’s a visual for you: Cut an apple open and sit it on the table and watch it after a few minutes. Slowly you’ll see the apple starts to turn brown—this is due … Read More
Behind the Launch of Super DMZ 5.0
By Mike Arnold 2014 and 2015 were brutal years for the muscle building sector of the supplement industry. As most of you know, the government cracked down pretty hard on the prohormone/designer wagon, banning what was at the time, the most potent class of muscle building products on the market. Seeing the writing on the wall, IronMag Labs (IML) decided … Read More
Supplement Review: Vaso-Factor by GiaLabs
By Matt Samansky GIA-Labs was founded in 2014 under the determined leadership of CEO Jason Giardino. Having sampled more pre-workouts than I can count, I am always searching for new ones to try. The new-kid-on-the-block mystique of GIA-Labs intrigued me to try Vaso-Factor. Let’s take a look at the ingredient profile that piqued my interest and see if it has … Read More
Mark Wahlberg Launches Supplement Line!
By Dan Solomon A few years ago I wrote a magazine article about Mark Wahlberg’s burgeoning interest in the business of sports nutrition. At the time, Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson had just teamed up for PAIN AND GAIN, the outlandishly gruesome story of a Miami personal trainer. The film paired two of Hollywood’s best-built leading men, grossing nearly 90 million worldwide. … Read More
Get Sleep, Gain Muscle!!!
Let me begin by acknowledging that IML is a sponsor here at Digital Muscle so I don’t want this to come across like I’m trying to brown-nose a sponsor. I’m blogging about this because I really wanted to share a personal experience! -Matt A key contributor to your overall size and strength gains is sleep. If you don’t get enough … Read More
Bob Cicherillo Joins IronMag Labs
Bob Cicherillo Joins IronMag Labs In a move aimed to shake things up in the world of performance supplementation, IronMag Labs announces the arrival of one of the bodybuilding industry’s most visible and influential insiders. Bob Cicherillo, the familiar voice of the Mr. Olympia contest, has signed a multi-year deal with IML, a brand that has spent more than a … Read More
Research Spotlight: RTD Protein
The IML Blog Series: There’s no mistaking the multi-billion-dollar supplement industry these days. Seemingly everyone (and their brother) is trying to break into the industry, looking for a piece of the action. Many of those newcomers fail miserably while others show amazing growth year after year. Innovation has been the great separator in this category for years. The first manufacturer … Read More
Supplement Review: Yohimbine HCI by PrimaForce
Have you ever wondered what’s in your fat burner? What exactly are the magical ingredients that make those tiny capsules so powerful? Yohimbine is one of the most popular thermogenic supplements on the market. Today, we will be evaluating this compound individually. Yohimbine works by increasing adrenaline levels, thus kicking into gear the process of fat oxidation. Pretty simple, right? … Read More
Supplement Review: Primeval Labs Intra-Cell 7
Buckle up, boys and girls. This week’s supplement review is the first of it’s kind. I have searched the wide world of the Internet for a review of this product to no avail, so I present to you, IntraCell 7: Primeval Labs’ newest supplement. Following with my pattern of reviewing intra-workout supplements, IntraCell 7 is a product to be … Read More
Supplement Review: Carb-Free Intra-MD EAA+
How many times have you heard that carbohydrates are essential to optimal high intensity training and muscle growth? It’s a common misconception and one of the industry’s greatest myths. Luckily, we live in a world full of intelligent people to disprove these misunderstood theories. John Meadows is one of these highly qualified individuals. His resume is bolstered by a degree … Read More
Supplement Review: Intra-MD
BREAKING NEWS: the importance of postworkout nutrition is fading! Okay, okay, that isn’t exactly breaking news—I am no visionary, and the theory is really nothing new. Nonetheless, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts are placing a greater emphasis on supplementation inside the gym and finding that they get greater benefits than they get with postworkout carb loading. Studies show that intraworkout nutrition … Read More
Joints: The Painful Truth (Advanced Research Series)
By Dr. Doug Kalman, Nutrition Editor As we age, many of us notice that our joints ache a tad more than they used to. In addition, muscles ache that never used to ache before. Some would say that these symptoms are just part of the natural fabric of aging (for anyone older than 30), but could they also be consistent … Read More
Supplement Review: 3 Protein Bars Rated & Reviewed
By Matt Samansky, Supplement Review Editor Hundreds of protein bar variations have hit the market over the years. Mainstream snacks from companies like Nature Valley, Pure Protein, Power Bar, and Cliff are, to some degree, just glorified candy bars, containing a meager 8-10 grams of protein and loaded with hidden sugars. Let’s take a look at the three of my … Read More
Supplement Review: Colostrum-Based Bio-Gro
Matt Samansky, Supplement Review Editor Bio-Gro, the flagship product by iSatori, has been under fire since hitting the shelves in early 2013. The controversy surrounding the colostrum-based supplement rivals that of creatine in its heyday. While I will touch on the growing celebrity of the product, this review will mainly analyze what Bio-Gro does and my experience supplementing with it. … Read More
The Power of “C” – A Vitamin Unlike Any Other!
By Chad Nicholls, Executive Editor Most of you have grown accustom to reading my advice and theories on hardcore bodybuilding. So this week’s blog article may surprise some of you. Let’s face it, there’s nothing “hardcore” about Vitamins…….but this proves that some of the most valuable supplements can be found in the “simplest” places. Supplementing the diet with basic, … Read More
Supplement Review: 5% Nutrition’s “Kill It”
By Matt Samansky, Supplement Review Editor Rich Piana has been the victim of internet trolls since the minute he entered the YouTube fitness community almost four years ago, but his pre-workout “Kill It,” is no joke. Whether you know him as a bodybuilder, real estate mogul, or owner of 5% Nutrition, you know Rich as an “all or nothing” kind … Read More
Supplement Review: Machine Whey
By Matt Samansky, Supplement Review Editor Looking at my slate of supplement reviews, it’s no secret that I spend a good deal of time browsing the various bodybuilding forums and YouTube fitness channels. This review will add to that list. Machine Whey is the crown jewel of MTS Nutrition, the supplement company owned by YouTube personality, Marc Lobliner. The man … Read More
Supplement Review: Hydroxycut Hardcore
By Matt Samansky, Supplement Review Editor January. It’s one of my least favorite months of the year. Cold, windy, and thanks to daylight savings, it’s dark. Above all, January is the month of repentance for all of my binging throughout the holidays! It’s usually sometime during the first week of this melancholy month that I, like many of you, supplement … Read More
Let’s Talk Supplements!!
Matt Samansky, Supplement Review Editor Welcome to Supps with Samansky, Digital Muscle’s weekly supplement review series! Before I begin breaking down products, I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself beyond what my short biography reads above. You’ll be hearing a lot from me in the future, so we might as well get to know each other. I love … Read More