Nutrisport ATP Muscle Fuel 4:1:1 is designed as a post workout drink to help improve recovery and aid gains in strength and size. It provides a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate (maltodextrin and dextrose) and protein (whey). While a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein is ideal for pre and during workout, after resistance training larger amounts of protein should be taken to take advantage of the increased insulin sensitivity of the muscles and to help stop muscle breakdown for a more sustained period of time.

Nutrisport claim that “research has shown that the most effective supplement is a 4:1 mixture of carbohydrate and protein”. They then go onto to provide ONE study showing that this ratio is the best for quickly replenishing muscle glycogen content. This would make this supplement more ideal to be taken after endurance training, where the priority post workout is to replenish muscle glycogen. However, after resistance training, the priority should be to provide protein to help promote muscle synthesis and provide some carbohydrate to increase post workout insulin levels and help restore some muscle glycogen. While the re-storing of muscle glycogen will be slower when larger quantities of protein are taken, the benefits of taking protein after resistance training out weight that one negative.

ATP Muscle Fuel also contains creatine, one of the most effective and well researched supplements to improve gains in lean mass with resistance training and is ideal to be taken post workout with carbohydrate. Unfortunately the name of the product is misleading it says it contains 4:1:1 ratio of carbs, protein and creatine, but it only contains 6mg (0.006g) of creatine when it is common knowledge that you need at least 3000mg daily for the best results. In reality, the ratios are closer to 4:1:0.001.

Flavours: fruit punch

Sizes: 454g (1lb), 1.4kg (3.09lb), 5kg (11.02lb)

Nutrisport Nutri Xplode is designed as a pre workout drink, to help maintain energy levels and decrease muscle breakdown during training. It contains a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate and protein. Normal protein and carbohydrate drinks contain either similar ratios of carbs to protein or a 2:1 ratio. While some protein is needed before and during your workout to help stop muscle breakdown, only a small amount needs to be present for this to occur. Having large amounts of protein slows the rate at which the stomach empties (gastric emptying) and therefore slows the supply of carbohydrate to your exercise.

Caffeine and guarana are provided by this product, both of which are stimulants that can increase energy levels and improve performance in exercise lasting over 30 mins. Nutri Xplode contains creatine, one of the most effective and well researched supplements to improve gains in lean mass with resistance training. For best results creatine should be consumed every day, including non training days, but taking this supplement on non training days would not be ideal.

Nutri Xplode also provides 3g of L-arginine, which when taken at rest can increase circulating growth hormone levels, but when taken prior to training it has been proven to reduce the growth hormone response to resistance training. Since this is designed specifically as a pre workout drink, specifically including extra L-arginine may not be ideal if your main goal is gains in lean mass. L-arginine supplementation does increase circulating level of nitric oxide, a vasodilator, and by dilating the blood vessels it may help improve blood supply and therefore improve aerobic and anaerobic performance. Of the 8 studies carried out on the impact of L-arginine on exercise performance, 4 have found it to improve exercise performance, while 4 have found no effect.

Flavours: summer fruits

Sizes: 600g (1.32lb)

Nutrisport Cut & Burn is designed to improve fat loss and give you energy for your workout. It contains the stimulants guarana and caffeine, and since the guarana is high in caffeine it has the same stimulatory effect. Caffeine is an effective and safe stimulant, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which can improve performance in exercise lasting over 30 mins. However, the body does build a resistance to the stimulatory effects of caffeine, therefore if you want to maintain the benefits caffeine you should avoid consuming it too much outside of your training.

Cut & Burn provides L-carnitine, which is a protein involved in the metabolism of fat for energy by the muscles, but unfortunately there is no evidence that supplementation of L-carnitine can increase muscle carnitine content or improves fat loss.

Chromium picolinate is contained in this supplement to provide extra chromium for the body, which is used by the body to help the metabolism of carbohydrate and fats. Despite numerous studies of its effects on weight loss, none have provided evidence that it aids with fat loss. This is probably because the body only needs tiny trace amounts of chromium in order to function, therefore supplementation is never going to be necessary. Since the only effective substance in this product is caffeine, you could easily just buy caffeine tablets for much cheaper.

Sizes: 60 capsules, 300 capsules

Nutrisport Amino Bombs are designed to provide a full spectrum of all the amino acids (essential and non-essential). Ingestion of the essential amino acids is important because they cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be eaten. Essential amino acids are important for proper bodily functions, including recovery and growth in response to training. However, each Amino Bomb tablet only contains 2 grams of amino acids, and when you consider it contains 20 amino acids, that equates to tiny amounts of each amino acid. You would have to have a very poor diet for 2 grams of protein to have any real impact on your recovery or gains in size and strength.

The only scenario where is it likely that 2 grams of amino acids may be of benefit is in vegetarians and vegans where normal dietary sources of protein may be lacking. Even then over half of the amino acids contained in this product can already be produced by the body without them being eaten in the diet. The amino acids in this product are predominantly derived from whey protein, therefore it is not suitable for vegans. While ingestion of the essential amino acids is more important than the non-essential amino acids, anyone who is already eating protein, from any good source (e.g. whey, casein, egg, meat or fish) will already be getting well over 2 grams of these amino acids from only one small portion (e.g. 30g of whey protein would contain well over 2g of essential amino acids).

This product may be useful if taken in large quantities between meals to help stop protein breakdown, however if you are eating good sources of protein throughout the day, at least 3 times per day, then this product seems unnecessary.

Flavours: banana, chocolate, strawberry

Sizes: 2oo tablets

Nutrisport MRP 60:30 is designed as a meal replacement shake, each serving containing 60% protein and 30% carbohydrates (48g & 24g, respectively). The protein is provided by faster absorbing whey proteins as well as slower digesting casein protein, allowing for a more sustained release of amino acids. The carbohydrate comes in the form of whole grain barley, a low GI source of carbohydrates. While vegetable and fruit are the best sources of carbohydrate, compared to most mass gain and meal replacement shakes, low GI barley is a very good sources.

Considering each serving only has a moderate amount of carbohydrate (24g) and it is low GI, the resulting insulin response should not be too high, making this ideal to be taken as a snack/meal. This is especially ideal for those on more moderate carbohydrate diets but don’t have to time to always cook meat and vegetable based meals throughout the day. Unfortunately MRP 60:30 only provides 3.6g of fat per 100g serving, which is not great considering a normal healthy meal would ideally get 25-30% of its calories from good sources of fat. For this shake to do that it would have to contain 7-10g of good fats. While the fat content is not ideal, this supplement is a lot better than many of its competitors, which usually also contain hardly any fats as well as providing mostly high GI sugary carbohydrates.

Flavours: chocolate malt, banana and malt

Sizes: 1kg (2.2lb), 2.5kg (5.51lb)

This supplement is advertised as aiding muscle growth and reducing muscle soreness as well as improving immune function. However, there is not convincing evidence that glutamine can improve gains in strength or size beyond that of normal protein supplementation (e.g. whey protein contains glutamine). L-glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning it can be produced by the body, therefore supplementation of it is unlikely to yield any positive results.

During times of extreme trauma, such as in burns victims, circulating levels of glutamine are reduced and supplementation is beneficial. However, the low level trauma/stress caused by exercise does not cause a significant enough of a decrease in glutamine levels for supplementation to be necessary or beneficial. Furthermore, supplementation of glutamine in these situations of trauma is needed because glutamine is an amino acid used by the immune system to fight infection, not because it has any specific influence on gains in size and strength.

While habitual exercise does reduce circulating glutamine levels, there is no evidence that a normal conditioning or resistance training session causes an enough of a drop for supplementation to be necessary. Glutamine may be of interest to athletes competing in extremely stressful conditions, such as ultra endurance athletes (e.g. tour de France) where the immune system can become so compromised that supplementation is necessary.

Sizes: 100g (0.22lb), 500g (1.10lb), 1kg (2.20lb)