Supplement Review: MuscleTech Hardcore Pro Series

For more than a decade, Team MuscleTech™ researchers have bridged the gap between the scientific community and muscle physiology, successfully partnering with researchers from universities around the world to develop products that have all the top ingredients. Team MuscleTech has led the path for many years, being the true innovators in supplement research by having each product that's released undergo the scientific, peer review process- validating its effectiveness.

Here is the amazing part that separates MuscleTech from other companies: "A portion of every single dollar spent on MuscleTech supplements goes back into supporting its research and development efforts, which includes funding clinical trials." Why buy a product if you don't even know if it's going to work?

Driven by that same ambition to build the best sports supplements in the industry, Team MuscleTech has done it again! They've re-engineered three of the industry's most popular supplement categories- protein, creatine and pre-workout- with three of their greatest innovations to date. Introducing the new Hardcore Pro Series line- Nitro-Tech^® Hardcore Pro Series, Cell-Tech™ Hardcore Pro Seriesand naNO Vapor^® Hardcore Pro Series.

The new Hardcore Pro Series line is a testament to the Team MuscleTech commitment to science, research and quality. Years in the making, each formula is powered by key ingredients that have been scientifically validated to increase muscle size, strength and performance.

In recent months, science has revealed that supplement stacking can enhance gains in muscle mass and strength, compared to the use of a single supplement. The use of nutrient synergism can create a far more potent response than consumption of a single ingredient. The Hardcore Pro Series was created to maximize the anabolic effects of nutrient synergism. For example, the use of creatine (i.e., Cell-Tech Hardcore Pro Series) combined with whey protein (i.e., Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Series) causes greater increases in muscle mass and strength compared to either one alone.¹ Let's take a look at the science behind these products.

Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Series

Muscle hypertrophy can only occur when muscle protein synthesis is exceeding protein breakdown for a prolonged period of time. Protein breakdown is stimulated to a greater extent than protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Therefore, if you neglect to take a pre- or post-workout protein shake, the absence of food intake after resistance exercise will result in a negative nitrogen balance.² Nutrient timing of protein is not just important but essential for muscle hypertrophy. Many bodybuilders think that any whey protein will do the trick, but Nitro-Tech Hardcore ProSeriesis more than just a whey protein shake.

Nitro-Tech^® Hardcore Pro Series is different from other whey proteins due to its faster delivery system, and an added insulin and nitric oxide-enhancing formula. A unique feature of Nitro-Tech^® Hardcore Pro Series is that it contains Insulogen^®, a complex of anabolic insulin drivers designed to support insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, and Nitroxen^®, an amplified nitric oxide accelerator designed to support nitric oxide production and increase blood flow.

Nitro-Tech^® Hardcore Pro Serieswhey protein is just about the most anabolic drink you can consume. Many bodybuilders may think the anabolic properties of whey protein are strictly due to its high essential amino acid (EAA) content, but researchers recently reported that whey protein resulted in greater anabolic effects than EAA when compared dose-per-dose. The study reported that EAAs are not solely responsible for the anabolic properties of whey protein. The researchers concluded that (whole) whey protein consumption is greater than the sum of its parts (EAA) or effects beyond that of just the amino acid content. The researchers hypothesized that the increase in the plasma concentration of the amino acid cysteine from whey protein, which has previously been found to augment muscle protein anabolism, may have enhanced muscle protein synthesis.⁶ So whey protein has added benefits for increasing muscle nitrogen over amino acids alone.

Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Seriesprovides 25 percent more protein per serving than the previous Nitro-Tech Hardcore version, and the advanced protein component delivers 11 grams of leucine and 13 grams of additional BCAAs in each maxed-out daily dose.

Whey protein has been the 'gold standard' supplement of choice for increasing muscle hypertrophy. Many the top protein synthesis researchers recommend consumption of whey protein both pre- and post-exercise for optimal gains in muscle hypertrophy. One study demonstrated that consumption of a whey protein shake pre- and post-exercise resulted in a gain in lean muscle mass that was almost double that of a control group.

In the study, resistance-trained males were randomly matched for strength, completed a fully-supervised 10-week resistance exercise program and consumed whey protein isolates immediately before and after resistance exercise. The second group consumed the same dose of the same supplement in the morning and late evening (times that were at least four to five hours outside of training). Not only did the group consuming whey protein isolates make greater gains in muscle mass, but they also demonstrated greater improvements in one-repetition maximum strength, which were supported by a greater increase in hypertrophy of the type II fibers and muscle contractile protein content in this group.³

Every two scoops contain over 10,000 milligrams of the powerful combination of ingredients, and this potent formula forces rapid and dramatic muscle gains! In a six-week collaborative, double-blind study by researchers from University of Saskatchewan and St. Francis Xavier University, 36 test subjects with at least three years of weight-training experience were selected to be a part of a comparative muscle-building investigation. Test subjects using the core formula in Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Series packed on more muscle (8.8 vs. 5.1 pounds) than subjects using whey protein. In this same six-week study, subjects taking the core formula in Nitro-Tech Hardcore Pro Series increased their bench press by 143 percent (34 vs. 14 pounds) more than subjects using whey protein; the placebo group only gained 16 pounds.

Cell-Tech™ Hardcore Series

Creatine is rapidly becoming the most sought-after ingredient on the market for increasing strength and size. Creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance IGF-1 activity in muscle after exercise⁴ and has also been shown to increase satellite cell activation.⁵ The Cell-Tech Hardcore Pro Series contains scientifically-engineered formulas specifically designed to maximize creatine delivery and uptake. These exclusive formulas consist of four supersaturating creatine and insulin matrices. Crea-Edge™ is a hardcore anabolic creatine matrix designed to maximize muscle growth and strength gains. Osmodrol™ is a hyperosmotic cell volumizer that's specifically designed to maximize cell hydration. Lipoic-Tech™, is a saturation-optimizer designed to enhance insulin sensitivity. Insulodrive™ is an accelerated insulin-release formula to specifically increase insulin surge to enhance creatine uptake.

With Cell-Tech Hardcore Pro Series, you'll get visibly bigger, fuller, harder and stronger than ever- as you fill your frame with pounds of granite-hard muscle! The patent-protected

formula is engineered with a monstrous 10,000 milligrams of creatine, a precise 75 grams of insulin-spiking dextrose and 200 milligrams of alpha-lipoic acid to increase the potential for intra-muscular creatine absorption!

Cell-Tech Hardcore Pro Series has a core formula so potent that in a 28-day study, subjects gained 26 times more mass than those using creatine alone (4.34 vs. 0.16 pounds). Even more impressive, one test subject actually gained an extraordinary 7 pounds in only seven days!

naNO Vapor™ Hardcore Pro Series

naNO Vapor™ Hardcore Pro Series is a nitric oxide-boosting, muscle-enhancing pre-workout energy drink mix. To load your body with the vital anabolic compounds necessary for growth, your pre-workout meal should be consumed an hour to an hour and a half before, and should consist of a quickly-absorbing protein source with a small serving of complex carbohydrates. The next step is to trigger maximum blood vessel vasodilatation to increase the flow of nutrient-rich blood to muscles. The problem with regular nitric oxide products is that they're limited in their ability to induce rapid vasodilatation. You need a formula that starts working quickly, so you are jacked after you blast-out your first few sets, not halfway through your workout. naNO Vapor™ Hardcore Pro Series eliminates the problem of slow-acting nitric oxide formulas by setting the stage for a surge of anabolic-rich blood that is forced through your blood vessels directly to your muscles, igniting skin-splitting pumps.

naNO Vapor^™ Hardcore Pro Series formula was designed with powerful blends that work synergistically to activate physiological systems crucial to muscle growth. With its zero wait-time formula, naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series is scientifically-engineered to deliver an advanced, physiologically-activated approach to muscle-building. naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series is not for the part-time, recreational or wannabe bodybuilder. Nothing has been designed to hit you like one dose of naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series- the World's Strongest Vaso-Anabolic Psychoactive Experience.^™

Now it's only a matter of time before copycat products start popping up all over the place, trying to counterfeit the extremely powerful, one-of-a-kind naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series formula. Keep your eyes open for these wannabes and don't get fooled into thinking their second-rate formulas will ever deliver the type of massive increases in muscle and strength that naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series forces with each and every hit.

naNO Vapor™ Hardcore Pro Series delivers advanced anabolic growth factors, a unique neuro-amplifying matrix, cutting-edge thermogenic compounds, potent cell-volumizing complexes, and a powerful blend of vasodilators. The main component of naNO Vapor™ Hardcore Pro Series is its huge proprietary blend of ingredients. naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series has over 50 different muscle-enhancing ingredients. Armed with state-of-the-art Nano-Diffuse™ technology, a precise portion of key compounds in the naNO Vapor™ Hardcore Pro Series formula are drastically reduced to a size designed to rapidly increase the rate of absorption.

Case in point- in a controlled, independent scientific study conducted at the University of São Paulo, subjects consuming just two of the multiple, key ingredients in the new naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series formula gained eight times more muscle than control subjects in just eight weeks (3.72 vs. 0.41 pounds)! That's an incredible result- eight times more real muscle in only eight weeks. How many pre-workout supplements can do that? Researchers in this third-party study theorized that one of the key ingredients in this complex increased the stimulus of intense training- enhancing muscle gains.

In other university studies, another key ingredient in the new naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series formula was shown to stimulate the release of catecholamines, trigger extreme mental focus and crank up strength by 18.3 percent! This was scientifically shown in a third-party, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study in which subjects taking a key ingredient in naNO Vapor Hardcore Pro Series increased strength on the chest press by 18.3 percent compared to when using a placebo.

For more information about the MuscleTech products, please go to www.musculardevelopmentstore.com/muscletech.html.

References:

1. Cribb PJ, Williams AD, Stathis CG, Carey MF, Hayes A. Effects of whey isolate, creatine, and resistance training on muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2007 Feb;39(2):298-307.

2. Fujita S, Rasmussen BB, Cadenas JG, et al. Effect of insulin on human skeletal muscle protein synthesis is modulated by insulin-induced changes in muscle blood flow and amino acid availability. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2006; 291:E745-E754.

3. Cribb PJ, Hayes A. Effect of supplement-timing and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2006; 38:1918-1925.

4. Deldicque L, Louis M, Theisen D, Nielens H, Dehoux M, Thissen JP, Rennie MJ, Francaux M. Increased IGF mRNA in human skeletal muscle after creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2005 May;37(5):731-6.

5. Olsen S, Aagaard P, Kadi F, Tufekovic G, Verney J, Olesen JL, Suetta C, Kjaer M. Creatine supplementation augments the increase in satellite cell and myonuclei number in human skeletal muscle induced by strength training. J Physiol, 2006 Jun 1;573(Pt 2):525-34. 2006 Sep 15;575(Pt 3):971.

6. Christos S. Katsanos, David L. Chinkes, Douglas Paddon-Jones, Xiao-jun Zhang, Asle Aarsland, Robert R. Wolfe. Amino Acids Whey protein ingestion in elderly persons results in greater muscle protein accrual than ingestion of its constituent essential amino acid content. Nutr Res, Volume 28, 2008. Pages 651-65.