The PricePlow Podcast

On October 9th, 2021, we sat down with Marc Lobliner, Chief Marketing Officer of TigerFitness and CEO of MTS Nutrition. Most recently, Marc is the inventor of the Outright Bar and Outright Breakfast Bar, and Ben traveled to Tennessee to discuss the history of the product and the unique advantages of its key protein-boosting ingredient, Velositol. Marc walks us through the thought process that led him to the formulation of the Outright Breakfast Bar, which he intended to be a “whole food protein bar” that could serve as a meal replacement, and help sustain athletes during long games by giving them a balanced macronutrient intake and good digestion. Listen to him explain why Velositol, which enhances the uptake of post-workout protein and increases muscle protein synthesis, was key to designing a bar that could fill this variety of needs. Talking Velositol, Outright Breakfast Bars, and More with Marc Lobliner Marc gives us some great insights on how a product can be formulated for the widest possible appeal. For Marc, this began as an emphasis on child nutrition — the idea for the Outright Bar was conceived during one of his daughter’s soccer matches, where Marc wanted to feed her something that would enhance her performance, but realized that the bars available to him were all going to detract from it. Then we pick his brain on the safety profile of Nutrition 21’s Velositol (spoiler alert: it’s very safe), and the general risks associated with being an innovator who’s the first one to market a new ingredient. Finally, Marc gives us some great thoughts on marketing a product and running a company, and what to look for when you consider buying someone else’s product. He also gives us some sage advice for anyone who wants to start a company of their own. If you enjoyed hearing from Marc as much as we did, check out the Outright Bar at our affiliate links below, and read our articles titled Velositol: The Missing Link for Protein Bars and Velositol: Enhancing Muscle Protein Synthesis with Science. More details from the conversation: Why Velositol in outright bars? Ben: over time, the protein content of “protein bars” has gone down Marc: Outright Bar was designed to be a “whole food” protein bar — something with a good mix of different macros and natural ingredients, as opposed to existing products which were full of gut irritants such as glycerol and prebiotic fiber, or caused blood sugar swings Velositol chosen to make Outright Breakfast Bars “better than breakfast” as a meal replacement, not just a supplemental protein snack — increases bioavailability of protein and gives it a longer, more even rate of digestion Because Velositol increases the uptake of protein, it allows one to use less protein but get the same effect Cuts costs Also helps people who can’t eat big meals in the morning, since Velositol decreases your protein requirements Outright Bar launched in 2018 Launched as individually wrapped product Marc: My original goal was to earn enough for my family to eat Outright bars for free T… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

On September 13, 2021, Raw Nutrition announced that they added a new partner to their ownership team — the 2019 and 2020 Classic Physique Mr. Olympia himself, Chris Bumstead! Chris had already been a sponsored athlete on the Revive MD team, and we covered his story (and his love for Revive MD Kidney) in an earlier athlete profile titled Chris Bumstead: “The Comeback Kid”. Now, however, he’s making his biggest move yet, joining Dr. Domenic Iacovone and Matt Jansen as co-owners of Raw Nutrition! In this episode of the PricePlow Podcast, we interview the three men and talk about their story, their plans for the brand, and what’s going to happen to Chris’ CBUM product line. We’re extremely grateful for this interview, since Chris is just 8 days out from Mr. Olympia! Video: Join Chris Bumstead, Matt Jansen, and Dr. Dom Iacovone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCOJiMVgHSU Update: The Raw Nutrition CBUM Thavage Pre Workout is now out! Additional Notes Chris parted ways very amicably with his former sponsor, Jacked Factory. Since they were already in the process of developing the CBUM product line, they decided to share the labels and for the first manufacturing run, both companies would donate profits to two different canine charities, since everyone involved are dog lovers. Upon joining Raw Nutrition, one of his first tasks was to reduce the price of Raw Pre Extreme, which his fans stated was too expensive. Chris actually reads his comments, and wants to pull his community into the Raw Nutrition picture. Matt and Dom talk about the decision, the collaboration, and how they’ve turned their facility into the elite training crew of this generation. We’ll also learn about Chris’ supplement stack (he loves his beta alanine, still uses Revive MD Kidney, and has plenty of others to share), learn his favorite snack recipes, get some dog stories, and more. You can follow Chris on Instagram at @cbum and Raw Nutrition @getrawnutrition, and sign up for our Raw Nutrition alerts below so that you don’t miss any news when the products drop! We definitely expect to have Dr. Dom and/or Matt back on in the future, so subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast too.

Welcome to Season 2 of the PricePlow Podcast! Mike and Ben get together for a long-overdue podcast to catch up on 2021 and to kick off Season 2 of the PricePlow Podcast! We talk about several topics, including: The economy Hiring help at PricePlow Product Launches of 2021 What’s coming in Q4-2021 and 2022 Immunity, metabolic health, and dealing in dystopia FDA Enforcement (or lack thereof) Stimulants and caffeine detoxes Upcoming guests Video: Listen to Mike and Ben catch up on 2021 and discuss the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeJxO6Nwg-o Topics Covered in Detail Mike begins by mentioning who he’s interested in reaching, and speaks of “The Remnant”, which is an idea from Isaiah’s Job. They catch up and discuss the following: The economy Are supplements safe? Will our supply chains stay in tact? How bad will things get? Will we be able to safely hire someone (see next point)? Later on we also discuss the state of “hyperinflation” we’re seeing in the economy and how Millennials like Ben have been priced out of the housing market for now. Will it come back down to earth? Hiring at PricePlow We’re going to be looking for a like-minded individual who’s autonomous, zealous about supplements, and a great technical writer. The job’s not posted yet, but would love to hear from anyone with the following qualities: Incredible technical writer 11/10 in terms of organization Can post in WordPress (training provided) Can manage and engage our YouTube channel (training provided) Can post contest giveaways via Buffer (training provided) Contact us if you’re interested! Product Launches of 2021 We’ve been very impressed with the new Performax Labs rebrand, Unbound, everything Ghost has done for their year of the V2, ingredient launches at NNB Nutrition like ergothioneine, how much Doug Miller (Episode #050) is keeping us busy at CORE / Merica / Arms Race, how Dr. Dom Iacovone and Matt Jansen are literally taking over bodybuilding and bringing Raw Nutrition and Revive MD with them, and far more. Don’t sleep on Kaged lately either! Immunity, metabolic health, and dealing in dystopia Mike’s immunity stack for the “dark winter”: Zinc (either OptiZinc or Zinc Bisglycinate) Quercetin (zinc ionophore, green tea extract could also work) – Mike uses ForestLeaf Quercetin Bromelain, which also has Vitamin C Olive leaf extract (cheap way to inhibit ACE2 docking) … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Doug Miller of CORE Nutritionals, Merica Labz, Merica Energy, and Arms Race Nutrition joins up with Team PricePlow to discuss some hot news in the supplement industry – supply chain woes and the rising prices of protein – especially dairy protein. Since this was Doug’s first time on the PricePlow Podcast, he gives a full introduction, with his background and entrance to the supplement industry. It all began with Core MRP, a meal replacement that didn’t contain Maltodextrin (a very rare thing 15 years ago), and as Doug’s bodybuilding career advanced, Core Nutritionals did as well. Then, we get into the meat of the conversation, which has to do with rising protein prices, and how the CORE team is responding to the issues in the supply chain: Video: Listen to Doug Miller discuss Core Nutritionals, supply chain, and protein prices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePB6L3n8CCo “Figure it out” Beyond that, we also discuss CORE’s move to North Carolina, how working with the team involves a lot of “figuring it out”, and how everyone has to work multiple jobs until new full-time positions are made. Once prompted, Doug also explains the type of person he hires – he doesn’t look for education or training, but a mentality. Doug is incredibly open and honest in this episode, especially regarding the pricing issues, which many brands are hiding. He also makes it very clear that this was the option of last resort Finally, don’t miss some of the discussion on pre workout supplements, where we discuss how much we’ve been liking the new Merica Labz Red, White, & BOOM. Sign up for news alerts on all of Doug’s brands: CORE Nutritionals Merica Labz Merica Energy Arms Race Nutrition Use PricePlow to Save on CORE Nutritionals Supplements Use PricePlow to Save on Merica Labz Supplements Use PricePlow to Save on Arms Race Nutrition Supplements

One of the most popular dietary supplement ingredients on the planet — especially in terms of metabolic health — is berberine. Today we discuss a new ingredient that actually makes berberine obsolete. Berberine is a powerful plant alkaloid that improves the body’s insulin response, with large amounts of scientific research showing significant improvements to insulin sensitivity, fasting glucose levels, HbA1c reduction, nutrient partitioning, and far more. It’s even outperformed pharmaceutical drugs. We’ve covered berberine in detail in the article linked above, ultimately finding that while it’s the most impressive ingredient in any blood sugar supplement or glucose disposal agent, it has drawbacks, which include high doses required and GI distress. Both of those problems are solved with one of its derivatives that we specifically cover in this article: dihydroberberine. Think berberine is good? Take a look at dihydroberberine Research suggests that dihydroberberine is up to six times better than standard berberine, bringing incredible effects at lower doses — and fewer side effects. In this article, we assume you have knowledge of berberine’s effects (if not, you can see our berberine article linked above), but jump directly into discussion of this dihydro form. It’s sold as GlucoVantage from NNB Nutrition, one of the supplement industry’s most promising novel ingredient developers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdaS8QsGaV4 Audio Podcast Version and Free Subscription Options Burn fat, not sugar The world of diet and fat loss can be overwhelming, but one quick rule to live by is this: when you’re burning sugar, you’re not burning fat. In fact, we’ve known for decades that when either blood glucose levels or insulin levels are elevated, fat oxidation significantly slows. If these levels remain elevated for too long, we introduce insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, which brings with it a myriad of diseases. This isn’t to say that we’re against foods like carbohydrates that raise blood sugar (and insulin) levels, because we’re not. Instead, it means that we need to get our carbs to where we want them (muscle tissue!) and get back to a fat-metabolizing state as soon as possible. Berberine, and to a greater extent, dihydroberberine, make that happen better and faster. We of course still recommend a healthy diet low in refined carbs and void of industrial processed seed oils high in omega-6. But with the above supplemental strategy (which is highlighted in our main berberine article), we can remain more insulin-sensitive, and less likely to be as toxic with sugar and insulin in our blood stream wreaking havoc. With that goal in mind, we can talk about a new, more-efficient way to achieve it, all while avoiding the massive doses (1.5 grams per day!) and gastrointestinal distress that can be brought by standard, low-bioavailability berberine: What is dihydroberberine? Dihydroberberine (DHB) is one of the 17 metabolites of berberine, and a major part of the greater berberine life cycle as the body metabolizes it. Structurally, it’s a hydrogenated metabolite of berberine, which itself has markedly better oral bioavailability than berberine itself. The berberine end-around play The concern, at this point, is that if you take the more-bioavailable dihydroberberine, do you miss out on the 16 other metabolites that may have been providing some of berberine’s benefits? The answer is no, because of the way be… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Update: This new stimulant is out! It’s paraxanthine, and is marketed as “enfinity” from Shawn’s new partnership with NNB Nutrition’s Kylin Liao and a couple of other supplement innovators. Read about it in our article titled MuscleTech Reveals New Workout Stimulant: enfinity brand Paraxanthine!. Shawn Wells, Chief Science Officer of NNB Nutrition, is back on the PricePlow Podcast to talk about his new book, The Energy Formula, how he handled 2020, and most important to many of our followers… his new stimulant! We’ve had Shawn on the PricePlow Podcast several times, with many episodes revolving around specific ingredients. This one is a more general chat and in-person catch-up, but zeroes in on a few topics including the new stimulant that can replace caffeine and Shawn’s plant-based medicine experiences. Video: Shawn Wells Discusses All Things Energy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdr7hOdc4CQ You can read our The Energy Formula book review and sign up for our Shawn Wells & NNB Nutrition news alerts for when more things happen regarding Shawn or the novel ingredient supplier he works for. In the next episode, we get more specific and discuss dihydroberberine.

Darin Decker of Kaged Muscle Supplements joins Ben to catch up on an old friendship and discuss the latest and greatest in the supplement industry. This is a fantastic episode to learn some of the underpinnings of the business from a completely different angle and historical viewpoint. They begin by talking about Darin’s background, which is actually from Groupon, which then brought him to Bodybuilding.com and then on to Kaged Muscle and the supplement industry at large. This one is a must-listen for anyone who’s a customer of Kaged Muscle, an industry employee, or someone looking to enter the dietary supplement industry. More detailed notes are below, but let’s get right to the video and audio embeds on the blog: Video: Listen to Darin Decker talk about Kaged Muscle and the Supplement Industry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd_Lrnv7yo The future at Kaged Muscle: Catching up with Darin Decker In the episode, several topics are discussed, such as: Abundance mentality in the supplement industry (we all can win!) How anyone can get a job in the supplement industry Living in Boise, ID Kaged Muscle’s evolution and future goals Four products since Darin joined the company in February 2021 A sports-researched probiotic coming Hydra-Charge Amped (and electrolytes in general) Kaged Muscle Omega-3 Kaged Muscle Sleep SR (1:08:40) – Who is Kaged Muscle’s Customer? As always, you can find Kaged Muscle supplements at kagedmuscle.com/collections/all-products – be sure to use coupon code PRICEPLOW! Use PricePlow to Save on Kaged Muscle Supplements

Chris Waldrum, the well-known supplement formulation and branding expert behind Inspired Nutraceuticals, joins the PricePlow Podcast to catch up on what happened in 2019 and 2020, and what’s coming in 2021. Chris focuses on his style, new partnerships, why he put the brakes on in 2020, and some transparent formulation decisions in some of their new supplements. He then gets into plans for the rest of 2021, that start with a sold-out amino launch, a new DVST Premium Pre Workout formula that’s going to use the patented new 3D Pump Breakthrough, updated FSU, a gut health supplement, protein updates, and far more! Video: Watch Chris Waldrum Talk Inspired Nutraceuticals in 2019, 2020, and 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpEx60zCvEQ PS: Don’t miss the discussion on Inspired’s Australian RTD, which almost nobody in America has been able to achieve!

In the second episode of The PricePlow Authority Report, we invite supplement industry experts back on to discuss ongoing news in the dietary supplement industry. Today’s episode has four experts: Joey Savage – Formulator at Glaxon Kenton Engel – Consultant, Merica Labz Drew Peters – Dragon Pharma Tim Gritzman – Natural Body Inc The show kicks off with a user-posed question, and then rolls into more recent industry news. Video: Watch the Authority Report Roundtable #02 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1L9rU201N4 See some of the best supplements from Glaxon:

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The PricePlow Authority Report, a series of podcasts run on The PricePlow Podcast where we invite industry veterans to discuss the ongoing news in the supplement industry. In this first episode, we gather four expert class supplement influencers: Joey Savage – Formulator at Glaxon Kenton Engel – Consultant, Merica Labz Drew Peters – Dragon Pharma Tim Gritzman – Natural Body Inc In this first episode, the group talks a lot about involvement and regulation in the industry, with specific regards to the FDA but other regulatory arms. Video: Watch the Authority Report Roundtable #01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf3KetDulRY See some of the best supplements from Glaxon: