The PricePlow Podcast

Brian Ikalina, also known as “Ike”, has joined Alpha Prime Supps! In this episode, Brian discusses his transition and plans for the growing brand! Video: Watch Brian Ikalina talk about joining Team Alpha Prime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQAeyMmhzjg Earlier, we named Alpha Prime Supps as 2021’s brand to watch, so we’re expecting big things out of Ike!

Ben is joined by Revive MD‘s Dr. Domenic Iacovone to discuss the Revive MD’s present and future. Dr. Dom has a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Microbiology and went to Atlanta to get his Doctorate, completing his residency at the Synergy Sports Institute which is utilized by NFL players. With such a background, he’s always trying to be innovative, and this episode shows just how much he’s committing to that. Dr. Dom is extremely excited to announce Revive MD is now providing blood tests for free to those with insurance and heavily discounted for those without insurance The video and audio feeds are below, with more show notes after that: Video: Watch Dr. Domenic Iacovone Talk About Revive MD’s Future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYoFRlk0MG4 More than just a supplement brand, Revive MD is one of the only fully franchised medical facilities in the world, and every facility has an MD, a nurse practitioner, and a full-time nurse. They go where your standard primary care office is afraid to go, and where some are afraid to ask. For instance, they’re not just a company providing hormones, they offer a myriad of additional services beside hormone replacement such as non-surgical facelifts, stem cell therapy, IV vitamin therapy, weight loss hormone replacement therapy, and more. Dr. Domenic explains that they staff physical therapists, and chiropractors. Big on peptide therapy However, Revive MD does not push hormones heavily, and is very big on peptide therapy. They’re also very big on non-controlled substances to push the body to do what it’s naturally supposed to do in the first place. Revive MD is research and science driven, but they work with athletes, and are coming hard at the “legal performance enhancement” side of the game. Will Wallace hired on As they’re moving towards the future as an extremely unique company in the industry, Revive MD hired Will Wallace from Life Extension, who is worth his weight in gold. They continue to move very talented people to Florida, and Dr. Dom strives to ensure their entire business is built on education and intellectuals. Looking to the future, Dr. Dom wants to be better than a brick and mortar store, he wants to be a “Whole Foods” of his niche. He doesn’t mind the brick and mortar model, but his vision for Revive MD is bigger than that. They are planning some very exciting things for the future and will release products to brick and mortar before they are released to the public. They also have a goal of supporting small businesses, which is critical in 2021. Additionally, Revive MD is working and collaborating with several professional athletes along with Will Wallace to bring out a big release that will be divulged at a later date. This was a phenomenal episode, and we can’t wait to hear more from Dr. Iacovone and his partner at Revive MD and RAW Nutrition, elite bodybuilding coach Matt Jansen. Subscribe to our audio feed above, see more episodes on the main PricePlow Podcast page, and sign up for both Revive MD and RAW Nutrition alerts on PricePlow – much more to come!

In February of 2021, Dan Lourenco, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Lifestyle, jumped back on the PricePlow Podcast. Hot off the heels of episode #035, where he discussed updates to Ghost Energy, this was a far different episode talking about one thing only: supplements in esports, also known as “gaming supplements”. Dan gives a world of credit to G-FUEL, the “OG” gaming supplement, but talks about the difference with Ghost Gamer, which uses the clinically-studied nootropic gaming ingredient, NooLVL from Nutrition21. What’s great about NooLVL is that it’s been studied on real gamers playing modern games, unlike other nootropic studies done on the elderly in cognitive decline. The conversation steers towards how gaming saved the mental sanity for so many in 2020, and in the business world, is becoming the modern and younger version of golfing for meetings. Video: Watch Dan talk about Gaming and Esports Supplements https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxm-FVElSxQ After a pivotal year for Ghost launching Gamer and partnering with XSET, Dan has a lot of momentum in the e-sports category. Listen to the episode above to get a taste of what’s coming, and how both Ghost and XSET are transcending their own demographics.

Meet Greg Helton, the new President of Nutra Innovations, a manufacturer-backed supplement company with some powerful products that Greg’s been chartered to rebrand and rebuild from the ground up! In this episode, we hear about Greg’s background, where he talks about his 8+ year history in the sports supplement industry. In college, he worked with various brands as a freelancer, and then became the Chief Marketing Officer of MuscleSport. There, he was in charge of the entire family of brands (which also includes Kodiak) and stayed close to the manufacturing process to ensure consistency. In 2021, Greg moved on to Nutra Innovations, with big plans detailed lower down, and still has the benefits of being backed by a manufacturer. Listen on the PricePlow Podcast audio feeds or see the video below: Watch our interview with Greg Helton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LQvTeA7Uyg Greg’s Favorite Supplements: The Nutra Innovations Pre Workouts Greg is most excited about the Epitome pre workout (blog post soon to come) alongside 24HR Pump, a stimulant-free pump supplement. In a full 21.6g scoop of Epitome, there’s three forms of caffeine (totaling 400mg caffeine), a full clinical 1.5g dosage of Nitrosigine, and plenty of added stimulants such as advanced forms of PEA and a heavy-hitting dose of alpha yohimbine. To put it simply, a full scoop of Epitome is not for rookies! The brand plan Greg discusses his mission for Nutra Innovations, emphasizing that he will be building a culture, bringing on ambassadors, collaborating with other brands and ambassadors, but will also focus on brick & mortar partnerships. They discuss the survival of 2020 and how to move forward in 2021, especially for the retail stores. Follow Greg and Nutra Innovations on PricePlow and Social Media You can follow the brand’s revamped Instagram feed on @NutraInnovation and Greg’s personal Instagram at @TheSuppWolf.

Join Kenton Engel as he jumps on the PricePlow Podcast to discuss some of the demographics of the supplement industry, and how they may be holding the sports nutrition industry back from what it’s truly capable of: Check out our interview with Kenton below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_3zi2PNA1M Or see the audio feeds on the PricePlow Podcast: In this episode, Kenton gives his opinion about the supplement industry’s limit on funding, innovation, and growth due to our relation to the pharmaceutical industry. He explains where changes need to be if the industry wants to grow as a community. Using the big 5 personality test, Kenton talks about common traits in leaders of different industries and specifically looks at our industry. Kenton’s Supplement Workings Kenton is known for his work at the following three companies: CORE Nutritionals ‘Merica Labz Arms Race Nutrition A big thanks to Kenton! Be sure to subscribe to the feeds above, and to go to the three pages above and sign up for alerts if you’re interested in following the three brands. The rest of our podcast episodes are listed on our PricePlow Podcast page.

On January 15th, 2021, Ben spoke with the new 212 Mr. Olympia and NutraBio athlete, Shaun “Giant Killer” Clarida. In just under 25 minutes, they cover various topics, such as: Shaun’s history in bodybuilding How Shaun became a professional bodybuilder Shaun’s relationship with his coach, Matt Jansen, and John “Mountain Dog” Meadows Diet Training Supplementation How Shaun overcame the naysayers to become the 2020 212 Mr. Olympia …and more. The best part is how Shaun loved the process the entire way up. This wasn’t just about social media fame, it was about truly loving the sport. Check out PricePlow’s exclusive interview with Shaun below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESnS9oQR7xI Or see the audio feeds on the PricePlow Podcast: Shaun Clarida’s Top NutraBio Supplements Shaun joined Team NutraBio in February of 2020. Much like the way NutraBio has disrupted things up for their larger competitors, Shaun is known as “The Giant Killer” due to his picture-perfect symmetry and conditioning take down other bigger and taller competitors. He’s one of the top 212 Pro Bodybuilders and hails from New Jersey, NutraBio’s home base, making the duo a perfect match – especially since both train without compromise. Some of Shaun’s favorite NutraBio supplements are: 100% Whey Protein Isolate (especially ice cream cookie dream) Muscle Matrix Extreme Mass (primarily in the off-season) PRE Stimulant-Free Alpha EAA Learn more from our 2020 article announcing when Shaun Clarida joined NutraBio, celebrate Shaun’s win with NutraBio’s limited-edition Shaun Clarida 100% Whey Isolate Ice Cream Cookie Dream tub, and read The NutraBio Story to see the parallels between Shaun and his sponsor. Congratulations once again to Shaun and the whole team at NutraBio!

In late December 2020, Team PricePlow connected to record our 2020 Supplement Industry Awards. You can listen to a one long podcast (subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast using the links below) or watch each separate video on YouTube below. Enjoy and congratulations to all companies that were discussed! 2020 Supplement Industry Recap It goes without saying that 2020 was a wild year. But what did that mean for the supplement industry? What brands (and stores) were best-positioned, and which ones weren’t? Before getting into specific awards, Team PricePlow discusses the year at large in their 2020 supplement industry recap video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEXV0M4RS8E 2020 Brand of the Year: Ghost This year, there really wasn’t much of an argument. One brand stood above all others in terms of impact on the industry, with a ton of extremely strong product and flavor launches on a consistent basis. That brand was GHOST Lifestyle. With everything ranging from incredibly-formulated skin care support (Ghost Glow) to multivitamins (Ghost Multi) and greens (Ghost Greens) to incredible Ghost Whey protein flavors (and even their High Protein Hot Cocoa Mix) to energy drinks (Ghost Energy) and a gaming supplement (Ghost Gamer), this brand really came of age in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbHXAbccRSw Ghost was the topic of conversation with nearly every other brand, and they were clearly ready to run the table, regardless of whatever else happened in 2020. At this clip, expect the same, if not more, in 2021. In terms of the competition, we loved NutraBio’s community outreach with their First Response initiative, and one thing we realized over the course of the rest of our filming was that CORE Nutritionals made a solid case for themselves as well, as did the brand discussed next: 2020 Breakout Brand of the Year: Glaxon At the end of 2019, we said that Glaxon would be the “Brand to Watch in 2020” (YouTube video here), and that was right on the money. Simply put, the “Goons” broke out. A brand that made some noise at the end of 2019 with a very hard-hitting Specimen pre workout started making waves in the retail scene, and it was clear they were on to something. They were putting out strong and very uniquely formulated supplements that simply kicked. And it only got better over the course of the year, as you can see on our Glaxon News page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TI5YZMOTEo Other potentials were the Revive MD…… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

On New Year’s Eve, Mike and Ben spoke with The Guerrilla Chemist (TGC), the co-founder and CEO of Chemix Lifestyle, who specializes in formulations and product development. As discussed in our first podcast episode with The Guerrilla Chemist, TGC is a bona-fide chemist and one of the most well-respected formulators in the industry due to his intensive background in education. With a Masters of Science in both organic and biochemistry from the University of Central Florida and Georgia Tech, TGC is the real deal. We discuss how Chemix Lifestyle did in 2020 and his process in formulating, innovating, and sourcing his wild and unique dietary supplement ingredients. If you want to learn more about TGC, follow him on Instagram (@theguerrillachemist) because he consistently posts in-depth ingredient explanations and so much more. In just under two hours, they covered several different and intriguing topics including: Ligand types How ligand types affect the bioavailability and efficacy of dietary supplement ingredients The Guerrilla Chemist’s formulation process Where TGC finds his unique and rare ingredients Chemix Cortibloc Chemix Natabolic Chemix GDA Chemix Nootropic The future for Chemix Lifestyle The Guerrilla Chemist’s new IP and potential patented ingredients Shawn Wells and many of the new NNB Nutrition ingredients Mike introduces tetrahydrocurcumin (trademarked CurcuPrime) to TGC Check out the Full January 2020 PricePlow Exclusive Interview With TGC from Chemix! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtrgpkl3zxI Check out our Chemix page to sign up for news alerts and save, listen to our first podcast with Guerrilla Chemist, and see all PricePlow Podcast episodes!

In December of 2020, we got the chance to speak with Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, co-founders of Ghost. In just over an hour, they covered several interesting topics, including: Ghost Energy launch Ghost Energy V2 (new packaging, formula, and flavor!) Ghost 2020 recap (how Ghost overcame several obstacles to make 2020 the best year yet) Ghost 2020 stats How Ghost values partnerships even during times of hardships What the future of sports nutrition retail may look like Ghost’s plans for 2021 (V2 edition of Ghost’s sports nutrition line!) Ben’s thoughts on Legend V2 A higher stim Ghost Legend Ghost’s entrance into Canada Other brands copying Ghost Needless to say, this is a podcast that you don’t want to miss, so make sure that you stay tuned until the very end! Check Out the Full December 2020 PricePlow Exclusive Interview with Dan and Ryan at Ghost! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TjnHHMQzCg Key Timestamps (0:48) – How Ghost Energy V1 performed (4:45) – Unexpected challenges with the launch of Ghost Energy (18:00) – Ghost Energy V2 (new formula and the next flavor!) (23:00) – Did Ghost consider using any other nootropic based ingredients in Ghost Energy? (24:10) – Why Ghost switched to two-tone packaging for Ghost Energy (25:30) – 2020 Recap (Gamer, Glow, Greens, Multi, Bubblicious, Nutter Butter) (37:00) – 2020 Ghost Stats (39:00) – Ghost Canada (the challenges of going international) (41:00) – Dan’s thoughts on brands copying Ghost or wanting to be the next “Ghost” (42:50) – How did GNC’s bankruptcy and COVID affect Ghost? (45:00) – The importance of partnerships and Ghost’s decision to be exclusive (51:00) – The future of sports nutrition retail (will Ghost ever be in large chains like Walmart or Target?) (53:21) – Ghost 2021 (Sports Nutrition V2: Ghost Legend V2, Ghost Size V2, Ghost Pump V2, New flavor collaborations, more Ghost Energy, Protein RTDs, and Functional Foods) (55:33) – Ben’s thoughts and feedback on Ghost Legend V2 (what you can expect) (58:20) – A higher stim Ghost Legend on the way? (1:01:03) – Dan and Ryan’s closing thoughts As always, check out our Ghost News page and sign up for notifications to get new product news, coupons, and price drop alerts. Links to subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast are above. Ghost Energy is listed below, and you can learn more about it at our Ghost Energy blog post.

When looking for an additional boost in energy, we often turn to stimulants and other supplements to provide a jolt. While this usually does the trick temporarily, how often do we take a step back and ask why we needed the kickstart to begin with? Maybe the previous night’s sleep wasn’t great, or a tough week at work or in the gym have left us feeling drained. What if the cause runs deeper than situational circumstances, though? What if, biologically, the body isn’t efficiently producing the energy it so desperately needs? The human body is an extremely complex system. It houses 78 different organs, each of which have unique responsibilities, plus countless pathways/complexes that dictate overall functioning. Containing over 37 trillion cells, this vessel is incredibly complicated – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be understood. At a high level, the human body is effectively a machine, complete with power-generating mechanisms and supportive structures that ultimately enable efficient operation. Every component in the body is important in its own right, but for the purposes of this post, we’d like to hone in one particular piece that is central to optimal functioning – the mitochondria Meet the mitochondrion: the center of it all Mitochondria act as energy converters at the cellular level. They take in chemical energy via food and transform it into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source that cells need to operate. This fuel is used for virtually every bodily function there is, making the efficient firing of the mitochondria absolutely imperative for our health. Mitochondria vs. Mitochondrion?! Note that mitochondria is actually plural for mitochondrion. One mitochondrion, multiple mitochondria. These tenses are often used incorrectly, although we are generally talking about all mitochondria in the body and not just a single one. However, outside factors can negatively influence the mitochondria, reducing their energy production and the functioning of the body itself. There are ways to right this ship, though. We can provide the body with what it needs to make mitochondria more efficient in creating clean energy. Ensuring these converters are firing on all cylinders can have a massive impact on your overall health, thanks to a steady supply of clean energy that’s sustainable for longevity. In this post, we’re going to dive into everything you need to know in regards to mitochondrial function — what they are, how they work, and what can influence them. We’ll also discuss some sports supplements ingredients that we think have some real potential to optimize the mitochondria, some of which can be amplified when used synergistically. As always, make sure you’re subscribed to PricePlow for the latest news and deals in the sports supplements industry. Also, be sure to check out our social media pages on YouTube and Instagram for supplement reviews and interviews. What are the mitochondria? Before we get into the different ways to optimize the mitochondria, we need to take things back to high school biology and discuss what they are. Mitochondria are organelles housed within cells of almost all eukaryotic organisms, from humans to plants. Their main function is to convert chemical energy, ingested as food, into a form of usable cellular energy. Without these organelles, the cells would struggle greatly to perform their necessary operations. Cells that demand higher amounts of energy, such as human liver cells, can contain up to as many as 2,000 mitochondria. These rod-shaped structures are the batteries that make living possible. Origin and structure Despite their importance within their home, mitochondria didn’t always take up residency in cell… Read more on the PricePlow Blog