by admin on February 20, 2010
Black Cats are Applied Nutriceuticals new energy product. Applied Nutriceuticals (a.k.a APP NUT) is known in the supplement industry for their “no hype, just make great products and let them speak for them selves” approach. Adding to their lines of both sports and wellness products are Black Cats. Black Cats have been designed to be “The perfect energy product,” and are designed for pre-workouts, a morning coffee replacement, and for whenever the day gets long, and your feet are tired. One serving is two caps, and contains contains a 1000mg Blend of, Natural Caffeine, Cocoa Ext (25% Theobromine),Licorice Root (26% ext), Naringin (98% ext), 1,3 Dimethylamylamine, White Willow Back (25% extract), and Bioperine (95%-98% piperine). One bottle contains 60 caps, and will retail for about $19.99-23.99 or so depending on the supplier.
When I first tried Black Cats, I popped just 1 pill at about 5:45AM, on an empty stomach. Now, I’m not as heavy a stimulant user as I once was, but waking up super early has me hating and cursing my life a few days a week. For those early mornings, coffee or energy drinks, and don’t really do what I’m fully looking for. I’ve grown mostly immune to them. Imagine my surprise,when the 1 pill lasted until about 12 pm or so, then slowly faded over about 2 hours! NEVER, do I remember just 1 pill doing something like that. Keep in mind, I spent nearly 10 years in the service industry, and once upon a time used to pop Yellow Jackets with ephedra in them almost like candy. So, lets just say, I’ve been around a myriad of stims for years.
I had the opportunity to participate in an early beta test of this product in the summer of 08, and liked it a lot. That version was a balanced blend, in that it gave a solid energy boost, and a chatterbox mental up- lift feeling, that a wise guy like myself just loves.
The effect of this version is more pure energy and focus. The days I’ve taking it before work recently, I do manage do get more work done, and it’s easier for ADHD me to focus. I’ve been taking 1 pill in the morning, then another 1 about 8-9 hours later. I’m still too scared to try 2 at once. They do have a very long burn to them, rather than a quick blast then crash.
Nightlife’s Verdict: 6 Stars!!!!!! (out of 5)
The only thing that can even touch this were the early versions of Stimulant X, which are sadly no longer available. This may be the de facto best stimulant since the ephedra ban.
I really love the price of about 33 cents a cap, and the VERY long effective time. I don’t need any Starbucks, Red Bull, or anything else when I have Black Cats. I bought 1 bottle to try out, and review for this site. Be assured dear reader, that I will be buying more, and can not speak highly enough about this product. APP Nut has a tremendous winner here!
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by admin on December 23, 2009
ThermoGum, LLC is a newly launched company, that aims to “focus on the perfect combination of convenience and effectiveness” in it’s products. ThermoGum, the product, “is a revolutionary new high-powered, fat-burning sugarless gum designed to stimulate energy, enhance focus, and amplify weight loss. ThermoGum is the next generation of energy enhancing gum…..provides clean energy, intense focus, and mood boost, but without crash……(and is) designed to aid in alertness as well as fitness goals.”
Thermogum gets it’s punch from raspberry ketones, caffeine anhydrous, Cinnamon Oil, Geranium Extract, and Black Pepper Extract. It’s sweetened with Xylitol, a sugar alternative, and thus is a sugar free gum. ThermoGum comes in 10 piece packs, and retails for roughly $5.00.
The stated directions for ThermoGum are to “start with 1 piece of ThermoGum to assess tolerance. Most users will find 1 piece sufficient.” The gum it best used preworkout, during morning or afternoons lulls, and when concentration or energy is required, such as before studying, driving, or meetings/presentations.” ThermoGum’s effects last about 2 hours, so nighttime exercisers need not worry about insomnia. The minimum suggested chewing time is 20 minutes, to get all the active ingredients into the bloodstream.
When I tried it, my impression was that the taste is much like caffeine injected gum or mints. If you have tasted such a thing before, you know what I mean. The taste is supposed to be Raspberry CinnamINFERNO, and it is cinnamon, but with a bitter tang, due to the ingredients. The Raspberry didn’t make it to the show in this batch. The taste may be off putting to some, if they are two expecting Wrigley’s, or Orbit gum. My girlfriend spat it out, but then again, she doesn’t like the taste of N.O. Xplode either, and that stuff is like Kool Aid to most. Matt Pearson, one of the principals of the company, says the newer batches are much improved in the taste department.
The stimulant effects, on the other hand, are the noteworthy aspect of the gum. The first time I tried it, I didn’t read the instructions fully, and didn’t chew for the minimum 20 minutes. I’m guesstimating I got about 15 or so in. Even so, the gum provided a pleasant stim like focus, that got me very sidetracked and lost in videography forums and blogs, when I was SUPPOSED to be working. Haaaa, guess I am ADHD after all! Well, it does count as work, because I’m learning as much as possible about videography, to best utilize the equipment I ordered, so we can do videos for this site, for YOU, our community. THERE! Tangent justified! I popped a second piece, a few hours later, and the great focus continued. I will try this out as a more long term test, as the company was generous enough to send us a bunch of trial packs, and update here with my findings. Already I can see this replacing my morning joe, as I wake up at 5:30 am several days a week.
Nightlife’s Verdict: 4 stars (out of 5)
We give the ThermoGum product a 4 stars, for being a very effective, and innovative product. Early adopters, get in on this one pronto! We did deduct a bit, for the funky taste, which I will gladly give back, if the new batches show improved taste. We will give a mini update, on the new flavor, when we get a chance to taste it. In the meantime, this is a serious utility weapon, for fighting the battle of the bulge, focus for getting stuff done, and, an economical (insert evil coffee chain empire here) replacement. It’s pretty new, and only a few places carry it at the time of writing, but it’s more than worth the hunt.
J. “All I want for Christmas is a Marshall that goes to 11”Channell
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by admin on December 14, 2009
MoodPak is a brand new product line for “Real Performance in Real Life, ” that we introduced in the Bliss review a while back. MoodPak features a line of easily carried, and practical supplements for varying situations. Today we will be reviewing MoodPak’s Energy product.
MoodPak Energy contains a proprietary blend that contains Tyrosine, Guarana Extract, Caffeine, Green Tea Extract (98% Polyphenols), Sulbutiamine, Cocoa Extract (Contains Theobromine, Theophylline, Tyramine, Phenylethylamine), Pyroglutamic Acid, Quercetin, Epimedium (40% Icariin), Yerba Mate, Yohimbine, Wakame (Seaweed Extract), Vinpocetine, and Huperzine A.
In testing we found that Energy, when taken on an empty stomach as directed, has initial effects within 15-20 minutes, due to the rapid release capsules used for the products. The full effect kicks in within 30-45 minutes, and lasts for roughly 3 hours, depending on the user. We found that the effect was very smooth, focused, not jittery, and no crash was experienced. The effect can best be described as “an extra gear,” and is not over the top, but more subtle, and very smooth. This is a long, slow steady burn. To allow an analogy, its a supercharger, rather than a quick shot of nitrous. More experienced stimulant users may consider upping the dosage to 3 capsules to get a more pronounced effect as we found ourselves doing towards the end of the test.
Nightlife’s Verdict: 4 Stars (out of 5)
Moodpak’s Energy is perfect for those early mornings, in place of coffee, of for late nights in place of Red Bull. The blend of caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, make for a great stimulant trifecta. The focus and long slow burn of the product, make it very versatile in our eyes. The only change we would wish for would be little more on the energy side. However, the balance between energy and focus ingredients makes for a great supplement to work, when you just HAVE to get a lot of stuff done. If your working overtime on that big project, pick up the convenient packaging of MoodPak Energy, and it just may be done on time, and under budget.Check them out in our store!
J. “You can’t close if you don’t open” Channell
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