Products

What is Nutriting nuCrea+ Creapure®?

Nutriting nuCrea+ is a creatine monohydrate available as a 500 g powder or a tub of 150 capsules. The raw material is Creapure®, made by the German company AlzChem and assayed at over 99.95 % creatine monohydrate.

The formula fits on one line: Creapure® creatine monohydrate, and nothing else. No sweetener, no colouring, no bulking agent, no flavouring. On a product you swallow at 3 g a day for months on end, that is exactly what you want — and it is rarer than you might think.

Nutriting is a French brand founded in 2012, known for publishing its formulas in full detail. The product is vegan, halal and kosher. You will find it in our Creapure range.

What does a 3 g serving contain?

One figure is missing for the capsule format: the dose per capsule is not disclosed in the information available to us, which makes it impossible to say how many capsules make up a 3 g serving. Please refer to the label on the tub. With the powder, on the other hand, everything is clear: 500 g divided by 3 g gives roughly 166 servings, that is more than five months at one serving a day.

The 3 g matches exactly the threshold set by European regulation for the authorised claim: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. It is one of the very few sports nutrition actives with an approved wording attached to it, along with a precise dose to meet — and this product meets it to the gram.

A word about Creapure®. The name refers to the origin of the raw material, not to a different chemical form: it is creatine monohydrate, like any other, produced in Germany with a stated assay above 99.95 %. What you are paying for with that label is traceability and a purity specification, not a superior molecule. Let us be blunt: a decent creatine monohydrate does the same job. What Creapure® adds is the certainty of knowing where it comes from.

How do you take nuCrea+?

Dose: 3 g a day, that is 2 scoops with the powder format. Liquid: any liquid at all — micronised creatine disperses easily. Timing: spread across meals, or after training. Frequency: one serving daily, every day, rest days included. Duration: continuously, with no time limit.

The essential point fits in one sentence: creatine is taken every day, not only on training days. It is consistency that fills the muscle stores with phosphocreatine, and the manufacturer says as much: allow at least 4 weeks of daily intake before reaching adequate saturation. Taking it three times a week gets you nowhere.

Do not look for an effect on day one, and do not be surprised to feel nothing in the first week: that is normal, that is simply how the product works. The manufacturer also suggests, to improve dissolution, mixing the powder with a spoonful of runny honey before adding warm water. If you do, drink it straight away: creatine gradually degrades in solution.

The product mixes without difficulty into a protein or a post-workout shake. Store it dry, at room temperature, tightly closed. Shelf life: 36 months in the unopened original packaging.

Who is nuCrea+ for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone taking part in an activity that involves intense, repeated efforts: weight training, sprinting, team sports, combat sports. It is probably the supplement with the best value-for-money ratio of everything we sell, and there is no reason to be coy about it.

The precautions are short. Pregnant and breastfeeding women: consult a healthcare professional before use. Anyone on medical treatment: ask your doctor for advice. Keep out of reach of young children. Do not exceed 3 g a day. The formula is gluten-free, free from major allergens, GMO-free, nanoparticle-free and non-irradiated: it is naturally free from MILK, EGGS, SOYA, FISH and NUTS.

What you should not expect from it. This is not an instant-energy product: nothing happens in the hour after you take it, and it is no substitute for a pre-workout. Nor is it a weight-loss product — creatine slightly increases intramuscular water retention, which can push the number on the scales up by one to two kilos in the first few weeks. That is water in the muscle, not fat, but it is worth knowing before you panic. Finally, it makes up neither for insufficient training nor for a protein intake that is too low.

nuCrea+ or a standard creatine monohydrate?

The question deserves a straight answer, because the price gap between a branded creatine and a generic one is real.

A standard creatine monohydrate remains a perfectly defensible choice. It is the same molecule, with the same authorised claim at 3 g a day, and often a markedly lower price per kilo. If your budget is tight or you get through a lot of supplements, that is where you should look first: a generic creatine taken every day beats a premium creatine bought once.

nuCrea+ brings two things. Traceability first: Creapure® is produced at a single site in Germany, with a stated assay above 99.95 %, which limits the presence of synthesis by-products. Then the cleanliness of the list: a single ingredient, no additives, no bulking agents. On a product swallowed daily for years, those two points have real value. The other forms available — creatine HCL, Kre-Alkalyn — cost more without any demonstrated benefit over monohydrate: we sell them because people ask for them, not because they perform better.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the 500 g tub last?

Around 166 servings of 3 g, that is more than five months at one serving a day. It is one of the few supplements where the cost per day is counted in pennies. With the 150-capsule format, since the dose per capsule is not disclosed, refer to the label to work out how long it will last.

Do you need a loading phase?

The manufacturer does not mention one and simply recommends 3 g a day for at least four weeks. A loading phase speeds up saturation by a few days, without changing the result after a month. At 3 g daily you will get to the same place, with less digestive discomfort.

Do you need to take breaks?

No. The manufacturer indicates continuous use with no time limit. Stopping brings muscle stores back down within a few weeks: there is nothing to gain from cycling, and it is a stubborn myth.

What sets Creapure® apart?

An origin and a specification, not a different molecule. Creapure® is manufactured by AlzChem in Germany and assayed at over 99.95 %. Chemically it is creatine monohydrate, just like any other creatine monohydrate.

Powder or capsules?

The powder works out cheaper and lets you dose to the gram. Capsules do away with dissolving and travel easily, which matters if you take your serving at work or on the move. Since the dose per capsule is not published in our data, check the tub to see how many you need to reach 3 g.

Does creatine make you put on weight?

It increases water retention inside the muscle, which often translates into an extra one to two kilos on the scales in the first few weeks. That is not fat mass, and it is not subcutaneous retention. If you track your weight closely, bear it in mind so you do not misread the curve.

Can you mix it with your protein?

Yes, without any problem at all. The manufacturer states compatibility with all proteins. A shake after your session is in fact the simplest way never to forget your serving — and forgetting is creatine's main enemy.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuCrea+ Creapure®?

Both formats, the 500 g powder and the tub of 150 capsules, can be ordered from this page. We ship throughout France and Europe.

It is the product we recommend most often in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, and for a simple reason: few supplements have effects this well established at a price this low. The rest of the range can be found in the Nutriting collection.

What is Nutriting nuFer 14 mg?

Nutriting nuFer is an iron supplement in plant-based capsules. One capsule provides 14 mg of elemental iron as Ferrochel® bisglycinate, which is exactly 100% of the nutrient reference value. The bottle holds 30 of them, which works out at one month at a rate of one capsule a day.

Nutriting is a French brand that works on short formulas, where every line on the label has a reason to be there. Here the list runs to four lines: iron bisglycinate, a pullulan capsule shell, magnesium carbonate as an anti-caking agent and a little organic olive oil. There is nothing else, and on a shelf where colourings and pointless coating agents turn up regularly, that gets noticed.

The choice that shapes this product is the dose: 14 mg, not 28 or 40. Plenty of products deliberately go higher in order to display an impressive figure. The body, for its part, regulates how much iron it lets in and does not absorb in proportion to what it is given: beyond a certain threshold, the extra fraction stays in the gut, where it is precisely what causes the digestive discomfort that most people who have already taken iron dread. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Nutriting section, and the other iron products in our iron section.

What does one nuFer capsule contain?

14 mg of elemental iron: that is the figure that counts, and you need to know how to tell it apart from the weight of the iron salt. An iron bisglycinate weighs a great deal more than the iron it contains, since two glycine molecules are attached to the mineral. Some labels announce "200 mg of bisglycinate" without ever spelling out how much iron that really amounts to. Here the line is clear, and it lets you compare.

Bisglycinate is not a marketing argument, it is a difference in absorption mechanism. Iron sulphate, the historic and inexpensive form, releases ionic iron in the stomach; it is this free iron that irritates the lining and causes nausea, constipation and black stools. The chelated form crosses the intestinal wall in another form, which explains the better tolerance users report. We are not claiming it is better absorbed in every case: what we see over the counter is that people who had given up on iron because of digestive trouble often cope with this one.

Iron has authorised European claims, and they are enough to place its role: iron contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, to normal oxygen transport in the body, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal cognitive function, to the normal function of the immune system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. That is what is set down in black and white in European regulation. All the rest — the promises of energy restored in three days, of hair growing back — belongs to advertising, not to the scientific dossier.

A word about the shell, because it is unusual. Pullulan is a polysaccharide obtained by fermentation; it gives a transparent, plant-based capsule that stands up to moisture. Most brands use hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, which is nothing to be shocked by, but pullulan costs more and copes better with humid climates. It is a manufacturing detail, not a promise of efficacy.

Ingredients list

Magnesium carbonate (anti-caking agent), plant-based capsule (shell: pullulan), Ferrochel® iron bisglycinate, organic olive oil.

No allergens declared by the manufacturer. Free from titanium dioxide, free from colourings, free from animal gelatine, free from gluten, free from GMOs. The formula is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

How do you take nuFer?

Dose: 1 capsule a day. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, or 30 minutes before breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: 3 months, with a blood test afterwards; for maintenance, one month every three months.

Timing matters more here than with any other mineral. Iron is easily blocked by what surrounds it: the calcium in dairy products, the tannins in tea and coffee, the phytates in wholegrain cereals. A capsule swallowed with a bowl of white coffee and wholemeal toast will give you only a fraction of what it contains. On an empty stomach, or with a light meal low in calcium, is markedly better.

Vitamin C, conversely, works in your favour. Taken at the same time — a glass of orange juice, a kiwi, half a pepper — it makes iron from plant sources easier to take up. It is a free pairing and one documented for a long time; if you want to make it official, our vitamin C section offers straightforward doses to add to breakfast.

Leave at least two hours around anything containing calcium, magnesium or zinc at a high dose. If you already take a magnesium in the evening or a zinc, simply shift them: iron in the morning, the other minerals later in the day. The problem is not combining them, it is swallowing them together.

On duration, do not guess. Three months of supplementation then a blood panel: that is the only way to know whether the course achieved anything. Iron is not a vitamin you take "just in case" all year round, and taking it for a long stretch without checking makes no sense at all.

Who is nuFer for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult whose iron panel shows low stores, or who belongs to a profile where requirements are structurally higher: menstruating women, pregnant or breastfeeding women on medical advice, vegetarians and vegans who eat no haem iron, endurance athletes who lose iron through sweat and through repeated impact with the ground.

It is entirely unsuitable for certain people, and the list is worth reading before you buy. In cases of haemochromatosis or any known iron overload, this product is to be ruled out: the body has no way of eliminating excess iron, and the build-up reaches the liver, the heart and the pancreas. It is not advised for children under 10 without medical advice. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should have the dose adapted by a healthcare professional rather than deciding on their own. In cases of chronic inflammatory disease or an established digestive disorder — ulcer, Crohn's disease, colitis — medical advice is not a formality.

Drug interactions are real. Leave two to three hours around antibiotics of the tetracycline and fluoroquinolone families, at least four hours around levothyroxine, two hours around bisphosphonates. These are not contraindications, they are gaps in timing — but they change how well both products work.

What not to expect from it. An iron capsule is no substitute for a diagnosis. Fatigue has dozens of causes, and a lack of iron is only one of them; supplementing blind means risking missing something else for three months. This product does not build muscle, does not improve performance in someone whose stores are normal, and does not make up for a poor diet. Have your ferritin measured before you start, and talk to your doctor about it.

nuFer or a multivitamin containing iron?

The question comes up over the counter every single time, and the answer depends on what you are trying to put right.

A multivitamin is the right choice when you do not know what is missing and want to cover a broad field. It provides a little of everything, at maintenance doses, and it has the merit of simplicity. Our multivitamins section brings these complete formulas together. But it has a structural flaw where iron specifically is concerned: most complexes also contain calcium, zinc and magnesium, which is to say exactly the minerals that compete with it in the gut. You are swallowing iron and its inhibitor in the same tablet.

nuFer answers the other situation: you know, with a blood panel to back it up, that iron is lacking. There, a single capsule that you place in the morning on an empty stomach, well away from everything else, is a far more coherent approach. It is also the only way to control the exact dose you are taking, which the "iron" line on a multivitamin does not always allow.

A third case is worth mentioning: if your concern is broader and more dietary than genuinely about iron status, spirulina provides iron among a great many other nutrients, at doses nowhere near 14 mg. It does not correct a deficiency, but it has its place in a plant-based diet. Do not mistake it for a treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Is 14 mg of iron enough to correct a deficiency?

It is 100% of the nutrient reference value, a full daily intake dose. An established deficiency with anaemia, on the other hand, calls for medical management, often at higher doses and under blood monitoring. Have your ferritin measured and follow your doctor's advice rather than adjusting things on your own.

Does bisglycinate cause fewer digestive problems?

That is what most users who first tried iron sulphate report, and it is the whole point of this chelated form. We cannot guarantee it case by case: tolerance varies. If discomfort does occur, take the capsule with a light meal rather than on an empty stomach.

Does it really have to be taken on an empty stomach?

That is the most favourable moment, because iron is blocked by calcium, by the tannins in tea and coffee and by the phytates in wholegrain cereals. If your stomach copes badly with it, a light meal low in calcium remains a good compromise. The important thing is to avoid white coffee and dairy products at the time you take it.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is pullulan, a polysaccharide obtained by fermentation, and there is neither animal gelatine nor any ingredient of animal origin in the formula. That is precisely one of the profiles this product exists for, since a plant-based diet provides no haem iron.

Can it be taken at the same time as a zinc or a magnesium?

Not within the same hour. These minerals compete for the same absorption pathways. The solution is simple: iron in the morning on an empty stomach, magnesium or zinc at the end of the day. You keep the benefit of both without setting them against each other.

How long does one bottle last?

Thirty capsules for one serving a day, so exactly one month. A three-month course therefore calls for three bottles, and that is the point at which a blood test makes sense. For maintenance, one month every three months is generally enough.

Why is there olive oil in an iron capsule?

It acts as a carrier for the powder inside the capsule, in a formula that deliberately avoids synthetic excipients. It is not an active ingredient and the manufacturer claims no effect for it. It is a formulation choice, consistent with an ingredients list held to four lines.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuFer?

The 30-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is a product we are happy to recommend, but rarely without asking the question that comes before all the rest: have you had your ferritin measured? With iron, supplementing without knowing is the one real mistake. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is Nutriting nuMagnesium?

Nutriting nuMagnesium is a magnesium food supplement in capsule form, sold in a bottle of 120 vegetable capsules. The mineral is provided as bisglycinate, a salt in which it is chelated to two glycine molecules: it is the form best tolerated digestively, and that is why it has been chosen here rather than an oxide or a chloride.

The formula combines three actives: magnesium bisglycinate, taurine, and vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxal-5-phosphate, its coenzyme form. The shell is a vegetable capsule made from pullulan, obtained by fermentation, with no animal gelatine. The manufacturer states French production, gluten free, GMO free and non-irradiated. The brand is stocked by us, in the Nutriting range.

What does a serving of nuMagnesium contain?

The label is written for 4 capsules, the top of the range advised by the manufacturer. It provides 300 mg of elemental magnesium, that is 80 % of the nutrient reference value of 375 mg, 4 mg of vitamin B6 (286 % of the NRV) and 200 mg of taurine, an amino acid for which no NRV has been established. Per unit, that works out at 75 mg of elemental magnesium and 1 mg of B6 per capsule.

That is the figure that matters: the wording "magnesium bisglycinate" refers to the weight of the salt, not that of the mineral, and a bisglycinate contains only 10 to 16 % actual magnesium. The bottle covers 30 days at 4 capsules or 60 days at 2; the full composition appears in the tabs on this page.

These levels determine what European regulations allow us to write: claims can only be used if the product provides at least 15 % of the NRV per portion, that is 56.25 mg of magnesium and 0.21 mg of B6. The condition is met with a single capsule.

Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal muscle function, to electrolyte balance, to normal psychological function, and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to normal psychological function — its claims overlap those of magnesium, which explains this pairing, also found in our vitamin B range. Taurine, for its part, has no authorised claim at all: it is an ingredient in the formula, not an efficacy argument. The idea that it or the B6 "drives" magnesium into the cell circulates widely in the trade, without any ANSES or EFSA source to support it.

How do you take Nutriting nuMagnesium?

The manufacturer recommends 2 to 4 capsules a day, with a meal, in one or two servings. No volume of liquid is specified: a glass of water is enough to swallow the capsule. The advised duration is a course of 2 to 3 months.

In practice, start at 2 capsules, that is 150 mg of elemental magnesium. Splitting them between morning and evening improves digestive tolerance more reliably than any change of form, and taking them with a meal limits the osmotic effect responsible for loose stools.

One point deserves to be put plainly: at 4 capsules you are at 300 mg, above the 250 mg a day that EFSA sets as the safety limit for magnesium from supplements. Two capsules, at 150 mg, remain well below it, and no benefit is demonstrated beyond that. As magnesium has no perceptible acute effect, think in terms of weeks. Finally, leave at least two hours between a dose of magnesium and a dose of zinc or iron, as these minerals compete for absorption.

Who is nuMagnesium for, and who is it not for?

The formula is intended for adults. As the capsules are made from pullulan and the composition is free of any ingredient of animal origin, it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans; the manufacturer declares the absence of gluten and of allergens subject to mandatory labelling.

It is not suitable in cases of kidney failure: the kidneys eliminate magnesium, and when they function poorly it accumulates. Any supplementation is then to be avoided without explicit medical advice. Magnesium also interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones, of certain antibiotics and of bisphosphonates taken at the same time. In the event of pregnancy, breastfeeding or ongoing treatment, seek advice before starting.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a sleeping aid, and "contributing to the normal functioning of the nervous system" does not mean sending you to sleep. For falling asleep, our melatonin range is more relevant, and a doctor if the problem takes hold. Nor is it a performance product: supplementation secures an intake, it does not add weight to the bar for an athlete who is already covered.

nuMagnesium or a ZMA?

The two products share two actives out of three. A ZMA combines zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 in a single evening dose; nuMagnesium replaces the zinc with taurine and concentrates the intake on magnesium.

The ZMA is the better choice if you want broad cover in a single evening dose, in particular to secure a zinc intake as well — the classic case of an athlete in a prolonged calorie deficit. Its drawback is real: zinc and magnesium compete for absorption, something a single dose cannot avoid.

nuMagnesium is the better choice for fine-tuning the magnesium dose, splitting it across the day, or if you have tolerated another supplement poorly in the past. If your need concerns sweat losses during exercise instead, it is our electrolytes that answer the question, not this product.

Frequently asked questions

How many nuMagnesium capsules a day?

From 2 to 4, with a meal. Two capsules provide 150 mg of elemental magnesium, four provide 300 mg. Start at two and split them between morning and evening: it is better tolerated and it is enough in most situations. Four capsules exceed the limit of 250 mg a day set by EFSA for supplements.

How long does the 120-capsule bottle last, and why is the B6 in P-5-P form?

Thirty days at 4 capsules, sixty at 2: with a course of 2 to 3 months, count on one to three bottles. Pyridoxal-5-phosphate, for its part, is the coenzyme form of B6, active without prior conversion; the authorised claims remain identical whichever form is chosen.

Does bisglycinate cause loose stools like other magnesiums?

It is the best tolerated form in the range, far ahead of the oxide, the hydroxide or the chloride. Digestive discomfort remains possible, especially if the whole dose is swallowed at once. Splitting it into two servings and taking it with a meal settles the majority of cases. If the discomfort persists, stop and speak to your pharmacist.

Why is there taurine in a magnesium supplement?

Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid abundant in muscle and in the nervous system, frequently paired with magnesium in commercial formulas. No health claim is authorised for taurine at European level, and no superiority of this pairing is established in the official reference frameworks.

Can it be taken with thyroid treatment or an antibiotic?

That question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist. What we can safely say: magnesium interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones, of certain antibiotics and of bisphosphonates taken at the same time, which usually leads to spacing the doses several hours apart. Never alter a treatment on your own initiative.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans, and can they be opened?

Yes. The shell is made from pullulan, a polysaccharide obtained by fermentation, and not from bovine or porcine gelatine; the manufacturer states that no ingredient of animal origin goes into the composition. The capsules can be opened if you do not swallow them easily, the contents then having a neutral to slightly bitter taste.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuMagnesium?

You can order it on this page, and we ship anywhere in France and Europe. Our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, allows what no product page can replace: setting this bottle next to another magnesium and comparing the two "elemental magnesium" lines, taking into account the number of capsules to be taken on each side. The whole range can be found in our sports nutrition section.

Sources: ANSES and EFSA.

What is Nutriting nuMove?

Nutriting nuMove is a joint complex in tablet form, intended for adults. A daily intake of four tablets provides 800 mg of N-acetylglucosamine, 600 mg of dry devil's claw extract, 285.24 mg of bamboo extract and 200 mg of chondroitin sulphate. The 120-tablet tub therefore covers exactly thirty days.

Four active ingredients, four dosages stated to the milligram: this is what sets the formula apart from most complexes in this category, where you often find a list of ten plants without a single quantity being given. Here you know what you are swallowing, and you can compare it line by line with another product. The manufacturer states that it is made in France, with no titanium dioxide, no colouring and no animal gelatine.

The most useful distinctive feature lies in the form of glucosamine used. Nutriting has chosen N-acetylglucosamine, obtained by fermentation of maize glucose, rather than the classic glucosamine sulphate extracted from shellfish shells. For anyone with a shellfish allergy, this distinction is not a technical detail: it decides the purchase. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Nutriting category, and the other joint formulas in our glucosamine category.

What does one dose of nuMove contain?

800 mg of N-acetylglucosamine a day is a straightforward dose for this form. Many joint complexes on the market state less, or state nothing at all and simply refer to a “patented complex” whose composition remains opaque. Chondroitin at 200 mg, on the other hand, is a supporting dose rather than a headline one: the published protocols on this molecule generally work at higher levels, and it is more honest to say so than to suggest otherwise.

Devil's claw at 600 mg of dry extract is the most heavily dosed active in the formula after glucosamine. It is a southern African root, traditionally used, whose dry extract concentrates the harpagosides. The manufacturer does not publish a harpagoside content for this product — that is a figure we do not have, and we would rather write it down than borrow a number found elsewhere.

On the regulatory side, we need to be blunt, because this is the category where you read the most illegal promises: no health claim is authorised in Europe for glucosamine, chondroitin or devil's claw. Not for cartilage, not for suppleness, not for freedom of movement. The dossiers submitted were unsuccessful. So we describe four ingredients and their exact quantities, without announcing any outcome. If a website promises you repaired joints, it is operating outside the legal framework.

Bamboo extract completes the formula for its natural silicon content. Here too, the manufacturer gives no standardisation figure, and no claim exists for this ingredient. The remaining components are there for tablet manufacture: acacia gum fibre, magnesium carbonate, organic olive oil, and a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose coating.

List of ingredients

N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), acacia gum fibre, dry devil's claw extract (Harpagophytum procumbens), magnesium carbonate, bamboo extract, chondroitin sulphate from FISH cartilage, organic olive oil. Coating: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid.

Allergen: FISH, from the chondroitin. Gluten-free, lactose-free, soya-free, GMO-free, nanoparticle-free, with no titanium dioxide, no colouring and not irradiated. The formula contains no ingredient of land-animal origin and is therefore suitable for a pescatarian diet, but not for a vegan one.

How should nuMove be taken?

Dose: 4 tablets a day. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with meals. Frequency: a single intake, or two intakes of two tablets in the morning and at midday, or morning and evening. Duration: 2 to 3 months minimum, repeatable; the product can be taken all year round.

Four tablets is a lot to swallow in one go for some people: split the dose. Two in the morning and two in the evening goes down more easily, and it changes nothing about the daily amount. This is the question we are asked most often about joint complexes in tablet form, and the answer is always the same: spread them out, the body does not know the difference.

Taking them with a meal is not a matter of convenience. It limits the stomach discomfort that devil's claw can cause, as it has a reputation for being somewhat bitter and for not suiting an empty stomach in sensitive people.

As for duration, do not judge too soon. Two to three months: that is the timeframe set by the manufacturer, and it is consistent with this type of formula. A week will tell you nothing, and the 120-tablet tub covers precisely one month — so allow two to three tubs for a first full course. This formula combines without overlap with an omega 3 or a curcumin, which rest on different foundations and do not provide the same ingredients.

Who is nuMove for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who wants to try a joint complex where every dosage is stated, rather than an anonymous plant blend. It is of particular interest to people with a shellfish allergy, since the glucosamine here is of plant origin through fermentation, which is rare in this category.

The contraindications are clear-cut. The product must not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women. It must not be taken alongside anticoagulant treatment, because of a possible interaction with glucosamine — this precaution comes from the manufacturer itself and it must be taken seriously. It is for adults only.

The allergen is a genuine issue here: the chondroitin comes from fish cartilage. If you are allergic to fish, this product is not for you, whatever the plant origin of the glucosamine. And for the same reason, it is not suitable for a vegan diet, contrary to what the words “vegan NAG” might suggest if read in isolation.

What you should not expect from it. None of these four ingredients has an authorised claim in Europe. This supplement cures nothing, repairs no cartilage and replaces no treatment. Joint pain that persists, that wakes you at night, that makes a joint swell or that follows an injury is a matter for a doctor, not for a tub of tablets. It is a baseline product, taken in full knowledge of the facts, and nothing more.

nuMove or collagen?

This is the most frequent comparison over the counter, and the two products do not play the same role at all.

Collagen is a protein, taken at doses that bear no comparison: we are talking about several grams a day, against a few hundred milligrams here. It is taken as a powder, often in a drink, and it fits easily into a morning routine. Our collagen category brings these products together. As with glucosamine, no joint claim is authorised for collagen in Europe: the difference is therefore not in the promise, it is in the nature of the product and in the format.

nuMove follows a different logic: a formula of four targeted ingredients, in tablets, swallowed in a few seconds with meals. If your constraint is practical — no shaker, no powder to measure out, a tub in your desk drawer — it wins hands down. If you already take a protein powder every morning, adding a collagen to the same glass is easier to keep up over time.

A third case comes up often: if your discomfort is clearly linked to training and load, the first lever is neither one nor the other, it is programming and sleep. A magnesium, which does contribute to normal muscle function, will sometimes be more relevant than a joint complex — and it does have authorised claims behind it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine sulphate?

The origin and the chemical form. Glucosamine sulphate is extracted from shellfish shells; the N-acetylglucosamine used here is obtained by fermentation of maize glucose. For someone with a shellfish allergy, only the latter is an option. The dosages are not interchangeable from one form to the other.

Is the product suitable for vegans?

No. The glucosamine is indeed of plant origin, but the chondroitin comes from fish cartilage. The formula is suitable for a pescatarian diet, since it contains no ingredient of land-animal origin, but not for a vegan diet.

Can it be taken with an anticoagulant?

No, the manufacturer explicitly advises against it because of a possible interaction with glucosamine. If you are on anticoagulant treatment, do not start this course and speak to your doctor or pharmacist before buying anything.

Do the four tablets have to be taken all at once?

That is not compulsory. You can split them, two in the morning and two at midday, or two in the morning and two in the evening. The daily dose stays the same. Take them with a meal rather than on an empty stomach, as devil's claw is better tolerated that way.

How long should it be taken for?

Two to three months at least, according to the manufacturer. The 120-tablet tub covers one month at four tablets a day, so you should allow two to three tubs for a first course. Judging after a fortnight makes no sense with this type of formula.

Is the devil's claw standardised for harpagosides?

The manufacturer does not publish this standardisation for the product. We therefore cannot give you the harpagoside content, and we would rather flag that than borrow a figure from another product. The stated dosage refers to the dry extract: 600 mg a day.

Does this supplement relieve joint pain?

We cannot claim that, and nobody can do so legally: no health claim is authorised in Europe for these ingredients. Pain that persists, that wakes you at night or that makes a joint swell should be seen by a doctor, not treated with a food supplement.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuMove?

The 120-tablet tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we reach for when a customer tells us they are allergic to shellfish — in this category, the options then become very few indeed. We do, however, systematically check two things before recommending it: that there is no anticoagulant treatment, and that there is no fish allergy. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition category.

What is Nutriting nuPower?

Nutriting nuPower is a French multivitamin complex in tablet form. The daily dose is four tablets, and it brings together twelve vitamins, four minerals and six antioxidant actives. Nutriting is a French brand founded in 2012, known for publishing detailed formulas rather than proprietary blends — and on that count, it keeps its word here.

What sets the product apart has less to do with the vitamins than with what comes alongside them. Next to the standard foundation you will find 200 mg of N-acetyl-cysteine, 100 mg of R-alpha-lipoic acid, 100 mg of green tea extract, 50 mg of quercetin, 30 mg of coenzyme Q10 and 5 mg of lutein. Those six are practically never found in a supermarket multivitamin, and that is what explains the price gap with a high-street pharmacy product.

The forms chosen deserve a mention: vitamin B6 as pyridoxal-5-phosphate, vitamin B9 as L-methylfolate, vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin, vitamin C as Quali-C®. These are active or patented forms, more expensive than their standard equivalents. The product is free from gluten, GMOs, titanium dioxide, colourings and animal gelatine. It joins our multivitamins range.

What do four nuPower tablets contain?

Two caveats, in the name of transparency. First, the number of tablets per box is not disclosed in the data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot work out exactly how long a box lasts. Second, the nutrition table describes magnesium and zinc as citrates, whereas the ingredients list mentions magnesium carbonate and zinc gluconate. The quantities themselves are not in question; we are flagging the discrepancy rather than settling it on the brand's behalf.

The wording permitted under European regulations applies to this foundation, and there is plenty of it: vitamins B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, vitamin C and magnesium contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, vitamin C, magnesium and iodine contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism; vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and normal muscle function; zinc contributes to normal protein synthesis. No claim, on the other hand, is authorised in Europe for N-acetyl-cysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, quercetin, coenzyme Q10 or lutein. They are there for the formulation, not for a promise.

How should you take nuPower?

Dose: 4 tablets a day. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with meals, ideally 2 in the morning and 2 at midday; taking all 4 at once during a main meal is still fine if that makes life easier. Frequency: one or two servings a day. Duration: a 2 to 3-month course for a baseline effect, and it can be used all year round.

Two practical points. Taking it with a meal genuinely matters: vitamins A, D and E are fat-soluble, and the meal provides the fats that support their absorption. And avoid taking it in the evening. That is not superstition: the B-vitamin complex and the green tea extract have no place just before bed for anyone who is sensitive to them.

If you train, keep taking it on rest days too. A multivitamin works through consistency, not through peaks — four tablets on session day and nothing for the rest of the week makes no sense at all. Lastly, do not stack it with other supplements delivering the same nutrients: between nuPower, a separate magnesium and a winter vitamin D, the total adds up fast.

Who is nuPower right for, and who is it not right for?

It is aimed at adults who want a broad micronutrient foundation in a single product, rather than stacking up five different tubs. Heavy training blocks, periods of passing fatigue or an irregular diet are the most common cases we see over the counter. The formula also suits anyone looking for active forms — methylfolate, methylcobalamin, pyridoxal-5-phosphate — rather than the standard ones.

There are several cases where it is not suitable. The product is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and must not be used under the age of 18. Medical advice is required in the case of heart conditions or anticoagulant treatment, because of the vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 it contains. People with diabetes should ask their doctor for advice before use. And if you are on any form of medication, the question needs asking before you buy, not after. The product may contain traces of GLUTEN, SOYA and MILK depending on manufacturing conditions.

What you should not expect from it: a multivitamin does not fix an unbalanced diet, it fills gaps. It will not make you lose weight, it will not build muscle, and it replaces no blood test. If you have been feeling tired for months, the right course of action is testing prescribed by your doctor — not a supplement bought blind.

nuPower or vitamins bought separately?

That is the real trade-off, and the answer depends above all on how much you know about your own needs.

Buying separately remains the better choice when you have an identified shortfall. If a blood test shows low vitamin D, you need a vitamin D dosed accordingly: nuPower's 5 µg covers 100% of the NRV, which is maintenance, not correction. The same logic applies to magnesium, whose 125 mg covers 33% of the NRV — well below what the dedicated products in our magnesium range offer. Buying separately also lets you choose your forms and pay less per milligram.

nuPower wins on coverage and on sticking with it. Twenty-two nutrients in a single serving, including six actives — NAC, alpha-lipoic acid, green tea, quercetin, coenzyme Q10 and lutein — that you would otherwise have to buy as that many separate tubs. Do the maths: add up the price of a basic multivitamin, a NAC and a CoQ10, and the gap closes quickly. Not to mention that a single product taken at breakfast is something you can keep up over time, where five tubs end up at the back of a cupboard.

Frequently asked questions

How many tablets should you take a day?

Four, which is the full daily dose the values in the table are based on. Cutting down to two tablets mechanically halves every intake: that is not a harmless half-measure, it is a different formula.

How long does a box last?

We cannot say: the number of tablets per pack does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer. We would rather flag that than put forward an estimate. At four tablets a day, do the maths as soon as the box arrives.

Can it be taken in the evening?

That is not recommended. The manufacturer advises taking it in the morning and at midday, not least because the formula contains a green tea extract and a B-vitamin complex. In sensitive people, a late serving can make it harder to fall asleep.

What are the NAC and alpha-lipoic acid in the formula?

N-acetyl-cysteine is a sulphur-containing amino acid derivative, present here at 200 mg. R-alpha-lipoic acid is a sulphur compound the body produces naturally, dosed at 100 mg. No health claim is authorised in Europe for either one: we describe them, we do not attribute any effect to them.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

The formula contains no animal gelatine and the tablet coating is made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. The manufacturer does not, however, explicitly claim vegetarian or vegan certification in the data available to us, and we will not write it on their behalf.

Can it be combined with another supplement?

Yes, provided you add things up. Vitamin C is already at 150% of the NRV and zinc at 150%: adding a product from our zinc or vitamin C range would push you high with no extra benefit. Check the totals before you stack.

Why is vitamin B9 in methylfolate form?

Because it is the form the body can use directly, unlike folic acid, which has to be converted. It is a more expensive formulation choice, consistent with the other active forms chosen for this product — pyridoxal-5-phosphate for B6, methylcobalamin for B12.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuPower?

The product can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. Nutriting remains a brand we often recommend: the formulas are set out in full, which makes it possible to compare honestly with something else — an impossible exercise with proprietary blends.

At our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we are always happy to take the time to compare a label with what you are already taking: that is often where you discover three duplicates and one gap. The rest of the range can be found in the Nutriting collection.

What is Nutriting nuSafran Safr'Inside?

Nutriting nuSafran Safr'Inside is a saffron food supplement supplied in a bottle of 90 chewable tablets. Each tablet delivers 30 mg of Safr'Inside, an organic saffron extract obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus L. and patented by the Activ'Inside laboratory.

Saffron is a spice, not a nutrient: it has neither a nutrient reference value nor a recommended daily intake. What this product sells is a standardised extract and a format. The tablet can be chewed, sucked or swallowed, with no water and no timing constraint — a genuine practical difference from the capsules that dominate the category. The French brand Nutriting is stocked by us: the rest of its range is gathered in the Nutriting category.

What does a nuSafran tablet contain?

The label is stated per tablet, which constitutes the daily serving. It provides 30 mg of organic Safr'Inside saffron extract, 8 kcal (33 kJ), 1.8 g of carbohydrate, 0.2 g of fibre, 0 g of protein, 0 g of fat and less than 0.01 g of salt.

The ingredients list is short: organic cane sugar, organic acacia gum fibre, magnesium carbonate as an anti-caking agent, the saffron extract, and organic olive oil. The cane sugar and the acacia gum make up the tablet itself — that is where the 8 kcal and the 1.8 g of carbohydrate come from. There is no synthetic sweetener, no colouring and no added flavouring: the taste comes from the saffron.

A point of terminology, because it causes confusion: 30 mg refers to the weight of the extract, not to a weight of saffron stigmas. An extract is concentrated, and the two figures are not comparable. We do not repeat the safranal or crocin percentages that circulate about this product: they do not appear in the labelling data available to us, and we do not publish a figure we have not verified.

The bottle of 90 tablets covers exactly 90 days at one a day, which is the three-month course recommended by the manufacturer. The full composition is set out in the tabs on this page.

One point remains that is better said plainly: no health claim is authorised at European level for saffron. You will therefore read no promise here about mood, morale, sleep or stress. The contrast is stark with a mineral such as magnesium, for which precise wordings are permitted as soon as a dose threshold is met. For saffron, no such framework exists: what we can describe is factual — a plant, a patented extract, a dosage, a format, a taste, directions for use.

How do you take nuSafran Safr'Inside?

The manufacturer recommends 1 tablet a day, i.e. 30 mg of extract. The tablet can be chewed, sucked or swallowed; no volume of liquid is needed, though a glass of water remains an option if you prefer to swallow it whole. No particular time of day is imposed: morning, midday or evening, the manufacturer specifies no schedule.

The frequency is one serving a day, and the recommended duration is 3 months — which corresponds exactly to the contents of the bottle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose of one tablet: that is the wording carried on the label, and nothing indicates that taking more would be of any use.

In practice, consistency matters more than timing. Since the tablet requires neither water nor a meal, tying it to a fixed daily habit remains the simplest way to get through three months without forgetting. Store the bottle tightly closed, in a cool, dry place, away from light.

Who is nuSafran for, and who is it not for?

The product is for adults only. The manufacturer advises against it for children under 15 and asks that it be kept out of the reach of young children.

It is not suitable for pregnant women without prior medical advice. Most important of all: if you are on antidepressant treatment, it must not be used without medical consultation. Such treatment must under no circumstances be stopped, changed or replaced on your own initiative. If you are taking a psychotropic medication or any other long-term treatment, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist before starting.

On allergens, the manufacturer states that the product may contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS, SOYA and FISH, as the production site handles these ingredients. Anyone with an allergy to one of them should refrain. Finally, the tablet contains cane sugar: worth watching if you follow a low-sugar diet, even though 1.8 g a day remains marginal.

nuSafran or an ashwagandha?

This is the comparison that comes up most often, as both plants sit in the same category. It has to be settled on verifiable criteria: fundamentally, neither saffron nor ashwagandha has an authorised health claim in Europe, so deciding on the basis of promises makes no sense here.

What separates them is the format, the dose and the precautions. nuSafran comes as a single chewable tablet of 30 mg of extract, with no water and no imposed timing. The products in our ashwagandha category come as capsules at far higher doses, generally several hundred milligrams, and call for a glass of water.

Ashwagandha is the better choice if you prefer a capsule with no taste — saffron has a pronounced flavour that not everyone enjoys. It does, however, have its own contraindications, notably in cases of thyroid disorder, pregnancy or breastfeeding. nuSafran is the better choice if you cannot bear swallowing capsules, or if you are looking for something you can take in a second, anywhere. In both cases, the question of ongoing treatment is settled with a healthcare professional, not with a product page.

Frequently asked questions

What do nuSafran tablets taste like?

Of saffron: pronounced and slightly bitter, softened by the cane sugar in the tablet. No flavouring or colouring is added. If you do not like the spice in cooking, you will like it no better here: the tablet can then be swallowed whole with a glass of water rather than chewed.

How long does a bottle of 90 tablets last?

Ninety days, at one tablet a day, which is exactly the three-month course recommended by the manufacturer. The pack size and the course length have been matched to each other, which saves you having to reorder part-way through or finishing up with an unusable dreg of a bottle.

Can nuSafran be taken alongside an antidepressant?

Not without medical consultation: that is the explicit wording carried by the manufacturer. This question is a matter for your doctor or pharmacist, the only people who know your treatment and your medical history. And antidepressant treatment must never be stopped, changed or replaced on your own initiative, whatever supplement you are considering.

Is 30 mg of extract a lot or a little?

It is the daily dose chosen by the manufacturer, and the figure to compare from one product to another. Beware of the trap: some labels state a weight of stigma powder, others a weight of concentrated extract. The two are not comparable. Always check which of the two is given before concluding that a product is better dosed.

Does the product contain allergens, and should you take a break between courses?

No allergen goes into the composition, but the manufacturer flags possible traces of gluten, milk, eggs, soya and fish, as the site handles these ingredients: if you are allergic to one of them, this product is not for you. The manufacturer imposes no break between courses either, and sets no maximum period of use.

Can it be combined with other supplements?

Nothing stands in the way as far as the composition goes, since the tablet provides neither vitamins nor minerals in any significant amount. It therefore combines without difficulty with a multivitamin or a melatonin supplement. Stacking products in order to stack expected effects, on the other hand, has no basis here.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuSafran Safr'Inside?

You can order it from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the conversation about this product almost always starts with the same thing: reading together what the label actually says, and telling the weight of the extract apart from the weight of the spice. The rest of our plants and extracts can be found in the sports nutrition category.

What is Nutriting nuSpiruline?

Nutriting nuSpiruline is organic spirulina in tablet form, with no excipients whatsoever. Each tablet weighs 500 mg and contains nothing but spirulina powder; a six-tablet dose therefore delivers 3 g of spirulina, including 1.8 g of protein and 420 mg of phycocyanins. The 500-tablet bottle covers 83 days at that dose.

Spirulina, Spirulina platensis, is not strictly speaking an alga but a filamentous cyanobacterium grown in ponds. It has long been eaten as a powder or as tablets, and its appeal lies in its density: a great deal of protein, pigments, minerals and vitamins for very little material.

What sets this product apart is what it does not contain. A conventional spirulina tablet usually includes a binder, a bulking agent, sometimes an anti-caking agent: the powder on its own compresses poorly. Here the ingredient list runs to a single line, and that means the 500 mg on the label really are 500 mg of spirulina. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Nutriting section, and the other formats in our spirulina section.

What does a dose of nuSpiruline contain?

420 mg of phycocyanins per dose: this is the line that lets you compare two spirulinas, and it is precisely the one most sellers leave off. Phycocyanin is the blue pigment characteristic of spirulina, and its content varies widely from one producer to another depending on growing conditions and, above all, on the drying temperature. The manufacturer states a minimum of 14% here and a yearly average of 17%. When a label gives no phycocyanin content at all, it is generally not because that content is high.

On protein, let us keep things in proportion. 1.8 g per dose is accurate, but it is a marginal contribution to a daily requirement counted in tens of grams. Spirulina is not a protein source in any practical sense: at 60% protein, you would have to swallow 40 g a day to come close to what a serving of protein powder provides. If your goal is protein intake, look instead at our plant proteins section — that is more honest than selling spirulina for something it is not.

On the regulatory side, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for spirulina. Not for energy, not for immunity, not for tiredness, not for sports performance. The dossiers came to nothing. What we can describe is a composition, an origin and a process — and that is already far more than most listings in this category offer.

The manufacturer states cultivation in southern India and low-temperature drying, below 50 °C, followed by packaging in France. Drying temperature is the decisive parameter for this product: it governs how well the pigments are preserved, and therefore the phycocyanin content just discussed. The manufacturer also states a protein digestibility of 85.2%, a figure we report while attributing it to them, as we are not in a position to verify it ourselves.

Ingredients list

Spirulina powder (Spirulina platensis) from organic farming. Single ingredient.

No declared allergens. Gluten-free, lactose-free, soya-free, GMO-free, non-irradiated, free from excipients and bulking agents, free from titanium dioxide, free from colourings, free from gelatine. The formula is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. Worth noting for those concerned: spirulina naturally contains phenylalanine.

How should you take nuSpiruline?

Dose: 4 to 6 tablets a day. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with meals. Frequency: two intakes, morning and midday or morning and evening. Duration: 2 to 3 months minimum; can be taken all year round.

Start low and build up gradually. Two or three tablets for the first few days, then four, then six if you wish. In some people spirulina causes short-lived digestive discomfort at the start of a course, and that is not a sign of intolerance: it is simply too abrupt a start. Six tablets straight away is the classic mistake.

Split the dose rather than swallowing it all at once. Three tablets in the morning and three at midday go down considerably better than six in one go, and it makes no difference to the daily intake. Take them during a meal, with a large glass of water.

One practical point that matters: leave a gap between spirulina and any iron supplement. The two interfere with each other, and there is no reason to swallow them together. If you are taking a course of iron, take it in the morning on an empty stomach and the spirulina with later meals. The same logic applies to calcium-rich foods and supplements.

Two to three months: that is the duration the manufacturer recommends. The 500-tablet bottle covers 83 days at six a day, so roughly one full course, and more than four months if you stay at four tablets. This is one of the rare products in this category where you do not have to reorder every thirty days.

Who is nuSpiruline for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults who want to add a nutrient-dense food to their diet, particularly on a vegetarian or vegan diet where nutrient sources are narrower. The excipient-free tablet format also appeals to those who have never managed to swallow the powder, whose taste is decidedly pronounced.

The precautions to know before buying. The product is not recommended in cases of phenylketonuria, as spirulina naturally provides phenylalanine. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should seek advice from a healthcare professional before use. In cases of hepatitis B or C, the manufacturer recommends a liver function test beforehand. If you are on thyroid medication or have a thyroid disorder, ask your doctor for advice. For adults only.

One point few sellers mention: the vitamin B12 in spirulina is not a reliable source. It occurs in a form the human body does not use in the way it uses dietary B12. If you follow a vegan diet, do not count on spirulina to cover that requirement: this is one where you are better off turning to our vitamin B section and to a blood test.

What you should not expect from it. No claim exists for spirulina in Europe. It does not make you lose weight, does not improve performance, does not replace any treatment and does not make up for an unbalanced diet. Persistent tiredness should be investigated by a doctor, not by a course of green tablets. It is a concentrated food, taken with full knowledge of the facts.

Spirulina or a multivitamin?

The question comes up often, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a plea for all things natural.

On paper, the multivitamin wins the regulatory comparison, and by some margin. Every vitamin and every mineral in it is dosed to the milligram, with nutrient reference values shown as percentages and, above all, with authorised claims: vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, vitamin D to the maintenance of normal bones, zinc to the normal function of the immune system. These are official wordings, and spirulina has none. Our multivitamins section follows that logic.

Spirulina belongs to a different approach: it is a food, not a formula. It provides a complex whole — pigments, protein, minerals — whose individual effects cannot be cleanly isolated, and that is exactly what those who take it are after. If you would rather add a concentrated food than a synthetic tablet, that is a coherent choice, provided you do not credit it with the virtues of a medicine.

The two are not mutually exclusive, and they overlap less than people think. A common pairing is to keep spirulina for dietary density and to deal separately with the points genuinely identified — a lack of iron, low vitamin D in winter. That works better than hoping a single product will cover everything.

Frequently asked questions

How much phycocyanin is there per tablet?

70 mg per 500 mg tablet, i.e. 420 mg for a six-tablet dose. The manufacturer states a minimum titre of 14% and a yearly average of 17%. It is the only line that allows a serious comparison between two spirulinas: when it is not shown, you do not know what you are buying.

Four or six tablets a day?

The manufacturer provides for both. Start at two or three for the first few days, move up to four, then to six if you wish. At six tablets the bottle covers 83 days; at four, more than four months. Always split the dose into two intakes with meals.

Does spirulina cover a vegan's B12 requirements?

No. The B12 in spirulina occurs in a form the human body does not use in the way it uses dietary vitamin B12. If you follow a vegan diet, that requirement must be met another way and monitored with a blood test. Do not rely on this product for it.

Is there a binder or an excipient in the tablets?

No, and that is what makes this product distinctive: there is a single ingredient, nothing but compressed organic spirulina powder. A 500 mg tablet therefore corresponds to 500 mg of spirulina, which is not the case with every brand in this category.

Can it be taken alongside a course of iron?

Better to space them out. Take the iron in the morning on an empty stomach and the spirulina with meals through the day. The same precaution applies to calcium-rich foods and supplements. This is not a contraindication, merely a question of when you take them.

Why does the drying temperature matter?

Because pigments, phycocyanin among them, cope poorly with heat. The manufacturer states drying below 50 °C, which is consistent with the contents declared. Fast industrial drying at high temperature yields a powder poorer in pigments, for an identical weight of spirulina on the label.

Is there a risk of heavy metal contamination?

That is the legitimate question in this category, since spirulina concentrates whatever is in its growing medium. The manufacturer declares an absence of heavy metals for this product. We do not have an analysis report in hand and therefore cannot assert anything beyond what they themselves state.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuSpiruline?

The 500-tablet bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend to anyone who gave up on spirulina powder because of the taste — the tablet settles the question in three seconds. What we always warn about, though, is the same thing: build up gradually, as six tablets straight away often has to be paid for the next day. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is Nutriting nuVitamineC?

Nutriting nuVitamineC is a vitamin C supplement in orange-flavoured chewable tablets, providing 500 mg per two tablets. The bottle holds 60 of them, that is, one to two months depending on the dose you settle on.

The raw material is Quali®-C vitamin C, produced in Dalry, Scotland. This point deserves explaining rather than brandishing: the overwhelming majority of the world's vitamin C is produced in China, and Quali®-C is one of the few European supply chains still operating. The molecule obtained is exactly the same — L-ascorbic acid — but the production chain and its traceability are different. It is a legitimate selection criterion, not a biological property. The tablet itself is made in France. The rest of the range can be found in our Nutriting section.

The chewable format also sets this product apart from most vitamin C on the market, which is sold in capsules or as effervescent powder. The tablet is chewed, it has an orange taste given by a natural flavouring, and it is sweetened with xylitol.

What does a two-tablet serving contain?

The manufacturer does not publish the net weight of the bottle in the information available to us; the packaging carries it.

500 mg is six times the European reference value, which stands at 80 mg. That figure calls for an honest explanation rather than a sales pitch. The intestinal absorption of vitamin C saturates progressively: at 80 mg, virtually all of it gets through; at 500 mg, a significant share is eliminated in the urine. Put another way, taking 500 mg in one go does not multiply by six what your body gets out of it.

This does not strip the high dose of all interest, but it does steer how you use it: one 250 mg tablet morning and evening is better than two tablets in one go, because splitting the dose limits saturation. It is also why the manufacturer allows one to two tablets a day depending on your needs.

The authorised claims for vitamin C are numerous and worth quoting as they stand: it contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels, bones, cartilage and skin, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, and to increasing iron absorption. The last of these is the most concrete day to day: if you take an iron supplement, swallowing it with a vitamin C tablet is the most useful thing you will do all day.

The formula is finally notable for what it does not contain: no gluten, no gelatine, no titanium dioxide, no artificial colouring, no nanoparticles, no GMOs, and the product is not irradiated. In an aisle where a great many questionable excipients are still to be found, that is a real argument.

Ingredients list

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, Quali®-C), bulking agent: microcrystalline cellulose, natural orange flavouring, sweetener: xylitol, anti-caking agent: magnesium salts of fatty acids. Gluten-free, free from major allergens, free from bovine and porcine gelatine, free from nanoparticles, free from heavy metals, GMO-free, non-irradiated, free from titanium dioxide and artificial colouring. Raw material produced in Dalry, Scotland; tablet manufactured in France.

How do you take nuVitamineC?

Dose: 1 to 2 tablets, that is, 250 to 500 mg. Liquid: none is needed, the tablet is chewed. Timing: during a meal, preferably breakfast or lunch. Frequency: one to two servings a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of at least two to three months, with the option of continuous use.

Chew the tablet completely before swallowing. This is not a matter of comfort: a chewable tablet does not have the same coating as one meant to be swallowed, and swallowing it whole needlessly delays its dissolution. The orange taste is pronounced, the acidity moderate.

Taking it with a meal improves digestive tolerance. Vitamin C at a high dose is acidic, and on an empty stomach it gives some users heartburn. That single point accounts for most of the negative feedback on this family of products.

Avoid taking it late if you are sensitive. Some people describe difficulty falling asleep after a high dose of vitamin C in the evening. The morning or midday slot settles the question and coincides with the moment you take your multivitamin.

A word on xylitol: it is a polyol, very well tolerated in the amounts present in a tablet, but one that can have a laxative effect if you multiply the sources across the day. At two tablets, it poses no problem at all.

Who is nuVitamineC for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone looking for a vitamin C with a short, readable formula, free of questionable additives, with an identified origin for the raw material. It suits particularly well those who dislike swallowing capsules — the chewable format solves that problem better than any capsule can.

The manufacturer restricts it to adults and states that it is not to be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women. This restriction is stricter than what is usually seen on a vitamin C; we reproduce it as the manufacturer words it, without softening it. In the event of pregnancy, the question goes to your doctor, not to the retailer.

Two situations call for genuine caution, and the manufacturer names them: a history of kidney stones or kidney problems, since vitamin C at a high dose is partly metabolised into oxalate, and persistent digestive disorders, in which case the dose should be reduced or stopped. These are warnings to be taken seriously, especially at 500 mg a day over several months.

What not to expect from it: a vitamin C tablet acts neither on whether you catch a cold nor on how long it lasts. The only authorised wording is that it contributes to the normal function of the immune system, which means it helps a system to work normally when intake is insufficient. In someone who eats fruit and vegetables every day, the additional benefit of a tablet is small. It is during periods of low plant intake, in winter, or in smokers — whose requirements are higher — that supplementation makes sense.

Chewable tablet or vitamin C powder?

Both formats sit side by side on our shelves and answer different habits.

Powder lets you dose freely, from 100 mg to several grams, and works out markedly cheaper per gram. It is the better choice if you take high doses, if you mix it into a drink, or if you want to fine-tune. Its drawbacks are the acidity in the mouth, the need for a scale to be accurate, and the chore of preparing it every day.

The chewable tablet wins on simplicity and on sticking with it. You have one in your pocket, you chew it, and it is done — and over a three-month course, that is what makes the difference between a bottle finished and a bottle forgotten. The 250 mg dose per unit is also good granularity: enough to count, fine enough to split.

If your aim is winter immune support, be aware that vitamin C is not the only lever: zinc and vitamin D carry comparable claims and answer needs vitamin C does not cover. And if it is your skin and joints you are concerned about, vitamin C is the natural cofactor for collagen synthesis: the two go together very happily.

Frequently asked questions

One or two tablets a day?

Both are possible. One tablet provides 250 mg, two provide 500. If you go for the higher dose, split it into two separate servings instead: the absorption of vitamin C saturates, and 250 mg morning and evening are put to better use than 500 mg in one go.

Should it be taken with a meal?

Yes, preferably. Vitamin C at a high dose is acidic and causes heartburn in some users when taken on an empty stomach. A meal settles the problem without noticeably reducing absorption.

Why Scottish vitamin C?

Because Quali®-C is produced in Dalry, Scotland, whereas virtually all the world's vitamin C comes from China. The molecule is identical; what changes is the origin and traceability of the production. It is a selection criterion for some buyers, not a difference in effectiveness.

Is 500 mg a day too much?

It is six times the reference value, and part of it is eliminated in the urine rather than used. It is not dangerous in a healthy adult, but it is not very efficient. The real point to watch is a history of kidney stones, for which the manufacturer asks you to seek professional advice.

Does the tablet contain sugar?

No. The sweet taste comes from xylitol, a polyol that provides less energy than sugar and does not raise blood sugar in the same way. In the amounts present in one or two tablets, it poses no digestive tolerance problem.

Can it be taken all year round?

The manufacturer states that it can and recommends at least two to three months for a lasting effect. In practice, the period when supplementation makes the most sense runs from autumn to spring, when the intake of fresh fruit and vegetables drops. In summer, a varied diet is often enough.

Should it be combined with iron?

It is in fact the most useful combination in the whole aisle. Vitamin C contributes to increasing iron absorption, and that is an authorised claim. In concrete terms: take your tablet at the same time as your iron supplement, and you will get more out of it without changing the dose.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuVitamineC?

The bottle of 60 tablets can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we hand to customers who tell us they cannot manage to swallow capsules: over a three-month course, the format counts for more than the dose. The rest of the vitamin range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is Nutriting nuZinc?

Nutriting nuZinc is a zinc supplement in vegetable capsules, providing 15 mg of elemental zinc per capsule, i.e. 150% of the nutrient reference value. The bottle holds 90 capsules, which covers exactly three months at one serving a day.

The form used is zinc bisglycinate TRAACS®, a raw material from the American manufacturer Albion. The principle is the same as for any bisglycinate: the zinc is bound to two glycine molecules, forming a structure that is electrically neutral and stable in the digestive tract. The practical consequence, the one that genuinely counts: this zinc goes down far better than an oxide or a gluconate in people with a sensitive stomach.

What really sets this product apart is how short its ingredients list is: four lines in all, including the capsule shell. No colouring, no titanium dioxide, no pointless bulking agent. The rest of the French range is in our Nutriting section.

What does one nuZinc capsule contain?

The manufacturer publishes no energy values for this product, and the question makes little sense for a capsule of this size: the calorie contribution is nil over the course of a day. Nor does it disclose the exact quantity of magnesium carbonate or olive oil, which are processing aids rather than actives.

15 mg is the French ceiling for a food supplement, not an average dose. ANSES sets that value as the daily intake not to be exceeded in supplements, and EFSA puts the safety limit from all sources combined at 25 mg a day. In other words, this bottle already takes up all the available room. The consequence is direct and worth spelling out in full: if you are also taking a multivitamin or a ZMA containing zinc, you are going over the ceiling without realising it. We look at these thresholds in detail in our article on zinc bisglycinate dosage.

At this dose the authorised claims are numerous, and it is worth quoting them as they stand because they say precisely what the product can do: zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to normal protein synthesis, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, to the maintenance of normal skin, hair and nails, to normal cognitive function, to normal fertility and reproduction, and to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood. All of these wordings speak of maintenance and normal function: they concern someone whose intake is insufficient, not an improvement beyond normal.

A word on a figure that gets passed around. The previous description on this page announced absorption “up to 43% better than zinc gluconate”, based on a comparative study by the producer of the raw material. We have removed that figure: it comes from the supplier itself, it cannot be verified independently, and it turns up word for word on products from different brands. What can honestly be said about bisglycinate is that it is well absorbed and markedly better tolerated. That is already a good reason to choose it.

Ingredients list

Magnesium carbonate (anti-caking agent), vegetable capsule (shell: pullulan), zinc bisglycinate (Albion®), organic olive oil. Gluten-free, lactose-free, soya-free, no declared allergen. No titanium dioxide, no colouring, no animal gelatine, no nanoparticles, no GMOs, not irradiated. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Made in France.

How do you take nuZinc?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a glass of water, 200 ml is enough. Timing: away from meals, ideally in the morning or mid-afternoon, at least an hour away from a full meal. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of at least two to three months, repeatable all year round.

The “away from meals” instruction has a precise reason. The phytates in wholegrain cereals and pulses, along with the calcium in dairy products, bind zinc in the gut and reduce its absorption. A capsule taken with a bowl of wholegrain oats delivers markedly less than a capsule taken with a glass of water. If an empty stomach does not agree with you, shift it to an hour after a light meal rather than dropping the serving altogether.

Two supplements call for genuine spacing: iron and copper. They use the same intestinal transporters as zinc and get in each other's way. If you are taking iron, put it in the morning and the zinc in the afternoon, or the other way round. Magnesium is less of a problem, but two hours apart saves you having to think about it.

A three-month course is not an arbitrary length: rebuilding zinc status takes weeks, and a month is generally not enough to observe anything at all. The 90-capsule bottle is sized for exactly that.

Who is nuZinc for, and who is it not for?

The manufacturer clearly identifies the profiles concerned, and they match what we see over the counter: vegetarians and vegans, whose diet supplies zinc that is less well absorbed because of phytates; athletes, who lose it through sweat and use more of it; older people; and those with chronic digestive disorders.

The capsule is made from pullulan, a material obtained by fermentation of tapioca: the product is therefore suitable for vegetarians and vegans, which is not the case for most conventional capsule supplements. It is also gluten-free, lactose-free, soya-free and free of declared allergens, which makes it one of the simplest formulas on the shelf for anyone with allergies.

It is for adults only. In case of pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical treatment, the advice of a healthcare professional is needed before starting — zinc interferes in particular with the absorption of certain antibiotics, which need to be spaced several hours apart.

What not to expect from it: it is not a hormonal stimulant, and it will not raise the testosterone of someone whose status is normal. Nor is it a product whose effect you feel. You will not feel anything, and that is expected: zinc corrects an intake, it does not produce a sensation. Finally, if you suspect a genuine deficiency, a blood test prescribed by your doctor is worth more than prolonged supplementation in the dark.

nuZinc or a multivitamin?

That is the real trade-off, and it depends on what you already know about your diet.

A multivitamin covers a broad range: B, C, D and E vitamins, plus a series of trace elements including, almost always, zinc. It is the better choice if you have nothing else, if your diet is erratic on several fronts, and if you want a single bottle to open in the morning. Its drawback is that it doses each element modestly in order to fit everything in, and makes any individual adjustment impossible.

nuZinc follows the opposite logic: a single mineral, at the exact amount you want, at the time you choose. It is the better choice if you know why you are taking zinc — a vegan diet, heavy training, the winter season — and if you want to keep control of the daily total. It pairs without difficulty with a vitamin C, which does not compete with it.

The classic trap is taking both without doing the arithmetic: 15 mg on one side, often 10 mg on the other, and there you are at 25 mg a day, every day. That is not dramatic in the short term, but over several months it degrades copper status. If you do stack them, alternate every other day.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a bottle last?

Three months exactly, at one capsule a day, the bottle holding 90 capsules. That is also the course length recommended by the manufacturer, which makes the format coherent: one bottle equals one course, with nothing left over and nothing missing.

Should it be taken on an empty stomach?

Preferably away from meals, yes. The phytates in wholegrain cereals and the calcium in dairy products both reduce zinc absorption. If an empty stomach bothers you, taking it at a distance from a light meal is still far preferable to taking it in the middle of a full meal.

Is this zinc suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made from pullulan, obtained by fermentation of tapioca, and no ingredient in the formula is of animal origin. It is a point that sets this product apart from the many supplements in gelatine capsules, and it is all the more relevant given that vegans are among the profiles most concerned by zinc.

What is the difference between TRAACS® and an ordinary bisglycinate?

TRAACS® is a raw-material brand, not a different molecule. It denotes a bisglycinate produced to a given specification, with control of the chelation ratio. The chemistry is the same as that of any other properly manufactured bisglycinate; what you are buying is the supplier's traceability.

Can it be taken all year round?

The manufacturer says it can. That said, at 15 mg a day without a break, it is reasonable to take stock after six months, and a blood test becomes more useful than an automatic renewal. Zinc is not stored by the body, but a prolonged excess ends up disturbing copper.

Does it need to be spaced from iron?

Yes, and it is the only interaction that really matters. Iron, copper and zinc use the same intestinal absorption pathways and compete directly. If you take both, separate them by at least four hours, or put one in the morning and the other in late afternoon.

Does zinc strengthen immunity?

The authorised wording is that zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. The nuance is a real one: it helps a system to function normally when intake is insufficient, it does not make it perform better in someone whose status is already fine. That is the only thing a seller can honestly write.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuZinc?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the bottle we bring out when someone is after a short formula, free of additives, and readable in three seconds on the back of the pack. On a mineral, that is often the best criterion there is. The rest of the shelf can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is the Oat King bar by LSP Nutrition?

Oat King is an oat-flake bar in a distinctly more generous format than the aisle average. Each bar weighs 95 g, contains at least 42% oat flakes and provides 393 to 448 kcal depending on the flavour. The manufacturer states that the bars are made by hand, using traditional methods.

This is not a protein bar, and that is the first thing to understand before buying. A protein bar is built around an isolate, with 20 g of protein for 200 kcal. Here the logic is the opposite: oats are the first ingredient, the bar is dense in carbohydrate, and it exists to supply energy over time rather than to cover a protein intake.

The flavours in the catalogue: Big Tasty Chocolate, Chocolat Caramel, Chocolate Coconut, Carrot Cake, Apricot Yogurt, Red Fruits Yogurt, Super Banana, Cherry Almond, Maple Walnut, Peanut Butter and Lemon Poppy, the last of these being the vegan version. The rest of the brand can be browsed in our LSP Sports aisle, and the other snack formats in our protein bars aisle.

What does an Oat King bar contain?

95 g and up to 448 kcal: that is the figure to keep in mind, and it changes how the product is used entirely. A typical bar on this aisle weighs 55 to 65 g for 200 to 230 kcal. Here you are at double that, which is to say the equivalent of a light meal. That is neither a flaw nor a virtue in itself: it is simply a product made for long efforts, not for filling the 16:00 slump.

42% oat flakes is a high proportion, and you can feel it as you chew. The texture is that of a dense cereal bar, not a soft coating around a protein dough. That is why it stays with you better than most of its competitors, and also why it needs to be eaten with water within reach.

We should flag what we do not have: the manufacturer does not publish the nutritional breakdown — protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, salt — for each flavour. We will not fill those boxes with approximate values, all the more so as the composition varies appreciably from one flavour to another. The full table appears on the wrapper of the bar you receive, and that is the only reliable source if you count your intake precisely.

In regulatory terms there is nothing to claim, and that is perfectly fine: no health claim is authorised for oats in the area of energy or endurance. Complex carbohydrates act as fuel for exercise, which is basic physiology. Be wary of phrases such as “sustained energy with no blood-sugar spike” that turn up all over this aisle: those are slogans, not authorised claims.

Ingredients list

The full ingredients list is not disclosed by the manufacturer in the data available to us, and it varies with the flavour. It appears on the wrapper of the bar you receive. What we do know: oat flakes account for at least 42% of the recipe and are its first ingredient.

May contain traces of PEANUTS, SOYA and NUTS. Some flavours also contain nuts or peanuts as an ingredient in their own right — that is the case with the Peanut Butter, Cherry Almond and Maple Walnut versions. Oats are among the gluten-containing cereals as defined by European regulation: this product is therefore not suitable for anyone with coeliac disease.

How do you eat the Oat King bar?

Portion: 1 bar, or half a bar as a snack. Drink: a large glass of water, as the bar is dense. Timing: 30 to 60 minutes before exercise, during a long activity, or straight after the session. Frequency: one bar a day is plenty. Duration: there is no notion of a course here, it is a food.

Its best use is long outdoor effort. A bike ride, a hike, a trail run, a day's skiing: this format exists for exactly that. 400 kcal in a jacket pocket, eaten on the move and not melting the way a chocolate bar does, is hard to match.

Before a gym session, reckon on half a bar and 30 to 60 minutes instead. A whole 95 g bar swallowed just before lifting is heavy to digest, and the oats do not help. Cut it in two and keep the rest for afterwards.

During a long effort, eat it in pieces and drink. This is a dry, dense bar; without water it goes down badly and gives that blocked-up feeling cyclists know well. Spread it over thirty minutes rather than swallowing it in one go.

Finally, keep it away from heat: dry and at room temperature. In a southern summer, a bar left in a car turns sticky and holds together far less well. If what you are after is a protein-oriented snack instead, our protein snack aisle answers a different need.

Who is the Oat King bar for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone who does an endurance sport, who is out for long stretches, or who struggles to meet their calorie needs across the day. It also works as a stopgap breakfast: 95 g of oats and dried fruit beats a croissant eaten standing up.

It is not suitable for anyone with coeliac disease, oats being one of the gluten-containing cereals as defined by the regulation. Nor is it suitable in cases of allergy to peanuts, soya or nuts: traces are possible across the whole range, and some flavours contain them outright.

It is poorly suited to a low-calorie diet. At 393-448 kcal a unit, one bar represents a significant share of a day in deficit. This is not a cutting product, and selling it as one would be dishonest. If your goal is weight loss, our weight loss aisle brings together products designed for that.

What not to expect from it. It is not a protein source: it does contain some, naturally present in the oats, but in modest and undisclosed amounts. It does not build muscle, does not improve performance by itself and does not replace a proper meal. What it provides is easily portable energy — and on that ground it is excellent.

Oat bar or protein bar?

This is the real choice facing anyone buying from this aisle, and it depends only on what you are looking for.

A protein bar is made for protein intake: around 20 g for 200 to 230 kcal, in a format half the size. It is the right product after a weights session, or as a snack when you need to hit a protein target without sending the calories through the roof. Our protein bars aisle covers those references.

The oat bar is made for energy: plenty of carbohydrate, enough mass to fill you up, and it holds up well in a pocket. For a long effort it wins hands down — a protein bar over three hours on a bike will not give you the fuel you need, whatever its protein content.

And if your need is purely for carbohydrate, to be prepared at home rather than carried with you, an oat flour or a rice cream works out far cheaper per gram. You pay for the bar's format, not for its composition — worth knowing.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in one bar?

From 393 to 448 kcal depending on the flavour, for a 95 g bar. That is roughly double a classic protein bar, which puts it closer to a light meal. It is deliberate: the bar is designed for long efforts, not for filling a small gap.

Which flavours are available?

In the catalogue: Big Tasty Chocolate, Chocolat Caramel, Chocolate Coconut, Carrot Cake, Apricot Yogurt, Red Fruits Yogurt, Super Banana, Cherry Almond, Maple Walnut, Peanut Butter and Lemon Poppy. The last of these is the vegan version of the range.

Does the bar contain gluten?

Yes. Oats, which account for at least 42% of the recipe, are one of the gluten-containing cereals as defined by European regulation. This product is therefore not suitable for anyone with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance.

What is the protein content?

The manufacturer does not disclose the full nutritional breakdown, and it varies with the flavour. We are not going to invent it. Bear in mind that this is not a protein bar: the protein it does contain comes from the oats and the dried fruit, in modest amounts.

Is it suitable before a weights session?

Half a bar, 30 to 60 minutes beforehand, yes. A whole bar right before you start will be heavy to digest: 95 g of dense oats is a lot to carry. For a long outdoor outing, on the other hand, the whole bar makes complete sense.

Is there a vegan version?

Yes, the Lemon Poppy flavour. The other flavours in the range are vegetarian, several of them containing dairy, notably the yogurt-based versions. Check the wrapper of the flavour you choose.

How should it be stored?

Dry and at room temperature, with the wrapper closed again if you do not finish it. Avoid leaving it in a car in full sun: the heat softens the binders and the bar holds together far less well. Check the best-before date before eating.

Where can you buy the Oat King bar by LSP Nutrition?

The bar can be ordered individually from this page, in the available flavours, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the bar we put into the hands of cyclists and hikers: on the back-country roads, a 95 g bar does more for your outing than a sugary gel. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition aisle.

What is Olimp Carbonox?

Olimp Carbonox is a carbohydrate powder to be mixed with water, intended for training, made by Olimp Sport Nutrition, a Polish brand. It is dosed at 50 g and drunk before, during or after a session.

The body of the formula is a blend of three carbohydrates: maltodextrins, glucose and isomaltulose. To these are added L-arginine hydrochloride, two acidity regulators (malic acid, citric acid), a set of vitamins and minerals, flavourings, two sweeteners (acesulfame K and sucralose) and colours depending on the flavour. The flavours listed: Strawberry, Lemon, Orange, Pineapple and Grapefruit.

A word on method before going further. This page repeats no promise of "two hours of stable blood sugar" and no stated duration of energy: those claims circulate about this product, they are not backed by any verifiable source and they no longer appear here. The net weight of the tub, for its part, does not appear in the product data we hold for this item: it is printed on the packaging, so we work in 50 g servings rather than in servings per tub.

What does a 50 g serving of Carbonox contain?

One serving provides 47.5 g of carbohydrate, of which 12.5 g sugars, for 816 kJ / 192 kcal, 0.5 g of protein, 0 g of fat and 0.025 g of salt. It also contains 500 mg of L-arginine hydrochloride, i.e. 410 mg of L-arginine.

What sets the product apart is its fortification. The vitamins are dosed at a consistent level: each of the ones that are quantified provides 20 % of the NRV per 50 g serving. On the mineral side, chromium reaches 94 % and manganese 50 %, while calcium and magnesium stay below the 15 % that any claim depends on.

* No NRV is established for L-arginine, and no health claim is authorised for it: it appears in the composition, it is not an argument for effectiveness. Two reservations about the table, which we would rather write down than round off. The ingredients list mentions twelve vitamins, but only ten are quantified: vitamin D and pantothenic acid appear in the composition with no content declared. Likewise, the list mentions eight minerals — iodine and molybdenum being added to the six in the table — but only six are quantified. We are not inventing the four missing rows.

The verified levels permit the following European wordings, and only those: vitamin C, B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, biotin, iron and manganese contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism; vitamin C, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folate and iron contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of normal vision; chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism. The multivitamins department covers the same ground outside a training context.

On the carbohydrates themselves, a European claim does exist, but its conditions of use require an intake of the order of 4 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight after exercise. For a person of 75 kg, that comes to 300 g of carbohydrate, or six servings. A 50 g serving does not meet that condition: we therefore claim nothing on that front.

How do you take Olimp Carbonox?

The manufacturer specifies one 50 g scoop in 100 to 200 ml of water, to be mixed vigorously for at least 10 seconds. The recommended amount is 2 to 4 servings a day depending on training intensity and body weight — that is 95 to 190 g of carbohydrate a day from this product alone.

Three timings are proposed: 30 minutes before training, during the session in small sips, and immediately after. No course length is given by the manufacturer, and there is no reason to set one: a carbohydrate powder is taken according to training load, not as a course.

A practical note on dilution. Fifty grams in 100 ml gives a very concentrated solution, which slows gastric emptying and troubles a lot of athletes during exercise. If you are drinking the mix while running or cycling, go beyond the 200 ml stated and dilute in 500 to 700 ml. The manufacturer's range suits a single drink after the session better.

Who is Carbonox for, and who is it not for?

The product is aimed at adults whose training load is genuine: long sessions, back-to-back workouts, endurance sports, or bulking where calorie intake from solid food becomes hard to sustain. If you train for an hour three times a week, a 192 kcal serving of fast carbohydrate serves no purpose and simply adds to your calorie balance.

The manufacturer states clearly that the product is not suitable for people with diabetes. It advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as for the under-18s, and reminds you not to exceed the daily serving. It is made in a factory that handles milk, eggs, soya, nuts, peanuts, gluten, fish, crustaceans and molluscs: traces are possible. Any question relating to a medical treatment or condition belongs with your doctor or your pharmacist.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a weight loss product, quite the opposite. Nor is it a meal replacement, despite the vitamins: 0.5 g of protein per serving feeds nothing. And it is not a pre-workout, it contains no caffeine. Finally, no promise about how long the energy lasts can be kept: the rate at which you empty your stores depends on intensity, on what you have eaten that day and on your training, not on the composition of a powder.

Carbonox or a plain maltodextrin?

The question is a genuine one, because the price gap per kilo of carbohydrate is significant.

A plain maltodextrin is the better choice when you are consuming large volumes of carbohydrate, when you want to control your intake precisely, or when you are already taking vitamins elsewhere — Carbonox's 20 % of the NRV then adds to what you are swallowing on the other side, and the benefit melts away. It is also preferable if you are mixing your carbohydrate with a protein or with amino acids in the same bottle: the fewer flavourings and acidifiers there are, the better the mix behaves.

Carbonox holds its own when you want a ready-to-use drink that is pleasant to swallow, and when the vitamin content replaces a multivitamin you are not taking. If it is digestive comfort on very long efforts that concerns you, look instead at cyclodextrin, whose osmolarity is more favourable, or at waxy maize. And to cover the calories of a weight gain phase, carbohydrate combined with protein works better than carbohydrate on its own.

Frequently asked questions

What proportion of Carbonox is maltodextrin?

The manufacturer does not publish the split between the three sources. The ingredients list puts the carbohydrate blend first, with the maltodextrins named before glucose and then isomaltulose, which indicates descending order of quantity without giving weights. We are not going to estimate them.

How many 50 g servings can you take a day?

Two to four depending on training intensity and body weight, according to the manufacturer. That comes to 95 to 190 g of carbohydrate and 384 to 768 kcal from this product alone. Count them in your daily balance: this is energy, not a neutral supplement.

Is Carbonox suitable for people with diabetes?

No. The manufacturer says so explicitly, and the composition confirms it: 47.5 g of carbohydrate per serving, of which 12.5 g sugars. No multi-source formulation changes that figure. If this concerns you, the question is one for your doctor, not for a product page.

Does the nutrition table change with the flavour?

The published values apply to the range; only the colours vary with the flavour, as the ingredients list indicates. The flavours listed are Strawberry, Lemon, Orange, Pineapple and Grapefruit. The two sweeteners, acesulfame K and sucralose, are common to all of them.

Does Carbonox contain gluten?

No gluten-containing ingredient appears in the composition, but the factory also handles gluten, as well as milk, eggs, soya, nuts, peanuts, fish, crustaceans and molluscs. If you have coeliac disease, this risk of traces should be taken seriously.

How many vitamins and minerals are actually quantified?

Ten vitamins out of the twelve present in the ingredients list, and six minerals out of the eight. Vitamin D, pantothenic acid, iodine and molybdenum appear in the composition with no content declared. That is a shortcoming of the label, not an omission on our part, and it makes any claim for those four nutrients impossible to use.

Can it be mixed with a protein?

Yes, with no known interaction, and combining carbohydrate with protein makes sense after a long session. Just be aware that Carbonox's acidifiers, malic acid and citric acid, can alter the texture of a whey. A neutral maltodextrin mixes more cleanly if that is your main use.

Should it be taken during or after exercise?

Both are proposed by the manufacturer. During exercise, dilute generously — 500 to 700 ml rather than the 200 ml stated — to avoid the digestive discomfort of an over-concentrated solution. After exercise, the tighter dilution poses no problem since the drink is swallowed in one go.

Where can you buy Olimp Carbonox?

This page lets you order the flavours, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the kind of product that is better discussed before being bought: the first question we ask is how many hours of training a week, because below a certain volume a carbohydrate powder has nothing to offer. The rest of the department is in our sports nutrition section.

What is Olimp Taurine Mega Caps?

Olimp Taurine Mega Caps is taurine in capsules, at a deliberately high dose. One capsule provides 1,500 mg of taurine, for 6 kcal, with no carbohydrate, no fat and no salt. The 120-capsule tub covers 60 to 120 days depending on the dose you settle on.

Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid, naturally present in the body and supplied by food — above all by fish, seafood and meat. It is widely used by athletes, it is found in most energy drinks, and it is one of those ingredients everyone talks about without ever saying what they do.

The Mega Caps format is the central argument: a single capsule covers the usual dose, where a powder calls for a set of scales and a glass of water. Olimp Sport Nutrition is a Polish brand, established in France for a long time. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Olimp Sport Nutrition section, and the other products in the category in our taurine section.

What is in one Taurine Mega Caps capsule?

** Nutrient reference value not established for taurine.

1,500 mg in a single capsule is the real point of this product. The usual dose among athletes sits between 1 and 2 g a day: one capsule is therefore enough, two at most. For comparison, a standard can of energy drink contains around 1,000 mg, buried in sugar and caffeine. Here you get the molecule on its own, without the rest.

Taurine makes up 88.7% of the capsule's contents; the remainder consists of the agents needed for manufacturing — a bulking agent and an anti-caking agent. That is an honest proportion for a capsule of this size, and the manufacturer deserves credit for publishing it, which few do.

Now for the point this category carefully avoids raising: no health claim is authorised in Europe for taurine. Not for performance, not for recovery, not for concentration, not for creatine transport. Nothing. The applications submitted did not succeed, and everything you will read elsewhere about its “anti-catabolic effects” is commercial extrapolation. What we are selling here is a nutritional intake documented as to its composition, not a promised effect. For any health question, speak to your doctor.

One practical point that matters: the capsule shell is made of gelatine. This product is therefore not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets, unlike taurine powder, which is of synthetic origin and contains no animal ingredient. It is the kind of detail that decides a purchase and that almost no product page mentions.

Ingredients list

Taurine (88.7%, that is 1,500 mg per capsule), bulking agent: microcrystalline cellulose, anti-caking agent: magnesium salts of fatty acids. Capsule shell: gelatine.

No allergen in the recipe. The manufacturer states that production takes place in a facility handling GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS and SOYA: traces are possible. The detailed composition of the shell appears on the label of the tub you receive. Stated shelf life: 36 months in the unopened original packaging.

How should Taurine Mega Caps be taken?

Dose: 1 to 2 capsules a day. Liquid: 300 to 400 ml of water. Timing: 30 to 45 minutes before intense sessions. Frequency: once a day; a dose on rest days is possible. Duration: at least 4 to 6 weeks, without a break.

The volume of water is not decorative: 300 to 400 ml is a lot for one capsule, and it is deliberate. A Mega Caps capsule is an imposing size, and it goes down far better with a large glass than with a mouthful. If you struggle to swallow capsules, let us know: taurine also comes as a powder, and the problem disappears.

One capsule or two? A single one already covers the usual dose. The second is justified during weeks of heavy training load, or if you want to get closer to the 2 g a day used in the literature. There is no point going higher, and the manufacturer sets the limit at two capsules in any case.

As for duration, allow four to six weeks minimum, without a break. This is not a product with an immediate effect that you take on competition day. If you are going to take it, take it regularly, including on days without training — that is what the manufacturer recommends.

Finally, taurine combines without difficulty with the other training products: a creatine, some BCAAs or an electrolyte can be taken alongside without overlap. None of these combinations creates any demonstrated additional effect, though: they are separate intakes, not a synergy.

Who is Taurine Mega Caps for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who trains and wants an isolated taurine intake, without going through a sugary energy drink or a caffeinated pre-workout. It is a simple product, frankly dosed, and the capsule format makes it easy to carry.

It is not suitable for under-18s. Pregnant and breastfeeding women must not use it — that is the manufacturer's wording, with no qualification. If you are on any medical treatment, ask a healthcare professional for advice before use.

It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, since the capsule shell is made of gelatine. If that applies to you, go for a taurine powder. And if you are sensitive to a major allergen, be aware that the product is made in a facility handling gluten, milk, eggs and soya.

What you should not expect from it, and it needs saying plainly. No claim exists for taurine in Europe: this product does not improve performance, does not protect muscle, does not speed up recovery and has no demonstrated effect on alertness. If you are after a stimulant, what you need is a booster, not taurine — and the effect felt after a can of energy drink comes from the caffeine, not from the taurine it contains.

Taurine in capsules or as a powder?

This is the only real choice to make on this product, and it comes down to three concrete criteria.

Powder costs distinctly less per gram. That is mechanical: you pay for neither the encapsulation, nor the gelatine, nor the bulking agents. Over a daily 1.5 g dose for several months, the gap becomes significant. It also suits vegetarian and vegan diets, which the gelatine capsule does not.

The capsule wins on simplicity and on taste — or rather on the absence of it. Taurine powder has a bitter, slightly sulphurous taste that few people enjoy in a glass of water; you have to bury it in a flavoured drink. A capsule settles the question in three seconds, with no scales and no scoop. For long-term daily use, that is often what makes the difference between a tub you finish and a tub you forget.

A third case comes up regularly: if you already take a pre-workout or an intra-workout drink, check what is in them before adding this one. Taurine appears in most formulas in that category, often between 500 mg and 1 g per serving. Our EAAs and our session drinks frequently contain it: there is no point stacking.

Frequently asked questions

How much taurine per capsule?

1,500 mg, that is the usual dose among athletes in a single serving. Taurine makes up 88.7% of the capsule's contents, the rest being a bulking agent and an anti-caking agent. The 120-capsule tub covers 60 to 120 days depending on whether you take one or two a day.

Does taurine improve performance?

We cannot state that and nobody legally can: no health claim is authorised in Europe for taurine. Not for performance, not for recovery, not for concentration. It is a nutritional intake, and it should be bought in full awareness of that.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, go for taurine powder, which does not pose that problem. It is a point rarely mentioned on product pages in this category.

One or two capsules a day?

A single one covers the usual 1.5 g dose. The second is justified during heavy training weeks, to get closer to the 2 g a day. The manufacturer sets the limit at two capsules a day: there is no point going beyond that.

Should it be taken on rest days?

The manufacturer allows and suggests it, the course being designed to run without a break over four to six weeks minimum. This is not a product with an immediate effect that you would take only on the day of an important session. If you take it, take it regularly.

Can it be combined with an energy drink?

It is possible, but often pointless: most energy drinks and pre-workouts already contain taurine, between 500 mg and 1 g per serving. Check the label of what you already take before adding a 1,500 mg capsule.

Are the capsules easy to swallow?

They are an imposing size, which is the whole principle of the Mega Caps format that allows 1,500 mg to be packed in. Take them with 300 to 400 ml of water, not a mouthful. If you struggle with large capsules, the powder version is a better choice.

Where can you buy Olimp Taurine Mega Caps?

You can order the tub on this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we sell without making a fuss about it: taurine has no authorised claim, and we would rather say so before the purchase than let anyone believe in an effect. We also check what the customer already takes, since taurine is in almost every session drink. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

Joints and tendons are what most often limit progress after a few years of training. Not the muscle: the structures around it. This joints and recovery bundle brings together three supplements found in almost every routine of athletes who have been training for a long time.

What is in the bundle

• IO Genix Collagen Fortigel 320 g — 5 g of patented Fortigel collagen peptides per serving, alongside the other actives in the joint formula.
• IO Genix Turmeric Curcumin — turmeric combined with the patented BioPerine® black pepper extract.
• IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury — fish oil with a 50:25 EPA/DHA ratio, a Spanish formulation from the Luxury Series range.

The bundle is €76.90 instead of €84.69 bought separately.

Why these three?

Because they work in different places. Collagen supplies the specific amino acids — glycine, proline, hydroxyproline — that make up tendons, ligaments and cartilage, and which are scarce in a modern diet built mostly around muscle meat. Turmeric has been used for centuries and is now the subject of an extensive scientific literature on recovery. Omega 3 EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function from 250 mg a day, and that is the item where the average French diet falls shortest.

What really matters for tendons

No supplement replaces the three things that really work: increasing the load slowly, never skipping the warm-up, and giving tendons time to adapt — they strengthen far more slowly than muscles, which explains most injuries among people who progress fast. Supplements come on top of that, to supply the raw material. Not instead of it.

How long before it shows?

This is a long-game bundle, not an immediate-effect one. Collagen is taken continuously over several months: connective tissue renews itself slowly. Allow three months before judging, and take it every day, including days without training. It is consistency that counts, not the dose.

How to use the bundle

• Collagen: one serving a day, in water or a cold drink. Many people take it in the morning out of habit, but the timing does not matter.
• Turmeric: with a meal containing a little fat, which helps absorption.
• Omega 3: with a meal as well, to avoid repeating on you.

These are food supplements. They are not intended to treat or prevent any disease, and they replace neither a varied diet nor medical advice. If you are on anticoagulant treatment or pregnant, speak to your doctor before taking omega 3 or turmeric.

Find it in the Vendargues shop

All three products are on the shelf in the shop, 285 Rue des Portes Domitiennes in Vendargues, ten minutes from Montpellier. Order online with in-store collection: ready within two hours at most during opening times. For delivery, any order placed before 2 pm goes out the same day.

When you start lifting, the hard part is not finding supplements: it is knowing which ones actually help. This beginner bundle holds exactly what you need in the first few months, and nothing else: a protein, creatine, and something to drink them out of.

What is in the bundle

• IO Genix Whey 80 Professional — 24.6 g of protein per 30 g serving, i.e. 82 % protein, and 7.2 g of BCAA at an 8:1:1 ratio. A complete, well-dosed whey without being the most expensive in the aisle.
• IO Genix Creatine Monohydrate — 3,000 mg per 3 g serving, 100 servings per tub, unflavoured with no additives.
• KISS NUTRITION 700 ml shaker — with a mixing grid, so you do not get lumps.

You choose the flavour of the whey and the creatine. The bundle is €61.90 instead of €68.75 separately.

Do you really need supplements as a beginner?

No, they are not compulsory, and nobody here will tell you otherwise. You can progress perfectly well on solid food alone. Supplements are there to fill the gaps: whey because hitting your daily protein from meals alone is hard, creatine because it is the only supplement whose effect on strength is firmly established. The rest can wait, often for several months.

Is it dangerous?

Whey is milk with the water, the lactose and part of the fat taken out. Creatine is a molecule naturally present in red meat and fish, and it is one of the most studied supplements in the world, with more than thirty years of hindsight. At the usual doses, in a healthy person, neither poses a problem. They are foods, not medicines, and they do not replace meals.

When to take what

• Whey: one serving after training, or at any time of day if you are short on protein. Two servings a day at most is plenty.
• Creatine: 3 g a day, every day, including days without training. No loading phase needed, no cycling needed.

Drink enough water during the day; that is the only useful precaution.

How long before you see anything?

On strength, creatine is generally felt after two to three weeks. On your physique, count on three to six months of regular training instead. That is a long time, and it is normal: the people who succeed are not the ones who found the right product, they are the ones who did not stop.

Come by the Vendargues shop

If you are starting out, the best thing is still to come and talk it through. The shop is at 285 Rue des Portes Domitiennes in Vendargues, ten minutes from Montpellier: we look at your goals, your budget and your habits, and adjust from there. Order online with in-store collection ready within two hours at most during opening times, or same-day dispatch for any order placed before 2 pm.

Putting on weight when you do not put it on easily is not a question of willpower: it is a question of calories that actually go in. This mass gain bundle brings together the three products we most often recommend at the counter to people who already eat a lot and still stall on the scales: a dense gainer, creatine monohydrate and a carbohydrate source to add to meals.

What is in the bundle

• Mutant Mass — the gainer. 1,100 kcal, 56 g of protein and 192 g of carbohydrate per 280 g serving. It is the equivalent of a full meal in a shaker, for the days when appetite does not keep up.
• IO Genix Creatine Monohydrate — 3,000 mg per 3 g serving, 100 servings per tub, unflavoured with no additives. It is the most studied supplement in all of sports nutrition.
• IO Genix Cream of Rice — fine steam-precooked cream of rice, ready in a minute, hot or cold. Complex carbohydrates to add to breakfast or after the session without having to cook.

You choose the flavour of each product above. The bundle sells for €79.90 instead of €87.75 if you buy the three separately.

Why these three products together?

Because they do different jobs. The gainer supplies the calorie surplus; without a surplus, no mass gain is possible, whatever the training. Creatine works on something else: it contributes to improved performance during successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise — in other words it helps you do one or two more reps, session after session. And the cream of rice is there to build calories out of real meals, not only out of shakers.

Which protein should you choose for mass gain?

The question comes up all the time, and the answer depends mostly on your appetite. If you struggle to finish your plates, a gainer like Mutant Mass is more effective than a whey: it brings carbohydrate as well as protein. If you already eat properly and are only short on protein, a whey is enough and costs less per gram. Come by the shop, we will look at your typical days together and settle it in five minutes.

Mass gain or lean mass gain?

A so-called lean mass gain is simply a more moderate calorie surplus: you gain more slowly, but you gain less fat. The same bundle works, dosing the gainer at half a serving instead of a full one. It is often the best compromise when you are in no hurry.

And if you are an ectomorph?

The term simply describes very lean people who burn a lot at rest. The principle does not change, only the amount does: it often takes two gainer servings a day rather than one, and it means accepting that progress is measured in months, not weeks. One kilo a month is a realistic and sustainable pace.

How to use the bundle day to day

• Gainer: one serving between two meals, or just after training. In milk if you digest it well, in water otherwise.
• Creatine: 3 g a day, every day, including rest days. The timing does not matter.
• Cream of rice: at breakfast or as a snack, with milk, a little nut butter or a piece of fruit.

These three products are foods, not medicines. They are consumed as part of a varied diet and do not replace meals.

Find it in the Vendargues shop

All three products in the bundle are on the shelf in the shop, 285 Rue des Portes Domitiennes in Vendargues, ten minutes from Montpellier. You order online, choose in-store collection, and your bundle is put together within two hours at most during opening times. For delivery, any order placed before 2 pm goes out the same day.

This bundle is aimed at people who have already done a first mass-gain phase and want to start again differently: more slowly, more cleanly, and without putting back as much fat. It is the level above the beginner bundle, and the more moderate counterpart to our mass gain bundle.

What is in the bundle

• IO Genix Protein Mass 4 kg — a gainer whose carbohydrate comes from oat flour rather than sugar: 195 kcal, 16 g of protein and 28 g of carbohydrate per 50 g serving, of which only 2 g of sugars. It already contains 3 g of creatine and 6 g of glutamine per serving.
• IO Genix Amino 10 — 10 g of essential amino acids per 20 g serving, including 3 g of leucine and 2 g of valine, with all 9 EAA present.
• IO Genix Multivit — twelve vitamins and eight minerals per capsule, including 14 mg of iron, 15 mg of zinc, 60 mg of vitamin C and 5 µg of vitamin D.

You choose the flavour of the gainer and of the EAA. The bundle is €86.90 instead of €95.65 separately.

How is it different from the classic mass gain bundle?

The difference lies entirely in the gainer. A gainer at 1,100 kcal a serving is made for people who cannot manage to eat enough, full stop. Protein Mass plays a different tune: 195 kcal per serving, lower-index oat carbohydrate, and only 2 g of sugars. You use it alongside meals that are already decent, to add 200 to 400 kcal a day where they are missing, rather than to replace a whole meal.

Put another way: the first bundle is there to break a plateau, this one is there to build over the long run.

Is a gainer with built-in creatine enough?

Protein Mass brings 3 g of creatine per 50 g serving, which matches the recommended daily dose exactly. If you take one serving a day, you are covered and there is no need to add a separate tub of creatine. That is in fact why this bundle does not include one: it would mean paying twice for the same thing.

If you take half a serving, on the other hand, count only 1.5 g, and there a creatine monohydrate supplement makes sense.

What are EAA for during a mass-gain phase?

Essential amino acids are often associated with cutting, but they have their place here too. During a mass-gain phase the training is heavy and the sessions are long: drinking 10 g of EAA during the session keeps you from training on an empty stomach at the end of a day when the last meal is a long way back. And unlike a protein shake, it does not sit heavily on the stomach while you train.

Why multivitamins when gaining mass?

Because a mass-gain phase, contrary to what people imagine, often narrows dietary variety: you eat a lot, but always the same things — rice, pasta, chicken, oats. Micronutrients fall by the wayside.

One capsule in the morning covers the twenty most common vitamins and minerals. Iron and vitamin C contribute to the reduction of tiredness, which is no small thing when you string together four to five sessions a week. It is not a spectacular product: it is a safety net, and it costs less than €10.

How to use the bundle day to day

• Gainer: 1 serving of 50 g in 300 to 400 ml of water or skimmed milk, after the session or as a snack. Two servings on days when appetite does not keep up.
• Amino 10: 1 serving of 20 g in 200 to 250 ml of water, before or during training.
• Multivit: 1 capsule in the morning with breakfast, with a large glass of water.

The surplus to aim for stays the same as for any mass-gain phase: 250 to 500 kcal above your needs, no more. These products are food supplements: they replace neither a varied diet nor meals.

Find it in the Vendargues shop

All three products are on the shelf in the shop, 285 Rue des Portes Domitiennes in Vendargues, ten minutes from Montpellier. Order online with in-store collection: ready within two hours at most during opening times. For delivery, any order placed before 2 pm goes out the same day.

A successful cutting phase is not a matter of a miracle product: it is a calorie deficit held long enough, while keeping the muscle you spent years building. This cutting bundle brings together the three products that genuinely help you get through that period: a very pure protein, essential amino acids and a thermogenic fat burner.

What is in the bundle

• IO Genix Isoluxe CFM 500 g — a Cross-Flow microfiltered whey isolate from grass-fed cows' milk, with the Isolac and Optipep patents. Very little lactose and carbohydrate: it is the protein best suited to a phase where every calorie counts.
• JNX Sports The Ripper — a powdered thermogenic fat burner, 200 mg of caffeine per 5 g serving. It drinks like a cold soft drink, which also helps with hydration.
• Applied Nutrition Amino Fuel EAA — 11 g of amino acids per serving, including 9 g of EAA and 6 g of BCAA at a 2:1:1 ratio. To drink during the session when intake is low.

You choose the flavour of each product. The bundle is €92.90 instead of €102.69 separately.

What each product is for during a cut

The isolate covers protein: in a deficit, that is the one item you must not cut back, because it is what protects muscle mass. The EAA take over around training, when the stomach is empty and you do not fancy a full shaker. The fat burner does not make you lose weight on its own: the caffeine helps you feel more alert and get through sessions during a period of restriction. It is a helping hand, not an engine.

How long does a cut take?

A reasonable pace is around 0.5 to 1 % of body weight per week, i.e. about two to four kilos a month for someone of 80 kg. Faster than that, and what comes off is no longer only fat. Very aggressive cuts are always paid for in the same place: loss of strength, tiredness, and immediate regain as soon as you ease off. Better to aim for a clean eight to twelve weeks than a month of deprivation.

What really counts on the plate?

No food has to be banned. What counts is the daily total: keeping protein high, keeping enough carbohydrate around sessions to keep training properly, and gradually lowering the rest. Vegetables and fibre help enormously with the feeling of hunger. The bundle does not replace that work, it makes it more comfortable.

How to use the bundle

• Isolate: one serving after the session, or as a snack to top up the protein missing from the day.
• EAA: one serving during training, diluted in a large volume of water.
• Fat burner: one serving in the morning or before the session. Start with half a serving to gauge your tolerance.

The Ripper brings 200 mg of caffeine per serving, about two espressos. Avoid it late in the day if you sleep badly, and it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women or for people sensitive to caffeine. If you are on any treatment, ask your doctor's advice.

Find it in the Vendargues shop

All three products are on the shelf in the shop, 285 Rue des Portes Domitiennes in Vendargues, ten minutes from Montpellier. Order online with in-store collection: ready within two hours at most during opening times. For delivery, any order placed before 2 pm goes out the same day.

What is Peak Performance Liquid Glycerol?

Peak Performance Liquid Glycerol is a bottle of pharmaceutical-grade liquid glycerine, standardised to 99.5%. A 5 ml dose provides 6,000 mg of glycerine and 5 kcal. It is a single-ingredient product, with no flavouring, no sweetener and no additives.

Glycerine, or glycerol, is a three-carbon molecule that the body produces itself when breaking down fat. Its particular property is osmotic: it distributes itself through the body's fluid compartments and holds water there. That mechanism, and that alone, explains its use in sports nutrition.

The liquid format is a deliberate choice. Powdered glycerol is in fact glycerol adsorbed onto a carrier, which divides the actual content by two or three and makes it highly sensitive to moisture — the tubs set into a solid block. Here the product is already in its natural form, and it is measured out with the cap. The rest of the range is in our Peak Performance Nutrition aisle.

What does a 5 ml dose contain?

The manufacturer notes that these values are averages, subject to the normal variations of the product. The volume of the bottle is not published in the information available to us; the packaging carries it.

6 g of glycerine per dose is the benchmark dose for this category, and it matches the quantities used in the published protocols on hyperhydration. Plenty of competing products announce as much but in powder form at 65%: for the same stated quantity, they deliver considerably less. That is the calculation to make before comparing two labels.

The second notable point is the absolute brevity of the list: glycerine, and nothing else. No flavouring, no sweetener, no bulking agent. In an aisle where fifteen-line lists are the norm, this is a product you can read in one second.

The regulatory framework does, however, need stating clearly, because this product is often sold with promises that nothing supports. No health claim is authorised in Europe for glycerol. Not on the pump, not on endurance, not on thermoregulation, not on performance. The osmotic mechanism is real and documented; the effect on sports performance, on the other hand, has no validated dossier. We can describe what the molecule is and at what dose it is present; we cannot promise you anything, and the previous description on this page went too far on that point.

Finally, a detail that is useful to competing athletes: the status of glycerol under anti-doping rules has changed over the years. If you are subject to testing, check the status of the substance and of the batch with your federation before taking any. It is a check that takes five minutes and it is yours to make.

Ingredients list

Glycerine 99.5% (pharmaceutical grade). Made in a facility that handles MILK, SOYA, GLUTEN and EGG.

How do you take Liquid Glycerol?

Dose: 5 ml, i.e. one serving. Liquid: 300 ml of water as a minimum. Timing: 30 to 60 minutes before the session. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: no set course length; to be used within three months of opening.

Water is not an option here, it is the product. Glycerol does not create water: it holds on to the water you drink. A dose swallowed neat, with nothing to drink afterwards, is of absolutely no use and causes digestive discomfort into the bargain. The 300 ml are an absolute minimum, and the manufacturer recommends continuing to drink plenty during the session.

The 30 to 60 minute window corresponds to the time needed for the glycerine to distribute itself through the body. Taken five minutes before, it has done nothing; taken two hours before, most of it has already been eliminated.

For a first try, start with half the dose. Glycerol has a laxative effect in some users, and it is better to find that out with 2.5 ml on a Sunday than with 6 g just before an important session. The taste is distinctly sweet and a little syrupy: diluted in 300 ml, it remains perfectly acceptable.

Nothing prevents you from adding the dose to your usual pre-workout, and that is in fact the most common use. As the product is neutral in terms of actives, it doubles up on no ingredient — unlike what happens when you stack two complete pre-workouts.

Who is Liquid Glycerol for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone who trains in the heat, who strings together long sessions, or who is specifically after the sensation of a pump during effort. It also suits those who build their own pre-workout brick by brick and want an isolated ingredient, with no flavouring and no sweetener.

The manufacturer states that it should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, and flags a possible laxative effect in the event of excessive consumption. It insists on one point that is not negotiable: the product must always be consumed with a sufficient quantity of water.

It is not for you if you have a sensitive stomach during effort: glycerine draws water into the intestine, and at a full dose with little water, the session can go badly. Nor is it for you if you have to watch your weight day by day — a weight-category sport, for instance — since the intended effect is precisely additional water retention.

It is made in a facility that handles milk, soya, gluten and egg: in the event of a severe allergy, that point alone rules it out.

What you should not expect from it: a pump is not muscle building. It makes the session more enjoyable and the mirror more flattering for an hour, it does not make you progress. Nor does glycerol replace proper day-to-day hydration: if you drink a litre a day, that is where to start, and it costs nothing.

Liquid Glycerol or a citrulline pre-workout?

Both are aimed at the pump, through two completely different mechanisms.

A product based on citrulline acts on vascular tone: citrulline is a precursor of arginine, which is itself involved in the production of nitric oxide. The pump obtained comes from a rush of blood. It is the better choice if you are after the classic pump sensation, with doses of 3 to 8 g per serving, and it combines with L-arginine for those who want to go further.

Glycerol acts elsewhere: it dilates nothing, it holds water in the fluid compartments. The result is greater volume, a feeling of fullness, and better heat tolerance thanks to the plasma volume. It is the better choice if you train in summer, if sessions run long, or if citrulline does nothing for you — which happens.

The two are complementary rather than competing: nothing prevents you from combining them, since they do not act on the same lever. If you prefer a ready-made stimulant-free formula, the caffeine-free pre-workouts bring together products of that kind.

Frequently asked questions

How much glycerine per dose?

6,000 mg for 5 ml, at a standardisation of 99.5%. That is the dose used in the published protocols on hyperhydration. Watch out when comparing: the powdered versions are glycerol adsorbed onto a carrier, generally around 65%, which changes the calculation completely.

How much water should it be taken with?

300 ml as a minimum, and more if you can manage it. It is the most important rule with this product: glycerol does not create water, it holds on to the water you drink. A dose taken with nothing to drink is of no use and causes digestive discomfort.

How long before the session?

30 to 60 minutes. That is the time needed for the glycerine to distribute itself through the body's fluid compartments. Taken just before the warm-up, it has not yet worked; taken two hours before, most of it has already been eliminated.

Is there a laxative effect?

In some people, yes, especially at a full dose and with little water. Glycerol draws water into the intestine, exactly as polyols do. Start with half a dose and increase if all goes well: that is the only way to assess your tolerance without ruining a session.

Does the product cause weight gain?

On the scales, yes, temporarily: it is retained water, and that is the intended effect. It is neither fat mass nor muscle mass, and it disappears within a few hours. If you have to make weight in competition, this product is not your friend.

Can it be mixed into your pre-workout?

Yes, and that is the most frequent use. As the product contains only one ingredient, it doubles up on no active in your usual pre-workout. Simply add the dose to the shaker and increase the volume of water accordingly.

What do the anti-doping rules say?

The status of glycerol has changed over the years in the lists of controlled substances. If you are subject to testing, check the substance and the batch with your federation before taking any. We cannot settle that question on your behalf, and it is worth five minutes of checking.

Where to buy Peak Performance Liquid Glycerol?

The bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we mostly talk about in summer: between June and September, when you are training in thirty-degree heat, the question of plasma volume stops being theoretical. The rest of the pre-session aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.