io.genix

What is IO Genix Crealuxe Creapure®?

Crealuxe is IO Genix's premium creatine: a micronised creatine monohydrate whose raw material carries the Creapure® label, produced by AlzChem at its site in Trostberg, Bavaria. The ingredient list for the unflavoured version fits on one line — Creapure®, nothing else. The rest of the range sits in our IO Genix aisle.

Exactly what the label guarantees — origin, a dedicated production line, batch-by-batch control of synthesis by-products — is explained on our Creapure page. It is the same for every product that carries it: what sets Crealuxe apart is decided elsewhere, on packaging and particle size.

Two things are unique to it in our range. It is the only labelled creatine we stock in 250 g as well as 500 g, which lets you try it without committing to a full tub. And it is the only one available in a flavoured version, Raspberry, alongside the unflavoured one.

What does a 3 g serving of Crealuxe contain?

The label is stated for 3 g, that is 3 000 mg of Creapure® creatine monohydrate. It then spells out what most brands quietly leave unsaid: of those 3 000 mg, 2 640 mg are creatine proper, the remainder being water of crystallisation. The information is honest, and it holds true for every monohydrate.

Three grams a day is the amount underpinning the claim authorised in the European Union: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. We will go no further than that, as no other claim is admissible for this molecule.

Reckon on 83 servings in the 250 g tub and 166 servings in the 500 g one. That is the only calculation worth doing when comparing two creatines: the listed price divided by the real number of servings, having checked that the reference serving is the same on both sides.

How should you take Crealuxe, and which size should you choose?

The manufacturer specifies 3 g mixed into 100 ml of liquid, once a day. Watch the scoop: 3 g corresponds to three quarters of the scoop supplied, not a full one. That is the practical trap with this product, and it easily amounts to a 25 % difference over a year's consumption. A kitchen scale settles the question in a single weighing.

Timing barely matters: creatine works through gradual saturation, not through a spike in the blood. What counts is consistency, rest days included. The manufacturer sets no course length; taking it continuously is the most coherent approach.

On the loading phase, our position does not change: 20 g a day for a week only brings saturation forward by two to three weeks, without changing the final level at all. It quadruples your consumption and concentrates the digestive discomfort. Start at 3 g.

As for size: the 250 g covers roughly two and a half months, the 500 g roughly five and a half. The first is for testing a flavour or for travelling, the second is the everyday size — on a product you take daily, price per serving is what decides.

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

For adults doing resistance training or a sport built on short, repeated efforts. Since creatine is obtained by chemical synthesis, with no animal-derived material, the unflavoured version is in principle suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and asks for medical advice in cases of kidney disease. The label flags possible traces of nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, sulphites, fish and soya: that list is broader than on many creatines and rules the product out if you are allergic to any of those foods. ANSES also advises against these supplements for anyone with impaired kidney or liver function, and supplementation raises serum creatinine — mention it to your doctor before a blood test.

What you should not expect from it: the label does not buy you a sporting result. At an equal dose, no data shows that a labelled creatine produces more strength than a decent monohydrate. Any medical question is for your doctor or your pharmacist.

Crealuxe or Sinob Core Creapure®?

Both carry the same label and contain the same raw material: the comparison is therefore not about quality, but about packaging and about how you measure your dose.

Sinob Core Creapure® comes in 500 g, with a scoop calibrated to 5 g and 100 servings stated. It is the better choice if you weigh more than 85 kg and are aiming straight for 5 g a day: one full scoop, no arithmetic, no half-scoop to judge by eye. Its label also carries a verifiable Creapure® licence number, which Crealuxe does not display.

Crealuxe is the better choice if you are aiming for 3 g, if you want a small size to start with, or if unflavoured powder puts you off: the Raspberry version has no equivalent at Sinob. Its ingredient list explicitly states a micronised creatine, which Sinob's does not.

Frequently asked questions

Is the scoop supplied 3 g or 4 g?

Neither: the manufacturer says to fill it three quarters of the way to get 3 g. A full scoop takes you past the label dose and makes the tub disappear faster than planned. Weigh it once, note where the level sits, and you will never need to check again.

What is in the Raspberry version?

Our labelling data only describes the unflavoured version, pared down to Creapure® alone. A flavoured powder necessarily contains a flavouring and a sweetener, but we will not publish a list we have not read. If you are keeping an eye on one sweetener in particular, ask us for the exact composition before ordering.

250 g or 500 g: which one should you take?

The 250 g lasts around 83 days at 3 g, the 500 g around 166. Take the small one to try the Raspberry or for a trip away, the large one for everyday use: the price per serving is mechanically lower there.

Why does the label state 2 640 mg alongside the 3 000 mg?

Because monohydrate is a hydrated salt: one creatine molecule bound to one water molecule. Out of 3 000 mg of powder, roughly 2 640 mg is creatine, the rest being water of crystallisation. That ratio holds for every creatine monohydrate; Crealuxe simply has the candour to put it in writing.

Does the Creapure® label make this creatine more effective?

No, and nobody should let you believe otherwise. At an equal dose, nothing shows a greater gain in strength or mass than a decent monohydrate. The label is about origin and about the control of synthesis by-products, not about performance.

Can it be mixed with anything else?

Yes, with no known problematic interaction: a shaker of protein, a bowl of cream of rice, or some beta-alanine if you are working on long sets. Just avoid leaving it dissolved for several hours, as creatine degrades slowly in a warm, damp medium.

Should you drink more while supplementing?

Drink normally. Creatine draws water into the muscle cell, which explains the slight weight gain over the first few weeks, but it imposes no particular hydration protocol. In hot weather, electrolytes are the more relevant answer.

Where can you buy IO Genix Crealuxe Creapure®?

You can order it on this page, in the size and flavour of your choice, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the Creapure® mention is checked by turning the tub over: it is the only reliable criterion. The full range is in our sports nutrition section.

Sources: EFSA for the authorised claims, ANSES for the opinion on food supplements intended for athletes. This information does not replace medical advice.

What is IO Genix Creatine Tablets?

It is creatine monohydrate in tablet form, dosed at 1,000 mg per unit, giving 3 g for the daily serving of three tablets. The manufacturer states a tub of 150 tablets, which covers 50 days at that dosage.

The composition runs to three lines: creatine monohydrate, plant-based coating agents made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and an anti-caking agent consisting of magnesium salts of vegetable fatty acids. No sweetener, no colouring, no preservative. As the coating is of plant origin, the product is suitable for vegetarians and vegans — which is not a given in this category.

The whole difference from a powder comes down to the format, and that is the only subject of this page: same molecule, same daily dose, no shaker to wash. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section.

What does a three-tablet serving contain?

* Column calculated from the values declared for three tablets. ** No NRV is established for creatine. Other components: plant-based coating agents (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), anti-caking agent (magnesium salts of vegetable fatty acids).

The figure to remember is the 3 g of creatine a day, and there is nothing arbitrary about it. It is exactly the amount on which the health claims authorised in Europe for creatine are conditional — one of the few sports nutrition molecules to have any, and the only one in this section. This product hits the dose precisely, no more, no less.

The two authorised wordings are the following, and we reproduce them word for word: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise — the claim applies only to a daily intake of 3 g, and to adults performing high-intensity exercise. Second wording: daily creatine consumption can enhance the effect of resistance training on muscle strength in adults over the age of 55 years, under the same condition of 3 g a day and combined with resistance training.

That is what makes this product different from very nearly everything else sold in a sports nutrition shop: there is a validated claim, a conditional dose, and the product meets it. On every other product page, we spend our time explaining that no claim exists. Here, one does.

One reservation about the leaflet, however. The manufacturer mentions a 5-day “priming phase” at 4 tablets a day. Let us be clear: 4 g a day is not a loading phase. The loading protocols described in the literature rely on far higher doses over five to seven days. Four grams is only one gram more than the maintenance dose, and it does not meaningfully change how fast you saturate. Stay at 3 g a day: that is the dose that carries the claim, and saturation is reached in three to four weeks in any case.

How should you take the creatine tablets?

Dose: 3 tablets, i.e. 3 g. Liquid: a glass of water per serving. Timing: with meals, or spread across the day. Frequency: one serving a day, every day. Duration: continuous use, with the manufacturer suggesting 8 to 12 weeks followed by a 2 to 4 week break if you wish.

The most important point comes down to two words: every day, rest days included. Creatine works by gradually saturating the muscle, not through an immediate effect. Skipping the days you do not train amounts to never reaching the plateau, and it is the most common mistake made with this molecule.

The timing of the serving, on the other hand, does not matter. The manufacturer suggests spreading the tablets out — one at breakfast, one before the session, one after — but you can just as well swallow them together. What counts is the daily total maintained over weeks. Pick the pattern you will not forget.

Two practical remarks. The manufacturer advises keeping fluid intake high, 2.5 to 3 litres a day: creatine increases intracellular water retention, and drinking enough is not optional. And it is a reminder not to exceed 3 g a day, which is consistent with the reference dose.

The tub of 150 tablets covers 50 days at three tablets a day. For continuous use, then, expect one and a half to two tubs a quarter.

Who is this format for, and who is it not for?

It suits those who travel, move around for work or train outdoors — a tub of tablets slips into a bag, a powder does not. It also suits those who cannot stand the gritty texture of powdered creatine in a glass of water, which is a more common reason for giving up than people think. And it suits vegetarians and vegans, the coating being of plant origin.

The product is not recommended for children under 12. Pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as people on medical treatment should seek the advice of a healthcare professional before use. Traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS, SOY and FISH are possible, as the product is made in a facility that uses those allergens.

It is not for you if the price per gram is your main criterion. That is the honest limitation of this format: three tablets to swallow every day cost distinctly more than 3 g of powder measured out with a scoop. You are paying for the tabletting, and it is worth knowing before you buy.

What not to expect from it: nothing immediate. Creatine is not something you feel on the first day or in the first week — it needs three to four weeks of daily use to saturate the muscle. Nor is it a weight-loss product: intracellular water retention often adds one to two kilos on the scales at the start, which is normal and has nothing to do with fat. And it replaces neither the training nor the protein in your day.

Creatine tablets or powder?

That is the only trade-off that matters here, and it is not a technical one: it is the same molecule on both sides.

Powdered creatine monohydrate is by far the cheaper per gram. Over a year of daily use, the gap with a tablet format runs into tens of euros. It also lets you adjust the dose to a tenth of a gram, and tip it into a protein shaker without a second thought. It is the rational choice if you train at home or in a gym with a settled routine — and our Creapure section brings together the powders whose raw material is identified.

The tablet format wins on one front only, but it is a real one: adherence. With a molecule whose entire effect rests on an unbroken daily serving, the best product is the one you will actually take every day, including when travelling, on holiday, or on a Sunday morning with no shaker to hand. A tub in a bag beats a powder left at home.

A final word on the other forms in the section. Creatine HCL and Kre-Alkalyn are sold at a higher price on the grounds of better solubility or stability. Fundamentally, monohydrate remains the reference form, and it is the one the claims authorised at 3 g a day apply to. Paying more for another form is only worth it if you tolerate monohydrate badly.

Frequently asked questions

Why exactly 3 g a day?

Because that is the dose on which the health claims authorised in Europe for creatine are conditional. Below it, the claim no longer applies; above it, nothing indicates any further benefit. Three 1,000 mg tablets therefore land exactly on the right value, and the manufacturer asks you not to exceed it.

Do you need a loading phase?

No, and certainly not the one described in the leaflet. The manufacturer mentions 4 tablets a day for 5 days: four grams is not a loading phase in the sense of the published protocols, which rely on far higher doses. Stay at 3 g a day; muscle saturation is reached in three to four weeks in any case.

Should you take it on rest days?

Yes, absolutely. That is in fact the most important point. Creatine works by gradual saturation, not through an immediate effect around the session. Skipping the days you do not train stops you reaching and holding the plateau, and it is the most widespread mistake with this molecule.

How long before you feel anything?

Three to four weeks of daily use at 3 g. There is nothing to feel in the first few days, and that is normal — unlike a stimulant, creatine produces no acute effect. What you should notice afterwards is one or two extra reps on your heavy sets.

Does creatine make you put on weight?

One to two kilos on the scales in the first weeks, yes, and that is water held inside the muscle cells, not fat. It is a known and expected mechanism. If that figure bothers you, be aware that it corresponds to no gain in body fat whatsoever.

Are the tablets suitable for vegans?

Yes. The coating agents are based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, of plant origin, and the anti-caking agent consists of magnesium salts of vegetable fatty acids. No animal gelatine goes into the composition. Traces of allergens remain possible because of the manufacturing facility.

How many tablets in a tub?

One hundred and fifty, according to the manufacturer, i.e. 50 days at three tablets a day. For continuous use, expect two tubs a quarter. That is the parameter to build into your budget before comparing with a powder, whose price per gram is structurally lower.

Where can you buy IO Genix Creatine Tablets?

The tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. This is the creatine for people on the move: three tablets in a pocket, and the course carries on even in the week you are away from home.

At the counter in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always ask the same question before recommending this format over a powder: where do you take your creatine at the weekend? When the answer is “nowhere, I forget”, the tablets are well worth the extra cost. The rest of the section can be compared in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix Creatine Monohydrate?

IO Genix Creatine Monohydrate is a micronised creatine monohydrate powder, available unflavoured and in a Peach version. It is the simplest form there is: a single molecule, with no transport matrix, no added amino acid and no bulking agent. The rest of the range is in our IO Genix section.

"Micronised" means a powder ground more finely than a standard monohydrate. It changes neither the molecule nor what it does in the muscle: what it changes is how the powder behaves in a glass, dissolving faster and leaving less sediment. On a product you swallow every day, that detail matters: sediment at the bottom of the glass is creatine you have not drunk.

The tub comes with a scoop calibrated to 3 g and the manufacturer states 100 servings; the net weight does not appear in our labelling data. For the underlying detail — mechanism, dose according to body weight, real-world effect — see our creatine monohydrate page.

What does a 3 g serving contain?

The label is worded for a 3 g serving, that is one level scoop. It provides 3 000 mg of creatine monohydrate and 12 kcal, for 0 g of carbohydrate, 0 g of fat and less than 1 mg of sodium. There is nothing else in the tub.

A point of vocabulary that is worth real money: monohydrate is a hydrated salt. Out of 3 000 mg of powder, roughly 2 640 mg are creatine proper, the remainder being water of crystallisation. That is the figure printed on the label of our Crealuxe for the same serving, and it holds true for any monohydrate.

Three grams a day is the amount on which the claim authorised in the European Union rests: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. Nothing beyond that is permitted, and we will write nothing beyond that. At one serving a day, the tub covers 100 days; above 80 kg, allow one and a half servings, which is roughly 65 days.

How do you take IO Genix Creatine Monohydrate?

The manufacturer specifies 3 g, that is one scoop, in 200 ml of water or a carbohydrate drink, once a day. It gives no course duration: continuous use is the most sensible approach, since the body does not develop tolerance.

Timing is of virtually no importance: creatine works through gradual saturation of the muscle, not through a blood peak. What counts is consistency, rest days included — taking it three times a week never fully saturates the muscle.

On the loading phase, our position does not change: 20 g a day for five to seven days only brings saturation forward by two to three weeks, without changing the final level or the medium-term result in any way. It is the period when digestive discomfort is most likely to appear, and it gets through four times as much product. Starting straight at 3 g is simpler and cheaper.

Two practical tips: warm water rather than ice-cold, and a good vigorous shake in a shaker. Taking it with a meal or with a little maltodextrin often improves digestive tolerance.

Who is this creatine for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults doing resistance training or a sport involving short, repeated efforts. As the molecule is obtained by chemical synthesis, it comes from no animal material.

The label is clear about the exclusions. The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as for anyone under 18, and flags possible traces of gluten (wheat and oats), eggs, milk, fish and soya: that statement rules the product out in cases of coeliac disease or severe allergy. ANSES also advises against supplements intended for athletes for anyone with impaired kidney or liver function, and supplementation raises serum creatinine: mention it to your doctor before a blood test.

What you should not expect from it: any sensation at all. It is not a stimulant, nothing happens when you take it or during the first week, it is not a long-endurance product, and it does not replace an intake of whey isolate. Any medical question is a matter for your doctor or your pharmacist.

IO Genix creatine monohydrate or a Creapure® creatine?

Both contain the same molecule, and at an equal dose nothing shows that a branded creatine produces more strength or more mass. The difference is industrial, not chemical: exactly what the label guarantees is set out on our Creapure page.

The useful question is this one: what do we know about the raw material? For this product, our labelling data include no stated purity figure, no published batch analysis and no documented synthesis origin — which is precisely the information a label buys you. If you are liable to be tested in competition, choose a product carrying the Creapure® designation.

If your budget has to choose between the label and taking it consistently, take this one: a standard creatine taken every day beats a branded creatine taken every other day. And if monohydrate leaves you bloated despite a well-diluted serving, the issue is not the label but tolerance: look at creatine HCL, which is more concentrated per gram of powder.

Frequently asked questions

Is the scoop 3 g or 5 g?

Three grams, levelled off: that is the value used for the labelling and for the count of 100 servings. If you are aiming for 5 g because you weigh more than 85 kg, you need one and a half servings, and the tub will last around 65 days rather than 100.

Does the Peach version contain sweeteners?

Necessarily so, since a flavoured powder is not creatine on its own. But our labelling data describe only the unflavoured version, which is limited to micronised creatine monohydrate. We will not publish a composition we have not read: ask us for it before ordering.

Do you need a loading phase with this creatine?

No. Loading at 20 g a day only brings saturation forward by about three weeks; the final level and the medium-term results are identical. It quadruples how much product you get through and concentrates the digestive downsides.

What does micronisation actually bring?

Faster dissolution and less sediment. It alters neither the molecule, nor the amount absorbed, nor the result in training: no data show that a finer powder makes a creatine more effective. Its benefit is day-to-day convenience.

Can you mix it with a whey or with cream of rice?

Yes. Many people add it to their post-workout shake or to a bowl of cream of rice. It is unaffected by cold or by mixing; what it does not tolerate is prolonged heat and moisture, so do not leave it dissolved for hours and close the tub properly.

How long before you notice anything?

Three to four weeks at 3 g a day, the time it takes to saturate muscle stores. And "feel" would be the wrong word: what you will notice, if you train regularly, is one or two extra reps on your heavy sets.

Is it suitable for a vegan diet?

The molecule is: chemical synthesis, no animal material, like our plant proteins. The reservation concerns the statement about traces of milk and fish, which relates to the production environment.

Where can you buy IO Genix Creatine Monohydrate?

You can order it from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this tub gets compared side by side with the branded products: the calculation that settles it is the shelf price divided by the number of actual servings, bearing in mind that not every brand sets its scoop at 3 g. The full range is in our sports nutrition section.

Sources: EFSA for the authorised claims, ANSES for the opinion on food supplements intended for athletes. This information is no substitute for medical advice.

What is IO Genix Cream of Rice?

IO Genix Crème de Riz is a pre-cooked rice flour, ground to a fine powder and designed to be reconstituted with hot water. It belongs to the family of instant carbohydrate sources, alongside oat flour and sweet potato flour.

The composition of the unflavoured version comes down to three words: pre-cooked rice flour. The flavoured versions add flavourings and three sweeteners — sucralose, acesulfame potassium and steviol glycosides. The chocolate flavours contain cocoa powder, and the Caramel Salé version contains sodium chloride. It is a short list, and on this type of product that is exactly what you want.

The flavours listed — Chokokrac, Black Cookies, Caramel Salé, Marie Cookies, Chocolat Peanut Butter, Rochello, Stracciatella, Praliné, Nutchoc, Crema Rica Cookies, Chocolat Amazonico, White Choco Rings, Dubai Chocolate — plus an unflavoured version, with no flavouring or sweetener, to cook with as you see fit. The product joins our cream of rice and IO Genix aisles.

What does a serving of cream of rice contain?

* Columns calculated from the values declared per 100 g, as the manufacturer does not publish a per-serving column. The energy value is given in kilocalories only, with no kilojoule equivalent, and fibre is not declared. The manufacturer also mentions the presence of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and iron without publishing the amounts: without figures, no nutrition or health claim can be made for these nutrients, and so we will not make one.

The figure that defines the product is the ratio of 77 g of carbohydrate to just 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g. In other words, almost all of the carbohydrate content is starch. That is what sets a cream of rice apart from a maltodextrin or a sugary gainer: you get the energy without the simple-sugar load, in a preparation you can drink.

A second useful point: 8.4 g of protein per 100 g. It is not a protein source and should not be treated as one — but it beats pure maltodextrin, which provides none at all. Finally, 2.7 g of fat and 0.4 g of salt per 100 g: two low values, consistent with a cereal flour.

How do you prepare cream of rice?

Serving: 30 to 50 g depending on the occasion. Liquid: 200 ml of hot water per 50 g, adjusted to the consistency you want. Timing: 45 to 60 minutes before training, or immediately after, or at breakfast. Frequency: 1 to 3 servings a day depending on your goal. Duration: none, it is a food.

Preparation is the product's real selling point: tip in 50 g, or one and a half scoops, into 200 ml of hot water, stir, and the cream is ready in thirty seconds. No pan, no cooking, no washing-up. Add water if you want it runnier, or cut it back for a thick, spoonable texture.

The guidelines by situation, as the manufacturer gives them: 30 to 40 g 45 to 60 minutes before training; 40 to 50 g immediately after; 30 g at breakfast, with fruit; 30 g as a snack between meals. For mass gain, count on 50 g per serving across two to three servings a day; when cutting, 30 g around training only.

Two combinations that work. With a protein, in a ratio of 40 g of cream to 25 g of powder: it is the easiest post-training shake to put together. And in cooking, in pancakes, crêpes or bowl cakes, where the unflavoured version gives you the most freedom. A plant-based milk in place of water changes the texture completely.

Who is cream of rice for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed first at those who struggle to eat enough carbohydrate: limited appetite, short days, sessions close to mealtimes. Drinking 183 kcal of carbohydrate is far easier than getting through the equivalent in cooked rice. It also suits those who digest a solid meal poorly before training: a liquid texture goes down better than a plate an hour before a session.

The manufacturer states that the product is not suitable for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children or people on medical treatment, and advises consulting a doctor before use. It may contain traces of EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA. Store it in a dry place away from light. If you experience any adverse effect, stop and seek advice.

Here is what not to expect from it. It is not a protein source: 4.2 g in a 50 g serving does not count towards a protein total. Nor is it a weight-loss product — 183 kcal a serving is energy, and energy that is easy to swallow, which is precisely the opposite of what you want in a strict deficit. And there is nothing magical about rice flour: it is ground, pre-cooked rice. Its value lies in convenience, not in any nutritional superiority over a bowl of rice.

Cream of rice or maltodextrin?

Both are powdered carbohydrate sources, and we are often asked which to choose. The answer depends on the time of day.

Maltodextrin is the better choice during and immediately after exercise, particularly in endurance sports. It dissolves in cold water, can be drunk from a bottle, and its rapid absorption is precisely what is asked of it. On that ground, cream of rice cannot replace it: it is thick, it is prepared with hot water, and you cannot drink it while pedalling.

Cream of rice wins everywhere else. Its profile is that of a food rather than a sugar: 77 g of carbohydrate of which only 0.3 g is sugars, against a maltodextrin made up of rapidly absorbed carbohydrate. It fills you up, it has flavour, it can be cooked with, and it provides 8.4 g of protein per 100 g. For breakfast, a snack, or the pre-training meal, this is the one to reach for. The other options in the aisle — waxy maize, cyclic dextrin — sit on the maltodextrin side, not the food side.

Frequently asked questions

Hot water or cold?

Hot water, 200 ml per 50 g. The flour is pre-cooked, which lets it thicken as soon as it meets heat — allow thirty seconds of stirring. With cold water, the texture stays grainy and far less pleasant.

How many servings are there in a bag?

The net weight of the packaging does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot work it out. Divide the weight stated on the packaging by 50 g, or by 30 g depending on your usual serving.

Does the unflavoured version have any taste?

Very little: it is pre-cooked rice flour, with no flavouring or sweetener. That is a drawback if you drink it on its own, and an advantage if you cook with it — it imposes no flavour on your preparations, and you control the sweetness.

Can you mix it with whey?

Yes, and it is in fact the most common use. The manufacturer suggests 40 g of cream to 25 g of protein. Make the cream up with hot water first, let it cool for a minute, then add the protein: poured into a scalding liquid, a whey can curdle.

How much should you take before training?

30 to 40 g, 45 to 60 minutes before the session, according to the manufacturer's guidelines. That works out at 110 to 146 kcal and 23 to 31 g of carbohydrate. Beyond that, and especially less than an hour before exercise, the volume can become uncomfortable.

Does it contain gluten?

Rice flour does not contain any naturally. The manufacturer does not, however, claim a "gluten-free" designation in the data available to us, and flags possible traces of eggs, milk, fish and soya. If you have coeliac disease, check the label on the bag.

Is it suitable when cutting?

Yes, provided you keep the dose in check. The manufacturer recommends 30 g around training only, or 110 kcal. In its favour: 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g and a filling texture. Against it: this is liquid energy, easy to consume without noticing.

Where to buy IO Genix Crème de Riz?

All the available flavours can be ordered from this page, including the unflavoured version. We ship throughout France and Europe.

This is a product that is better chosen in store than online, because the difference in taste between a Stracciatella and a Chocolat Amazonico cannot be guessed from a photo. Our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, stocks them all, and it is the moment to leave with two different bags rather than two of the same.

What is IO Genix Cyclic Dextrin?

IO Genix Cyclic Dextrin is a carbohydrate powder designed to be drunk during exercise. A 25 g serving provides 24 g of carbohydrate for 95 kcal, with zero sugar. It is mixed into 400 to 500 ml of water and sipped steadily.

Highly branched cyclic dextrin, often sold under the Cluster Dextrin name, is a carbohydrate made from maize starch by an enzymatic process that yields very large, heavily branched molecules. It is not a sugar: the “of which sugars” line in the table reads 0 g, which is rare for a fast-acting carbohydrate source.

Its interesting property is a physical one. A cyclic dextrin solution has a low osmolality despite a high carbohydrate concentration, because the molecules are few in number but very large. In practice, it leaves the stomach quickly and feels less heavy than a drink loaded with simple sugars. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the other products in the category in our cyclic dextrin aisle.

What is in a serving of Cyclic Dextrin?

The per 100 g column is calculated from the per-serving values published by the manufacturer.

24 g of carbohydrate without a single gram of sugar is the figure that justifies the price of this kind of powder. A conventional sports drink based on simple sugars would give you the same energy with 20 g of sugars and, for a great many people, a heavy stomach after forty minutes. Here that line of the table reads zero, and that is what changes the experience on long sessions.

One point about the composition has to be flagged plainly, because the manufacturer's documentation contradicts itself. Some of its material presents the product as a single-ingredient powder; its ingredient list, however, declares two sweeteners, sucralose and acesulfame K. We go by the ingredient list, which is the reference document where composition is concerned. The powder is therefore slightly sweet to the taste, without providing sugars in the nutritional sense. If a complete absence of sweeteners matters to you, the label on the tub you receive is the authority.

Missing from the manufacturer's file: the net weight of the tub and the number of servings are not disclosed. We will not infer them. No health claim is authorised in Europe for cyclic dextrin either: we describe its physical properties and its composition, without attributing any quantified performance effect to it.

Ingredient list

Cluster Dextrin (highly branched dextrin), sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take Cyclic Dextrin?

Serving: 25 g. Liquid: 400 to 500 ml of cool water. Timing: 15 to 30 minutes before exercise, during exercise, or within the 30 minutes that follow. Frequency: one serving per hour of exercise in endurance sports. Duration: as needed, with no course to complete.

The volume of water is the parameter that decides everything here. 25 g in 500 ml gives a light drink that goes down effortlessly. The same 25 g in 250 ml gives a solution twice as concentrated, which cancels out the very advantage of the product and causes exactly the heaviness you were trying to avoid. If you take away only one instruction from this page, make it that one.

Sip small amounts every fifteen to twenty minutes rather than drinking it in one go. That holds for every sports drink, and particularly for this one, whose point is to deliver a steady supply over time.

The powder dissolves very easily, even in cold water, with no lumps and no foam. A simple shaker is enough; make your bottle up before you set off rather than attempting to mix it on the move.

It combines perfectly with an electrolyte powder in the same bottle — carbohydrate and minerals then cover both needs of a long session — and with EAAs if your last meal was a while ago. After exercise, it pairs without difficulty with a protein.

A word on the hourly amount, because the question comes up often: the manufacturer allows for one serving per hour of exercise in endurance sports, which puts the intake at around 24 g of carbohydrate per hour. That is a cautious, well-tolerated level. Experienced cyclists and trail runners often go higher, but that is built up gradually in training, never on race day: the stomach is trained like everything else.

Finally, cool water is preferable to lukewarm water, not for any physiological reason but because a lukewarm drink quickly becomes sickly after an hour of exercise. It is the kind of detail that decides whether the bottle is finished or abandoned half full.

Who is Cyclic Dextrin for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed first at efforts that last: cycling, trail running, long-distance running, swimming, combat sports, back-to-back CrossFit sessions, weight training sessions running well beyond the hour. Below sixty minutes of exercise, taking carbohydrate during the session does little for someone who has eaten normally beforehand.

It suits stomachs that are sensitive during exercise particularly well, the ones that tolerate neither gels nor very sweet drinks. That is in fact its whole reason for existing, and the only argument on which it genuinely stands apart from an ordinary maltodextrin.

The manufacturer advises against it for children, adolescents and pregnant or breastfeeding women, and asks that the recommended daily dose not be exceeded. The product may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is carbohydrate, nothing else. It has no stimulant effect, does not replace electrolytes in a sweaty session, and provides no amino acids. Nor does it make you lose weight — it adds 95 kcal to your day, which is its function. If you are in a calorie deficit and your session lasts forty minutes, this product is working against you.

Cyclic dextrin or maltodextrin, which should you choose?

Both are carbohydrates derived from starch, both serve the same purpose, and there is a real difference between them — a more modest one, however, than the market would have you believe.

Maltodextrin is markedly cheaper per kilo and perfectly effective at rebuilding stores after exercise. If your use is recovery, or if you are adding carbohydrate to a mass gainer, it does the job and there is no reason to pay more.

Cyclic dextrin stands out during exercise, thanks to its low osmolality: it leaves the stomach faster and sits more lightly. It is the better choice if you have already experienced heaviness or digestive discomfort with a carbohydrate drink, and on efforts lasting several hours where you have to drink regularly.

There is a third route, waxy maize, halfway between the two in price as in behaviour. And for a short session, the most honest answer is that none of the three is necessary: a decent meal two hours beforehand is enough.

One last criterion often settles the matter between them, and it has nothing technical about it: taste. Pure maltodextrin is slightly sweet and neutral; this cyclic dextrin, sweetened, goes down better for many people over the course of a long ride. Over three hours on the bike, drinking something you can stomach counts for more than the finer points of the molecule.

Frequently asked questions

How much carbohydrate is in a serving?

24 g of carbohydrate for 95 kcal, in a 25 g serving. What makes it distinctive is the “of which sugars” line, which reads 0 g: the energy comes from a complex carbohydrate rather than from simple sugars, which changes how the drink is tolerated during exercise.

Why mix it into 400 to 500 ml?

Because that is the volume that gives the drink a concentration close to that of the body's own fluids, the condition for it to leave the stomach quickly. One serving in 250 ml cancels out that advantage and brings the product back down to the level of an ordinary sugary drink.

Does it contain sweeteners?

Yes. The ingredient list declares sucralose and acesulfame K, even though other parts of the manufacturer's documentation present the powder as a single-ingredient product. We go by the ingredient list. Neither of these two sweeteners provides calories or appears in the sugars line.

Can you take it after training?

Yes, within the 30 minutes that follow, as the manufacturer allows. For that particular use, however, a far cheaper maltodextrin will do the same job: the advantage of cyclic dextrin plays out during exercise, not after it.

Is it suitable for weight training sessions?

On long, intense sessions, yes, drunk during the session. On an hour-long session for someone who ate two hours beforehand, the intake is superfluous and simply adds 95 kcal. The criterion is how long the effort actually lasts, not the discipline.

Is it suitable for vegans?

No ingredient of animal origin appears in the list: the dextrin comes from maize starch and both sweeteners are synthetic. The manufacturer does not, however, claim vegan status, and the product may contain traces of milk and eggs from the production facility.

Can it be mixed with other powders?

Without difficulty, with electrolytes or amino acids in the same bottle. Just avoid adding a protein to it if you intend to drink it during exercise: the mixture becomes thick and loses the whole digestive tolerance advantage that justifies the purchase.

Where can you buy IO Genix Cyclic Dextrin?

The powder can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always ask the same question before recommending it: how long does your session last? Under an hour, we point the customer back towards their plate rather than towards this tub. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix DAA?

IO Genix DAA is a single-ingredient supplement, supplied as capsules dosed at 1,000 mg of D-aspartic acid. The daily serving is three capsules, that is 3,000 mg, and the bottle covers 30 servings.

D-aspartic acid is an amino acid, the D-enantiomer of aspartic acid. It is sold in the commercial category of testosterone boosters, and that is why it appears in our catalogue, alongside tribulus terrestris and fenugreek.

The formula contains nothing beyond the active, a coating agent — the gelatine of the capsule shell — and magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent. No flavouring, no filler, no proprietary blend: you know exactly what you are swallowing, and that is this product's main merit. The rest of the range is in the IO Genix section.

What does a 3-capsule serving contain?

The bottle holds 30 servings, that is one month at one serving a day. The values above are those published by the manufacturer; it gives no kilojoule equivalent, no “sugars” line and no “fibre” line, and we will not work them out on its behalf.

The 3,000 mg a day matches the dose settled on by very nearly every product in this category. It is neither a timid dose nor an extravagant one: it is the market standard, and it has the merit of being reached in a single serving rather than spread across the day.

Now comes the passage this page will not sidestep. D-aspartic acid holds no authorised health claim in Europe, and no nutrient reference value has been set for it. In very practical terms, that means we will write no promise here about testosterone, strength, muscle mass or libido. “Testosterone booster” is the trade name of a shelf, not an effect demonstrated and validated by a health authority. What we can describe is factual: an amino acid, a dose, a dosage form, a way of taking it.

We will add something you will not often read: on this molecule, the published results are contradictory, and there is no consensus that would justify a promise. If you buy this product, buy it knowing that.

How do you take DAA?

Dose: 3 capsules, that is 3,000 mg. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, or spread across the three meals. Frequency: 1 serving a day. Duration: a cycle of 8 to 12 weeks, followed by 2 to 4 weeks off.

The manufacturer offers two schedules. The first, and the simplest: the three capsules together, in the morning on an empty stomach, with a large glass of water. The second, if a single serving sits badly with you: one capsule at breakfast, one at lunch, one at dinner. Both are acceptable — choose the one you will stick to.

Cycling is the most important part of the directions, and it is also the part people skip most readily. 8 to 12 weeks, then 2 to 4 weeks off. Do not carry on indefinitely: the manufacturer does not provide for continuous use, and nothing justifies turning it into a permanent supplement.

One practical point to finish: do not stack this product with another so-called hormonal supplement. The manufacturer explicitly recommends against taking it at the same time as other boosters of this kind, and adding up poorly characterised products has never improved a result. Pairing it with a protein, a multivitamin or creatine, on the other hand, poses no known problem. Increase your water intake during the course.

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

It is aimed at the trained adult man whose diet, sleep and training volume are already in place. That is the only context in which trying it makes sense: a supplement whose effect is not established has no chance of making up for missing fundamentals.

The capsule shell is made of gelatine. This product is therefore suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. That is the first thing to check, and it often goes unnoticed on an amino acid capsule.

The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and prohibits it for minors under 18. Traces of GLUTEN (wheat, oats), EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible. If you are under medical treatment or in any particular situation, seek the advice of a healthcare professional before use.

What you should not expect from it, and let us say it plainly: if your testosterone level really is low, it is not a bottle of supplements that will settle the matter, it is a doctor. A blood test costs little and says what no product page can say. Nor is it a mass-gain product, or a strength product, or a substitute for a proper night's sleep — which, for its part, does have a documented effect on hormones.

DAA or creatine?

This is the most useful comparison we can make, because these two products are often bought by the same person, with the same intention: to make progress. And on that ground, the answer is clear-cut.

Creatine monohydrate is the best choice, no argument, if you are only going to take one. It is the best-documented supplement on the entire sports shelf, its effects on strength and power are solidly established, it costs little per day, and it is taken with no cycle and no set time. DAA, for its part, has no authorised claim and contradictory data. For the same budget, the comparison is not even open to debate.

DAA keeps a place, provided you are honest about what that place is. You already take creatine, your diet and your sleep are in order, and you want to try a hormonal angle without setting off with poorly identified products: in that precise case, a single active at 3,000 mg in a filler-free formula is the most transparent thing on this shelf. Zinc, moreover, remains the only mineral carrying an authorised claim on this subject — it contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood — and it costs less. If you are not taking any yet, start there, possibly by way of an evening ZMA.

Frequently asked questions

Does DAA raise testosterone?

No health claim is authorised in Europe for D-aspartic acid, so we will make none. The published results on this molecule are contradictory and do not allow any conclusion. If your concern is hormonal, a blood test and a doctor's opinion are worth more than any supplement.

How many capsules a day, and when?

Three capsules, that is 3,000 mg, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach with a large glass of water. If a single serving bothers you, spread them across the three meals — the manufacturer explicitly allows it. Do not exceed three capsules a day.

Why do you have to cycle it, and for how long?

The manufacturer settles on cycles of 8 to 12 weeks followed by 2 to 4 weeks off, and does not provide for continuous use. A 30-serving bottle covers one month: count on two to three bottles for a full cycle. Observing the break is part of the protocol, it is not an optional extra.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is gelatine, of animal origin. That is a deal-breaker for a vegetarian or vegan diet, and there is no alternative version of this product. Check it before ordering: on an amino acid capsule, it does not spring to mind.

Can it be combined with creatine or with a booster?

With creatine, a protein or a multivitamin, there is no known problem: there is neither a shared ingredient nor any identified interaction. With another so-called hormonal product, on the other hand, the manufacturer recommends refraining. Stacking poorly characterised actives does not multiply the effects, it only multiplies the unknowns.

Does the product have a taste?

The question does not arise: these are capsules to be swallowed, not a powder to be mixed. That is in fact an advantage with this kind of active — D-aspartic acid powder has a very unpleasant sour, bitter taste, which the shell removes entirely.

What exactly does one capsule contain?

1,000 mg of D-aspartic acid, the gelatine shell and a trace of magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent. Nothing else: no flavouring, no colouring, no bulking filler. On a shelf where proprietary blends are the rule, this transparency is the product's real argument.

Where can you buy IO Genix DAA?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

The hormonal booster shelf is the one where the gap between the promises read on the internet and what the regulations say is widest. At our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we prefer to lay things out plainly before the purchase: what the product contains, what no authority permits anyone to say about it, and what you need to have in place before even considering it. The rest of the shelf can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Enzymes Digestives?

IO Genix Enzymes Digestives is a tablet supplement combining three contributions. One tablet contains 100 mg of DigeZyme complex, 50 mg of papain and 50 mg of bromelain. The bottle holds 60 tablets, which is two months at one tablet a day.

Digestive enzymes are proteins that cut the molecules in food into fragments small enough to be absorbed. The body produces them itself, in saliva, the stomach, the pancreas and the intestine. A supplement does not add a new function: it provides occasional reinforcement, at the time of a given meal.

The formula combines two different origins, and that is what characterises it. The DigeZyme complex brings together five enzymes of microbial origin — amylase, protease, lactase, lipase and cellulase — which cover carbohydrates, protein, lactose, fat and fibre respectively. Papain, extracted from papaya, and bromelain, extracted from pineapple, are two plant enzymes that act on protein. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our digestive enzymes section.

What does one Enzymes Digestives tablet contain?

100 mg of multi-enzyme complex is still a small quantity, and that needs saying. What counts for an enzyme is in any case not its mass in milligrams but its activity, expressed in international units — FCC, DU or HUT units depending on the enzyme. Those activity values are not published by the manufacturer for this product, and we are not going to invent them. It is the most important missing figure on this page.

That absence has a direct regulatory consequence. Only one claim is authorised in Europe in this family: the one covering lactase and the improvement of lactose digestion in individuals who have difficulty digesting lactose. It is subject to a minimum activity condition per portion, expressed in units. Since the breakdown of the complex and its activity are not published, we cannot verify that the threshold is met, and we will therefore not repeat that claim. No other digestive claim exists for papain, bromelain, amylase, protease, lipase or cellulase.

The previous version of this page announced a reduction in bloating, an improvement in protein assimilation and support for lactose tolerance. None of those formulations is authorised as they stand, and they have been removed. What we can describe, on the other hand, is what each enzyme does biochemically and in which situations use makes sense.

The composition finally has one real advantage, often missing from this category: the enzymes are of microbial and plant origin, never animal. The product is therefore suitable for vegetarians, which is not the case for many enzyme supplements derived from pig pancreas.

Ingredients list

Maltodextrin (bulking agent), DigeZyme complex (amylase, protease, lactase, lipase, cellulase), papain (enzyme extracted from papaya), bromelain (enzyme extracted from pineapple).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA. Enzymes of microbial and plant origin, with no artificial preservative.

How do you take Enzymes Digestives?

Dose: 1 tablet. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: at the start of the main meal, the largest of the day. Frequency: one serving a day, not to be exceeded. Duration: a course of at least two months according to the manufacturer, which is exactly what one bottle covers.

“At the start of the meal” is not an approximation, it is the condition for it to work. An enzyme acts on the food present in the digestive tract: if you take it on an empty stomach, it has nothing to cut up; if you take it an hour after the meal, digestion is already well under way. The right moment is the first mouthful, or just before.

The choice of meal matters as much as the timing. One tablet a day means you have to choose: keep it for the meal that gives you trouble, generally the largest, the fattiest, or the one containing the most dairy products. A tablet with a salad is of no use.

Do not take them on an empty stomach, and do not exceed the daily dose. The manufacturer mentions a possible split serving for very large meals, but the limit of one tablet a day remains the one printed on the packaging: that is the one that takes precedence.

Two months is the period a bottle covers and the one the manufacturer suggests. In practice, many people use this type of product occasionally, on difficult meals, rather than as a continuous course — that is a perfectly legitimate use, and often a more economical one.

One practical precaution to finish: if you also take activated charcoal, leave at least two hours between the two. Charcoal binds molecules indiscriminately, including the enzymes you have just swallowed.

Who are these enzymes for, and who are they not for?

They are aimed at an adult who can identify discomfort after certain specific meals: a very rich meal, a late dinner, an indulgence, or a plate containing a lot of dairy products. They also have their place with people on a bulking plan, whose daily food volume is well above average and sometimes becomes a burden.

Two points to watch are worth knowing before you buy, and they concern the two plant enzymes. Bromelain and papain are active proteases: interactions are described with anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatments, so medical advice is needed if you take any. In addition, people allergic to pineapple, papaya or latex may react to these two ingredients — cross-allergies between latex and exotic fruits are documented.

The manufacturer does not recommend the product for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice, asks people on medical treatment to consult a healthcare professional, and reminds you to keep it out of the reach of children. The product may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is not a treatment, and it is not an answer to entrenched digestive problems. Pain, a lastingly disturbed transit or a severe intolerance are a matter for a doctor, who will make a diagnosis where a supplement merely accompanies. Nor is it a product that would make your protein “better absorbed” to the point of changing your results: protein digestion already works very well in a healthy person.

Digestive enzymes or a change of protein?

That is the real question to ask yourself if your discomfort appears mainly after a shake, and it is the advice we give most often over the counter.

If the bloating consistently follows your protein powder, the most likely cause is not a lack of enzymes but the lactose in a concentrate whey. In that case, switching to a whey isolate, whose lactose content is very low, or to a clear whey settles the problem at its root, and for good. A daily tablet treats the symptom; changing powder removes the cause.

Enzymes keep all their value in a different situation: when the discomfort comes from full and varied meals, and not from an identifiable product. There, no change of powder will settle anything, and reinforcement at mealtime makes sense.

Finally, if your discomfort sets in over time and does not depend on a particular meal, the answer is neither one nor the other: it is rather towards probiotics, which work over several weeks, that you should turn — and towards a doctor if the discomfort persists.

Frequently asked questions

Should they be taken before or during the meal?

At the very start of the meal, or just before. An enzyme acts on the food present in the digestive tract: taken on an empty stomach it has nothing to do, taken an hour after the meal it arrives too late. The first mouthful is the right marker.

How many tablets a day?

Just one, and that is the daily dose set by the manufacturer. So choose the meal you place it on: the largest, the fattiest, or the one containing the most dairy products. Exceeding that dose is not provided for.

Does this product help digest lactose?

The complex does contain lactase, the enzyme in question. But the only claim authorised in Europe on this point requires a minimum activity expressed in units, which the manufacturer does not publish for this formula. So we cannot state it. In cases of proven intolerance, a product whose lactase activity is quantified is a safer choice.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. The enzymes in the complex are of microbial origin, papain comes from papaya and bromelain from pineapple. None is of animal origin, which clearly sets this product apart from enzyme supplements derived from animal pancreas.

Is there a risk with anticoagulant treatment?

Bromelain and papain are proteases for which interactions with anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents are described. If you are on such a treatment, the question goes to your doctor or your pharmacist before any purchase, and not after.

Can you be allergic to this product?

It is possible for people allergic to pineapple, papaya or latex, because of documented cross-allergies between latex and certain exotic fruits. If that applies to you, this product is not for you, whatever the dose.

How long does a bottle last?

Exactly two months: 60 tablets, one a day. That is also the length of course the manufacturer suggests. Many customers, however, use it occasionally, on difficult meals, in which case a bottle obviously lasts a good deal longer.

Where can you buy IO Genix Enzymes Digestives?

The 60-tablet bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always start by asking after which meal the discomfort appears: when the answer is “after my shake”, we rarely sell this bottle and we advise changing protein instead. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix Oat Flour?

IO Genix Farine d'Avoine is a powder made from micronised oat flakes — that is, ground extremely finely so that they dissolve in a liquid without cooking. Per 100 g, it provides 376 kcal, 61 g of carbohydrate of which only 1.3 g is sugars, 13 g of protein and 9.7 g of fibre. The flavours on offer run from chocolate brownie to pistachio, alongside an unflavoured version.

It is a food, not a supplement built around an isolated active: what you are buying is oats, put into a format you can drink from a shaker. Its appeal lies entirely in convenience. Where a porridge calls for a pan and ten minutes, one scoop in 250 ml of milk delivers the same intake in thirty seconds.

Oats are the most interesting cereal for a sportsperson's breakfast for one simple reason: they combine slow-digesting carbohydrate, a protein share that is unusual for a cereal, and a high fibre content. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the other products in the category in our oat flour aisle.

What does a serving of Oat Flour contain?

Two lines in this table deserve to be read together: 61 g of carbohydrate and 1.3 g of sugars. It is that ratio which sets an oat flour apart from an off-the-shelf chocolate powder, where the proportions are often reversed. With 1.3 g of sugars per 100 g, this product meets the European criterion for the low in sugars claim. The brownie or pistachio taste therefore comes from the flavourings and sweeteners, not from added sugar.

The fibre content is the other strong figure. At 9.7 g per 100 g, the product clears the threshold that allows it to be described as high in fibre under European regulations. A 30 g serving provides 2.9 g of it, which is far from trivial given that average intake in France remains below the recommendations.

The 13 g of protein per 100 g is also worth flagging: it is markedly more than rice or wheat flour. A 30 g serving provides 3.9 g, which does not make this powder a protein source, but which usefully adds to the shake if you mix it with a protein.

A point of honesty about what we cannot write. Oats contain beta-glucans, a soluble fibre that benefits from authorised claims in Europe. But those claims require a minimum quantity of beta-glucans per portion, and the manufacturer does not publish the beta-glucan content of this powder. We therefore cannot repeat them, and we are not going to invent them.

Ingredients list

Unflavoured: micronised oat flakes.

Flavoured versions: micronised oat flakes, natural flavourings, sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, steviol glycosides).

Chocolate versions: micronised oat flakes, cocoa powder, flavourings, sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, steviol glycosides).

May contain GLUTEN through cross-contamination. May contain traces of EGGS, MILK, NUTS and SOYA.

How do you use Oat Flour?

Serving: 30 g, or one scoop; 40 to 50 g when bulking. Liquid: 200 to 300 ml of water, milk or plant-based drink. Timing: at breakfast, one to two hours before training, or as a snack. Frequency: one to three servings a day depending on your goal. Duration: it is a food, there is no course to follow.

Shake it vigorously, and preferably in a shaker rather than stirring with a spoon. Micronisation makes things much easier, but a flour is still a flour: pour the liquid in first, the powder second, and shake immediately. That is the only way to avoid lumps.

The choice of liquid completely changes the result. With water, you stay at 113 kcal for a fluid texture. With milk, count on around a hundred extra calories, more protein and a distinctly creamier consistency — that is what we recommend for a proper breakfast. With a plant-based drink, the result sits somewhere in between.

It lends itself very well to cooking, unlike many powders in this aisle: pancakes, crêpes, muffins, overnight cold porridge. It can replace part of the ordinary flour in a recipe, bearing in mind that it does not rise like wheat flour and gives denser results. Ready-made protein pancakes remain simpler if you have no time to weigh things out.

For pre-training use, allow one to two hours before the session: this is slow-digesting carbohydrate, and 2.9 g of fibre per serving is not something to take just before going for a run. If you are after carbohydrate to take during exercise, maltodextrin is where to turn, not here.

Who is Oat Flour for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone who cannot face a solid breakfast in the morning, anyone short of time, anyone looking for quality carbohydrate while bulking, and anyone wanting to break out of the bread-and-sugary-cereal routine. It is probably the best value-for-interest product in the whole range.

It is not suitable for people who are gluten intolerant or coeliac. Oats do not contain gluten naturally, but the manufacturer explicitly flags a possible presence of gluten through cross-contamination: this product is not certified gluten-free, and that distinction is decisive in this particular case. It may also contain traces of eggs, milk, nuts and soya.

The manufacturer carries the usual food supplement wording on its label: product not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children or people on medical treatment, with medical advice recommended before use. We reproduce it as it stands, without interpreting it, while pointing out that what we have here is micronised oat flakes — in other words, a cereal.

The 2.9 g of fibre per serving is an asset but can trouble a sensitive gut if you go from none to three servings overnight. Build up gradually.

What not to expect from it: it is not a protein, and 3.9 g per serving replaces no shake. Nor is it a slimming product — 113 kcal a serving are calories like any others, simply good-quality ones. And if your goal is mass gain, this powder contributes to it but does not replace a complete gainer.

Oat flour or cream of rice — which to choose?

Both occupy the same place in an eating plan and are separated by three specific criteria.

Cream of rice is more digestible, almost fibre-free, and better suited to just before or just after training, when a light stomach is preferable. It is also naturally gluten-free, which settles the question once and for all for anyone intolerant. Its texture is smoother and more neutral.

Oat flour provides more fibre, slightly more protein, and slower digestion. It is the better choice for breakfast and for snacks that have to last several hours. On the other hand it has a coarser texture, which not everyone enjoys.

The third criterion is taste, and it often settles matters: the choice of flavours here is wider than it generally is in cream of rice. On a product eaten every morning, palate fatigue is a real issue. A spoonful of peanut butter in the bowl solves the problem for both, as it happens.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a serving?

113 kcal per 30 g made up with water, with 18.3 g of carbohydrate, 3.9 g of protein and 2.9 g of fibre. With semi-skimmed milk, count on around a hundred extra calories and a markedly higher protein intake.

Does it contain gluten?

Oats do not contain it naturally, but the manufacturer flags a possible presence of gluten through cross-contamination. This product is therefore not suitable for coeliacs or for strictly intolerant people. If you need a guaranteed gluten-free option, cream of rice is the right choice.

Is there any added sugar?

No. The table shows 1.3 g of sugars per 100 g, which corresponds to the sugars naturally present in oats. The taste of the flavoured versions comes from the flavourings and from three sweeteners: sucralose, acesulfame potassium and steviol glycosides.

Can you bake with it?

Yes, and it is in fact one of its best uses: pancakes, crêpes, muffins. Bear in mind that it does not rise like wheat flour and gives denser results. Replacing half the flour in a recipe is a good starting point.

Which flavours are available?

The range includes an unflavoured version, flavoured versions and chocolate versions. The list that is actually available is the set of variants offered on this page: that is what counts, since deliveries do not always cover the whole range.

Can you mix it with a protein?

Yes, and that is the most common use: 30 g of oat flour with 25 g of protein makes a complete breakfast in a single shaker. The mix is thicker, so add 50 ml more liquid than usual.

How much when bulking?

The manufacturer suggests 50 g per serving and two to three servings a day in that case, against 30 g in the morning and before the session for maintenance. Build up gradually: jumping straight to an extra 9 g of fibre a day makes itself felt on your digestion.

Where to buy IO Genix Farine d'Avoine?

The various flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is the first product we suggest to anyone who tells us they cannot swallow a thing before eleven in the morning: drinking your breakfast still works better than skipping the meal while promising yourself you will do better tomorrow. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Neutral Oat Flour?

It is a finely milled oat flour with a single ingredient: oats (Avena sativa), and nothing else. No flavouring, no sweetener, no preservative, no additives. On this type of product, an ingredient list that fits in three words is exactly what you are looking for.

The difference from supermarket oat flakes is not nutritional, it is mechanical. A flour dissolves in a shaker, blends into pancake batter without lumps and cooks into porridge in two minutes. Flakes do not: they need longer cooking and keep their texture. If you have ever tried shaking flakes in 300 ml of water, you know why this flour exists.

The word "neutral" in the name is to be taken literally: the taste is that of oats, subtle and slightly cereal-like, with no sweetening or perfume. That is a drawback if you drink it on its own with water, and an advantage if you cook. The product joins our carbohydrate sources, alongside cream of rice, and the manufacturer's full range can be found in the IO Genix section.

What does a 40 g serving contain?

* Column calculated from the values declared per 100 g, as the manufacturer does not publish a per-serving column. The net weight of the pack does not appear in the data passed on to us: divide the weight shown on the packaging by 40 g to find the number of servings.

Three figures define this product, and all three can be used in regulatory terms.

66 g of carbohydrate for only 1.1 g of sugars. In other words, virtually all of the carbohydrate content is starch. The threshold for the "low sugars" claim is 5 g per 100 g: the product is five times below it. That is what sets it squarely apart from shop-bought cereals, often at 20 or 25 g of sugars per 100 g.

10 g of fibre per 100 g, or 4 g in a 40 g serving. The threshold for the "high fibre" claim is 6 g per 100 g: it is comfortably cleared. That is what gives oats their satiety — a morning bowl that holds until midday, where sugary cereals let you down at ten o'clock.

13 g of protein per 100 g. It supplies around 14% of the product's energy, which permits the "source of protein" claim. This is not a protein and it should not be counted as one, but it is clearly better than a maltodextrin or a cream of rice, and it counts when you add up a whole day.

One honest clarification to finish. The manufacturer mentions the presence of beta-glucans, vitamins B1 and B5 and biotin, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese, without publishing the amounts. That is a particular shame for the beta-glucans: there is an authorised health claim for oat beta-glucans, but it requires a minimum content per serving. Without a figure, that threshold cannot be verified, and we will therefore make no claim for these nutrients. The manufacturer also states a glycaemic index of around 55; we report it as manufacturer data.

How do you use oat flour?

Dose: 30 to 50 g depending on the moment. Liquid: 250 to 300 ml for 30 to 40 g in a shaker. Timing: at breakfast, 1 to 2 h before training, after the session, or as a snack. Frequency: 1 to 3 servings a day. Duration: none, it is a food.

The manufacturer's guidelines, by situation: 40 to 50 g at breakfast; 30 to 40 g one to two hours before training; 30 to 40 g after the session, with a protein; 25 to 30 g as a snack between two meals. Allow one to two hours before training, not twenty minutes: with 4 g of fibre per serving, digestion takes its time.

Four preparations that work. In a shaker: 30 to 40 g in 250 to 300 ml of water or plant-based milk. As porridge: 40 g in 200 ml of milk, heated for two to three minutes. As pancakes: 40 g, two eggs and 100 ml of plant-based milk, the simplest and most reliable recipe there is. In baking: replace 25 to 50% of the ordinary flour in your recipe.

The most common pairing remains the one with a protein powder, in a ratio of roughly 40 g of flour to 25 to 30 g of powder: that gives you a complete breakfast in thirty seconds. If you cook it hot, add the protein at the end of preparation, since whey poured into a boiling liquid coagulates. Finally, reseal the bag tightly and use it within six months of opening — a flour takes up moisture and goes rancid.

Who is this flour for, and who is it not for?

It suits those who struggle to eat enough carbohydrate, those who want a filling breakfast with no added sugar, and those who cook and are looking for a neutral base. It contains no ingredient of animal origin and is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

It contains OATS, and the manufacturer flags possible traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, NUTS and SOYA linked to production conditions. In cases of coeliac disease, this product is not indicated. Oats do not contain gluten in the sense that wheat does, but they are very frequently contaminated upstream of processing, and the manufacturer makes no "gluten free" claim here. Do not take any risk on this basis.

Nor does it suit you if you are looking for a fast-absorbing carbohydrate during exercise: the 4 g of fibre per serving, which make it worthwhile in the morning, become a handicap on a bike. That is the role of a maltodextrin. And if you have a sensitive gut, introduce it gradually rather than starting at 50 g.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a weight-loss product. 150 kcal in a 40 g serving is energy, and energy that is easy to swallow in liquid form — the opposite of what you are looking for in a strict deficit. Nor is it a protein source in the sense of a shake, or a vitamin supplement: the micronutrients present are not quantified and will not be sold as a selling point.

Oat flour or sweet potato flour?

Both are complex carbohydrates in powder form, high in fibre, and they often end up in the same cupboard. The choice comes down to three very concrete differences.

Sugars. 1.1 g per 100 g here, against almost 12 g for a sweet potato flour. That is the sharpest gap, and it is decisive if you are watching your simple sugars or if you are stacking up large amounts of carbohydrate to gain weight: oats win by a distance.

Protein. 13 g per 100 g against around 4.5 g. Oats provide three times as much, which does not make them a protein source but does improve the overall profile of a breakfast.

Taste and texture. This is where sweet potato takes the advantage back: it has a natural sweetness that almost does away with the need to sweeten, whereas oats stay frankly neutral and a little dull when taken on their own with water. On pancakes or in a cake, many prefer sweet potato; in a quick shake or as porridge, oats remain the benchmark.

In short: oats for volume, neutrality and the nutritional profile; sweet potato for taste and baked preparations. The two combine very well in the same recipe, and nothing obliges you to choose once and for all.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference from ordinary oat flakes?

The particle size, essentially, and therefore the use. A flour dissolves in a shaker, blends into a batter without lumps and cooks in two minutes; flakes need longer cooking and keep their texture. Nutritionally, oats are still oats — it is the convenience you are buying.

Can it be eaten raw, without cooking?

Yes, in a shake or in fromage blanc: the flour is finely milled and mixes without any trouble when cold. The taste stays subtle and a little floury — that is the main criticism made of it. Cooked as porridge or pancakes, it develops considerably more flavour.

Is it suitable for people with coeliac disease?

No, not on the basis of the information available. Oats do not contain gluten in the sense that wheat does, but the manufacturer flags possible traces of gluten linked to production conditions and makes no "gluten free" claim. In cases of coeliac disease, rule this product out.

How much fibre and sugar exactly?

10 g of fibre and 1.1 g of sugars per 100 g, that is 4 g of fibre and 0.4 g of sugars in a 40 g serving. This ratio is what sets oats apart from shop-bought cereals, many of which exceed 20 g of sugars per 100 g for half as much fibre.

Can it be mixed with whey?

Yes, it is the most widespread use: allow around 40 g of flour to 25 to 30 g of protein. Prepare it in a shaker with a ball if possible, as the flour is thicker than a cream of rice. In a hot preparation, add the protein at the end of cooking, off the heat.

Does it contain beta-glucans in a useful amount?

The manufacturer flags their presence but does not publish the content. Yet the authorised health claim for oat beta-glucans is based on a minimum amount per serving. Without a figure, we cannot state anything, and we will not do so. If this matters to you, ask the manufacturer for it.

How long does the bag keep once opened?

Six months, provided you reseal it tightly and keep it dry, cool and away from light. An oat flour contains 6.5 g of fat per 100 g: badly stored, it goes rancid and takes on a recognisable cardboard taste.

Where can you buy IO Genix Oat Flour?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

It is the least spectacular product in the range and one of the most useful: nobody walks into our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, asking for oat flour. Plenty of people leave with it, though, because it is the simplest answer to "I haven't got time for breakfast". The rest of the carbohydrate sources can be compared in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Fortigel Collagen?

IO Genix Fortigel Collagen is a joint-support powder sold in a 320 g tub, i.e. 40 servings of 8 g. This is not a plain collagen: it is a compound formula, in which collagen is merely the main ingredient.

The base is Fortigel®, a range of bioactive collagen peptides made by the German company GELITA, present at 5 g per serving. Around it sit magnesium citrate, glucosamine sulfate, calcium carbonate, a dry devil's claw extract, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, a dry Boswellia serrata extract and vitamin D.

The product appears in our collagen section, and the rest of the brand in the IO Genix collection.

What does an 8 g serving contain?

Only two ingredients come with figures: the collagen and the vitamin C. The other eight appear on the list with no dosage in the data available to us. That is this label's main shortcoming, and it has a direct consequence: there is no way to check whether the magnesium, the calcium and the vitamin D reach the thresholds that would permit a health claim, nor to compare the glucosamine with a dedicated product. We will not paper over those gaps.

What can be checked, on the other hand, is solid. 5 g of Fortigel® collagen peptides matches the dosage used in the work published by the raw material's manufacturer; it is the usual benchmark for this range, and plenty of competing products drop to 2.5 g. And the 177 mg of vitamin C, i.e. 221% of the NRV, unlocks the only claim genuinely available here: vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage, bones and skin. That is a wording approved by European Regulation 432/2012, and it is the only one on this page.

For everything else — collagen, glucosamine, MSM, hyaluronic acid, devil's claw, boswellia — no health claim is authorised in Europe. Including joint claims, including anti-inflammatory ones. So we are describing a composition, not effects.

How do you prepare Fortigel Collagen?

Dose: 8 g a day, i.e. 2 scoops, raised to 12 g in cases of pain or a heavy training load. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml of water or the drink of your choice. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, or after training. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of at least 3 months.

That last point is the most important, and it needs hearing before you buy: three months minimum. A tub of 40 servings covers less than six weeks at one serving a day — so reckon on two to three tubs for a full course. No one should let you believe that a single tub will be enough to judge the product.

Shake vigorously: collagen peptides tend to form lumps if you tip them into a still glass. A shaker settles the matter. The product is compatible with other joint supplements, and consistency counts for more than the time of day you take it.

Who is this formula for, and who is it not for?

The manufacturer targets four profiles: athletes on a high training volume, people over 40, those looking to support skin elasticity, and those returning to activity after a joint injury. Bear in mind that no claim is authorised for any of those four uses: they are buying situations, not promised effects.

The precautions are brief but real. Pregnant or breastfeeding women: seek medical advice. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Keep out of reach of children. The product may contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

One point the manufacturer does not state and that we are flagging: the origin of the glucosamine sulfate is not given. That molecule is most often extracted from shellfish shells. If you are allergic to shellfish, ask for confirmation before buying — we will not decide on the brand's behalf. Likewise, the source of the collagen (bovine, porcine or marine) is not published, which matters if you follow a particular diet.

What not to expect from it: a treatment. Persistent joint pain is a matter for a doctor, not a powder. And do not expect anything for several weeks: the manufacturer itself sets the bar at three months. If you are after an immediate effect, this product will disappoint you.

Fortigel Collagen or a plain collagen?

We sell both, and the choice deserves to be put plainly.

A plain collagen, of the Collagen Professional type from the same brand, delivers more collagen per serving — 7.5 g against 5 g here — with a vitamin C and one or two further actives, and nothing else. It costs less, its list is shorter, and if collagen is what you are after, it is the more rational calculation. The comparison is made tub against tub, and there is no shame in taking the simpler one.

Fortigel Collagen is justified if you were going to take several joint supplements anyway. Assembling glucosamine, MSM, hyaluronic acid, devil's claw and boswellia across five separate bottles would cost appreciably more and mean five doses a day. The trade-off is the one we flagged: with no published dosages for those eight ingredients, you are buying a composition, not verifiable quantities. It is a trade-off between convenience and transparency, and it is yours to make. Note that the 5 g of Fortigel® is itself properly quantified — and that it is the main ingredient.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the 320 g tub last?

Forty servings of 8 g, i.e. a little under six weeks at one serving a day. At the increased 12 g dose, reckon on roughly 26 days. For the three-month course the manufacturer recommends, plan on two to three tubs.

What is the difference between 8 g and 12 g a day?

The manufacturer states 8 g for everyday use, and 12 g in cases of pain or intensive recovery. The increased dose raises every intake proportionally, including the vitamin C, which would then come to roughly 265 mg. Do not exceed 12 g.

What is Fortigel®?

A range of bioactive collagen peptides made by the German company GELITA, dosed here at 5 g per serving. The name identifies the raw material and its manufacturer, which lets you know what you are buying — many labels simply say "hydrolysed collagen" and leave it at that.

Are there allergens to be aware of?

The product may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, fish and soya. One further point to watch: glucosamine sulfate is often of shellfish origin, but the manufacturer does not specify its source here. If you are allergic to shellfish, check before buying.

Can it be combined with other supplements?

The manufacturer lists it as compatible with other joint supplements. Just check for duplication: the formula already contains glucosamine, MSM and hyaluronic acid, which makes it pointless to add a second product from the glucosamine section or an equivalent complex.

How long before you see anything?

The manufacturer sets a minimum course of three months. This is a long-game product, and no effect can be promised since no claim is authorised. If you are not prepared to keep it up for three months, do not start: you will learn nothing in six weeks.

Does the powder go lumpy?

It can, if you tip it into a glass without stirring. Collagen peptides clump together easily. A shaker shaken vigorously, or a small amount of liquid added first to slacken the powder, sorts the problem out.

Where to buy IO Genix Fortigel Collagen?

The 320 g tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is a comprehensive formula, best kept for those planning a long course rather than a trial.

If you drop into our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we will set this tub next to a plain collagen and work out the price per gram of collagen with you. Depending on what you are after, the answer is not always the one you would expect. The other joint-comfort supplements can be browsed from turmeric and omega 3.

What is IO Genix GABA Professional?

IO Genix GABA Professional is a single-ingredient supplement: 750 mg of gamma-aminobutyric acid per capsule, with no secondary active, no added vitamin, no blend. The bottle contains 60 capsules for a net weight of 52 g, that is two months at the recommended dose of one capsule a day. You will find it alongside the brand's other products in our IO Genix section, and alongside products of the same family in our GABA section.

GABA is a molecule the body produces itself. It is an amino acid that acts as a messenger between nerve cells, and its function in the central nervous system is well described: it tempers the activity of neurons rather than exciting it. So much for the physiology, which is not disputed.

What is disputed is the fate of GABA swallowed in capsule form. The blood-brain barrier, which filters what enters the brain, lets this molecule through poorly, and the literature has not settled the question of oral GABA. We would rather say so from the outset: this product is a simple ingredient, correctly dosed, whose expected effects rest on debated data. That is a piece of information that ought to appear on every page of this kind and almost never does.

What is in one GABA Professional capsule?

750 mg per capsule is a serious dose. Many “relaxation” formulas sold in pharmacies or supermarkets combine a dozen ingredients at 50 or 100 mg each, which allows a long list to be printed on the packaging without any active reaching a useful amount. Here it is the opposite: a single ingredient, at an amount that matches the one used in the published work on the subject, generally between 100 mg and 800 mg per serving.

That is also what makes the product legible. You know exactly what you are taking, you can adjust it, and you can combine it with something else without fearing a hidden duplicate. A multi-ingredient formula never allows that.

A regulatory clarification, which belongs here and nowhere else on the page: GABA has no authorised health claim in Europe. Not on stress, not on sleep, not on relaxation, not on recovery. That does not mean the molecule does nothing; it means no dossier has been validated, and no seller has the right to promise you a result. The former description on this page announced a reduction in stress and an improvement in sleep quality: those wordings were not compliant and have been removed.

Finally, one piece of data is missing and we will not reconstruct it: the detailed composition of the capsule shell and the excipients is not published by IO Genix in the information available to us, and neither is the allergen declaration. The label on the bottle you receive is authoritative on both points, and it is the one to read if you are vegetarian or allergic.

How do you take GABA Professional?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water, 250 ml. When: in the evening, away from meals — allow at least two hours after dinner. How often: one intake a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a one-month course, which can be repeated.

Taking it away from meals is not a detail. GABA is an amino acid, and it competes with the amino acids from the meal for the same intestinal transporters. A capsule swallowed in the middle of a protein-rich dinner ends up competing with several tens of grams of protein. On an empty stomach, it has a clear run.

If you are starting out, keep the intake at the same time for two weeks before judging. That is the only way to assess a product in this category honestly, where individual variability is enormous and expectation plays a real part. Some people describe a sensation of warmth or tingling in the minutes following the intake; it is described in the literature, it is transient, and it foretells nothing.

GABA combines without difficulty with magnesium taken in the evening, or with a ZMA if you already have one. Stacking three or four “evening” products at the same time, on the other hand, makes it impossible to know what is working: add them one at a time, a fortnight apart.

Who is GABA Professional for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who wants to try a single, properly dosed ingredient without going through a compound formula in which they will never know which element is acting. That is the profile of the customer who has already tried a multi-plant complex and wants to isolate one variable.

It is not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice, nor for children under 12. The manufacturer is explicit on both points.

The most important point concerns medication: combination with sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics should be avoided without medical supervision, as those medicines act precisely on GABA receptors. The manufacturer also requires a medical consultation in cases of bipolar disorder. These are not precautions for form's sake: if you are on medication of that family, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before buying, not after.

What not to expect from it: it is not a sleeping pill, and it must not be bought as one. Nor is it a treatment for anxiety — no food supplement is, and lasting distress calls for a consultation, not a bottle. Finally, if your sleep is deteriorating because of a training session at 21:00, a screen at midnight or a coffee at 17:00, no product will make up for it: the cause lies elsewhere, and it can be fixed for free.

GABA or glycine in the evening?

That is the most relevant trade-off, because both are simple amino acids, dosed on their own, and sold for the same moment of the day.

Glycine has a practical advantage in its favour: it is a powder, you dose it freely, and the amounts used are higher, of the order of 3 g. It crosses the blood-brain barrier without argument, which is not the case for GABA, and it has a slightly sweet taste that mixes with anything. It is the better choice if you prefer a powder to a capsule, if you want to adjust your dose to the gram, or if you are looking for the better documented of the two ingredients.

GABA keeps the advantage of being simple to use: one capsule, no taste, nothing to weigh, portable anywhere. And its 750 mg dose places it at the top end of what is available, whereas many competing products stop at 200 mg.

Two other options exist depending on what you are really looking for. If the problem is falling asleep, melatonin is the only ingredient in this family with an authorised claim in Europe — it contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, at 1 mg before bedtime. If the problem is the mental load of a demanding period, ashwagandha follows the logic of a course rather than a one-off intake.

Frequently asked questions

Does GABA help you sleep?

No claim of that kind is authorised in Europe, so we will not write it. What is established is the role of GABA as an inhibitory messenger in the central nervous system. What is not established is what becomes of a swallowed dose. If your objective is explicitly falling asleep, melatonin is the only ingredient with a validated dossier.

How long does a bottle last?

Sixty days at one capsule a day. The manufacturer recommends a repeatable one-month course, which means a bottle covers two courses with a break in the middle, or a continuous two-month course depending on how you organise it.

Should it be taken on an empty stomach?

Away from meals, yes, ideally two hours after dinner. GABA is an amino acid and ends up competing with those from the meal for intestinal absorption. It is not an absolute requirement, but it is the only way to get the most out of a capsule.

Can it be combined with melatonin?

No known interaction stands in the way, and the combination is common. One practical piece of advice all the same: introduce the two a fortnight apart. Taken together from the first evening, you will never know which of the two is acting, and you will go on buying both for years.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

The manufacturer does not publish the nature of the capsule shell in the information available to us. We therefore cannot state it. The label on the bottle specifies whether it is a vegetable capsule or a gelatine one: that is what to read before the first intake.

Do you feel anything when you take it?

Some people describe a sensation of warmth or tingling in the minutes that follow, sometimes slight breathlessness. It is documented, harmless, and generally fades after a few days. Many others feel nothing at all, which is no more abnormal.

Can you take two capsules?

The manufacturer recommends one capsule a day and states that the recommended dose should not be exceeded. At 750 mg, one capsule already sits in the upper part of the amounts studied. Doubling would bring nothing demonstrated and would fall outside the conditions of use defined by the manufacturer.

Where to buy GABA Professional?

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 a product we sell only after asking two questions first: what time do you go to bed, and what time do you have your last coffee. It often happens that the answer makes the purchase pointless, and we say so. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Glucosamine Complex?

IO Genix Glucosamine Complex is a joint supplement in capsules. A four-capsule serving supplies 1,000 mg of glucosamine sulphate, 500 mg of chondroitin sulphate and 500 mg of MSM, with bromelain on top of that. The 120-capsule box covers a 30-day course.

These three actives belong to the same family of use and are almost always found together. Glucosamine and chondroitin are natural constituents of cartilage: the first is an amino sugar, the second a long carbohydrate chain that holds water in cartilage tissue. MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is an organic sulphur compound.

The manufacturer states the origin of each raw material, which is both useful and rare: the glucosamine is of marine origin, the chondroitin of avian origin, and the MSM is synthetic. For some customers those three pieces of information settle the purchase, and we come back to them. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the other products in the category in our glucosamine aisle.

What does one serving of Glucosamine Complex contain?

1,000 mg of glucosamine a day is a serious dose, clearly stated, which is not all that common in this aisle. Many joint complexes advertise a long list of ingredients without giving a single milligram, or bundle everything into a “proprietary complex” that cannot be assessed. Here, three of the four actives are quantified to the milligram.

The fourth is not, and we flag it rather than pass over it in silence: the bromelain dose is not published by the manufacturer, who refers you to the label. We are not going to invent it. It is the only missing figure on this page, but it matters, because bromelain is not a neutral ingredient.

We have to be blunt on the regulatory side, because this is the aisle where the most is written: no health claim is authorised in Europe for glucosamine, chondroitin or MSM. Not for the joints, not for cartilage, not for suppleness, not for ease of movement. They are natural constituents of cartilage — that is a fact of biology, not a promise of effect — and the European Union has approved no dossier for oral supplementation. So we describe the composition and the precautions, without announcing a result.

If your goal concerns the joints, note that one ingredient in this field does have authorised claims: vitamin D, which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and to normal muscle function. It is a route worth taking seriously, in our vitamin D aisle, and it costs a great deal less. A properly dosed magnesium also contributes to normal muscle function.

Ingredients list

Glucosamine sulphate (CRUSTACEANS), chondroitin sulphate, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), coating agents (GELATINE, colours: calcium carbonate and starch sodium octenyl succinate), bromelain, anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide).

Contains CRUSTACEANS. May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK and SOYA.

How do you take Glucosamine Complex?

Dose: 4 capsules. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: in the morning, with breakfast. Frequency: a single serving a day, all four capsules together. Duration: a course of 30 days minimum, repeated as needed.

The four capsules are taken all at once, and that is a deliberate choice by the manufacturer. The argument is not pharmacological, it is practical: a single morning serving is infinitely easier to keep up over a month than four servings spread across the day. On a product that gives nothing in under several weeks, consistency beats theory.

Take them with the meal rather than on an empty stomach. Four capsules in an empty stomach cause digestive discomfort in some people, and the meal settles that. If swallowing four capsules in one go is a problem for you, take them one by one with a few sips of water in between.

Thirty days is the stated minimum and it is also what one box covers. This kind of product can never be judged in a week, and you need to know that before you buy: if you expect a result on day three, you will be disappointed and you will have drawn a conclusion from nothing.

The product combines without overlap with collagen, an omega 3 or a standardised turmeric, which are the usual companions in this aisle. Add them one at a time, a fortnight apart, rather than all on the same morning.

Who is Glucosamine Complex for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult, a long-standing athlete or not, who wants to support a practice that is demanding on the joints: running, racquet sports, combat sports, heavy loads in the gym. It fits into an approach in which suitable physical activity remains the first lever.

The list of people affected by a contraindication is longer here than elsewhere, and it rests on an official opinion. The manufacturer repeats the recommendations issued by ANSES in 2019 concerning supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin: they are not advised for people with asthma, people on anticoagulants, people with diabetes and those with a cardiovascular risk. This is not a token precaution, it is an alert from the national nutrivigilance system, and it deserves to be followed.

The product contains crustaceans, the glucosamine being of marine origin: it is absolutely ruled out in cases of allergy to crustaceans or seafood. The chondroitin is of avian origin and the capsules are made of gelatine: this complex is therefore suitable neither for vegetarians, nor for vegans, nor for a diet that excludes certain meats.

The manufacturer also advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and asks that it be kept out of reach of children. The presence of bromelain adds a reason for caution in cases of anticoagulant treatment, and a possibility of a reaction in people allergic to pineapple or latex.

What not to expect from it: it is not a treatment, it cures nothing and it replaces no medical care. Joint pain that persists, that wakes you at night or that limits a movement is a matter for a doctor. A supplement can accompany; it does not diagnose.

Glucosamine or collagen for the joints?

The two products end up in the same basket, and it is better to understand what separates them before taking both.

Collagen is a structural protein, supplied in peptide form. It has two practical advantages over this complex: it is taken as a powder, which avoids four capsules a day, and it contains neither crustaceans nor gelatine in its standard marine or bovine versions. Like glucosamine, it has no authorised health claim in Europe for this use.

Glucosamine combined with chondroitin and MSM is the oldest and most studied approach in the aisle. It is also the one that comes with the greatest number of precautions, as the list above shows. If none of those situations applies to you, it is a coherent and clearly dosed choice.

Our position at the counter is a simple one: start with just one of the two, stick with it for thirty days, and judge after that. Stacking collagen, glucosamine, turmeric and omega 3 from day one is expensive and teaches you nothing about what works for you.

Frequently asked questions

Why four capsules at once?

Because the full daily dose — 1,000 mg of glucosamine, 500 mg of chondroitin, 500 mg of MSM — requires that volume, and because a single morning serving is far easier to keep up over a month than four spread-out servings. Take them with breakfast, never on an empty stomach.

Does this product contain crustaceans?

Yes. The glucosamine is of marine origin and the product declares crustaceans as an allergen. It is therefore absolutely ruled out in cases of allergy to crustaceans or seafood, with no possible exception.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

No, and on three counts at once: the glucosamine is of marine origin, the chondroitin of avian origin, and the capsule shell is made of gelatine. Only the MSM, being synthetic, raises no question from that point of view.

What does ANSES say about glucosamine?

In an opinion issued in 2019, the agency advised against supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin for people with asthma, on anticoagulants, with diabetes or presenting a cardiovascular risk. The manufacturer repeats that recommendation on its labelling, and we reproduce it here.

How long before judging?

Thirty days at the very least, which is exactly what one box covers. Nothing can be concluded in a week with this kind of product. Note what you observe in your everyday movements rather than in a vague sensation: it is the only usable benchmark.

Can it be combined with collagen?

Nothing about the composition stands in the way, as the two do not act on the same molecules. We would nonetheless advise starting with a single product and sticking with it for a full month. Two new things introduced on the same day will teach you nothing about which one suits you.

Is there a risk with an anticoagulant?

Yes, and on two counts: ANSES advises against glucosamine and chondroitin for people on anticoagulants, and the bromelain in the formula is the subject of documented interactions with those same treatments. If this applies to you, the question is settled with your doctor before you buy.

Where can you buy IO Genix Glucosamine Complex?

The 120-capsule box can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is one of the products we take the most time over: three questions — crustacean allergy, anticoagulant treatment, asthma — are usually enough to tell whether it belongs in the customer's bag. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa?

IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa is an L-glutamine powder dosed at 5 g per scoop, to which 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 is added. It comes in 300 g and 500 g, in an unflavoured or raspberry version.

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle and in plasma. The body makes it itself, which makes it a non-essential amino acid in the strict sense, but the rate at which it is used up rises during periods of sustained training, calorie restriction or physiological stress. That is where the question of an additional intake arises.

The Kyowa Quality mention refers to the raw material, produced by Japan's Kyowa Hakko from a plant-based fermentation. It is an indication of origin and process, not a particular biological property: the molecule obtained is the same as that of any other glutamine. What the label guarantees is traceability and process control, which is no small thing on an amino acid produced in very large volumes. The rest of the range appears in our IO Genix aisle.

What is in a 5 g serving?

The per-100 g values are calculated from the manufacturer's declaration for a 5 g serving. One inconsistency deserves to be flagged rather than glossed over: the data sheet states 0 g of carbohydrate while the ingredients list mentions maltodextrin, which is one. The amount is in all likelihood small, but we do not know it and will not reconstruct it. The label on the tub you receive is the authority.

5 g per serving is the reference amount, and it is the one used in most of the published work on glutamine. Few products go below it, but many sell 3 g scoops that then have to be doubled, which completely changes the real cost per serving. Always check the weight of the scoop before comparing two tubs.

The number of servings depends on the size, and there is a clarification to make here too. The manufacturer states 100 servings per container, which corresponds to the 500 g size. The 300 g size contains 60, at 5 g per serving. The larger size therefore works out cheaper per serving, but is only worth it if you keep it up.

Vitamin B6 at 1.4 mg covers the European reference value exactly. It is not there by chance: it contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It is the only ingredient in this tub to carry authorised claims. If it is this vitamin that interests you in its own right, our vitamin B aisle offers it dosed separately.

A regulatory clarification belongs here: L-glutamine has no authorised health claim in Europe. Not on recovery, not on immunity, not on the gut lining. The former description on this page claimed that supplementation sped up recovery and maintained immune function: that wording was not compliant and has been removed.

Ingredients list

L-glutamine (Kyowa Quality), maltodextrin, acidity regulator (citric acid), flavouring, sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame K) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride). The unflavoured version contains neither flavouring nor sweetener. May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, FISH, SOYA and MILK.

How do you take Glutamine Kyowa?

Serving: one level scoop, or 5 g. Liquid: 300 ml of water or fruit juice. Timing: straight after training, or before bed on rest days. Frequency: one serving per training day; the manufacturer describes a more intensive protocol of three servings spread across non-training days. Duration: no set course length, use is ongoing.

One serving a day covers what the vast majority of trainees need. The three-serving protocol is aimed at high training volumes, and you should be clear about what it represents: 15 g of free amino acid a day, every day. If you are starting out, begin with one serving and see.

The powder dissolves well but stays slightly tart on the palate in the raspberry version. Fruit juice masks that tartness better than water does, with no downside. The unflavoured version, for its part, mixes into anything — into a protein shake, into porridge, into a fruit purée — and it is often the more practical choice for everyday use.

Avoid mixing it into a hot drink: glutamine is not very stable in solution when heated. A shake made up in the morning for the afternoon is no problem; a cup of boiling tea is.

Who is Glutamine Kyowa for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone on a high training volume, someone in a prolonged calorie deficit, or someone stringing sessions together without a genuine rest day. Those are the situations in which the body's use of glutamine rises the most.

The manufacturer does not recommend it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and restricts it to adults over 18. It also asks that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional in cases of liver or kidney disorders, or if you are on medication: that is a sensible precaution, since amino acid metabolism runs through the liver and the kidneys.

It is not for you if your daily protein intake is already high. This is the least commercial truth on this page: a 30 g whey isolate shake already supplies roughly 1.5 to 2 g of glutamine, and a diet providing 150 g of protein a day supplies several grams. In that context, the additional intake is marginal, and the literature on the benefits of supplementation in a well-fed athlete is far from convincing.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a product that drives progress. It does not build muscle, it does not replace a protein, and you will feel nothing when you take it. It is a comfort supplement, to consider once the rest is already in place, not before. If you have any medical doubt, ask your doctor or your pharmacist.

Glutamine or EAAs after training?

Both are taken at the same moment and compete for the same budget, so we may as well put the question plainly.

An EAA supplies all nine essential amino acids, including the leucine that triggers protein synthesis. In terms of building muscle, there is no comparison: it is the better choice if you train fasted, if your protein intake is low, or if you want a single product after the session. It costs more per serving, and it has a stronger taste.

Glutamine does not play in that category. Its value lies elsewhere: it is a non-essential amino acid, heavily used during periods of heavy load, and its use has more to do with recovery comfort than with performance. It is the better choice if your diet already comfortably covers your protein needs and you are looking to top up on one specific point, or if you cope badly with complex formulas.

If your budget allows only one product, buy the protein or the essential amino acids before the glutamine. That is the logical order, and we say so over the counter just as we do here.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are in a tub?

Sixty for the 300 g size, one hundred for the 500 g size, at 5 g per serving. The manufacturer quotes the figure of 100 servings without specifying which size it refers to: it corresponds to the 500 g. The larger size works out cheaper per serving if you keep it up.

What is the difference between the unflavoured and raspberry versions?

The active ingredient make-up is identical. The raspberry version additionally contains a flavouring, an acidity regulator and sweeteners; the unflavoured version contains none. The unflavoured one mixes into anything without disturbing the taste, the raspberry one is more pleasant drunk on its own. That is the only deciding factor.

When should you take it?

Straight after training on session days, before bed on rest days. Timing matters less than consistency: glutamine acts on a body pool that rebuilds slowly, not on a one-off peak. One serving a day at a set time is worth more than three irregular ones.

Should you take it if you already use whey?

The benefit becomes slight. A 30 g whey serving already supplies a far from negligible share of glutamine, and a protein-rich diet supplies several grams a day. Supplementation still makes sense during a period of unusual load or a marked calorie deficit, less so in an ordinary situation.

Can it be mixed into a hot drink?

Better to avoid it. Glutamine is not very stable in solution at high temperature and partly degrades. Mixing it into cold or lukewarm water, or into a juice, poses no problem at all, including when made up a few hours in advance.

Is glutamine suitable for vegans?

The Kyowa Quality raw material is obtained by fermentation of plant origin, with no animal input, as the manufacturer states. The point to watch is the declared manufacturing traces — gluten, eggs, fish, soya and milk — which come from the production environment and not from the formula.

Why is there vitamin B6 in a glutamine?

Because B6 is involved in amino acid metabolism, and because it is the only ingredient in this tub for which a claim is authorised in Europe. At 1.4 mg, it covers the daily reference value exactly. If you already take a multivitamin, be aware that stacking the two carries no risk at this level.

Where can you buy IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa?

The sizes and versions 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 deliberately place at the end of our advice: when someone comes in looking for glutamine and is not yet hitting their protein quota, we show them the other aisle first. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition aisle.

What is IO Genix Glycine?

IO Genix Glycine is a pure L-glycine powder. Half a level scoop provides 3 g of glycine, and the manufacturer sets the daily intake at 6 g split into two servings. There is nothing else in the tub: no flavouring, no sweetener, no bulking agent.

One point needs clearing up first, because it causes constant confusion in search engines: the glycine we are talking about here has nothing to do with the climbing plant of the same name. It is an amino acid, the smallest and simplest of the twenty that make up the body's proteins. It is described as non-essential because the body can produce it itself, from serine.

Glycine is particularly abundant in one specific tissue: collagen is roughly one third glycine, which makes it the most heavily represented amino acid in skin, tendons and cartilage. In dietary terms, it is found mainly in the cuts that are rich in connective tissue — skin, bones, cartilage — which is precisely what modern eating habits have stopped including. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the full category in our L-glycine aisle.

What does a serving of Glycine contain?

100% glycine is literally all this tub contains, and that is the strongest argument for this format. On an aisle where fifteen-ingredient formulas are the norm, a product whose ingredient list runs to three words lets you know exactly what you are swallowing and adjust the dose to the gram.

Two features of the product are worth knowing before you buy. The first: the glycine is obtained by plant fermentation, which makes this powder suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets — an exception on an aisle largely dominated by gelatine. The second: it is declared gluten-free by the manufacturer, although traces from the production facility remain possible.

One regulatory point needs to be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for glycine. Not for sleep, not for recovery, not for skin, not for joints. It is an amino acid abundantly present in collagen — that is a fact of biochemistry, not a promise — and the European Union has approved no dossier for oral supplementation. We describe the molecule, its place in the body and how to use it, without announcing any result.

Data missing from the manufacturer's file: the net weight of the tub, and therefore the number of servings, are not disclosed. We will not infer them. The net content is shown on the packaging you receive.

Ingredients list

Pure L-glycine (100%). Produced by plant fermentation. No additives, no colourings, no preservatives.

May contain traces of GLUTEN (wheat and oats), NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take Glycine?

Dose: 3 g, or roughly half a 5 ml spoon. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml of water, fruit juice or plant-based drink. Timing: in the morning on waking, and 30 minutes before bed. Frequency: two servings a day, 6 g in total. Duration: daily use is possible with no time limit, provided the doses are respected.

The most useful quirk of this powder is its taste: glycine is naturally sweet. That is not a turn of phrase — its name comes from the Greek glykys, meaning sweet. In practice, it dissolves into a coffee, a tea or a herbal infusion and sweetens them slightly, without adding sugar in the nutritional sense. It is a simple way of fitting both daily servings in without thinking about them.

It dissolves very well in water, with no lumps, which is not true of every powdered amino acid. It also goes into a smoothie, a protein shake or a yoghurt without any difficulty.

The evening serving, thirty minutes before bed, is the one the manufacturer recommends. It is the easier of the two to keep up over time for a practical reason: it is a fixed point in the day, unlike waking up, which varies.

Do not exceed 6 g per day. This product can be taken continuously, with no imposed cycle or break, which sets it apart from most references on this aisle. It combines without overlap with magnesium, collagen or taurine, and it often turns up in the same baskets as melatonin.

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

It is of interest first of all to those whose diet contains little connective tissue — which today means more or less everyone, since consumption of bone broth, skin and cartilage has fallen away very sharply. It also suits those looking for a simple, unflavoured active ingredient to slot into an already busy routine.

Its composition makes it one of the few products in the range suitable for vegans, since it is obtained by plant fermentation and there is no capsule or animal-derived shell involved. That is a genuine argument on an aisle where the question comes up with every product.

One contraindication deserves particular attention, and it is an unusual one. The manufacturer states that this product should not be used by anyone under treatment for mental health disorders, specifying that it could reduce the effectiveness of that treatment. This is not a generic form of words: it targets a specific situation, and if it applies to you, the question goes to your doctor or pharmacist before any purchase — never after.

The product is also not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and must be kept out of the reach of children. It may contain traces of gluten, nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is not a sleeping pill, not an anxiolytic and not a performance product. You will not feel anything spectacular, and an amino acid that produced a clear effect within the hour would in fact be cause for concern. Nor is it a protein: 6 g a day replaces no shake, and a single isolated amino acid does not build muscle.

Glycine or collagen — which should you choose?

The question is more relevant than it looks, since glycine accounts for roughly one third of collagen.

Powdered collagen provides peptides, that is, protein fragments containing glycine but also proline and hydroxyproline. It is taken at much higher doses, typically 10 g a day, and costs considerably more per gram. Like glycine, it has no health claim authorised in Europe for this use. Its marine and bovine versions are not suitable for vegans.

Glycine on its own is the simplest option, the cheapest, and the only one compatible with a vegan diet. You get one specific amino acid, at a known dose, without the other components of collagen. It is the right choice if that particular molecule is what interests you, and if you want to set your own intake.

For end-of-day routines, this aisle offers other approaches unrelated to this one: magnesium, which does have authorised claims and contributes in particular to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, or ZMA formulas. These follow different logics, and it is better to try one at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same thing as the wisteria plant?

No, no connection at all. The climbing plant called glycine in French is an ornamental plant, and some of its parts are toxic. The product sold here is an amino acid, L-glycine, one of the twenty building blocks of the body's proteins. The confusion comes purely from the shared name.

How much per day?

6 g in total, in two 3 g servings: one in the morning, one thirty minutes before bed. A 3 g dose corresponds to roughly half a 5 ml spoon. Do not exceed the daily dose stated by the manufacturer.

Does glycine have a taste?

Yes, and that is its strong point: it is naturally sweet, its name coming from the Greek for “sweet”. It can therefore be used to lightly sweeten a coffee, a tea or a herbal infusion, without adding sugar in the nutritional sense or any notable calories.

Is it suitable for vegans?

Yes. The glycine here is obtained by plant fermentation, the powder involves no animal-derived shell, and the manufacturer declares it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. That is a welcome exception in a range largely dominated by gelatine.

Can it be taken continuously?

The manufacturer says so: daily use is possible with no time limit, provided the recommended doses are respected. It is one of the few products on this aisle that imposes no cycle, no break and no fixed course.

Does it interact with any medication?

The manufacturer explicitly asks that this product not be used by anyone under treatment for mental health disorders, stating that it could reduce the effectiveness of that treatment. If this applies to you, the question is one for your doctor. For any other medication, seeking the opinion of a healthcare professional remains the right course.

Can it be mixed with a protein?

Yes, easily and with no known interaction. It dissolves well and its slightly sweet taste goes unnoticed in a flavoured shake. Bear in mind, though, that 3 g of glycine does not add meaningfully to your protein intake: these are two different uses.

Where can you buy IO Genix Glycine?

The powder 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 often sell to vegan customers who came in looking for collagen and left with something else: when a dietary constraint closes one door, you may as well open another rather than sell at any cost. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is the IO Genix 1.9 L water bottle?

The IO Genix water bottle is a 1.9-litre sports bottle in matt black food-grade plastic, fitted with a handle and a metal screw cap. It belongs to our accessories section and is not a foodstuff: there are therefore no nutritional values or ingredients to declare.

The size is what defines it. At 1.9 litres, it does not slip into a bag pocket: this is a bottle you set down beside the bench and fill once for the whole session, or even for half the day. It is the format that has replaced repeated trips to the water fountain, and it is also the simplest way to know how much you have actually drunk.

The wide opening is the second technical point. It lets you add a powder by hand without a funnel and, above all, pass a brush inside to clean the bottom — something no narrow-necked bottle really allows. The rest of the brand's accessories can be found in our IO Genix section.

How do the technical specifications measure up?

Two points deserve comment, because they make the difference in day-to-day use.

The metal screw cap is the choice that sets this bottle apart from flip-top models. A flip-top always ends up leaking: the spring loosens, the seal warps, and the bottle empties into your gym bag. A screw cap with a gasket holds up over time, at the cost of one extra movement every time you drink. On a bottle of almost two litres carried full, that is the right trade-off.

The BPA- and DEHP-free claim refers to two compounds whose use in food-contact materials is regulated in Europe. The manufacturer also states compliance with EC Regulation 1935/2004, the reference text on materials intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. This is regulatory compliance, not a quality label: it is expected of any product sold legally, and it is good that it is stated.

A word about the hydration figures you come across everywhere on this type of page. The former description on this page claimed that you should drink “1 litre per hour of exercise” and that “performance declines from 1% dehydration onwards”. We have removed those statements, which are not universal rules: requirements vary enormously with temperature, intensity and the individual. The benchmark we can honestly quote is the EFSA one: around 2 litres of water a day for a woman and 2.5 litres for a man, from all sources combined, to be increased in hot weather or with physical activity. A 1.9-litre bottle therefore covers most of that baseline on its own.

How should you use and look after the bottle?

Before first use: wash in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Filling: through the wide opening, with cold or room-temperature water. Closing: screw the cap on firmly before carrying it anywhere. After each use: rinse, wash in warm soapy water, and leave to air-dry, open.

Drying it open is the only real maintenance rule. A bottle closed while still damp develops a smell within three days, and once it has set in it is irreversible. Stand it upside down with the cap off to one side and the problem never arises.

Never pour boiling liquid into it: the plastic warps and the bottle loses its seal. Cold or room-temperature water only. Nor should you use it for anything other than drinks, which seems obvious but is set out explicitly in the manufacturer's instructions.

If you mix protein in it, rinse it immediately after drinking rather than once you are home: milk and whey dried at the bottom of a warm bottle are far harder to shift, and that is where the wide opening really comes into its own.

Finally, avoid leaving it in the sun in a car. Prolonged heat tires the plastic and the cap gasket, and lukewarm water has never made anyone want to drink.

Who is this bottle for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone who trains for a long time, who wants to keep track of what they drink over a session or a day, and who has had enough of interrupting their work to go and refill a 700 ml shaker. It suits particularly well those who dilute their BCAAs or their electrolytes for the whole session: two litres is the volume that lets you sip from start to finish.

It also works as a desk bottle, which is a more frequent use than people think: filled in the morning, it makes visible what has been drunk by 16:00.

It is not for you if you are looking for a container to carry on a bike or slip into a compact rucksack: 1.9 litres weighs almost two kilos once full, and the format is bulky. For that use, a classic 600 to 700 ml shaker remains far better suited.

Nor is it for you if you want to put hot drinks in it: this is not an insulated flask, and the plastic is not designed for that.

What not to expect from it: a bottle does not magically make you drink more. What it really changes is visibility — seeing that a litre is left at 15:00 is a far more effective reminder than good intentions. That is also why large formats work better than small ones for people who forget to drink.

Large bottle or classic shaker?

The two complement each other more than they replace each other, and many of our customers have both.

A 600 to 700 ml shaker, with its mesh or ball, is made for mixing a thick powder and drinking it straight away. It is the tool for whey after the session and for creatine in the morning: small, portable, quick to wash. Its weakness is volume: it forces three refills over a long session, and nobody really does that.

The 1.9-litre bottle does not mix as well — no mesh, and the volume is too large to shake a thick powder effectively. It does, on the other hand, settle the question of hydration over a session or a day once and for all, and it suits powders that dissolve on their own very well: electrolytes, amino acids, flavourings.

The most effective combination is therefore both together: the shaker for protein, the bottle for everything else. The full range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

Frequently asked questions

What is the exact capacity?

1.9 litres. It is a format designed to cover a whole session, or even half a working day, without having to refill it. Full, it weighs almost two kilos: that is worth bearing in mind if you have to carry it for a long time.

Can you put hot drinks in it?

No. The plastic is not designed for that and warps on contact with a boiling liquid, which compromises the seal of the cap. Cold or room-temperature water only, and it is not an insulated flask.

Is the cap really leak-proof?

It is a metal screw cap with a gasket, which holds up far better over time than a flip-top system. You simply need to screw it on firmly before laying the bottle down in a bag. A dry or damaged gasket always ends up leaking: check it from time to time.

How do you clean it properly?

In warm soapy water after each use, then air-dry it open and standing upside down. The wide opening lets you get a brush right to the bottom, which is essential if you regularly mix protein in it. A bottle closed while damp takes on a smell within a few days.

Can you mix a protein shake in it?

Yes, the wide opening makes it easy to add the powder. The result will be less smooth than with a mesh shaker, however: the volume is too large to shake effectively. It does suit powders that dissolve on their own very well, though, such as electrolytes or amino acids.

Is it dishwasher-safe?

The manufacturer does not say so in the information available to us, and we will not claim it. The heat of an intensive cycle tires plastics and matt coatings. Washing by hand in warm water remains the safe option, and it takes a minute.

What material is the bottle made from?

From a food-grade plastic declared free from BPA and DEHP, with a stainless metal cap and a reinforced plastic handle. The manufacturer states compliance with EC Regulation 1935/2004 on materials in contact with foodstuffs. It does not specify the exact type of polymer.

Where can you buy the IO Genix bottle?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is the accessory we sell most between May and September: in a gym where it is twenty-eight degrees, the large bottle is no longer a gadget, and it is often the best buy of the season for a minimal outlay.

What is IO Genix HMB 1000 mg?

IO Genix HMB 1000 mg is a single-ingredient supplement in capsule form. Each capsule provides 1,000 mg of HMB, and the daily dose of three capsules provides 3 g. The bottle holds 90 capsules, which is exactly 30 days' worth.

HMB, or beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, is not an amino acid but a metabolite: it is what the body makes from leucine, one of the three branched-chain amino acids. Around 5% of the leucine you consume is converted into HMB, which means you would have to swallow a considerable quantity of leucine to reach 3 g of HMB from food alone.

That arithmetic constraint is what explains the existence of this product. An HMB supplement delivers the metabolite directly, at the intended dose, without going through the conversion. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the amino acids it derives from in our BCAA aisle.

What does a serving of HMB contain?

3 g a day is the reference dose for this molecule, and the format matches it exactly. Three capsules, thirty days, one bottle: there is nothing to work out and nothing to split by hand. That is a consistency you do not always find on this aisle, where plenty of bottles run out after eighteen days at the stated dosage.

The capsule contains nothing beyond the HMB and an anti-caking agent. The manufacturer specifies that the molecule is in its free form, known as the acid form, rather than as a calcium salt. That piece of compositional information is useful to anyone comparing two products; we pass it on as it stands, without drawing from it any efficacy argument that nothing would support.

In regulatory terms the position is clear-cut: no health claim is authorised in Europe for HMB. Not for muscle mass, not for recovery, not for preserving muscle during a deficit. The role of HMB as a metabolite of leucine is a fact of biochemistry; what supplementation produces in a trained adult is another question, and reported results vary considerably depending on the population studied. So we describe the molecule and its dosage, without any promise attached to a figure.

Finally, one point the manufacturer flags and that matters: this product may duplicate another supplement containing HMB or leucine. Plenty of amino acid formulas already contain some. Read your labels before stacking.

Ingredients list

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB), coating agent (GELATINE), anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate). No added sugar, no sweetener, no preservative, no colouring, no lactose.

May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take HMB 1000 mg?

Dose: 3 capsules a day, i.e. 3 g of HMB. Liquid: a large glass of water with each serving. Timing: split into two servings, one of them around training. Frequency: every day, rest days included. Duration: a course of 8 to 12 weeks, with an optional two-week break.

One clarification is needed, because the manufacturer's documentation offers two different splits. One puts two capsules in the morning and one after training; the other one capsule before the session and two after. The total is the same either way: 3 g a day. We go with the version that is easiest to stick to — two capsules in the morning, one after the session — because over twelve weeks it is consistency that decides the outcome, not the detail of the split.

Take the capsules with a large glass of water, preferably with a meal. The manufacturer also recommends leaving about two hours between an HMB serving and a creatine serving. That instruction is easy to follow in practice: creatine sits happily in the evening, HMB in the morning and around the session.

Rest days count as much as any other. As with most background supplements, the point is not to prime a session but to maintain a steady intake. Skipping weekends means lengthening the course without realising it.

The manufacturer puts the course at between 8 and 12 weeks, with an optional two-week break. Since one bottle covers thirty days, reckon on three bottles for a full course. This product logically sits alongside an adequate protein intake: it replaces neither a protein nor essential amino acids, it comes after them. Anyone looking for strength first will do better to look at creatine monohydrate, whose regulatory dossier is on an altogether firmer footing.

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

It is aimed at an adult in regular physical training, and more precisely at two points in a training journey: a phase of prolonged calorie deficit, where the aim is to preserve lean mass, and a return after a long lay-off. Those are the two situations in which it is most often recommended.

It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans: the capsules are made of gelatine. Nor is it suitable for children or adolescents, whom the manufacturer explicitly excludes, or for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

One contraindication deserves careful reading: in cases of liver or kidney disease, the manufacturer asks that you consult a doctor before use. That is a serious precaution and not a stock phrase, on a molecule taken at 3 g a day for several weeks. The same goes for anyone on medical treatment.

The product may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is not a product with a noticeable effect, you will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal. It is not a fat burner, not a stimulant, and it does not build mass on its own. Above all, it in no way makes up for an insufficient protein intake: if your diet does not meet your protein needs, that is where to act first, and no capsule will let you off doing so.

HMB or EAA — which comes first?

Both touch on the same subject — amino acids and muscle — but they do not answer the same need, and the order matters.

EAAs provide the nine essential amino acids, that is, the ones the body cannot make itself. They fill a genuine gap when protein intake is low, during fasted training, or in people whose diet contains little animal protein. If your daily protein total is inadequate, that is where to start — or more simply with a protein powder, which is cheaper per gram.

HMB only makes sense after that. It fills no nutritional gap: it is a metabolite, not an essential nutrient, and it is only of interest to someone whose diet is already sound. Taking it while eating 80 g of protein a day at 85 kg is putting a second coat of paint on a wall that has had no first coat.

During a cutting phase, it logically complements a strategy built first on protein and a controlled calorie deficit — not on the capsules in our weight loss aisle. When bulking, it is the calorie total that decides, as our mass gain aisle sets out.

Frequently asked questions

How many capsules a day?

Three, i.e. 3 g of HMB, split into two servings. The 90-capsule bottle therefore covers exactly thirty days. Do not exceed this daily dose, and take account of any HMB present in your other supplements.

Should you take it on rest days?

Yes. HMB is not a session product but a background supplement, whose value rests on a steady intake over several weeks. On days without training, simply spread the three capsules across the day.

Why leave a gap before creatine?

The manufacturer recommends an interval of about two hours between the two. In practice this poses no difficulty: creatine sits happily in the evening and HMB in the morning and around the session. There is no incompatibility, merely an instruction to space them out.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. That is a common limitation across this range, and there is no plant-based version of this particular reference.

Can it be taken with BCAAs or EAAs?

Yes, but check your labels. The manufacturer explicitly flags a risk of duplication with other supplements containing HMB or leucine. Plenty of amino acid formulas contain some, and stacking will bring you nothing extra.

How long before you can judge?

The manufacturer puts the course at between 8 and 12 weeks. That is also the order of magnitude on which a supplement of this kind is judged: nothing is settled in three weeks. Reckon on three bottles to see a full course through.

Does HMB build muscle?

No claim of that kind is authorised in Europe for HMB, and we are not going to write one. It is a metabolite of leucine, whose value depends entirely on the context: diet, training, phase of the programme. It builds nothing on its own.

Where can you buy IO Genix HMB 1000 mg?

The 90-capsule 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 never sell first: the question always comes before the purchase, and it is a simple one — how much protein do you eat a day? For as long as the answer is vague, this bottle can wait. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Hydra Train?

IO Genix Hydra Train is a powder for dilution that combines two approaches rarely brought together: an electrolyte drink and an amino acid supply. A 6.5 g serving provides 2 g of alanyl-glutamine blend, 1 g of taurine, 1 g of D-ribose and 1 g of coconut water powder, with zinc, magnesium, sodium and chloride to round it off.

The daily amount set by the manufacturer is two servings, that is 13 g per day. This is worth noting straight away, because every figure on the label exists in two versions depending on whether you are talking about one serving or the full day.

The flavours listed: Mango and Cherry-Cola. The number of servings per tub is not published by the manufacturer in the information available to us. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a 6.5 g serving contain?

The manufacturer does not publish the energy values or the macronutrients of its product in the information available to us.

The most important figure in this table is not an amino acid, it is the zinc. At two servings a day you reach 15 mg, which is 150% of the reference value — and that is exactly the daily ceiling set in France for food supplements. The direct and very practical consequence: if you already take a zinc supplement, a ZMA or a multivitamin, you will go over that ceiling without noticing. This is not a detail, and nobody flags it on this kind of product.

The alanyl-glutamine blend is where the formula is genuinely original. Free glutamine is not very stable in solution; combined with alanine, it forms a dipeptide that holds up better in a liquid and therefore lends itself to a drink prepared in advance. It is a technical choice consistent with the intended use — a bottle you sip over an hour — rather than a marketing argument. Our glutamine section offers the free form for those who prefer it.

The 100 mg of magnesium per day covers a quarter of the reference value, which allows an authorised claim: magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, to electrolyte balance and to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Zinc, at 15 mg, contributes to normal protein synthesis and to the normal function of the immune system. These are the only two ingredients in the formula that carry claims: neither taurine, nor glutamine, nor D-ribose, nor coconut water has any.

One point of composition to know before buying: the formula contains the colours E110 and E122, for which a regulatory statement applies — “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. The manufacturer displays it, and that is to its credit. If azo dyes bother you, that is a legitimate reason to choose otherwise.

Ingredients list

Taurine, D-RIBOSE® powder, coconut water powder (Cocos nucifera L.), alanyl-glutamine blend (L-alanine and L-glutamine KYOWA QUALITY®), anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide), sodium chloride, flavouring, acidity regulator (citric acid), zinc picolinate, magnesium DL-malate PAUL LOHMANN®, sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame K) and colours (E110, E122). May contain traces of GLUTEN (WHEAT, OATS), NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take Hydra Train?

Serving: one scoop, that is 6.5 g. Liquid: around 400 ml of water. Timing: one serving in the morning, one during training. Frequency: two servings a day, without exceeding 13 g. Duration: the manufacturer explicitly limits consumption to a few weeks or a few months.

The stated 400 ml is not a suggestion: at that volume the drink stays light and is easy to sip without sitting heavily, which is exactly the use intended during a session. More concentrated, it turns acidic and becomes less pleasant to drink over time.

The two slots, morning and training, follow a logic. In the morning, the serving acts as a baseline intake; during the session, it makes up for sweat losses as they occur. If you are not training that day, a single serving is more than enough — and it halves your zinc intake, which is rather a good thing.

Never exceed 13 g per day. The manufacturer states this, and the reason is the zinc: at three servings you would be at 22.5 mg a day, well above the French ceiling for a food supplement. This is not a commercial constraint, it is a safety marker.

The drink can be prepared well in advance, which is precisely the point of the alanyl-glutamine dipeptide: a bottle filled in the morning will keep until the evening session without the glutamine degrading the way the free form would.

Who is Hydra Train for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone who trains for a long time or in the heat, and who wants a single drink rather than two: electrolytes and amino acids in the same shaker. That is a real gain in simplicity for anyone already stacking three products around a session.

The product is for adults only. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult a healthcare professional before any use. The manufacturer also specifies that consumption should be limited to a few weeks or a few months — a rare and honest statement, consistent with the daily zinc load.

It is not for you if you already take zinc elsewhere, for the reason explained above. Nor is it for you if you avoid azo dyes: E110 and E122 are present, along with the regulatory statement that goes with them. Finally, it is made in a facility handling gluten, nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, fish and soya: in the case of a severe allergy, that alone rules it out.

What not to expect from it: this is not an energy drink. It does not provide carbohydrates in any useful amount, and over a long session you need to add a source of energy alongside it. Nor is it a substitute for EAA: 2 g of glutamine and 2 g of alanine a day do not cover the spectrum of essential amino acids and do not have the same effect on protein synthesis.

Hydra Train or a plain electrolyte drink?

The question comes up because the product costs more than a standard electrolyte formula.

A plain electrolyte drink focuses on sodium, potassium and magnesium. It is the better choice if your problem is strictly sweat: sessions in a hot gym, endurance sports, summer. It costs less per serving, it can be taken without any limit on duration, and it provides neither zinc nor amino acids that you may not need.

Hydra Train adds a layer: amino acids, D-ribose, zinc at a proper dose. It is the better choice if you are looking to consolidate several products into one, and if you accept the constraint of the zinc ceiling. Its other strength is the alanyl-glutamine dipeptide, more stable in solution than free glutamine — which genuinely matters for a drink prepared in advance.

If it is taurine alone that interests you, our taurine section offers it dosed separately, and pairing it with magnesium as a course often works out cheaper for a comparable result.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings per day?

Two, that is 13 g in total, and the manufacturer asks that you do not exceed this amount. The reason is the zinc: two servings provide 15 mg, which is the French daily ceiling for a food supplement. A third serving would take you above it.

Can it be taken alongside another zinc supplement?

No, not without doing the arithmetic. Two servings already take up all the available room. If you take a ZMA, a multivitamin or a standalone zinc, cut down to one serving a day or space the intakes out. Excess zinc over a long period ends up degrading copper status.

What is the alanyl-glutamine blend?

It is a dipeptide, that is two amino acids bonded together: L-alanine and L-glutamine. That bond makes glutamine far more stable in solution than its free form, which degrades in a liquid. It is what allows the drink to be prepared in advance without losing the ingredient.

Does the product contain carbohydrates?

The manufacturer does not publish energy values or macronutrients. Given the composition, the carbohydrate content is very low: this is not an energy drink. For a long session, you need to add a separate source of carbohydrates.

Why are there colours in the formula?

For the colour of the flavours. These are E110 and E122, two azo dyes authorised in Europe but subject to a mandatory statement regarding activity and attention in children. The manufacturer displays it. If these additives bother you, that is an entirely reasonable basis for choosing otherwise.

Can it be taken continuously all year round?

No, the manufacturer explicitly limits consumption to a few weeks or a few months. That is a rare and coherent statement: at 15 mg of zinc a day without a break, a regular pause is more sensible than permanent use.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

No ingredient on the list is of animal origin, glutamine and alanine being obtained by fermentation. The manufacturer does not, however, explicitly claim vegetarian status, and the production facility handles milk, eggs and fish. The label on the tub you receive is what counts.

Where can you buy IO Genix Hydra Train?

The flavours 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 in front of which we always ask what else the customer is taking: with a formula providing 15 mg of zinc a day, the question is far from trivial, and it sometimes changes the answer. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix's IO Burner?

IO Burner is a thermogenic complex in vegetable capsules. One capsule, which is the complete daily dose, brings 200 mg of caffeine, 20 mg of p-synephrine, 200 mg of green tea extract including 100 mg of EGCG, 25 µg of chromium and 0.56 mg of phenylcapsaicin. Six actives, every one of them stated to the milligram.

This is a stimulant product, and it should be called by its name in the first line. The 200 mg of caffeine per capsule correspond to about two espressos swallowed in one go. It is not a harmless supplement you add absent-mindedly to a routine: it is the most loaded product in this whole aisle, and it needs to be read before it is bought.

The formula combines three sources of caffeine — anhydrous caffeine, green tea and guarana — a bitter orange extract standardised in synephrine, a derivative of chilli capsaicin and a trace element. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the other references in the category in our fat burner capsules aisle.

What does one IO Burner capsule contain?

This table is the product's best argument, and not for the reason you might think. What sets it apart is not the strength of its formula, it is the fact that every active is detailed down to the second decimal place, caffeine content broken down by source included. Many fat burners announce a "thermogenic complex" without giving a single milligram, which makes any comparison impossible. Here, you know exactly what you are swallowing.

200 mg of caffeine is the benchmark to keep in mind. EFSA considers that single intakes of 200 mg of caffeine do not raise safety concerns for a healthy adult. You are therefore at exactly that level, in one capsule. That is also what explains the manufacturer's instruction: never on an empty stomach, never two capsules, and pay attention to everything else you drink during the day.

Only one ingredient in this formula has authorised claims in Europe: chromium, which contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels and to normal macronutrient metabolism. At 25 µg, or 62 % of the reference value, the threshold is met. For all the others — caffeine, synephrine, green tea, EGCG, guarana, phenylcapsaicin — no health claim is authorised, neither on fat burning, nor on metabolism, nor on thermogenesis. The term "fat burner" here is a commercial category name, not a promise of effect, and we will not make it say any more than that.

Missing from the manufacturer's file: the number of capsules per bottle is not communicated. We will not infer it; it appears on the packaging.

Ingredients list

Dry fruit extract of Citrus aurantium L. standardised to 6 % synephrine, green tea leaf extract (Camellia sinensis O. Ktze) standardised to 50 % EGCG, vegetable capsule (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), anhydrous caffeine, dry guarana seed extract (Paullinia cupana) standardised to 22 % caffeine, anti-caking agents (magnesium silicate, magnesium salts of fatty acids), AXIVITE microencapsulated phenylcapsaicin (cellulose, modified maize starch, phenylcapsaicin 1 %, anthocyanins, water), chromium picolinate.

May contain traces of GLUTEN (wheat and oats), NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, FISH, SULPHITES and SOYA. The capsule is vegetable: the product is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

How do you take IO Burner?

Dose: 1 capsule, and one only. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: before the session on training days, during the morning on rest days. Frequency: one intake a day, never two. Duration: the manufacturer sets no course length; taking a regular break remains good practice with a caffeinated product.

"Never on an empty stomach" is the most important instruction on this page, and the manufacturer writes it out in full. 200 mg of caffeine and a bitter orange extract in an empty stomach is the recipe for palpitations, nausea and feeling faint at the start of a session. Take the capsule with a meal or a snack, without exception.

The second point is stacking, and it is the one people forget. Count everything you consume during the day: a coffee in the morning, a tea in the afternoon, a pre-workout before the session, an energy drink at the end of the day. Added to this capsule, you very quickly go past what is comfortable. The manufacturer also asks that you do not consume other green tea products on the same day, and points out that daily EGCG intake should not reach 800 mg.

Do not take it late in the day. Caffeine has a half-life of several hours: a capsule taken at five in the afternoon is still felt at bedtime, and degraded sleep cancels out everything you were trying to achieve.

If you are sensitive to stimulants or have never taken this type of product, caution says to start differently. A stimulant-free fat burner lets you gauge your tolerance without landing on 200 mg on day one.

Who is IO Burner for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult, used to caffeine, engaged in a calorie deficit and regular physical activity. It is a support product, in a setting where the diet is already doing the work.

The list of exclusions is long, and the manufacturer sets it out itself in unusually firm terms. The product is strictly not recommended for children, for adolescents under 18, or for pregnant or breastfeeding women. It requires a medical consultation in case of concurrent medication. Two ceilings are restated: daily EGCG intake must not reach 800 mg, and phenylcapsaicin from supplements is limited to 2.5 mg per day.

One point deserves to be known and is rarely mentioned: ANSES, the French food safety agency, has called for vigilance over supplements containing synephrine, particularly when it is combined with caffeine and consumed alongside intense physical exercise. This product combines precisely those two. That is not a reason to give up if you are in good health and stick to the dose; it is a reason not to improvise, never to double the intake, and to abstain in case of cardiovascular disorder, high blood pressure or ongoing treatment.

The capsule is vegetable, which makes the product compatible with vegetarian and vegan diets — an exception in this range. It may contain traces of gluten, nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, fish, sulphites and soya.

What not to expect from it: this product does not make you lose weight. No capsule creates a calorie deficit, and no weight-loss claim is authorised for its ingredients. What you will feel is the effect of 200 mg of caffeine: alertness and a sense of energy. That is real, it is useful for getting through a session during a period of restriction, and it replaces neither the plate nor the training, as our weight loss aisle points out.

Fat burner with or without caffeine: how to choose

This is the only trade-off that really matters in this aisle, and it depends not on your goal but on your day.

A caffeinated fat burner like this one has a noticeable effect: alertness, energy, appetite often somewhat blunted. That feeling is what explains its success, and it is real. It suits you if you drink little coffee otherwise, if you train in the morning or early afternoon, and if you tolerate stimulants well.

A caffeine-free fat burner is not felt. It becomes the obvious choice if you already drink three coffees a day, if you train in the evening, if your sleep is fragile, or if stimulants give you palpitations. It is not a lesser product: it is the right product for a different context.

Finally, watch out for a very common overlap: most pre-workout boosters also contain 150 to 300 mg of caffeine. Taking both on the same day means doubling the dose without realising it. If your booster is already caffeinated, choose a caffeine-free booster or give up one of the two. And check for chromium in your other supplements, since this capsule already brings 62 % of the daily reference.

Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is in one capsule?

200 mg in total, split between 162 mg of anhydrous caffeine, 22 mg from guarana and 16 mg from green tea. That is the equivalent of about two espressos swallowed at once. EFSA considers that single intakes of 200 mg do not raise concerns for a healthy adult.

Why should it never be taken on an empty stomach?

Because the manufacturer writes it explicitly, and because such a load of caffeine and bitter orange extract in an empty stomach frequently causes nausea, palpitations or faintness. Always take it with a meal or a snack.

Does this product make you lose weight?

No, and no weight-loss claim is authorised in Europe for its ingredients. Only chromium has claims, covering the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels and macronutrient metabolism. The rest is a stimulant that accompanies an effort, without ever replacing it.

Can it be combined with a pre-workout?

That is the overlap to avoid. Most pre-workouts already contain 150 to 300 mg of caffeine: added to the 200 mg in this capsule, you reach levels that are no longer comfortable at all. Choose one or the other, or switch to a caffeine-free version.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. The capsule is vegetable, made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and no ingredient in the formula is of animal origin. It is one of the few products in this range in that position, most using gelatine.

What does ANSES say about synephrine?

The agency has called for caution regarding supplements containing synephrine, particularly when it is combined with caffeine and consumed during intense physical exercise. This product combines precisely those two: stick strictly to the dose and abstain in case of cardiovascular disorder.

What time of day should it be taken?

Before the session on training days, during the morning on rest days. Never late in the day: caffeine stays active for several hours, and degraded sleep cancels the benefit you were seeking during a calorie deficit.

Where to buy IO Genix IO Burner

The bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we talk about the longest: the first question is never the customer's goal, but how many coffees they drink in a day. The answer is often enough to decide between this one and a caffeine-free version. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.