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What is IO Genix's Chromium Picolinate?

IO Genix Chromium Picolinate is a single-ingredient supplement. One capsule provides 200 µg of elemental chromium, in picolinate form. The bottle contains 100 capsules, i.e. more than three months of daily use.

Chromium is a trace element, that is to say a mineral the body needs only in minute quantities — a few tens of micrograms a day. Food provides it, chiefly through meat, wholegrain cereals, tree nuts and green vegetables, but the levels vary a great deal from one food to another and from one soil to another.

The picolinate form refers to chromium bound to picolinic acid. It is the most widespread form in food supplements, chosen for its stability. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix section. The catalogue's other trace elements can be found in our zinc and iron sections.

What does a capsule of Chromium Picolinate contain?

The nutrient reference value for chromium is set at 40 µg per day at European level. One capsule provides 200 µg: five times the daily reference, and that is a figure to face squarely rather than turn into a selling point. A high dose is not automatically a better product, particularly for a trace element whose requirements are counted in tens of micrograms.

Two claims are authorised in Europe for this trace element, and they are worded exactly like this: chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism, and chromium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. The threshold for being allowed to state them is comfortably met here. Note the word “normal”, which is not decorative: it refers to the workings of a healthy body, not to the correction of a disorder.

A nuance few product pages give, and one that nonetheless decides the purchase: chromium deficiency is rare on an ordinary Western diet. A supplement makes sense if your diet is heavily processed, very low in wholegrain cereals, or if a healthcare professional has advised it. It makes a good deal less sense if you already take a complete multivitamin, which almost always contains chromium — check your label before stacking.

The manufacturer also asks you to consult a doctor before use and states that the product is not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children or people on medical treatment. Requiring medical advice is unusual for a simple trace element: it is explained by the dose level, and it deserves to be followed.

Ingredients list

Bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), GELATINE (capsule shell), anti-caking agents (magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide), chromium picolinate. The exact composition of the shell appears on the label of the bottle you receive.

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

How do you take Chromium Picolinate?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with a meal, never on an empty stomach. Frequency: one dose a day, never exceeded. Duration: a review after three months, with a one-month break possible before resuming.

Taking it with a meal serves two distinct purposes. The first is comfort: on an empty stomach, a concentrated trace element can cause stomach discomfort. The second is consistency: since chromium is involved in macronutrient metabolism, taking it at the moment those macronutrients arrive is logical.

The manufacturer recommends avoiding taking it at the same time as coffee or tea and leaving an hour between the two. Tannins and caffeine can interfere with the absorption of several minerals. If your breakfast is a strong coffee, move the capsule to lunch: it is simpler than clock-watching.

One capsule a day, at a set time, never exceeded. The 100-capsule bottle covers more than three months, which corresponds exactly to the period after which the manufacturer suggests taking stock. A one-month break is then possible before resuming.

This product combines without redundancy with an omega 3 or a magnesium. It does, on the other hand, duplicate most multivitamins and the berberine formulas that already include chromium in their composition: read the labels before stacking.

Who is chromium picolinate for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult whose diet is low in chromium sources, or someone a healthcare professional has advised to take a targeted supply. It is a product with a very short formula, which remains a good criterion: one ingredient, one dose, one capsule.

The manufacturer is explicit about the exclusions and its list is stricter than average: the product is for adults only, and it is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, for children, or for people on medical treatment. It asks you to seek a doctor's advice before use and to stop immediately and consult a doctor if any adverse effect occurs.

One situation calls for particular care: if you are being monitored for disturbed blood glucose or are on antidiabetic treatment, this product is not something to improvise with. The fact that a claim mentions the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels does not mean a supplement has a place alongside a course of treatment — quite the opposite, and the question belongs to your doctor.

The capsule contains gelatine: it is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. The product may also contain traces of gluten, milk, eggs, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: it is not an appetite suppressant, it is not a fat burner, and it is not a weight-loss product, whatever you may read. No weight-control claim is authorised for chromium in Europe. If that is your goal, our weight loss section and, above all, your everyday diet will do the work.

Chromium on its own or a multivitamin, which should you choose?

This is the only real question to ask yourself before buying this product, and the answer depends on what you already take.

A complete multivitamin almost always contains chromium, often at a level close to the reference value, alongside twenty other micronutrients. If you are simply looking to cover your overall intake, that is more rational, cheaper overall, and it saves you adding one more capsule to your morning routine.

Chromium on its own, at 200 µg, answers a different logic: a targeted and deliberately high supply of a single element. That only makes sense if you know precisely why you are taking it — professional advice, a diet identified as low in chromium — and not simply because the words blood glucose appear somewhere on the label.

Watch out for stacking, which is the most frequent mistake in this category: multivitamins, capsule fat burners and metabolic complexes each contain chromium. Three products taken together can add up intakes without anyone noticing. If you already take a caffeine-free fat burner or a complex, read its composition again before adding this one.

Frequently asked questions

Is 200 µg a lot?

It is five times the European nutrient reference value, which is set at 40 µg per day. It is a deliberately high dose. The manufacturer does in fact ask for medical advice before use and forbids exceeding the daily dose, which is consistent with that level of intake.

Should you take it with a meal or on an empty stomach?

With a meal. On an empty stomach, a concentrated trace element can cause stomach discomfort, and the manufacturer explicitly recommends avoiding that situation. Taking it during a meal is also more consistent with chromium's role in macronutrient metabolism.

Why avoid coffee when you take it?

Because caffeine and the tannins in tea can interfere with the absorption of several minerals. The manufacturer recommends leaving an hour between the two. In practice, the simplest thing is to move the capsule to lunch rather than slotting it between two morning coffees.

Does chromium make you lose weight?

No, and no weight-control claim is authorised for chromium in Europe. The only two permitted wordings concern normal macronutrient metabolism and the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels, in a healthy person. This is not a slimming product.

How long does a bottle last?

More than three months: 100 capsules, one a day. That is also the period after which the manufacturer suggests taking stock, before a possible one-month break. A bottle therefore corresponds exactly to one review period.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is gelatine, of animal origin. It is a common limitation across this range, and it is all the more regrettable given that vegetarian diets are sometimes listed among those that provide less chromium.

Can you take it alongside a multivitamin?

You can, but it is rarely useful, and it requires doing the sums. Most complete multivitamins already contain chromium. Adding two sources together without looking at the labels is the surest way to exceed, without knowing it, an intake the manufacturer specifically asks you not to exceed.

Where can you buy IO Genix's Chromium Picolinate?

The 100-capsule 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 ask to see what the customer is already taking before selling this one: nine times out of ten a multivitamin is already in use and the question of stacking comes before the question of buying. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix PreWork NOSTIM?

IO Genix PreWork NOSTIM is a complete caffeine-free pre-workout powder, dosed at 16 g per serving. “NOSTIM” means exactly what it says: no central nervous system stimulant in the formula, no caffeine, no synephrine, no yohimbine.

What sets it apart from most stimulant-free products is that it doesn't stop at the pump. The formula packs in 4 g of beta-alanine, 3 g of creatine monohydrate, 3 g of AAKG, taurine, tyrosine, four vitamins and 375 mg of magnesium. That's a 16 g serving, two to three times the weight of a conventional pre-workout, and you can see it in the shaker.

The flavours listed are Raspberry Lemonade and Watermelon. The number of servings per tub is not published by the manufacturer in the information available to us. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section.

What does a 16 g serving contain?

The per 100 g values are calculated from the manufacturer's declaration for a 16 g serving. The “protein” line corresponds to the free amino acids in the formula, counted here by the manufacturer.

4 g of beta-alanine is at the top end of the market and it deserves an explanation that changes how you use the product. Beta-alanine does not act when you take it: it gradually raises muscle carnosine stores, which takes several weeks of daily intake. A pre-workout taken three times a week never gets you to that level. If that is the effect you are after, you need to top up on non-training days with beta-alanine on its own. The immediate effect, on the other hand, is guaranteed: tingling in the face and forearms within about fifteen minutes. It is harmless and it fades as you get used to it.

The same remark applies to the 3 g of creatine monohydrate. It is a decent dose — the useful range runs from 3 to 5 g — but creatine works by saturating the muscle, which means taking it daily, rest days included. Taken only before training, it never fills the tank completely. That is not a flaw in the product, it is a limitation of the format.

The 375 mg of magnesium covers 100% of the reference value, and magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It is the only active in the formula that carries a claim of any use here. One caution though: 375 mg in one go is a high amount for a single serving, and magnesium has a well-known laxative effect above 300 mg. If you are already taking magnesium elsewhere, count it in.

The 3 g of AAKG provides arginine bound to ketoglutarate. The effective arginine content is not published, and neither arginine, nor beta-alanine, nor taurine, nor tyrosine holds an authorised claim in Europe. Creatine does hold one, from 3 g per day, but it assumes daily intake, which this product alone does not allow. Vitamins B1, B3, B6 and C, at 100% of their reference value, contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Ingredients list

Beta-alanine, AAKG (arginine alpha-ketoglutarate), creatine monohydrate, L-taurine, L-tyrosine, magnesium (bisglycinate), natural flavourings, acidity regulator (citric acid), vitamins B1, B3 and B6, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), BioPerine® (black pepper extract standardised to 95% piperine), sweetener (sucralose), anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide). May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGG, SOYA and NUTS. Made in a facility that handles these allergens.

How do you take PreWork NOSTIM?

Serving: 16 g. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml of cold water. Timing: 30 minutes before training. Frequency: one serving on each training day. Duration: no break period needed, as the absence of stimulants rules out any build-up of tolerance.

Start with a half serving of 8 g for three to five sessions. The manufacturer recommends it and it is right to: 4 g of beta-alanine in one go, in someone who has never taken any, produces tingling pronounced enough to be alarming. And 375 mg of magnesium in one go, on a stomach that isn't used to it, can cut a leg session short for all the wrong reasons.

The liquid volume given, 200 to 250 ml, makes for a fairly concentrated drink. Nothing stops you going up to 400 ml if you prefer, and it is easier on the stomach that way. Do avoid taking it straight after a high-fibre meal, which slows absorption of the whole thing.

The real appeal of the product is about timing. With no caffeine, it works just as well at 20:00 as at 8:00, with no consequences for falling asleep. That is why we regularly recommend it to people who only have an evening slot to train and who have ended up giving up on conventional pre-workouts.

Who is PreWork NOSTIM for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone who trains late, anyone sensitive to caffeine, anyone who wants a break from stimulants without losing the pre-session ritual, and anyone who would rather have a single product than three tubs to measure out separately.

It is not for you if you are looking for energy or alertness: with no stimulant there is no kick, and disappointed feedback almost always comes from that. Nor is it for you if you already take creatine daily — you would be doubling up for nothing — or if you already take 300 mg of magnesium elsewhere.

The product is made in a facility that handles gluten, milk, egg, soya and nuts: with a severe allergy, that point alone rules it out. Like any product in this category, it is for adults only, not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and calls for advice from a healthcare professional if you are on medication or have a known condition. If you are subject to anti-doping testing, check the batch status with your federation.

What you should not expect from it: the 4 g of beta-alanine will only deliver its full effect if you take it every day, training or not, for several weeks. The same goes for the creatine. Used only on training days, this product works mainly as a preparation and comfort drink — which is still useful, but it is not what the sum of the stated doses promises.

PreWork NOSTIM or a caffeinated pre-workout?

The difference is clear-cut and comes down to what time you train.

A caffeinated pre-workout acts on alertness, focus and perceived effort. It is the better choice for a heavy session, a morning workout, or a day when motivation is missing. Its downside is well known: caffeine stays active for five to six hours, and a session at 19:00 is paid for at night. It also forces you to cycle, since tolerance sets in within a few weeks.

NOSTIM does not do that job. It supplies substrates — beta-alanine, creatine, arginine, magnesium — rather than a nervous signal. It is the better choice for evening sessions, for periods when you want to cut back on caffeine, and for someone who trains every day and cannot cycle a stimulant. It also has an advantage that is rarely pointed out: no break is needed, so you can use it all year round without losing the effect.

There is a third route if you already take your creatine separately: creatine-free pre-workouts avoid the overlap. And if it is arginine alone that interests you, our L-arginine section offers it at a serious dose.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I get tingling after taking it?

That's the beta-alanine, and at 4 g per serving the sensation is pronounced. It affects the face, the scalp and the forearms, appears within ten to fifteen minutes and lasts about half an hour. It is harmless, well documented, and it fades as the body gets used to it. Starting on a half serving is enough to tame it.

Can you take it in the evening?

Yes, that is the whole point of it. No stimulant goes into the formula, so it has no bearing on falling asleep. It is the only type of pre-workout we recommend for a session at 20:00 or 21:00.

Should you take extra creatine?

If you want the full benefit of creatine, yes. It works by saturating the muscle, which means taking it daily, rest days included. The 3 g in here is only enough if you train every day. Otherwise, top up with 3 g on non-training days.

Is 375 mg of magnesium too much for a single serving?

It is a high amount for a single intake. Magnesium has a well-known laxative effect above 300 mg taken at once, and not everyone reacts the same way. That is one more reason to start with a half serving, and not to stack it with another magnesium supplement on the same day.

How long before training should you take it?

Thirty minutes. That is longer than for a product aimed purely at the pump, because the whole thing needs time to be absorbed. Taking it five minutes before you start amounts to training while you digest.

Do you need to take breaks from it?

No, and that is a genuine advantage. The cycles imposed on conventional pre-workouts exist to restore caffeine sensitivity. With no stimulant, that problem doesn't arise: you can use it continuously for as long as you keep training.

Does the product contain sugar?

Very little: 3.1 g of carbohydrate per serving, for 52 kcal in total. The sweetness comes from sucralose. It is a negligible load, even during a calorie deficit, and it does not interfere with fasted training.

Where can you buy IO Genix PreWork NOSTIM?

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 the product we put in the hands of people who train after work and who describe broken nights since they went back on a pre-workout: the problem rarely comes from the training itself. The rest of the pre-workout section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix Probiotic Mix?

It is a supplement of live cultures in vegetable capsules, with a daily serving of two capsules. It supplies a complex of 15 strains weighing 66.6 mg, to which are added 200 mg of inulin, a fibre extracted from chicory root. The box of 60 capsules covers 30 days.

The principle combines two things: live cultures on one side, a fibre taken to go with them on the other. The full composition runs to six lines: microcrystalline cellulose as a bulking agent, inulin powder, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose for the capsule, the culture blend, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide as anti-caking agents.

As the capsule is vegetable rather than gelatine, the formula is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The manufacturer declares it free from artificial preservatives and colourings. The product joins our probiotic and IO Genix ranges.

What does a two-capsule serving contain?

Pack size: 60 vegetable capsules, that is 30 servings.

We have to stop squarely at the two “not disclosed” lines, because they concern what matters most. On a product based on live cultures, the figure that counts is the number of colony-forming units — the CFU — per serving, and it does not appear in the labelling data available to us. The 66.6 mg quoted refers to a weight of powder, which tells you nothing: two products of the same weight can differ by a factor of a hundred in CFU. Nor is the precise list of the fifteen strains published.

We will not fill these two gaps with figures found elsewhere. In practical terms, that means you cannot compare this product with another on what determines its value, and it is a limitation worth knowing about before buying. Read the box you receive: if the CFU figure is on it, that is the value that counts.

What can be said with confidence concerns the inulin. 200 mg of a fibre derived from chicory is a modest dose — for scale, a portion of artichoke or onion supplies several grams. Its presence here follows a formulation logic, not a nutritional one: at this dose, it does not count towards your fibre intake.

One regulatory point, and it is a clear one: no health claim has been authorised in Europe for probiotics, nor for inulin at this dose. So you will read nothing here about digestion, immunity, gut comfort or nutrient absorption. This is not excessive caution on our part: it is the state of the law, and the reason why the word “probiotic” is itself regulated. What we are describing is a composition, a dose, a format and a protocol for use.

How do you take Probiotic Mix?

Serving: 2 capsules. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of 30 days minimum, ideally 3 months.

The instruction “on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before” is the manufacturer's and follows a simple logic: the stomach is then less acidic than in the middle of digestion. Thirty minutes before breakfast is an easy slot to keep to — put the box next to the coffee machine.

Three useful adjustments, given by the manufacturer. If you have a sensitive gut, start with a single capsule for a few days before moving to two: some digestive adjustment over the first few days is normal. During a course of antibiotic treatment, leave a minimum of two to three hours between doses. And if you are travelling or radically changing your diet, it advises starting a week beforehand.

On duration, do not judge in three days. The manufacturer settles on thirty days as a minimum and three months as the target. That is consistent with the fact that no acute effect is expected, or can be claimed, on this type of product.

One last point of common sense: a diet that genuinely supplies fibre — vegetables, pulses, wholegrains from the oat flour range — will weigh more than 200 mg of inulin in a capsule. The supplement goes alongside a diet, it does not replace it.

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

It is aimed at adults, and is of particular interest to those coming off a course of antibiotics, those changing their diet or their country, and athletes with high calorie intakes. The two-capsules-in-the-morning format is easy to keep up over three months.

Two precautions really do matter. Immunocompromised people must seek medical advice before taking it: that is not a formality on a product based on live micro-organisms. Pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with an intestinal condition should also seek advice. Traces of GLUTEN, EGG, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible.

It suits you less well if you are looking to compare doses precisely: with no CFU count and no published strain list, an honest comparison with another product is impossible. That is the real limitation of this product, and we would rather put it in writing.

What you should not expect from it: it is not a treatment, and it is not a product for which any effect can be promised. No claim is authorised, which means no European authority has validated an effect for this category. If you have persistent digestive problems, the right course is a doctor, not a box of capsules. Nor is it a performance product or a digestive aid for over-generous meals.

Probiotic Mix or digestive enzymes?

The two sit on the same shelf and yet follow different logics. Let us say it straight away: neither probiotics nor digestive enzymes have an authorised health claim in Europe. Deciding on the basis of promises therefore makes no sense, and what remains is to compare what is comparable.

Our digestive enzymes products supply enzymes — amylase, protease, lipase, lactase — intended to accompany a specific meal. They are taken at the moment of eating, as a one-off, and their use is occasional. That is what most people choose when their discomfort is linked to an identified type of meal.

Probiotic Mix follows a background logic: a daily serving on an empty stomach, over one to three months. It is a course product, not a mealtime one. If your concern is transit rather than digestion, be aware that a form such as the citrate in the magnesium range acts on that point far more directly and far more cheaply. And if you digest dairy shakes badly, the solution is often to change protein rather than to add a supplement on top. A multivitamin, for its part, plays no role in this area.

Frequently asked questions

How many CFU per serving?

The manufacturer does not publish this figure in the labelling data available to us, and we will not invent it. It is nevertheless the only value that allows two products of this type to be compared: the 66.6 mg quoted refers to a weight of powder, not to a quantity of micro-organisms. Check the box you receive.

What exactly are the 15 strains?

The detailed list does not appear in our labelling data either. We will not repeat the strain names circulating about this product without being able to verify them: on a supplement based on micro-organisms, a strain is designated by its genus, its species and its identifier, not by a general family.

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

That is what the manufacturer settles on: in the morning, 30 minutes before breakfast, the stomach being less acidic then than in the middle of digestion. It is an easy instruction to follow and it costs nothing. If it inconveniences you, consistency over three months counts for more than the exact time of the dose.

Can it be taken during a course of antibiotics?

The manufacturer asks that doses be spaced by a minimum of two to three hours. That is the usual precaution on this type of product. For anything concerning your treatment itself, the question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist, not for a product page.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, of plant origin, and not of animal gelatine. The manufacturer also states a formula free from artificial preservatives and colourings. Do note, however, the possible traces of milk, egg and fish flagged on the label.

How long does a box last?

Thirty days, at two capsules a day for 60 capsules. The manufacturer settles on thirty days as a minimum and three months as a full course: so count on three boxes to see through what it recommends.

Why do you say nothing about the effects?

Because no health claim has been authorised in Europe for probiotics. Writing that this product improves digestion, immunity or gut comfort would be an offence, whatever the literature you may read elsewhere. We would rather tell you what the capsule contains and what we do not know.

Where to buy IO Genix Probiotic Mix?

The box of 60 capsules can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. If you are aiming for the three-month course the manufacturer advises, take three at once: interruption is the first enemy of this type of product.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a range where we talk more about what the label does not say than about what it displays. Looking for the “CFU” line on a box of live cultures is the most useful reflex we can pass on to a customer, and it holds for every brand on the market. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is the IO Genix Protein Brownie?

IO Genix Protein Brownie is a ready-to-eat brownie, sold individually. A 60 g brownie provides 7.5 g of protein and 6.3 g of carbohydrate, of which only 0.9 g sugars, for 257 kcal. Several versions exist: dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.

What makes the recipe unusual is its base. The first ingredient is egg white, the second almond flour at 22%, and there is neither wheat flour nor added sugar. That is what explains a nutritional profile very unusual for a baked good: a lot of fat, very little carbohydrate.

Put another way, this is not a conventional protein brownie — those are generally built on a base of flour and glucose syrup. It is a baked good designed for a low-carbohydrate diet, and that is a rare position to take. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the other snacks of this type in our protein snacks aisle.

What is in a Protein Brownie?

0.9 g of sugars in a whole brownie: that is the figure that defines this product. A conventional bakery brownie of the same weight commonly contains twenty to thirty times more. The per 100 g content, at 1.5 g, puts the product below the European threshold for the low in sugars claim. The sweet taste comes from three sweeteners — isomalt, erythritol and steviol glycosides — and not from sugar.

The fat line, on the other hand, deserves to be faced squarely rather than passed over in silence: 19.4 g per brownie, or 32.4 g per 100 g. That is not a manufacturing flaw, it is the direct consequence of the recipe: almond flour makes up 22% of the product, and almonds are naturally high in fat. Saturates stay low, at 2.9 g per 100 g, which is rather good. But if you are counting your fat, this brownie weighs on the total.

An honest regulatory point, and it runs counter to what you would expect: with 12.5 g of protein for 429 kcal, the share of energy provided by protein works out at approximately 11.7%. The European threshold for the “source of protein” claim is 12%: this product therefore falls just below it, and we will not use the claim. 7.5 g per brownie remains a genuine contribution for a dessert, but this is not a protein snack in the strict sense.

Missing from the manufacturer's file: the fibre content is not disclosed. We will not invent it, even though it would be of interest given the proportion of almond flour. The label on the product you receive is the authority.

Ingredient list

EGG white, ALMOND flour (22%), sunflower oil, sweeteners (isomalt, erythritol, steviol glycosides), chocolate chips (7%) [cocoa mass, sweetener (erythritol), cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), natural vanilla flavouring, sweetener (steviol glycosides)], MILK protein, cocoa powder, skimmed MILK powder, humectant (glycerol), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, disodium diphosphate), flavourings, preservative (potassium sorbate).

Contains EGGS, MILK and NUTS (almonds). May contain traces of SOYA, PEANUTS, SULPHITES and SESAME.

How do you eat the Protein Brownie?

Serving: 1 brownie of 60 g. Preparation: none, the product is ready to eat. Timing: as a snack between meals, after training, or as a dessert. Frequency: according to your eating plan, allowing for the 257 kcal. Storage: in a cool, dry place.

It is the simplest product in this whole catalogue: there is nothing to measure out, nothing to mix, nothing to bake. That simplicity is its real selling point — a brownie in a gym bag or a desk drawer settles the four o'clock snack question better than a shaker you have to make up.

One warning from the manufacturer deserves to be taken seriously: excessive consumption may have a laxative effect, because of the polyols present. Isomalt and erythritol belong to that family of sweeteners, and how well they are tolerated varies a great deal from one person to the next. One brownie poses no problem at all for the vast majority of people; three in an afternoon is another story. If you are new to this kind of product, start with one and see how you cope with it.

On the calorie side, bear in mind that 257 kcal is not trivial for a snack. It is the equivalent of a light meal, and it comes almost entirely from the fat. On a day when you are counting, it has to be worked in, not added on.

It goes very well with a coffee or a tea, and slips into a low-carbohydrate diet without disrupting it — which is exactly the niche it was designed for. A spoonful of peanut butter on top makes it a more substantial dessert, at the cost of a little extra fat, and a sugar-free topping remains the lightest option.

Who is the Protein Brownie for, and who is it not for?

It suits first of all those following a low-carbohydrate diet and looking for a compatible dessert: with 6.3 g of carbohydrate per unit, it fits into almost any plan. It also suits anyone who needs a portable snack, with no preparation, and who can no longer face protein bars.

It is not suitable for people with a nut allergy: almond flour makes up 22% of the product. This is not a trace, it is the second ingredient in the recipe. Nor is it suitable for people allergic to eggs or milk proteins, or for vegans. Traces of soya, peanuts, sulphites and sesame are also possible.

Nor is it suitable if what you are chiefly after is protein. 7.5 g per unit for 257 kcal is a markedly less favourable ratio than that of a conventional protein bar. This product is first and foremost a low-sugar baked good, not a protein source.

Finally, it is not suitable for people sensitive to polyols, for the reason set out above. That is a matter of individual tolerance, to be tested with one unit, not with a box.

What not to expect from it: this is not a slimming product. 257 kcal is still 257 kcal, and the absence of sugars does not make it a neutral food. What it avoids is the glycaemic load of a conventional baked good — which is genuinely valuable if that is your constraint, and worth nothing if it is the calorie total you are watching.

Protein brownie or protein bar?

Both take up the same space in a bag, and you choose between them according to what you are counting.

A conventional protein bar generally provides 15 to 20 g of protein for a comparable weight, with higher carbohydrate and lower fat. It is the better choice if your aim is protein intake, particularly after training, or if you are watching your fat.

This brownie reverses the profile entirely: little protein, very little carbohydrate, a lot of fat. It is the better choice on a low-carbohydrate diet, at the end of the day when you want a dessert without pushing your carbohydrate up, and for the texture — a bar is still a bar, whereas a brownie is a genuinely moist cake.

If what you need is an indulgent snack with no particular carbohydrate constraint, protein cookies offer a middle ground. And if you are simply trying to hit your daily protein total, a protein powder remains, by a long way, the cheapest solution per gram.

Frequently asked questions

How much sugar is in a brownie?

0.9 g per 60 g brownie, or 1.5 g per 100 g. That is below the European threshold for the “low in sugars” claim. The sweet taste comes from isomalt, erythritol and steviol glycosides, three sugar-free sweeteners.

Why is there so much fat?

Because almond flour makes up 22% of the recipe and almonds are naturally high in fat, with sunflower oil added on top. It is the direct trade-off for a recipe without wheat flour and without sugar: 19.4 g of fat per brownie, of which only 1.7 g saturates.

Is it a source of protein?

Not in the regulatory sense. With 12.5 g of protein for 429 kcal, the share of energy from protein works out at approximately 11.7%, just below the 12% threshold required for the “source of protein” claim. 7.5 g per brownie remains a genuine contribution, but this product is first and foremost a dessert.

Can it have a laxative effect?

The manufacturer flags this in the event of excessive consumption, because of the polyols isomalt and erythritol. One brownie poses a problem for almost nobody; tolerance varies mainly when several are eaten one after another. Start with one unit.

Is it suitable for people with a nut allergy?

No, categorically. Almond flour makes up 22% of the product: it is a main ingredient and not a trace. The brownie is therefore ruled out in cases of nut allergy, with no possible exception.

What is the difference between the versions?

The chocolate chips: dark in one, white in the other. The brownie base remains the same. The exact composition of the chips does differ between versions, however: check the label on the unit you receive if you have an allergy or a specific requirement.

Is it suitable for a low-carbohydrate diet?

That is precisely the product's niche: 6.3 g of carbohydrate per brownie, of which 0.9 g sugars. It fits into most low-carbohydrate plans. Just bear in mind that the 257 kcal count like any other.

Where can you buy the IO Genix Protein Brownie?

The 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 the product we hand to customers on a low-carbohydrate diet who tell us they are allowed nothing sweet: 0.9 g of sugars is a concrete answer, and it is worth more than advice about willpower. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is the IO Genix Protein Doughnut?

IO Genix Protein Doughnut is a ready-to-eat filled doughnut, sold singly. One 70 g doughnut provides 9 g of protein for 277 kcal, with 25 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of fat. There are four recipes, with different fillings — praline, speculoos, white chocolate — and the composition varies from one version to another.

What sets this product apart from a bakery doughnut comes down to the first ingredient on its list: egg white comes top, ahead of the flours. That is highly unusual for a pastry, and it is what explains the product's protein-to-calorie ratio. A whey protein concentrate rounds out the contribution.

Two other formulation choices are worth flagging: the absence of palm oil, replaced by sunflower and soya oils, and the use of maltitol as a sweetener in place of part of the sugar. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix aisle, and the other snacks of this kind in our protein snacks aisle.

What does a Protein Doughnut contain?

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

9 g of protein for 277 kcal works out at around 13% of the product's energy: the European threshold of 12% is cleared, so the “source of protein” claim applies. For a doughnut, that is remarkable. The comparison with a bakery pastry of the same weight speaks for itself: that one generally provides 4 to 5 g, for a calorie total that is often higher.

Several rows in the table are still empty, and we are not going to fill them in. The manufacturer publishes neither the sugars content, nor the saturates content, nor the salt content, and simply states the presence of fibre without giving the amount. These are figures that must appear on the packaging: the label on the product you receive is what counts, and it is the one to read if you are counting precisely.

An honest word on what these numbers say. This doughnut is still a pastry: 277 kcal, 25 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of fat is not a light food. Its added value is real but limited to one specific point: it provides twice as much protein as a standard doughnut, without palm oil, and with part of the sugar replaced by maltitol. It is an improvement, not a transformation.

Maltitol, for its part, deserves a word of explanation. It is a polyol, that is to say a bulk sweetener. It provides fewer calories than sugar and does not raise blood glucose in the same way, but it is not calorie-free and how well it is tolerated digestively varies from person to person.

Ingredients list (white chocolate version)

EGG white, vegetable oils (sunflower, SOYA), humectant (glycerine), white chocolate cream 15% [inulin fibre, sunflower vegetable oil, MILK proteins, maize starch, rice flour, HAZELNUT paste 9%, sunflower vegetable fat, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), natural vanilla flavouring], WHEAT flour, wholegrain oat flour, whey protein concentrate (MILK), sweetener (maltitol), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, sodium pyrophosphate).

Contains EGGS, MILK, GLUTEN, SOYA and NUTS (hazelnut).

Careful — one allergen point to state clearly: the filling of the white chocolate version contains 9% hazelnut paste, which makes nuts a full ingredient and not a mere trace, contrary to what the manufacturer's generic wording suggests. If you are allergic to nuts, this version is strictly not recommended for you, and the label on the unit you receive is the only reference for the other recipes.

How should you eat the Protein Doughnut?

Serving: 1 doughnut of 70 g. Preparation: none, the product is ready to eat. Timing: within 30 minutes after training, or as a snack during the day. Frequency: one unit per serving, according to your eating plan. Storage: in a dry place, away from light, tightly resealed after opening.

There is nothing to prepare, and that is the whole point of the format. A doughnut in a gym bag settles the question of the post-session snack with no shaker, no water and no washing-up.

The slot where this product makes the most sense is after training. The 25 g of carbohydrate and 9 g of protein find their place there in a training day, whereas the same doughnut eaten at ten at night in front of the television is simply a pastry. It is not a question of composition, it is a question of timing.

It goes very well with a coffee or a tea, as the manufacturer suggests. Do avoid, however, stacking it with a protein shake within the same half hour: 9 g of protein plus 25 g of whey is a high protein total in a single serving, and it brings nothing extra.

On the calorie side, count it as a substantial snack: 277 kcal is more than a standard protein bar. On a day when you are watching the total, you need to make room for it rather than adding it on top.

Lastly, reseal the wrapper carefully if you do not finish the unit: this type of product dries out quickly in the open air, and its soft texture is precisely what sets it apart from a bar.

Who is the Protein Doughnut suitable for, and who is it not suitable for?

It suits anyone looking for an indulgent snack after a session, anyone who struggles to eat enough protein during the day, and those who have grown tired of protein bars. It also works very well during a bulking phase, where the 277 kcal become an asset rather than a constraint.

It is not suitable for people allergic to eggs, milk proteins, gluten, soya or nuts. These are main ingredients here and not traces: egg white at the top of the list, wheat flour, whey protein, soya oil, and hazelnut paste in the filling of the white chocolate version. It is the product in this range with the heaviest allergen list.

Nor is it suitable for vegans, or for people sensitive to polyols because of the maltitol. And if you are strictly watching your carbohydrates, 25 g per unit is a figure that counts: a drier protein snack will suit you better, over in our protein bars.

The manufacturer points out that this product is not a substitute for a balanced meal and should form part of a varied diet. It also states that it contains sugar in addition to maltitol.

What not to expect from it: it is not a slimming product, and it is not “sugar-free”. It is a pastry that is better built than average, with twice as much protein and no palm oil. If your goal is a high protein intake for a minimum of calories, a protein powder or a high-content bar is what you should turn to.

Protein doughnut or protein cookie?

Both play in the same register — the baked treat that provides protein — and they are separated not by composition but by use.

A protein cookie is generally denser, drier, and keeps better in a bag. It often provides more protein per unit. It is the better choice for the snack that spends three days in a rucksack pocket.

The doughnut is banking on the soft texture and the filling, which no cookie can offer. It is the choice of enjoyment, the one that genuinely replaces a bakery pastry rather than offering a diet version of one. It does, on the other hand, keep less well once opened.

Two other options exist depending on your constraint. If it is carbohydrate you are watching, a brownie made with almond flour comes in a great deal lower. And if you want total control over the ingredients, making your own pancakes from oat flour works out considerably cheaper — at the cost of the pan and the ten minutes that go with it.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein is there in one doughnut?

9 g in a 70 g unit, which is around 13% of the product's energy. That level clears the European threshold of 12% that allows the “source of protein” claim. A bakery pastry of the same weight generally provides half as much.

Does it contain palm oil?

No. The fat comes from sunflower and soya oils, and the manufacturer makes an explicit selling point of it in its formulation. It is a real difference from most industrially made pastries.

Does it contain nuts?

Yes in the white chocolate version, whose filling contains 9% hazelnut paste: that is an ingredient, not a trace. The other versions have different fillings. If you are allergic to nuts, you must read the label on the unit you receive.

How much sugar is there per doughnut?

The manufacturer does not publish this value, and we are not going to invent it. It does state, however, that the recipe contains sugar in addition to maltitol, a bulk sweetener. The exact content must appear on the product packaging.

What is maltitol?

It is a polyol, a bulk sweetener that replaces part of the sugar. It provides fewer calories and raises blood glucose less than sugar does, but it is not calorie-free, and how well it is tolerated digestively varies from person to person. Eating a lot of it can upset sensitive guts.

When should you eat it?

The manufacturer recommends the 30 minutes following training, and that is indeed the moment when its 25 g of carbohydrate and 9 g of protein make the most sense. As an ordinary snack during the day, it works too, bearing its 277 kcal in mind.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes for vegetarians, the protein coming from egg and milk. It is not suitable for vegans. Nor is it suitable for coeliacs: wheat flour is a main ingredient in the recipe.

Where can you buy the IO Genix Protein Doughnut?

The various 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 the product in front of which we always run through the allergen list: four recipes, four fillings, and hazelnut paste in one of them — checking is better done at the counter than at the first bite. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Protein Mass?

It is a mass-gain powder to be mixed with liquid, with a reference serving of 50 g for 195 kcal, combining protein, carbohydrate, creatine and glutamine. The flavours listed: Intense Chocolate, Original Black Cookies, Vanilla-Hazelnut, Crema Rica Cookies and Petit Yogurt.

Let us set the right expectations straight away, because the name can be misleading. With 16 g of protein and 28 g of carbohydrate for 195 kcal, this product belongs to the lean gainer family, not to the heavyweight gainers. A true hard gainer delivers 400 to 600 kcal per serving. That is not a flaw: it is a different category, and it is better to know before you buy.

The first ingredient on the list is oat flour, not maltodextrin or sugar — which explains the mere 2 g of sugars for 28 g of carbohydrate. Then come maltodextrin, a LACTOMIN® whey protein concentrate, L-glycine, Kyowa L-glutamine, creatine monohydrate, flavourings, sucralose, a colour (azorubine), the DigeZyme® enzyme complex and vitamin B6. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix aisle.

What does a 50 g serving contain?

* Column calculated from the values declared for 50 g. Not included in the data supplied: the energy value in kilojoules, the "of which saturates" line, the "fibre" line, the vitamin B6 content and the net weight of the pack — so we cannot calculate the number of servings per tub. Divide the weight printed on the packaging by 50 g.

The most interesting figure in this table is not the protein, it is the creatine: 3,000 mg per serving. That is exactly the daily maintenance dose, the one on which the only authorised claim on this entire product rests: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise, a claim valid from 3 g per day. One serving puts you right on it. If you take two, you are at 6 g, which brings nothing further.

The second figure is the sugars: 2 g for 28 g of carbohydrate. That is what genuinely sets this powder apart from a cheap gainer loaded with dextrose. The oat flour at the top of the list is not a marketing line: you can see it on the "of which sugars" row, and it is verifiable.

A third reading, less flattering: 16 g of protein per serving is not a lot. An ordinary whey shake delivers 22 to 25 for 120 kcal. Here, the protein comes with 28 g of carbohydrate. That is the very principle of a gainer, but it does mean you should stop comparing this product to a protein: it is not the same use.

On the glutamine and the DigeZyme® complex we shall be brief: no health claim is authorised in Europe for either glutamine or an enzyme complex. We mention them because they appear on the label, without attributing any effect to them.

How do you take Protein Mass?

Serving: 50 g, that is two scoops. Liquid: 300 to 400 ml of water or skimmed milk. Timing: between meals, or after training. Frequency: up to two servings a day depending on your bodyweight and your needs. Duration: ongoing, as no course duration is set.

The manufacturer's advice, which we are happy to repeat: start with a half serving for the first week. Twenty-eight grams of carbohydrate, creatine and glutamine all at once, in a stomach that is not used to it, makes itself felt. Building up gradually avoids the discomfort that makes people give up after three days.

Shake vigorously for thirty seconds, pouring the liquid in before the powder. With oat flour in the formula, the texture is thicker than a whey shake: that is normal, and 400 ml rather than 300 makes it considerably easier to drink if you have to get it down between two meals.

Creatine brings one further instruction, and it is not decorative: increase your water intake throughout the period of use. That applies to any product containing creatine monohydrate.

A final word on timing. The manufacturer suggests four slots; in practice, a gainer is there to add calories where you cannot manage to eat them. Take it at the point in the day when you usually skip a snack, not on top of a meal you are already eating.

Who is Protein Mass right for, and who is it not right for?

It is aimed at those who cannot get their calories up at the table: limited appetite, short days, a metabolism that burns through everything. Drinking 195 kcal is far easier than getting the equivalent down in rice and chicken. It also suits those already taking creatine who appreciate not having one more product to juggle.

The product contains GLUTEN (oat flour) and MILK. Note a discrepancy in the labelling supplied: the ingredient list mentions SOYA among the possible traces, while the warning places it among the allergens present. If you are allergic to soya, work on the more cautious assumption and check the packaging. Traces of WHEAT, EGG and FISH are also possible. The manufacturer advises against it for children, adolescents and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It contains azorubine (E122), an azo colour that requires the following regulatory wording: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. We reproduce it because it is mandatory, and because it appears nowhere else on this page.

It is not suitable if you are coeliac: oat flour is the first ingredient, and here gluten is a component, not a trace. Nor is it suitable when cutting, or if your aim is simply to raise your protein intake — in that case, a whey shake does better for fewer calories.

What you should not expect from it: mass gain without eating. 195 kcal is a snack, not a meal, and two servings a day represent 390 added calories. If your diet does not follow, this product will do nothing at all. The phrase "rapid muscle development" should not lead you to hope for anything other than a well-composed calorie supplement.

Protein Mass or a hard gainer?

That is the choice that really matters, and it comes down to a single line: calories per serving.

A hard gainer delivers 400 to 600 kcal per serving, with a carbohydrate-to-protein ratio often of 3:1 or 4:1 and a lot of maltodextrin. It is the better choice if you genuinely struggle to put on weight and need to add 800 to 1,000 kcal a day. Its drawback is well known: the volume is enormous, the taste quickly becomes sickly, and part of the calories come from simple sugars.

Protein Mass is the better choice for measured mass gain, where you want to add 200 to 400 clean calories without sending your sugars through the roof. The protein-to-carbohydrate ratio here is 1:1.75, which is far more balanced than a conventional gainer, and the 3 g of built-in creatine saves you a further product. It is also a shake you can drink every day without coming to hate it after a week.

A third route exists, and it is often the most economical: buy a protein, an oat flour and creatine separately, and put it together yourself. You control every dose and the cost per gram falls. What you lose is the convenience of a single powder — it is up to you to decide what matters most.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a gainer or a protein?

Not quite one and not quite the other: it is a lean gainer. With 16 g of protein and 28 g of carbohydrate for 195 kcal, it delivers less protein than a whey and far fewer calories than a hard gainer. Its place is that of a solid, well-composed snack, not a protein shake nor a massive calorie top-up.

Should you take creatine alongside it?

No, if you take one serving a day: the 3 g it contains correspond exactly to the daily maintenance dose, and that is the threshold on which the authorised claim rests. Adding more on top will do nothing further. On the days you do not take a shake, however, your creatine intake drops to zero.

Does the product contain gluten?

Yes, and not merely as traces. Oat flour is the first ingredient on the list, and traces of wheat are flagged as well. In cases of coeliac disease this product is not indicated — that is a point better read here than after the purchase.

How many servings per tub?

The net weight of the pack does not appear in the labelling data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot calculate it. Divide the weight printed on the packaging by 50 g, which is the reference serving for every value on this page.

Water or milk?

The manufacturer allows both, with skimmed milk. With water, you stay at 195 kcal, which is the honest calculation. With milk, allow 100 to 130 kcal more depending on the volume: that is useful if your aim really is to raise your calories, and it needs to go into your total if you are counting them.

Why start with a half serving?

Because 28 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of creatine and 6 g of glutamine all at once often cause bloating in the first few days. A week at 25 g is enough to let the body get used to it. It is common-sense advice, given by the manufacturer itself, and rarely followed.

Which flavour should you choose?

Intense Chocolate and Original Black Cookies are the boldest, Crema Rica Cookies and Vanilla-Hazelnut are milder, Petit Yogurt is noticeably lighter and tangier — it is the one that goes down best if you have to drink two servings a day, boredom being the number one reason a gainer gets abandoned. All of them contain sucralose and a colour.

Where to buy IO Genix Protein Mass?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. If this is your first gainer, pick a flavour you know you can drink every day: that is the most decisive criterion.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always start with the same question in front of this aisle: how many calories are you eating at the moment? Nine times out of ten, the answer shows that a meal is missing, not a supplement — and a lean gainer like this one solves exactly that problem, no more and no less. The rest of the aisle can be compared in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix Pure Taurine?

IO Genix Pure Taurine is a single-ingredient taurine powder. A 1 g serving provides 1,000 mg of taurine, and there is nothing else in the tub: no flavouring, no sweetener, no colouring, no bulking agent. The serving is roughly half a scoop, to be mixed into 200 ml of water or the drink of your choice.

Taurine is not an amino acid in the strict sense: it is an aminosulfonic acid, which means it is not used to build proteins. The body can make it from cysteine, and the diet supplies it through fish, seafood and meat. Diets that exclude animal products, by contrast, supply very little of it.

It is the molecule most often associated with energy drinks, where it sits alongside caffeine. That association explains a common confusion: taurine is not a stimulant, and it never has been. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our taurine section.

What does a serving of Pure Taurine contain?

1 g per serving is the simplest format imaginable, and that is its main appeal. One ingredient, a round dose, no formula around it. You can adjust it to the half-gram, which no complete pre-workout allows, and you know exactly what you are taking.

To put that gram in context: it takes around 200 g of seafood or fish to come close to a comparable intake from food. A standard can of energy drink generally contains around 1 g as well — except that it also brings caffeine and sugar, which is not the case here.

On the regulatory side, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for taurine. Not for focus, not for energy, not for recovery, not for performance. So we describe the molecule, its dose and how to use it, without attributing any effect to it.

On safety, one figure is worth knowing: EFSA has concluded that taurine intakes of up to 6 g a day do not raise safety concerns in adults. At 1 g per serving, you are well below that benchmark. That does not remove the need to follow the dose stated by the manufacturer, which remains the reference.

Two pieces of information are missing from the manufacturer's file and we will not invent them: the net weight of the tub — and therefore the number of servings — and the energy value per serving are not disclosed. The origin of the taurine, synthetic or otherwise, is not specified either, which makes it impossible to rule on its compatibility with a vegan diet. That information is on the packaging you receive.

Ingredients list

Pure taurine (100%). No flavouring, no sweetener, no colouring, no bulking agent.

May contain traces of MILK, SOYA, GLUTEN, FISH and EGG. Made in a facility that handles these ingredients.

How do you take Pure Taurine?

Serving: 1 g, i.e. about half a scoop. Liquid: 200 ml of water, or your usual drink. Timing: 30 minutes before the session, or immediately after training. Frequency: one serving a day, without exceeding the stated dose. Duration: the manufacturer sets no course length.

The powder dissolves well and has no pronounced taste, which makes it easy to slip in anywhere: into water, into juice, into a shaker or into an already-mixed pre-workout. That is a real advantage over amino acids such as arginine or citrulline, which are frankly bitter.

Mixing it into a pre-workout is in fact the most common use, and the manufacturer suggests it themselves. There is a practical reason for that: taurine is an ingredient found in most complete formulas, and adding it to a caffeine-free base lets you rebuild a pre-workout yourself, gram by gram. Do check the label of your pre-workout, though: if it already contains 1 or 2 g, the addition is redundant.

Two slots are suggested: before the session or just after. Neither is required on regulatory grounds, and the choice comes down mainly to organisation. If you do not use a pre-workout, taking it after training is the easiest option to fit in.

The manufacturer recommends maintaining steady hydration across the day, which is sound advice for this whole category. Taurine combines easily with an electrolyte powder, with creatine monohydrate or with beta-alanine, in the same glass.

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

It appeals to the lifter who puts together their own pre-workout, ingredient by ingredient, and who wants to choose the doses rather than buy a ready-made formula. It also appeals to those looking for an active with no stimulant: there is no caffeine here at all, so the product can be used in the evening with no consequences for sleep.

The manufacturer advises against it for children and for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and asks that the recommended daily dose not be exceeded. As with any supplement, professional advice is essential if you are on medical treatment.

It may contain traces of milk, soya, gluten, fish and egg, since manufacturing takes place in a facility that handles these ingredients. As the manufacturer does not specify the origin of the taurine, we cannot rule on its compatibility with a vegan diet: if that point is decisive for you, the label on the tub you receive is the only reference.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a stimulant. Taurine's reputation comes from its presence in energy drinks, where it is the caffeine that produces the effect you feel. You will feel nothing when you take this powder, and that is perfectly normal. Nor is it a mass-gain or weight-loss product, and no claim is associated with it in Europe.

Finally, if you are looking for a noticeable effect during the session, this tub will not give it to you. It is the caffeinated pre-workouts you should be looking at — bearing in mind that the effect then comes from the stimulant, not from the formula as a whole.

Taurine on its own or a complete pre-workout?

That is the real question in front of this tub, and it depends on how you like to work.

A complete pre-workout brings ten to fifteen ingredients together in a single serving, very often including taurine. It is the simplest choice: a scoop, some water, done. Its weakness is the weakness of all blends: you choose neither the ingredients nor the doses, and some are sometimes present in token amounts.

Taurine on its own is for those who build their own formula: a gram of taurine, a dose of citrulline, a dose of beta-alanine, and you get exactly what you want, generally at a lower cost. It takes longer to prepare, but nothing is left to chance.

One situation makes buying this tub particularly worthwhile: if you use a caffeine-free pre-workout and want to enrich it without adding a stimulant. Taurine fills that role without changing anything about your sleep, and that is the reason we most often sell it.

Frequently asked questions

Is taurine a stimulant?

No. It is a very widespread confusion, kept alive by its presence in energy drinks: in those drinks, the effect you feel comes from the caffeine and the sugar, not from the taurine. This powder contains no stimulant and produces no sensation when you take it.

How much per day?

1 g per serving, i.e. about half a scoop, and one serving a day according to the manufacturer. EFSA has also concluded that intakes of up to 6 g a day do not raise safety concerns in adults, but the dose stated on the packaging remains the reference.

Can it be mixed into a pre-workout?

Yes, that is in fact the most common use and the manufacturer suggests it. Do check the label of your pre-workout, though: taurine appears in most complete formulas, sometimes at 1 or 2 g per serving. In that case, adding more brings nothing.

Does it have a taste?

The powder is unflavoured and unsweetened, but its taste stays discreet and it dissolves easily. That is a clear advantage over other powdered amino acids, such as arginine or citrulline, whose bitterness often forces you to mask the taste in juice.

Is it suitable for vegans?

The manufacturer does not specify the origin of the taurine, and we will not decide in their place. The taurine used in food supplements is generally synthetic, but that information is not confirmed here. If the point is decisive for you, the label on the tub you receive is what counts.

How many servings in a tub?

The manufacturer publishes neither the net weight nor the number of servings, and we will not work them out. The information is on the packaging. For the calculation, bear in mind that one serving is 1 g of powder, i.e. about half a scoop.

Can it be taken in the evening?

There is nothing against it: the formula contains no stimulant, and taurine has no known effect on sleep. That is in fact one of its attractions for anyone who trains late and can no longer take a caffeinated product.

Where can you buy IO Genix Pure Taurine?

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 the product in front of which we most often correct a received idea: no, taurine does not wake you up, and customers who came in looking for a kick generally leave with something else — which is exactly the service you expect from a shop assistant. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Pure Tyrosine?

IO Genix Pure Tyrosine is a single-ingredient L-tyrosine powder. A 1 g serving delivers 1,000 mg of L-tyrosine at a purity above 99%, with no flavouring, no sweetener and no bulking agent. The tub holds 240 servings, which is more than six months at one serving a day.

Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid: the body can make it itself, from another amino acid, phenylalanine. Diet supplies it in abundance, through dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, soya and nuts. Cheese is in fact its most emblematic source — the name comes from the Greek tyros, meaning cheese.

Its biochemical role is well established: tyrosine is the starting point for the synthesis of catecholamines, a family of nervous-system messengers. That is a point of biochemistry, documented and uncontested; what supplementation actually produces in an adult is another question, and we come back to it below. The powder is produced by fermentation from plant-based substrates. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a serving of Pure Tyrosine contain?

A purity above 99% and 240 servings in a tub: these are the two figures that define this product. The first means there is practically nothing in there but the amino acid — no bulking agent, no sweetener, no colouring. The second is remarkable: at one serving a day, a tub lasts more than six months; at the maximum dose of 2 g, it still lasts four months.

The powder is produced by biofermentation from plant-based substrates, which makes it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. That is a welcome exception in a category largely dominated by gelatine capsules. Its taste is neutral and it dissolves easily in cold water.

On the regulatory side, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for L-tyrosine. Not for concentration, not for alertness, not for mood, not for performance, not for the thyroid. Tyrosine's role as a precursor of catecholamines is a point of biochemistry; what oral supplementation produces in a healthy adult has no dossier approved at European level. So we describe the molecule, its dosage and its precautions, and promise nothing.

One statement from the old product page has also been removed: it announced a quantified improvement in bioavailability when taken on an empty stomach. That percentage could not be sourced and it has no place here. The principle of taking it away from protein-rich meals still holds, and we explain it below — without any invented figure.

Ingredients list

Pure L-tyrosine (100%, levorotatory form), produced by fermentation from plant-based substrates. Purity above 99%. No bulking agent, no sweetener, no colouring, no preservative. Suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

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

How do you take Pure Tyrosine?

Serving: 1 g, that is one measuring scoop. Liquid: 200 ml of cold water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast. Frequency: one to two servings a day, at least six hours apart, without exceeding 2 g. Duration: cycles of 8 to 12 weeks, with a 2 to 4 week break.

Taking it away from protein-rich meals is not a whim, and the mechanism is well understood. To cross the blood-brain barrier, tyrosine uses a transporter it shares with several other amino acids — the same ones found in a steak or a shake. Taken at the same time as a protein intake, it therefore ends up in direct competition with them. The morning, on an empty stomach, is the slot that solves the problem.

The second instruction is more imperative still: do not take the product after 16:00. The manufacturer states this explicitly, and for a common-sense reason: tyrosine can cause restlessness or insomnia in sensitive individuals. An ingredient from the wakefulness-precursor family is taken in the morning, not in the evening.

If you want to add a second serving, leave at least six hours between them and stay under 2 g a day in total. Start with 1 g for a week before going higher: that is the only way to assess your tolerance without ending up with an unexplained headache.

The powder dissolves easily in 200 ml of cold water and its taste is neutral. The manufacturer recommends cycles of 8 to 12 weeks with a 2 to 4 week break — so a 240-serving tub comfortably covers several full cycles.

It combines without overlap with a taurine, citrulline or beta-alanine powder. Do watch out, however, for stacking it with caffeinated boosters: many already contain tyrosine, often without making a point of it.

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

It appeals to the adult who builds their own routine, ingredient by ingredient, and who prefers a single active at a known dose to an opaque blend. The 240-serving format also makes it one of the longest-lasting products in the catalogue.

One contraindication here is absolute, and it must be read before any other: phenylketonuria. People with this metabolic disorder, along with those allergic to phenylalanine, must not consume this product. This is not a routine precaution, it is a formal exclusion stated by the manufacturer.

The product is also not recommended in cases of hyperthyroidism or cardiovascular disorders. The manufacturer requires medical advice for anyone treated with MAOI or tricyclic antidepressants, and asks that you avoid combining it with dopaminergic medication without medical advice. It further notes that tyrosine may potentiate the effects of thyroid treatments and stimulants. These warnings are serious and specific: if you are on any medication at all, the question goes to your doctor or your pharmacist before you buy.

It is not recommended for children under 12, and pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a doctor. The manufacturer lists headaches, nausea, restlessness and insomnia if taken late in the day as possible effects, and recommends starting with low doses.

What not to expect from it: this is neither a stimulant, nor a treatment, nor a sports performance product. You will not find the effect of a coffee here. Nor is it a solution to persistent fatigue, to a lack of motivation or to entrenched difficulties with concentration: those situations have causes — sleep, workload, state of health — that are a matter for a doctor and not for a powder.

Tyrosine or a caffeine-free booster?

The two overlap among people looking for something other than a classic stimulant, and they do not work in the same way.

A caffeine-free booster is a complete formula, generally built around citrulline and ingredients acting on blood flow, sometimes with tyrosine among them. It is the simplest choice if you want a ready-to-use product for the session, with nothing to put together yourself.

Tyrosine on its own answers a different logic: a single amino acid, at a known dose, that you place wherever you like in the day — and in the morning in particular, entirely outside any training context. It costs far less per gram and gives you total control over what you take.

Watch out for doubling up, which is the real practical question here: many pre-workouts already contain tyrosine, sometimes at comparable doses. If you use a full pre-workout, read its label again before adding this tub, or you may exceed the 2 g daily limit without realising it.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are there in a tub?

240 servings of 1 g, with a measuring scoop included. At one serving a day that comes to more than six months; at the maximum dose of 2 g a day, around four months. It is by far the longest-lasting pack size in this range.

Why take it on an empty stomach?

Because tyrosine shares its transporter with other amino acids: taken at the same time as a protein-rich meal or a shake, it competes directly with them. The morning, on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast, avoids the problem.

Why not take it in the evening?

The manufacturer asks that you avoid taking it after 16:00, because of the risk of restlessness or insomnia in sensitive individuals. That instruction is consistent with the nature of this amino acid: its place is the morning.

Who must absolutely not take it?

People with phenylketonuria and those allergic to phenylalanine: that is a formal exclusion. The product is also not recommended in cases of hyperthyroidism or cardiovascular disorders, and requires medical advice alongside MAOI or tricyclic antidepressants.

Is it suitable for vegans?

Yes. The tyrosine is produced by fermentation from plant-based substrates, the powder has no animal casing and the manufacturer declares it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. Traces of milk and eggs remain possible because of the production facility.

Does it have a taste?

The manufacturer describes it as neutral, and the powder dissolves easily in 200 ml of cold water. That is a real advantage over many powdered amino acids, whose bitterness forces you to mask the taste in a juice.

Can it be stacked with a pre-workout?

Check your pre-workout's label first: many already contain tyrosine, sometimes at several hundred milligrams. Stacking them can take you over the 2 g daily limit without your noticing. Adjust the powder dose accordingly.

Where can you buy IO Genix Pure Tyrosine?

The 240-serving tub 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 ask two questions about before selling it: “are you on any medication?” and “does your pre-workout already contain some?”. The two answers often decide for the customer. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix R-ALA 250 mg?

IO Genix R-ALA is a single-ingredient supplement: one capsule provides 250 mg of alpha-lipoic acid in the R form. The box holds 60 capsules for a net weight of 25 g, that is, a two-month course at one dose a day. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a molecule the body makes in small amounts and which acts as a cofactor in several reactions of cellular energy metabolism, within the mitochondria. Diet supplies very little of it: traces are found in offal, spinach and broccoli, but nothing comparable to a supplement.

Its chemical peculiarity is real and rarely explained properly: it is one of the only antioxidant molecules that is soluble in both water and fat. Most of the others are confined to one medium or the other. The “R” designation, for its part, refers to the form naturally present in the body, as opposed to the racemic mixture, which also contains the inactive S form.

What does one R-ALA capsule contain?

250 mg per capsule is a measured dose, and that is rather good news. Alpha-lipoic acid supplements are sold at doses ranging from 100 to 600 mg per serving, and the highest are not the most advisable — we come to that in the next section. At 250 mg in a single daily dose, this product stays within a reasonable range.

One point of composition needs to be flagged clearly, because it contradicts a widely held assumption about this range: the shell is made of gelatine, not plant cellulose. This product is therefore suitable for neither a vegetarian nor a vegan diet, unlike other products from the same brand. It is a piece of information that is not always given and that settles the purchase for some customers.

On the regulatory side: no health claim is authorised in Europe for alpha-lipoic acid. Not on oxidative stress, not on energy, not on blood sugar, not on the regeneration of other antioxidants. Its role as a mitochondrial cofactor is described in the literature; the effect of oral supplementation, on the other hand, has no approved dossier. So we describe the molecule and its dose, and promise nothing.

Two statements from the old description have also been removed. The first announced a GMP certification issued by a third-party body: we cannot verify it, and we do not pass on certifications that cannot be verified. The second urged customers to “secure your course” because of “limited quantities”: that is a false commercial urgency, and it has no place on a product page.

Ingredients list

Alpha-lipoic acid (R-ALA), capsule (GELATINE), anti-caking agents (magnesium salts of fatty acids and magnesium carbonate) and rice flour. May contain traces of NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, SULPHITES, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take R-ALA 250 mg?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water, 250 ml. Timing: in the morning, preferably. Frequency: one dose a day, no more. Duration: one box corresponds to a two-month course.

The manufacturer advises taking it in the morning. Many sources also recommend taking alpha-lipoic acid away from meals, since a full stomach slows its absorption. The manufacturer does not say so here: we therefore stick to its recommendation, in the morning with a large glass of water.

Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. This instruction, routine on most products, is a genuine one on this one. Alpha-lipoic acid lowers blood sugar, and that is precisely why you should neither double the dose nor improvise a protocol found on a forum.

Consistency matters more than anything else. Two months is the period one box covers, and it is also the sort of timescale on which an active of this type is judged. Taking it erratically supports no conclusion at all.

The product combines without difficulty with vitamin C, vitamin E or coenzyme Q10, which belong to the same family of ingredients without duplicating one another. If you are introducing several products at once, space them a fortnight apart: it is the only way to know what actually changes anything for you.

Who is R-ALA for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult who wants to try a single active, properly dosed, in one daily serving. It is a short-formula product, which remains a good selection criterion in this aisle.

The contraindications, on the other hand, are specific, and the manufacturer states them plainly: lipoic acid is not recommended for people with diabetes, for pregnant women or for women who are breastfeeding. The first deserves explaining rather than simply copying out: this molecule lowers blood sugar, and combined with an antidiabetic treatment it can bring on hypoglycaemia. This is not a token precaution.

One further point must be added, one the manufacturer does not mention and a French buyer is entitled to know: ANSES has reported cases of severe hypoglycaemia associated with the consumption of food supplements containing alpha-lipoic acid, and recommends caution, particularly in people who are predisposed. That is not a reason to give up if you are in good health; it is a reason to stick strictly to the dose and to seek advice at the first unexplained episode of feeling unwell.

The product contains gelatine and is therefore not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets. It may also contain traces of nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, sulphites, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: it is not a treatment, it is not a weight-loss product, and it is not a stimulant. You will feel nothing when you take it, which is normal for an antioxidant. Any question about blood sugar, neuropathy or an ongoing treatment is a matter for your doctor or your pharmacist, never for a supplement bought on its own.

R-ALA or coenzyme Q10?

These are the two molecules in the aisle that act closest to cellular energy metabolism, and we are often asked to choose between them.

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble compound, present in high concentrations in the heart and the muscles, which takes part in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. It is very well tolerated, with no contraindications comparable to those listed above, and it is taken with a meal because it needs fat in order to be absorbed. It is the better choice if you are looking for an antioxidant with no grey areas, particularly after the age of fifty, when the body's own production declines.

R-ALA has its dual solubility going for it, which lets it act in environments coenzyme Q10 cannot reach. It is the better choice if it is precisely that property that interests you and if none of the contraindications applies to you. It generally costs less per dose.

Neither has an authorised claim in Europe for this use: on that score they are level, and the choice comes down to tolerance and profile, not to a promise. If you are instead looking for a short-formula antioxidant with no particular contraindications, our NAC section offers a third route, and standardised turmeric a fourth.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between R-ALA and standard alpha-lipoic acid?

Alpha-lipoic acid exists in two mirror forms, R and S. Only the R form is the one the body produces and uses; the S form is inactive. A product sold as R-ALA contains nothing but the active form, whereas a standard alpha-lipoic acid contains roughly half of it. At an equal stated dose, then, the amount of active ingredient is not the same.

How long does one box last?

Two months, at one capsule a day for 60 capsules. That is a duration consistent with what can be expected of an active of this type: nothing is judged in a fortnight, and two months make for a reasonable first trial.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians?

No. The capsule shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. That is a notable difference from several other products in the same range, which use vegetable capsules. For a vegetarian or vegan diet, you will need to turn to a different product.

Why is it not recommended for people with diabetes?

Because alpha-lipoic acid lowers blood sugar. Combined with an antidiabetic treatment, it carries a risk of hypoglycaemia. The manufacturer advises against it explicitly, and ANSES has also reported cases of severe hypoglycaemia linked to supplements containing this molecule. If this applies to you, the question is one for your doctor before any purchase.

What time of day should it be taken?

In the morning, with a large glass of water, as the manufacturer indicates. Consistency counts for more than the exact hour: a daily dose at a set time makes it possible to assess a two-month course honestly, which taking it at random never does.

Can it be combined with other antioxidants?

Nothing stands in the way as far as the ingredients go: vitamin C, vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 do not compete with it. The practical advice remains to introduce one product at a time, a fortnight apart, rather than starting everything on the same morning.

Is there a noticeable effect?

No, and none should be expected. It is an antioxidant that works at cell level, with no associated sensation. A product in this category that produced a perceptible effect on being taken ought to worry you rather than excite you.

Where can you buy IO Genix R-ALA?

The box of 60 capsules 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 one question before selling: “are you diabetic or on medication?”. With a molecule that lowers blood sugar, that is the only serious way to go about it. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Russian Roulette?

It is a ready-to-drink liquid pre-workout, packaged in 60 ml vials. The box holds 20 of them, i.e. 1.2 litres in total. The flavours listed: green apple and red berries.

One shot provides 200 mg of caffeine, 3 g of beta-alanine, 2 g of citrulline, 2 g of AAKG and 1 g of taurine, plus two B vitamins. The rest of the formula is water, citric acid, sucralose, two preservatives — sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate — and flavourings.

The appeal of the format comes down to one sentence: there is nothing to prepare. You shake it, unscrew it, drink it. No scoop, no shaker, no powder sticking to the bottom. For a session in a gym with no water point, or a competition in a car park, that is a genuine practical advantage over a powdered pre-workout. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section.

What does a 60 ml shot contain?

Pack format: 20 shots of 60 ml. The energy value is not declared in the data supplied; on a sugar-free water base it is marginal in any case.

Let us look at the doses one by one, because that is where the difference between a real pre-workout and a coloured drink is decided. Beta-alanine at 3,000 mg is correctly dosed: that is the market's benchmark range, whereas plenty of formulas announce it and then put in 800 mg. Caffeine at 200 mg is the equivalent of two or three espressos, and it is the amount EFSA considers as raising no concern in a single dose for a healthy adult.

Citrulline at 2,000 mg, on the other hand, is moderate. The best-dosed formulas in the category go up to 6 g. That is not a deal-breaker — everything has to fit into 60 ml, after all — but it is worth knowing before you buy: this is a shot built around caffeine and beta-alanine, not around the pump. Our citrulline and L-arginine sections let you top it up if that is your priority.

Now the regulatory framework, and it is strict. No health claim is authorised in Europe for beta-alanine, citrulline, arginine, taurine or caffeine. You will therefore read no promise here about endurance, pump or focus. The only usable wordings come from the two vitamins, both at 100% of the NRV: niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal energy-yielding metabolism. That is all, and it is already honest.

How do you take Russian Roulette?

Serving: 1 shot of 60 ml, never two. Liquid: none, the shot is drunk as it comes. Timing: 15 to 30 minutes before the warm-up. Frequency: 3 to 4 times a week at most. Duration: no set course, but the manufacturer advises against daily use.

Shake the vial before opening: the actives settle. Then drink it in one go. The manufacturer asks that you hydrate generously during the session, at least 500 ml of water: 60 ml of liquid does not count as hydration.

Three instructions deserve careful reading, because they concern safety rather than comfort. Never double the dose: two shots means 400 mg of caffeine, i.e. EFSA's daily reference figure in a single hit. Do not consume after 17:00, the half-life of caffeine being around five hours. And do not stack it with another source of caffeine on the same day — coffee, tea, another pre-workout — leaving at least six hours between them if you cannot avoid it.

The three-to-four-times-a-week limit is not window dressing: tolerance to caffeine sets in within two to three weeks of daily use, and you then have to raise the dose to get the same sensation back. Save this shot for your heaviest sessions.

A final word on what you are going to feel: the beta-alanine tingling, on the face, the back of the neck and the forearms, appears 10 to 15 minutes after taking it and fades during the warm-up. It is a known effect, harmless, and specific to this molecule. It is neither a sign of effectiveness nor a problem: it is simply what beta-alanine does.

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

It suits adults who tolerate caffeine well and who want a pre-workout with no preparation. The format slips into a gym bag and needs neither water nor a shaker: that is its argument, and it is a real one.

The manufacturer is categorical about the exclusions, and we pass them on as they stand. The product is prohibited for minors under 18, for pregnant women and for breastfeeding women. It is not recommended for people who are sensitive to caffeine or who have cardiovascular disorders. If you are on medical treatment, consult a doctor before use. Traces of MILK, EGGS, GLUTEN, SOYA, NUTS and FISH are possible.

It is not for you if you train in the evening: at 200 mg of caffeine and with an instruction to take nothing after 17:00, the question is settled. Nor is it for you if you already drink several coffees during the day — do the sum beforehand, not afterwards.

What you should not expect from it: nothing more than what 200 mg of caffeine and 3 g of beta-alanine do. A pre-workout does not make up for a short night, it masks it, and the sleep debt remains in full. Nor does it move your loads up by itself: it makes a session easier to get started, which is no small thing, but that is all that can honestly be said about it.

Ready-to-drink shot or powdered pre-workout?

That is the real choice, and it is decided not on effectiveness but on format and dosing.

A powdered pre-workout allows doses that 60 ml cannot hold: 6 g of citrulline, 3.2 g of beta-alanine, plus tyrosine, betaine or malate. It is the better choice if the pump and endurance matter to you as much as the kick, and it works out cheaper per serving. Its drawback: you need a scoop, a shaker and water.

The shot wins wherever logistics count. Nothing to prepare, an identical dose every time, and a vial that fits in a pocket. It also wins on consistency: nobody gets the dose wrong with a sealed vial, whereas powder scoops are filled by eye.

Two useful alternatives depending on your situation. If you train in the evening, look at a caffeine-free pre-workout: you will lose the kick, you will keep your night's sleep, and it is the best trade in the category. And if you want to push one active in particular, our beta-alanine and taurine sections let you dose each element yourself, which no shot will ever allow.

Frequently asked questions

200 mg of caffeine, how many coffees is that?

Two to three espressos. It is also the amount EFSA considers as raising no safety concern in a single dose for a healthy adult, with 400 mg as the reference figure for the whole day from all sources combined. One shot therefore places you exactly on the single-dose limit.

Why does it tingle?

That is the beta-alanine, at 3,000 mg per shot. The tingling appears 10 to 15 minutes after taking it, mainly on the face and forearms, and disappears during the warm-up. It is a known and harmless effect of this molecule, neither a sign of effectiveness nor a problem.

Can you take two?

No, and the manufacturer says so in black and white: one shot a day at most. Two vials represent 400 mg of caffeine in a single dose, i.e. EFSA's entire daily reference figure taken in one go. It is not a matter of taste, it is a matter of dose.

Up to what time can you drink it?

The manufacturer sets 17:00. That is consistent with the half-life of caffeine, around five hours in an average adult: a shot at 19:00 still leaves a hundred milligrams or so in circulation at midnight. If you train in the evening, this product is not the right one.

Why not take it every day?

Because tolerance to caffeine sets in within two to three weeks of daily use: the same dose no longer produces the same effect, and you then have to go up, which is not sustainable. The manufacturer recommends three to four times a week, reserved for the heaviest sessions.

Is 2 g of citrulline enough?

It is a moderate dose: the best-equipped formulas in the category go up to 6 g. The constraint is physical — five actives have to fit into 60 ml. If the pump is your priority, a powdered pre-workout or a separate citrulline will serve you better; this shot is built around caffeine and beta-alanine.

Can you choose your flavour?

The flavours, green apple and red berries, are listed separately on this page. Note that the manufacturer's documentation also mentions boxes that mix the flavours at random, which is where the product's name comes from: check the contents of the box you receive if that point matters to you.

Where can you buy IO Genix Russian Roulette?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. The box of 20 shots represents five to six weeks at the recommended rate of three to four sessions a week.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend to those who cannot be bothered with a scoop, and advise against for those who train after work at the end of the day. The question of the training slot almost always decides the sale, well before that of the dosing. The rest of the category can be compared in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Shilajit 500 mg?

IO Genix Shilajit 500 mg is a shilajit extract in vegetable capsules, dosed at 500 mg per serving, of which 100 mg is fulvic acid as declared by the manufacturer. The bottle holds 60 capsules, which is two months at one a day.

Shilajit, also known as asphaltum or mumijo, is a resinous material that seeps out of high-altitude rock, chiefly in the Himalayas. It is a deposit formed over very long periods from plant matter that has decomposed and been compressed between the rocks. Its composition is therefore not a formula but a profile: humic and fulvic acids, and a range of minerals in ionic form — iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, manganese.

This product comes as a standardised extract in capsules rather than as the traditional raw resin. The difference is a practical one: resin is sticky, is measured by eye, has a pronounced earthy taste, and its concentration varies from batch to batch. A capsule always delivers the same amount. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle.

What does a Shilajit capsule contain?

No nutrient reference value exists for shilajit or for fulvic acid.

100 mg of fulvic acid per capsule is the only genuinely comparable figure from one product in this category to the next. Raw shilajit circulates with widely varying contents, often undeclared, and an extract with no stated assay allows no comparison at all. Here, 100 mg for 500 mg of extract works out at a 20% assay, which sits at the upper end of what is available. It is the number to look at before any other.

The manufacturer also states that the raw material naturally contains more than 84 minerals in ionic form, along with humic acids. We report that information as it is declared, but it has to be read for what it is: no amount is published for any of these minerals. “84 elements” is a presentational argument, not a usable nutritional figure. You cannot rely on this capsule to cover a requirement for iron or zinc — for that, a properly dosed product is the only serious answer.

The regulatory clarification here is the most important thing on the whole page: no health claim is authorised at present for shilajit in the European Union. Not for energy, not for tiredness, not for testosterone, not for mitochondrial function. This product cannot claim any physiological effect, and any seller who promises you one is operating outside the legal framework. What we can tell you is what it contains and at what concentration. The rest is for you to judge.

Ingredients list

Standardised shilajit extract (Asphaltum) 500 mg of which 100 mg fulvic acid, capsule shell (vegetable hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose). Raw material of Himalayan origin. Vegetable capsules, suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS and SOYA. Made in a facility that uses these allergens.

How do you take Shilajit 500 mg?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water, 250 ml. Timing: in the morning, with breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day, no more. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a continuous course of eight to twelve weeks, followed by a two- to four-week break.

Take it with breakfast rather than on an empty stomach. The manufacturer advises pairing it with a source of fat — an avocado, a few nuts, a drizzle of olive oil — which remains sensible advice for a complex plant extract. It is also the best way to avoid the stomach discomfort some people report with this kind of extract.

The manufacturer recommends not taking it at the same time as coffee or tea. The reason is a familiar one: tannins interfere with mineral absorption. On a product whose stated appeal rests partly on its mineral profile, it is worth leaving an hour between the two.

Consistency matters more than the time of day. An eight-week course means not forgetting three days out of seven; that is the usual pitfall with once-daily products, and the 60-capsule bottle is sized for two full months.

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

It is aimed at an adult curious about a traditional plant extract, who prefers a stated assay to resin bought by weight, and who accepts buying a product with no authorised claim. That is a defensible position, provided it is taken with full knowledge of the facts.

The capsules are vegetable-based, which makes the product compatible with a vegetarian or vegan diet.

It is not advised for anyone under 18, and pregnant and breastfeeding women should seek the advice of a healthcare professional. Three families of medication call for a prior medical consultation, and the manufacturer names them: antidiabetic drugs, since shilajit may influence blood sugar; antihypertensives; and anticoagulants. It also recommends stopping the product two weeks before any scheduled surgery. These precautions are not a formality: if one of them applies to you, the question is for your doctor before you buy.

One point the manufacturer does not address and that you need to know: raw, unpurified shilajit can contain heavy metals from the rock it comes from. That is the documented risk of this raw material, and it is why a purified, tested extract is not a luxury. If you buy shilajit elsewhere, as an artisanal resin with no analysis, that is the first thing you should ask the seller about.

What not to expect from it: it is not a stimulant, there is no effect to feel when you take it, and it is not a reliable source of minerals. Nor is it a hormonal product, whatever you may read elsewhere. Any health question is for your doctor or your pharmacist.

Shilajit or ashwagandha?

These are the two extracts we are most often asked to compare, because they share a traditional origin and a similar reputation.

Ashwagandha has a decisive advantage when it comes to clarity: it is a plant, its extract is assayed in withanolides, the doses used are well identified, and the available literature is far more extensive. It is the better choice if you want a documented active, if you are targeting a demanding period, and if you prefer an ingredient whose amounts can actually be discussed.

Shilajit operates on a different register. It is not a plant but a mineral and organic deposit, its composition is variable by nature, and its European regulatory status is less settled. Its interest lies in its unique profile — fulvic acid and ionic minerals — which nothing else reproduces. It is the choice of someone who wants to try precisely that, not a guaranteed effect.

If what you actually need is a micronutrient intake, neither is the right answer: a properly dosed, legible multivitamin does that job far better, and a targeted iron product resolves an identified deficiency where 84 unquantified minerals resolve nothing.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a bottle last?

Two months, at one capsule a day for 60 capsules. That matches exactly the eight-week course recommended by the manufacturer, which makes the format a coherent one: one bottle equals one complete course.

Capsules or traditional resin?

Capsules give a consistent dose, with no earthy taste and no handling. Resin, by contrast, is measured by eye, sticks to the spoon and varies from batch to batch. The only argument in favour of resin is quantity for the money; the one in favour of capsules is consistency, which matters more over a two-month course.

What is the role of fulvic acid?

It is the compound that characterises shilajit, the one used as the assay marker. Here, 100 mg for 500 mg of extract, or 20%. Since no health claim is authorised for this compound in Europe, we stick to that description: it is a marker of concentration, not a promise of effect.

Does shilajit raise testosterone?

No claim of that kind is authorised in Europe, and we will not write one. It is nonetheless the most widespread argument made about this product, including by French sellers. If that is your main goal, be aware that no food supplement can legally claim it, and that the question calls for a medical work-up.

Is this product suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, of plant origin, and the extract itself is not of animal origin. The only point to watch is the declared manufacturing traces — gluten, milk, eggs and soya — which come from the production facility.

Can it be combined with other supplements?

Nothing about the ingredients stands in the way, and the manufacturer itself mentions combining it with an adaptogen or a multivitamin. The only practical advice is not to start everything on the same day: by adding one product at a time, a fortnight apart, you will at least know what is making a difference for you.

Should it be stopped before an operation?

Yes, the manufacturer recommends stopping two weeks before any scheduled surgery. This precaution relates to possible interactions with blood clotting and blood sugar. Always tell your anaesthetist about your food supplements, just as you would about your medicines.

Where can you buy IO Genix Shilajit?

The 60-capsule 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 a product we always start by describing in terms of what it cannot promise: it is the only honest way to sell an ingredient with no authorised claim, and it avoids disappointment three weeks in. The other traditional extracts can be compared in our maca aisle and in the neighbouring aisles.

What is IO Genix Stay Clean?

IO Genix Stay Clean is an antioxidant complex in gastro-resistant capsules. A two-capsule serving brings together ten active ingredients, including 500 mg of Setria L-glutathione, 300 mg of N-acetylcysteine, 200 mg of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, 150 mg of microencapsulated turmeric extract, 150 mg of milk thistle extract and 50 mg of coenzyme Q10. The 60-capsule bottle covers 30 days.

Three vitamins round out the formula — vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin B2 — all three dosed at 50% of the nutrient reference value. As we shall see, they are the only ingredients in this product about which anything can be claimed.

Glutathione, the main ingredient, is a tripeptide the body makes from three amino acids, cysteine among them. The formula therefore works on two fronts at once: it supplies glutathione directly, and it also supplies N-acetylcysteine, the precursor of its synthesis. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix section, and N-acetylcysteine sold on its own in our NAC section.

What does a serving of Stay Clean contain?

Only three ingredients allow a claim to be made, and they are the three vitamins. At 50% of the reference value each, the thresholds are comfortably cleared: vitamin C, vitamin E and riboflavin contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; vitamin C and riboflavin also contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Those are the exact wordings, and they are the only ones we shall write.

For the other seven, no health claim is authorised in Europe: not for glutathione, not for N-acetylcysteine, not for S-adenosylmethionine, not for curcumin, not for milk thistle, not for coenzyme Q10. These are real ingredients, properly dosed, but their effect as supplements has no dossier approved at European level.

Two points of composition are worth spelling out, because they correct hasty readings. First, the turmeric: the 150 mg stated are of the microencapsulated extract, standardised to 26% curcumin. The amount of curcumin actually delivered is therefore in the region of 40 mg, not 150 mg. The distinction matters when comparing two products, and it deserves to be written down rather than left in the shade.

Second, the choline. It does have authorised claims, including one relating to the maintenance of normal liver function, but subject to a threshold of 82.5 mg of choline per portion. The 100 mg stated, however, refer to choline bitartrate, of which choline accounts for only about 41% by weight: that works out at roughly 41 mg of actual choline. The threshold is therefore not reached and the claim does not apply.

One technical point to finish with, and it is to the manufacturer's credit: the capsules are gastro-resistant. In a formula containing glutathione and S-adenosylmethionine, two molecules sensitive to stomach acid, that choice is not decorative.

Ingredients list

Setria L-glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, coating agent (GELATINE), S-adenosyl-L-methionine, Curcushine (Curcuma longa extract at 26% curcumin, maltodextrin, antioxidant: ascorbic acid, rosemary extract), milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), choline bitartrate, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), coenzyme Q10, vitamin E (D,L-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), anti-caking agents (magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide), vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS, SOYA and FISH. Made in a facility that handles these allergens.

How should you take Stay Clean?

Dose: 2 capsules. Liquid: a large glass of water, 300 ml. Timing: one capsule at breakfast, one at lunch, with meals. Frequency: two capsules a day, not to be exceeded. Duration: continuous use for 8 to 12 weeks.

Swallow the capsules whole, without opening or chewing them. This is not a comfort measure: the gastro-resistant coating is what allows the most fragile molecules in the formula to get past the stomach. An opened capsule loses part of its point.

Taking it with a meal follows a clear logic: the formula contains vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, two compounds that need fat to be properly absorbed. A meal containing a minimum of fat does the job.

The manufacturer puts the course at between 8 and 12 weeks. One bottle covers thirty days, so you need to allow for two or three to see it through. With this kind of active ingredient, nothing can be judged in two weeks, and it is better to know that before buying.

The product combines without overlap with an omega 3 or a B vitamin complex, as the manufacturer suggests. On the other hand, it does duplicate several products in this category: if you already take N-acetylcysteine on its own, coenzyme Q10 or a standardised turmeric, you will find them here. Check your labels before stacking.

Who is Stay Clean for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at healthy adults who want to bring several actives from the antioxidant family into a single serving, rather than lining up four bottles on a shelf. That is its main selling point, and it is a genuine one: ten ingredients, all quantified, in two capsules.

The exclusions here are worded unusually firmly, and they need to be read. The product is not recommended for under-18s, and the manufacturer states in black and white that pregnant and breastfeeding women must not use this product — a more categorical wording than the usual “seek advice”. People on medical treatment or with liver disorders must consult a healthcare professional before use.

That last mention deserves to be understood: the formula contains milk thistle and S-adenosylmethionine, two ingredients whose place in someone with a liver condition is not something to improvise. This is not a product intended to address a liver problem — quite the opposite.

The capsules are made of gelatine: this product is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. It may contain traces of gluten, milk, eggs, soya and fish.

What you should not expect from it: you will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal for an antioxidant formula. It is not a treatment, not a performance product, and not an answer to entrenched tiredness. The word “detox”, which products of this kind attract, has no regulatory definition: the liver and kidneys do that work on their own, and no capsule improves on it in a healthy person.

Antioxidant complex or single active?

That is the only trade-off that matters with this kind of product, and it depends on exactly what you are looking for.

This complex has one obvious advantage: ten actives, one serving, one bottle. For someone who wanted glutathione, N-acetylcysteine and coenzyme Q10 anyway, it saves three purchases and three separate intakes. The three vitamins alongside them are, moreover, the only ingredients genuinely covered by regulation, and they are properly dosed.

A single active makes the opposite choice: markedly higher doses of one molecule. Our dedicated section offers N-acetylcysteine at twice what this formula contains; our coenzyme Q10 and turmeric sections do the same in their own registers. That is more precise, easier to compare, and often cheaper if you are after a single ingredient.

Our position across the counter: if you know which of these ten actives interests you, take it on its own and properly dosed. If you want broad coverage in one serving, this complex does the job. And if your need is simply for the best-regulated antioxidants, a vitamin C and a vitamin E cost a fraction of the price and do have authorised claims.

Frequently asked questions

How much curcumin is there really?

The 150 mg stated correspond to the microencapsulated extract, standardised to 26% curcumin: that represents about 40 mg of curcumin. The distinction is essential when comparing with another product, where the 150 mg might refer to the curcumin itself.

Why gastro-resistant capsules?

Because glutathione and S-adenosylmethionine are sensitive to stomach acid. The coating delays release. It is a genuine formulation choice, and it is also why you should never open or chew the capsules.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians?

No. The capsule shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. It is a common limitation in this range, and there is no plant-based version of this product.

Does the choline allow a claim?

Not here. Choline does have authorised claims, but they require 82.5 mg of choline per portion. The 100 mg stated refer to choline bitartrate, of which choline accounts for only about 41%: the threshold is not reached.

How long does a bottle last?

Thirty days: 60 capsules, two a day. As the manufacturer recommends a course of 8 to 12 weeks, allow two to three bottles to see a full course through.

Can it be taken if you have a liver problem?

Not without medical advice, and the manufacturer asks for it explicitly. The formula contains milk thistle and S-adenosylmethionine: their place in someone with a liver condition is a matter for a doctor, not a personal choice.

Does it duplicate other supplements?

Very probably, if you already have a routine. N-acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q10, turmeric, milk thistle and vitamins C and E are among the most common supplements around. Read your labels again: stacking adds nothing and can push you over intake levels without your knowing.

Where can you buy IO Genix Stay Clean?

The 60-capsule 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 ask to see what the customer is already taking before recommending this bottle: with a ten-ingredient complex, the risk is not a shortfall, it is repetition. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury?

IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury is a concentrated fish oil in softgel capsules. One 1.42 g softgel provides 1,000 mg of fish oil, of which 500 mg is EPA and 250 mg is DHA. The oil comes from wild anchovies from the South Pacific and the bottle contains 120 softgels.

The figure that matters is not the oil content but that of the two fatty acids it contains. Plenty of products advertise "1,000 mg of omega 3" without stating the EPA and DHA share, which may amount to no more than 300 mg in total. Here, the concentration is stated outright: 50% EPA, 25% DHA, i.e. 750 mg of useful fatty acids per capsule. That is this product's main selling point.

EPA and DHA are the two long-chain omega 3 fatty acids, which the body is very poor at making from plant sources. They come essentially from oily fish — sardine, mackerel, herring, anchovy. The rest of the Spanish range sits in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our omega 3 section.

What does one Super Omega 3 Luxury softgel contain?

A single softgel is enough to meet the thresholds for three health claims authorised in Europe, and that is rare. With 750 mg of EPA and DHA combined, the 250 mg per day condition is comfortably exceeded: EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function. And with exactly 250 mg of DHA, the two claims specific to that fatty acid are met as well: DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision. These are the exact wordings of the European framework, and they are enough: there is no need to invent others.

The two-to-one ratio between EPA and DHA is a common formulation choice for oils intended for general use. Some products favour DHA instead — that is the case with oils aimed at pregnant women. Here, the balance is even-handed, with EPA in the lead.

One technical point deserves an explanation, because it determines how the product should be taken: the oil is in ethyl ester form. This is the form that results from the concentration process needed to reach 75% EPA and DHA — a crude fish oil contains three to four times less. In return, this form is absorbed markedly better in the presence of dietary fat. That is the technical reason behind the instruction to take it with food, and it is no minor detail.

The manufacturer states two traceability details that we reproduce as they stand: the oil is derived from wild anchovies from the South Pacific and concentrated by molecular distillation. A tocopherol blend, i.e. natural vitamin E, acts as an antioxidant to prevent the oil going rancid.

Ingredients list

Concentrated FISH oil (ethyl esters, 50% EPA and 25% DHA, from anchovies), softgel shell (bovine GELATINE, humectant: vegetable glycerine, purified water), antioxidant (tocopherol blend).

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

How do you take Super Omega 3 Luxury?

Dose: 1 to 4 softgels a day depending on your dietary intake. Fluid: a large glass of water. Timing: with main meals, never on an empty stomach. Frequency: spread across one or two meals. Duration: continuous supplementation, with no set course or break.

Taking it with a meal is the single most important instruction on this page, for two distinct reasons. The first is technical: the ethyl ester form is absorbed far better alongside dietary fats. The second is practical: on an empty stomach, fish oil frequently causes fishy repeats, and that is the main reason people give up on this type of supplement.

The manufacturer recommends building up gradually: one softgel a day for the first week, then increasing as needed. That is sound advice, and it lets you spot any digestive intolerance before you reach four capsules.

How do you choose your dose? The criterion is simple: how much oily fish you eat. If you have it twice a week, one softgel a day tops up your intake nicely. If you never eat it, two to four softgels are more warranted. The manufacturer sets the ceiling at four a day, i.e. 3,000 mg of EPA and DHA combined — well below the 5 g per day threshold set at European level.

This is not a course-based product: omega 3 intake is built up over time, and taking it daily on an ongoing basis makes more sense than a six-week course. Expect several weeks before supplementation shows up in the body's parameters.

If the softgels are hard to swallow, the manufacturer suggests putting them in the fridge for thirty minutes: they firm up slightly and go down more easily. Do not chew them and do not open them. The product combines without overlap with a vitamin D, a multivitamin or a standardised turmeric, and it in fact supplies the fatty base that improves their absorption.

Who is Super Omega 3 Luxury for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone whose diet provides little oily fish, which is the case for a large share of the French population. It is probably the best-justified supplement in this whole catalogue: it fills a genuine dietary gap and it carries authorised health claims, two conditions few products meet at once.

It is obviously not suitable for anyone allergic to fish, since the oil is derived from anchovies. Nor is it suitable for vegetarians or vegans: the oil is of marine origin and the softgel shell is bovine gelatine. An algae oil would then be the only alternative genuinely providing EPA and DHA.

Two medical precautions are worth reading carefully. The manufacturer asks you to consult a healthcare professional if you are taking anticoagulants, and advises against the product if you have surgery scheduled, stopping two weeks beforehand. This second instruction is specific and rarely mentioned: make a note of it if an operation is planned, including a major tooth extraction.

The product is presented as suitable for adults and children over 6 years of age. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a doctor before use — a European claim does indeed exist regarding maternal DHA intake, but it is subject to specific intake conditions that call for professional advice.

What not to expect from it: this is not a sports performance product, it will neither build muscle nor shed fat. You will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal. Nor is it a treatment: any question about cholesterol, blood pressure or a blood panel is one for your doctor.

Fish oil or plant-based omega 3?

This is the question that comes up most often in this section, and the answer is more clear-cut than people assume.

Plant sources — linseed oil, walnuts, rapeseed, chia seeds — provide ALA, a short-chain omega 3. The body can convert it into EPA and then DHA, but that conversion rate is low, particularly for DHA. In other words, an ALA intake does not replace a direct intake of EPA and DHA, and the European claims do not in fact cover the same functions.

Fish oil delivers the two long-chain fatty acids directly, at the dose and in the ratio stated on the label. It is the most direct route, the best documented and the cheapest per milligram of EPA and DHA.

The only truly equivalent alternative for a vegan diet is algae oil, which provides DHA — and sometimes EPA — without going through fish. It costs more, but it is the only solution that holds up. To round out a routine, a vitamin D is taken with the same meal and benefits from the same fatty base, as does a vitamin E. And if what you are after is an antioxidant in its own right rather than a fatty acid, our coenzyme Q10 section answers a different need.

Frequently asked questions

How much EPA and DHA per capsule?

500 mg of EPA and 250 mg of DHA, i.e. 750 mg of useful fatty acids per 1,000 mg of oil. That is a 75% concentration, far above that of a crude fish oil. A single softgel is enough to meet the thresholds of the European claims on heart function, brain function and vision.

Why take them with a meal?

For two reasons. The ethyl ester form is absorbed markedly better in the presence of dietary fat. And on an empty stomach, fish oil often causes fishy repeats, unpleasant enough to make people abandon the course.

How many softgels a day?

One to four depending on your oily fish intake. One a day if you eat it twice a week; two to four if you never eat it. The manufacturer sets the ceiling at four, i.e. 3,000 mg of EPA and DHA, well below the 5 g per day threshold set at European level.

Should you stop before an operation?

The manufacturer asks for it explicitly: stop two weeks before scheduled surgery. This instruction also applies if you are on anticoagulant medication, in which case medical advice is needed before you even start.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No, on two counts: the oil comes from anchovies and the softgel shell is bovine gelatine. For a vegan diet, only an algae oil genuinely provides EPA and DHA.

Is there a fishy taste?

That is the classic complaint about this category, and it almost always comes from taking them on an empty stomach. With a meal, the phenomenon disappears in the vast majority of cases. The tocopherol blend in the formula also limits the oil going rancid.

Do you need to take breaks?

No. Unlike most products in this section, omega 3 is taken continuously: it fills a dietary gap that does not itself take a break. The 120-softgel bottle covers thirty days at the maximum dose, and four months at one softgel a day.

Where to buy IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury?

The 120-softgel bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend first when a customer asks where to start: the question "how many times a week do you eat oily fish?" almost always settles it. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Synephrine?

It is a single-ingredient supplement, in capsules, containing 330 mg of bitter orange dry extract (Citrus aurantium L.) standardised to 6%, that is 19.8 mg of p-synephrine per capsule. The bottle of 100 capsules, 58 g net, covers more than three months at one capsule a day.

P-synephrine is a molecule found naturally in the bitter orange fruit. To give a sense of scale: the manufacturer states that one litre of bitter orange juice contains between 15 and 27 mg of it, where a capsule delivers 19.8 mg in standardised form. That is the most useful comparison for understanding what you are buying.

The rest of the composition fits in three lines: a gelatine capsule shell, microcrystalline cellulose as a bulking agent and magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent. As the capsule shell is made of gelatine, the product is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. It joins our fat burners in capsules and IO Genix sections.

What is in one capsule?

Other ingredients: capsule shell (gelatine), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate). Pack size: 100 capsules, 58 g net. No energy value is declared and, at this scale, it is negligible.

A point of vocabulary first, because it accounts for half the comparison mistakes made in this category: 330 mg is the weight of the extract, 19.8 mg the weight of the active molecule. A label that advertises “500 mg of bitter orange” without giving a standardisation figure tells you nothing at all. It is the second number you should look for, every time.

That figure of 19.8 mg is anything but arbitrary, and it is the most important point on this page. ANSES has published an opinion on food supplements intended for athletes containing synephrine and recommends not exceeding 20 mg of synephrine per day, avoiding combination with caffeine and not consuming it during intense physical exercise. This product sits just under that limit, which is to its credit — but it also means there is no margin at all: one capsule only, never two, and nothing else alongside it.

On effects, the framework is unambiguous: no health claim is authorised in Europe for synephrine or for bitter orange. Not on weight, not on fat, not on energy, not on appetite. So you will read no promise here, not even one phrased indirectly. The “fat burner” label used in our sections is a commercial category name, not a description of an effect.

How do you take Synephrine?

Dose: 1 capsule a day, never more. Liquid: a large glass of water. When: in the morning on waking. How often: one intake a day. Duration: the manufacturer sets no precise duration but recommends a periodic break.

One discrepancy has to be flagged, and we will not pass over it in silence. The manufacturer suggests taking it “before training”; the ANSES opinion, on the contrary, recommends avoiding the consumption of synephrine during intense physical exercise. Between the two, we follow ANSES: take the capsule in the morning, well away from your session. That is the advice we give over the counter, and it deliberately differs from the leaflet.

Second instruction, and this one is absolute: never combine this product with another source of caffeine or stimulant without medical advice. That includes coffee, tea, energy drinks and above all pre-workouts, which commonly contain 200 to 350 mg of caffeine. The manufacturer says so, and so does ANSES: on this point there is no debate.

The manufacturer also advises against taking it late in the day, so as not to disturb sleep. With 100 capsules in the bottle, it covers more than three months — so plan the breaks it recommends rather than running through it without interruption.

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

It is aimed at healthy adults engaged in a structured weight loss approach who want a single active ingredient with its standardisation stated. On that last point, the label is exemplary: one extract, one standardisation figure, one active molecule content.

The list of contraindications is one of the longest in the catalogue, and it needs to be read in full. The product is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and adolescents, people on medical treatment, or people suffering from cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, glaucoma, diabetes, prostate adenoma, depression or thyroid disorders. If any one of these applies to you, this product is not for you, and that is not negotiable.

It is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans, as the shell is made of gelatine. Traces of GLUTEN (wheat and oats), NUTS, PEANUT, EGG, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible. Nor is it for you if you drink coffee during the day or already take a caffeinated pre-workout booster: stacking stimulants is precisely what the health authorities ask you to avoid.

What not to expect from it, and we will be blunt: this product does not make you lose weight. No claim exists, which means no European authority has validated any effect. Nor is it a pre-workout, or an appetite suppressant. If your calorie deficit is not in place, this bottle will change absolutely nothing.

Synephrine or a stimulant-free fat burner?

That is the real choice in this category, and it does not come down to effectiveness — neither family has an authorised claim — but to the balance between constraints and sensations.

A caffeine-free fat burner cannot be felt and imposes no constraints: no timing to respect, no stacking to watch, no cardiovascular contraindication. It is the better choice for the vast majority of people, and by far the safest. You will feel nothing at all, which is precisely the point.

Synephrine belongs to the other family, the actives with a stimulant effect, like the thermogenics in the fat burners section. It is only of interest in one specific case: you want a single active, dosed below the threshold recommended by ANSES, with no caffeine added to the formula — which leaves you in full control of your other intakes. That is a genuine advantage over a complete thermogenic in which caffeine is imposed on you.

The advice we actually give over the counter: if you drink coffee, walk on by. And if you are going to add a single supplement during a deficit, take a protein rather than a fat burner — protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass is an authorised claim, and that is what a diet really hinges on.

Frequently asked questions

Is 19.8 mg of p-synephrine a lot?

It is just under the threshold of 20 mg a day recommended by ANSES for synephrine in supplements intended for athletes. In other words: the dose is set at the maximum of what is advised, and there is no margin. One capsule a day, never two, and nothing else alongside it.

Can it be combined with a coffee or a pre-workout?

No. The manufacturer advises against it and ANSES recommends avoiding the combination of synephrine with caffeine. A pre-workout commonly delivers 200 to 350 mg of caffeine: stacking is exactly what should be avoided. On this specific point, there is no room for compromise.

Should it be taken before training?

The manufacturer suggests it, but ANSES recommends avoiding the consumption of synephrine during intense physical exercise. We follow ANSES: take the capsule in the morning, well away from your session. It is a deliberate departure from the leaflet, and we would rather explain it than keep quiet about it.

What is the difference between 330 mg and 19.8 mg?

The first figure is the weight of the plant extract, the second the weight of the p-synephrine it contains, at a standardisation of 6%. It is the second one you should compare from one product to another. A label that gives an extract weight without a standardisation figure allows no comparison at all.

How long does a bottle last?

More than three months, at one capsule a day for 100 capsules. The manufacturer recommends periodic breaks rather than uninterrupted use: plan them from the outset rather than running straight through to the last tablet.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No, the shell is made of gelatine of animal origin. The contents, on the other hand, are indeed a plant extract of bitter orange. The manufacturer also reports possible traces of gluten, nuts, peanut, egg, milk, fish and soya.

Why are there so many contraindications?

Because synephrine is an active with a stimulant effect, structurally close to molecules that act on the cardiovascular system. The manufacturer rules out in particular cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, glaucoma, diabetes, prostate adenoma, depression and thyroid disorders. That list is not decorative: read it before buying.

Where to buy IO Genix Synephrine?

The bottle of 100 capsules can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. Three months per bottle: this is a purchase that belongs to the long run, not to a moment of impulse.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product in front of which we ask three questions before selling: do you drink coffee, are you on any medication, and what time do you train? A single wrong answer is enough to put it back on the shelf, and that happens often. The rest of the range can be compared in our sports nutrition section.

Source: ANSES.

What is IO Genix TestoLuxe?

IO Genix TestoLuxe is a capsule complex from the Luxury range, sold in a box of 120 capsules — that is 30 days at 4 capsules a day. It brings together thirteen components, every one of them quantified to the milligram, which is rare in a category so often filled with proprietary blends.

The formula combines patented extracts — KSM-66® Ashwagandha, Primavie® Shilajit, Testofen® Fenugreek, AstraGin® and BioPerine® — with D-aspartic acid, saw palmetto, cordyceps, dimethylglycine, and four micronutrients: vitamins B3, B5, D and zinc.

One thing has to be said straight away, because it shapes this entire page: of those thirteen components, only one carries an authorised claim in Europe — zinc. We come back to this in detail below. The product sits in our IO Genix range.

What do four capsules contain?

Everything is quantified, which allows an honest comparison with any competitor. One reservation all the same: the form of vitamin B3 is not specified. At 54 mg the difference matters — at that level nicotinic acid causes the well-known facial flush, nicotinamide does not. We flag the missing detail rather than guess at it.

Here now is the central point, and we put it plainly. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood: that is a wording approved by European Regulation 432/2012, applicable from 15% of the NRV, and the 10 mg in this formula cover 100% of it. Zinc also contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to normal protein synthesis and to normal fertility. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function and normal bones, and vitamins B3 and B5 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism, with B3 also contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

By contrast, no claim is authorised in Europe for D-aspartic acid, ashwagandha, shilajit, fenugreek, saw palmetto, cordyceps, dimethylglycine or the AstraGin® and BioPerine® extracts. The 1,500 mg of DAA make up the highest dose in the formula; we list it because it appears on the label, without attributing any effect to it. “Testosterone booster” is a commercial category name, not a promise — and you now know where the only statement we can stand behind comes from.

How should TestoLuxe be taken?

Dose: 4 capsules a day, never more. Fluid: a large glass of water with each serving. Timing: 2 capsules in the morning and 2 at midday, with meals — ideally 30 minutes before breakfast and 30 minutes before lunch. Frequency: two servings a day. Duration: a course of at least 30 days, with possible cycles of 8 to 12 weeks and a 2 to 4 week break between courses.

Splitting the dose in two is not fussiness: four capsules at once, on an empty stomach, sit badly with a good many people. Two in the morning and two at midday spread the load and make it easier to stick with over thirty days.

The manufacturer explicitly advises against combining it with another hormonal product. That instruction is worth following: stacking two formulas of this kind multiplies the extracts without multiplying anything else. On the other hand, if a blood test shows a deficiency in vitamin D or zinc, a dedicated supplement can make sense — but do the arithmetic, the formula already provides 100% of the NRV for each.

One last point, and it is the most honest on this page: the manufacturer itself is a reminder that sleep (7 to 8 hours), regular strength training, stress management and diet all count. Those four levers weigh infinitely more than any capsule, and no supplement replaces them.

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

The manufacturer restricts it explicitly to adult men over 18. That is the first criterion, and it is not negotiable.

The contraindications are numerous. Not for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Not recommended for people with hormonal disorders or on medical treatment. Consult a doctor before use in case of cardiovascular, liver or kidney problems. Do not exceed 4 capsules a day. And one specific point: the product is not recommended in case of allergy to plants of the Fabaceae family, fenugreek being one of them — that family also includes peanut, pea and soya.

Let us add a note of caution of our own: the presence of BioPerine® at 10 mg, a black pepper extract standardised in piperine, alters the liver metabolism of many medicines. If you are on any treatment at all, the question is one to put to your doctor or pharmacist before opening the box.

What not to expect from it: a transformation. No claim allows anyone to announce a rise in testosterone beyond the maintenance of normal levels by zinc, and that wording describes precisely a maintenance, not an increase. If you are experiencing symptoms of hormonal deficiency — persistent fatigue, reduced libido, unexplained loss of strength — the useful step is a blood test prescribed by a doctor. Not a box of capsules.

TestoLuxe or zinc on its own?

This is the most useful comparison we can make here, and it is an uncomfortable one for the product. Better to own it.

A zinc sold on its own, or a ZMA complex combining zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6, costs a fraction of the price of this product. And it carries exactly the same authorised claim: zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood. If that wording is what convinced you, be aware that a bottle of zinc costing a few euros holds it just as well. That is the truth, and we would rather give it to you before the purchase.

What TestoLuxe adds on top is an assembly of patented extracts — KSM-66®, Primavie®, Testofen® — that would be long and expensive to put together separately, with every dose published and a single daily routine to manage. If you were going to try ashwagandha, shilajit and fenugreek anyway, buying them together makes a case for itself. If you were only after the effect of zinc, it does not. Plants of this kind are also available separately under ashwagandha, shilajit and fenugreek.

Frequently asked questions

How long does one box last?

Thirty days. The box holds 120 capsules and the dose is 4 a day. For a cycle of 8 to 12 weeks as the manufacturer recommends, count on two to three boxes, followed by a 2 to 4 week break.

What is the only effect that can be claimed?

The one from zinc: it contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, and the 10 mg in the formula cover 100% of the NRV. No other component holds an authorised claim in Europe. We would rather say so clearly than keep things vague.

Is the product suitable for women?

No. The manufacturer restricts it explicitly to adult men over 18, and rules it out for pregnant or breastfeeding women. That restriction appears on the label and we repeat it as it stands.

Can it be taken alongside medical treatment?

Not without medical advice. The product is not recommended for people on treatment, and the presence of BioPerine® — a black pepper extract standardised in piperine — alters the metabolism of many medicines. Put the question to your doctor or pharmacist.

Can the 54 mg of vitamin B3 cause flushing?

That depends on the form used, which the manufacturer does not specify. As nicotinic acid, a flush is possible at that dose; as nicotinamide, it is not. If you notice facial redness after taking it, it is harmless and passes within half an hour.

Should breaks be taken?

Yes, the manufacturer recommends cycles of 8 to 12 weeks followed by a 2 to 4 week break. The minimum course is 30 days, that is one box: below that, there is no point.

Can it be combined with another hormonal booster?

No, the manufacturer explicitly advises against it. Stacking two formulas of this kind multiplies the extracts and the costs without guaranteeing anything, and complicates matters if an adverse effect appears. One at a time.

Where to buy IO Genix TestoLuxe?

The box of 120 capsules can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is a complete and fully quantified formula, which makes it comparable — and that already counts for a lot in a category dominated by proprietary blends.

In Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we talk through at length before selling it, because the expectations it raises often go beyond what the regulations allow anyone to announce. Better to know that beforehand than after.

What is IO Genix Thermo R8?

IO Genix Thermo R8 is a fat burner in capsule form — that is the commercial name of the category, not a promise of results. One capsule brings together eight actives: 250 mg of taurine, 200 mg of L-carnitine tartrate, 125 mg of anhydrous caffeine, 125 mg of artichoke extract, 100 mg of guarana extract, 100 mg of green tea extract, 75 mg of L-tyrosine and 25 mg of cayenne. The bottle holds 120 of them.

That is where the product name comes from: eight ingredients, one single capsule. The format is what explains its real appeal. Buying a carnitine, a taurine, a green tea and a guarana separately means stacking four tubs and swallowing four to six capsules a day. Here everything fits into a single intake, and you know to the milligram what you are taking, because nothing is hidden behind a "proprietary blend".

Caffeine is the ingredient that really gives the formula its shape, and the figure to remember is not the one on the label line by line. There is 125 mg of anhydrous caffeine plus 22 mg supplied by the guarana extract, so 147 mg per capsule. That is the equivalent of a double espresso. Read that figure before anything else: it is the one that decides whether this product suits you or not. The rest of the Spanish range can be browsed in our IO Genix aisle, and the other products in the category in our fat burner capsules.

What does one Thermo R8 capsule contain?

Let us look at the doses honestly, because that is where the difference lies between a serious product and a window-dressing one. The 147 mg of caffeine is a genuine dose: it is what a strong cup of coffee contains, and it is enough to be felt. The 200 mg of carnitine, on the other hand, is modest: the published protocols on carnitine sit closer to 2 g a day, and here you are ten times below that. The same goes for taurine, whose 250 mg stays a long way from the 1 to 3 g used in the performance literature.

That is not a criticism of the product, it is a reading of what it is: a formula built around caffeine, with plants and amino acids in support. If your aim is a straightforward dose of carnitine or of taurine on its own, take them separately — you will find them in our taurine aisle.

A word on the regulatory framework, because it is stricter than the fat burner aisle would have you believe. No health claim is authorised in Europe for caffeine, green tea, guarana, carnitine or cayenne with a view to weight loss or energy expenditure. The dossiers submitted were rejected. So we describe the composition and the usage, without announcing any effect on body fat. No fat burner has ever made anyone lose a gram if their diet did not change.

The artichoke extract is standardised to 3 mg of cynarin, and the green tea extract to 50% polyphenols of which 30% catechins — two declared standardisations, which remains rare in this aisle, where "green tea extract" is often written without saying what it contains.

Ingredients list

Taurine, L-carnitine tartrate, anhydrous caffeine, dry artichoke extract (Cynara scolymus L.), dry guarana extract (Paullinia cupana Kunth.), dry green tea extract (Camellia sinensis L. Kuntze), L-tyrosine, cayenne powder (Capsicum frutescens L.). Other components: anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate), rice flour. Capsule shell: GELATINE, colouring.

Made in a facility that handles GLUTEN, MILK, EGG, SOYA, NUTS and FISH.

How do you take Thermo R8?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning on waking on non-training days, or 30 minutes before the session on training days. Frequency: one intake a day only, never after 16:00. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of one to two months, followed by a two-week break.

The "never after 16:00" instruction is not decorative. Caffeine has a half-life of several hours: a capsule taken at 18:00 before an evening session will still leave a notable amount of caffeine in your blood at bedtime. And shortened sleep does more damage to a cutting phase than any fat burner can make up for. If you consistently train in the evening, this is not the right product.

The two-week break has a precise reason: caffeine tolerance sets in fast, within two to three weeks for most people. Beyond that point, the same capsule does very little. The break resets the counter. It is an instruction few manufacturers write down, and this one is worth following.

One capsule a day, not two. The threshold of 400 mg of caffeine a day set by the European Food Safety Authority for a healthy adult is quickly reached once you add the morning coffee, the afternoon tea and a pre-workout. Do the arithmetic before doubling the dose. If you already take a caffeinated pre-workout, space the two intakes out or choose a stimulant-free version.

The product fits without overlap alongside a protein and a multivitamin complex, neither of which supplies any caffeine.

Who is Thermo R8 for, and who is it not for?

It suits an adult who tolerates caffeine well, who trains in the morning or in the early afternoon, and who is already in a calorie deficit. That last condition is not a turn of phrase: it is the deficit that makes you lose fat, and no capsule will change that if the plate does not follow.

It is not suitable if you are sensitive to stimulants, if you have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disorders, if you are on medication without having discussed it with your doctor, or if you sleep badly. It is not recommended for children, adolescents, pregnant women or breastfeeding women — 147 mg of caffeine per intake is already half the daily reference figure set for pregnancy.

The capsule shell is made of gelatine: the product is therefore suitable neither for vegetarians nor for vegans. People with allergies should read the facility statement above carefully.

What you should not expect from it. It does not make you lose weight. It does not target one area of the body. It does not make up for a diet that exceeds your needs. What you will actually feel is the effect of the caffeine: more alertness, a session that starts more easily, sometimes a slightly smaller appetite in the late morning. That is already useful, and it is all that can honestly be said about it. Any question about a treatment, a medical condition or significant weight loss is a matter for your doctor or your pharmacist.

Thermo R8 or a caffeine-free fat burner?

That is the real question to ask in this aisle, and it is settled in a minute.

If you cope with caffeine and you train before 16:00, Thermo R8 is coherent: 147 mg per capsule, eight actives, one single intake. You have nothing to stack alongside it.

If you are sensitive to stimulants, if you train in the evening, or if you already drink three coffees a day, take the other route. Our caffeine-free fat burner aisle brings together formulas built on carnitine, chromium or plant extracts, with no stimulant. They do not deliver the kick of Thermo R8 — that is precisely the point — and they can be taken at any hour, including the evening, without touching your sleep.

The choice is therefore settled not on the supposed effectiveness of one or the other, but on your tolerance and on the timing of your sessions. For a powder to be mixed rather than a capsule, our fat burner powder aisle offers a third option, often more heavily dosed in carnitine. And if your overall aim is structured weight loss, the whole weight loss aisle is worth a look before you choose.

Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is in one Thermo R8 capsule?

147 mg in total: 125 mg of anhydrous caffeine plus 22 mg supplied by the guarana extract. That is the equivalent of a double espresso. This figure is the most important one on the label, and it has to be added to your coffee and your pre-workout to work out your total for the day.

How long does one bottle last?

The bottle holds 120 capsules and the dose is one capsule a day, which comes to 120 days. Since the manufacturer recommends courses of one to two months separated by two-week breaks, one bottle covers two to four full courses in practice.

Can it be taken before an evening session?

No, and that is the product's main limitation. The manufacturer sets the cut-off at 16:00. With 147 mg of caffeine and a half-life of several hours, an intake late in the day degrades your sleep. If you train in the evening, turn to a stimulant-free formula.

Should you take breaks between courses?

Yes. The manufacturer sets out a course of one to two months, then two weeks off. The reason is simple: caffeine tolerance sets in within two to three weeks, and without a break the same capsule ends up doing nothing. Starting again after the break restores your sensitivity.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is gelatine, of animal origin. There is no plant-based version of this reference. The eight actives themselves pose no problem, but the capsule that holds them does.

Is the carnitine dose high enough?

200 mg per capsule is a supporting dose, not a main one. The published protocols on L-carnitine use more like 2 g a day. If carnitine is your objective, take it as a standalone product and consider Thermo R8 for what it is: a formula built around caffeine.

Does this product make you lose weight?

No, and no product in this aisle does. No weight-loss claim is authorised in Europe for caffeine, green tea, guarana or carnitine. Losing body fat comes from a calorie deficit and physical activity. This type of formula supports an approach already in place, it does not replace it.

Where can you buy IO Genix Thermo R8?

The 120-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 on which we always ask the same question before selling it: what time do you train, and how many coffees do you drink a day. The two answers are almost always enough to point someone either to this one or to a stimulant-free formula. The whole category can be browsed in our fat burners aisle.

What is IO Genix Tribulus?

IO Genix Tribulus is a dry extract of Tribulus terrestris in capsules, enriched with vitamin B6. Two capsules provide 2,000 mg of extract, of which 1,800 mg are saponins, i.e. a 90% standardisation. The bottle holds 100 capsules, which comes to 50 days at the daily dose set by the manufacturer.

Tribulus, also known as puncture vine, is a creeping plant from dry regions, long used in the Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions. What interests supplement manufacturers are its steroidal saponins, and protodioscin in particular. Hence the importance of standardisation: an extract at 90% saponins has nothing to do with raw plant powder, where the content is measured in single-digit percentages.

This is the point to watch when comparing two tribulus products. A product advertising "1,000 mg of tribulus" without saying what percentage it is standardised to may contain ten times fewer saponins than this one. Here, the figure is printed on the label and can be checked. The rest of the Spanish range can be browsed in our IO Genix section, and the full category in our tribulus terrestris section.

What does a dose of Tribulus contain?

1,800 mg of saponins per day is a straightforward dose, at the top of what is offered in this category. Many products on the market stop at 500 or 750 mg of extract standardised to 40 or 60%, which gives three to five times fewer saponins for an equivalent number of capsules. If you are comparing two labels, that is the line to set side by side, never the gross weight of the extract.

The vitamin B6 is not there by chance, and it is the only ingredient in the formula that carries authorised claims in Europe. Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity, contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. These are the exact wordings of the European framework. At 1.4 mg, the daily dose covers 100% of the nutrient reference value, which is amply enough to qualify for these wordings.

As for tribulus itself, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe. Not for testosterone, not for libido, not for strength, not for muscle mass. The dossiers submitted did not succeed. And on the substance of it, the published work in healthy adult men does not show any increase in circulating testosterone. This is information most sellers in this category would rather not give; we prefer you to have it before you buy rather than after.

Data missing from the manufacturer's file: the composition of the capsule shell is not specified, so it is not possible to state that it is plant-based. We will not infer it. The information appears on the packaging as received.

List of ingredients

Tribulus dry extract (Tribulus terrestris L., 90% saponins), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride).

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

How should Tribulus be taken?

Dose: 2 capsules. Liquid: a glass of water, 200 to 250 ml. Timing: 30 minutes before training, or split one in the morning and one in the evening with a meal. Frequency: two capsules per day, in one or two servings. Duration: a 6 to 8 week course, then one to two weeks off before any repeat course.

The manufacturer allows two possible dosing patterns and they are not equivalent depending on how you use it. Taken all at once before the session, you concentrate the dose; split morning and evening, you spread the intake across the day. If you have a delicate stomach, the second option is the right one: tribulus taken on an empty stomach sometimes causes digestive discomfort, and a meal solves the problem.

Duration matters more than timing. A two-week course makes no sense with this kind of plant: the manufacturer sets out 6 to 8 weeks, and that is the minimum needed to form an opinion. The 100-capsule bottle covers 50 days, i.e. a little over seven weeks — it is sized exactly for one full course, which is rather well judged.

The one to two week break between courses comes from the traditional use of the plant, not from any documented safety constraint. Above all it has the merit of forcing you to take stock: if you notice nothing after eight weeks, it is more honest to stop than to reorder out of habit.

Tribulus combines without overlap with a ZMA taken at bedtime, with maca or with fenugreek, which belong to the same category but are based on different plants.

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

The manufacturer restricts this product to adult men. That is a firm position, and it deserves to be respected exactly as it is written on the packaging.

It is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, nor for minors. It is not advised for people on medical treatment: tribulus is not an innocuous plant and the opinion of a doctor or pharmacist is essential before combining it with any medicine. People with allergies should note the possible traces of gluten, egg, milk, fish and soya.

What you should not expect from it, and this is the heart of this page. Tribulus does not build muscle. It does not raise testosterone in a healthy adult man — the available studies do not show it. It replaces neither structured training, nor adequate protein intake, nor proper sleep. If your goal is muscle mass, the money is better spent on a protein and on creatine monohydrate, two products whose effect on strength and mass is, by contrast, extensively documented.

It remains an interesting plant for anyone who wants to try it as part of a traditional use, with a standardised extract and a clearly stated dose. That is what we sell here: a dosed and transparent extract, not a promise.

Tribulus or ashwagandha?

The two plants often turn up in the same basket, and yet they do not answer the same logic.

Tribulus is a saponin-bearing plant, associated in the Ayurvedic tradition with male vitality. Its interest lies in the standardisation: at 90% saponins and 1,800 mg per day, this product is seriously dosed. But in terms of human data, the file remains thin.

Ashwagandha sits on different ground: it is an adaptogen, traditionally associated with stress management and sleep quality, and it is the more studied of the two plants. If your motivation is poor sleep or a demanding period, it is our ashwagandha section you should go to, not this one.

In which case is tribulus the better choice? When you are looking for precisely that plant, for a traditional use, and you want a highly standardised extract rather than a raw powder. That is a legitimate choice, provided you know what you are buying. For an intake of minerals linked to hormonal metabolism, zinc rests on authorised claims, which is not the case for tribulus — that is a difference in kind, not in degree.

Frequently asked questions

How many saponins per day with two capsules?

1,800 mg, from 2,000 mg of dry extract, i.e. a 90% standardisation. That is the only line to compare between two tribulus products. A product advertising 1,000 mg of extract standardised to 40% delivers only 400 mg of saponins, i.e. more than four times fewer for a similar-looking claim.

Does tribulus raise testosterone?

The published work in healthy adult men does not show it, and no claim of that kind is authorised in Europe. It is a plant of traditional use, sold as such. If you have a question about your hormone levels, what you need is a blood test and a doctor, not a supplement.

Why is there vitamin B6 in a tribulus product?

Because it is the only ingredient in the formula that carries authorised claims. Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. The 1.4 mg covers 100% of the nutrient reference value.

How long does one bottle last?

100 capsules, two a day: 50 days, i.e. a little over seven weeks. The pack size corresponds exactly to the 6 to 8 week course recommended by the manufacturer, which avoids having to reorder halfway through.

Can women take it?

The manufacturer explicitly restricts this product to adult men, and it is not advised for pregnant or breastfeeding women. We stick to what is written on the packaging. For use by women, turn to other plants in the category and seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

Should it be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal?

Both are provided for by the manufacturer. On an empty stomach or between meals if you tolerate it well, with a meal if you have a sensitive stomach — tribulus sometimes causes digestive discomfort on an empty stomach. The pattern of one capsule in the morning and one in the evening with meals is the most comfortable.

Can it be combined with a creatine or a protein?

Yes, without overlap: these are three categories that do not work on the same basis. If your goal is mass and strength, start with creatine and protein, whose data are solid, and treat tribulus as a traditional-use supplement that comes afterwards.

Where can I buy IO Genix Tribulus?

The 100-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 are happy to sell, but never without saying what the studies do and do not show — a customer who buys in full knowledge comes back, a disappointed customer does not. The rest of our plants and supplements can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Turmeric Curcumin?

IO Genix Turmeric Curcumin is a turmeric-based food supplement, supplied in vegetable capsules. The bottle holds 60 of them, or thirty days at the stated dosage. It belongs to the brand's Healthy Series range, the one that brings together general nutrition products rather than those intended for training.

The formula combines two patented ingredients. Cursol® is a dry root extract of Curcuma longa, standardised in curcuminoids. BioPerine® is a black pepper fruit extract standardised to 95% piperine, present at 5 mg per two capsules. Piperine is added for a specific reason: curcumin is poorly soluble in water and heavily metabolised by the liver, and pairing it with black pepper is the most common way of limiting that loss.

The rest of the composition is short: a vegetable capsule of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and plant-derived magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent. The product is vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and non-GMO. You will find it in our turmeric range, alongside the other forms available.

What do two capsules contain?

One piece of information is missing, and it matters: the manufacturer does not publish the curcuminoid content of its extract. The label states an extract “standardised in curcuminoids” without giving the percentage. We will not guess it on their behalf. In practice, this means you cannot make a figure-for-figure comparison with an extract stating, say, 95% curcuminoids. If that level of precision matters to you, ask for it before buying, here as anywhere else.

What can be said, on the other hand: 500 mg of extract a day places the product in the low-to-mid range of market dosages, and the addition of 5 mg of piperine matches what is usually used in formulas combining the two. The 60-capsule, 30-day format is simple to keep track of, which is no small thing for a product taken daily.

One regulatory point few product pages own up to: no health claim is currently authorised in Europe for turmeric, curcumin or piperine. The applications submitted to the European authorities did not result in authorised wordings. So we describe the composition, the traditional use and the precautions — not effects. Any product page promising you an anti-inflammatory action is telling you something the regulations do not allow anyone to assert.

How do you take Turmeric Curcumin?

The five parameters are given by the manufacturer. Dose: 2 capsules a day, never more. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with meals, one capsule in the morning and one in the evening. Frequency: two spread-out intakes a day. Duration: a course of 2 to 3 months, not exceeding 3 consecutive months, followed by a one-month break.

Two practical instructions really count here. Taking it with a meal is not a formality: curcuminoids are fat-soluble, and the presence of fat in the stomach changes what becomes of them. A normally composed meal is enough, there is no need to add anything. And do not take it on an empty stomach: turmeric irritates sensitive stomachs.

If the product is new to you, start with a single capsule for the first few days to check digestive tolerance, then move up to two. Stop if digestive upset persists. And drink enough across the day, 1.5 to 2 litres, which holds true for any daily supplementation.

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

It is aimed at adults who want to bring turmeric into their daily routine without going through the spice in the kitchen, and who prefer a measured capsule to a spoonful of powder about which nothing is known. The 30-day format suits a first course well.

The list of contraindications is longer than for most products in this range, and it needs reading. The product is contraindicated in pregnant or breastfeeding women, in people on anticoagulants because of a risk of interaction, in case of gallstones or obstruction of the bile ducts, and in case of active peptic ulcer. Three situations call for prior medical advice: anticoagulant treatment, antidiabetic treatment — with closer blood glucose monitoring —, and ongoing chemotherapy, where oncological advice is required. These are not precautions for form's sake: turmeric stimulates the emptying of the gallbladder and piperine alters the metabolism of many medicines.

What you should not expect from it: it is neither a painkiller, nor a treatment, nor a substitute for medical care. If something has been hurting for weeks, the answer lies with your doctor, not in a bottle. Nor does turmeric replace a varied diet, and its value is not measured over a few days.

Turmeric or omega 3?

The two products are often bought by the same people, for the same vague reasons of general well-being. They do not, however, have the same status, and we may as well say so plainly.

Omega 3, for its part, does have claims authorised by European regulation: EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart from 250 mg a day, and DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision at the same dose. These are approved wordings, with figures attached. If you want a product whose effects are recognised by the European framework, that is the one to take, not turmeric.

Turmeric keeps its value on other ground: a very long-standing traditional use, excellent tolerance in most people outside the contraindications listed above, and a format that is simple to keep up over three months. Many people do pair it with other supplements from the glucosamine or collagen range — bearing in mind that none of those three has an authorised joint claim in Europe. We would rather tell you that once and for all than hint at it seven times.

Frequently asked questions

Why add black pepper to turmeric?

Because curcumin is poorly absorbed and rapidly transformed by the liver. Piperine, extracted from black pepper and present here at 5 mg per two capsules as BioPerine® standardised to 95%, is the ingredient most commonly paired with it to limit that elimination. It is a classic formulation choice, not an invention of the brand.

What is the curcuminoid content of the extract?

The manufacturer does not publish it. The label mentions a Cursol® extract standardised in curcuminoids, with no percentage. We flag that absence rather than put forward a figure: without it, comparison with another extract is not possible.

How long does one bottle last?

Thirty days. The bottle contains 60 vegetable capsules and the dosage is two a day. For a three-month course, then, allow three bottles, with a one-month break before starting again.

Can it be taken with an anticoagulant?

No, not without medical advice. The manufacturer lists anticoagulants among the contraindications and requires a prior consultation. The same caution applies to antidiabetic treatments, which call for closer blood glucose monitoring. Put the question to your doctor or pharmacist before opening the bottle.

Should it be taken with a meal or on an empty stomach?

With a meal, every time. Curcuminoids are fat-soluble and the meal provides the fat that goes with their absorption. Taking it on an empty stomach is advised against by the manufacturer, which links it to a risk of gastric irritation.

Are the capsules vegan?

Yes. The shell is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a plant cellulose, with no animal gelatine. The product is also gluten-free, lactose-free and non-GMO, and the anti-caking agent used is a plant-derived magnesium stearate.

Can it be taken all year round?

The manufacturer does not recommend it: it sets a limit of 3 consecutive months, followed by a one-month break. If you are looking for a product designed for continuous use, turn instead to a complex from the multivitamins range.

Where can you buy IO Genix Turmeric Curcumin?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered on this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is a product we are happy to sell, provided the question of current treatments has been put: with turmeric, the list of interactions is real, and a product page is no substitute for thirty seconds of conversation.

Our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, stocks the whole IO Genix range, including the Healthy Series references that are rarely seen elsewhere.