5% Nutrition Freak Show Review: Utilize Your Carbs for Your Workouts

Ingredients Profile

Glucose Disposal Agents are gaining popularity in the bodybuilding world due to the fact that they are sold on the premise that it is OK to have cheat meals all the time, albeit that is not the case, they can definitely help you utilize the carbs in your cheat meals. Yay! The other big benefit to GDAs are to take it pre-workout to help you with muscle pumps.

5% Nutrition starts with 1,000mg of Gymnema Sylvestre Extract. Per studies, Gymnema sylvestre is regarded as one of the plants with potent anti diabetic properties. Gymnema may actually overcome the insulin resistance that diabetics suffer from, which is a great asset to this ingredients used in the GDA to control insulin levels. Gymnema also can increase the bodies ability to utilize of glucose: it is shown to increase the activities of enzymes responsible for utilization of glucose by insulin-dependant pathways. A study was conducted where a group consumed a High Fructose Diet. Supplementation with gymnemic acid improved parameters of glucose-insulin. Some studies have used this ingredient at 400mg (containing 25% GA) so at 1,000mg @ 50% we are sitting pretty. Gymnema also can help control cholesterol levels. Limited studies do exist, but the ones that were conducted were at 200-400mg levels. At 1,000mg we feel this is a good dosage.

Banaba Powder, shown to assist in metabolizing glucose, is dosed at 500mg. Per Examine.com, we should be taking 3,000mg per day, but it is also dependent on the corosolic acid content within the concentration.

Berberine HCl is dosed at 350mg. Berberine has been shown to regulate glucose. Many diabetics use it. The typical dosage of this is 900-2,000mg per day and taken with a meal. This info suggest this should be taken 2-3x a day. As you can see by the dosage amount, we are below the recommended amount.

Cinnamon Extract is dosed at 300mg. Cinnamon is thought to work by helping optimize glucose tolerance and lower insulin resistance, however more human studies need to be conducted to confirm this. There was a double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 44 adult men and women with type 2 diabetes in which 1/2 took 1g cinnamon per day, while the other half took a placebo. Although the results were not significant, it did show that the cinnamon group did have a reduction in fasting glucose level while the placebo group actually increased. This study was at 1g, we have 300mg here.

Bitter Melon Extract is used at 300mg. Per the Diabetes Association, BME contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose-lowering effect, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p. Bitter Melon contains a lectin that reduces blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and suppressing appetite. Per studies, the best effect at lowering blood glucose levels was at 2,000mg per day.

We get Na-R[+]-Alpha Lipoic Acid at 200mg. R-Lipoic Acid has been found to play a pivotal role in liver health as well as both glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, diabetes, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and energy production. Most of the over-the-counter supplements are at 100mg, recommended to take 2-3x per day, we are okay with the 200mg dosing.

Fenugreek Extract is dosed at 100mg.  We typically see Fenugreek used in testosterone boosters, but studies show that it can have an impact on lowering fasting blood sugar levels. Per one study, participants consumed 10g of powder per day and it significantly reduced their FBS levels. Now at 10g, we are not even close. These studies were done with seeds, and not extracts, so it is hard to say if 100mg is sufficient or not.

Lastly, BioPerine is used at 10mg to help with absorptions.

Every ingredient used in this product is meant to help control and metabolize blood sugar levels. The short is that the sugars are used for energy during your workout, and allow you to have a cheat meal. Many of the ingredients do need more studies, but there are solid, proven ingredients used. 

Effectiveness

I would use my Freak Show pre-workout with a powdered carb source to ensure I had massive pumps. Massive pumps is what I had. I would consumer 15-25g carbs pre-workout with a dosage of Freak Show and my pumps were noticeably larger. I did take Freak Show with a cheat meal as well, and the typical post-food crash did not occur with me. To me this seems like it was hard-at-work metabolizing those blood sugars and controlling insulin levels to ensure I was not going to hit a wall. 

Overall, I feel this was effective, but with GDA it is really hard to tell. For me it was the anti-crash post-meal and the solid pumps in the gym. 

Value

While most GDAs are $40+ for 30-servings, Freak Show retails for under $40 for 30-servings. Based on the ingredients used, and the servings included, I feel this is a fair price for a GDA that I feel works. Yes, more work needs to be done on the ingredients with human studies, but at the end of the day we have to go off of what we know, and this is what we know today.