The PricePlow Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In Episode 153 of the PricePlow Podcast, we’re joined by Danielle Citrolo, Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at Kyowa Hakko USA, to discuss exciting new research on Cognizin Citicoline.

Cognizin, an industry-leading nootropic ingredient known for its benefits in brain health, has long been praised for its ability to support focus, memory, and attention. In this episode, Danielle dives deep into the latest findings, highlighting the cutting-edge science behind how Cognizin impacts gene expression at the cellular level, offering fresh insights into how it supports cognitive function.

Analyzing Cognizin Citicoline at the Genetic Level

Danielle explains how recent studies using a sophisticated triculture model of brain cells revealed new mechanisms of action for citicoline. By examining gene expression and neuronal activity, researchers were able to uncover how Cognizin affects brain structure and function, from enhancing neuronal communication to promoting healthy cholesterol synthesis in the brain. These discoveries take the understanding of Cognizin’s benefits to the next level, offering a deeper look at how this powerful nootropic works beyond just boosting focus and attention.

Throughout the episode, Danielle also touches on the broader implications of this research, particularly in the areas of mitochondrial health and neuroprotection. With ongoing studies into its potential benefits for women’s cognitive health, sleep quality, and mood regulation, Cognizin continues to lead the way in the nootropic industry. Whether you’re a biohacker, a health enthusiast, or simply curious about the latest advancements in brain health, this episode is packed with exciting discoveries.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/danielle-citrolo-cognizin-genetic-research-153

Video: Daneille Citrolo of Kyowa Hakko Talks Cognizin Gene Research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g53Mb2PpEf8

• (00:00) – Introduction to Danielle
• (02:15) – Exploring the New Study on Cognizin
• (07:15) – Understanding Metabolomics and Cognizin
• (12:15) – The Triculture Model Explained
• (18:00) – Gene Expression and Cognizin’s Impact
• (23:45) – Future Research Directions and Applications
• (28:15) – Potential in Women’s Health and Cognitive Function
• (36:30) – Conclusion and Future Studies

Where to Find Danielle and Kyowa Hakko USA

• Sign up for PricePlow’s Kyowa Hakko news alerts
• Danielle Citrolo on LinkedIn
• Kyowa Hakko USA on LinkedIn

Thanks for joining us, Daneille! Please subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on any platform and leave us reviews!

In Episode #152 of the PricePlow Podcast, Mike and Ben are joined by Shawn Wells, Chief Science Officer, and Dustin Elliott, the new Chief Brand Officer at NNB Nutrition, to explore the innovative world of nutraceuticals and the exciting future of the company. Shawn, a returning guest, shares his insights on NNB’s cutting-edge ingredient development, while Dustin discusses his new role and the brand-building strategies he’s implementing to drive demand for their premium ingredients in the U.S. market.

The episode dives deep into NNB’s latest innovations, including the highly anticipated ingredient, Dileucine (DL-185), which is poised to make a significant impact in the world of muscle protein synthesis. The conversation also covers the potential of dihydroberberine (GlucoVantage) as a powerful GLP-1 agonist, providing an accessible alternative to popular pharmaceuticals for blood sugar control and appetite suppression.

Listeners will also get an inside look at NNB’s product development process, including the science behind their hydration formula, ElectroPrime, and the fermentation-based innovation, SalidroPure, which offers a sustainable and potent alternative to traditional Rhodiola extract. The guys also talk about NNB’s involvement in the big XPO NRG collaborative promotional energy drink made for SupplySide West.

The episode then takes a pretty wild twist at the end, with Shawn explaining his psychedelic experiences and how he uses dietary supplements to replete his neurotransmitters.

Packed with fascinating insights from two industry leaders, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the cutting-edge science behind functional ingredients and the growing influence of the nutraceutical industry.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/shawn-wells-dustin-elliott-nnb-nutrition-152

Video: Shawn Wells and Dustin Elliott on NNB Nutrition’s Growth and Future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bRAYNXNFnk

Detailed Show Notes: Shawn and Dustin Talk GLP-1, MPS, Collab Energy, and… Pyschadelic Supplement Stacks?!

• (0:00) – Introductions
• (7:30) – GLP-1 Trends
• (14:00) – GlucoVantage (Dihydroberberine) Branding
• (22:15) – ElectroPrime and Hydration
• (30:00) – Dustin’s Trip to China
• (35:45) – SalidroPure: Pure Salidroside Replacing Rhodiola Crenulata
• (42:30) – The XPO NRG Energy Drink Collab at SupplySide West
• (49:45) – How MitoPrime Works
• (59:00) – XPO NRG Energy Drink Continued
• (1:07:45) – Alpha-GPC
• (1:10:45) – Grains of Paradise
• (1:15:30) – Halloween and Leaving SupplySide West early
• (1:19:45) – Shawn’s Story with Psychedelics
• (1:28:15) – Post-Journey Repletion: Shawn’s Supplement Ingredients
• (1:39:45) – Conclusion

This episode was filmed at Nutramedia’s headquarters in Houston, TX.

Where to Find Dustin, Shawn, and NNB Nutrition

• Sign up for PricePlow’s NNB Nutrition news alerts
• @NNBNutrition on Instagram
• Dustin Elliott on LinkedIn
• @ShawnWell…

Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Ghost Lifestyle founder and CEO Dan Lourenço is back for his six appearance on the PricePlow Podcast, and this one’s quite the catch-up, with discussion of all things big and small.

This episode focuses mainly on the Ghost Legend V4 launch, which brings a massive formula (look at the size of the tub in the picture) yet at a lower price.

We get into the economics and data (or lack thereof) for this decision, then catch up on other launches such as Ghost Energy (new flavor teased at the end), Clear Whey Isolate, Ghost Protein Cereal, minor changes to Legend ALL OUT, the Protein RTD, and the delayed-but-forthcoming Ghost Sleep supplement.

Looking to the Future: The Ghost 100 Year Plan

But a bigger-picture part of this discussion that cannot be missed is Dan’s discussion of the Ghost 100 Year Plan, where he’s focusing on building a legacy company the likes of Nike or Oreo that will outlast all of us. To do so, he’s building a “team of lifers”, who he refers to as teammates, not employees.

This was a great episode with some fun banter, supplement history and economics, rapid-fire product release discussion, and the big shop talk discussed above. Get in, and get ready for the huge Legend V4 tubs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ili8e5sdAuw

Show notes at https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/dan-lourenco-ghost-lifestyle-143

Legend V4 Launch Special: Show Notes with Dan Lourenço

• (0:00) – Introductions
• (12:00) – 30 Serving Tubs to Remain!
• (17:30) – Legend Throughout the Years
• (24:15) – Caffeine
• (31:00) – Natural Colors
• (41:15) – Steady Legend Prices
• (44:45) – The Ghost 100 Year Plan
• (50:00) – Biggest Challenges
• (55:15) – Focusing on the Brand, not Competitors
• (59:30) – GHOST Energy
• (1:04:15) – Clear Whey
• (1:09:00) – Shifting Industry Image
• (1:12:45) – Brand Authenticity
• (1:17:15) – Upcoming formulas
• (1:21:30) – What’s Coming Next?

How to Find Dan

Dan’s still off Instagram! But you can follow him and his brands at the following locations:

• Dan Lourenço on LinkedIn
• Dan Lourenço on Twitter
• @GhostLifestyle on Instagram
• @GhostGamer on Instagram
• @GhostEnergy on Instagram

You can also sign up for PricePlow’s Ghost Lifestyle news alerts so that you never miss a drop – and there are a lot of them to cover.

Subscribe to the The PricePlow Podcast on any platform and leave us a good review on iTunes and Spotify!

On October 9th, 2021, we sat down with Marc Lobliner, Chief Marketing Officer of TigerFitness and CEO of MTS Nutrition. Most recently, Marc is the inventor of the Outright Bar and Outright Breakfast Bar, and Ben traveled to Tennessee to discuss the history of the product and the unique advantages of its key protein-boosting ingredient, Velositol.

Marc walks us through the thought process that led him to the formulation of the Outright Breakfast Bar, which he intended to be a “whole food protein bar” that could serve as a meal replacement, and help sustain athletes during long games by giving them a balanced macronutrient intake and good digestion.

Listen to him explain why Velositol, which enhances the uptake of post-workout protein and increases muscle protein synthesis, was key to designing a bar that could fill this variety of needs.

Talking Velositol, Outright Breakfast Bars, and More with Marc Lobliner

Marc gives us some great insights on how a product can be formulated for the widest possible appeal. For Marc, this began as an emphasis on child nutrition — the idea for the Outright Bar was conceived during one of his daughter’s soccer matches, where Marc wanted to feed her something that would enhance her performance, but realized that the bars available to him were all going to detract from it.

Then we pick his brain on the safety profile of Nutrition 21’s Velositol (spoiler alert: it’s very safe), and the general risks associated with being an innovator who’s the first one to market a new ingredient.

Finally, Marc gives us some great thoughts on marketing a product and running a company, and what to look for when you consider buying someone else’s product. He also gives us some sage advice for anyone who wants to start a company of their own.

If you enjoyed hearing from Marc as much as we did, check out the Outright Bar at our affiliate links below, and read our articles titled Velositol: The Missing Link for Protein Bars and Velositol: Enhancing Muscle Protein Synthesis with Science.

More details from the conversation:

• 
  Why Velositol in outright bars?
  • Ben: over time, the protein content of “protein bars” has gone down
  • Marc: Outright Bar was designed to be a “whole food” protein bar — something with a good mix of different macros and natural ingredients, as opposed to existing products which were full of gut irritants such as glycerol and prebiotic fiber, or caused blood sugar swings
  • Velositol chosen to make Outright Breakfast Bars “better than breakfast” as a meal replacement, not just a supplemental protein snack — increases bioavailability of protein and gives it a longer, more even rate of digestion
    • Because Velositol increases the uptake of protein, it allows one to use less protein but get the same effect
      • Cuts costs
      • Also helps people who can’t eat big meals in the morning, since Velositol decreases your protein requirements
• 
  Outright Bar launched in 2018
  • Launched as individually wrapped product
  • Marc: My original goal was to earn enough for my family to eat Outright bars for free
    • T…

Read more on the PricePlow Blog

On September 13, 2021, Raw Nutrition announced that they added a new partner to their ownership team — the 2019 and 2020 Classic Physique Mr. Olympia himself, Chris Bumstead!

Chris had already been a sponsored athlete on the Revive MD team, and we covered his story (and his love for Revive MD Kidney) in an earlier athlete profile titled Chris Bumstead: “The Comeback Kid”. Now, however, he’s making his biggest move yet, joining Dr. Domenic Iacovone and Matt Jansen as co-owners of Raw Nutrition!

In this episode of the PricePlow Podcast, we interview the three men and talk about their story, their plans for the brand, and what’s going to happen to Chris’ CBUM product line.

We’re extremely grateful for this interview, since Chris is just 8 days out from Mr. Olympia!

Video: Join Chris Bumstead, Matt Jansen, and Dr. Dom Iacovone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCOJiMVgHSU

Update: The Raw Nutrition CBUM Thavage Pre Workout is now out!

Additional Notes

Chris parted ways very amicably with his former sponsor, Jacked Factory. Since they were already in the process of developing the CBUM product line, they decided to share the labels and for the first manufacturing run, both companies would donate profits to two different canine charities, since everyone involved are dog lovers.

Upon joining Raw Nutrition, one of his first tasks was to reduce the price of Raw Pre Extreme, which his fans stated was too expensive. Chris actually reads his comments, and wants to pull his community into the Raw Nutrition picture.

Matt and Dom talk about the decision, the collaboration, and how they’ve turned their facility into the elite training crew of this generation.

We’ll also learn about Chris’ supplement stack (he loves his beta alanine, still uses Revive MD Kidney, and has plenty of others to share), learn his favorite snack recipes, get some dog stories, and more.

You can follow Chris on Instagram at @cbum and Raw Nutrition @getrawnutrition, and sign up for our Raw Nutrition alerts below so that you don’t miss any news when the products drop! We definitely expect to have Dr. Dom and/or Matt back on in the future, so subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast too.

Welcome to Season 2 of the PricePlow Podcast!

Mike and Ben get together for a long-overdue podcast to catch up on 2021 and to kick off Season 2 of the PricePlow Podcast! We talk about several topics, including:

• The economy

• Hiring help at PricePlow

• Product Launches of 2021

• What’s coming in Q4-2021 and 2022

• Immunity, metabolic health, and dealing in dystopia

• FDA Enforcement (or lack thereof)

• Stimulants and caffeine detoxes

• Upcoming guests

Video: Listen to Mike and Ben catch up on 2021 and discuss the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeJxO6Nwg-o

Topics Covered in Detail

Mike begins by mentioning who he’s interested in reaching, and speaks of “The Remnant”, which is an idea from Isaiah’s Job. They catch up and discuss the following:

• The economy

  Are supplements safe? Will our supply chains stay in tact? How bad will things get? Will we be able to safely hire someone (see next point)?

  Later on we also discuss the state of “hyperinflation” we’re seeing in the economy and how Millennials like Ben have been priced out of the housing market for now. Will it come back down to earth?

• Hiring at PricePlow

  We’re going to be looking for a like-minded individual who’s autonomous, zealous about supplements, and a great technical writer. The job’s not posted yet, but would love to hear from anyone with the following qualities:

  • Incredible technical writer
  • 11/10 in terms of organization
  • Can post in WordPress (training provided)
  • Can manage and engage our YouTube channel (training provided)
  • Can post contest giveaways via Buffer (training provided)

  Contact us if you’re interested!

• Product Launches of 2021

  We’ve been very impressed with the new Performax Labs rebrand, Unbound, everything Ghost has done for their year of the V2, ingredient launches at NNB Nutrition like ergothioneine, how much Doug Miller (Episode #050) is keeping us busy at CORE / Merica / Arms Race, how Dr. Dom Iacovone and Matt Jansen are literally taking over bodybuilding and bringing Raw Nutrition and Revive MD with them, and far more. Don’t sleep on Kaged lately either!

• Immunity, metabolic health, and dealing in dystopia

  Mike’s immunity stack for the “dark winter”:

  • Zinc (either OptiZinc or Zinc Bisglycinate)
  • Quercetin (zinc ionophore, green tea extract could also work) – Mike uses ForestLeaf Quercetin Bromelain, which also has Vitamin C
  • Olive leaf extract (cheap way to inhibit ACE2 docking)
  • …

Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Doug Miller of CORE Nutritionals, Merica Labz, Merica Energy, and Arms Race Nutrition joins up with Team PricePlow to discuss some hot news in the supplement industry – supply chain woes and the rising prices of protein – especially dairy protein.

Since this was Doug’s first time on the PricePlow Podcast, he gives a full introduction, with his background and entrance to the supplement industry. It all began with Core MRP, a meal replacement that didn’t contain Maltodextrin (a very rare thing 15 years ago), and as Doug’s bodybuilding career advanced, Core Nutritionals did as well.

Then, we get into the meat of the conversation, which has to do with rising protein prices, and how the CORE team is responding to the issues in the supply chain:

Video: Listen to Doug Miller discuss Core Nutritionals, supply chain, and protein prices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePB6L3n8CCo

“Figure it out”

Beyond that, we also discuss CORE’s move to North Carolina, how working with the team involves a lot of “figuring it out”, and how everyone has to work multiple jobs until new full-time positions are made. Once prompted, Doug also explains the type of person he hires – he doesn’t look for education or training, but a mentality.

Doug is incredibly open and honest in this episode, especially regarding the pricing issues, which many brands are hiding. He also makes it very clear that this was the option of last resort

Finally, don’t miss some of the discussion on pre workout supplements, where we discuss how much we’ve been liking the new Merica Labz Red, White, & BOOM.

Sign up for news alerts on all of Doug’s brands:

• CORE Nutritionals
• Merica Labz
• Merica Energy
• Arms Race Nutrition

Use PricePlow to Save on CORE Nutritionals Supplements

Use PricePlow to Save on Merica Labz Supplements

Use PricePlow to Save on Arms Race Nutrition Supplements

One of the most popular dietary supplement ingredients on the planet — especially in terms of metabolic health — is berberine. Today we discuss a new ingredient that actually makes berberine obsolete.

Berberine is a powerful plant alkaloid that improves the body’s insulin response, with large amounts of scientific research showing significant improvements to insulin sensitivity, fasting glucose levels, HbA1c reduction, nutrient partitioning, and far more. It’s even outperformed pharmaceutical drugs.

We’ve covered berberine in detail in the article linked above, ultimately finding that while it’s the most impressive ingredient in any blood sugar supplement or glucose disposal agent, it has drawbacks, which include high doses required and GI distress. Both of those problems are solved with one of its derivatives that we specifically cover in this article: dihydroberberine.

Think berberine is good? Take a look at dihydroberberine

Research suggests that dihydroberberine is up to six times better than standard berberine, bringing incredible effects at lower doses — and fewer side effects.

In this article, we assume you have knowledge of berberine’s effects (if not, you can see our berberine article linked above), but jump directly into discussion of this dihydro form. It’s sold as GlucoVantage from NNB Nutrition, one of the supplement industry’s most promising novel ingredient developers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdaS8QsGaV4

Audio Podcast Version and Free Subscription Options

Burn fat, not sugar

The world of diet and fat loss can be overwhelming, but one quick rule to live by is this: when you’re burning sugar, you’re not burning fat. In fact, we’ve known for decades that when either blood glucose levels or insulin levels are elevated, fat oxidation significantly slows. If these levels remain elevated for too long, we introduce insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, which brings with it a myriad of diseases.

This isn’t to say that we’re against foods like carbohydrates that raise blood sugar (and insulin) levels, because we’re not. Instead, it means that we need to get our carbs to where we want them (muscle tissue!) and get back to a fat-metabolizing state as soon as possible. Berberine, and to a greater extent, dihydroberberine, make that happen better and faster.

We of course still recommend a healthy diet low in refined carbs and void of industrial processed seed oils high in omega-6. But with the above supplemental strategy (which is highlighted in our main berberine article), we can remain more insulin-sensitive, and less likely to be as toxic with sugar and insulin in our blood stream wreaking havoc.

With that goal in mind, we can talk about a new, more-efficient way to achieve it, all while avoiding the massive doses (1.5 grams per day!) and gastrointestinal distress that can be brought by standard, low-bioavailability berberine:

What is dihydroberberine?

Dihydroberberine (DHB) is one of the 17 metabolites of berberine, and a major part of the greater berberine life cycle as the body metabolizes it. Structurally, it’s a hydrogenated metabolite of berberine, which itself has markedly better oral bioavailability than berberine itself.

The berberine end-around play

The concern, at this point, is that if you take the more-bioavailable dihydroberberine, do you miss out on the 16 other metabolites that may have been providing some of berberine’s benefits? The answer is no, because of the way be…

Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Update: This new stimulant is out! It’s paraxanthine, and is marketed as “enfinity” from Shawn’s new partnership with NNB Nutrition’s Kylin Liao and a couple of other supplement innovators. Read about it in our article titled MuscleTech Reveals New Workout Stimulant: enfinity brand Paraxanthine!.

Shawn Wells, Chief Science Officer of NNB Nutrition, is back on the PricePlow Podcast to talk about his new book, The Energy Formula, how he handled 2020, and most important to many of our followers… his new stimulant!

We’ve had Shawn on the PricePlow Podcast several times, with many episodes revolving around specific ingredients. This one is a more general chat and in-person catch-up, but zeroes in on a few topics including the new stimulant that can replace caffeine and Shawn’s plant-based medicine experiences.

Video: Shawn Wells Discusses All Things Energy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdr7hOdc4CQ

You can read our The Energy Formula book review and sign up for our Shawn Wells & NNB Nutrition news alerts for when more things happen regarding Shawn or the novel ingredient supplier he works for.

In the next episode, we get more specific and discuss dihydroberberine.

Darin Decker of Kaged Muscle Supplements joins Ben to catch up on an old friendship and discuss the latest and greatest in the supplement industry. This is a fantastic episode to learn some of the underpinnings of the business from a completely different angle and historical viewpoint.

They begin by talking about Darin’s background, which is actually from Groupon, which then brought him to Bodybuilding.com and then on to Kaged Muscle and the supplement industry at large.

This one is a must-listen for anyone who’s a customer of Kaged Muscle, an industry employee, or someone looking to enter the dietary supplement industry.

More detailed notes are below, but let’s get right to the video and audio embeds on the blog:

Video: Listen to Darin Decker talk about Kaged Muscle and the Supplement Industry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd_Lrnv7yo

The future at Kaged Muscle: Catching up with Darin Decker

In the episode, several topics are discussed, such as:

• Abundance mentality in the supplement industry (we all can win!)
• How anyone can get a job in the supplement industry
• Living in Boise, ID
• Kaged Muscle’s evolution and future goals
  • Four products since Darin joined the company in February 2021
  • A sports-researched probiotic coming
  • Hydra-Charge Amped (and electrolytes in general)
  • Kaged Muscle Omega-3
  • Kaged Muscle Sleep SR
• (1:08:40) – Who is Kaged Muscle’s Customer?

As always, you can find Kaged Muscle supplements at kagedmuscle.com/collections/all-products – be sure to use coupon code PRICEPLOW!

Use PricePlow to Save on Kaged Muscle Supplements