Is “No-Xplode” Help or Hype?

Last week I was working out next to these two very hot firemen, in their late 30s, with amazing physiques, and overheard them talking about using a supplement called “No-Xplode.” They said that it gave them energy and a boost to their workouts. I’ve looked online, and although it was voted best muscle builder by bodybuilding.com, I was wondering if you knew a lot about it or if you knew a better supplement. Right now, I’m using a whey protein supplement in my after my workout smoothie to help build muscle. Any suggestion is helpful as I am trying to intensify my workouts a bit.
-Rod, Las Vegas

Supplements come and go, and very few are actually road tested by the FDA or the medical community, so caution is warranted. No-Xplode is a “vaso-dilater,” which have been around for years. This particular product’s “Meta-Fusion technology” claims to “open the door to vaso-muscular enlargement by immediately ramping up and sustaining Nitric Oxide (NO) levels… widen[ing] the blood vessel[s], which in turn accelerates blood flow to the muscle. This sudden blood surge causes mind blowing pumps and a rapid increase in the overall size and shape of your muscles.”

This effect, however, is not permanent. So you may get a great pump, but the effect will go away after prolonged use. The product claims to contain creatine (one of the most road tested supplements), but in amounts not indicated on the packaging.

To be fair, I asked my friend Todd, who is currently using the product, to give me his take. He says: “If you take the two scoops that it tells you to, there’s an incredible rush. It gives me an amazing pump, and I can really feel my biceps almost popping out of the skin.”The downside? “Sometimes it gives me an upset stomach,” Todd says. “I tend to gulp it down instead of sipping it, most my friends tend to take it all 30 minutes before working out.”

And if you didn’t need another reason to steer clear of this supplement, consider that the product is labeled with the following warning: “Before using product, seek advice from a health care practitioner if you are unaware of your current health condition or have any pre-existing medical condition including but not limited to: high or low blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, heart, liver or thyroid disease, anxiety, depression, seizure disorder, psychiatric disease, diabetes, pernicious anemia, difficulty urinating due to prostate enlargement or if you are taking an MAO inhibitor or any other medication. Do not use if you are pregnant, nursing, prone to dehydration or exposed to excessive heat. Reduce or discontinue use if sleeplessness, tremors, dizziness, nervousness, headaches, or heart palpitations occur. This product is only intended to be consumed by healthy adults 18-50 years of age.”

Sheesh.

I think you’re better off supplementing with good old whey protein after every intense weight workout, and possibly creatine. “No-Xplode” does nothing to convince me that it’s anything but the latest flash in the pan.

This article was originally published July 11, 2007

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By Sam Page, CFTPosted in Fitness8 comments

8 comments

matthew thompson September 5, 2008

I tried Xplode a couple of weeks ago… 30 minutes or so into my workout I feel like I need a nap… I think Explode is mostly caffeine… and my crash is the caffeine rush wearing off.
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Alex September 5, 2008

I was a die hard No-Xplode fan for many years and think it works and gets the job done, but I have to agree with Todd. It can make you sick to your stomach sometimes. I have recently switched to FUZION K-AKG3, from Vitasport and find that to be even better and doesn’t upset your stomach. It comes in pills or powder form. The powders taste good, go with grape or blue raspberry.
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Sven September 5, 2008

I have to agree with Matthew’s comment. It does give a great rush, great energy… but it’s really just a massive caffeine shot, it seems. I don’t believe it has much of the advertised NO-vasodilation effect.
It never wore off for me during my workouts. If you skip the gym or leave early because you just can’t find the energy to work out, this stuff really helps. Don’t expect much else, I’d say.
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Sam Page September 6, 2008

Hey Matthew, Sven and Alex: I’m curious to know which, if any, other supplements you use on a regular basis, and that you would recommend (either for a review here on PLL, or for me personally). I’d love your feedback.
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matthew thompson September 6, 2008

The two I think every bodybuilder should be using are Creatine and Amino acids… I have had the best luck with CE2 and Amino 1000 from GNC. I try other things from time to time (Like the NO Xplode) but I always seem to come back to these two basic supplements.
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David September 26, 2008

I’m the biggest NO Xplode fan on earth. I’ve been gymming for 5 years now (I’m 27) and even though everyone has always told me that I have a really amazing body, it’s only until about a year ago that I started taking NO Xplode and really intesifying my training, that I can see a massive difference myself. People stare when you walk past them! Hehe. If you don’t take it on a completely empty stomach, it won’t help you one little bit. You need to make sure that there’s NOTHING in your stomach when you drink it. Then wait about 15min and you’ll have the most amazing workout of your life. Who cares if the pump is only temporary – yeah my pump also goes away in about 6 hours after I’ve had it, but… it’s not the pump that builds muscle, it’s eating right and having insane workouts – you have to push yourself when you’re at the gym and gym with the heaviest weights you can possible rep with – then you’ll build muscle – and I’m only able to use insanely heavy weights when I have my NO Xplode in my tummy. It’s 23% of what’s needed to become a hottie! The other 77% is eating chicken breasts and drinking water!
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David September 26, 2008

Hi Sam Page

Here’s my typical day in terms of supplements and what I eat, and trust me, it works like a bomb:
06:30 I take BSN Nitrix (3 tablets).
07:00 Organic Oats with no milk and no sugar.
08:00 Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Gold Standard mixed with Oranic Low Fat Peanut Butter.
10:00 Organic Peanut Butter sandwich (low GI). and glass of water.
11:00 Glass of water
12:00 Nitrix (3 tablets)
13:00 2 chicken breasts grilled without any oil or sauce, broccoli, sweet potato and cucumber.
15:00 Organic Peanut Butter Sandwich (low GI).
17:00 Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Gold Standard.
18:00 NO Xplode (2 scoops) together with 3 Nitrix tablets.
— then I gym for 1 and a half hours —
19:30 1 scoop of Cellmass after gym
20:00 Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Gold Standard
20:30 1 can of tuna in water, cucumber and tomato

And….. DRINK LOTS OF WATER, NO COKE OR FIZZY SUGARY DRINKS —- and the number 1 rule: NEVER EVER EVER EVER EAT ANYTHING WITH SUGAR IN IT, AND NEVER PUT SUGAR IN YOUR COFFEE OR TEA.

And that’s it – 4 months of this and you’ll look super duper hot! Hehe.
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NO Xplode Review January 1, 2009

Hype. I really was not impressed with NO Xplode.

Short Version: I took it the first day and it worked great. Second day, not so much. I increased the dosage and I started getting the explode out the other end, if you know what I mean.

My full review is at: http://www.supplementgrade.com/supplements/10331-no-xplode—orange
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Is “No-Xplode” Help or Hype?

This article was originally published July 11, 2007

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