What to Take With NO-Xplode

NO-Xplode is Bio-Engineered Supplements & Nutrition's (BSN) top-selling supplement. Used before a workout, the combination of creatine and nitric oxide boosters make this a solid pre-training aid. Some fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders like to "stack" this product with other supplements. While many supplements will help enhance the product's effectiveness, ultimately, what you take with NO-Xplode will depend on your training goals.

Weight Loss

• Pre-workout supplements that include creatine and nitric oxide will help increase energy metabolism during long workouts and allow you to train for longer periods at higher intensities.

  Those interested in using NO-Xplode to help them lose excess weight will find it helpful to stack the supplement with a fat burner (also called thermogenic products), which will help maximize the calories burned in the gym by further increasing your metabolism.

  Ephedrine combined with caffeine and aspirin provides perhaps the best fat-burning combination available. In supplement form, you can find these as ma huang (contains ephedrine, and is found in many teas), guarana (herbal caffeine) and white willow bark (aspirin). Adding guggulsterones make the three of these into an even more potent fat-burning stack, as these chemicals increase thyroid output and provide the chemicals necessary for your body to produce epinephrine and norepinephrine---which are both involved in regulating your body's metabolism. As NO-Xplode already contains some caffeine (the label does not list the exact amount), take care that you don't get too much more in another supplement. As always, if you begin feeling jittery or your heart races, stop exercising.

  Additionally, chromium picolinate has been shown to assist in fat loss by regulating blood sugar levels. Yohimbe helps your body break down fat from existing stores in adipose tissue, and L-carnitine is necessary for fat metabolism.

Adding Muscle and Increasing Strength

• Before you work out: To maximize your gains in the gym, take a supplement containing both protein and easily digestible carbohydrates, the best of which is maltodextrin or glucose. Adding these with NO-Xplode will help provide even more energy by assisting glycogen resynthesis and will prevent muscle catabolism (break down) by increasing protein synthesis. Twinlab's Carbo Fuel, Ultra Fuel, Gatorade and Poweraid, all contain one or both of these carbohydrates.

  Post-workout: No matter how hard NO-Xplode allows you to train, you will not make gains unless you recover properly. This means not only getting enough rest for muscle groups between training days and sleeping properly but also includes giving your body the right foods and nutrients it needs to recover.

  After a workout, if you don't consume enough protein within the first 40 minutes to 1 hour after working out, your body will begin breaking down its own muscle tissue in order to repair the muscles you just trained. Most trainers and nutritionists recommend getting at least 30 grams of whey protein and branch-chain amino-acids (BCAAs) shortly after you finish exercise, as it provides good quality, quick-acting nutrition to rebuild your muscles.

  To facilitate the maximum benefits of NO-Xplode, BSN recommends pairing it with Syntha-6, which is their premium post-workout protein supplement.

  Additionally, taking a fast acting carbohydrate with your post-workout protein will elevate blood sugar levels, providing an insulin spike that will transfer protein, carbs and nutrients to your muscle tissues.