Performax Labs IntraMax Review
There are some companies that produce SUPPLEMENTS that we consider staples in our regimens and then there are COMPANIES that we consider staples in lives: Performax Labs is one of them. It seems like month after month they are constantly working on refining and reformulating flavors, formulas, and even their slick new logos as of late. Their commitment to creating top notch products across nearly every category is enough to keep us trying whatever they put out! Luckily for us at Modern Athletic Health, Performax Labs hooked us up with some sample packs of their product line including some of their top flavors to try! We first wanted to sample their reformulated IntraMax, a true intra-workout powerhouse.
Looking at this label and the sheer quantity of goodness in this product is enough to make your head spin (no really, check it out, 21g PER scoop!). Fortunately for our readers we are going to break down everything that makes IntraMax one of the most comprehensive intra-workout blends on the market today. Let’s take a look at Performax Labs’ feature intra-workout cocktail, IntraMax.
Flavor/Mixability: Orange Dream
Performax Labs shipped us out their Orange Dream flavored IntraMax, however they do also have a Raspberry Lemonade flavor as well. Generally, when you think of an intra-workout product, you usually think “juice” flavor and consistency. The Orange Dream flavor was quite a bit different than expected but certainly pleasant. The instructions tell us to mix one scoop or one serving of the sample packet in anywhere from 12-24oz of water. When mixing this up, because it does contain Whey Protein Hydrolysate, we recommend using around 20oz water because it does mix up thicker than your average intra-workout aminos. The mixability of this product was great, considering everything that is included in it. If you check the label you’ll notice it does contain glycerol powder, however that mixes pretty well within the rest of the ingredients. Within a few shakes, everything assimilated with the water and created a creamy and swirled looking concoction. Upon the initial sips, there was no residue, hardly any foam, and a smooth finish. Towards the last few sips of IntraMax, we noticed the same thing; hardly any residue and a smooth liquid finish. This product mixes surprisingly well and with little to no settling throughout—and it is certainly worth mentioning this product was consumed over the first half of the workout which was roughly 30-45 minutes. Very few products that we have tried and reviewed did not require additional shaking or mixing because of ingredients settling. Performax Labs again comes through with a great dissolving product.
The orange dream flavor was absolutely phenomenal! We expected it to taste more on the orange “juice” side but the thickness coming from the addition of the hydrolysate makes it seem like you are drinking an actual orange dreamsicle smoothie! With all the ingredients, we were surprised that there is no chalky flavor, no grittiness, and no bad aftertaste. We cannot even compare it to another flavor on the market because we have yet to find an orange dreamsicle type flavor that is this good! From us, a 10/10 in the flavor department indeed.
Ingredients:
We’ve said it before and we will say it again, IntraMax has a lot of goodies in it. Rather than break down every single thing that’s put into it, we are going to break it down and explain what each “matrix” contains and what it is going to help you achieve.
Nutrition Facts:
We will start out at the top of the label with the nutrition facts portion. Generally, this isn’t something we would cover in an intra workout product but Performax Labs makes it worth mentioning. We first see 0g of fat and also 0g of carbs in the product. It does have about 5.5g of protein which comes from the next list of ingredients but we will talk about that in a bit. What we want to make note of is the 84mg of sodium and 83mg of potassium in IntraMax. Adding key electrolytes, even at a small dosage such as this can play a big role in your performance and overall health. We commend Performax Labs for taking the time to include this in the product and on the label as many of us need to pay attention to the number of electrolytes we are consuming on a daily basis.
Amino Acid-mTOR Activation: 9g
Under this category we see 6,000mg of Whey Protein Hydrolysate standardized to 8-% Di &Tri Peptides. Hydrolyzed whey protein is actually micronized and also faster digesting and absorbing into the body. Usually intra-workout products do not contain a hydrolyzed whey product, rather just BCAA’s. This is what separates IntraMax from other intra-workout products because this will actually help you to start recovering and stimulating muscle protein synthesis during your workout. We also see that there is an additional 3,000mg of Leucine added into this section. Leucine is by far the most important BCAA as it is a direct stimulator to muscle protein synthesis. Leucine has also been found to slow muscle breakdown during long workouts. Stimulate muscle protein synthesis AND start recovery before the workout is even over? Sign us up.
Power-Strength-Recovery: 8g
This category has a wide range of ingredients that will aid both your intra-workout, and post workout performance. The first part of this is a cocktail of creatine’s; monohydrate, anhydrous, and magnesium creatine chelate. As you may already know creatine is by far the most studied and cited sports supplement and has an extensive variety of benefits. Studies show that creatine can help increase power, endurance, improve water retention within muscle tissue, increase strength, and in turn, all of this can increase muscle growth. Creatine anhydrous as well as magnesium creatine chelate has been shown to absorb better and be absorbed through a different biological pathway ensuring that muscles are saturated and can be refueled with creatine during and post workout. Next you see additional added amino acids in their “L” forms; Glutamine, Alanine and L-alanyl L-Glutamine. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in muscles and this needs to be replenished after long, strenuous workouts. These aminos play a key role in protein biosynthesis and muscle recovery. Betaine Anhydrous is the last ingredient in this category and is a real hot ingredient on the market today. Some studies show that supplementing with betaine anhydrous can improve strength and power output over time, improve endurance over time, and improve recovery. The key words here is “over time”, as many studies suggest that prolonged usage of Betaine Anhydrous will improve the ergogenic effects, it should be used daily for maximum benefits.
Hydration-Electrolytes: 2.85g
We have already covered that IntraMax includes both sodium and potassium, but it also includes a specific hydration and electrolyte matrix. The first thing that is added is Taurine. Taurine has been shown to increase blood flow while keeping a healthy blood pressure. It also works to ensure proper hydration and electrolyte balance. Taurine is used as a regulator within this product to make sure electrolytes are getting to where they hneed to go. Next, we see GlycerPump which is standardized for 65% glycerol powder. Most of us know glycerol helps to achieve a pretty sweet pump in the gym. This pump is achieved through fluid retention called hyperhydration, or the retainment of water and fluids in the body, which some are shuttled to muscles. This ensures we don’t sweat out a majority of our fluids as well as enter a state of dehydration during our workouts as well. Last, we see sodium phosphate and potassium phosphate. These forms of electrolytes in phosphate form help provide the body with additional phosphorous. This is important on many levels however one key thing it does with regards to IntraMax is to replenish the electrolytes within the body and prevent you from urinating them out. It can also help to prevent kidney stones by regulating electrolytes and preventing a build up of salts and other minerals in your kidneys.
As a whole, this formula has just about everything you could ever want in an intra workout product combined into one scoop.
Price Point:
For a product of this magnitude, you might expect a hefty price tag. Although Performax Labs’ website does sell IntraMax for $44.99 if you use the code PMAX20 you will receive 20% off of your entire purchase. It would more than likely cost you double that in order to find the ingredients in IntraMax and create your own intra-workout product of this magnitude. ORDER HERE.
Our thoughts:
In a product category that is definitely lacking options, IntraMax is hands down the most comprehensive intra workout product we have seen on the market. IntraMax has clinically tested and dosed ingredients that can improve every facet of your workout, from strength and power, to endurance and recovery time in between sets. As if the formula wasn’t impressive enough the Orange Dream flavor is one of our favorite flavored products across all categories. If there is one thing that Performax Labs knows how to do, its combine quality products with delicious flavors. We definitely think you need to try IntraMax if you’re tired of feeling beat up during and after every workout. While many of the ingredients require some long-term use to reap all of the benefits, some immediate effects were noticed including an increase in pump, faster recovery time after workouts, more control and power with heavy weights during the workout, and no noticeable cramping or muscle spasms before or after workouts. It is safe to say we were, yet again, thoroughly impressed with another Performax Labs product. Let Performax labs keep you performing at your max with their intra workout powerhouse, IntraMax.