(Interested in learning more about Driven Performance Labs products? Check out our review of their Max Capacity workout supplement and nootropic here.)

We sat down with DPL President Jason Phillips to talk about where his company is headed, the approach they take, and why fitness professionals need to pay special attention to the world of nootropics.

1. Driven Performance Labs is more than a supplement company. Tell us about what all you guys do and how that influences the products you develop.

DPL is more than a supplement company, it’s truly a lifestyle brand. In addition to supplements, we COACH individuals on their nutrition. I emphasize the word coach, as I truly feel we are the only one’s in the industry that work closely enough with our clients to GUARANTEE results. All of our clients are remote, but have full access to us 24/7 via text and email, its an unprecedented level of access.

As a company we consult with nearly 1000 individuals, and are able to begin recognizing trends in the industry, and gaps in the products available to our clients. This obviously shows us a need, which we subsequently fill with QUALITY formulas. Max Adrenal and Max Capacity are great examples of this.

2. How did you get involved in the nutritional space? How’d you get involved with Driven Performance Labs?

I have been consulting with people for 11 years now.  To make a long story short, I overcame an eating disorder and have done everything in my power to pay it forward and properly educate the world on proper nutrition.

As for DPL its pretty simple, I saw a need, and took action  As mentioned above, I take the results of my clients very seriously, so if that means building my own supplements then I’m ok with that.  It just so happened that A LOT of people really liked them

3. You guy just went through a pretty big rebrand. Why now?

The name Dynamic is one that my business partner has had for a long time. It was originally the name that he used as a parent company for his consulting, and was never meant to be the parent name of a large supplement company.  As we began seeing rapid growth, we knew we needed something that truly represented who we are and what we are about:

DRIVEN – the one word that truly describes who we are as people
PERFORMANCE – what we fuel
LABS – in science, results are created in the lab

4. A lot of companies will release a boatload of supplements in various versions all at once. Your product releases have been more gradual, and your catalog is still pretty narrow. Do you think you approach research and development different than other supplement companies? If so, how?

Plain and simple, I never want to be a “me too” brand. Our products are strategically designed to truly fill a gap, or meet the needs of an individual. Let’s also be honest: As a start up I don’t have the purchasing power to make a HIGH QUALITY protein without charging a fortune. I’ll let the big guys play that game, and I’ll continue to completely change the game.

5. Your target market has so far been CrossFitters and strength athletes. Do you see that changing? Why that focus?

I’m not sure this was ever the intent, but it sure has played out this way. As a savvy person, I would be crazy to say that I ever want to limit myself to one niche, but as a fan of CrossFit and someone that actively CrossFits several times weekly I have to continue to support it. The products that are currently in formulation are a bit more diverse, but will absolutely have an application in both the mixed modal and strength arenas.

6. What can athletes get out of nootropics that others can’t?

I’m not sure they truly get anything more, but they may use it more. Nootropics (or any CNS related product) will always help athletes that need to perform at a high level. CNS [Central Nervous System] recovery is the most overlooked part of nutrition, training, and supplementation, so when used properly, these products are game changing.

7. What’s next for Driven Performance Labs? Any new supplements in the pipeline?

Thats the million dollar question, isn’t it? While I won’t divulge too much information, I will say that our next product will revolutionize both the number of carbs an athlete can take in, and how they utilize them. Carbs are ESSENTIAL to performance and recovery, so this product will be game changing!

Interested in Driven Performance Labs products? Use our exclusive Driven Performance Labs Coupon listed here.

The post The Athlete’s Brain: Interviewing Jason Phillips of Driven Performance Labs appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Driven Performance Labs offers nutritional coaching as one of their main products, but they also produce several supplements. One of those is Max Capacity, a supplement targeted as a pre-workout but one containing many popular and potent nootropic ingredients. We tested Driven Performance Labs’ Max Capacity as both a workout enhancer and brain supplement. Read below to see what our testers thought about the nootropic newcomer.

Ingredients

Note: Driven Performance Labs lists all ingredients amounts and dosages, no “proprietary” blends, which is generally a good tool in determining whether a nootropic supplement is right for you.

AlphaSize Alpha GPC, 500mg

This is one of the most bioavailable and high-quality forms of choline used in nootropics. In the brain, choline is used to make acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter involved in many cognitive processes. Alpha GPC is a form of choline that can most easily cross the blood/brain barrier, and it’s around 40% choline by mass. Alpha GPC seems to be the preferred, though more expensive, cholinergic for newer and/or high-quality nootropic manufacturers.

Cordyceps Extract (40% Polysaccharides), 500mg, Cordyceps Extract (4% Cordycepic Acid), 500mg

The cordyceps mushroom is an adaptogen that has been used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine as a treatment for numerous ailments, though its exact effects on the body still need to be determined through extensive clinical research. There’s also some early but promising clinical research indicating cordyceps extract has significant anti-fatigue properties.

While exact extract percentages and potencies vary across blends and manufacturers, the amount of cordyceps extract in Max Capacity comes out to a full gram. Shroom TECH Sport by Onnit, which shares this and several other ingredients with Max Capacity, though they’re ultimately different blends, contains 1.5 grams of cordyceps extracts.

Rhodiola Rosea Extract (3% Rosavins, 1% Salidroside), 500mg

A noted adaptogen with few (if any) noted side effects, rhodiola is an herbal extract shown to boost physical and mental endurance while reducing the perceived symptoms of stress. Rhodiola fights fatigue, and there’s some anecdotal evidence it boost the effects of stimulants like coffee. Generally, a very large amount of rhodiola (over 600 mg) does not seem to boost the ingredient’s effects and may actually reduce them; with rhodiola, less may in fact be more for some users, and some clinical studies have seen effectiveness at doses under 100mg. The amount of Rhodiola in one serving of Max Capacity is right around the upper end of what our testers have tried and liked.

There’s some research suggesting a synergistic effect when combining rhodiola and cordyceps extracts, as we noted in our review of Onnit’s Shroom TECH Sport (there are definite similarities between that supplement and Max Capacity). Rhodiola is also a headlining ingredient in stimulant-free stacks like RISE by Nootrobox (a BrainWiz favorite for its transparency and straightforward formulation).

Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng), 300mg

An adaptogen with possible immunity-positive and anti-stress capabilities, Eleutherococcus senticosus is much more commonly known as Siberian ginseng. Early (we want to stress that this is far from proven, though studies suggest it’s promising) research indicates it may be ergogenic, meaning it can boost exercise performance and aerobic capacity. This is the bottom range of what we’ve generally seen with Siberian ginseng dosage in supplements.

Other ingredients: Gelatin

Usage Guidelines

Encapsulated preWO supplement designed to enhance mental focus and energy system capacity. Take 1 serving [3 capsules] 30 minutes prior to training. Enhances training focus. Improves lactate threshold. Helps reduce workout fatigue.

What Our Testers Say

“I’ve had similar feelings with some of these supposedly ”˜pre-workout’ nootropic stacks. They may get some people hyped up and ready for exercise, but they, including Max Capacity, actually help me stay calm and focused. I tried this before a run and didn’t notice anything different on my physical performance, but I do like it as a delivery system for choline + adaptogens, which is a combo I take in some form probably 3 out of 5 business days a week.”

“Definitely felt some anti-fatigue properties here, pretty close to what I felt with Shroom TECH Sport. If I had to identify a difference, I’d say Max Capacity helped me feel a little more clear-headed; I’m guessing that may have to do with the fairly high dosage of choline.”

“I thought I’d see a big physical performance from Max Capacity, and when I took it before workouts, I did tend to have good training sessions. But I think the lack of caffeine accounts for not getting the pronounced OOMPH! I was expecting. However, I did feel slightly more clear-headed and focused when taking this supplement. If I took it before working out, I’d probably want to pair it with a caffeine source. But on its own, I thought it was a fairly effective stack at combating brain fog.”

“Like a lot of other supplements with cordyceps, I had to experiment to see when this one worked best for me. I settled on post-lunch and with coffee, though taking it in the morning with breakfast wasn’t bad; I just succumb to an afternoon slump really easily and welcome supplements that help me through that. I did take this with dinner on one occasion and felt a little too restless before bed.”

BrainWiz Tips

• The biggest effect our testers felt from Max Capacity was a sense of mental clarity and reduced brain fog. Those are certainly appreciated before a workout, but overall we enjoyed taking this supplement in the morning with breakfast and coffee.
• The serving size is relatively large with this style of capsule, so we recommend taking with food or a full glass of water.
• Pairs well with coffee or other caffeine sources.
• Contains a fairly high dosage of Alpha GPC, so may not pair well with other choline-containing nootropics (basically, doubling up could be too much, which in some people may cause headaches).
• Avoid taking at night; may inhibit sleep when taken right before bed.

Supplement Summary

Max Capacity may be marketed as a pre-workout supplement for weightlifters, CrossFitters, and elite athletes, but we noticed its effects most when taken as a normal nootropic stack. We enjoy the transparency of the dosages as well as the ingredient profile, and all inclusions seem within the realm of generally effective dosages. Basically, we saw Max Capacity as an adaptogen-rich supplement that didn’t feel it needed to be overly complicated.

Most of our testers reported enhanced mental clarity and reduced brain fog, as well as mental endurance throughout the day. While there’s some overlap on ingredients with other cordyceps/adaptogenic blends, Max Capacity brought something new to our nootropic experience. It could be an effective, stimulant-free stack for enhanced focus, especially if you respond well to cordyceps and rhodiola supplementation.

Interested in Max Capacity? Find out how to get 20% off on our Driven Performance Labs coupons page.

The post Pre-Workout or Nootropic? Reviewing Max Capacity by Driven Performance Labs appeared first on Brain Wiz.