Project Awesome

Not that anyone reads this blog, but today I've decided to start seriously working out again. I haven't seriously worked out in about a year and a half, and so my fitness has dramatically decreased. Eating is definitely more enjoyable than moving around. But I thought I'd give it another shot and post the gains that I will see along the way.

Day 1: Today I bought a Nitric Oxide supplement, BSN's N.O. Xplode. Supposedly, nitric oxide is a vasodilator, meaning that it relaxes blood vessels so that more blood (and the nutrients with it) travel to the muscles faster. In short, you get stronger pumps and recover faster. I've been apprehensive to try N.O. in the past, but I thought "what the hell" and gave it a shot. N.O. Xplode contains nitric oxide, along with a negligible amount of creatine and a decent amount of caffeine. After taking two scoops, I definitely noticed that I had a little bit more energy. I may need a couple of days to feel the "energy and focus" that it claims to give.

It is pretty expensive ($35-$65 depending on where you buy it). I bought the lemonade flavor, and it's not the best tasting stuff in the world, but I've tasted much worse. It comes in powder form, and it reacts with water to create some carbonation somehow.

It is quite important that if you do decide to take this supplement, that you follow the directions on the label. I consumed two scoops right after dinner, and had massive diarrhea within 30 minutes. Apparently I was supposed to take it on an empty stomach. I should also note that there is about 100 mg of caffeine per scoop, which is making me piss every 10 minutes.

There are notable side effects to N.O. Xplode. As cited by some users: minor to severe headaches, diarrhea, sleeplessness (if you are caffeine sensitive), loss of sex drive/ erectile dysfunction, increased tension, among other symptoms. It should be noted that this only happens to some users, while other users experience no side effects. Long term effects of consuming nitric oxide is not clear, so I will probably stick to protein and creatine as far as supplements go. Nitric oxide is naturally produced in the body, and gives that post workout "swoleness" that people experience.

I will continue to write about my experiences in using this product, and post regularly concerning my workout gains.

Commencing: Project Awesome


-Jim-