BSN Volumaize Review: Does Volumaize Work As Described?

Posted By elissa on Jun 11, 2011 | 1 comment

“The unique proprietary carbohydrate matrix and amino acids found in VOLUMAIZE® provide an active body with superior glucose (carbohydrate) and nutrient absorption/uptake, leading to markedly improved physical performance and greater aerobic endurance. This increased working capacity of muscle tissue leads to gains in strength and other performance-mediated increases, and may also be the difference-maker when it comes to running that extra mile, getting that extra first-down yardage on fourth down, or keeping energy level and intensity elevated during overtime.”

Volumaize is a carbohydrate-based drink designed to be consumed during workouts—a period that BSN calls “the most critical of the supplement timing windows”. In addition to carbs, Volumaize contains selected amino acids, insulin sensitizers and other nutraceuticals that “…initiate and enhance key biological processes” leading “…to lasting muscular gains”.

Do BSN’s claims hold up? To find out, we need to start with the label.

Volumaize™ A Proprietary Myocellular Expansion Matrix – Infused With Designer Glycogen Super Compensation Polymers 26,500mg
Amylopectin (Waxy Maize – High Molecular Weight Branched Chain Glucose Polymer), Maltodextrin (Glucose Polymer), Isomaltulose (Palatinose®) (Sustained Release Nootropic Carbohydrate*), Dextran (High Molecular Weight Branched Chain Glucose Polymer)

MyoHypertrophic Activating Complex
Trimethylglycine, Guanidinoacetic Acid, Leucine Alpha Amino-N-Butyrate, Leucine Nitrate, Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn®), Valine Alpha Amino-N-Butyrate, Valine Nitrate, Isoleucine Alpha Amino-N-Butyrate, Isoleucine Nitrate, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Lysine, Threonine, Guanidinopropionic Acid, Methionine

Insulino-Mimetic Matrix
Cinnulin-PF® (Aqueous Cinnamon Extract) (Bark), Banaba (18% Colosolic Acid) (Leaf), Bis-Glycinato-Oxovanadium (BGOV), Bis-Picolinate-Oxovanadium (BPOV)

Glycerol-Phosphoplexx
Glycerol Stearate, Calcium GlyceroPhosphate, Magnesium GlyceroPhosphate, Sodium GlyceroPhosphate, Potassium GlyceroPhosphate

The Science Behind the Ingredients

As is often the case, the ingredients are divided between several proprietary blends. These are as follows…

1. Designer Glycogen Super Compensation Polymers: This blend is composed of 4 different carb sources:

• Amylopectin (from waxy maize) – a popular alternative to maltodextrin/dextrose. Like maltodextrin, amylopectin is a glucose polymer, but the difference lies in its size and structure. It’s a type of starch composed of large, compact and branched units. Amylopectin is used extensively as a food additive, due to its ability to thicken without forming gels. Anecdotally, there are many who feel amylopectin is less bloating and provides a greater feeling of muscle fullness than malto or sugars. And—needless to state—the fact that it’s a “complex carbohydrate” that’s “sugar-free” adds to its appeal, although this is a distinction without a difference from a physiological perspective.
• Maltodextrin(s) – shorter-chain glucose polymers created by starch hydrolysis. Maltodextrin has a high glycemic index, and has been used as a carb source in workout drinks and related products (gainers, bars, MRPs) for many years.
• Isomaltulose – a low glycemic/insulinemic disaccharide derived from sucrose (table sugar). Known commercially as Palatinose®, it’s touted as a slow/steady source of energy, although studies have shown that consumption during exercise results in greater glycogen use vs. more conventional sources.
• Dextran – another (mostly) glucose polymer, produced by bacterial fermentation of sucrose. Dextrans occur naturally in a variety of food products, and have been used in cosmetics, as blood volume expanders, drug delivery agents and food additives.

Carbs are—of course—critical for sustained effort, performance and post-workout recovery. In addition, using more than one source can be advantageous, although I suspect these ingredients were selected to avoid “food fights” over which source is “The Bestest One in the Known Universe”—not because of improved carbohydrate oxidation.

The ingredients in this blend look fine, overall, although calling them “Glycogen Super Compensation Polymers” is marketing FAIL. Also known as “carbohydrate loading”, glycogen supercompensation is a well-known and characterized phenomenon utilized by athletes (esp. endurance athletes) to temporarily elevate muscle glycogen stores above normal levels.

For supercompensation to occur, however, both a) exhaustive exercise to deplete muscle glycogen; and b) an extremely high carbohydrate diet (9–10g/kg/day for 1–3 days) are required. Athletes attempting to boost glycogen stores can easily consume over 700g carbohydrate/day. This is massive compared to what Volumaize provides. Used as directed, a serving of Volumaize supplies only 40g carbs: an amount far too low for any genuine “supercompensation.”

2. MyoHypertrophic Activating Complex: This blend is rather complicated, but here’s how it breaks down:

• Trimethylglycine – also known as betaine. Betaine is a “methyl donor” that can help reduce plasma homocysteine—a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It may also protect the liver against fatty liver disease.
• Guanidinoacetic Acid – another name for glycocyamine, a precursor to creatine synthesis. This explains the presence of the trimethylglycine: glycocyamine conversion to creatine increases methylation demand and production of homcysteine (in fact, glycocyamine can be used to induce homocysteine production in laboratory animals).
   
  To be blunt: using this combination vs. creatine makes exactly zero sense to me—especially in a supplement designed to be stacked with BSN’s other creatine-containing products (i.e., CellMass, Nitrix and/or NO-Xplode). While the risk of increased homocysteine production is likely small; so are the benefits. While GAA supplementation can increase muscle creatine stores, there’s no proof this pathway is more efficient than direct creatine supplementation.
• Leucine/Isoleucine/Valine Alpha Amino-N-Butyrate – Alpha amino-n-butyrate is a leucine analog that—according to one patent application—possesses anticatabolic properties. Presumably, it works along the same lines as HMB, but this is purely theoretical, and has never been tested in animals, let alone humans. Nonetheless, these three compounds also serve as delivery forms for the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine—essential amino acids with known anabolic/anti-catabolic properties.
• Leucine/Isoleucine/Valine Nitrate – another set of BCAA delivery forms. Although they aren’t used in many supplements, organic nitrates are alternate substrates for nitric oxide (NO) production and vasodilation—there’s an entire class of drugs (such as nitroglycerin) that utilizes this pathway. According to one patent application for nitroxylated amino acids, the parallel is intentional: presumably, compounds like leucine nitrate can provide both the known anabolic effects of leucine + a NO-induced “pump”.
   
  I’ll be the first to acknowledge it’s pretty clever… but the history of drugs like nitroglycerin suggests some caution may be advisable. In truth, some researchers have suggested there may be “unanticipated clinical consequences” associated with the long-term use of “nitrodilators”. For example, chronic nitroglycerin use leads to tolerance—which is also associated with increased oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Whether compounds like leucine nitrate have similar effects is unknown.
• Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn®) – Beta-alanine is one-half of the naturally-occurring dipeptide carnosine (beta-alanyl-l-histidine), which—among other functions—helps to buffer hydrogen ions produced during intense muscular contractions. Beta-alanine supplementation has been shown to increase storage of muscle carnosine, reduce muscular fatigue, and improve high intensity athletic performance.
• Histidine/Phenylalanine/Lysine/Threonine/Methionine – Histidine is the other half of carnosine (see above) and an essential amino acid (EAA) in infants; the others are essential for adults as well.
• Guanidinopropionic Acid – an analog of creatine that increases insulin sensitivity in animal experiments. A potential downside is that it also inhibits creatine uptake, although I doubt the dose is large enough to cause any interference.

So what we have here are BCAAs/EAAs, beta-alanine and a source of creatine. With the exception of the latter (which is a questionable surrogate for actual creatine supplementation), these are known workout performance and/or recovery enhancers.

3. Insulino-Mimetic Matrix: This blend contains an array of compounds known to enhance glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity.

• Cinnulin PF® – a cinnamon extract made by Integrity Nutraceuticals International. In a recent clinical study, subjects with prediabetes who took 500 mg/day for 12 weeks experienced modest, but statistically significant improvements in fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and lean body mass.
• Banaba – a tree native to Southeast Asia. The leaves are used in the Phillipines as a treatment for diabetes. As it turns out, the leaves are high in corosolic acid, which has been shown to improve glucose control in human and animal studies. It appears to do this by stimulating glucose uptake in muscle cells. Although more work remains to be done, banaba looks like a useful ingredient for treating hyperglycemia and diabetes.
• BGOV/BPOV – Bis-glycinato-oxovanadium and Bis-picolinato-oxovanadium are organic vanadium compounds that have been used as insulin mimetics in animal experiments.

4. Glycerol-Phosphoplexx: Glycerol has legitimate uses in sports nutrition for “hyperhydration,” but a typical dose is approx. 1 g/kg. Thus, it’s doubtful there’s enough in this blend to provide any meaningful effects. The four glycerophosphate salts supply useful electrolytes, however.

Whew! That was a lot to unpack…which makes Volumaize a pretty typical BSN supp. 😉

The Bottom Line

But—despite the complexity—it’s not hard to draw some conclusions about what it can/can’t do for you.

Simply put, a recommended serving provides 40g of metabolizable carbs—not a huge amount, but sufficient to help keep an average trainee on his/her feet during a typical workout (i.e., fed-state, 45-60 min.) without inducing stomach upset.

It also supplies fluid, electrolytes and critical amino acids, which may also enhance performance and post-workout recovery. Volumaize strikes me as being a little weak as a standalone supplement, but potentially useful as part of a stack that includes solid pre- and/or post-workout nutrition.

This was borne out by my own experience with it. I ordered a container of the Arctic Berry Blast, and substituted it for my usual workout drink. I thought the flavor and “mouthfeel” were decent—the amylopectin appears to be pre-gelatinized so it wasn’t the least bit chalky. Sipping on it during my workout helped keep my energy up, and even enhanced my pump a bit.

So, personally, I thought Volumaize worked just fine.

Here’s the kicker, though: I honestly can’t say it performed any better than what I typically use, which is fairly low-tech: some malto + Xtend or some other flavored BCAA/EAA powder like Chain’d Out or Purple Wraath (I’m not real particular, here). I picked up the idea of an intra-workout drink from an article by Milos Sarcev years ago, so I’m sold on the concept. But such a drink needn’t be a complicated or expensive production—especially if your pre- and post-workout nutrition are sound.

So does Volumaize get a thumbs up—or down?

Both, really. If you’ve never used an intra-workout drink before, then I expect you’ll be pretty pleased with it—Volumaize certainly passed the test in the gym (where it counts).

As noted above, however, I have some quibbles with the formula (i.e., the glycocyamine and organic nitrates), and feel there are less expensive alternatives that work just as well. It tastes ok, and is certainly convenient, but—based on the formula and my experience—I don’t consider it a “must have”, in preference to other options.