There are several post-workout supplements on the market which are versatile and comprehensive.
Count Carbon Recover as one of them.
This supplement bears the name of fitness and bodybuilding icon, Dr. Layne Norton. With a name as famous as his, we’re excited about Carbon Recover’s potential.
Buckle up and enjoy the review, folks.
Table of Contents
About Carbon Recover
According to the manufacturer’s official website, Carbon Recover “gives you everything you want in a post-workout supplement: an evidence-based formula that will help you recover faster so you can work out harder and build more muscle.” Formula notes:
- Great combination of ingredients. BCAAs, l-citrulline malate, l-carnitine l-tartrate, and tart cherry powder.
- Eight grams of BCAAs per serving. Packs a bigger wallop than most protein supplements.
- Four grams of leucine per scoop. BCAA which helps kickstart the muscle protein synthesis process.
Carbon Recover Supplement Facts (Blueberry Pomegranate, 30 Servings) |
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Serving Size: 1 Scoop (14.9 g) Servings Per Container: 30 |
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Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
Calories | 10 | |
Total Carbohydrate | 2 g | 1%* |
Calcium | 50 mg | 5% |
Sodium | 70 mg | 3% |
L-Leucine | 4 g | † |
L-Citrulline Malate | 3 g | † |
L-Valine | 2 g | † |
L-Isoleucine | 2 g | † |
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (as Carnipure®) | 1 g | † |
CherryPURE® Tart Cherry Powder | 480 mg | † |
Other Ingredients: Citric acid, Natural & artificial flavors, Malic acid, Calcium silicate, Sucralose, Sodium chloride, Acesulfame potassium, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue # 1 | ||
Directions For Recover: Mix 1 scoop with 10-12 ounces (350 ml) of water and consume during or immediately after training. |
Carbon Recovery: Keeping It Simple
We’re excited about Carbon Recovery, Dr. Layne Norton’s post-workout supplement.
Why’s that?
We weren’t exactly satisfied with his protein supplement product, Carbon Build. It has questionable ingredients such as carrageenan, an additive which has been linked to several ailments.
What was even more damning was the indication on Carbon Build’s warning label. It says, “This product contains chemicals known to the State of California” to cause The Big C, per our review.
Ouch.
Frankly, we expected more from Dr. Norton – a scientist, pro natural bodybuilder, and physique coach with a bachelors’ degree in biochemistry and a doctorate in nutritional sciences.
We look up to the likes him and Dr. Jim Stoppani, whose post-workout formula, JYM Post JYM, has been making waves among fitness enthusiasts.
For Dr. Norton’s part, Carbon Recover is his chance for retribution.
This product’s simplicity caught our attention. That alone sets it apart from other post-workout supplements, which have a tendency to go overboard on ingredients and resort to worthless proprietary blends.
So far, so good.
Carbon Recover’s selling points are its four elements: branch-chained amino acids (BCAAs), citrulline malate, Carnipure l-carnitine l-tartarate, and tart cherry (CherryPure).
Get this, folks: Carbon Recover’s BCAA content is a whopping eight grams per serving.
To put things in perspective, Dr. Stoppani’s JYM Post JYM has only six grams per serving. Carbon Build also edges Myogenix Aftershock’s BCAA content by 0.75 grams per serving.
The takeaway: Carbon Recover has one of the highest BCAA content among post-workout supplements.
Bear in mind BCAAs are linked to energy production, muscle protein synthesis, and improved recovery, per the manufacturer’s official website.
Having said that, we’re sure Carbon Recover will help you achieve your post-workout goals.
The next element is citrulline malate, “a performance enhancer that works by improving fatigue resistance,” per Dr. Norton’s website.
He says this ingredient also helps reduce muscle soreness and boost muscle protein synthesis.
Here’s the kicker, folks: citrulline malate helps you “retain more muscle even while in a cutting phase,” per Dr. Norton.
Awesome.
The third element of Carbon Recover is Carnipure l-carnitine l-tartrate. Most of you know l-carnitine is the amino acid which helps you torch fat.
L-carnitine l-tartrate is a form of l-carnitine which has impressive workout and recovery benefits.
According to Dr. Norton, it helps decrease “delayed onset muscle soreness and also increases androgen receptor density in muscle cells.”
The final element of Carbon Build is its CherryPURE Tart Cherry Powder, which “helps improve workout recovery by reducing exercise-induced muscle pain and facilitating post-workout strength recovery,” per the manufacturer.
There’s more: tart cherry helps reduce inflammation and ward off free radicals. We think these benefits are fantastic.
Now, let’s check out the formula ingredients:
- Calories, 10: Wow. Carbon Recover is the post-workout supplement with the lowest amount of calories we’ve reviewed to date. Most competitors have 120 calories or so, but this one has just 10. There’s a catch, though: each scoop of Carbon Build is only 14.9 grams, which is a far cry from the average of 40 grams per scoop of other post-workout supplements. Nonetheless, the fact Carbon Recover has just 10 calories per serving is remarkable.
- Total carbohydrate, 2 g: Carbon Recover is a low-carb post-workout product at just one percent of the daily value. If you need more post-workout carbs, you can get them from a separate waxy maize or dextrose supplement.
- Calcium, 50 mg: Carbon Recover is a decent – not great – source of calcium at five percent of the daily value. You can get more calcium (and also protein) when you chug on a separate protein shake after a hard workout.
- Sodium, 70 mg: The manufacturer keeps Carbon Recover’s sodim content within reasonable limits at three percent of the daily value. Sodium-wise, it’s a safe supplement for just about every active and healthy adult.
- L-leucine, 4 g: This is the branch-chained amino acid (BCAA) primarily responsible for kickstarting the muscle protein synthesis process. Four grams per serving is pretty good, considering some protein supplements such as Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey have 5.5 grams of total BCAAs per serving.
- L-citrulline malate, 3 g: We’re excited l-citrulline malate is one of Carbon Recover’s ingredients because of its versatility: it helps facilitate the muscle protein synthesis process, improve fatigue resistance, and minimize muscle soreness. Awesome.
- L-valine, 2 g: This BCAA helps repair muscle tissue and boost exercise endurance – two important factors which will help you prepare for your next workout.
- L-isoleucine, 2 g: The BCAA which is responsible for post-workout muscle recovery.
- L-carnitine l-tartrate (as Carnipure), 1 g: A form of l-carnitine which helps reduce muscle damage and boost recovery. It makes Carbon Recover’s formula – which also has BCAAs, l-citrulline malate, and tart cherry – even more potent.
- CherryPURE Tart Cherry Powder, 480 mg: The ingredient which helps improve post-workout strength recovery, prevent inflammation, and ward off nasty free radicals.
Formula Analysis
Dr. Layne Norton’s Carbon Recover is fast shaping up to be a powerhouse post-workout supplement.
Norton cautions consumers “soreness does not equal growth” on his official website. In fact, soreness is counterproductive: It inhibits maximum exercise performance, which, in turn, limits your results.
Enter Carbon Recover.
“The ingredients in Carbon Recover are meant to jumpstart your recovery by increasing muscle protein turnover, reducing soreness and damage, accelerating strength recovery, and getting you back in the gym faster to dominate your next session,” per the manufacturer.
There’s a catch, though.
Dr. Norton says Carbon Recover “only works well if you work hard.”
True. You have to put in the work: exercise regularly, eat healthy, sleep eight hours every night, and supplement smart.
If you do all of these consistently, you will reap the benefits of Carbon Recover.
Dr. Norton makes a solid point: the combination of BCAAs, l-citrulline malate, l-carnitine l-tartrate, and tart cherry cover all the post-workout bases, folks.
Muscle protein synthesis? Check.
Reduce muscle soreness? Check.
Improve resistance to fatigue? Check.
Boost post-workout recovery? Check.
Notice the four elements of Carbon Build’s overlapping benefits work synergistically – it’s a perfect combination of ingredients which gives you a fast return on your investment.
We’d like to emphasize the eight grams of BCAAs per serving. When you try Carbon Build, you also get four grams of leucine per scoop – an amount will help you recover and pack on lean muscle mass.
On the other hand, where else can you find a post-workout supplement which has a measly 10 calories per serving? It’s a rare find, that’s for sure.
Carbon Recover doesn’t have the plethora of extra health benefits like Myogenix AfterShock, but the former’s tart cherry powder content helps supply your body with antioxidants. These help ward off free radicals for better overall health. Believe it.
We also give props to the manufacturer for excellent transparency – you see the exact amount of all of the ingredients. Awesome.
Just about the only red flag in Carbon Recover is the inclusion of FD&C Red # 40. It is an artificial food coloring which has p-Cresidine, which the National Toxicity Program of the Department of Health and Human Services classifed as “a human carcinogen.”
Watch out, folks.
Carbon Recover Benefits
Carbon Recover has the following benefits, per the manufacturer’s official website:
- More lean body mass
- Boosts post-workout recovery
- Increases muscle protein synthesis and net muscle protein balance
- Limits excessive muscle damage
- Reduces muscle soreness
- Helps make anabolic hormones such as testosterone become more effective
We agree with all of these points. Carbon Recover will help take your post-workout results to the next level and then some.
Who Takes It?
Carbon Recover is intended for healthy and active adults who want to boost their post-workout recovery, increase lean muscle mass, and achieve their overall fitness goals.
Any Side Effects?
Carbon Recover has no glaring side effects. However, individuals who are allergic to peanuts, wheat, milk, eggs, and soy should steer clear of this supplement (Dr. Norton and co. maufactured the product in an environment which also processes the said ingredients).
Finally, this product’s warning label is as straightforward as it gets:
Carbon Recover Summary
Pros
- Great combination of ingredients. BCAAs, l-citrulline malate, l-carnitine l-tartrate, and CherryPURE tart cherry powder.
- Eight grams of BCAAs per serving. Helps build lean muscle mass.
- Four grams of leucine per scoop. BCAA which helps kickstart muscle protein synthesis.
- Covers all aspects of post-workout recovery. One of the most comprehensive post-workout supplements on the market.
- Low in calories. Unbelievable 10 calories per serving.
- Extra antioxidants. The tart cherry powder helps ward off free radicals.
- Good transparency. Manufacturer discloses amounts of all ingredients.
- Good reputation. It’s a supplement with fitness icon Dr. Layne Norton’s name on it.
Cons
- Has FD&C Red # 40. Artificial food coloring now known as a human carcinogen. Thumbs down.
- Presence of dirty ingredients. The warning label says it all.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 1 30-Serving Container (30-Day Supply): $33.97
- Available only on Bodybuilding.com
Final Word on Carbon Recover
Aside from “simple,” another adjective best describes Carbon Recover: comprehensive.
Like we said, this product covers all of the post-workout bases. The ingredients work synergistically to help you get more results.
Has Dr. Norton made up for the shortcomings of Carbon Build? Yes, he has. Carbon Recover is the better product in terms of potential and potency.
It’s just unfortunate Carbon Recover is not one of the cleanest post-workout products out there. Still, the pros far outweigh the cons. Give this one a shot, folks.
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