MASS, STRENGTH, LIBIDO — Who needs testosterone when have all these??
That’s a trick question: These are the results of testosterone.
And they’re exactly what ISO T-Drive claims to increase with its powerful, advanced, premium-grade testosterone boosters (our words, not theirs — these truly are pretty awesome, top quality ingredients). The only problem: ISO T-Drive takes the proprietary route in its presentation, obscuring the individual ingredient dosages of its awesome ingredients.
Which isn’t so awesome, overall.
Let’s try to make sense of this madness in the review.
Table of Contents
About ISO T-Drive
Advanced Nutrition Systems have an advanced testosterone booster for us: ISO T-Drive. Except while this supplement does provide premium, advanced ingredients, it practically loses those points with a poor proprietary dosage. Formula notes:
- ISO T-Drive Complex: ISO T-Drive stocks and locks seven awesome male enhancing ingredients in this questionably dosed proprietary blend.
- D-Aspartic Acid: Our favorite ingredient in this formula (and in general, for boosting test) makes an appearance here in potent chelated form.
- Herbal Extracts: With exception to Saw Palmetto and Milk Thistle, every ingredient is extracted and standardized/concentrated to a potent standard.
ISO T-Drive Supplement Facts |
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Serving Size: 2 Capsules Servings Per Container: 30 |
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Ingredients | Amount Per Serving |
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) | 5 mg (250% DV) |
Calcium (as Calcium Phosphate) | 93 mg (9% DV) |
Zinc (as Zinc Picolinate) | 3 mg (20% DV) |
ISO T-Drive Complex | 945 mg |
KSM-66® Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract (root) [std. to 5% total withanolides], Tribulus terrestris extract (whole plant) [std. 40% saponins], Magnesium D-Aspartic Acid Chelate, Oat Straw (Avena sativa) extract (whole plant) 20:1, Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) powder (berry), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) powder (seed), Diindolylmethane (DIM) | |
Other Ingredients: Gelatin, Magnesium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide, FD&C Red #3, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1 |
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Directions: As a dietary supplement, adult take 1 serving (2 capsules) once a day. Please read the entire label before use. |
ISO T-Drive tackles testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrogen, and stress hormones with potent extracts in small numbers.
Or rather one small number, in the form of a proprietary blend dosage, covering seven predominantly herbal ingredients. But before we get into that, let’s first check out the non-proprietary additions to this testosterone booster supplement:
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) – Through vague, unknown biomechanisms, B6 levels seem to correlate with testosterone levels. 5 mg is a substantial dosage, although ISO T-Drive could update this vitamin to the preferred P-5-P form.
- Calcium Phosphate – Not a bad ingredient for the bodybuilding athletes, but not the best idea for its inhibition of the next, more important mineral.
- Zinc Picolinate – The best mineral ingredient for testosterone synthesis, Zinc plays a direct role in the test production process, and there’s no better Zinc form than Zinc Picolinate (although, Zinc Citrate is perhaps the more cost effective Zinc form).
Zinc and B6 partially fulfill the ZMA approach to increased natural testosterone activity and lean muscle recovery (only thing missing: Magnesium), however, given that Zinc is arguably the most important ZMA component, we can live with this. Would’ve been smarter if ISO T-Drive left out the Calcium, as Zinc and Calcium compete for absorption in the body, decreasing their respective bioavailabilities.
But these are just the vitamins and minerals. Let’s get into the meat of this stack:
ISO T-Drive Complex
The ISO T Drive Complex is proprietary (blehhh), setting aside 945 mg to cover seven ingredients, allowing for a potential 135 mg/ingredient average. Not the best dosage average, especially considering that the best ingredient is prioritized three ingredients down the list (when it should be held at the number one spot). Regardless, let’s take a look:
Ashwagandha (as KSM-66®) – Strength, sex, sperm — most manly things that start with “S” benefit by ashwagandha supplementation, as well as that one thing that starts with “T”: testosterone — which may increase by 17% with KSM-66, as demonstrated in one KSM-66 study.
Tribulus Terrestris Extract – Also benefits many male attributes that start with “S” (namely strength and sex) but does virtually nothing for testosterone, at least for the average, healthy male. May enhance test precursor status for men with low testosterone count but that’s about it.
Magnesium D-Aspartic Acid Chelate – The real star of this show and the number one testosterone booster ingredient on our BIG List of T-Boosters, D-Aspartic Acid, supplied here in premium chelated form, significantly improves testosterone production, one study showing increases of 42% in only 12 days.
Oat Straw Extract – Potentially assists with testosterone status, as well as exercise performance, by its N.O. enhancing circulatory benefits, although most supplement manufacturers value this extract primarily for its nootropic benefits.
Saw Palmetto Powder – Plain powder form of Saw Palmetto, a notable inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting test to DHT — potentially offering significant prostate protection, given the condition of increased testosterone levels (which is exactly what we’re all hoping for here, right?).
Milk Thistle Powder – Saw Palmetto powder protects the prostate. Milk Thistle powder protects the liver, making it a popular option among hormonally stimulated bodybuilders and athletes.
Diindolylmethane (DIM) – Cruciferous compound, often sourced from broccoli, best known for its inhibition of aromatase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. Better test:estrogen balance equals better anabolic muscle gain potential.
Decent muscle-building profile. Exceptional ingredient quality. Meh dosages. But let’s dive deeper into all of that in the:
Formula Analysis
As we’ve already mentioned, ISO T-Drive seems designed to tackle testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estrogen, and stress with its formula — at least, it attempts to with its ingredient choices, each of which address at least one of those listed hormones. For sake of clarity, here’s how ISO T-Drive’s ingredients correspond with these hormones:
- Testosterone – Zinc, B6, Ashwagandha, DAA, Oat Straw
- DHT – Saw Palmetto
- Estrogen – Diindolylmethane
- Stress (Cortisol) – Ashwagandha
The remaining ingredients, Tribulus and Milk Thistle, support libido and prostate health, respectively. (We’re ignoring Calcium because *yaaawwwn* booooring!)
On paper, this exemplifies awesome test synergy: It’s one thing for a testosterone booster to boost testosterone; it’s another (and greater) thing for a testosterone booster to boost testosterone while balancing other sex hormones related to male health and high athletic /slash/ sexual performance. ISO T-Drive seems to sit in the former camp. And, yes, its ingredient work.
Key word: seems.
For the most part, it does. But it also grades below average on an important, universal measure to supplement value: Quantity. And ISO T-Drive’s suspect proprietary dosage doesn’t exactly leave us entirely confident in this product’s test boosting power.
Granted, ISO T-Drive does exceptionally well in the Quality department, so let’s hope the potency of these ingredients is enough to make up for their probable poor dosages.
ISO T-Drive Benefits
ISO T-Drive claims to boost testosterone numbers in the name(s) of:
- Mass
- Strength
- Libido
Again, ISO T-Drive has plenty of the right parts for these benefits, and then some (liver and prostate protection), but the degree to which ISO T-Drive delivers these results is largely unknown, thanks to the product’s proprietary status.
Proprietary supplements are bad, mm’kay. Except when they’re good, in which case we still can’t realize their goodness because of their proprietariness, which is bad, mm’kay.
Who Takes It?
Off-Balanced Bodybuilders. “Balance” being a measurement for sex hormone ratios. Essentially, ISO T-Drive is for pro and amateur athletic men looking to build muscle by polishing their anabolic hormonal profile — testosterone, estrogen, cortisol.
Any Side Effects?
None reported. At least, no side effects have been reported in the GNC customer reviews. You can’t buy this product on Amazon (and therefore we’re missing out on that wealth of helpful Amazonian information [*slight sarcasm* but only slightly]).
ISO T-Drive Summary
Pros
- D-Aspartic Acid. Awesome amino for testosterone in premium, potent form.
- Herbal Extracts. With exception to a couple, all botanicals are standardized extracts.
- Near ZMA. Zinc and B6 still further ISO T-Drive’s test raising movement.
Cons
- Proprietary. ISO T-Drive hides its most important ingredient dosages.
- Dosage. And the overall proprietary dosage is weak sauce.
- Junk Additives. These capsules really need to be cleaned up.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 1 Bottle (1 month): $99.99
- Available online and in retail stores
Final Word on ISO T-Drive
While the ingredients are generally on-point and exceptional in quality, the overall execution of this product is mid-range. And, frankly, $99.99 is far too much for mid-range supplements. If the price doesn’t bother you much, we say go for it: These are great male enhancing ingredients. Just know, there are better testosterone boosting products for cheaper.
[yasr_overall_rating]
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