Hey, we know you’re always on the lookout for a supplement which can give you an awesome post-workout edge.
Many have laid claim to that benefit, to no avail.
We’re hoping BSN R3BUILD EDGE is the one.
It’s one of the most convenient post-workout supplements on the market – it’s a three-in-one product with creatine, glutamine, and BCAAs. Wow.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, folks. We’re sure you’ll love this review.
Table of Contents
About BSN R3BUILD EDGE
The manufacturer dubs BSN R3BUILD EDGE the “Ultimate 3-in-1 Recovery Stack,” per its official website. Formula notes:
- Convenient. Has classic post-workout ingredients in creatine, glutamine, and BCAAs.
- Five grams of creatine per serving. Helps increase muscle mass and strength and improve athletic performance.
- Four grams of BCAAs per serving. Assists in the protein synthesis and muscle tissue repair processes.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE Supplement Facts (Green Apple, 1.05 lbs.) |
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Serving Size 1 Scoop (19 g) Servings Per Container 25 |
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Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
Calories | 5 | |
Total Carbohydrate | 1 g | <1%‡ |
Sodium | 160 mg | 7% |
RECOVERY INFUSION |
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L-Glutamine | 5 g | ** |
Micronized BCAA Blend (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine) | 4 g | ** |
Lactoferrin (Bioferrin 2000®) | 50 mg | ** |
ActiGin Proprietary Blend (Panax notoginseng Extract [root], Rosa roxburghii Extract [fruit]) | 2g | |
MYOGENIX MATRIX |
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Creatine Monohydrate, Creatine Hydrochloride (Patented C-HCl™), Magnesium Creatine Chelate (Creatine MagnaPower®), Creatine Anhydrous | 5.5 g | ** |
EFFORSORB ™ COMPOSITE | ||
Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Bitter Melon (fruit) | 2.4 g | ** |
OTHER INGREDIENTS: Natural and Artificial Flavor, Silicon Dioxide, Calcium Silicate, Guar Gum, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Yellow 5, Blue 2 | ||
Directions: Mix 1 scoop with 6-8 oz of cold water or any beverage of your choice after your workout. Stir. Do not shake. |
Restore Your Workout Edge
Let’s state the obvious here, folks: BSN is one of the top-notch bodybuilding supplement manufacturers. It’s right up there with the likes of MusclePharm, MyProtein, and MuscleTech.
Customers regularly buy the likes of BSN SYNTHA-6 and BSN Creature, the company’s signature protein blend and creatine product, respectively.
Now, make way for BSN R3BUILD EDGE.
Some fitness experts argue this is a more complete version of BSN CELLMASS 2.0, another post-workout supplement which has six grams of creatine monohydrate for every two servings.
Well, they could be right.
The manufacturer dubs BSN R3BUILD EDGE the “Ultimate 3-in-1 Recovery Stack” because of its five grams of creatine, five grams of glutamine, and four grams of BCAA per serving.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE “has been designed to help kickstart your post-workout recovery,” per the company’s official website.
Our first impression: BSN R3BUILD EDGE is the long-lost twin of Old School Labs’ Vintage Build, a popular post-workout formula with the same ingredients.
Regardless which product you choose, we like three-in-one post-workout supplements. They’re convenient. They cover all the bases. They make life easier for athletes of all types.
Let’s start with the 5.5 grams of creatine per serving for the Green Apple flavor.
That much creatine is just about right, in our opinion. It’s best to consume a maximum of three to five grams of creatine daily, so BSN put in the right amount.
Creatine has been one of the staple post-workout ingredients because of its ability to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. You;’re sure to achieve both of these with BSN R3BUILD EDGE.
Plus, it’s one of the safest and most-researched ingredients out there.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE’s Myogenic Matrix features four types of creatine:
- Creatine monohydrate
- Creatine Hydrochloride
- Magnesium creatine chelate
- Creatine anhydrous
That’s about as comprehensive a creatine blend can get, folks.
Of course, we prefer creatine monohydrate over the other kinds because of two reasons: efficiency and price.
Creatine monohydrate is the most effective kind of creatine. It’s also the cheapest.
The most common gripe of customers: solubility. It doesn’t mix as well as, say, creatine hydrochloride.
We believe that’s the reason why the other types of creatine are in BSN R3BUILD: to make up for creatine monohydrate’s shortcomings.
Magnesium creatine chelate is a form of creatine bonded to the aforementioned mineral. It’s as beneficial as creatine monohydrate. You also won’t get the bloated look some inferior creatine brands give you.
On the other hand, creatine anhydrous has no water component. It won’t give you any bloated water look, either. However, there’s no hard evidence it has a big advantage over creatine monohydrate.
The takeaway: BSN R3BUILD EDGE has all of your creatine needs covered, folks.
Unfortunately, its Myogenic Matrix is a proprietary blend, a marketing tactic where the manufacturer disguises the precise amounts of each component.
Boo.
Next up is BSN R3BUILD EDGE’s Recovery Infusion blend, which makes up a total of 9.75 grams per serving.
Its main ingredient is an impressive five grams of glutamine per serving.
Here are some of the benefits of glutamine:
- Helps increase protein synthesis
- Preserves muscle mass
- Increases human growth hormone (HGH) levels
- Helps strengthen the immune system
- Helps replenish depleted post-workout glycogen stores
See? No wonder glutamine is a popular ingredient of many post-workout products. We’re glad it’s in BSN R3BUILD EDGE.
The Recovery Infusion blend’s next main ingredient is four grams of branch-chained amino acids (BCAAs) per serving.
We like this amount. We believe it can help you in terms of protein synthesis, energy, and muscle tissue repair – three important post-workout benefits.
Here’s the issue: we don’t know the precise amounts of each BCAA. If it’s four grams, we’re presuming it’s a 2:1:1 ratio, with two grams of leucine per serving.
Our line of reasong: any bodybuilding supplement manufacturer would put an emphasis on leucine than isoleucine and valine.
Why?
Leucine is the BCAA which helps kickstart the muscle protein synthesis process. No leucine, no muscle growth. Period.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE’s Recovery Infusion blend also has 50 milligrams of lactoferrin per serving.
This ingredient is a iron-binding by-product of milk. Some fitness experts say its main benefit is its ability to boost the immune system.
Awesome.
What isn’t so awesome is a sub-proprietary blend under the Recovery Infusion blend known as the ActiGin Proprietary Blend (25 milligrams per serving).
It has two rare post-workout ingredients in Panax notoginseng extract and Rosa roxburghii extract.
The Chinese have been using ginseng for thousands of years, and with good reason. Check that, many good reasons.
More specifically, Panax notoginseng extract helps:
- Boost the central nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems
- Dilate arteries, which lowers blood pressure
- Ward off inflammation
- Keep free radicals at bay
For its part, Rosa roxburghii extract is a by-product of the immature berry of the Cili fruit. This ingredient has a high ascorbic acid content. It also helps ward off fatigue and inflammation.
On that note, we tip our hat off to the manufacturer for including these two ingredients in BSN R3BUILD EDGE. We have yet to find a post-workout supplement company which has done that.
The final component of BSN R3BUILD EDGE is 2.4 grams per serving of its EFFORSORB Composite blend.
Here, you will find the additives and preservatives which give BSN R3BUILD EDGE a distinct taste, namely citric acid, malic acid, sodium bicarbonate, and bitter melon.
Among the four, we like malic acid the best because it helps ward off post-workout discomfort. Better yet, it helps increase energy levels.
The sad part: BSN R3BUILD EDGE’s EFFORSORB Composite blend is proprietary in nature. C’mon, BSN. You know better than that.
Let’s check out the formula ingredients:
- Calories, 5: BSN R3BUILD EDGE has one of the lowest amount of calories in a post-workout supplement – a measly five per serving. If you’re skimping on calories, this is the post-workout for you.
- Total carbohydrate, 1 g: This supplement doesn’t put a premium on post-workout carbs such as maltodextrin and waxy maize unlike some competitors. The proof is in the pudding: BSN R3BUILD EDGE has less than one percent the daily value for carbs. It puts its trust mainly in creatine, glutamine, and BCAAs to get the job done.
- Sodium, 160 mg: BSN R3BUILD EDGE is a somewhat low-sodium supplement at seven percent of the daily value (anything less than five is considered low). The takeaway: you get to replenish your depleted electrolyte stores with just the right amount of sodium without compromising your blood pressure. All good, folks.
RECOVERY INFUSION, 9.75 g
- ActiGin Proprietary Blend (Panax notoginseng extract [root], Rosa roxburghii Extract [fruit]): Among the four components of BSN R3BUILD EDGE’s ActiGin Proprietary Blend, we felt compelled to include just this one. Why? It’s the only clear-cut proprietary blend among them. On the flip side, we have yet to see another post-workout with Panax notoginseng extract and Rosa roxburghii, which both help ward off inflammation.
MYOGENIC MATRIX, 5.5 mg
- Creatine monohydrate: The cheapest and most effective form of creatine, which helps you pack on muscle mass and increase your strength and athletic performance. The downside: it has received a ton of flak for its poor solubility.
- Creatine hydrochloride: Take it for what it means – creatine attached to a hydrochloride molecule. Its main advantage: good solubility. Just the exact opposite of creatine monohydrate.
- Magnesium creatine chelate: Like we said, this form of creatine will give you the same benefits creatine monohydrate does. Best of all, no bloated look.
- Creatine anhydrous: Won’t give you the bloated look, either. However, there’s no strong evidence it has the upper hand on creatine monohydrate.
EFFORSORB COMPOSITE, 2.4 g
- Citric acid: An alkalizing agent which helps improve blood acidity and a product’s taste.
- Malic acid: Has several important post-workout benefits, namely warding off post-workout discomfort and increasing energy levels.
- Sodium bicarbonate: A.K.A. baking soda, this ingredient helps boost digestion and enhance sports performance.
- Bitter melon (fruit): This ingredient helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, digest carbohydrates, boost immunity, improve bone health, and ward off inflammation.
Formula Analysis
BSN R3BUILD EDGE has the makings of a great and simple post-workout product.
To start things off, its Recovery Infusion blend has a unique identity – you get five grams of glutamine, four grams of branch-chained amino acids (BCAAs), 50 milligrams of lactoferrin, and 25 milligrams of its ActiGin Proprietary Blend.
That much glutamine and BCAAs per serving pulls out all the post-workout stops, folks: muscle growth, muscle preservation, muscle tissue repair, and increased energy.
What more could you ask for?
It bears repeating: we love the inclusion of unheralded ingredients such as Panax notoginseng extract and Rosa roxburghii extract. No other post-workout boasts of these ingredients.
Simply put, they help give BSN R3BUILD EDGE an edge over the competition.
As far as its Myogenic Matrix is concerned, four different types of creatine will help you pack on lean muscle mass. They will also help you increase strength and improve your athletic performance. No question about it.
On that note, it seems to us creatine monohydrate is the undisputed king of creatine. The only reason most manufacturers include other forms is to compensate for its poor solubility.
Having said that, including creatine mononydrate as the solitary creatine component would have sufficed.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE’s EFFORSORB Composite blend is icing on the cake, so to speak.
We think it’s great the manufacturer included ingredients such as malic acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which have several important post-workout benefits.
What isn’t so great: including artificial food colorings such as Yellow 5 and Blue 2. The former is the bigger threat. You can check out some of its side effects here.
So why bother with these artificial food dyes in the first place? The manufacturer could have used natural food colorings such as beet juice, which have more health benefits.
Another red flag of BSN R3BUILD EDGE: proprietary blends. We don’t like these at all. Why hide the exact amount of each ingredient? It’s pointless.
Long story short: these two spoilers ruined a good thing.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE Benefits
BSN R3BUILD EDGE has the following benefits, per its official website:
- Five grams of creatine per serving
- Five grams of glutamine per serving
- Four grams of BCAAs per serving
- Helps increase muscle mass and strength
- Helps boost recovery
- Efficient nutrient delivery system
We agree with these claims. BSN R3BUILD EDGE can help you achieve your post-workout goals and then some, folks.
Who Takes It?
According to the manufacturer’s official website, BSN R3BUILD EDGE is intended “for strength training athletes seeking a convenient recovery stack that takes the guess work out of post-workout supplementation.”
The company also issues a warning:
Any Side Effects?
Although BSN R3BUILD has no glaring side effects, we urge consumers to be careful as this product has Yellow 5, an artificial food dye which has been linked to several side effects. Consult with your doctor as needed.
BSN R3BUILD EDGE Summary
Pros
- Convenient. Three-in-one post-workout with creatine, glutamine, and BCAAs.
- Five grams of creatine per serving. Helps increase muscle mass and strength and improve athletic performance.
- Five grams of glutamine per serving. Helps preserve muscle mass and increase growth hormone levels.
- Four grams of BCAAs per serving. Helps in the protein synthesis and muscle tissue repair processes.
- Bonus ingredients. Panax notoginseng extract and Rosa roxburghii both help ward off inflammation.
Cons
- Dirty ingredients. Has artificial food dyes Yellow 5 and Blue 2.
- Has proprietary blends. Manufacturer disguises precise amounts of some ingredients. Boo.
- Expensive. $37.99 for a 1.05-lb. container.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 1 Bottle (30-Day Supply): $59.95
- Available online and in retail
Final Word on BSN R3BUILD EDGE
The verdict is out on BSN R3BUILD EDGE: it does give you an edge. Is it the best post-workout on the market?
Not by a long shot.
Like we said, this product is like Old School Labs’ Vintage Build because it has all three post-workout essentials: creatine, glutamine, and BCAAs. Pretty solid.
However, the manufacturer ruined a good thing by resorting to proprietary blends and dirty ingredients. No wonder BSN isn’t in the same category as, say, Optimum Nutrition.
We recommend BSN R3BUILD EDGE but with some reservations. Too bad.
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