We’ve seen so many post-workout supplements which include “catalyst” in their claims.
For once, we’d like to try one that works.
Hey, Strength.com Catalyst Recovery could be the one we’re looking for.
After sifting through its numerous ingredients, we fell in love with its combined 7.5 grams per serving of Creapure creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and leucine.
We hope we can say the same thing for its other components.
Gear up for another awesome review, folks.
Table of Contents
About Strength.com Catalyst Recovery
According to the manufacturer’s official website, Catalyst Recovery “is one of the most complete recovery supplements on the market.” Formula notes:
- Has creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and leucine . Combined 7.5 grams per serving.
- 2:1:1 BCAA ratio. Helps kickstart muscle protein synthesis and preserve muscle tissue.
- Affordable. Currently on sale at $20 on manufacturer’s website.
Strength.com Catalyst Recovery Supplement Facts (Tropical Orange, 413 grams) |
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Serving Size 1 Scoop (13.76 g) Serving Per Container 30 |
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Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
Calories | 5 | |
Total Carbohydrates | Less than 1 g | 1% |
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) | 5 mg | 250% |
Calcium | 371 mg | 37% |
Phosphorus | 309 mg | 31% |
Sodium | 32 mg | 2% |
Potassium | 52 mg | 2% |
Enhanced Muscle Recovery & Growth Blend | 5 g | |
Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate | 2.5 g | |
L-Glutamine | 2.5 g | |
IDEAL BCAA BLEND (2:1:1) | 5 g | 7% |
L-Leucine | 2.5 g | |
L-Isoleucine | 1.25 g | |
L-Valine | 1.25 g | |
Muscle Hydration Electrolyte Blend | 1.85 g | |
Di-Calcium Phosphate Dihydrate | 1.65 g | |
Di-Sodium Phosphate | 100 mg | |
Potassium Chloride | 100 mg | |
Essential Amino Acid Blend | 152.7 mg | |
L-Histidine Base | 25.45 mg | |
L-Lysine Hydrochloride | 25.45 mg | |
L-Methionine | 25.45 mg | |
L-Phenylalanine | 25.45 mg | |
L-Threonine | 25.45 mg | |
L-Tryptophan | 25.45 mg | |
Anabolic Recovery Blend | 115 mg | |
Cinnulin PF® Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) Bark Extract Standardized to 3% Type-A Polymers | 75 mg | |
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Leaf Extract Standardized to 25% Ursolic Acid | 40 mg | |
Ingredients: Citric Acid, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Orange Color (Caramel Color, Turmeric Oleoresin, Red Beet Juice Powder, Beta Carotene), Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium. | ||
When to take: Take 1 scoop intra-workout (taken over the course of the workout during rest times) or post-workout. You’ll see an improvement in your endurance levels as a result of increased muscle hydration. When taken post-workout, the body is able to utilize the amino acids to repair their damaged muscle tissue. |
Powerful Muscle Recovery at Your Fingertips
When you think of the word “catalyst,” several big-name bodybuilding post-workout supplements come to mind.
One is Myogenix AfterShock because of its potent protein and BCAA combo.
Another is MuscleTech Pro Series MyoBuild 4X Amino-BCAA because of its awesome 4:1:1 BCAA ratio.
It would be interesting to see if another post-workout can trump them.
On that note, Strength.com Catalyst Recovery could raise a few eyebrows.
This product “is one of the most complete post-workout muscle recovery supplements on the market,” per the manufacturer’s official website.
If a full electrolyte blend, creatine monohydrate, 2:1:1 BCAA ratio, and glutamine blend don’t grab you, nothing will.
The stars of the show are its Creapure creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and leucine contents, which are each valued at 2.5 grams per serving.
Catalyst Recovery’s Creapure and glutamine components are part of its Enhanced Muscle Recovery & Growth Blend, which makes up five grams per serving.
Creapure is a German brand of creatine monohydrate, the most efficient and cheapest form of creatine on the market.
Creatine helps increase muscle mass, strength, and energy, and improve athletic performance.
Combine those facts with Creapure’s German background, you get a top-notch kind of creatine monohydrate. Your results will become evident. No doubt about it.
For its part, glutamine is the most abundant amino acid. Among its post-workout benefits are muscle preservation, increased human growth hormone (HGH) levels, and a boosted immune system.
No wonder it’s a staple among today’s post-workout supplements.
On the other hand, it comes as no surprise Catalyst Recovery emphasizes leucine – the King of BCAAs – as seen in its 2:1:1 BCAA ratio.
According to the manufacturer’s official website, BCAAs help increase muscle recovery, boost fat burning, improve focus, and delay the onset of muscular fatigue.
As for the 2:1:1 BCAA ratio, it “has been scientifically proven to be the most effective dose and has been a trusted sports nutrition staple for years,” per the company’s website.
We agree with both points. While Catalyst Recovery does not have the highest BCAA ratio in the industry, its 2:1:1 formula will help you get the job done.
Catalyst Recovery also has 1.85 grams of Muscle Hydration Electrolyte Blend per serving.
Just so you know, electrolytes are substances that separate into ions and conduct electricity. The body requires a normal balance of these for optimum cell and organ function.
Among the most common electrolytes are the minerals sodium and potassium. You lose a significant amount of these after strenuous training, which is why many post-workout supplements have these.
This product’s Muscle Hydration Electrolyte Blend’s main ingredient is 1.65 grams of di-calcium phosphate dihydrate per serving.
This ingredient is commonly included in white powder form. It’s not a significant source of calcium.
However, it also has phosphorus – a mineral which helps improve bone and teeth health, minimize muscle fatigue, increase energy, and boost digestion.
Typically, humans do not need phosphorus as much as animals do. Think about it: how often do you see it as an ingredient in a post-workout supplement?
The takeaway: the manufacturer could have used a versatile post-workout ingredient such as betaine anhydrous instead.
Nonetheless, the high levels of phosphorus (31 percent of the daily value) should help you ward off fatigue for your workouts.
As for Catalyst Recovery’s di-sodium phosphate component, we don’t need to delve into it further: a German study conducted in January 2012 concluded phosphates have negative effects on the kidneys.
Next up is the Muscle Electrolyte Hydration Blend’s 100 milligrams of potassium chloride per serving.
This ingredient helps offset low potassium levels in the blood. Some individuals also use it as a salt substitute.
We feel the inclusion of potassium chloride will help because Catalyst Recovery has low potassium content (two percent of the daily value). This mineral is vital for good cardiovascular health and fluid balance in the body.
Another key component of Catalyst by Strength.com is 152.7 milligrams per serving of its Essential Amino Acid Blend.
The amino acids which are included are l-histidine, l-lysine hydrochloride, l-methionine, l-phenylalanine, l-threonine, and l-tryptophan.
Long story short: we don’t see any potential powerful and long-term post-workout benefits from these. Why include them to begin with? To drum up sales? Please.
Finally, Catalyst Recovery features has 115 milligrams per serving of its Anabolic Recovery Blend.
It features two unfamiliar ingredients: Cinnulin PF Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) Bark Extract and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Leaf Extract.
The former helps regulate insulin release to help minimize body fat and increase muscle mass. For its part, the latter helps boost metabolism.
All good on those fronts.
Let’s check out the formula ingredients:
- Calories, 5: Catalyst Recovery is a low-calorie post-workout at just five per serving. If you’re trying to lose weight and boost your post-workout results, this is the supplement for you, folks.
- Total carbohydrates, less than 1 g: This product is low in carbs at a measly one percent of the daily value. If you’re on a low-carb diet, it should complement your nutrition plan perfectly.
- Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), 5 mg: Catalyst Recovery is teeming – and we mean teeming – with Vitamin B6, a post-workout superstar in the making. Its most impressive post-workout benefits are improved cardiovascular, nervous, and immune system health.
- Calcium, 371 mg: This supplement has a sky-high calcium content at 37 percent of the daily value (anything more than 15 percent is considered high) thanks to its dicalcium phosphate dihydrate component. It’s the post-workout with the highest amount of calcium we’ve seen to date. Your blood pressure, teeth, and bones will all benefit. Awesome.
- Phosphorus, 309 mg: Catalyst Recovery is also rich in phosphorus at an impressive 31 percent of the daily value. It’s rare for a post-workout to feature phosphorus, which makes us ask why the manufacturer didn’t include betaine anhydrous instead. Like we said, this product’s high phosphorus content will help ward off muscular fatigue.
- Sodium, 32 mg: This mineral helps prevent muscle cramping and plays a key role in nerve function and muscle contraction. However, Catalyst Recovery is not a significant source of sodium at a paltry two percent of the daily value (anything less than two percent is considered low).
- Potassium, 52 mg: A mineral which helps regulate sodium and blood pressure levels. It also helps boost cardiovascular health. This product is not a key source at just two percent of the daily value.
Formula Analysis
There’s no denying Catalyst Recovery has a ton of ingredients.
For us, that’s only secondary. What matters more is its efficiency – will it live up to the hype?
Three post-workout superstars – Creapure creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and leucine are at the forefront.
We say 2.5 grams of each will help you build and preserve muscle mass, increase human growth hormone (HGH) levels, strength, and athletic performance, and kickstart the muscle protein synthesis process.
Awesome.
Catalyst Recovery’s 2:1:1 BCAA ratio is the most common among post-workout supplements. Needless to say, emphasis is on leucine for its ability to trigger muscle protein synthesis.
Our take on this product’s Muscle Hydration Electrolyte Blend: it’s a double-edged sword, folks.
The good news: it helps amp up your calcium levels. This mineral helps regulate your blood pressure and boost your teeth and bone health.
Plus, post-workouts with an impressive 37 percent of the daily value for calcium is hard to come by nowadays.
Okay, so Catalyst Recovery has 31 percent of the daily value for phosphorus, which helps ward off fatigue and increase energy. Good stuff.
If you ask us, we’d place our bets on betaine anhydrous instead. Phosphorus has had more benefits for animals in lab tests than humans.
As for di-sodium phosphate, we already told you about the downside of phosphates: they can be detrimental to kidney health. Ask your doctor about this if you’re not sure. Better yet, steer clear.
The plus side is the electrolytes of this supplement can help replenish your body and ward off fatigue. However, we have some major question marks for its Muscle Hydration Electrolyte Blend.
On that note, we also gave our sentiments on Catalyst Recovery’s Essential Amino Acid Blend – amino acids such as histidine, lysine, and methionine aren’t post-workout superstars.
If Catalyst Recovery included beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, whey protein, and coconut water, they would have caught our attention.
As for the lesser-known amino acids? Ho-hum.
On the other hand, we feel Catalyst Recovery’s Anabolic Recovery blend is a nice finishing touch – it can help boost fat loss and increase muscle mass, albeit to a certain extent.
Other pluses include Catalyst Recovery’s low calorie, carbohydrate, and sodium contents; high Vitamin B6 content, and excellent transparency – the manufacturer divulges each ingredient amount.
No nasty dirty ingredients and worthless proprietary blends, either. Awesome.
Finally, we like the inclusion of turmeric and red beet juice powder in the Tropical Orange flavor.
Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. It also helps ward off free radicals.
For our part, we wish every post-workout manufacturer used natural food colorings such as red beet juice powder, which helps regulate blood pressure levels due to its natural nitric oxide content.
It sure looks like a pipe dream for now.
Strength.com Catalyst Recovery Benefits
Catalyst Recovery has the following benefits, per its official website:
- 2:1:1 BCAA ratio
- Superior, research-backed formula
- Helps build muscle mass
- Tailor-fit for the modern athlete
We agree with these claims. Catalyst Recovery has the arsenal which will help you achieve your post-workout goals, and then some.
Who Takes It?
According to the manufacturer’s official website, Catalyst Recovery “features a superior results-driven formula, engineered specifically to help fuel athletes and lifters with the highest-quality, potent, and most effective sports nutrition compounds available.”
Any Side Effects?
Although Catalyst Recovery has no glaring side effects, we urge consumers to be wary of its phosphate content as they may have detrimental effects on the kidneys. Consult your physician first if this concerns you.
The manufacturer also issues a warning on its official website:
Strength.com Catalyst Recovery Summary
Pros
- Enhanced muscle recovery blend. Combined five grams per serving of creatine monohydrate and glutamine.
- 2:1:1 BCAA ratio. Helps kickstart muscle protein synthesis and preserve muscle tissue.
- High in Vitamin B6. Helps boost the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems.
- High calcium content. Thirty-seven percent of the daily value for healthier bones, teeth, and blood pressure levels.
- Contains turmeric and red beet juice powder. For the Tropical Orange flavor.
- Good transparency. No proprietary blends and dirty ingredients.
- Affordable. Currently on sale at $20 for a 413-gram bag (original price: $54.95)
Cons
- Has phosphates. May have detrimental effects on kidneys.
- Redundant ingredients. Phosphorus and amino acids such as histidine, threonine, and methionine.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 1 413-gram bag (30-Day Supply): $20.00
- Available online and in retail
Final Word on Strength.com Catalyst Recovery
For all the research and hard work the folks at Strength.com put into Catalyst Recovery, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
It works, folks.
How can a post-workout with a combined 7.5 grams per serving of Creapure creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and leucine not?
Don’t forget the extra mega doses of Vitamin B6 and calcium as well.
Our desire: the manufacturer comes up with an advanced formula which follows our recommendations.
Despite a few flaws, we recommend Catalyst Recovery for all your post-workout needs.
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