by Matt Weik
I’m always on the lookout for something new to try and upon opening my delivery of Outright Bars I purchased (if you don’t like those bars, we can’t be friends), I found a sample of MTS Nutrition Machine Fuel at the bottom of the box.
To be honest with you, I’ve never tried an MTS Nutrition product in the past. Generally, my clients end up sending me a bunch of goodies that I use up and I don’t necessarily have a need to go out and buy anything unless I want to try a product that my clients don’t have in stock or carry.
Being that it’s a free sample (yes, full disclosure, I did not purchase the Machine Fuel, it’s merely a sample packet I received), I figured what the heck, it’s worth a try. As per the directions, I filled my shaker bottle up with eight ounces of water, poured in the MTS Nutrition Machine Fuel, and sipped on it throughout my workout.
What were my thoughts? Well, you’ll just have to read below to find out.
Machine Fuel – Interesting Ingredients
Do you know what I like about Machine Fuel? It’s simple. I hate when companies throw everything including the kitchen sink in a product and the profile of the product runs damn near the entire length of the label – it’s absurd.
Machine Fuel contains BCAAs (in the form of patented InstAminos®), sodium, taurine, coconut water powder, and patented AgmaPure®. Now, if you know anything about MTS Nutrition, then you know the man behind the brand is Marc Lobliner. If the name sounds familiar, he also owns The Outright Bar, is the CMO for Tiger Fitness, and previously owned the company Scivation that just so happened to be the brand that started the BCAA movement back in the day.
I was a religious customer of Xtend when it first came out. I mega-dosed it to the point where I was using a gallon jug of water and dumping in multiple servings of Xtend each morning and sipping on the jug all day long. While Xtend was a straight (and delicious) BCAA supplement, Machine Fuel is quite different.
Let’s take a look at, what I consider, the three key elements of Machine Fuel.
InstAminos®
As you would expect, Machine Fuel is made from a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The interesting part is that unlike many other brands, Marc went with InstAminos® (a vegan BCAA) from Compound Solutions out of Carlsbad, CA.
According to the Compound Solutions website, the InstAminos® claim to fame is “the unique, active ingredient in InstAminos® is Instantized BCAA, a customized blend of three essential amino acids — Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine — proven to stimulate mTOR for protein synthesis required for healthy muscle growth and recovery. As a fundamental ingredient of pre or post-workout formulas, or as ingested during exercise or other physical exertion, InstAminos® redefines long-held beliefs about the time and steps required for muscle recovery.”
Coconut Water Extract
When you exercise rigorously, you’re going to sweat. And when you sweat, you are losing vital nutrients that if not replenished, can cause some serious issues. Coconut water helps provide the body with sodium, potassium, and chloride. The purpose of coconut water extract is to help improve hydration levels and replenish the nutrients that were used up and lost during your intense workout.
In addition to the rehydration benefits, coconut water extract can also help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. You may also experience lowered blood pressure as well through its use. But obviously, no one is buying Machine Fuel for solely those benefits.
AgmaPure®
AgmaPure® is essentially agmatine sulfate. If you are familiar with arginine, agmatine is simply a metabolite of arginine that can help support the pump you feel during workouts. Not only can AgmaPure® help with vasodilation, but it can also help regulate blood sugar, aid in decreasing perceived pain (great for pushing hard in the gym), and support the release of luteinizing hormone which aids in testosterone production to support gains in lean muscle mass.
Did It Work?
Now, for the meat and potatoes as to why you’re probably reading this article. Did MTS Nutrition Machine Fuel actually work? Granted, I only used the product once from the sample pack I was provided but overall, I did notice a difference during my workout. Not only was the flavor (mango strawberry) ridiculously delicious, but it mixed well in a shaker bottle and after a few shakes was completely dissolved.
During my workout, I noticed an enhancement in recovery/endurance where it seemed like I was able to push out a few extra reps in my sets along with having a really good pump. I did sweat quite profusely but obviously, I had no way of actually testing how well Machine Fuel improved my rehydration efforts (I’ll simply have to take the company’s word for it).
Overall Impressions
Bottom line, I liked this product. Not only was the flavor on point and really good, but I was able to feel a difference during my workout. The pump was intense, I was able to squeeze out some extra reps during the workout, and I can’t find anything to complain about when it comes to Machine Fuel.
Sure, there will be some people who argue that it’s lacking EAAs (essential amino acids), but to me, for what Machine Fuel is, it works just fine and serves its purpose. If Marc were to ever change up the formula, would it be nice to see EAAs included? Sure. But overall, I enjoyed the product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a new intra-workout or BCAA supplement to try.
