There are a million different supplements out there that claim to do everything from double your deadlift to cut your bodyweight in half overnight. But most of those claims don’t have much root in reality. These companies spend more time, energy, and precious marketing dollars preying on your insecurities than doing their research. They bank on the fact that people will buy anything that promises an easy way to write off their weaknesses.
That’s wherePhysiVāntage offers a refreshing perspective. This team — led by world-class climber, trusted coach, and sports science researcher Eric Hörst — knows that hard work is what gets you 99% of the way to where you want to be. If you’re an athlete who loves what you do, not just the reward of having done it, chances are pretty good that you’re already putting in that quantity and quality of effort. PhysiVāntage doesn’t want to take the value of that time away from you. The process is worth at least as much as the end result. Quick fixes (if they even have a smidge of merit) rob you of the growth you gain along the way.
To that end, PhysiVāntage isn’t here to make up for gaps in your training. These supplements are meant for the climber that’s giving their all to get to 99% on their own and need a hand making the final push. Sometimes that 1% does make a difference between snagging the send and punting off on the final move with the chains so close you could cry. That’s especially common as athletes start to reach the upper echelons of their sport, when progress starts to slow down and come in bite-sized pieces rather than giant gulps. Every little optimization adds up to bring you closer to your full potential.
So if you’re looking for an easy out, keep searching. Physivantage supplements won’t work miracles, which is the only hope you’d ever have for bypassing plain ol’ hard work. But that’s for your own good. This company cares about helping you dial in the details to be your best self, and shortcuts aren’t the way. If you’re ready to raise the ceiling on how far your best efforts can take you, on the other hand, then PhysiVāntage could very well put a little extra wind in your sails.
Hörst and his team don’t take the easy way either. Extensive research goes into the making of each product to make sure that each ingredient serves an actual purpose, no fluff or fillers to be found. And you don’t have to just take their word for it; every product description includes multiple paragraphs on the science behind the supplement, citations and all. Everything you need, nothing you don’t — because PhysiVāntage doesn’t have anything to prove here. They just do the hard work of figuring out what works so that you don’t have to. You have your own hard work to focus on.
The current lineup includes supplements for both rounding up your reserves pre-activity and refilling your tank in the aftermath. Check out some of the newest additions as well as the old reliables that have been lining the shelves of climbers’ pantries (or gear boxes on the go) for years already.
The New Kids
Mag-ATP
It’s hard enough for non-athletes to get enough magnesium thanks to most agricultural practices these days. Then add on how much magnesium athletes lose in the process of heavy training, and there’s very little chance that you’re meeting your needs. That’s important because Hörst notes that, “for individuals who participate in a strength training program, a suboptimal or even deficient magnesium status may lead to inefficient energy metabolism and decreased endurance.” On the other hand, “higher intake of magnesium has been shown to be associated with less oxygen needs and better cardiorespiratory indices.” In other words, meeting your magnesium needs leads to less strain on your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Mag-ATP offers 1000mg of magnesium malate per serving to help you get there.
Redux HP
How often do you pop a few ibuprofen to get through leftover soreness, mitigate a headache mid-session, or quiet a nagging injury? While there’s nothing wrong with a dose of Vitamin I every once in a while, chronic use of painkillers does a number on your insides. There’s a better way to aid recovery on a regular basis or find a little extra relief when you feel a niggle coming on. The holy supplement triumvirate of tart cherry, ginger, and turmeric come together in Redux HP to keep you from reaching for traditional painkillers all the time. Tart cherry is linked to “attenuated muscle catabolism, reduced immune and inflammatory stress, better maintained redox balance, and increased performance in aerobically trained individuals.” Ginger then takes a hard swing at inflammation, and turmeric battles stiff joints and muscle soreness.
The Old Reliables
Supercharged Collagen
Collagen’s been a bit of a buzzword in the health sphere lately, but there’s a big difference between the beauty industry supplements you’ll find at the grocery store and PhysiVāntage’s take on collagen. Their Supercharged Collagen supplement targets joints and connective tissues with animo acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline to strengthen them against cumulative stress or rehab them in the aftermath of injury. Each serving includes 50mg of Vitamin C, which “doubles the markers of collagen synthesis” so nothing’s going to waste. I like to mix in the vanilla or chocolate flavors into my morning oatmeal before big climbing days for a breakfast that tastes like dessert and preps me for the day ahead.
Weapons-Grade Whey
If you don’t already know how big a role protein supplements play in recouping your muscles after a hard workout, you’ve been living under a rock. Nothing new there. The difference here is that Weapons-Grade Whey goes straight to the source: just whey protein isolates and micellar casein. They’re designed to piggy back off of one another in two stages: “Phase One is a swift initial spike of amino acids into the blood stream as whey protein isolate rapidly digests. A more protracted second-phase release of amino acids results from more slowly digesting micellar casein protein.” Minimal ingredients means you can add it to almost anything for a delish post-workout snack to get to immediate work on your tired muscles or a bedtime munch for sounder sleep. My new favorite to bring to the crag and shovel down right after the last pitch: protein cereal. Just dump a scoop into a Tupperware with your favorite cereal (Cheerios are the OG) then add water when you’re ready to chow down. It hits the spot with barely any effort.
Powerplex Plant-Based Protein Complex
Not to fear, plant-based posse, you’re welcome here too. Pea and rice protein take the place of whey in Powerplex for 20g of plant-based protein. I’m all for inclusivity, but the real kicker is the that Powerplex is the first of its kind to try and replicate natural collagen. Two specific amino acids — Glycine & Proline — serve the same purpose minus the animal source. Vitamin C boosts the collagen response, alongside Creatine Monohydrate “to support recycling of ATP during powerful exercise” and Beta Alanine “to boast muscle carnosine content: the first line of defense against intracellular acidosis during sustained high-power exercise”.
Crush Pre-Workout
Yeah, you can drink a liter of coffee before hopping on your project. But ten bucks says that the jitters will shake you off before you make much progress. Crush keeps the energy but leaves the Elvis leg. L-theanine, L-taurine, and L-tyrosine take the sharp edge off caffeine so that it’s all focus and no restlessness. L-theanine “improves attention span, enhances the ability to process visual information, and increases accuracy when switching from one task to another”, while L-tyrosine counters blood flow restriction caused by caffeine. Hörst then added L-tyrosine on the basis that when “compared to placebo, it was found to improve cognitive flexibility and working memory during mentally demanding tasks, as well as help sleep-deprived individuals stay alert longer.” Not saying you should try and skimp on sleep the night before, but Crush has your back in case things get a little wild.
Endure X
There’s nothing like a flash-pump to put a quick damper on the rest of your big plans for the day. The beets in Endure X work to improve blood flow for better power-endurance on a long route or a stacked day. Beet supplements are hot right now for good reason: they increase nitric oxide in the body, which “improves body flow via vasodilation, most importantly in poorly perfused fast-twitch muscle fibers, elevates muscle oxygenation, and improves endothelia function”. But that’s only if your body can absorb all those nutrients in the first place. Beets and their juices are tough to digest, especially during exercise, because of their high fiber and fructans content, so PhysiVāntage whittles it down to pure Beetroot extract for an effective supplement. Citrulline Malate then hops on board for faster ATP reproduction between hard bouts based on studies all across the athletic spectrum.
Flow Electrolytes and BCAAs
Climbers don’t sweat the same as endurance athletes, but that doesn’t mean you’re not losing electrolytes. Sodium’s not the only thing you need to replenish, either. Potassium, magnesium, and calcium also run low during exercise but are needed to prevent cramping and premature muscle fatigue. Flow features a lower amount of sodium compared to other electrolyte supplements for sport but higher levels of the others based on climbing’s unique tax on the body, plus BCAAS to initiate recovery before you even stop.
