Optimum Gold Standard 100% Plant Protein review

I ordered a sample batch of bodybuilding supplements for the fun of it.I got a variety of some interesting stuff.Some good,some crap.
So I'm going to have a little fun with this review of one of the more unfortunate samples.

One of the things I got was a sample envelope of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Plant Protein.It says it's 'plant based'.I'm not plant based.
But I bought the samples so I decided not to waste it.
How bad could it be?
Pretty nasty.I mixed it with cold water.It didn't look right.It didn't smell right.
Appalling.
It was a slimy slurry of gelatinous goop.
I took one fair sip of it,and just kind of ...froze.My brain was trying to figure out what to do.
My intention was to swallow it.But my mouth,and gag reflex had other ideas.
Mainly ah hell no!
I paused a few moments...then gave up and spit it out.Washed the rest down the toilet.
Where it belongs.Without subjecting my body to the trip.

I think the texture is the worst part.But it all just hits you.
The texture is like some kind of cellulose frog splooge.
Like vegetarian amphibians have spawned in your mouth.
The taste..it's difficult to care while it feels like you've sipped up a tadpole puddle.
Vanilla-ish.Not good vanilla.The flavor is weak,and can't over come the texture at all.
The smell is not inviting.
The whole concoction is the antithesis of a creamy protein shake.I feel truly sorry for the lactose intolerant.But there's no excuse for this.It has to be motivated by the vegan's beliefs they should eat things that taste disappointing.
There must be a better way than this yuck.It's certainly not a better whey.

I don't use vegan products so no loss to me.
I do really like Optimum products though.
I'll stick to their traditional glorious lactose rich cow products.



Here's a link to the product on the company site.

https://www.optimumnutrition.com/en-us/product/gold-standard-100-plant

and here's the description..

       "THE TRUE STRENGTH OF PLANT

Gold Standard 100% Plant protein was made for active adults who care about where their nutrients come from and how good their protein tastes. By combining organic pea, brown rice and sacha inchi proteins, there’s a complete profile of essential amino acids to support muscle recovery. Each serving also serves as an excellent source of vitamin B12 and includes a gluten-free complex of ancient grains and pomegranate powder. Help keep your goals and your diet on track with this USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO formula that’s free of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners."

If it sounds more like advertising than science.I suspect it is.

Kratom - my experimentation with taking it.

This may be a controversial issue to discuss.But what the hell.It's not like anyone is reading this anyway :)
I've been trying Kratom lately.
I recently posted about my chronic pain from years of weightlifting,and playing tennis.
I do take a Hydrocodone/ Ibuprofen medication for the pain sometimes.This is an opioid pain killer.
I almost always only take half a tablet.It's an effective medication for pain.But it's strong enough that it's hard to workout with a full dose in my system.
Before that I was taking a lot of Ibuprofen.Probably too much.Too much Aspirin before that.
Fortunately the Aspirin didn't seem to cause me any problems.I have a good stomach.
But in the long run NSAIDS can stress the system.Taking Acetaminophen( Tylenol ),and drinking alcohol is not good for your kidneys.At least it's risky.
I didn't take Tylenol.I don't think it's a good drug frankly.
Ibuprofen is an effective painkiller.But again taking higher doses of medications for a long period of time can be concerning.When I was taking enough to reduce my menstrual cramp pain,it would make me feel slightly uncomfortable from it after a few days.I guess I would describe it as stuffy headed,and icky.Of course menstrual periods make you feel nasty anyway.For the most part I've had a good experience with Ibuprofen.

So on to my recent use of Kratom.
I had a period of time when I didn't have a refill on my usual medication.Kratom had been in the news a lot,and I started looking into it.
Chris Bell , the director of the film 'Bigger,Stronger,Faster' is making a documentary on it.He has had an opioid  problem in the past.He's had severe hip problems,and replacement surgery.He made the documentary 'Prescription Thugs' about the issue of pharmaceutical companies,and doctors encouraging the use of powerful drugs.I haven't seen the movie yet.I'll try to watch it sometime.
I understand the point of view.I think the problem of opiate addiction is very complex,and multicausal.Not only bad intentions from Pharma,and irresponsible doctors.I wonder if obese,over stressed,and depressed America is really having a pain crises? I think that's possible.
I know Americans are relatively spoiled when you look at the global picture.But I think the pain is not imaginary,or mere self indulgence.
This is also a nation of athletes who play contact sports,and we have many suffering veterans.
Maybe I just don't have the heart to condemn people for their agony,and grief.I don't think anyone wants to become addicted.
But opiates are strong drugs that can cause real physical problems.They seem to change the way the body perceives pain.It's normal for people to develop a tolerance for opiates.But it can become worse and develop into Hyperalgesia.It's beyond my knowledge level to go into details.But it's the frightening effect of long term opiate use causing a worse pain problem.
 It's horrible to think there are people who have pain problems then have worse pain because of the painkillers.The human body is just great,isn't it?

So I ordered a sample pack of Kratom to see what it would do.It included;Red Vein Maeng Da,Green Vein Malay,White Vein Bali,and White Vein Maeng Da.I'm a long time taker of various supplements.Most of them are over rated,and not worth it.I'm reasonably cautious.But I'm willing to give things a try.
( I do want to point out that Kratom is legal where I live.Also I don't take recreational drugs )

Kratom is unquestionably effective.
It certainly feels like it's activating the brain's opiate receptors.It does clearly have the feeling of pleasure,euphoria,and warmth that opiates can induce.
But it feels softer,and rounder in a way.More diffuse,and relaxing.
Pharmaceutical opiates are strong,and pointed in their impact.They have the feel of a targeted drug doing what it's designed to do.That's not a criticism.Just fact.
There are claims that the different strains of Kratom have different effects.I'm not sure I really noticed that.Maybe it effects different people in different ways.
It's said to make you more alert,and yet relieve pain.I didn't find what I took particularly energizing.But it didn't make me feel like I was going to fall asleep either..Not at all.I didn't feel out of control.Merely softened,and relaxed.
I took a dose of about 1/4 tsp of Red Vein Maeng Da and proceeded to lift weights.It was a leg session with squats.No problems.I did have some pain relief from it.But I didn't feel dopey.
I could,and usually can,feel some degree of pain in my hip joints most of the time.It's just a question of getting it down to a manageable level when I lift.It's more of an issue on leg days of course.
I also tried taking the other strains in slightly higher doses when I didn't have to lift.I did notice the White Vein Bali was very relaxing.Good bye anxiety!

It would certainly be worth experimenting with people who have severe problems with anxiety,and depression to see if Kratom would help them.I wonder if it would help people with OCD,Anxiety,PTSD,Insomnia,Anorexia,Anhedonia  etc..?
Who knows?
But we live in a society that would allow them to take SSRIs,and drown themselves in booze before they would be allowed to take a plant.
I'm still amazed we're seeing an improvement in the decriminalization of marijuana.
I hate to think this is all really due to the greed of pharmaceutical companies.We live in a country that seems to place financial interest before all else.That's a tragedy.But I'm sure the drug companies think they can create better,more precise,drugs than can be found in nature.True,scientific drug manufacturing has improved human life immensely.I'm absolutely not anti-science.But that doesn't excuse unfairly barring people from using natural substances when appropriate.
Evolution has been at it's work a long time.
We can't have the arrogance to destroy individual liberty when people are seeking relief from pain,and disease.It's not a noble cause to protect society from the right to control their own bodies.
I never get over the fundamental refusal from the Right,and the Left to respect personal autonomy.
I'd rather see people educated,and allowed to exercise their liberty,than unnecessarily frightened and protected from 'themselves'. It may be well-intentioned.
I just don't think it works.You end up infantilizing society.

Now in all seriousness;Kratom could cause problems.I doubt it would be as addictive as pharmaceutical opiates.But that doesn't mean people couldn't become dependent.I don't have the information on that.It might be too soon to tell.
Of course you wouldn't want people to take it just to get high,and be useless.
I wouldn't want minors taking it unless under medical supervision.
There could be some reasonable restrictions,or expectations for usage.Though it does seem like we have a major problem with common sense usage of anything in America.
That's what I'm afraid of.It's either legal,and everybody finds out about it,or it's criminalized.
Why does everything have be classified as good and legal,or bad and criminal?
If the media goes into a panic frenzy that will set the politicians off to dog pile on it as a menace.
I'd bet on it.
America hates a 'junkie'.
I just remembered the late great comedian George Carlin's line about a 'Commie Fag Junkie'.
If American politicians get a whiff of the dreaded spectre of bums getting high,look out.

At least the DEA has relented for now.
We'll see.
Can America please agree it beats the hell out of oding on Fentanyl?


A few more practical points;
This stuff was as fine as baby powder.And it's very hard to mix with anything.You could say it's        hydrophobic just to have the opportunity to use that word.It hates water.
It can be mixed with applesauce,or pudding,or even ketchup.It takes patience to mix.It doesn't have a pleasant flavor,or texture.It's dusty,but tends to clump together in the mouth.
The only thing I can remember that it tasted like was a supplement called Horny Goat Weed (epimedium)
It's not a horrible taste.It's just a little bitter.
It will stick to a silver spoon.Use a plastic spoon to take it if you're going to be simply putting it into your mouth.
You can take about a 1/4 - 1/2 tsp dose in your mouth and then take a swig of a non-carbonated drink like a fruit juice,or Crystal Light.Swish it around vigorously in your mouth,and swallow slowly,and carefully.Don't gulp it.And wash it down well.
Don't get it up your nose either.That would be a bad time.
It can be made into a tea.Put it into brewed tea in a cup.Or mix it with an instant tea mix.You could try it with cocoa.I didn't.But it will settle to the bottom,and stick to the sides of the cup, even in hot water. Sipping it with a strong lemony instant tea mix was not bad.
You could probably also buy it in capsules.But then you couldn't control the dosage as much.
I would take it easy at first.Always better to under do something until you get a feeling for how it will effect you personally.

Now to wrap up.To provide the usual disclaimer.
Of course you should never do anything illegal,or naughty.
I'm not encouraging you to take any drug,or supplement.That's your choice.
Talk to your doctor.(Really that wouldn't be a bad idea.)


My final word is;I do think Kratom should remain legal.
I'm concerned about the people who are trying to stay,or become, more functional.
Why punish them?
It would do far more harm than good at this point to ban it.

Supplements are bad but Cults are ok? The Super Bowl won't run an ad from GNC,but will run one by Scientology.

Well here is an interesting example of modern morality.Which doesn't look particularly moral.

Super Bowl LI ( 51 ) will be played February 5,2017.The game is huge of course,but so are the ads.
It's a big deal to get an ad to run during the broadcast.It's going to be seen by a lot of eyes,and talked about.
So the NFL has to choose which ads to run.Some ads get rejected.
Here's where it gets interesting this year.
The supplement store General Nutrition Centers, or GNC submitted an ad.It wasn't accepted.
Because GNC carries a few products that contain substances banned by the NFL.DHEA,and Synephrine being two.
The NFL even bars players from endorsing GNC.
So GNC spent all that money just to see their ad rejected.Here's a story from Fortune.
The ad itself is uncontroversial.Slick pretty pictures of diverse people doing impressive things.
Fast cut.Little context.But ok.

It's called GNC;the courage to change.

Why are these legal supplements even banned? DHEA is not a popular prohormone with young males.See the research.Is Synephrine actually dangerous? Decide for yourself.
But honestly the chances that any player in the NFL is using them is slim.
There have been incidences in the past of athletes,including football players,suffering severe reactions to some substances in supplements.Ephedra would be a prime example.So the concern is not unreasonable.But I think it's going overboard to ban this ad.The overwhelming majority of their vitamins,and supplements are legal,and not banned.

Here's the big stink for the NFL.It smells like weed.
The drug testing policies are notoriously easy to beat.
Deadspin from 2015
The Boston Globe from 2015
They do test more often for PEDS.But who would be surprised if players were beating those too.
The league has an understandable interest in protecting player's heath.That's a legitimate issue.
I'm sure we'll all glad they care.
Shame they didn't care a little more about chronic head trauma.CTE in the NFL is a tragic subject.
Just ask Dr Bennet Omalu.
You may be able to view the whole documentary League of Denial depending what country you're from.It's a great documentary.
So here's a crucial truth about muscular hulking men going on rampages.It's not all 'roid rage' folks.
Beating a man's brains in for years will scramble his cognition permanently.And the deterioration can be fatal.

So the NFL dropped the ball on the critical issue of concussions.But now they're virtue posturing about a few supplements.
Well,at least their intentions are good.

Oops.Maybe a little slip in judgment here.They are approving a commercial by the Church of Scientology!
A creepy,mind fucking cult that bleeds people dry of money while promising to clear them of space cootie infections.
It will ruin a person's mind too.It just takes longer.
But they call themselves a 'religion'.So they must be holy? Or more like wholly full of shit.
And the Scientologists have some weird ideas about supplements too.They give people high doses of vitamins,and make them sweat.It's called the purification rundown.
It's pure quackery,and very dangerous.
This organization unquestionably actively hurts people.It does.On purpose too.
The NFL will run their vapid commercial..because.....?
I don't know.I really don't.
I guess Roger Goodell hasn't read "Going Clear" yet.( or seen the film )

Sigh.
Just pointing out the weirdness.I understand the desire to appear moral,and on the right side of things.It's got to have some kind of good intention with it.To genuinely make the world a better place.
Don't promote things that hurt people.Right?
At least inform them,and let them choose their own course.
Why does it go so wonky so often?
Let's keep working on that.

And stay away from Scientologists offering 'personality tests'.
Go work out.

Keep track of your Medications and Supplements.

Everyone should keep track of the medications,and supplements they take.I don't just mean having a general idea what you're taking either.Knowing precisely what you're taking is important to your well being.
Many people who have health problems and are taking multiple medications will keep a card in their wallet/billfold listing their drugs and dosages.That's a very important resource if something happens and they can't speak for themselves.
If you're taking any medications that treat any serious condition you should do this.And do make sure your parents,and grandparents do it too.What would happen if an elderly relative couldn't speak for themselves? Would you know what drugs they were taking,and the dosages? What happens if someone forgets to bring their prescriptions with them on a trip?
Better safe than sorry when it comes to knowing what drugs someone needs.

Keep a card in your wallet,or billfold listing the precise name of the drug,and the dosage.
List prescriptions,over the counter medications,and supplements.
Something like this;

Furosemide 20mgs ( daily )
Diazepam 5mgs ( occasionally )
Ibuprofin 200mgs ( when needed for pain )
Loratadine 10mgs ( daily )
Melatonin 3mgs ( nightly )

Let your doctor review it to see that it's correct.Keep it up to date.
You can also note any medical problems,or allergies.
If you have any severe allergies those should be on a medic alert bracelet.


We see stories in the media about drugs,and supplements and possible interactions.This would be another reason to have a list of everything you're taking,and show it to your doctor.
I know some doctors aren't very well informed about supplements.You may be concerned they'll have an alarmist viewpoint.That's possible.But they may also catch something that could be harmful.
It would be better to be honest in any case.

When it comes to strength athletes in particular,some people may be taking drugs that are illegal,or in a gray area.This could be a difficult issue with health care providers.
I can only say I hope you can find someone who will treat you with respect,and have your best interests in mind.You should never be treated with contempt,and hostility.But you do need to be honest,and knowledgeable about your health.You need to monitor the effects of what you chose to do.You shouldn't be hiding this vital information from health care providers.
The fact is they may have to show you test results that reveal you are at risk of harm.I encourage you to take that seriously.You can't afford a cavalier attitude toward your health.

I think everyone would benefit from keeping track of their day-to-day drugs,and supplements as well.
They have a number of sites that offer calorie,and exercise trackers.You can enter foods to see the nutrient information,and calories.It surprises me they don't have a section for medications,and supplements.They do usually have a diary feature.You could easily use that to note what you're taking.If you're using a service like My Fitness Pal,you can note what you take when you enter your foods.Make a note of the time of day,the supplement,and amount.It can be very useful in reviewing how things have been effecting you.Did a supplement cause you a problem?
But I would encourage you to make sure you have the entries set to private.

Of course you can also write things down in a notebook.Nothing simpler than paper,and pen.

Here's a gratuitous image of brightly colored pills.

T-Nation and Biotest;Macho bottles of blueberry powder.

T-Nation is a bodybuilding,and strength training site that's run by a supplement company called Biotest.
To give the best example of the kind of supplements they sell,let's talk about indigo 3G.It contains a substance called Cyanidin 3-Glucoside.This substance is being looked at for it's possible effects on health,and body composition.Yes,it's interesting.
But what is it really? It's a dark pigment in fruit.Blueberries,raspberries,blackberries etc..
And you can buy a bottle of it for 65 bucks from Biotest.
If you're thinking that sounds like bullshit,I agree.They were even marketing it in their pretty little blue bottles in fancy plastic boxes for a time.
They always claim to be on the cutting edge of supplementation,and nutrition.They come off like a bunch of snake oil salesmen.
I don't think all supplements are crap.But some of them are.Over hyped,overpriced,and under supported by evidence.Biotest is a perfect case.Don't be fooled.
The best way to take supplements is to know about the actual substance you're taking.Not proprietary blends with hidden amounts of ingredients.There can be sensible combinations of ingredients.There can be issues of absorption.But you should always be able to tell exactly what you're taking,and how much.
You can take blueberry extract itself for a fraction of the cost of their bottles of cool blue.
Just run a search on Amazon and you can find a bottle of capsules from Life Extension for about fifteen dollars.

Now the issues with the site.It's bad ass jet black with yellow print.Eye stabbing annoyance.Simple lists of articles,and not in order of date.They rerun a lot of old material.Constant hawking of their products by placing links to the store in the articles themselves.How does that not bias articles? It has to.
And the bully swagger macho.Testosterone Magazine.He-Man Woman Haters.( Our Gang reference to little boys who rejected girls joining their club ).
Tuff Guys!
Gosh it's so impressive.
Here's a very manly article from Chris Shugart asking if you're tough enough,or just a big sissy?
That's right,the big strong man is disappointed in you for not being tough enough.And he'll call you a sissy,or say you're leading to the pussification of America.
Oh.Here we go again.It's the Chris and Dani Shugart show.Dumb runs in the family.
These kinds of people are NOT good for bodybuilding.They're off putting to the vast majority of people in society.They're like a bad stereotype of the obnoxious lunkhead.Why do that?
Do you think people will come to you for fitness advice when you act like that?

I think T-Nation works like this.Pander to the insecure boy,or boy man,who looks for muscle building advice.Tell him you've got the secrets of no nonsense manliness right here in a bottle for him.Tell him how to be a real tough guy.Sneer at the girls, sissies,and the fat people.
Sell him your shit.

The sad thing is they're driving smarter people away from some damn fine articles written by real experienced bodybuilders,and power lifters.First class strength coaches.
Those articles are worth wading through the childishness to read.They pay the real experts to provide some valuable content.You just have to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I can't attest to the value of every article by every coach.But worth consideration.Most of these guys have their own sites too.So once you find someone's information interesting you can check them out.TC Luoma's articles,often about nutrition,can be informative too.He smears on the vulgar jokes,but he's trying to keep up with the latest food news.
T-Nation also has a YouTube channel that runs lifting,and exercise demonstrations.Sound material.

The site is playing hard to the manly point of view.There goes much of the fitness audience.
But they clearly don't have the intention,or the ability to compete with the mainstream big leagues of the industry.
But on the other hand,the truly "dangerously hardcore' to use their tired slogan are probably mostly elsewhere.On some steroid board discussing stacks.
I've got to warn them this crap isn't going to play for long.Not in a world where a Texas college football coach might actually lose his job because his players go on rape sprees.Sweet Jesus where ever could they have gotten such unacceptable attitudes towards women?
It's seeping in from somewhere somehow.

I was following T-Nations twitter,But it's click bait and the stupid sissy,pussy references wore on me.It's not worth following.Too much ick.
I will look in on the site on occasion.But I'm finding better sources.
I've never bought anything from Biotest,and I never will.I don't know who owns it.But it wouldn't surprise me if it goes belly up.Unless of course they can keep their insecure boys blowing money on their magic manly potions.

Jerry Brainum on the question; Are BCAAs overrated?

I asked a question for Jerry Brainum on the Generation Iron Fitness and Bodybuilding Network on YouTube.Happy to say he answered.
The fact is you do get enough BCAAs from animal protein sources in food.You don't need extra BCAAs as supplements during a workout.
That's what I thought from what I've heard.But it's good to get Jerry's expert insight on this.