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Cyclone - a muscular solution?
By John Hortel (reprinted with kind permission of ‘Pump It’ publication)
For a lot of guys, muscle growth can be a painfully slow process. They bust a gut three or four times a week in the gym, eat all the right foods, and have little or nothing to show for it.
You could spend ten hours a day doing shoulder presses galore in the gym but if you don’t let the right nutrients pass your lips, you’ll never get the kind of body you want so badly.
One of the most popular ‘all-in-one’ sports nutrition products on the market today is Cyclone by Maximuscle. It claims to combine all the best muscle-building ingredients in one product. Like everyone, I’m very skeptical of these kind of claims, and I don’t want to waste time and money on stuff that just doesn’t work. So, I took a closer look at the ingredients to see if Cyclone stands up to close scrutiny.
Creatine
Each daily serving of Cyclone contains 10 grams of Creatine, which is one of the most effective nutrients legally available. There is actually a lot of research (I was surprised by the sheer number of studies) to show that Creatine will help you build muscle more quickly. In fact, one study I found shows that Creatine users gained weight four times faster than those who trained without it 4. Some people also claim that it gives your muscles a fuller, more “pumped” look, but I couldn’t find any research to back this up, just a lot of positive feedback from people who’ve tried it.
H.M.B.
Like Creatine, HMB has been the subject of a lot of research over the past few years. According to one source, HMB has appeared in no less than 730 newspaper and magazine articles in the United States alone. The idea is that it helps you recover more quickly from your workouts, which means faster gains in muscle strength. Recent trials show that just three weeks of HMB supplementation boosted strength gains by an impressive 20% 12.
One study I found shows that Creatine and HMB appear to work better together than either nutrient taken alone. The combination of Creatine and HMB was found to be over 30% more powerful than HMB alone at increasing strength. Not only did test subjects using HMB and Creatine get stronger faster, they also found it easier to gain muscle. In fact, the group using Creatine and HMB gained three times more muscle than those using HMB alone.
Whey Protein
Protein is really important if you want to gain muscle mass. If you don’t provide your body with enough protein, it doesn’t have the raw materials it needs to grow. It’s like trying to build a house without any bricks. Whey protein is a very high-quality form of protein derived from milk. It has a very high biological value, is rich in essential amino acids, and is also low in fat. Many athletes use whey protein for its beneficial effects on muscle growth. The whey protein in Cyclone is an exclusive blend of Whey proteins called Biomax �, licenses to Maximuscle.
Glutamine
Glutamine is a very popular amino acid, and is considered essential for muscle growth, as it’s the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue. One thing I found out that surprised me was that doctors and clinicians regularly use it to treat patients with illness, injury or infection. It appears to work by boosting production of powerful anabolic hormones such as insulin, growth hormone and testosterone 3.
Beta-ecdysterone
I couldn’t find out much about Beta-ecdysterone, (also known as Suma or Brazilian ginseng extract), other than some Russian research showing it helps to increase protein synthesis and muscle growth. A group of 78 elite athletes were assigned to one of three groups. The first group made no changes to their diet. Group two consumed a high-protein diet. Group three combined a high-protein diet with Beta-Ecdysterone. The group making no changes to their diet lost muscle, while athletes on the high-protein diet showed a slight increase in muscle mass. However, those using protein plus Ecdysterone showed a 6-7% increase in lean muscle tissue with a 10% reduction in fat.
Chromium
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. I found a few human and animal studies showing that chromium increases fat loss and promotes muscle gain. Some bodybuilders also claim that chromium gives them greater pumps, vascularity and muscle fullness.
MCT’s
Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are a class of fatty acids found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and butter. They are different from other fats in that they’re digested and absorbed much faster than conventional fats (in fact, as rapidly as carbohydrate) and are immediately available for energy.
Bioperine�
Bioperine� is a standardized piperine extract obtained from the fruits of the black pepper and/or long pepper plants. T’s not designed to lose fat or build muscle, rather, the main effect of Bioperine � appears to be to enhance the bioavailability of various nutrients consumed with it, allowing you to get better effects with the same dosages.
So, that’s the science behind it. But what I really wanted to know is� does it work?
Using Cyclone�
Cyclone does work, though I do have a couple of reservations about it, which I’ll explain in a moment. As with anything, you need to use Cyclone properly to see the best results. I recommend taking 2 servings a day, one in the morning between breakfast and lunch, and then one in the afternoon or after your evening workout.
I didn’t really notice anything for the first couple of days, but on day 3 (chest and back) I started getting these really insane pumps in my chest. It felt like it was going to explode! Even my back and shoulders, which don’t normally get pumped at all, seemed really tight. It was an awesome feeling!
When I stepped on the scales after 14 days, I’d gained about 8 pounds. Obviously, I was eating a good diet and training hard 3 times a week. Don’t expect these products to be magic pills, you have to train hard and eat more protein, so you can convert it into extra muscle.
Cyclone certainly isn’t cheap. But when I worked out how much all the individual ingredients cost, using Cyclone actually works out a lot cheaper than buying them all separately. It also comes in 5 flavours, interestingly an Orange flavour, which sounded strange, but tasted really good.
This is one of the few products I have given 5 out 5 stars. Shame it is not a little cheaper, but there isn’t anything else like it.
References:
1.Boirie, Y., Dangin, M., Gachon, P., Vasson, M-P., Maubois, J-L. & Beaufrere, B. (1997). Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Procedures of the National Academy of Science, 94, 14930-14935
2.Bounous, G. (1989). Immuno-enhancing property of dietary whey protein in mice: role of glutathione. Clinical Investigations in Medicine, 12, 154-161
3.Di Pasquale, M. (1997). Amino acids and proteins for the athlete: the anabolic edge. Pub CRC press llC
4.Francaux, M. & Poortmans, J. R (1999). Effects of training and Creatine supplementation on muscle strength and body mass. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
5.Green, A. L. Simpson, E. J. Littlewood, J. J. MacDonald, I, A., Sewell, D, A. & Greenhaff, P. L. (1996a). Carbohydrate feeding augments skeletal muscle accumulation during Creatine supplementation in humans. American Journal of Physiology, 271, E821-E826
6.Jacob, S., Ruus, P., Herman, R., Tritschler. H. J., Maerker, E., Renn, W., Augustin, H. J., Dietze, G. J. & Rett, K. (1999). Oral administration of RAC- alpha Lipoic acid modulates insulin sensitivity in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo controlled pilot trial. Free Radical Biology in Medicine, 3-4, 309-314.
7.Keast, D., Arstein, W., Harper, R., Fry, W. & Morton, A. R. (1995). Depression of plasma glutamine concentration after exercise stress and its possible influence on the immune system. Medical Journal Austrica, 162, 15-18
8.Kreider, R. B. (1999). Dietary supplements and the promotion of muscle growth with resistance exercise. Sports Medicine, 27, 97-110
9.Lands, L. C., Grey, V. L. & Smountas, A. A. (1999). Effect of supplementation with a cysteine donor on muscular performance. Journal of Applied Physiology, 87, 1381-1385.
10.Lemon, P. W. R. (1998). Effects of exercise on dietary protein requirements. International Journal of Sports Nutrition, 8, 426-447
11.Nissen S, Sharp RL, Panton L, Vukovich M, Trappe S, Fuller JC Jr. (2000). beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation in humans is safe and may decrease cardiovascular risk factors. Journal of Nutrition, 130, 1937-45.
12.Nissen, S Sharp., Ray. M., Rathmacher, J. A., Rice, D., Fuller, J. C., Connelly, A. S. & Abumrad, N. (1996). Effect of leucine metabolite ?- hydroxy- ?- methylbutyrate on muscle metabolism during resistance-exercise training. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81, 2095-2104
13.Nissen, S, Sharp, R. & Ray, M. (1997). Nutritional role leucine metabolite ?-hydroxy-?-methylbutyrate (HMB). Nutritional Biochemistry. 8, 300-311.
14.Prevost, M.C., Nelson, A.G., & Morris, G.S. (1997). Creatine supplementation enhances intermittent work performance. Research Quarterly form Exercise and Sport, 68, 233-240.
15.Roth, E. et al. (1990). Glutamine an anabolic effector Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 14, 1305-1364.
16.Roy, B. D. & Tarpanolsky, M. A. (1992). Influence of differing macronutrient intakes on muscle glycogen resynthesis after resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 84, 890-896.
17.Steenge, G. R., Simpson, E. J. & Greenhaff, P. L. (2000). Protein-and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body Creatine retention in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, 1165-71
18.Vandenberghe, K.,Goris, M., Van Hecke, P., Van Leemputte, M.,Van Gerven, L. & Hespel, P. (1997). Long term Creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. Journal of Applied Physiology, 83, 2055-2063
19.Vukovich, M.D, Stubbs, N, B & Bohken, R, M. (1997). The effect of dietary ?-hydroxy-?-methylbutyrate (HMB) on strength gains and body composition changes in older adults. FASEB Journal, 11, A376
20.Jowko E, Ostaszewski P, Jank M, Sacharuk J, Zieniewicz A, Wilczak J, Nissen S. (2001). Creatine and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) additively increase lean body mass and muscle strength during a weight-training program. Nutrition, 17, 558-566
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i enjoyed your article,very informative ,it really helps to have good information,and sound advice to help people achieve their goals thank you very much ,i look forward to more articles mark allen martial artist,and keen weight trainer
i have recently bought the Cyclone product but havent used it yet but, i am confident enought that it will work now after readin the article.
a good informative article and i agree with John it is over priced. there are folks out there who try to build but are out priced,therefore they look for cheaper ways and concequently end up buying poor substitutes and probably lose interest because they are not geting results. Maxi’s are good products.
Great article, thank you for the useful information. i have just started using Cyclone and am starting to feel that ‘pump’
I’ve used alot of maximuscle products and not one of them have dissopionted me, i encourage all my mates in the army that are taking ‘cheap’ products to try maximuscle for real results, they also never go back, Cyclone is what im taking at the moment and it does exactly what is says on the tub, im more than happy with Cyclone i take it as instructed and i’ve noticed massive strength gains and mad muscle pumps that last! i’ve been taking it now for 2 months and have added 3inch to my biceps alone, i find the chocolate flavour very nice, highly recommend this product to anyone.
Yes I would say that Cyclone does work big time last year i bought my first tub of Cyclone, and working hard with weights, started to take it as perscribed, after a month of this i was in the sitting room with out my top, my son walked in he was convinced i was taking steriods i had put on so much muscle, seeing myself every day i did not think alot, but both my kids were very alarmed and told me to take a doctors advice i had just gone so big. "works a treat" Thanks
tryed strawberry Poor taste sorry couldnt stick to it long enough. thinking about giving it a second chance and try the orange flavour have a few friends that rave about it so may see how that goes. With all the facts stated in the article i think it would be worth while.
cheers.
Hi there, very interesting article, really does answer some excellent questions I for one have been trying to find a definitive, unbias, answer to.
Mark
I have been using Cyclone for a couple of years now and it works a treat! when i first started using it i couldnt stand the taste, so i swapped the water for milk and added a scoop of peanut butter too, i actually enjoy drinking it now!!
Been thinking of taking Cyclone for a while now and am extremly confident in maxi. products and that it’ll work. But how have people found things once they stop taking Cyclone?? I’ve heard you loose weight when you stop taking Creatine due to the water Creatine has encouraged into your muscles leaving, but what about the weight you have put on in muscle mass?? Do you find you lose this too?? As seeing as you work so hard to get it hopefully it stays??? Any answers posted would be much appreciated. Thanx
I’ve used Cyclone on a cutting cycle throughout the summer (9 weeks). When I started using Cyclone I was 18st6, when I finish I was 17st12. It definetly works for maintainence on low calorie diets whilst adding on solid gains but not so much size, but personaly I wouldn’t use this product for bulking, you can’t beat pure whey protein for bulk and weight gains. Just eat countless calories (at least 2g of protein per pound of body weight) and train hard at least 4 times a week and get the rest your body needs in order to grow. All in all MaxiMuscle are brilliant products.
I’ve used Cyclone on and off since the stuff came on to the market years ago. Since then Cyclone has had a number of little changes over the years, I must say all of which were an improvement on the previous formulas. Personally I dont think you can beat Cyclone as an all in one product for packing on some mass fast, I know the taste takes some getting used to, but hey, if your serious about your training then this is a serious product to add to it! I recommend using Cyclone as a training plateaux ’smasher’. If I hit a plateaux I use Cyclone for a month to help me get through this stage and continue gaining in strength and size! It works!
I can safely say I have used it (and paid for it!!) and its worth every penny if you want to get that ripped look and increase strength use it. Orange is the best flavour and while agree its not the best for gaining weight its purpose is to increase strength and muscle mass which I found it did perfectly, no layer over the six pack but your arms feel fuller and your workouts are easier…. try it for 1 month with no breaks or cheating and you will see for your self. Good luck
Thanx for some answers! So after using Cyclone for say a month and then coming off it. Have you found you keep your muscle gains? Or do you have to stay on it!?
Let me repeat what everyone has already said - Cyclone is great! I’ve used it in the past and was impressed with the results. I do however believe in transparency and if you eat a varied nutritious protein loaded diet, combined with protein powder & Creatine, you can achieve much the same results. The effects of Creatine can diminish though with continued use so it is sometimes worth having some time off. This site is a good knowledge base and very informative. Maximuscle has a great range of products, but you should still shop around, try others products until you find what is right FOR YOU!
Hi,
Does Cyclone need to be cycled? I.E take for 4 weeks, take 2 week break without Cyclone then back on for another 4 weeks?
Please advise.
Cheers
Anish
Cyclone can be cycled, i like to cycle it with other products, like Methoxy Max or gakic and then come back to Cyclone after i habve tried something else for a bit, that way i feel as if my body does not get used to it and i am always shocking it.
how safe is Creatine? does it do damage to kidneys?
No damage to kidneys, you can find articles on that on the net. Absolutely safe stuff!
As for my Cyclone experience, here’s what I wrote to someone else, quite valid I think:
>>I started using Cyclone 1.5month ago.
Don’t ask me to tell you my figures in inches and stuff, but I gained 7.6Kg in 1.5months.
And trust me I was skinny!!!!
60kg for 1.90m!
Now, 67.6kg for 1.90m!
not sure if I’ll continue to grow at the same speed but I’m quite amazed myself with he results.
Obviously this is not only the result of taking Cyclone, I’m eating lot more than before as well, and I’m going to the gym since beginning of March, I try to go 4times a week for 1 hour (no need to do more for me as otherwise I’d be burning too many cals and that would have the opposite effect).
Hope this helps.
Cheers
errmmm, also, I’m 31yo
True Cyclone is expensive, but all in all, a good product, I’m sure>>
fab product and does everything it say’s makes you feel a lot firmer and stronger. 1 problem found it ruined my skin on my face horrible blemishes and spots!! could this be the Creatine??
Just started Cyclone, for the first time. Is the morning of day two, so am still waiting for the noticable results. All i can say so far is avoid orange! Tastes like the devil! I have to pour it from my shaker into a pint glass just so that i can down it! Hope that the vanilla and strawberry are better!
I was a complete novice wen i started working out to protien and cratine all supplements, i was recomended to use Cyclone becuase it takes all the fuss out of supplements in one drink Brilliant for me as i was confused with all the supplemnts cheers guys
I am glad its not just me who finds the Strawberry Flavour awfull. I bought Strawberry based of the flavour of Strawberry Promax Extreme, which i love, but it tastes so different.
I have just started using Cyclone after a few months on Promax Extreme, and Promax natural in pancaces or oats for breaky. and after a week I have allready noticed a huge difference in my performance, Most noticable improvements being adding 10kg to my Latteral pulldown and bench press!!, I do recover faster with it and I am 100% confident in Maximuscle products, though they dont come cheap.
Obviously the stuff isnt miricle grow, you have to keep your food intake correct and keep your training up, which I find no problem doing. When your adding weight and seeing results in the mirror, motivation isnt a problem!
The only resevations I have with the product is the Price…. 3 tubs for £100, i dont mind….but the tub runs out way to fast, should be 2kg tubs. but for the results i can live with that
Living with my parents at the moment means i have disposible income, the rate the tubs runs out i dont know how people with commitments/familys can afford to buy the stuff.
P.S id like to also know wether coming off Cyclone affects your strengh also, could someone who has left it for a few months and came back lost strengh/size in the meantime?
Another thing also, I was wondering if the way i take Cyclone during my working week is ok or not. I work nightshifts, when i get home in the morning before going to bed (8am) i have 60g serv of Cyclone with milk for slow digestion while sleeping.
I wake up around 3.30-4pm have porrage oats with Promax natural. and train from roughly 5pm-6/6.15pm then drink Cyclone straight away with water. Cant train any later as I need to recover/eat before work again!
Do you think that method is best (thinking the recovery side of it being in my system while sleeping) or one when i wake up and after training close together?. Proberly wont make much difference…but i would like someones opinion please
hi there i just start drinking Cyclone, and im looking forword to see the resolt.im working so ward in the gym.
I am naturally suspicious of all supplements and particularly one endorsed on a website sponsored by the company that makes it. However, I have worked out after using Cyclone (and not using it) many times over the past few years and report that it does appear to have a positive effect and helps me to make a few extra reps on training days when I have taken it. On the downside, it is expensive and certain flavours give me serious wind. I would advise all readers to try it if they haven’t already done so but no supplement by itself will turn a bad diet/trg routine/lifestyle into a good one.
Hello
Have read through all the comments on your article. I have a very active interest in this subject as I have been getting back into training now since March of this year (I am 58 years old).
I had two main goals; (1) to loose weight and (2) to buiuld. To satify these requirements I have taken both Maximuscles Therembol and Cyclone. A lot of people will say that you can not reduce and build at the same time but I would have to differ - the mirror is the most useful tool in my arsenal and it shows the results of the combined combination of training hard and suppliments and has most certainly worked for me.
I trialed Cyclone for approximately three months (three tubs) and have noticed quite large increases in my overall physic. Whether this is attributable to the Cyclone or not is debatable but I feel that it must have a contributory factor to play. I have found that Cyclone is very expensive however and have in fact made up my own combination of Whey Protein and pure Creatine mix: 1 Kg of Whey Protein to 114 grms Creatine (approximately 20 grams daily @ two servings per day)similar to that of Cyclone.(I like the chocolate flavour best mixed in milk).
I must say that for one of the older generation I can certainly turn heads with what I have acheived so far - and what I am doing certainly works for me but more down to Creatine than Cyclone I think.
When I first started using Cyclone about 7 or 8 years ago I made amazing gains. I was training very hard and it certainly made a difference. The only problem was the taste - it was so awful I used to have to hold my nose to drink it. In the end I just couldn’t bring myself to drinking it anymore. I went back to it again last year and although the gains weren’t as great (I guess I’m older) it still is a great supplement. The taste is still just as bad which is the only thing that stops me drinking it. Too sweet and full of artifical sweetener. Haven’t tried the orange flavour though. If they could sort out the taste, it would be perfect.
I find all flavours of Cyclone excessively sweet :o(
am still having to resort to the hold nose and neck it method
just orderd Cyclone orange and as i used to take maxipower orange and liking the flavoure i hope the flavoure doesnt differ much with Cyclone.
i found maxipower to give me good pumps but Cyclone seems to give it you all round your body and with the protien will also aid in my fat loss.
having raised my metabolism very high and working out 45 mins a day i am hoping to shred pounds every week and still be able to add big pumps to my arms.
im not on a diet i eat what i want when i need food and no other times, on training days i will have a completly protien day were all i eat is meat fish and eggs.
is it good to take Cyclone about a hour before training and 10 mins after or 1 hour before training and sip it during training?
thanx
Don’t know whether I would see gains if I continued using Cyclone because I gave up after 2 weeks, feeling physically sick after every shake….. the worst tasting protein ever! You all bigger man than me if you can stomach the strawberry parecetemol taste!!
I have to agree with Craig, although in terms of value for money, I think Cyclone is very good. Bearing in mind it contains good amounts of Creatine, glutamine and HMB it makes Cyclone a good all round supliment……..
unfortunatly It does taste pants, im mean really bad(in my opinion of course). I managed a whole tub of strawberry and then moved on.
Even the guys at Maximuscle agree, please maximuslce do something about the taste, I will defo buy again…..
If I think about it hard enough I can still taste it no :-{
Is Cyclone suitable for vegetarians.
Hi folks, I used Cyclone a few months ago for 1month & WOW! what an improvement! As for size/strength loss, as for size - not much loss if you keep training, as for strength - much the same, I did notice I didn’t lift quite as heavy off Cyclone as I can on, but on Cyclone after 1month I pushed my Bench Press up from 40kg to 65kg, Bicep Curl up from 20kg to 35kg, Tricep Dip up from body weight to needing desperatly to buy a dip belt.
I hope this helps, I will be starting Cyclone again in a couple of days, along with other supps as the 6-pack stack.
Cyclone and no explode is one of the most expensive stack but the best for record time results. i rate Cyclone over no explode becuase the pumps u get from no explode are just un real . it makes u wonder whats the point . thats not what im building for . i guess arnie and i are a lil different in that aspect. the pump isnt like ejaculation for me . Getthing back to the point . the biggest plus for using Cyclone is the record time i put on weight . a whooping 4kgs in 2 weeks . its my fav body building supplement and ive been using it since 2001. its effect declined after 4months so u have to cycle it . but ive come from 65 to 85 kgs since 2003. im stacking it with no explode and the biggest plus in this stack is that my recovery time has never been better. i can now spend upto 3 hours in the gym doing my programs and my focus is alot better. i do recommned this stack to any one with cash to burn . it costs 60 pounds for 3 weeks supply and if u wanna build size you would ned to supplememt with good protein ( Promax)
has anyone tried adding orange juice or anythin to the orange flavour or not? just wondering if it has any effect on the powder or not? cos it would make it taste better.
thanks
I’ve just started using the vanilla flavour, and I might be missing something here but I think it tastes quite nice! I’m at a stage where I’m 4 weeks into my 6 week programme and I’m hoping that the Cyclone helps me beast the last couple of weeks before I move my training around. Problem areas are currently my biceps, so I’m hoping for a lift on these. Will report back!
I’ve been using Promax Strawberry in conjuction with Cyclone and been lifting Serious weights aswell as including cardio. I feel great faster, stronger and noticed major improvements in my Physic I recomend them to all Serious Weight Trainers