BSN CellMass Review

Editor’s Rating
Effectiveness
Quality
Muscle Gains
Value For Money
Overall Rating

If you're into creatine supplementation, it's extremely likely you've heard of BSN's illustrious post-workout, creatine ATP re-synthesiser CellMass. CellMass is not only a creatine product, it's designed to elevate protein synthesis levels and prevent catabolism by enhancing recovery from strenuous exercise immediately. It sounds good, but can the ingredients match the hype?

Firs things first – it's difficult to depict CellMass and most proprietary blends on the market as they're not disclosing any dosages of exact ingredients. However, decyphering the marketing strategies, we can see that the staple behind the product is creatine ethyl-ester. Immediately, we're turned off slightly as most companies move backwards towards the direction of creatine monohydrate for its scientifically validated effectiveness, BSN are staying with the ethyl-ester version which is absorbed not as efficiently.

However, CellMass aims to upregulate creatine absorption and enhance ATP levels post-workout by including a host of upregulating ingredients. It's fair to say, there is some science behind these ingredients such as Di-Calcium Phosphate and Cinnulin amongst others. We're not doubting the product is absorbed well, however there are concerns over whether it does its job as intended effectively enough.

CellMass also contains a decent 2gram serving of Glutamine AKG which will help replenish the severely depleted amino acid and undoubtedly enhance the recovery process. Combined with some beta-alanine for carnosine production and sodium / potassium to replenish the body's electrolytes and salts, and it rounds out the formula without getting too complex with BSN's descriptions.

Overall, a fairly average product taken into consideration the factors. It's essentially, creatine combined with glutamine to help replenish depelted ATP levels and enhance recovery. It'll do this to some extent, and the price is reasonable for most but we're not too excited overall. CellMass will provide some benefit to athlete's, no doubt.

BSN's CellMass won the Creatine Product Of The Year award for 2005, 2006 and 2007! One of the sports nutrition industry’s most popular products over the course of the last few years, CellMass is BSN’s post-workout and nighttime mass, recovery and performance activator. Promoting these three processes is a unique combination of amino acids, minerals and key electrolytes that rapidly absorb to refuel muscle cells, maximize ATP stores and saturate your growing muscles. It’s for this reason that the CellMass you take today, is the CellMass you will feel tomorrow! CellMass,Where mass and recovery begin.

AVPT – Advanced Volumizing & Performance Technology
A proprietary blend of four advanced creatine analogs designed to increase creatine transport, uptake and effectiveness, leading to accelerated muscle recovery and hydrogen ion buffering. AVPT contains:

• Sodium Creatine Phosphate Matrix: A sodium salt of creatine phosphate, which enhances water solubility. Once inside the bloodstream, a sodium-chloride-dependant transporter is responsible for carrying the creatine to the muscle cells. So by combining creatine with sodium, the uptake and absorption of creatine is greatly enhanced.

• Creatine EthylEster-Beta-Alanine Dual Action Composite (CarnoSyn): BSN’s newest proprietary blend, designed to increase water and lipid solubility of creatine. Not only has BSN increased water and lipophilicity, hydrogen ion buffering has also been addressed with the addition of Beta-Alanine. Recent research indicates that the “burning” sensation of muscular fatigue may not be simply lactic acid accumulation, but also an accumulation of hydrogen ions; a metabolic by-product. Beta-Alanine supplementation increases the production of carnosine, a dipeptide known to buffer lactic acid accumulation and decrease hydrogen ions. Thus by combining a fat and water soluble creatine with Beta-Alanine, it enables the creatine to function beyond its normal rate limiting system leading to superior absorption and effectiveness.

• Creatinol-O-Phosphate-Malic Acid Interfusion: A creatine analog known for its role in supporting cardiovascular function, increasing oxygen availability, endurance, work capacity and time to exhaustion. ATP is our body’s energy, the energy to have a muscular contraction and the energy to repair muscle tissue. Creatine helps to carry phosphates which it donates to ADP to make more ATP, thus more energy. This process if further enhanced by Malic Acid, a Krebs Cycle intermediate involved in the production of ATP. This interfusion functions synergistically with creatine to create more available ATP for explosive energy.

• Creatine AAB (Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate): The final creatine analog in AVPT. As with the previous analogs, absorption and effectiveness are greatly increased, increasing ATP production and thus anabolic effects. Unlike the other creatine analogs of the matrix, Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate possesses anti-catabolic effects also. Leucine, the branched chain amino acid, is metabolized to ketoisocaproate, which is then metabolized to alpha amino-n-butyrate; this metabolite increases protein synthesis and minimizes protein damage from intense training. Not only is creatine absorption and effectiveness increased by this bond, but an element of anabolism and anti-catabolism is obtained.

Glutamine AKG
Glutamine is the most anti-catabolic amino acid. Chemically bonding glutamine to AKG, to form glutamine AKG, increases stability and absorption, ensure full effectiveness. Glutamine AKG promotes muscle cell volumization, protein and glycogen synthesis, muscle tissue repair, growth and hardening. Glutamine AKG also supports muscle cell uptake of creatine and insulin-dependent anabolism. Overtraining is associated with low plasma glutamine levels, thus CellMass may help alleviate or prevent the negative effects of overtraining.

Muscle Cell Uptake Proprietary Matrix
CellMass' exclusive Muscle Cell Uptake Proprietary Matrix features:

• Cinnulin-PF: An aqueous extract of cinnamon that is rich in uniquely linked proanthocyanidin antioxidants. These compounds “turn on” cellular signaling mechanisms normally carried out by insulin. Cinnulin-PF maintains blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

• Di-Calcium Phosphate, Di-Potassium Phosphate, Di-Sodium Phosphate: Donate themselves to creatine to maximize phosphocreatine levels, thus increased ATP levels, strength and endurance. Calcium, potassium and sodium are involved in the regulation of force generation.

After an intense training session, you must replenish ATP stores. ATP is the energy needed for muscular contractions as well as repairing the damage caused to muscular tissue due to intense training; this is why it is imperative to book end your workout with CellMass. NO-Xplode consumed pre-workout gives your body enough creatine to make sufficient additional ATP to aid in fueling your intense training. After your training, ATP stores are depleted and it is necessary to hyper-saturate your muscles with creatine and phosphates for ATP replenishment. Additionally, to ensure full muscle protein repair, CellMass is fortified with glutamine AKG for maximal anti-catabolic effects, preventing any further breakdown of lean muscle tissue.

Container Size: 640g
Serving Size: 1 scoop (16g)
Servings Per Container: 40

Amount Per Serving:

Total Calories: 30
Total Carbohydrates: 7g
-Sugars: 0g
Calcium: 250mg
Phosphorous: 430mg
Sodium: 250mg
Potassium: 140mg

AVPT (Advanced Volumizing & Performance Technology): 4250mg
-Sodium Creatine Phosphate Matrix, Creatine Ethyl Ester-Beta-Alanine Dual Action Composite (CarnoSyn®), Creatinol-O-Phosphate-Malic Acid Interfusion, Creatine AAB (Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate)

Glutamine AKG: 2000mg

Muscle Cell Uptake Proprietary Matrix: 950mg
-Di-Calcium Phospate, Cinnulin PF (Aqueous Cinnamon Extract)(Bark), Di-Potassium Phosphate, Di-Sodium Phosphate

Other Ingredients:

Modified Glucose Polymers (Maltodextrin), Natural And Artificial Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sucralose(Splenda), Calcium Silicate, FD&C Red #40

Please Note: Nutritional facts and ingredients may vary slightly between flavours.