Pre-Workout Review: Gaspari Nutrition Vasotropin

So after going through a few tubs of different pre-workouts, I wanted to try something new. Something along the lines of nitric oxide. Seeing all the different nitric oxide supplements on the market, each promising vein-popping and sleeve-ripping pumps, I was sold on trying it out for myself.

Doing some homework, I found that most nitric oxide supplements were best used continuously on both training and non-training days. They were also best consumed on an empty stomach. Both "pre-requisites" brought about various problems for me. First, consuming nitric oxide daily would be rather costly and I wasn't sure if it would be worth it in the end. Secondly, as I mentioned before in earlier reviews, being an ectomorph I can't really afford to skip or postpone my meals to fulfill the empty-stomach criteria.

Having said that, Vasotropin fits the bill perfectly as a pump-inducing agent which does not require daily consumption or consumption on an empty stomach.

Serving Size: 3 Tablets
Servings Per Container: 40


Effectiveness
Truth be told, I had high hopes for Vasotropin and all other nitric oxide supplements. I mean how can anyone not be convinced these products work when they are being marketed and raved about by insanely vascular 300 pound behemoths with 20 inch arms? Adding the fact that Vasotropin was manufactured by Gaspari Nutrition, I expected a top-notch no-nonsense product.

Here's how I used Vasotropin. Since I usually workout in the mornings directly after a light breakfast of oats and some fruits, I would take 3 to 6 tablets of Vasotropin together with my pre-workout supplement. This produced less than desirable results. Put plainly, it was downright disappointing. The pumps were no more noticeable than usual and  vascularity was sub-par as well.

After a week or so of less than satisfactory workouts with Vasotropin, I did even more research on Vasotropin and found that it was best used in conjunction with quick carbs. Tried this theory out (with 20g of dextrose) and the pumps were alot better. Shoulder and bicep pumps were more intense than usual but vascularity was not as pronounced.

Then again, I'm pretty new with pump products so I'm not too sure what to expect from them. As such my expectations may be a tad unrealistic due to the crazy marketing in the industry.


Taste & Mix-ability
As with the ON ZMA review, this section is not exactly applicable. But it's probably good to note that the tablets have a pretty weird smell to it but are easy to swallow. It wasn't really an issue trying to down 2 servings of Vasotropin at a go with water.

Left to right: Front profile and one sample serving size.

Value
Can't really remember how much I got this for but it was on sale so I think it was a pretty good deal. I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't on sale since it's not really a part of my core supplement stack.

I've seen Vasotropin go on a "1 for 1" promo on an online store for afew months now. This works out to be about USD$17.50 per bottle before shipping. Pretty affordable in my opinion, especially if you share a bottle with a friend.


Overall
I would have to say the product gives pretty decent results when used correctly. Otherwise, it's an utter waste of money. If you happen to see it on sale or have spare cash to spend, you could probably grab a bottle or two to see if it works for you. I've heard good reviews from my friends on this product, intense chest and lat pumps and all. However, it doesn't seem to work all that good for me.

On the side note, I kind of like how Vasotropin is free of caffeine and stimulants (I think?). This allows me to use it for late afternoon and night workouts without worrying about it screwing up my sleep cycle. Also, this lets provides me with a slight boost when I'm off my usual pre-workouts which contain stimulants.