Hopefully not their Magnum Opus - an overcomplicated product with too much opacity in relation to the ingredients.
Thrust is a testosterone booster from Magnum Naturaceuticals which claims to be Canada’s #1 testosterone booster.
Thrust promises all the things you’d reasonably expect from an effective testosterone supplement – increased strength, better energy, invigorated libido, greater stamina and improved sleep – but it’s very much geared towards the active workout enthusiast or bodybuilder.
Magnum Thrust is available from a variety of sources – though notably only in certain countries – retailing at variable prices.
The company’s own website offers Thrust at an eye watering $94.95 for 160 capsules which makes up a month’s supply, but shop around and you can find it in the $60 range, or the best price we found was Amazon,
where it was on sale for $52.
Still not exactly giving it away, I think you’ll agree. Even the best price is a considerable amount of money for something you’re going to be expected to take long term; so as always, the rule is: the higher the price, the higher the expectation. Back it up and we’ll consider paying up. Let’s have a look.
There are a few things worse than a supplement featuring a proprietary blend… say for example a supplement with FOUR proprietary blends. The makers – who judging by their website are clearly no slouches when it comes to the art of slick marketing – spin this as a positive.
Claiming that while many testosterone enhancers only include one ‘specially blended’ formula, they’ve gone the extra mile by mixing several. Bear in mind that FDA rules state that all ingredients within supplements must be disclosed to the user, unless those ingredients are part of a proprietary blend, in which case only the names of components and the total amount of the formula must be specified.
This is troublesome because like proprietary blends themselves, the individual worth of different testosterone boosting ingredients varies dramatically. Therefore not being able to tell if good elements are present at biologically active levels, or if ineffective ingredients are taking up too much valuable space, makes the exercise of gauging overall merit a pretty futile one.
How much of any one thing is in a proprietary blend? Could be a ton, could be a trace, unless the company finds it in their heart to tell us we simply don’t know. So it’s not so much an extra mile that Magnum Thrust really gives you with Estro-Modulating Compound, Prolonged T-Augmenting Compound, T-Optimizing Compound and Anabolic Thrusting Agents as it is a few extra blindfolds. Nevertheless let’s delve in to Magnum Thrust’s chemical hedge maze and see if we can’t spot something we recognise.
M-OXO – Brilliant. A mix within a mix. Just what we needed. M-OXO is a trademarked brand name for an ingredient known chemically as 7 Beta-Acetoxy-8, 13-Epoxy-1 Alpha, 6 Beta, 9 Alpha-Trihydroxy-Labd-14-Ene-11-One. Catchy, eh? For time and migraine saving purposes let’s just focus on M-OXO’s main active component which is Coleus forskohlii. Of Chinese origin and used as part of Eastern medicine, clinical trials have shown Coleus forskohlii to have mild testosterone boosting qualities in some men, though the success rate is highly inconsistent. So not only do we not know how much is present, we’re not even sure it makes a difference.
Tongkat Ali Root Extract – Sometimes known as Longjack, this has again been shown to have some success stimulating libido, but does nothing to boost testosterone. Its percentage in Magnum Thrust is… a mystery!
Acetyl-L-Carnitine – ALCAR is really more of an energy booster than anything else. It can also help to shed fat by transporting long chain fatty acids to oxidation for fuel, thus increasing energy levels. This boost may well be misinterpreted by the user as a growth in testosterone production.
Quercetin – Found in red onions and red grapes, Quercetin is great for releasing nitric oxide into the body which helps blood flow and counters any circulatory issues. Included as part of Magnum thrust for its supposed ability to modulate estrogen activity in the body, it can also prevent testicular damage and thereby prevent the decline of testosterone levels. Research to back this up is patchy.
Naringenin and Hesperidin – Similar to Quercetin in that these two flavonoids, found in the peels of citrus fruit, can apparently effect estrogen levels, keeping them low. Oddly, in low doses, some research suggests they serve to increase female hormone production, while in high doses they do the opposite. This would be fine if not for the very thing I keep banging on about; we don’t know the quantities of Naringenin and Hesperidin, so for all we know they could be counterproductive.
Organic Maca – There is certainly evidence to suggest that Maca, part of the genseng family, can have a positive effect on heightening libido, even if it doesn’t directly increase testosterone. Magnum Thrust does promise to help improve performance in the bedroom so its inclusion is certainly justified, but to be effective it has to be present in the appropriate quantity of course. Is that the case here? Who can say?
Puncture Vine – This is simply Tribulus Terrestris donning a Magnum moustache and trying to sneak by us in disguise. Why is it going by another name you might wonder? Perhaps because if you put Tribulus Terrestris into your search engine you’ll get largely tales of ineffectiveness. Wouldn’t be so bad if this was just making a cameo amongst other far more credible ingredients, but the proprietary blend system being what it is, Magnum Thrust could be chock full of this whole lot of nothin’.
Safed Musli Extract – A long used Indian aphrodisiac, safed musli shows promising results in increasing sexual appetite and has erectile encouraging properties. The drawback generally is despite its background in traditional medicine, there haven’t been a lot of clinical trials done on humans to confirm influence. The drawback for Magnum Thrust is we don’t have the first clue how much is in here.
Vitamin B6 – Vitamin B6’s main use is as an estrogen suppressant. Estrogen is the female sex hormone and its presence in higher levels can serve to neutralize the testosterone in our systems. B6 works with the metabolic pathway C2 and it has been shown to decrease estrogen activity once it is bound to the receptor, keeping overall oestrogen production low. Again though, it’s all about the specifics. Specifics we haven’t got.
Muira Puama – Another ingredient with libido in mind. This root in also used in herbal medicine and has since been shown to both aid overall sex drive and counter erectile dysfunction when consumed in large enough doses. The dosage here? Search me.
Fenugreek – Solid ingredient. Fenugreek has been found to be an extremely potent libido enhancer. Indian in origin, it influences insulin levels, which regulates testosterone and the sex hormone binding globulin. With lower insulin levels, testosterone production can increase, as can sex drive. By how much in Magnum Thrust’s case, is the same old story. Getting annoying? Now you know how I feel.
Stinging Nettle – Another strong showing, if not quite a guaranteed strong presence. Stinging nettle frees up more testosterone by again binding to the Sex Hormone Binding Globulin which usually lowers testosterone levels. The beta-sitosterol also helps with this and reduces estrogen levels.
Dodder Seed Extract – Comes from a parasitic vine in Japan and China, which isn’t as worrying as it sounds. The theory is it helps protect the membrane of sperm, keeping it healthy.
If there is any one thing Magnum is keen to thrust in our face, it’s the inclusion of the ‘Anabolic Thrusting Agents’. These consist of Beta Ecdysterone, 20-Hydroxyecdysone, 5-Methyl-7-Hydroxy-Isoflavone-Ethylcarbonate Ester, and Ipriflavone, collectively known as ecdysteroids.
Gasp! That has the word steroid in it! It must contain steroids! Well, not necessarily, remember Aussie Rules Football has the word ‘Rules’ in it; these things don’t necessarily mean too much. Ecdysteroids are similar to androgens in structure and typically used as insect and plant growth factors. Of course Magnum Thrust would have you believe that ecdysteriods have much the same benefits as steroids, with none of the risk.
Unfortunately evidence of this is scant and the only study Magnum can offer suggesting that ecdysterone can exert “testosterone-like effects” was conducted in the former Soviet Union.
Now I’ve got nothing against the former Soviet Union – actually scratch that, yes I do, it was bonkers – but scientific research is not fine wine. I’d say it’s more like fine bread; best renewed to keep fresh or else it can quickly grow stale and hard to swallow. The idea that 30 odd years could pass, a whole socioeconomic system could crumble and you’d still assume the defunct USSR’s research is probably still good to go, seems a little bit of a stretch. The fact that these results haven’t been replicated in the intervening years, is not promising.
The only post Hasselhoff-on-the-Berlin-Wall study I could find into possible steroid like effects of ecdysteriods took place in 2006 and was conducted at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, Texas. Test subjects, consisting of 45 resistance training males received a variety of dosages of specific supplements, related to various ecdysteroids plants, for an unspecified length of time. They received 800 mg per day of methoxyisoflavone, 100 mg per day of Polypodium Vulare/Suma root standardized for 30 mg of 20-hydroxyecdysone, Or 500 mg per day of sulfo-polysaccharides.
The researchers found that there was no significant effect of these supplements on various anabolic or catabolic responses with regard to resistance training, which, don’t forget is what Magnum Thrust is supposed to support.
Magnum Thrust requires that you take 8 tablets a day. 4 capsules 15 minutes before training on workout days and another 4 half an hour before bed. On non-exercising days, take 4 in the morning after waking, then 4 again 30 minutes before bed.
You apparently should not take Magnum Thrust if you are under 16 years old or on any other medical prescriptions. It’s recommended you take the supplement on an empty stomach but claims some who feel nauseous should consider taking with food. This is not ideal. It’s a lot to take in mentally and physically compared to other effective testosterone boosters with a less convoluted single 3 or 4 tablet dose.
Likewise we can’t be sure that ineffectual players like puncture vine, a.k.a Tribulus Terrestris don’t make up the lion share of a proprietary blend which don’t forget, you’re paying well above average for. Factor in the lack of credible evidence backing up ecdysteroids, by Magnum Thrust’s own admission central to the product, and you begin to see why it has a lot to learn from market leaders like TestoFuel, who are clearer and more direct with their processes.
Price 2/5 – Initially very expensive, but not sold exclusively in one place like many supplements, allowing the consumer to shop around and reduce the price to merely expensive. There are deals and discounts available if you search, but given what I’ve just said about the ingredients, you would have to seriously question whether or not it’s actually better to spend your money on an established proprietary blendless supplement of similar price or cheaper.
Trustworthiness 3/5 – There are questions here. Sure there doesn’t seem to be any reports of out and out scamming when it comes to Magnum Thrust, but there’s definitely a few finely honed marketing tricks of the trade at play. There’s the fact that testimonials play second fiddle to pictures of ripped guys standing next to written facts, facts that pertain to individual ingredients the specific levels of which are not clarified. Or facts referring to studies from the Cold War used to justify central ingredients in 2015. A buff model can only distract from so much.
Testimonials 2/5 – Testimonials generally take a back seat to pictures of some lucky fella rocking ideal results, but the reviews section does link to the Facebook page where users have left largely positive feedback. Venture a little further afield however and the picture becomes a little more mixed. Yes, some satisfied customers, but equally others claiming little or no change.
For such an expensive option this is worth weighing up.
Company 4/5 – If there’s one thing you can’t take away from Magnum it’s that they’ve got all the bells and whistles. 40+ products – spanning fat burners, muscle builders and general health supplements – all promoted on a slick website and TV spots with help from a stable of famous Magnum sponsored athletes and models.
It just shows what a supplement can achieve when it gets the style right. As far as substance, whatever you think about Magnum Thrust’s ultimate merit at least it is manufactured in Canada and subject to reassuring international rules and regulation regarding production.
There’s no denying Magnum is clearly a highly successful company. Their vast product range, impressive presentation style and high profile personalities all point to them doing something right; but in the case of Magnum Thrust that something might be style rather than substance.
Proprietary blends are a bad thing, so more proprietary blends are simply more of a bad thing however you try to dress it up. You can’t simply throw together four manufactured elements of questionable quality, give them snazzy names and expect everyone to go crazy over them.
Switched on booster buyers don’t want to be bamboozled with mysterious blends, they respect their bodies enough to want to know exactly what they’re taking, how much of it there is and what it will do before they’ve opened the first bottle.
You could adopt a suck it and see attitude to these secret formulas, but at upwards of $50 a pop that’s an expensive way to potentially find out the results you see do indeed suck.
