The PricePlow Podcast

Iovate has a new CEO, and he used the PricePlow Podcast to reveal his company’s biggest weight-management launch in years. On Episode #235, recorded at the inaugural Future Nutra Innovation Summit in Lake Conroe, Texas, Raza Bashir joins us for the fifth time, now as the newly appointed CEO of Iovate Health Sciences , parent company of MuscleTech and Hydroxycut . Raza spent 20 years building Iovate’s R&D engine before taking the top job in June 2026, and he brings that formulator’s mindset straight into unveiling Hydroxycut GLP-1 Elite Shred , a stimulant-light fat burner built around an exclusive ingredient called TheoLim® that Iovate already proved out inside MuscleTech’s own Peptide Series. Joining Mike and Ben is Joey Savage, founder and president of the Future Nutra Foundation, who brings sharp questions of his own about stacking supplements with GLP-1 drugs. The episode also covers Muscle Peptide 185’s move into Walmart, CellTech’s TikTok-driven second life, and the regulatory tightrope Hydroxycut now walks. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for MuscleTech and Hydroxycut news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/raza-bashir-hydroxycut-glp-235 Video: Iovate’s New CEO Unveils Hydroxycut GLP-1 Elite Shred https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJbDZUZCcA Detailed Show Notes: Raza Bashir Unveils Hydroxycut GLP-1 Elite Shred (0:00) – Introductions (0:45) – From Head of R&D to CEO: A 20-Year Path (4:30) – Becoming CEO: Global Compliance and a 90-Day Plan (11:00) – Muscle Peptide 185: MuscleTech’s Peptide Platform Takes Root (15:15) – CellTech’s Viral TikTok Resurgence (19:15) – Inside MuscleTech’s Hands-On TikTok Strategy (21:45) – Unveiling Hydroxycut GLP-1 Elite Shred (27:45) – Learning From Berberine’s “Nature’s Ozempic” Era (32:15) – Could You Stack It With a GLP-1 Drug? (37:00) – Go-To-Market: DTC First, No Exclusive Retailer (42:00) – A Shrinking Category Finding New Life Online (47:30) – How GLP-1 Drugs Reshaped Supplement Safety Perceptions (52:45) – Timing a Fat Burner Launch Around Bulking Season (54:30) – Creatine Peptide 447 and the Theanine Story (1:01:30) – What’s Next: More Peptides, Walmart, and a Callback to Episode 123 (1:04:45) – Closing Thoughts Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Raza Bashir and Iovate LinkedIn: Raza Bashir LinkedIn: Iovate Health Sciences Instagram: @muscletech Instagram: @hydroxycut MuscleTech.com Future Nutra Foundation – Joey Savage’s nonprofit and organizer of the Future Nutra Innovation Summit MuscleTech on PricePlow – Sign up for news alerts Hydroxycut on PricePlow – Sign up for news alerts Resource… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Mark LeDoux is back on the PricePlow Podcast, and this time the conversation goes well beyond a pre-workout scoop. In Episode #234, Mike sits down with the founder, chairman, and CEO of Natural Alternatives International (NAI) (the company behind CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine ) for an update on where NAI’s research has gone since Mark’s last appearance on the show. Get Ready for Tingle-Free Beta-Alanine with CarnoSyn® 4X and TriBsyn® The headline is CarnoSyn® 4X , a liposomal beta-alanine engineered for 4x the bioavailability of the standard ingredient, meaning an 800mg dose can deliver the equivalent of a 3.2g loading dose without the paresthesia (tingling) that turns off a huge share of potential users. NAI also markets this technology under a second brand name, TriBsyn® , aimed at the wellness and healthy-aging market rather than sports nutrition. Mark and Mike also dig into why beta-alanine matters more than ever in the GLP-1 era, where rapid weight loss often comes with unwanted muscle loss. As Mike digs in, he realizes that there are dozens of benefits to increased carnosine stores, but in sports nutrition, we only concern ourselves with just one. This ingredient goes a lot further than we give it credit for, and Mark is ready to take it to the next level through NAI’s platform. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for NAI alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/mark-ledoux-carnosyn-tribsyn-234 Video: CarnoSyn® 4X, TriBsyn®, and Beta-Alanine’s Next Chapter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJxPj7i5T5c Detailed Show Notes: Mark LeDoux of Natural Alternatives International (NAI) (0:00) – Introductions (2:45) – GLP-1 Drugs and Muscle Loss (7:15) – CarnoSyn® 4X: No More Tingles (11:45) – TriBsyn®: One Technology, Two Names (14:15) – Clinical Proof: From Chicken Soup to Nursing Homes (18:00) – Brain Health and Cellular Cleanup (20:30) – Mark’s Take on Food Quality (27:30) – Policing Industry Fraud (38:00) – What’s Next: Sarcopenia and Longevity (46:00) – Carnosine’s Hidden Benefits (56:15) – Real-World Proof: FeelGood Company’s Creatine+ (1:04:15) – Cognitive Health and the Stacking Case (1:12:45) – Regulatory Wins and Staying Engaged (1:18:30) – Connecting with Mark and a Final Story Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Mark LeDoux and Natural Alternatives International LinkedIn: Mark LeDoux LinkedIn: Natural Alternatives International Instagram: @carnosyn Natural Alternatives International on PricePlow – Sign up for news alerts Resources Mentioned Previous Episode: NPA DC Fly-In Day 2024 (Episode #139) TriBsyn®: Official Site CarnoSyn&Acir… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Joey Savage returns for Episode #233 of the PricePlow Podcast , and he’s got two announcements stacked on top of each other: First: the inaugural Future Nutra Innovation Summit (FNIS), a September 9-11 blend of trade show, educational summit, and lake resort retreat that Joey’s nonprofit built from scratch. Second: Savage Nutra ‘s newest ingredient deal, Tensia , a probiotic strain that produces its own nitric oxide from dietary nitrates and already has a home in Alpha Lion ‘s newly relaunched SuperHuman Jacked. Ben and Mike get the full download on both. Joey walks through what makes FNIS different from a typical trade show (hint: it’s built more like a tech company retreat than a supply-side booth crawl), then pivots into the science behind Tensia, a second ingredient made from upcycled duckweed protein, and where strain-specific probiotics are headed next. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Savage Nutra alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/joey-savage-fnis-tensia-233 Video: Future Nutra Innovation Summit and the Launch of Tensia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzXwZMTbl38 Detailed Show Notes: Joey Savage on FNIS, Tensia, and Savage Nutra’s Pipeline (0:00) – Introductions (1:45) – What Is the Future Nutra Innovation Summit? (3:45) – Innovation as the Benchmark, Not Just Networking (4:15) – A Lake Resort Built for Serendipity (6:30) – Borrowing From Tech Retreats, Not Trade Shows (8:15) – TED-Style Access and a Skeleton Crew (10:15) – The Flavor Competition: A Chopped-Style Showdown (12:15) – A Nonprofit Built to Fund the Research Gap (15:15) – Planning for a Second (and Third) Edition (17:15) – Building a Showcase-Worthy Production (19:15) – Getting to FNIS: Flights, Hotels, and Registration (21:45) – A Cross-Section of the Industry, Backed by a Nonprofit (26:15) – From FNIS to Savage Nutra: Introducing Tensia (28:15) – How Tensia Produces Nitric Oxide From the Inside (30:00) – Skipping the Two-Hour Wait for Nitrate Conversion (32:15) – From an Estonian Cheese to a US Sports Nutrition Debut (36:15) – Is the Gut Becoming a Precision Fermentation Factory? (40:15) – Z-Biotics and the Case for Designer Probiotics (42:00) – Building Effects Over Time (44:00) – Joey’s Own Regimen: 80mg Plus Nitrates (45:45) – Keeping a Powdered Probiotic Alive and Stable (48:45) – CFU, AFU, and the Push for Better Potency Testing (51:45) – The Shift Toward Designer, Strain-Specific Probiotics (54:15) – Not His Whole Career, and Shipped Fresh From Estonia (55:45) – The Clinical Evidence So Far (and What’s Still Needed) (57:15) – Why Gut Health Baseline Matters for Colonization (1:02:00) – A Second Ingredient: Upcycled Greens From Duckweed (1:06:15) – How Joey Picks What He’ll Distribute (1:09:15) – Closing: Sample Tensia at FNIS Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Joey Savage and Savage Nutra LinkedIn: J… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Marc “The Machine” Lobliner returns to the PricePlow Podcast for Episode #232, catching up on everything happening at CleanForm Nutrition and Ketone Labs since his last visit on Episode #186. This episode is sponsored by TruShield™ Certified , the WADA-level banned substance testing program from Eagle Diagnostics and SMRTL, and Marc explains why CleanForm chose it to certify the CleanForm Nutrition goBHB Energy Shot . Mike, Marc, and Ben also crack open cans of Conor McGregor’s new MAC Energy drink, which runs on the same goBHB ketone ingredient that built Marc’s career, alongside PurCaf natural caffeine and Cognizin citicoline. Marc walks through his history fighting amino acid spiking, CleanForm’s full product lineup, a new Purest Creatine partnership with NNB Nutrition , and lessons from his recent hip replacement. TruShield™ Certified App: Easier to Track New Drug-Tested Supplements TruShield™ Certified is also proud to announce the creation of the TruShield™ Certified App , so you can get notified when new products get certified. It’s a wide-ranging catch-up covering testing standards, celebrity-backed formulas, and three decades of supplement industry stories. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/marc-lobliner-trushield-certified-shots-232 Video: TruShield™ Certified, MAC Energy, and Marc Lobliner’s goBHB Update https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnCXO5JdZhU Detailed Show Notes: Marc Lobliner on TruShield™ Certified, MAC Energy, and CleanForm Nutrition (0:00) – Introductions and Cracking Open MAC Energy (1:15) – BHB, Brain Health, and Recovery Stories (4:00) – An Avocado Oil Scare Puts Testing Front and Center (5:00) – The Amino Spiking Crusade (9:00) – Inside CleanForm Nutrition and the Case for TruShield (13:30) – Choosing TruShield Over BSCG and NSF (18:00) – Inside CleanForm’s Product Lineup (24:00) – Pürest Creatine by NNB Nutrition and Creapure (34:30) – Marc’s Hip Replacement and Recovery Protocol – No Ice! (43:15) – The MAC Energy formula by Conor McGregor (55:15) – BHB, Women’s Health, and Being Early to the Category (59:45) – Marc’s Business Partners Named Mike (1:02:00) – Rob Rogers and the Ketone Labs Comeback (1:04:15) – Sourcing, Marketing, and Old Industry War Stories (1:14:00) – Closing Thoughts: NFL Dosing and Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Marc Lobliner, CleanForm Nutrition, and TruShield™ Certified Marc Lobliner on Instagram: @marclobliner Marc Lobliner on LinkedIn CleanForm Nutrition on Instagram: @cleanformnutrition … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #231 of the PricePlow Podcast is a science deep dive, and this one comes with tons of citations. Dr. Daniel Traylor, a protein and amino acid researcher at DePaul University, joins Jim McMahon of Fit Foods to launch PVL’s ISO CLEAAR , a dairy-free protein drink built around Leuvate , Traylor’s leucine-forward essential amino acid blend making its first commercial appearance. Traylor has spent close to 15 years studying how fast different protein sources and amino acid forms show up in the bloodstream, and this episode walks through that research paper by paper, from a 2012 dose-threshold study out to Traylor’s own ongoing GLP-1 crossover trial. McMahon, who’s been building Fit Foods since 1996 (he joined us on Episode #215 to talk protein price shocks and the Mutant story), explains why he built ISO CLEAAR around collagen, pea, and fava protein instead of whey, and why absorption speed matters as much as total EAA content. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for PVL and Leuvate news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/daniel-traylor-leuvate-231 Video: Dr. Daniel Traylor and Jim McMahon on Leuvate and ISO CLEAAR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI0lwdat2lc Detailed Show Notes: Dr. Daniel Traylor and Jim McMahon on Leuvate, ISO CLEAAR, and the Science of Fast Amino Acids (0:00) – Introductions (0:30) – From the Football Field to Sports Science (7:45) – The Gummy Idea, a Patent, and a Fateful Email (14:45) – A Postdoc at McMaster and the Birth of Leuvate (19:45) – Why EAAs Drive Muscle Growth (and Why Speed Matters) (26:45) – Jim McMahon on Recovery Speed and 33 Years of Whey (34:15) – Leuvate’s First Human Study: The 2021 Feeding Trial (37:00) – Why 1.5 Grams of Leucine? The Threshold Research (40:00) – How Low Can You Go? Lower Doses and a 2022 Biopsy Study (46:15) – Adding Vitamin D3 to the Mix (50:15) – Does Timing Matter? Protein Windows and Recovery (56:00) – How Much Protein Do You Actually Need? (1:00:45) – Sestrin2: How Muscle Cells Actually Sense Leucine (1:02:15) – The Disability Threshold and Why “Older” Is Relative (1:07:45) – Revisiting the Amino Acid Spiking Controversy (1:14:00) – Why Collagen and Plant Protein Instead of Whey (1:17:30) – How a Trade Show Meeting Led to ISO CLEAAR (1:21:15) – Bringing Glycine and Taurine Back Into the Conversation (1:22:45) – Inside the ISO CLEAAR Label: EAAs, CEAAs, and a Flavor-First Approach (1:25:15) – Does Collagen Actually Support Muscle Protein Synthesis? (1:30:30) – Dan’s Ongoing Research Into GLP-1 Users and Muscle Preservation (1:33:30) – Inside the Three-Arm Leuvate and GLP-1 Crossover Study (1:38:00) – Protein’s Role Beyond Building Muscle (1:47:15) – Third-Party Validation: Health Canada, USP, and Strong Science (1:49:00) – Dan’s Advice for Aspiring Ingredient Entrepreneurs (1:53:45) – Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Everyone Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Dr. Daniel Traylor and Jim McMahon … … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Whey protein isolate keeps getting more expensive, and the reasons go deeper than most people realize. In Episode #230 of the PricePlow Podcast, Mike and Ben sit down with Kyle Failla , Head of Commercial at Perfect Day , to unpack why whey protein prices have climbed so far, and what the company’s new precision fermentation plant means for the supply side of the equation. Perfect Day’s ingredient, ProFerm™ , is a fermented version of beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), the dominant and most anabolic fraction of whey protein. Instead of pulling BLG from cow’s milk, Perfect Day grows it in a fermentation tank using a genetically engineered fungus, sidestepping the cheese production bottleneck that’s been squeezing whey supply for years — especially with cheese consumption dropping in the GLP-1 drug era. Kyle walks through the science, the regulatory approvals across five countries, why Perfect Day went quiet for two years, and how the company’s new manufacturing plant changes its ability to serve the sports nutrition, GLP-1, and RTD markets at scale. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Perfect Day alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/perfect-day-protein-kyle-failla-230 Video: Kyle Failla on Perfect Day’s ProFerm and the Whey Protein Crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD5fQzZaw5w Detailed Show Notes: Kyle Failla on ProFerm, Precision Fermentation, and the Whey Protein Crisis (0:00) – Introductions (1:15) – What Is ProFerm? Beta-Lactoglobulin Explained (4:15) – The Whey Protein Supply Crisis (9:15) – Tariffs, Glucose, and Precision Fermentation’s Edge (11:30) – Why Perfect Day Skips Cheese Entirely (14:15) – Inside the Fermentation Tank (18:30) – Safety Data and Global Regulatory Approvals (22:30) – A Second FDA GRAS Filing (24:30) – Why Perfect Day Went Quiet for Two Years (32:00) – Building Perfect Day’s Own Plant (37:15) – Finding the Right Brand Partners (39:15) – K-Tropix, Set Protein, and the Shot Boom (44:45) – Can Perfect Day Move the Market? (49:45) – Scaling Faster Than Dairy Plants (54:00) – A Kids’ Shot and Protein-Plus Ideas (55:00) – Pure Genius, Chromium Picolinate, and Avoiding Copycats Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Kyle Failla and Perfect Day LinkedIn: Kyle Failla Instagram: @perfectdayfoods LinkedIn: Perfect Day Perfect Day on PricePlow – Sign up for news alerts Resources Mentioned ProFerm™ by Perfect Day: Precision-Fermented BLG and the New Plant That Changes the Protein Supply Math Myprotein “Whey Forward”: Animal-Free Protein Made with Fermented BLG by Perfect Day (PricePlow’s first coverage of Perfect Day’s ingredient, 2022) Chromax Chromium Picolinate: 25+ Years of Insulin Sensitivity Improvement …… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

NNB Nutrition CEO Jake Mulder and Chief Brand Officer Dustin Elliott join us for Episode #229 of the PricePlow Podcast , recorded live at IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago. It’s the second of two conversations we recorded with NNB on-site. The first, Episode #227 , dug into Shawn Wells’ science-first philosophy. This one turns to the business side of building an ingredient supplier: how NNB scales dipeptides like DL185 Dileucine and the newly trademarked VasoRush , why the company favors ingredients that already exist in nature over new dietary ingredient filings, and how a tightening global whey supply is pushing brands toward clarified plant proteins like NNB’s clear pea protein. Jake and Dustin also walk through the flavor science behind SweetVantage+ , NNB’s brazzein-enhanced stevia system built to mask some of the worst-tasting (and most effective) ingredients in the industry, and look back at how far the company has come since it first started working with PricePlow back in 2019. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for NNB Nutrition news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/jake-mulder-dustin-elliott-nnb-nutrition-229 Video: NNB Nutrition Talks Business, Manufacturing, and Flavor Science at IFT FIRST 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-qUhVvrGNc Detailed Show Notes: Jake Mulder and Dustin Elliott on NNB Nutrition’s Growth (0:00) – Introductions (2:45) – Why Dipeptides Are Winning the Peptide Conversation (10:00) – Dileucine’s MuscleTech Launch, One Year Later (16:30) – Inside NNB’s Global Manufacturing Playbook (19:45) – C8Vantage: The MCT Powder Built for One Customer (21:15) – Fiber, Postbiotics, and Defending a Precision Fermentation Moat (24:45) – The Protein Crisis: Proprietary Blends, Whey Supply, and Clarified Plant Proteins (31:45) – Precision-Fermented Dairy and PeptiClear’s Second Act (37:00) – Dileucine Meets ClearPea: New Sarcopenia Research (48:30) – The Hardest Ingredients to Flavor, and How Reb M9 Changed the Game (51:45) – Brazzein, SweetVantage+, and the Formulator’s Guide to Natural Sweeteners (59:15) – Customizing SweetVantage+ and What’s Next for NNB Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Jake Mulder, Dustin Elliott, and NNB Nutrition LinkedIn: Jake Mulder LinkedIn: Dustin Elliott Instagram: @nnbnutrition NNB Nutrition on LinkedIn NNB Nutrition on PricePlow – Sign up for news alerts NNBNutrition.com Resources Mentioned Episode #227: Shawn Wells Breaks Down GLP-1 Drag – Part 1 of this two-part IFT FIRST 2026 series Episode #192: NNB Nutrition’s Pure, Potent, Precise Revolution … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Darin Decker returns to the PricePlow Podcast for Episode #228, his fifth appearance on the show and his first since becoming VP of Sales at Alpha Lion . He joins Mike and Ben for a full walkthrough of the biggest SuperHuman relaunch in years: five reformulated pre-workouts, a rebrand from black to red, and the debut of a new ingredient called Tensia. Alpha Lion built its name on SuperHuman, and starting July 31, the entire sub-brand gets a V2 treatment. SuperHuman Original, Pump, Extreme, Jacked, and Burn all return with updated formulas, a new Superhuman Energy System, and packaging built around the idea that red means activation. Jacked adds PeptiPump and the novel probiotic-derived Tensia alongside its existing PeptiStrong content, while Burn stays untouched because, as Darin puts it, you don’t fix something that isn’t broken. Decker also walks through Alpha Lion’s pricing overhaul, its GNC weight-management win with the Burn2O system, and why the brand is leaning into retail instead of chasing Meta ad spend. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Alpha Lion alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/darin-decker-superhuman-228 Video: Darin Decker Unveils the New Red SuperHuman Lineup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz68mzZXxDo Detailed Show Notes: Darin Decker Returns for the SuperHuman Relaunch (0:00) – Introductions (1:00) – Betting on Powdered Pre-Workout, Not Beverages (3:15) – Why Superhuman Is Getting Its Own Spotlight (5:30) – Same Burn, New Name: The Superhuman Energy System (7:15) – Solving Superhuman’s Pricing Puzzle (11:45) – Jacked Gets a Peptide-Powered Muscle Focus (12:30) – The Storyteller Hire: How Darin Landed at Alpha Lion (17:00) – Winning Weight Management at GNC (20:45) – Formulating Alongside GLP-1s, Not Against Them (22:30) – Why Meta Ads Don’t Move Pre-Workout (26:30) – Retail as De-Risking: Dodging the Amazon Trap (29:00) – Keeping the Fun (and Flavors) Alive (31:15) – Dialing In Caffeine, Servings, and Delayed Release (34:30) – Tensia: A Probiotic That Makes Its Own Nitric Oxide (37:00) – Jacked as Burn’s Muscle-Building Sibling (38:15) – Not Every Pre-Workout Should Do Everything (42:30) – Vincamine, Collabs, and a Famous Equity Partner (45:00) – “Blocking and Tackling”: Alpha Lion’s Back-to-Basics Playbook (46:45) – Superhuman Core: The Amazon Entry Point (56:30) – Launch Timeline: July 31 Online, August In Stores (58:15) – Pre-Workout vs. Energy Drinks: Is the Category Still Growing? (1:02:30) – Slow and Steady: Why Hardcore Pre-Workout Users Aren’t Going Anywhere (1:04:30) – Darin’s Own Stack, Flavor Renames, and Ditching Artificial Colors (1:08:00) – Unveiling the Red Tub: Black Was the Warm-Up, Red Is the Switch (1:11:15) – A Stallone Movie Powers the Rebrand (1:13:00) – Final Thoughts and What’s Next Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Darin Decker and Alpha Lion LinkedIn: Darin Decker Instagram: @alpha.lion … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #227 of the PricePlow Podcast takes us back to the NNB Nutrition booth at IFT First 2026 in Chicago, where Shawn Wells sat down with Mike and Ben for the first of two conversations recorded on-site. This one skips the usual business updates (that’s what part two, with Dustin Elliott and Jake Mulder, covers) and goes straight for the theoretical side of things: where Wells thinks the next several years of supplement innovation are headed, and the problems NNB’s science team wants solved before anyone else notices they exist. Shawn Wells’ Working Theories, and Where NNB Nutrition Takes Them Wells has built a working framework around what he calls “GLP-1 Drag”, three linked theories covering muscle loss, mitochondrial fatigue, and dopamine flattening in people using GLP-1 medications. From there, the conversation covers precision fermentation’s takeover of the herbal extract market, a buccal pouch platform built around fast-absorbing nootropics and stimulants, and an unplanned detour into flush niacin and nicotine pouches. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for NNB Nutrition news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/shawn-wells-glp-1-drag-227 Video: GLP-1 Drag, Precision Fermentation, and What’s Next for NNB Nutrition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YN6_wqnDkA Detailed Show Notes: Shawn Wells on GLP-1 Drag and the Future of NNB Nutrition (0:00) – Introductions (1:15) – NNB’s Unicorn Growth and the Shift to Pure, Potent, Precise (3:15) – Why Precision Fermentation Is Replacing Herbal Extracts (7:45) – Turning Competitors Into Customers (9:15) – Adaptogens Over Stimulants (11:45) – What Shawn Wells Calls “Mitochondrial Drag” (13:45) – GlucoVantage: A Post-GLP-1 Solution (17:45) – Titrate Down: Why Quitting GLP-1s Cold Backfires (19:15) – Dopamine Flattening and the Post-GLP-1 Comedown (20:45) – Ben and Mike on Their Own GLP-1 Experiences (25:45) – DL185 Dileucine and the Muscle-Sparing Stack (31:45) – Inside the Buccal Pouch: Paraxanthine, Alpha-GPC, and Huperzine A (38:15) – AmeriPouch, Troches, and the Nicotine Pouch Boom (41:45) – Flush Niacin as a Possible Nicotine Off-Ramp (44:15) – What’s Next: GAA, 4-Hydroxyisoleucine, and Pure 6-Paradol (48:45) – The Case for Mood and “Shift in State” Beverages (52:45) – Blue Light Glasses, Health Transformations, and Hyrox Goals Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Shawn Wells and NNB Nutrition LinkedIn: Shawn Wells Instagram: @shawnwells NNB Nutrition Website Instagram: @nnbnutrition LinkedIn: NNB Nutrition NNB Nutrition on PricePlow – Sign up for news alerts Resources Mentioned Episode #048: Shawn Wells Upcoming Stimulant & The Energy Formula … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Tom Reilly , president of VMI Sports , returns for Episode #226 of the PricePlow Podcast , just five months after his debut on Episode #205 . This time, Ben is joined by Spencer, PricePlow’s VP of Partnerships and Operations, who steps in for Mike and steers a big chunk of the conversation toward retail strategy. Tom walks through how VMI keeps winning grocery shelf space at Wegmans, Giant Eagle, and now Wakefern’s ShopRite banner, and why understanding vendor portals, credits, and shipping requirements matters as much as the formula itself. He also unveils VMI’s newest creatine lineup, teases an unnamed protein snack headed for shelves by late summer, and explains why the brand waited two years to find the right creatine gummy manufacturer. Along the way, Tom breaks down VMI’s GNC franchise partnerships, a new VP hire aimed at the beverage business, and the MAX Catalyst-powered formula behind KXR Stacked. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for VMI Sports alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/tom-reilly-vmi-sports-226 Video: Tom Reilly of VMI Sports on Grocery Wins, New Creatine Launches, and What’s Next https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByrAxgt7kfk Detailed Show Notes: Tom Reilly and VMI Sports (0:00) – Introductions (0:45) – VMI’s 2026 Grocery and Gym Push (4:00) – Why Omnichannel Doesn’t Mean Everywhere (6:30) – Wegmans, HEB, and Regional Loyalty (8:15) – New SKUs Land on Wegmans’ Shelves (10:00) – Giant Eagle’s Full-Circle Kroger Reunion (11:45) – Supplements Take Over the Grocery Aisle (14:00) – What Understanding Grocery Really Means (17:00) – Sell-In vs. Sell-Through: The Credits Trap (19:30) – Vendor Portals and Retail’s Hidden Grind (22:15) – Cracking Wakefern and ShopRite (25:45) – A New Protein Snack Is Coming (28:30) – Dialing In the New Snack’s Macros (30:45) – 97% Approval and What Food Feedback Really Looks Like (33:15) – Three Creatine Launches in Three Months (36:30) – Inside the New Creatine Pre-Workout (38:30) – Creatine +Hydration Meets Aquamin (41:15) – Finding the Right Creatine Gummy Partner (44:15) – Solving the Creatine-to-Creatinine Problem (47:30) – Patriot Pop Gummies Hit Grocery Shelves (49:45) – Amazon’s Testing Rules and the Middleman Squeeze (53:00) – Why the Brick-and-Mortar Shakeout Was Healthy (56:15) – Inside VMI’s GNC Franchise Partnerships (1:01:00) – A New VP and the Beverage Roadmap (1:05:00) – Room to Grow in Pre-Workout RTDs (1:09:00) – MAX Catalyst and the KXR Stacked Formula (1:14:15) – Solving the Caffeine Goldilocks Problem (1:16:15) – Dre’s Rebrand and Shelf-Ready Labels (1:21:00) – Wrap-Up and Where to Find VMI Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Tom Reilly and VMI Sports LinkedIn: Thomas Reilly LinkedIn: VMI Sports Instagram: @tom_vmisports …… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Doug Grant is the founder and chief formulator of Optimal Health Systems (OHS), a whole-food supplement company he built from the ground up starting in 1990. By 1993, he’d become the first full-time nutritionist hired by an NBA franchise, starting with the Phoenix Suns and later serving the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat through seven championship seasons in a decade. In this episode, Doug covers three major areas: The enzyme cascade science behind his flagship digestive product The blood-work-first philosophy he’s built from more than two decades with professional athletes OHS’s developing work on microplastics (including a probiotic-derived enzyme and a blood-based plastic test that their independent chemist fully intended to disprove). We also get into DSHEA, in-house manufacturing, and why TruShield™ Certified is the natural fit for a brand that was already doing third-party testing before anyone required it. TruShield’s origin story is told in our conversation with Lori Bestervelt, Ph.D., and Thane Campbell on Episode #193 . Here, we get into why a company like Optimal Health Systems, who works with professional athletes, formulates the way they do, and why they need a service like TruShield Certified to ensure drug-free compliance. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/doug-grant-optimal-health-systems-225 Video: Doug Grant of Optimal Health Systems Explains Microplastics and More https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MSHRt328fs Detailed Show Notes with Doug Grant of Optimal Health Systems (0:00) – Doug Grant and the Road to the NBA (8:45) – The Enzyme Cascade Behind Digest-A-Meal (16:00) – How Processed Foods Are Breaking Us Down (19:45) – Foundation, Customization, and Intervention (27:00) – Blood Work Lessons from the NBA (33:45) – Why OHS Chose TruShield™ Certified (42:15) – DSHEA, In-House Manufacturing, and the Three Criteria (47:00) – Tracking Microplastics Through the Blood (52:45) – ChemZyme, PlasticTest, and the Tupperware Case Study (1:03:00) – Data as the Foundation Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Doug Grant LinkedIn: Douglas Grant Instagram: Douglas D Grant Optimal Health Systems Optimal Health Systems Website Instagram: @ohs4life LinkedIn: Optimal Health Systems Optimal Health Systems on PricePlow TruShield™ Certified TruShield™ Certified Website TruShield™ Certified: WADA-Experienced Lab Launches Comprehensive Banned Substance Testing Program Episode #193: Banned Substances in Supplements? Not with TruShield™ Certified: Lori Bestervelt & Thane Campbell<… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Three years ago, Scott Dicker of SPINS joined us on Episode #082 of the PricePlow Podcast to talk creatine, collagen, and where sports nutrition was heading next. On Episode #224, Scott returns to grade his own predictions and dig into everything that’s changed since February 2023. The report card is mostly great news for Scott. Creatine’s move into cognitive health and older demographics played out almost exactly as he called it, hydration supplements kept climbing even as ready-to-drink sports drinks flattened out, and Red Bull is still the top-selling energy drink despite years of Celsius, Alani, Ghost, and C4 taking share. Scott, Mike, and Ben also cover where his 2023 calls needed adjusting, from ashwagandha’s staying power to pre-workout’s real exposure to energy drinks. From there, the conversation moves into new territory: the creatine gummy boom, GLP-1 ripple effects on weight management and protein, precision fermentation’s push into alternative dairy proteins, and Scott’s fresh picks for the next ingredients to watch. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/kaitlyn-kenna-smith-223 Video: Scott Dicker of SPINS Grades His 2023 Supplement Trend Predictions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDaC4LVirBk Detailed Show Notes: Scott Dicker Returns After 3 Years of SPINS Supplement Trend Predictions (0:00) – Introductions (2:00) – Grading the Creatine Call Three Years Later (3:30) – Sports Nutrition as the Testing Ground for Mainstream Trends (8:00) – Hydration Shifts From Ready-to-Drink to Ready-to-Mix (11:15) – Energy Drinks Continue Eating Into Pre-Workout Occasions (16:30) – Red Bull Still Reigns, But the Perception Game Has Changed (19:30) – Premium Pricing Reshapes the Creatine Category (22:45) – Creatine Gummies Go From Novelty to Mainstream (25:45) – Better Formats Win: Soft Chews and the Push for Stability (27:15) – Delivery Formats and the Rise of “Permissible Indulgence” (30:45) – L-Theanine and the Hunt for Stim-Free Alternatives (37:30) – Kava, Caffeine Modulation, and the New Wave of Session Drinks (42:45) – Why “Natural Flavors” on the Label Isn’t Enough Anymore (48:15) – GLP-1s Reshape Weight Management and Create New Companion Categories (52:15) – Active Lifestyle Meets Natural and Organic: A Consumer Venn Diagram (59:15) – Cognizin, Health Span, and Winning the AI Search Era (1:01:45) – Horseshoe Theory: How Niche Trends Find the Mainstream (1:04:45) – Precision Fermentation’s Long Game for Alternative Proteins (1:11:15) – Ice Cream and the Challenge of Refrigerated Snacking (1:13:30) – Are Functional Ingredients Welcome in Snacks? (1:16:00) – Is Fiber the New Protein? (1:19:30) – Scott’s Playbook for Spotting the Next Mainstream Ingredient (1:25:15) – Why Cognizin Became the Model for Ingredient Partnerships (1:27:30) – The ZMA Comeback and Mike’s Mineral Preferences (1:29:15) – Wrap-Up and Where to Find Scott and SPINS Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Scott Dicker and SPINS LinkedIn: Scott Dicker LinkedIn: SPINS … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #223 of the PricePlow Podcast brings one of PricePlow’s own to the mic: Kaitlyn Kenna Smith , content creator for PricePlow and Bevlab , the face behind PricePlow’s TikTok, and host of the Powerhouse Mentality podcast. If you’ve watched PricePlow’s supplement and energy drink content on social, there’s a good chance Kaitlyn’s behind a lot of it. In this episode, Mike and Ben dig into Kaitlyn’s full story: from a teenager who turned to running to escape a difficult home life to an aspiring professional CrossFit athlete eating over 3,000 calories a day and training twice daily. She’s open about recovering from an eating disorder, why the 1,200-calorie recommendation harms active women, and how she coaches clients to focus on habits and biofeedback over scale weight. The conversation also covers creatine’s well-earned mainstream moment, the rise of functional ingredients in energy drinks, what 1st Phorm gets right about community, and why in-person events matter more than follower counts. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for PricePlow news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/kaitlyn-kenna-smith-223 Video: Kaitlyn Kenna Smith of Powerhouse Mentality on CrossFit, Nutrition, and Content Creation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4XZpR0-9K8 Detailed Show Notes: Kaitlyn Kenna Smith of Powerhouse Mentality (0:00) – Introductions (2:45) – From Last Picked in Gym Class to CrossFit Athlete (7:15) – Breaking the 1,200-Calorie Myth for Active Women (10:45) – Hydration Basics and the Double Session Advantage (19:15) – Kaitlyn’s CrossFit Macros (22:30) – Scale Weight, Biofeedback, and Coaching Real People (27:30) – Women’s Hormones and Lifestyle Variables (31:30) – Creatine, Gummies, and Making Supplements Accessible (38:30) – Functional Ingredients, Delivery Systems, and a Health-First Shift (43:45) – Why Kaitlyn Loves 1st Phorm (49:00) – Industry Events and the Unexpected Reach of Content (57:15) – Misinformation, Nuance, and Short-Form Limitations (1:04:45) – CrossFit Competition Structure and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (1:10:30) – Kaitlyn’s Supplement Stack (1:13:00) – Iron, Ferritin, and Lactoferrin for Female Athletes (1:16:00) – Energy Drink Favorites and a Market Gap (1:18:15) – The Powerhouse Mentality Podcast Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Kaitlyn Kenna Smith Instagram: @ThePowerhouseMentality Instagram/TikTok: @KaitlynKennaFitness The Powerhouse Mentality on Spotify The Powerhouse Mentality on YouTube PricePlow on TikTok (@PricePlow) Resources Mentioned Kaitlyn + Victoria: Powerhouse Mentality Episode (YouTube) Kaitlyn + Victoria: Powerhouse Mentality Episode (Spotify) … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Nutrabolt CEO Doss Cunningham has spent more than two decades building Nutrabolt and the C4 brand into global household names, doing it almost entirely from behind the scenes. In Episode #222 of the PricePlow Podcast , that changes, and we get to shine a light on the visionary leader. Doss sits down with Mike and Ben for our first in-depth podcast conversation together, covering everything from C4’s origin story to the strategic reinvention of Cellucor . Changes for Cellucor, C4 Energy’s Growth, and Expansion Beyond Bloom The trigger for the conversation is what’s happening right now. Cellucor wiped its social media slate clean and launched Cellucor Longevity Creatine + NAD as the opening move in a new Active Health & Wellness direction. But Doss goes much further here, covering the hard lessons from failed brands, the Bloom investment and portfolio vision, C4 Energy’s push to own the “Everyone’s an Athlete” performance lane, and what’s coming next across the Nutrabolt lineup. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Cellucor alerts on PricePlow before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/doss-cunningham-nutrabolt-222 Video: Doss Cunningham on C4, Cellucor, and Building a Supplement / Wellness Empire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvm-9VieMt4 Detailed Show Notes: Doss Cunningham and Nutrabolt on the Future of Cellucor and C4 (0:00) – Introductions (3:00) – Going Public: Why Now? (6:30) – The C4 Origin Story (12:30) – Hard Lessons: Failures as Fuel (17:15) – The Beverage School (22:00) – Reinventing Cellucor: Active Health & Wellness (29:00) – Peptides and Exclusive Innovation with Nuritas (32:30) – Portfolio Strategy: Bloom and the P&G Vision (38:45) – C4 Energy: Owning the Performance Lane (43:15) – Cereal Killer, M5 Extreme, and the Art of the Big Swing (50:45) – C4 AlphaBomb and Deura9™ Caffeine (52:00) – C4 Energy Redesign and Reformulation (57:30) – C4 Smart Energy: The Sleeping Giant Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Doss Cunningham and Nutrabolt Doss Cunningham on LinkedIn Cellucor on Instagram: @cellucor C4 Energy on Instagram: @c4energy Nutrabolt on LinkedIn Cellucor Official Website Nutrabolt Official Website Cellucor on PricePlow (sign up for news and price alerts) Resources Mentioned Cellucor Longevity Creatine + NAD+ – the launch that triggered this conversation C4 AlphaBomb™ (Deura9™ Caffeine) – C4’s highest-stim pre-workout with deuterated caffeine … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Ben Hartman is back for his third visit to the PricePlow Podcast in Episode #221, and Morphogen Nutrition has never been in a stronger position. Ben walks through everything: the second rebrand’s full backstory, a never-before-told story about a failed acquisition that nearly sold the company, the financial reckoning that followed, and how selling the building and moving to a 3PL model finally cleared the slate. He calls this the best formula work Morphogen has ever done, at the healthiest margins in company history. The conversation covers AlphaGEN’s return to 10g L-Tyrosine, why PRIME is the anchor of the entire health line, details like how he navigates AstraGin® and BioPerine® across a multi-product stack, and the surprising origin of CALM. Then comes the main event: the Nick Walker equity partnership, explained in full, including some of the financial structure the internet has been speculating about. The episode closes with a frank look at the longevity wave ahead, the natural-vs.-enhanced debate, and a nostalgic look back at the golden age of stimulants. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Morphogen Nutrition news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/ben-hartman-morphogen-nutrition-221 Video: Morphogen’s Second Rebrand, Nick Walker Equity, and the 10g Tyrosine Return https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1avyjD3spOk Detailed Show Notes: Ben Hartman on Morphogen’s Rebrand, the Nick Walker Deal, and Where Supplements Are Heading (0:00) – Introductions (0:45) – The Second Rebrand: What Triggered It (3:00) – The Failed Acquisition: First Public Account (5:00) – David DeMesquita: The Missing Third Partner (8:45) – Business Lessons: Termites at the Foundation (12:30) – Best Formulas Ever, Healthiest Margins Ever (13:15) – Hero vs. Backup Ingredients: Supply Chain and Formula Thinking (18:30) – Diminishing Returns: “Racing to the Bottom” (20:30) – Breaking the Debt Cycle: PO Discipline and the Move to 3PL (27:45) – ALPHAGEN Reborn: The 10g L-Tyrosine Decision (30:15) – Eria Jarensis, Manufacturing Partners, and Label Honesty (35:15) – PRIME: Origin Story and the Anchor Health Product (40:30) – AstraGin® and BioPerine®: Choosing Absorption Enhancers Wisely (46:30) – CALM: From Bodybuilding Contest Prep to Gen Pop (51:15) – “I Don’t Listen to My Customers” (54:45) – Blood Work, Hormones, and Realistic Self-Assessment (1:01:30) – The Nick Walker Partnership: How It Actually Happened (1:04:30) – Equity, Not a Paycheck: “We Gave It to Him” (1:11:30) – Nick’s Feedback, Carb Fuel, and PROTEGEN on the Way (1:16:45) – From Bodybuilding Brand to Health and Wellness (1:21:30) – The Longevity Wave: NMN, Urolithin A, and Mitochondrial Health (1:27:00) – Natural vs. Enhanced: An Honest Reassessment (1:35:00) – The Supplements That Actually Moved the Needle (1:38:00) – Stimulant Nostalgia: DMAA, Ephedrine, and What’s Still Available (1:40:45) – Dedra Hartman (CFO) and Closing Thoughts Where to Follow and Learn … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #220 of the PricePlow Podcast brings Ben Kane and guest host Joey Savage to Washington, DC for the 2026 NPA (Natural Products Association) Fly-In Day. Their guest on the US Capitol steps at sunset: Uday Gosalia , founder of UGo Beyond and a proud advisor to Future Nutra. This year’s trip had a sharper edge than most. For the first time in several years, the industry came to DC specifically in opposition to active legislation, not just to make a general case. Two bills are in play: Senator Dick Durbin’s Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2026 (S.3677), which would require every supplement SKU registered with the FDA before market entry, and the Dietary Supplement Regulatory Uniformity Act (H.R. 7366), introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy, which needs a Senate companion to stop states from layering their own supplement restrictions on top of federal law. The conversation covers those two bills, the drug preclusion clause risk, what actually happens when you explain DSHEA to a senator’s staffer, and why consistent DC presence matters more than any single meeting. Our NPA Fly-In Day preparation guide and Episode #100 with NPA CEO Dan Fabricant offer essential background on PricePlow’s history at these events. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast and sign up for FDA news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/uday-gosalia-220 Video: Uday Gosalia and Future Nutra Oppose MPL at NPA 2026 Fly-In Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7WBa-IPH5I Detailed Show Notes: Uday Gosalia (UGo Beyond) at the NPA 2026 Fly-In Day (0:00) – Introductions (1:45) – The 2026 NPA Fly-In: Industry on the Offensive (2:15) – Opposing S.3677: The Mandatory Product Listing Problem (5:00) – H.R. 7366: Protecting Supplement Access for Minors (7:15) – HSA/FSA Eligibility and the Enforcement Gap (8:00) – Rep. Jim McGovern: An Unexpected Ally (11:00) – Teaching the Hill: Explaining How Supplements Are Regulated (12:45) – Do Your Legislators Take Supplements? (14:30) – The Ashwagandha “Gotcha” Moment (15:45) – DC Is More Accessible Than You Think Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Uday Gosalia and UGo Beyond LinkedIn: Uday Gosalia (UGo Beyond) Sign Up for FDA News on PricePlow Resources Mentioned in This Episode NMN, FDA, and the Supplement Industry’s Winning Battle Against Pharma NPA Fly-In Day Guide: How to Come Prepared for a “Lobby Day” Dan Fabricant (NPA): Why You Need to Show Up in Washington DC (Episode #100) The NPA is Fighting Dick Durbin’s 2022 Supplement Bill (Episode #067) Thanks to Uday Gosalia for joining from the Capitol steps, and to Joey Savage and Future Nutra for making this episode happen. For anyone ready to get involved in supplement advocacy, our NPA Fly-In D… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #219 of the PricePlow Podcast welcomes back Doug Miller , founder and CEO of Core Nutritionals , for a full portfolio catch-up 4.5 years after Episode #050: Protein Prices on the Rise and Figuring it Out with Doug Miller . Doug’s opening line sets the tone perfectly: “We’re *still* figuring it out and protein prices are *still* on the rise!” In this conversation, Mike and Ben cover the entire Crush It Holdings universe: Doug’s amicable exit from Arms Race Nutrition The decision to shut down the resurrected Myoblox brand Where his focus now sits — Core Nutritionals , Unmatched Supps (his two-year partnership with Kris Gethin ), and The freshly launched Nova Prime Labs research-use peptide venture. Along the way, the crew digs into CreGAAtine, Unmatched’s DTC pivot away from broad retail, an incoming Stem Cell product launch, the Unmatched Bar targeting Olympia 2026, and how another protein price spike is reshaping Core’s lineup. Merica Labz gets a few shouts as well. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for news alerts before you dive in! https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/doug-miller-219 Video: Doug Miller Returns: Core Nutritionals, Unmatched Supps & Nova Prime Labs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOXpJ94gZR4 Detailed Show Notes: Doug Miller on Core, Unmatched Supps, and Entering the Peptide Space (0:00) – Introductions (1:00) – Exiting Arms Race and Putting Myoblox to Bed (7:00) – What Makes a Brand Worth Running (12:00) – Core Nutritionals and Unmatched: Two Brands, One Focus (16:00) – The Kris Gethin Partnership: Founding Unmatched Supps (19:45) – Going All-Natural and Pulling Back from Vitamin Shoppe (22:00) – CreGAAtine: The Science and Unmatched’s First-in-the-US Play (24:30) – White Packaging, Stem Cell Launch, and Managing the Pipeline (30:00) – Functional Foods: Core Balls, Brownies, and the Unmatched Bar (35:30) – Merica Energy and the Unmatched Drink (38:45) – Entering the Peptide Space: Nova Prime Labs (43:30) – Quality Standards and the Scammer Already at the Door (49:00) – Oral Bioregulators and What Nova Prime Won’t Sell (51:15) – GLPs, Fat Burners, and “Natural” in 2026 (57:00) – Crush It Wellness MD and Protein Prices: Still Figuring It Out Big thanks to Doug Miller for coming back after four and a half years and talking through everything happening across the portfolio. If you’re following Core, Unmatched, Nova Prime, or Merica Labz, PricePlow has news alerts for all of them. And thanks to Darren and the team at PerfectShaker for sponsoring the PricePlow Podcast — check out their lineup of shaker cups at PricePlow.com/perfect-shaker , or get the full story behind the brand in Darren Thompson: Inside PerfectShaker | Episode #209 . Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast , sign up for news from Core, Unmatched, Doug Miller, and Merica Labz on PricePlow, and leave us a great review on iTunes and Spotify! Where to Follow and Learn More &… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

The supplement industry is pushing back. In May 2026, a group of long-tenured ashwagandha producers and regulatory experts launched the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance (ASA), a new coalition dedicated to countering misinformation about ashwagandha leaf safety, defending GMP standards, and responding to what many in the industry see as scientifically unsupported regulatory actions: India’s April 2026 FSSAI/AYUSH leaf advisory and Denmark’s earlier ban. In Episode #218 of the PricePlow Podcast, Mike and Ben sit down with Blake Ebersole , founding member of the ASA and president of NaturPro Scientific, a B2B quality and regulatory consulting firm. Blake unpacks and rejects the “root good, leaf bad” narrative, explains why in vitro cancer cell studies are being misused to target ashwagandha leaf, and details how lab shopping and supply chain fragmentation quietly erode quality across the botanical category. This episode pairs directly with our companion article on India’s ashwagandha leaf advisory . Together they cover both the regulatory deep-dive and the industry coalition response. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for our ashwagandha news alerts on PricePlow before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/ashwagandha-standards-alliance-218 Video: The Ashwagandha Standards Alliance Responds to India’s FSSAI Leaf Advisory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxYGLOcgVIw Detailed Show Notes: Blake Ebersole on the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance, FSSAI, and Industry GMP (0:00) – Introductions (2:45) – What Is the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance? (4:30) – How ASA Fits the Industry Landscape (6:15) – Educational, Policy, and Standards Goals (8:00) – Adverse Events at Scale and Ashwagandha’s Safety Record (11:15) – Denmark’s Ban and the Hazard-Based Regulatory Model (15:15) – Withaferin A and the In Vitro Extrapolation Problem (18:30) – How Competitive Interests Drove the Market Off Track (21:00) – Label Disclosure, Dilution, and Maltodextrin (25:00) – The Billion-Dollar Market and Supply Chain Fragmentation (30:00) – India’s Regulatory Framework: Food, Drug, and No Middle Ground (32:15) – Farmers, Brokers, and the FSSAI Advisory’s Unintended Consequences (38:00) – Research Gaps and the Clinical Literature (41:00) – Extraction Methods: Milk, Solvents, and Withanolide Chemistry (44:30) – Consumer Education and the Demand for Transparency (46:30) – Lab Shopping and the Broken Incentive Structure (52:45) – Branded Ingredients and GMP Supplier Qualification (55:15) – ASA Founding Members: Sabinsa, Cepham, and Arjuna Natural (58:00) – Formula Ideas: Sleep, Lifestyle, and Beyond the Basics (1:00:45) – Anhedonia, Cortisol, and What the Science Says Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Blake Ebersole and the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance LinkedIn: Blake Ebersole (founding member of the ASA and president of NaturPro Scientific) Ashwagandha Standards Alliance Website Ashwagandha Standards Alliance on LinkedIn … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

NuLiv Science ingredients are everywhere in the modern supplement stack. AstraGin® shows up in pre-workouts, protein powders, energy drinks, and gut health supplements. Senactiv® anchors some of the most performance-focused formulas in sports nutrition. Yet for all that visibility, the brand hasn’t sat down for an in-depth podcast with Team PricePlow for quite some time. Episode #217 brings in Luis Gonzalez , VP of Sales at NuLiv Science, for a 70-minute walkthrough of the NuLiv story and its full ingredient portfolio. Mike hosts solo and the two cover Luis’s path from financial services into supplement sales, the full NuLiv Science ingredient lineup , the evolution of the brand’s research, and every ingredient in the portfolio: AstraGin® , Senactiv® , Zylaria® , InnoSlim® , JointIQ® , Astrion® , and CordycepsPrime™ . The centerpiece is NuLiv’s most ambitious AstraGin® clinical to date: a 2026 whey protein absorption study documenting 12% to 14% amino acid uptake improvements and a meaningful zonulin reduction across three age demographics. A lot has changed since Episode #059 in 2021 . This episode gets you fully caught up, and Luis has a pretty cool story getting into the industry as well. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nuliv-science-luis-gonzalez-217 Video: Luis Gonzalez of NuLiv Science: AstraGin, Senactiv Senolytics, and the Full 2026 Portfolio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et_ErGPaP2I Detailed Show Notes: NuLiv Science’s Full Ingredient Portfolio with Luis Gonzalez (0:00) – Introduction (1:30) – Luis’s Path from Financial Services to NuLiv Science (5:00) – Getting NuLiv Science Into Sports Nutrition (7:15) – NuLiv’s Content-First Strategy (9:30) – The Ghost Connection: How Senactiv Found Its Audience (13:30) – Senactiv: Ten Papers and a Research Arc Unlike Any Other (21:00) – Senactiv Doses: 50mg vs. 100mg (23:30) – Zylaria®: Deep Sleep, GABA Support, and No Next-Day Grogginess (26:00) – AstraGin as Flagship (And the CordycepsPrime™ Volume Surprise) (27:30) – The 2026 AstraGin Study: Whey Protein, Amino Acid Absorption, and Zonulin (33:45) – AstraGin for Gut Health and Healthy Aging (38:45) – NuLiv’s Origins: Founded as a Mushroom Company in 1997 (40:45) – MLM Clients, Quality Standards, and Vitafoods Europe (46:45) – JointIQ® and the “Same Plant, Different Compounds” Explanation (50:45) – InnoSlim and the GLP-1 Market Shift (53:45) – NuLiv Ingredients as GLP-1 Adjuncts (57:45) – Grinding the 1099 Hustle: Luis’s Path to VP of Sales (1:01:45) – Formulator’s Corner: The GLP-1 Support Stack (1:05:30) – New Senactiv Research, Astrion Skin Health, and Closing Thoughts Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Luis Gonzalez LinkedIn: Luis Gonzalez Instagram: @luisjr_fit … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Balchem makes its first appearance on Episode #216 of the PricePlow Podcast . Tom Druke , Senior Marketing Manager at Balchem’s Human Nutrition & Health division, joins Mike and Ben to cover three flagship branded ingredients: VitaCholine® (choline bitartrate), Albion® Minerals (chelated mineral technology), and a first look at K2VITAL® (vitamin K2 MK-7). Tom walks through Balchem’s growth story: from roughly 30% human nutrition a decade ago to 60-70% today, driven by strategic acquisitions (Albion® in 2016, then Bergstrom Nutrition for OptiMSM® and Kappa Bioscience, which brought K2VITAL®, in 2022). He also explains the New York Jets partnership launched in May 2024, which Balchem and the Jets jointly described as the first partnership between an ingredient company and a major U.S. professional sports team. The choline discussion covers depletion in athletes and knowledge workers, the L(+)-bitartrate vs. DL-bitartrate distinction, the connection to nitric oxide, and what a 2015 published study on visuomotor performance revealed about choline’s role in focus and fine motor coordination. On the mineral side, Tom unpacks Albion’s chelation technology, FT-IR quality verification, and what NOW Foods’ 2022 Amazon audit revealed about third-party magnesium products. This is an educational one, to say the least. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast and sign up for Balchem news alerts before diving in! https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/balchem-vitacholine-216 Video: Tom Druke of Balchem on VitaCholine®, Albion® Minerals, K2VITAL®, and the NY Jets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3FYWarAy0E Detailed Show Notes: Balchem’s Tom Druke on VitaCholine®, Albion® Minerals, and K2VITAL® (0:00) – Introductions: Tom Druke and Balchem (3:30) – The New York Jets Partnership (7:00) – Why Choline Is Essential and Widely Deficient (11:15) – VitaCholine® and Natural L(+)-Bitartrate Sourcing (14:30) – Choline Depletion in Athletes and Knowledge Workers (18:00) – The 2015 Focus Study and Cholinergic Signaling (19:00) – GHOST Legend V4: VitaCholine® at 1 Gram (21:00) – L(+)-Bitartrate vs. DL-Bitartrate: Why Isomers Matter (26:15) – Safe Dosing, Upper Limits, and Genetic Factors (31:15) – Choline, Betaine, and Nitric Oxide (34:15) – Albion® Minerals: The Science of Chelation (39:15) – Magnesium Bisglycinate: Deficiency, Bioavailability, and Sleep (42:45) – Quality Verification: FT-IR Testing and the Albion Brand (47:30) – The NOW Foods Amazon Audit: Why Branded Ingredients Matter (50:45) – K2VITAL® and Other Albion® Minerals (1:00:00) – Looking Ahead: Choline Science and Longevity Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Tom Druke and Balchem Balchem Human Nutrition & Health on LinkedIn Balchem Corporation on LinkedIn Instagram: @balchem.hnh Balchem Human Nutrition & Health Website … Read more on the PricePlow Blog