Description
Benefits & Features
Mixes easily
Use a shaker bottle or blender
20g PROTEIN
FOR SUPERIOR MUSCLE GROWTH, STRENGTH, AND RECOVERY.*
40g COMPLEX CARBS
FOR RAPID ENERGY REPLENISHMENT & MUSCLE RECOVERY.*
Tested & certified
Free of banned & illegal substances
Clean ingredients
Gluten-Free and Low-Lactose
A More Complete Recovery Solution
GIVE YOURSELF PEACE OF MIND
*NCAA is a registered trademark of the National College Athlete Association. This product is not endorsed by the NCAA.
NOT A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT
Critical Reload is a conventional food; not a dietary supplement. As defined by the FDA, a dietary supplement contains one or more dietary ingredients that may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, and amino acids, other substances found in the human diet, such as enzymes. Critical Reload contains none of the dietary ingredients.
Furthermore, conventional foods must have a Nutrition Facts panel while dietary supplements must have a Supplement Facts panel. Label verification delineates Critical Reload’s nutrition panel as Nutrition Facts and NOT Supplement Facts.
FAQ
Our most frequent questions and answers
Critical Reload is different from milk becuase it contains three distinct, proportional types of protein: casein and whey proteins (isolate and hydrolyzed), so the user gets a unique sequence of amino acids. Critical Reload scores 100% in all essential amino acids – not limiting or deficient in the essential amino acids. Why all this focus on amino acids?
First and foremost, your body builds muscle out of amino acids, not whole proteins. Secondly, proteins provide the body critical amino acids that serve as building blocks for the formation of new muscle. But not all dietary proteins are equal. Since whey rapidly increases protein synthesis and casein blocks protein breakdown, a combination of both was ideal in the ingredient development of Critical Reload.
Milk proteins are excellent sources of essential amino acids, but they differ in one crucial aspect — whey is a fast-digesting protein, and casein is a slow-digesting protein. Fast-digesting whey means it is emptied from the stomach quickly, resulting in a rapid and significant increase in plasma amino acids. The results are a quick but transient increase in protein synthesis, while protein breakdown is not affected. Whey also has higher levels of leucine, a potent amino acid that stimulates protein synthesis. Whey protein is superior at augmenting protein synthesis rapidly, but this positive effect is short-lived.
Milk casein protein is relatively insoluble and tends to form structures called micelles that increase solubility in water. During the processing of milk, which usually involves heat or acid, the casein peptides and micelle structure become disturbed or denatured to form simpler structures. As a result, a gelatinous material gets developed. The basis for whey casein is a slower rate of digestion, which results in a slow but steady release of amino acids into circulation.
Yes, Critical Reload is completely GLUTEN-FREE!!! What is more, Critical Reload President and founder’s wife has Celiac’s Disease and consumes Critical Reload regularly.
No. Critical Reload does contain a low-level of lactose (2-grams per 8-ounce (oz) serving compared to 12-grams per 8-oz searing of low-fat milk). Lactose tolerance varies widely. The majority of athletes I’ve worked with whom are lactose intolerant can take Critical Reload without any gastrointestinal disturbance. There is a minority though that cannot take Critical Reload because of their heightened lactose sensitivity. We recommend you consult your physician before using Critical Reload.
A case of Critical Reload contains six (6), 3.4-pound bags.
Each 3.4-pound bag of Critical Reload contains 24 servings.
No. Critical Reload is considered a conventional food. As defined by the FDA, a dietary supplement contains one or more dietary ingredients that may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, and amino acids, other substances found in the human diet, such as enzymes. Critical Reload contains none of the dietary ingredients.
Secondly, Critical Reload is produced in a food manufacturing facility that is GMP certified, and FDA regulated. The acronym GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practices, and to be GMP certified means that the manufacturer demonstrates a robust regulatory commitment and compliance to international GMP standards.
Lastly, conventional foods must have a Nutrition Facts panel while dietary supplements must have a Supplement Facts panel. Label verification delineates Critical Reload’s nutrition panel as Nutrition Facts and NOT Supplement Facts.
We can’t speak for your revenue — what you decide to charge is completely up to you. The only absolute is the cost per bag ($25.99 divided by 24-servings = $1.08 per serving). A majority of the schools we work with tend to charge the student-athlete $2.00 per serving (that equals approximately $0.84 profit per serving or 72% gross profit per serving). The sale price of $2 per 8-oz shake for 5 days ($10 per week), you charge the student account $80 for half semester (8 weeks) or $160 for a full semester (16-weeks). With 100% participation (400 student athletes), you would generate roughly $26,880 gross profit every 16-weeks that goes directly into an “activities account” for re-stocking Critical Reload and purchase of equipment! Understand, this revenue is based on a 100% participation rate, which is highly unlikely when you first begin.
Some use the honor system; others keep dispenser on a rolling cart in an office and wheel it out to serve at the end of a session. Our suggestion: employ the same measures you would ensure everyone does every set, of every rep you entrust. Permanently, establish the same rule/disciplinary action to those caught skipping reps/sets as you would someone taking a shake. Don’t look at it like something else you have to monitor. Instead, it’s an opportunity to exercise accountability, responsibility, and integrity — pillars of any great team. You can even assign a “Shake Warden” for each training group to monitor — an excellent way to build leadership and accountability that can have significant carry-over to the team culture.
Maltodextrin is technically a complex carbohydrate because of its sugar content, but its high glycemic index means it goes through the digestive system super fast. There are two instances where this is a good thing:
- After a hard workout, maltodextrin will quickly get energy and protein to your muscles – a reason why Critical Reload has both carbs and protein.
- During an intense physical workout, maltodextrin’s quick absorption and low osmolality make it ideal for energy replenishment.
- Due to its rapid absorption, Critical Reload doesn’t sit “heavy” on the stomach and detour an athlete from eating whole foods after a workout.
The creation of Critical Reload was never intended to be a meal replacement. Instead, it’s usefulness is to help manage the athlete’s “window of opportunity” to replenish energy, enhance muscle protein synthesis, and boost recovery.
You cannot replace whole food vitamins with synthetic vitamins like ascorbic acid as Vitamin C, Palmitate as Vitamin A, or cyanocobalamin as B12. Doing so has been proven to cause significant toxic reactions and damage to the body over time. Furthermore, you cannot replace amino acid chelated mineral with synthetic minerals and avoid toxicity.
Critical Reload does contain fructose. However, fructose, not high fructose corn syrup, is an important source of energy for the body. Sometimes called fruit sugar, fructose is found in fruit, some vegetables, honey, and other plants. Fructose is a monosaccharide, or single sugar, that has the same chemical formula as glucose, but a different molecular structure. Even though commonly consumed sugars provide basically the same number of calories, they are metabolized and used by the body in differently. How? Fructose does not increase blood glucose and does not require insulin. In fact, individuals with diabetes can often tolerate fructose better than other sugars (9,10). Studies support that small amounts of oral fructose may actually improve glycemic control in people with diabetes (9-10).
Critical Reload contains acesulfame potassium as a sweetener. The FDA first approved it in 1988 for specific foods. In 2002, it became further approved as an all-purpose sweetener. Before adopting any new food additive for public use, the FDA must verify its safety. In the case of acesulfame potassium, more than 100 scientific studies have been reviewed. The National Cancer Institute notes that the results of these studies showed that the sweetener poses no risk to human health. According to Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, acesulfame potassium has been shown to be safe when used in moderation. How do you define moderation? You would need to consume large quantities of diet soda — roughly 20 cans — before you reach the tolerable upper intake limit of acesulfame potassium.
Critical Reload incorporates sucralose. The smallest and least containing ingredient in Critical Reload is sucralose. It helps adds sweetness without adding calories or carbohydrates and has an excellent safety profile. More than 100 safety studies, representing over 20 years of research, have shown sucralose to be safe. Furthermore, over 80 government agencies worldwide, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have also reviewed the science on sucralose and found it to be safe for human consumption.
Doctors prescribe patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to take guar gum by mouth to reduces stomach pain, improve bowel function and quality of life. Guar gum, in large doses (4-15 grams) serves as a laxative because it adds bulk to stool, which helps it move through the colon. Critical Reload Chocolate contains only 0.24-grams per serving — hardly enough to sooth someone with IBS or cause someone without IBS increased gas production, diarrhea, and loose stools. So why is it in Critical Reload? In micro doses, it functions as a suspending or emulsifying agent, stabilizer, flavor fixative and inhibitor of sugar crystallization.
Along with being found pretty much everywhere on earth, silicon dioxide is a food additive that serves as an anti-caking agent. In Critical Reload, it’s used to prevent clumping and prevent the various powdered ingredients from sticking together. As with many food additives, consumers often have concerns about finding silicon dioxide on product labels. However, numerous studies have found no health risks associated with this particular ingredient. Not to mention, silicon dioxide is found naturally in many plants, for example, leafy green vegetables, beets, bell peppers, brown rice and oats, and alfalfa.
What does research say? The fact that it is found in plants and drinking water suggests silicon dioxide is safe. Besides, research has shown that the silica we consume doesn’t accumulate in our bodies; instead, it’s flushed out by the kidneys. Many of the studies on silica have found no link between silicon dioxide and increased risk of cancer, organ damage, or mortality. Also, studies have found no evidence that silicon dioxide can affect reproductive health, birth weight, or body weight.
Finally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized silicon dioxide as a safe food additive (2), as do the World Health Organization (WHO) (1) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (3). According to a paper (1) prepared in association with WHO, the only adverse health effects related to silicon dioxide is by silicon deficiency. In other words, a lack of silicon dioxide may do more harm than too much.
Sodium chloride is an ionic compound found in various foods and commonly referred to as “salt” or “table salt.” It is used as a seasoning in many foods and serves additionally as an electrolyte in Critical Reload.
Tim Cibene –
Excellent product!