What is it? Basically, this formula provides you with all your basic vitamins and minerals to insure long term health and performance. The most important part is that all the minerals are “chelated” which means that they’ve been attached to an amino acid for maximum absorption in a patented process. Most competitive products skimp on both the quality and quantity of the minerals. This product was engineered by Dr. Gregory Ellis, a published expert in physiology and biochemistry.

The product is one of the finest types of whey protein…extremely absorbable from a high quality source of protein with a very low carbohydrate content. In addition to being an excellent source of supplemental protein, it tastes great, mixes extremely easily, and can be used in protein shakes to meet your protein needs without compromising quality.

Again, a brainchild of Dr. Ellis, this supplement has been shown to increase endurance in lab tests by up to 80%...almost unheard of! After years of research, Dr. Ellis was granted a patent on this unique supplement and athletes and housewives alike can benefit from its performance in your system. This is not a short term effect but a long-lasting solution to endurance.

$59.95 (a savings of nearly $27 off the suggested retail price in stores.)…for those of you that are budgeting, that is $2 per day to keep your athlete in peak nutritional condition…and how much do you pay for an average Latte at Starbucks…$2.50-$3.00…how about that Big Gulp at 7-11…$1? Kind of puts it all into perspective!!!!

There are no short cuts…no steroids are not going to help you long term! There is plenty of evidence that the long term damaging effects can be extremely damaging to internal organs if not FATAL…so let’s throw out that option.

You must embrace 2 basic facts. #1 You have to workout regularly with weights! #2 If you do so, you’ll need plenty of protein...more than the average adult or teenager...but more on that topic later. Muscles will grow naturally as you grow from your childhood years to teen years to adulthood. On top of that you can stimulate further growth with weight training in addition to the sport or athletic motion that you are doing. Weight training is like tearing down a house then rebuilding it with a little bit more size and bricks than what existed before. It isn’t an overnight process but the results can be long lasting if you maintain discipline in training regularly. Important to remember is that some teens mature and grow faster than others at different ages, and some teens are just more genetically blessed than others…there isn’t much you can do about either factor but you can control your workouts. How much depends on your current weight. If your object is to grow muscle (and whose isn’t), you’ll need about at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Most of this you can get from your food intake. What has protein?...try meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and some beans (although it is not a complete protein). What you can’t eat, then you should use protein supplements. Studies have shown the maximum absorption for protein supplements comes in a period 2-3 hours after a weight training session continuing on for 48 hours but at a decreasing rate of absorption.

Repetitions of your chosen sport or athletic endeavor will train those specific muscles involved in performing that particular motion. However, you’ll need to increase your power to get there. Generally speaking, more muscles and more mass equal more power. So, again, weight resistance exercises can make a huge difference. The center of your power is always your legs and glutes as these are the largest muscle groups. Then comes the Chest, Back, and Shoulders. Just doing strict, confining strength machines that have a “grooved” motion is a start but those types of workouts don’t turn on the ancillary muscle groups that mimic a true sports motion. In order to do this, you must use free weights (bars and dumbbells) and lift in what is called Olympic types of movements. These involve powerful repetitions with bars in quick, explosive types of exercises. Since these motions are very demanding, they can’t be done every day with every muscle group. Also, it is quite important to remember that you should vary the workouts constantly as muscles respond more readily to variety.

Again, there is no better endurance training than repeatedly performing the exact skill and athletic movement for which are training at the exact speed that you’ll be using during your competition. As an example, if you are a sprinter, it serves no real purpose (other than to burn some calories and get leaner) to constantly run 1500 meters at a pace for that distance. You’ll need to train explosively for those short bursts of energy at maximum power…and, yes, there is a specific endurance factor for even the short race sprinters.

Protein! Protein! Protein! What kind? What Blend? What Brand? How much do you need? All good questions. How much depends on your current weight. If your object is to grow muscle (and whose isn’t), you’ll need about at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Most of this you can get from your food intake. What has protein?...try meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and some beans (although they are not a complete protein). What you can’t eat, you can use protein supplements but not as a direct substitute for regular food…just as the name implies…SUPPLEMENTS. Studies have shown the maximum absorption for protein supplements comes in a period 2-3 hours after a weight training session continuing on for 48 hours but at a decreasing rate of absorption.

What to look for in a good protein supplement? The most absorbable protein powder is WHEY PROTEIN followed by milk protein, egg protein, soy protein, and a few others. What is Whey? Whey originally came from the cheese manufacturing industry and was routinely thrown away as no one had any use for it…come to find out, it had one of the highest protein ratings of all proteins.

BEWARE OF PROTEIN POWDERS BEARING GIFTS IN THE FORM OF HIGH SUGAR AND HIGH CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT. What’s high? Read the ingredients list. If a protein contains about 20 grams of protein per serving and 10 grams of carbs…don’t go there…it will make you gain body FAT! What you want is a protein powder that has mostly protein like 18-20 grams per serving (depends on the size of the plastic scoop inside the canister) with a carbs less than 5 grams. Don’t worry about the fat content…you’ll burn that part off in a hurry.

In order to have more power, your body needs to be firing on all cylinders. Fundamentally, what that means is that you have enough calories (or fuel) to burn and the right kind of calories. You’ll get this from eating properly.

Additionally, no matter how good your intentions, statistics show that almost every American is deficient in at least one or more basic minerals with their current eating habits of packaged, processed, and fast foods. In order to ensure that you have the proper amount of vitamins and minerals, we recommend a daily multiple vitamin/mineral. You have to begin and end your day with at least that part of your nutrition being covered. Are all daily vitamin/minerals supplements created equal?...just different brands? Of course not…just as a Kia car is not a Mercedes. You get what you pay for and a daily vitamin/mineral supplement is no different! Your brain, your muscles, your bones, nervous system, cardiovascular system…everything must be operating on the same page or else you’ve got one strike against you for optimal power.

Again, a lot of this boils down to plain, old-fashioned nutrition…in other words, your choice of regular foods as well as nutritional supplements. Some experts would have you believe that high performance athletes can just get by on regular food intake…the same as the basic population. Hello! Has anyone noticed that the average American is 10 lbs heavier these days than 10 years ago or so?...and, is childhood obesity a figment of our imagination?

Let’s get rid of a few myths! Eating fat does not make you fat. The body prefers to burn fat as it’s primary fuel. Carb loading for endurance is not a long-term solution as your body can’t store carbs long term. So, the binging on pasta as a means of building endurance is not a good practice. It only spikes the hormone, insulin, in response to these starches that are converted to sugar and must be removed from the blood. Net result…after you’ve burned through these carbs, you are hungry again, probably dizzy, and most definitely dead tired as you have no more blood sugar to propel your endurance.

Are there any SAFE supplements with no side effects. There certainly seem to be enough manufacturers claiming to have the magic bullet. However, most of these companies are basing their claims on faulty research and junk science. They make outrageous claims to get you to part with your dollars. On the other hand, there is some sound research and great alternatives.

Without getting too technical, let’s just say that most people recognize what they see as lactic acid buildup impairing their endurance. While that is somewhat true, there is also a more important factor…the build up of ammonia as a result of burning all those calories during an endurance athletic event…not dissimilar to a fireplace developing ashes as wood burns, the body develops ammonia when it burns fuel from food sources and fat reserves. The net result is that the energy producing cycle in the cells gets mucked up and can’t perform at optimal levels due to the overwhelming presence of ammonia…again, not unlike the buildup of ashes in a fireplace so that the wood doesn’t burn as efficiently anymore. There are two key minerals that can “haul the ashes”…magnesium and potassium. The key is how to get them into your system in the proper amounts and intact.

Dr. Gregory Ellis, who played football in his yesteryears for the University of Pittsburgh, and is an established and renowned researcher on the subjects of weight loss, human body performance, strength training (the list goes on) came up with X-Cell-R8 after many years of due diligence. He has scientifically demonstrated it to increase endurance and energy from 100% to 250%. Can anyone do better? …we doubt it! …and where is their clinical evidence?

So, if you’re looking for a quick fix, try Starbucks! If you want a permanent solution that is natural, look no further…it is X-Cell-8…cost to you is about 66 cents per day…cost of a Starbuck’s Grande Mocha with whip and 350 calories...$3.45. You make the choice!