Alpha Male
4 AD-EC
Biotest Surge
Low-Carb GROW! Chocolate
why not go to www.t-mag.com and see their objective product ratings 
seriously, stay away from 4 AD-EC, Biotest Surge & Low-Carb GROW! have been discussed already on the forum (try a search), not sure about the Alpha Male but would be dubious.
Anyone else?
Alpha what? The only product you list that is noteworthy is Grow. Great in oatmeal, and other baking recipes as well. Pretty cheap as well after the price cut.
4-AD-EC … you interested in androgens? Stay away from it if you are at a competing level.
Surge is great product, but you can customize your own for a lot less. A LOT LESS!
If you read the bit on Surge, they like it. I find it makes a big difference for mebut in all honesty, I haven’t not “shopped around”. I get drug tested all the time & have never had a problem with it & that’s another reason I stay with it.
surge has a good formula…little pricey…
Grow is excellent for mixing.
I like LC Grow.
Like someelse said above it’s very versatile,
It’s greatest advatage is how it can be used in Oats, yoghurt, water, milk and many other things which can’t be said for many powders - ofcourse then its mainly Casein based which is a great advantage.
As far as a non-PWO supplement I think it’s a very good option and a great thing to have in the press.
There are a few alternatives to LCG but I haven’t tried them yet - Tom Greene mnetioned to me about Muscle Milk- but I haven’t got to try it yet, so maybe he or others could give you an alternative.
Surge is good too - but look beyond the hype and you’ll see simply Whey and Sugar, nothing you can’t buy yourself for alot less… if you have the money though go for it.
Also as Clemson said there are many other PWO formulas out there and wopuld be worth considering.
The other stuff, for athletes, even apart from forum rules, I wouldn’t even bother with unless my whole training program was nearing perfection.
No32 … (surge)… can you make a similar blend using whey and dextrose? How much dextrose (if any) or will/must any other sugar be incorporated?
People, if you love muscle milk, you can get it very cheap @
http://www.supplementwholesaler.com/ProductList.asp?cat=11
$68.00 for 4 2.48lb (15 serving) jugs. Buddy of mine swears by these. He loves the cookies n cream.
Good MRP… but use their EVOPRO plus a mix of MPI/Immunogrow from BSL in my oats to take the fat out.
My PWO ‘Homebrew’ is basic …
Whey protein or Isolate: sugar (1:2)
The Sugar is (1:1) Glucose: Maltodextrin
This doesn’t sound as special as Surge or Relentless but as a basic PWO drink I’d say it’s about 90% as good as anything out there.
Now sure you can get more technical and add BCAA’s and perhaps other things, but 80% of the time that formula above works brilliantly - AND if you look out for good suppliers and buy in bulk it will cost only a fraction of the over-hyped brands out there.
If you look closely at most good PWO brands - they will all have that basic formula, sure they spout stuff about absorbtion times etc. but that above is the best bang for buck by a long shot.
They can all be bought in bulk for good value, I’m not in the US so someone else will have to help you out with sites or supplier links.
The other stuff like digestive enzyemes etc. I’d keep for the slower absorbing casein shakes.
Covered partly in this thread.
http://charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=6625 which i had forgotten about. I was going to find some info on the amount of carbohydrates one can effectively digest and/or the limit of amalyse production.
Thanks no23 (missed your post somehow) and Ironhead66! Well, just to let you know; here’s the formula I cooked up:
Whey: Expensive stuff but I have 3kg:s of it – so I better use it then. And besides, it has some good macro- and micro fraction divisions that are kept rather intact during process (BiPro™):
• Beeta-laktoglobuline 50-55 %
• Alfa-laktalbumine 20-25 %
• Immunoglobuline 10-15 %
• Seerumalbumine (BSA) 5-10 %
• Laktoferrine (LF) 1-2 %
• Laktoperoxidase (LP) 0,5 %
• Glykomakropeptides (GMP) 2-5 %
• Lysozyyme 0,1 %
Carbs: Dextrose and maltosdextrine 1:1
BCAA: As long as there is plenty of leucine.
I’ll mix it as you said, I gather its something like carbs 0,8 x bodyweight (1:1 dextrose and maltosdextrine), whey 0,4 x bw (Berardi). BCAAs are taken pre/during training.