Ingredient Close-Up: RipFACTOR
Have you heard about RipFACTOR yet? This exciting branded ingredient is part of a new wave of supplement ingredients that are patented – and that means they have exceptional quality, superior absorption, and clinical studies backing them up. In this new Series – Ingredient Close-Up – we’ll dive in and take a close look at this innovative ingredient. Ready? Then let’s rock!
What Is RipFACTOR®?
RipFactor is a patented, clinically studied botanical blend of East Indian Globe Thistle (Sphaeranthus indicus) and Mango Tree Bark (Mangifera indica) extracts. This impressive ingredient is made by PLT Health Solutions, an innovative company that makes quite a few clinically researched ingredients across a wide range of categories and applications. (1)
What Does RipFACTOR Do?
RipFACTOR improves strength, enhances endurance, increases lean muscle mass, and increases free testosterone, with results noticeable within 14 days of use. This ingredient works through multiple pathways. They are:
- It activates mTOR which in turn stimulates protein synthesis.
- It blocks muscle protein breakdown, making it an anti-catabolic as well as an anabolic compound.
- It enhances nitric oxide production.
- It increases endurance.
Let’s Look At The Two Extracts That Make Up RipFACTOR
Mangifera indica
Also commonly known as mango, this extract has a bark with an extended use in traditional medicine. The bark is rich in active components such as mangiferin, which is a potent antioxidant with antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-genotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Other components found in mango include catechins, quercetin, and gallic acid. Recent research has indicated potential for enhancing immune function, and combating oxidative stress. (2, 3, 4, 5)
Sphaeranthus indicus
Also commonly known as East Indian globe thistle, this is a plant that has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years. Its active components include sesquiterpene lactones like sphaeranthanolide, flavonoids, and essential oils. These compounds show anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective activities. (6, 7, 8)
The Research Supporting RipFACTOR
While impressive, these benefits may not sound like they relate to muscle building. However, these extracts have been shown to have hormonal effects as noted earlier in this article. While I don’t usually detail the research I reference, I will highlight some of it here.
Study # 1
This study consisted of 40 male test subjects between the ages of 18-40 to receive either a placebo, or 650 milligrams of RipFACTOR, every day for 56 days.
These were trained, healthy test subjects – part of the criteria for this study was that participants needed to lift at least 3-4 hours per week, 4 times per week, for 6 months. The training program the test subjects followed consisted of 4 workouts per week, and included over 17 exercises, divided up into a split routine.
The actual workouts were carefully designed based on the 1RM of each test subject and were set up as follows:
- 2 sets x 8-10 reps warm-up at 50% 1RM.
- 2-3 sets x 10 reps at 70% 1RM
- 2 minutes rest between sets.
- Finally, weight was incrementally added to the bar until it reached 90% 1RM.
This study also tracked the following:
- Free testosterone
- Cortisol
- Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
- Creatine kinase (CK), a measure of muscle damage
The results showed the RipFACTOR group showed significant strength increases, including grip strength. In addition, levels of free testosterone increased about 17%, and levels of cortisol dropped. As a point of reference, free testosterone is the testosterone that is available for muscle growth. (9)
Study # 2
This 56 day study used 120 male test subjects between the ages of 19 and 29. These test subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions:
- Active 1 (A1) – 425 mg of RipFACTOR per day
- Active 2 (A2) – 850 mg of RipFACTOR per day
- Placebo 1 (P1) – placebo
- Placebo 2 (P2) – placebo but twice the sets
For the 56 day study period, all test groups performed an identical resistance training program – except for placebo 2 group (P2), which did twice the number of sets per session as the others. The results of this study were as follows – RipFACTOR users saw significant increases in strength and an increase in free testosterone.
Unlike the first study, this one also measured total testosterone and found that it went up by about 15%. In addition RipFACTOR decreased levels of the destructive catabolic hormone cortisol by about 10%. (10)
Study Recap
As you can see, it appears that RipFactor is an effective ingredient that promotes strength and size increases primarily through hormonal manipulation.
What Products Contain RipFACTOR?
Right now, Alpha Lion Muscle is the main product containing RipFACTOR. As you may know, Alpha Lion is quite a brand, and this is quite a product with the max dose of RipFACTOR per serving, plus 4 additional ingredients.
What is the suggested dose of RipFACTOR? The max suggested dose is 650 mg, as found in Alpha Lion Muscle.
The Case For Branded Ingredients
First of all, I support the use of branded ingredients over their generic counterparts. I believe that a branded or patented compound has consistent quality and superior absorption over non-branded compounds. Not to mention, these ingredients have scientific backing supporting their claims.
Of course, any branded ingredient. For me, any branded ingredient needs to be part of a formula that is fully transparent. While it can be in a prop blend if it’s dosed correctly and the dose is clear, I want to see the exact dosages of every ingredient in any supplement I may be considering.
The bottom line here is that I want to see ingredients that have the quality, absorption, and research superiority of a branded ingredient over its typically inferior (and cheaper) counterpart. That’s key – when you see a brand using a generic ingredient it’s because that ingredient is cheaper than the branded version. That should tell you that the company cares more about money than they do about results.
Summary
RipFACTOR is one of many branded ingredients to hit the supplement market in recent years. I think it’s a fantastic trend that can only bring credibility to the industry. Therefore, stop by illpumpyouup.com today and check out our inventory – we have an impressive list of products that feature branded ingredients. It’s the wave of the future – so jump on board and start seeing better results today!
References:
- https://www.plthealth.com/product-catalog/ripfactor
- Prado, Y., Merino, N., Acosta, J., Herrera, J.A., Luque, Y., Hernández, I., et al. “Acute and 28-day Subchronic Toxicity Studies of Mangiferin, a Glucosyl Xanthone Isolated from Mangifera indica L. Stem Bark.” Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 13–23. https://jppres.com/jppres/pdf/vol3/jppres14.050_3.1.13.pdf
- Tawaha, Khaled et al. “A bioactive prodelphinidin from Mangifera indica leaf extract.” Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences vol. 65,5-6 (2010): 322-6. doi:10.1515/znc-2010-5-603 https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/znc-2010-5-603/html
- Imran, Muhammad et al. “Mangiferin: a natural miracle bioactive compound against lifestyle related disorders.” Lipids in health and disease vol. 16,1 84. 2 May. 2017, doi:10.1186/s12944-017-0449-y https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5414237/
- Saviano, Anella et al. “Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity of Mangifera indica L. reveals the modulation of COX-2/mPGES-1 axis and Th17/Treg ratio.” Pharmacological research vol. 182 (2022): 106283. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106283 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661822002286
- Ramachandran, Shakila. “Review on Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. (Koṭṭaikkarantai).” Pharmacognosy reviews vol. 7,14 (2013): 157-69. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.120517 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841994/
- Galani, Varsha J et al. “Sphaeranthus indicus Linn.: A phytopharmacological review.” International journal of Ayurveda research vol. 1,4 (2010): 247-53. doi:10.4103/0974-7788.76790 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3059449/
- Swarnalatha, L., and P. Neelakanta Reddy. “Hepatoprotective Activity of Sphaeranthus Amaranthoides on D–Galactosamine Induced Hepatitis in Albino Rats.” Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, vol. 2, no. 3, Jan. 2012, pp. S1900–S1905, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2221169112605188
- Rokkam, Meher Prasanna et al. “A proprietary blend of Sphaeranthus indicus flower head and Mangifera indica bark extracts increases muscle strength and enhances endurance in young male volunteers: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.” Food & nutrition research vol. 67 10.29219/fnr.v67.8972. 27 Jan. 2023, doi:10.29219/fnr.v67.8972 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9899043/
- Chiu, Hao-Tse et al. “Examining the association between grip strength and testosterone.” The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male vol. 23,5 (2020): 915-922. doi:10.1080/13685538.2019.1632282. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13685538.2019.1632282