Fizogen OFF CYCLE Testosterone Support Formula Review

Posted By elissa on May 12, 2008 | 0 comments

“The most effective non-hormonal bodybuilding supplement product ever developed. OFF CYCLE is a powerful non-androgenic blend of highly concentrated, premium quality ingredients designed for high bioavailability. This balanced ergogenic formulation is engineered as a muscle building agent to be used during the body’s recovery period after a cycle of androgens.”

So sayeth Fizogen, in its ad for OFF-CYCLE. OFF CYCLE is intended to be used in conjunction with ON-CYCLE as part of a “Continuous Cycle” program. According to Fizogen’s recommendations, users should switch between products every 30 days for optimal results. Supposedly, the Continuous Cycle was designed to provide continuous muscle growth for Fizogen’s customers.

ON CYCLE is a blend consisting of a number of herbal extracts and nutraceuticals. Not surprisingly, OFF CYCLE is similarly designed—right down to the interestingly-named proprietary blends.

90 Capsules
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 3 Capsules
Servings Per Container 30

Amount Per Serving

TRIB-4-CS (High Grade Pro-Testosterone Fusion) 1425mg
Premium Tribulus Terrestris Extract, Cissus Quadrangularis, 5-Methyl-7-Hydroxyisoflavone Ethyl Carbonate Ester
Magnesium 150mg
Zinc 10mg
Vitamin B6 3mg

INSULOCINE-ALA-DP (Pro-Insulin Blend) 257mg
L-Taurine, Hydroxyisoleucine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, (D-Pinitol) Inzitol™

ECD-RVSVN (Anabolic/Adaptogenic Complex) 220mg
Cyanotis Vaga Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Extract

GH-GPC-DOPA (Hybrid Growth Hormone Secretagogue) 198mg
L-Arginine HCL, Mucuna Pruriens Extract, Bacopa Monniera Extract, 5-Hydroxytryptophan, Alpha GPC, Melatonin

GIDIA (G.I. Digestion Infusion Agent) 35mg
(Piperine Extract) Bioperine®, Lysophosphatidyl Choline

ML-DTX (Pro-Detox Fusion) 25mg
Milk Thistle Extract, Licorice Root Extract

DBA-BSP (DHT Blocking Agent) 24mg
B-Sitosterol, Saw Palmetto, Pygeum Extract

Let’s take a closer look at each one.

TRIB-4-CS: Tribulus is also used in ON CYCLE, but—as noted in that review—it has not been shown to increase testosterone levels in humans in Western, peer-reviewed studies. The same is true for Cissus quadrangularis.

Cissus quadrangularis is also known as “Veld Grape.” It’s a medicinal plant native to Africa, India, and other parts of Asia. Cissus has traditionally been used to treat a variety of ailments such as bone fractures, ulcers, wounds, indigestion and asthma. Animal studies have shown Cissus extracts may have gastroprotective effects, contribute to bone health, and have antioxidant/antimicrobial activities. A number of people swear by Cissus as an analgesic and use it to treat weight lifting injuries.

However, the claims for Cissus are expanding…it’s already been touted as a fat loss agent, and now, apparently it’s a test booster too! Fizogen claims that both Tribulus and Cissus “…have been shown, in numerous studies, to dramatically increase natural testosterone production.”

I’d like to see those “numerous studies” on Cissus. The only source I could find to support this claim is a clinical study by Soy Labs, the manufacturer of a proprietary Cissus extract. According to the study, 150 mg of their extract, taken 3 times/day, increased serum testosterone levels in 50 male volunteers by “…nearly 4 times over the levels at the beginning of the study.”

Unfortunately, Soy Labs provides few other details, as the publication is “in progress.”

Uh-huh…riiiiiiight.

Sorry—I’m unrepentantly skeptical. Bulk Cissus and prepared extracts, such as USP Labs’ Cissus Rx and Primaforce’s Cissus are popular in the bodybuilding world, yet I’ve seen nothing in the (overwhelmingly positive) user feedback to suggest it’s anything but a good analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. I’ll be happy to change my mind when I see some hard data generated by independent sources.

The third ingredient in the TRIB-4-CS blend is 5-Methyl-7-Hydroxyisoflavone Ethyl Carbonate Ester. This was also the main ingredient in Biotest’s old Methoxy-7 supplement (now being sold as a women’s supplement, SE7EN). Needless to state, Methoxy-7 was never considered to be any sort of test booster.

Finally, the magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6 combo is simply a copycat version of ZMA. As noted in the ZMA review, this combination can be helpful for boosting testosterone if you’re deficient in one or more of these nutrients (esp. zinc). Otherwise, it’s not going to do much.

INSULOCINE-ALA-DP: This blend is supposed to “enhance insulin sensitivity and promote the uptake of glucose and nutrients into muscle cells.” All 4 ingredients appear to be useful for this, although the evidence suggests that much larger doses than those supplied in OFF CYCLE are needed.

For example, research suggests that taurine has hypoglycemic effects and can improve insulin sensitivity. Experiments in rats/mice have shown that supplemental taurine can modify insulin signalling and improve blood glucose, lipid levels and oxidative stress.

Thus, taurine is a potentially useful nutrient, but human studies have used up to 3.0 grams…much more than the 257 mg in the entire INSULOCINE-ALA-DP blend.

The same holds true for alpha lipoic acid. As Paul notes in his review, it does a great job of moderating blood sugar levels, but the standard dose is 300–600 mg.

Likewise, D-Pinitol is known to enhance creatine uptake in skeletal muscle, due to its insulin-like properties. However, in the one human study performed, a dose of 1.0 g (500 mg taken twice per day), was used to achieve this effect.

In truth, the only one of the four compounds that might fit is the 4-hydroxyleucine. There are very few human studies, but in one, a dose of 2 mg/kg was found to enhance post-exercise glycogen re-synthesis. This would be the equivalent of 140 mg for a 70 kg man.

ECD-RVSVN: This blend consists of Cyanotis vaga, a source of ecdysterones, and Rhodiola rosea, a reputed adaptogen. Ecdysterones are steroids found in insects and a number of plants. According to Eastern Bloc research, they can increase protein synthesis in animals. An extensive review of the available data concluded, “They seem to display a wide array of pharmacological effects on vertebrates, many of which are beneficial. However, these claims require more thorough validation and clinical testing.” This is an understatement, since Eastern Bloc research is often less than reliable. Users of bulk ecdysterone powder may take up to one gram per day.

Rhodiola rosea may have some potential for improving exercise capacity, as well as treating anxiety and depression. I’ve used Rhodiola myself, and generally like it…but once again, dose is an issue. There are only 220 mg in the full ECD-RVSVN blend, whereas a typical therapeutic dose of Rhodiola starts at 200 mg.

GH-GPC-DOPA: This blend contains 6 different ingredients, all of which have some effects on either growth hormone secretion or mood/cognitive function. But how much can you pack into 198 mg? Arginine is typically taken in 3–4 gram doses, for example. Mucuna pruriens (a natural source of L-Dopa) may be taken in large doses too, depending on the nature of the therapeutic benefit desired. The recommended dose range for Bacopa monnieri extract starts at 200 mg. Likewise, the recommended dose for alpha-GPC is 1 g/day. Even 5-HTP starts at about 150 mg (50 mg/3 times a day).

The only compound in this blend that stands a reasonable chance of being properly dosed is the melatonin—and that’s only because a typical dose is vanishingly small (1–3 mg).

GIDIA: Bioperine^® is a standardized black pepper (piperine) extract produced by the Sabinsa Corporation. Bioperine/piperine has been shown to increase the absorption of certain nutrients taken with it. Lysophosphatidyl choline is a lipolysis product of phosphatidyl choline (lecithin). It’s been shown to increase carotenoid uptake by cultured cells.

ML-DTX: Milk thistle contains silymarin, which can protect the liver from damage by drugs, alcohol and other toxins/toxicants. Licorice root has been used to treat a number of ailments, such as inflammations, respiratory infections and stomach ulcers. Although they have little to do with testosterone per se, they’re useful therapeutic compounds. But once again, it’s all about the dose. A useful dose of milk thistle extract is 120 mg 2–3 times a day; a useful dose of licorice root can go up to 5 g. The 25 mg you get in OFF CYCLE is purely label decoration.

DBA-BSP: Beta-sitosterol, Pygeum africanum and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) have been successfully used to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) via inhibition of 5-alpha reductase—the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT. This blend, however, provides a meaningless amount. It’s just more label decoration.

To make a (very) long story short…OFF CYCLE contains some interesting and potentially therapeutic compounds. “Interesting and potentially therapeutic” is not synonymous with “increasing testosterone and building (or maintaining) muscle mass,” however. The compounds in OFF CYCLE are obviously biologically active, but there is very little proof that they work the way Fizogen claims they do.

And just as in ON CYCLE, a number of useful compounds are underdosed; and standardized extracts aren’t used. This makes the OFF CYCLE formula even more questionable.

To put it bluntly , OFF CYCLE suffers from the same basic deficiencies as ON CYCLE does. This makes it tough to recommend, particularly as part of the “Continuous Cycle”—which looks more like it was designed to provide continuous profit for Fizogen vs. continuous muscle growth for users.