In today's review we will look at a truly original product that has a really wide range of applications and can benefit both athletes and ordinary people who are often under a lot of stress. It is a unique complex of herbs, adaptogens, which together form an effective synergistic combination not only for radical stress reduction, but also much more. This is the so-called C.S.A (cortisol suppressing agent) from the German company BigZone. I was looking for a similar dietary supplement on the Czech market that would be targeted in the same way, but I couldn't find anything like that. In the Czech Republic you can only find individual ingredients and you would have to buy each ingredient individually and dose separately. That's why I really like the fact that a product like this has appeared on the market, where everything can be found in just one capsule.
Content of the review
- The basis of the formula is four synergistic adaptogens
- In what quantity are the substances contained in C.S.A?
- How and when did I take C.S.A?
- For the desired effect, you must take the product continuously and for a longer period of time
- Adequate price for a very superior supplement
- Evaluation in conclusion and my subjective feeling
How did the C.S.A fare during our testing? This and much more you will find out in today's review, the most important question is probably whether such a dietary supplement is worth taking or it is a waste of money.
We have already introduced the German brand Bigzone in the past. It is a purely hardcore bodybuilding brand that focuses mainly on strength athletes, and their supplements tend to be really functional, high quality, and single-minded. That is without a doubt to make it as easy as possible for you to build muscle in every way possible. This means that in their range you will really only find things that make sense and no pointless crap that isn't needed.I like Bigzone a lot in this respect and have always been happy with their products so far, so I'm curious to see how the C.S.A. product under review turns out.
The basis of the formula is four synergistic adaptogens
I'm not going to go into any lengthy discussion here about what adaptogens are, how they work or what they do. That's information you can find on hundreds of other websites in seconds, that's not what we're here for. Instead, I'm just going to describe here the basic information about each of the adaptogens used and most importantly what (if any) effect I myself felt while taking them.
In the first place in the composition of C.S.A we find green tea extract, which contains 30% theanine. The effects of green tea are known to everyone. Although it is not literally an adaptogen, I think that is a bit of a misnomer, it is an excellent natural substance that has many benefits. The biggest benefits that I myself have felt were improved insulin sensitivity, improved sleepingfat burning (even when you are not moving) and a slight high that was caused by the low caffeine content. Green tea has countless other health benefits, but these three are the main ones I felt. As for the adaptogenic ability to adjust to stressful conditions, green tea extract probably didn't help me much there. For that purpose, there would have to be a lot more Theanine, a substance that has been shown in scientific studies to reduce cortisol and calm the body.
The very next place in the composition contains a real adaptogen, Ashwagandha root extract, which is patented as KSM-66. This is probably the highest quality Ashwagandha extract you can get on the market right now. As far as the effects go, the primary function of this substance should be to just soilcortisol reduction, adaptation to stressful conditions and long-term calming of the body. These effects thus indirectly act on gaining muscle mass or burning fat more efficiently. This is theoretical information about the effects of Ashwagandha, which I have also felt myselfAfter about three weeks of taking the product, I am sure that the adaptogen worked for me.
The third place in the composition is occupied by the lesser known adaptogen Bakopa minor leaf. This is a fat-soluble herb that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine since time immemorial. Since it is an adaptogen, its primary effect is to release stress hormones, but it should also have a positive effect on brain health, for example. After a few weeks of taking the C.S.A product, as with Ashwagandha, I felt stress relief and better adaptation to it. At the same time, I felt that it gave me a positive boost in productivity and cognition.
The last adaptogen in the formula is probably the most studied and effective of them all. This is the underrated Rhodiola Rosea. Its main effects include a central stimulating effect, improving memory and alertness. It increases dopamine levels in the body, thereby also reducing the stress hormone cortisol (an adaptogen). Rhodiola Rosea has a myriad of other benefits that range from improving sleep, regeneration, reducinglowering blood glucose levels to more efficient fat burning, for example. But which of these did I actually experience?
In a way, I have probably felt each of these benefits in at least a small amount, but the biggestThe biggest effect was probably the stimulating effect that helped me get back on my feet after a tough physical workout.
This is the full complete product formula, so you can see how much care is taken to ensure the quality and true purity of the final supplement. I mean, to be completely accurate, the above ingredients must be in something, so in the ingredients we can also find the capsule packaging, which is made of Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, which dissolves in the body without any problems.
In what quantity are the substances contained in C.S.A?
At the end of the composition, it only remains to note that all the contained adaptogens are used in very highso you don't have to worry about taking so little that you don't feel any effect.In all cases (provided you follow the recommended dosage) there is at least a minimum amount of of the effective dose, but rather the dose is two to three times that amount to ensure maximum effectiveness of the product.To give you an idea, I'll give you an example of the recommended daily dose for Rhodiola Rosea adaptogen is 100-300 mg. Here you will find a lovely 250 mg in the recommended daily dose, which literally matches what you should take.
How and when did I take C.S.A?
Because taking a similar supplement based on adaptogens is purely individual matter and depends on many factors (such as your weight, stress level, amount of physical of activity, and much more), I decided that instead of the general recommendations (which can be found on themanufacturer's website) I will describe here the way I used the product and why.
In order to make taking the supplement as simple as possible, I have divided it into two parts of the day when I took the product.
The first time I took C.S.A was immediately after a workout along with a meal (or protein shake). I was taking the recommended dosage of 3 capsules, which in my opinion is a perfectly adequate amount. And why after the workout? That's quite simple, after training I wanted to get my extremely stressed body from a catabolic state to an anabolic state as quickly as possible. C.S.A helped to reduce the stress hormone cortisol and within 20 minutes I felt relaxed, calm and completely at ease.
The second time I took the product was about 30-60 minutes before bedtime, when I wanted to again reduce I wanted to reduce stress to a minimum, calm my body and mind so that I could go to bed without any problems and recover as efficiently as possible for the next day.
For me, these two parts of the day were the most appropriate times to take C.S.A to make the most of its potential.
For the desired effect, you must take the product continuously and for a longer period of time
The most important thing to mention is that you need to think ahead when taking any adaptogen. This means you need to take them in the long term for at least 4 weeks, but preferably for several months at a stretch.
After this time, our body will get used to the external supply of adaptogens and will become much more comfortableto cope with stressful conditions and to enjoy all the benefits that adaptogens offer.
These are all general theories, but I have to say that I really felt the difference and was actually less stressed, I slept better and the biggest difference I noticed was in muscle recovery which was almost perfect. But I only felt all this over time after about 4 weeks of taking it.
Adequate price for a very superior supplement
The manufacturer Bigzone C.S.A produces only in one single pack, which has 90 capsules. The package will cost you 699,- , which is a very pleasant price that in my opinion is not exorbitant (which is surprising).
If you stick to the recommended daily dosage, which is 3 capsules a day, the whole pack will last you 30 days. Thus, one dose will cost 23,-. Not to mention that 3 capsules a day will be enough for 99% of people who buy the product. I would increase the dosage only in extreme cases and for a shorter period of time (for example, pre-contest preparation, etc.).
In this day and age, when every raw material is becoming more expensive at an extreme rate, this price is morevery low for such a high quality adaptogen blend and I am afraid that it will become very expensive in the future. However, today it is still possible to get the product at this (for me beautiful) price.
Evaluation in conclusion and my subjective feeling
This brings us to the conclusion. So is it worth investing in a C.S.A from Bigzon? If you are a strength athlete, you have fine-tuned your diet, training, basic supplementation and are just looking for a so-called "one-stop shop". The answer is a resounding yes!
Because this product is designed for people who fit that description.
On the other hand, as a regular exerciser who just pumps weights at the gym, he certainly doesn't need C.S.A and wouldn't feel its effect in any way.
Another group of people who might include the product are, for example, people suffering from insomnia, people who can'tcalm down at night, or people who study intensively from morning to night (for example, for upcoming exams or other things).
To sum it all up, my feeling about the dietary supplement is very positive. I personally felt the effect and it helped me in my ongoing diet and preparation for races. However, if you are asking if I will continue to use the product in the future, I have to say no. This is a dietary supplement that is really only at the very top of the pyramid and I personally think I can do without it.