T-30 VS Marathon & Bolt (6 AM RUN)

The amount of amino acids in T-30 is 2x that of Marathon, and the amount of Taurine in T-30 is 6x that of Bolt.

The following verbiage is taken directly from our blog – BCAA’s for Ultra-Endurance Athletes, which we recommend reading to fully understand the benefits of BCAA’s.

• A systematic review by Fouré and Bendahan (2017) found that the muscular protective benefits of BCAA use are more pronounced when taken in the following manners:
  • In amounts of at least 200 mg/kg (91 mg/lb). In other words, about 13,650 mg for a 150 lb athlete.
  • It can be beneficial to split BCAA use into two doses.
  • BCAAs are most effective for preserving muscle when taken every day, not just on workout days. Additionally, BCAAs should be taken long-term to see the most protective benefits.

*For athletes it is recommended to take 10-20 grams prior to exercise for muscle preservation and prevention of central fatigue in a ratio of 2:1:1 (leucine: isoleucine: valine).  T-30 has 10 grams of BCAA’s in a 2:1:1 ratio.

There is no evidence to suggest that daily BCAA supplementation is unsafe.  BCAAs are generally very well tolerated and rarely cause any side effects.  Tolerable upper intake (TUI) for BCAAs is estimated at around 500mg/kg (Elango et al., 2012).   In other words, someone who weighs 150 lbs could safely take 34g (34,000 mg) of BCAAs/day, according to the TUI.  A higher intake than the TUI could cause an elevation in serum ammonia.

The consideration of all of these factors is the reason for having 10 grams in T-30.  If an athlete combines the 10 grams in T-30 with a post exercise drink of Terminus (which also contains BCAA’s) post exercise you are now splitting your dose.  Thus, effectively raising your total BCAA intake to the optimal level and checking every box as to how to best use BCAA’s to your advantage.  Again, we can’t speak to why Marathon only has 5 grams, but it’s clearly inferior to T-30 in that regard.

T-30 has 1500 mg of taurine compared to Bolt’s 250 mg.  Taurine has several potential benefits for endurance athletes when taken in sufficient quantities.  What is a sufficient quantity?  The effective dose is fairly broad – 500 mg to 6000 mg.  As you can see Bolt is only half of the LOWEST effective dose.   For more information on Taurine check out – The Benefits of Taurine for Endurance Athletes.

Citrulline Malate’s primary objective for endurance athletes is to increase NO (nitric oxide) in the body.  If you want to dive deeper into the benefits of citrulline malate and learn more about the science behind it, check out our blog.

Citrulline Malate is most effective in a dose of 8-10 grams.  We haven’t seen any studies that indicate a performance benefit below 6 grams, which makes the dose of 5 grams in Bolt a head scratcher.   T-30 has a scientifically optimal dose of 8 grams.

In addition to containing 8g of citrulline malate, T-30 contains 200mg of N-acetylcysteine.  Research shows that N-acetylcysteine increases glutathione, which slows how quickly the body breaks down NO.  This makes NAC a synergistic ingredient when used in combination with citrulline malate.

This one is pretty straightforward.  An effective dose for beta-alanine seems to be anywhere from 2-6 grams, with most recommendations falling between 3-4 grams.  While marathon hits the minimum, there is little doubt that 3 grams is more effective than 2.  Additionally, beta-alanine should be taken daily, not just before activity in a “pre” workout.  In fact, it is often recommended to “load” beta-alanine (much like creatine) to see the desired effects to athletic performance more rapidly. It is clear that beta-alanine has no place in a supplement that is not meant to be taken daily.  For more information on Beta Alanine check out – 3 Proven Benefits of Beta-Alanine for Endurance Athletes.

Calcium HMB has several benefits for ultra-endurance athletes, not the least of which is that it does a phenomenal job of preventing muscle catabolism – a major issue during prolonged endurance exercise.  For more information on HMB check out Benefits of HMB for Endurance Athletes.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb. It has been shown to improve glucose metabolism, increase VO2 max, improve muscle recovery, reduce fatigue, and significantly reduce cortisol levels. T – 30 uses vegan KSM-66 ashwagandha, the highest quality, most-concentrated, and most studied extract available.  For more information on KSM-66 check out our blog.

NAC has been shown to delay nitric oxide breakdown. NAC is synergistic when combined with citrulline malate, improving blood flow.

Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that increases energy and significantly reduces fatigue and exhaustion during long periods of exercise. Research indicates that Rhodiola also improves cognitive function as a result of fatigue reduction. Rhodiola also aids in cortisol regulation.  Learn more about Rhodiola.

CDP Choline and Alpha GPC do the same thing – raise acetylcholine levels or prevent acetylcholine decline.  Although most people do not require supplementation, studies have shown that acetylcholine levels can diminish with endurance exercise.  Therefore, we have always made it clear that we include a low level of CDP choline in T-30, simply to prevent/offset diminishing acetylcholine due to endurance exercise.  We can’t speak as to why Alpha GPC is in Bolt, but we assume it is for the same reason, as (like in T-30) it would take much higher dosages to actually increase acetylcholine levels in the body.  Both CDP choline and Alpha-GPC have similar, if not the same, dosage recommendations in most cases.

Those who say they “feel” Marathon and/or Bolt working are almost certainly feeling the caffeine.  The caffeine content in bolt is a whopping 250 mg – the equivalent of 2.5 cups of brewed coffee taken in a single dose.  We do not include caffeine in our formulas, as it is a very cheap and easy addition should a customer prefer it.  Additionally, many people have different tolerances for caffeine, as well as various preferences in how they acquire it (coffee, tea, slow-release pills, etc.).

Betaine has had mixed results in the scientific literature as to whether or not it improves endurance performance.  If it does, it likely does so in a similar way as creatine.  However, creatine has many more studies backing its efficacy and would undoubtedly be our choice if we were to pick between the two.  However, not all endurance athletes choose to take creatine due to the likelihood of gaining a little weight as a result.  Therefore, we leave that decision with the individual.

Electrolytes (as they relate to endurance exercise) are best taken in accordance to mg/L of liquid consumed.  The average individual needs about 800-1000 mg of sodium per liter of liquid consumed during endurance exercise.  Sodium from food should be included.  This is why we believe electrolytes are best utilized in an endurance fuel (liquid) like Proxima C.

Dosing seems to be low on various ingredients in Bolt and Marathon.  Beta alanine should be taken in doses of 3000 mg or higher for optimal results, and citrulline malate is better suited from ranges of 6000-10,000 mg.  As far as the amino acid profile is concerned.  T-30 incorporates BCAAs in amounts sufficient to prevent central fatigue during long endurance bouts, while also preventing muscle breakdown.  We are not positive of the exact goals of the amino blend in Marathon, however the total amino acid content is less than half of that of T-30 and likely insufficient for similar goals.

The most expensive ingredients in T-30 are the adaptogenic herbs, KSM-66 Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Rosea.  Neither Marathon or Bolt have any adaptogenic herbs.  The combination of ingredients in T-30 FAR exceeds the ingredients of Marathon and Bolt COMBINED, yet it’s price is barely higher than either sold separately.  In fact, you could even combine their recovery supplement “Finish Line” and the ingredients STILL wouldn’t match T-30.

Since we are on the topic of Finish Line…

Finish Line is a $60 supplement containing a total of 5000 mg of BCAA’s, Glutamine, and some B6.  If you were to add these to Marathons amino acid profile you still wouldn’t equal the amount of amino acids in T-30.  If you’re looking for a legit recovery formula, check out Terminus.  It also has BCAAs, Glutamine, and B6 (in much higher quantities) plus a TON more for a similar price.

If you want a boost of energy before a run, take caffeine your own way, it’s cheap and effective.  If you want increase time to exhaustion, delay central (cognitive) fatigue, increase aerobic capacity, preserve muscle during long endurance bouts, regulate cortisol, and improve fat oxidation, then T-30 is your daily endurance supplement.