Bio Synergy and Melanie Sykes launch new sport supplement range for women

Last week, I was at the press launch of a new range of protein powders and sport supplements aimed firmly at all my ladies. So, I thought I’d tell you about it.

Bio Synergy Active Woman range

I’ve tested and reviewed lots of Bio Synergy supplements before (check my reviews page) but this lot is a little different.

Their new Active Woman range, fronted by Melanie Sykes, has been developed for women. What does that mean, anyway? Haven’t we all got the same nutritional needs? Well, yes and no. For instance, the Active Woman range includes ingredients like folic acid and calcium, which are important for us. And the range has been built from the ground up for its female consumers, rather than being the standard (ie men’s!) range which has been given the “shrink it and pink it” approach.

Why women? 59% of gym goers are female, but only 5% of the British public use any kind of sport supplements. Active Woman is a range of quality nutrition supplements to help women who are serious about training – whether that’s in the gym, running, doing CrossFit or just keeping active.

Take Mel as an example. A 41 year old (yes really, she told us so herself!) Mum of two (!), she loves the gym and trains 3-5 times a week despite a totally hectic schedule. She never used to take any supplements, although she suspected they’d help her energy levels, because she was put off by the branding. “Since taking the Active Woman range, I can see and feel the difference in my body, especially during and after training” she said at the launch. “I can’t imagine not taking them now!”

And I can report that Mel looks great. The legs! The delts! Girlfriend should compete (I did tell her so, but she said she’d be too shy to get on stage).

“I used to mainly do cardio – like a lot of women – but now I love weight training,” she said. “I love it, I’m so into it! It makes me so happy and it’s a massive part of my life.

“I’m really happy with my physique now. I feel I’ve “got it right”, so for me it’s now a case of maintaining it. When I take supplements, I feel I can do more in the gym. I still take the protein powders even on non-training days. They’re a godsend when I’m rushing about with barely any time to sit down.

“I want women like me – busy, always on the run – to get on this, because it works.”

From my point of view, I think this is a great range for a few reasons (well made, well researched, made with the target market in mind and full of extra ingredients which really work – like the konjac in the Define fat burner, the CLA in Refine and the green tea and BCAAs in the Activate pre-workout protein powder). But the biggest thing for me is the fact that all the Active Woman products have gone through HFL’s Informed Sport programme (and Bio Synergy use their own manufacturing facility, which is also tested and audited by Informed Sport). I wrote about what the Informed Sport programme means for the safety of sports supplements in this month’s Muscle and Fitness but, essentially, it’s a thorough testing programme which tests products, ingredients and facilities for compliance for banned ingredients, using the WADA (anti-doping) list. In short: hugely important to people like me who compete in a sport and get tested for banned substances. The fact that Bio Synergy’s Active Woman range comes with the Informed Sport seal of approval is worth a huge amount as far as I’m concerned.

The range currently:

Activate: a protein powder to have as a shake before training (protein but also calcium, green tea, vit B6). I tried the strawberry and actually liked it, which is saying something since I don’t usually like strawberry protein. It’s very “light”.

Refuel: a protein powder to have after training, heavier in carbs and lighter on the protein. In fact, a bit too light on the protein for me, but it may suit you (follow the link to check out the macros and ingredients). Includes vitamins, creatine, BCAAs and electrolytes. Again, I tried the strawberry but both are available in chocolate too.

Refuel: an electrolyte drink for during or after training. I admit I haven’t tried this one yet, since I don’t have much call for it. It would be great for those of you who run, bike, do triathlon training, hot & sweaty classes like Spinning etc. It’s got carbs, vitamins and electrolytes (no protein, no fat).

Define: a blend of green tea, konjac and caffeine to boost metabolism and help burn fat, and chromium to help with cravings. I take this every day and whilst I can’t say for sure that it’s helped (in that I haven’t done a scientific trial!), I was just saying yesterday to some friends that I feel I’ve really (finally!) started to tighten up and lose fat this week. Coincidence? I don’t know.

Refine: containing yerba mate, CLA (an ingredient I rate very highly) and l-carnitine, all of which help boost metabolism, control cravings and encourage the body to use fat for energy. Again, I’ve been taking these daily and do feel my physique has changed in the past week.

I think this line of products would be a great choice for any female who trains hard and wants to recover better between workouts and feel able to train harder. The products are well researched, well made and carefully tested. And, as far as I can tell in the short time I’ve had them, they’re effective.

Thanks for the samples, Bio Synergy people, and Melanie it was lovely to meet you!

You can find Bio Synergy on Facebook and Twitter and follow Melanie on Twitter (if you can keep up!)

Bio Synergy and Melanie Sykes launch new sport supplement range for women is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.