An product by Muscle Pharm
Our Rating:
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Review Overview – What does Shred Matrix do?
Shred Matrix is a fat burner that makes a bold promise: “Visible Changes in Less than 2 Weeks”.
However, if you’re using your fat burner properly, (employing a calorie deficit and regular exercise) you should be noticing changes every two weeks. Fat Burners are just to help you along the way through the worst of the cutting phase.
Regardless of promises, what does Shred Matrix claim it can do? According to their marketing, Shred Matrix:
- Promotes fat loss
- Suppresses Sugar Cravings
- Stops Jitters
- Enhances Mood
But does stopping sugar cravings equal appetite suppression?
To get to the bottom of this we have to investigate the ingredients.
How does Shred Matrix work?
Shred Matrix recommends 2 servings a day. One in the morning and another in the afternoon, each of three capsules.
We believe this isn’t the most effective way to take a fat burner, and suspect each serving could have easily been made into 1 cap rather 3 – and that MusclePharm are hoping for more of a placebo effect here.
Nonetheless, we believe 3-4 servings a day are the best way to go – this keeps the thermogenesis consistently raised and avoids energy crashes later on in the day.
Brace yourselves, there are a lot of ingredients in this product – so rather than bore you to tears we’re going to concentrate on the ones that actually work.
This is a proprietary blend that has a number of ‘stages’ for each group of ingredients that accomplish different processes. Unfortunately however we don’t know how much of each ingredient makes up the 2,176mg serving that comes in Shred Matrix.
We’ll be dissecting each stage and giving our feedback. Here’s the ingredient list:
Stage 1 & 2: Energy and Fat Metabolism – The best group in the product… by far.
Our highlights of this blend was:
- Guarana – Caffeinated herb that boosts metabolism and energy
- Green Tea – Caffeinated herb that promotes fat burning hormones
- Caffeine Anhydrous – Boosts power output, energy and metabolism
- Cayenne Pepper – Promotes thermogenesis by raising body heat
There’s kola nut in this stage as well, however it doesn’t have the same caffeine potency of the Green Tea or the Guarana.
This is actually a great blend. It could be a good thermogenic fat burner in itself (depending on it’s actual dosage)
Stage 3 & 4: Appetite Balancing & Weight Management Control – It’s okay, but…
Our only highlight here was glucomannan, this konjac root is known to swell in the stomach and is clinically proven to suppress appetite.
The white kidney bean on the other hand has unreliable results, it has only worked in a few studies, and hasn’t in others.
Raspberry Ketones have been proven to not promote fat loss in humans. It has only been proven to work in studies of rats, however the dosage needs to be scaled up significantly for humans to take advantage of it – and there’s definitely not enough in this blend.
Stage 5: Anti-Stress Mood Balancing Matrix – We don’t think the dosages are there.
The Panax Ginseng in this product has numerous benefits, however we’re not sure the dosage is there to make it effect. It has been seen to promote calmness and even help with depression. However we need clearer dosages to know for sure if it’s going to be effective here.
As for the Griffonia Simplicifolia, this has also been proven to help reduce anxiety and appetite. However, 25mg/kg bodyweight is needed for it to be effective, and given the average bodyweight this would take up quite a lot of the product – we don’t believe there’s an effective dose in Shred Matrix.
Stage 6: Brain Power Matrix – And the dosages are definitely not here.
The Acetyl-L-Carnitine is great for promoting cognitive function, however an effective dose of this amino acid is set at anywhere between 500 – 2500mg, which is very unlikely to be in this product.
The Pterostilbene is a dimethylated derivative of resveratrol, and is thought to have more potent effects (i.e. increasing blood flow and glucose metabolism) but has only been to work in rats. In theory, to work in humans, anywhere from 215 – 730mg is needed.
Vinpocetine, a compound from the Periwinkle Plant, is thought to improve memory and cognitive function. The dosage for this should be manageable for Shred Matrix as only 15-60mg is required. However, it is not fully researched and only a handful of studies vouch for it’s effectiveness.
Stage 7: Diuretic Complex – We’re not so sure about this one.
We’ve never been that fond of diuretics. These are products that shed water weight, not fat. If you’re not drinking enough, they can give you some serious headaches.
Uva Ursi has been used to treat urinary tract infections, so that’s definitely prepping the grounds for a lot of urine. However, a lot of nutritionists have come forward saying that this nutrient isn’t researched enough yet to be ready for supplementation.
Dandelion Extract on the other hand is another story, it has a good amount of potassium and works as a diuretic. That said dandelion extract is another that has not been recommended for supplementation by nutritionists. Because of this there are no recommended dosages recorded for this nutrient to be effective.
Stage 8: Sugar Stop and Enzyme Aid Matrix – Come on guys.
Let’s get real, there are a lot of ingredients in this group and they all do the same thing.
- Apple Pectin
- DigeSEB – (Just look at the amount of ingredients in the nutrition profile!)
I’ve researched them all, and the main thing they do is aid digestion. We’re not sure how this relates to stopping sugar cravings, but it should make the train run a little faster so to speak – we assume as your body has digested the food quicker, it no longer requires the need for a quick sugary carb to feel full.
Overall the only stages worth considering this product are 1 – 4. And even then we don’t know how thin these ingredients have been spread across that 2g serving.
If you want to see the best ingredients for your fat burner. You should check out the top proven ingredients listed in the link below:
-Click Here for our list of the Best Fat Burning Ingredients-
Where to buy Shred Matrix
Shred Matrix is a mainstream fat burner. It can be purchased from numerous stores both online and offline. It’s not cheap though, 120 capsules (or 20 days) will cost you $26.32 on Bodybuilding.com. You will have to restock regularly.
-Click Here to See Our Highest Rated Fat Burners-
Side Effects
The main thing to worry about with this supplement are the diuretics. They have not been recommended by nutritionists and may require a lot of water to avoid headaches.
Shred Matrix Review Conclusion
After to getting to grips with Shred Matrix, we really appreciate stages 1 – 4. A lot the ingredients used are proven and effective, however, we do not know the full dosage.
Lots of other stages in this product look like they are spread too thin. There are too many ingredients going on for them all to have a good dosage. A lot of the nutrients being used are going to be ineffective due to this. Stage 8 in particular seems flawed and unnecessary.
The serving count is off as well. There needs to be around 3 – 4 servings per day of this product to have it work in the most efficient manner. Otherwise you can risk the effects wearing off, or energy crashes.
Adding on the price, it all seems a bit much.
Given the success of the first four stages, however, we will give this product an honest 3 stars out of 5 – but it’s really not worth the risk.
