So you’re looking to build muscle and optimize your hormones, and you’ve stumbled upon Vintage Muscle, a men’s health brand that sells supplements for these exact purposes. But before you go ahead and make a purchase, you’re probably wondering if their products are actually safe and effective.
Vintage Muscle boasts ingredients that are not commonly found in over-the-counter (OTC) supplements, such as steroids and prohormones. However, do these ingredients have scientific backing when it comes to increasing hormone levels like testosterone and fueling muscle growth? And are there any potential health risks associated with their use?
In this article, we’ll dive into Vintage Muscle’s two most popular products – the Alpha Test Stack and Muscle Growth Stack – and review the ingredients based on medical studies to provide you with our take on whether they’re likely to be safe and effective.
We’ll also shed light on who’s behind Vintage Muscle, whether they have any relevant medical credentials, and share real, unsponsored user reviews of Vintage Muscle supplements. So sit tight and let’s get to know Vintage Muscle a little better.
Vintage Muscle’s Alpha Test Stack: A Questionable Supplement
Vintage Muscle’s Alpha Test Stack is marketed as a supplement that can help build “hard, lean muscle and strength” with its two testosterone support supplements. However, we have some concerns about the ingredients used in these supplements and their effectiveness in increasing testosterone levels.
One of the supplements, Epi-Test, contains epiandrosterone, which is an anabolic steroid and illegal for use in supplements according to WebMD. We were surprised to see Vintage Muscle openly marketing a supplement with such a questionable legality. In 2021, a supplement brand founder was even charged with a felony related to distributing anabolic steroids including epiandrosterone, according to the Department of Justice. We hope that the DoJ and FTC investigate this matter further.
We were also unable to identify any medical studies proving that this steroid increases testosterone levels at the 100 milligram (mg) dose in Epi-Test, and we couldn’t find any long-term studies proving the safety of this compound. Thus, we are concerned about the safety risk of using this steroid ingredient like epiandrosterone over long periods of time.
The other supplement in the Alpha Test Stack is called Methyl-Test, which contains nine active ingredients. Zinc and magnesium are minerals that influence testosterone metabolism, but we haven’t come across any convincing medical research suggesting that their supplementation increases testosterone levels in healthy adults. We suggest getting bloodwork done to check for mineral deficiencies before taking these supplements.
Tribulus terrestris is a plant that can increase sex drive, but a clinical trial published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology reported no increase in testosterone when this ingredient was supplemented at doses similar to that in Methyl-Test. Chrysin is a plant-derived compound shown to have no effect on testosterone levels in a 2003 clinical trial. While tongkat ali has been shown in research studies to naturally increase testosterone, the minimum effective dose appears to be 200 mg daily. Only 50 mg is included in Vintage Muscle’s supplement. The remaining active ingredients in this formulation are included at too low of a dose (50 mg each) for them to have any effect on testosterone in our opinion.
Overall, we do not recommend Vintage Muscle’s Alpha Test Stack due to our concerns about the safety risk of using epiandrosterone over long periods of time and the lack of medical studies proving the effectiveness of the active ingredients in the supplements at their stated doses.
Muscle Support Stack: Is It Effective for Testosterone Enhancement?
If you’re looking for a supplement to help increase your natural testosterone production, you may have come across Vintage Muscle’s Muscle Support Stack. This stack consists of two supplements: Cycle Support and Armidione.
Armidione is a liquid formulation that contains 3b-hydroxy-androsta-4 6-diene-17-one as its active ingredient. However, we couldn’t find any clinical trial proving its efficacy or safety. It appears to be another prohormone, but we advise caution before taking any supplement that hasn’t been thoroughly studied.
Cycle Support is a capsule formulation that contains three different proprietary blends: EstroControl Blend, TestSupport Blend, and LivSupport Blend. The TestSupport blend contains ingredients for testosterone support, including fenugreek extract, Cissus quadrangularis, tongkat ali, and 3,4- divanillyltetrahydrofuran.
Fenugreek extract has been clinically proven to increase testosterone levels, as we discussed in our Ageless Male reviews article. However, we couldn’t find any proof of Cissus quadrangularis’ efficacy for increasing T levels in men. Tongkat ali may be effective for improving T levels, but its dose in this formulation is relatively low compared to the majority of clinical studies we’ve come across. Additionally, Vintage Muscle uses a raw powder instead of a more potent extract.
Finally, 3,4- divanillyltetrahydrofuran was shown in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology to increase testosterone levels in mice. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it will have the same effect in humans.
Overall, we consider this stack potentially effective for testosterone enhancement due to the inclusion of fenugreek. However, we strongly recommend avoiding it because the active ingredient in the liquid formulation hasn’t been studied or proven safe. Before taking any supplement, it’s always a good idea to do your research and talk to your doctor.
Questionable Health Claims on Vintage Muscle’s Website
Vintage Muscle’s website makes some health claims that seem questionable to us, so we won’t feature all of them here. Here are a few examples:
The brand claims that their Epi-Andro supplement is “10x more androgenic than testosterone” without providing any evidence or sources to back up the claim.
Another claim on their website is that their Anabolic Shred Stack can “get rid of boatloads of calories” even when you’re just sitting around watching TV. We couldn’t find any proof or sources to support this claim either.
The brand also suggests that something called the “Estrogen Rebound” tries to “balance” natural testosterone increase, which is simply untrue and unscientific. There’s no clinical definition of “Estrogen Rebound,” and Vintage Muscle provides zero evidence to support this claim.
This claim implies that lifestyle changes, such as resistance training, a healthy diet, or more sleep, won’t have any effect on naturally increasing testosterone levels because the body will work against such efforts. However, this is simply false, as there are proven ways to naturally increase testosterone levels over time.
We believe it’s a red flag when a brand makes bold health claims without any evidence to support them.
Check out these YouTube Reviews for Vintage Muscle Supplements!
If you’re into fitness and supplements, you might want to take a look at these YouTube videos. First up is “Jersey Flex Fitness” who did a review of the Win-Test supplement from Vintage Muscle.
And if you want to learn more about Vintage Muscle supplements in general, you might want to check out a video from Brian Duclos.
He reviewed a variety of Vintage Muscle supplements in his video.
Investigating Supplement Makers: What You Should Know
If you’re taking dietary supplements, it’s a good idea to look into who’s behind the brand. A sign of quality is when they have publicly-listed scientific experts, such as doctors, PhDs, or clinical researchers involved in formulating the supplements. This means that the people behind the product have the necessary knowledge and expertise to ensure that the supplements are effective and safe, and that they don’t interact negatively with other compounds.
However, not all supplement makers have this level of transparency. For example, we found that the Vintage Muscle website does not have an “About Us” page that gives any information about the team. We did some research and found out that the founder of Vintage Muscle is a man named Jared Van Yperen. While he has a personal website and describes himself as a mentor to entrepreneurs, we couldn’t find any information on his relevant scientific or medical credentials.
Given this lack of information, we suggest being cautious when considering supplements from Vintage Muscle. When it comes to supplements, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So, if you’re not sure about a supplement, it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional first.
Why Independent Testing is Important for Buying Muscle Supplements Online
If you’re into fitness and looking to buy muscle-building supplements online, you should be careful. It’s essential to know what you’re getting and whether the products are accurately labeled and free of contaminants. That’s why it’s crucial to buy from companies that publish (preferably third-party) test results proving their product’s quality. Unfortunately, Vintage Muscle doesn’t do this.
When it comes to muscle-building supplements, the need for independent testing is even more critical than for other types of supplements. That’s because such products are often contaminated with harmful or illegal drugs. Yikes! The FDA publishes reports on tainted bodybuilding products, but these listed products are probably just a small fraction of what’s available for sale. Why? Because the FDA can’t test all the products on the market.
We want you to be safe and healthy, so we don’t recommend taking novel research compounds without any proof or test results suggesting they’re safe for long-term use. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Better Alternative
Fenugreek seed extract has been shown to increase testosterone levels in men, according to a meta-study published in the Phytotherapy Research journal. And if you’re looking for a quality fenugreek seed supplement, our top pick is Bronson Fenugreek Seed Powder. It provides an effective dose and is free of any questionable additives.
Final Verdict
We wanted to give you a heads up about a supplement brand that we think might be risky for you. Vintage Muscle is a brand that we do not recommend, and we think you should avoid their products altogether.
We rarely come across a supplement brand that we consider dangerous. Unfortunately, Vintage Muscle is one of those brands.
We’re concerned that the company is selling steroids online without providing any evidence of their efficacy, safety or third-party test results. In fact, some of the compounds they’re selling might even be illegal!
We sincerely hope that government agencies such as the FDA, DoJ and FTC investigate Vintage Muscle because we believe that they pose a threat to consumers’ safety. It’s worth noting that the founder of another supplement company selling similar products was found guilty of felony charges related to steroid distribution in 2021.
Using steroids can cause long-term health risks, and we urge you to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
