NGX Nutrition's DNA test and personalised BodyFuel protein powder aim to take the guesswork out of nutrition and provide micro- and macro-nutrients tailored to your genetic makeup. It is not the perfect system but it can help you take the hassle out of nutrition so you can concentrate on getting muscular. It will cost a pretty penny, though.
By now, hopefully everyone knows that protein is essential for muscle building. Probably fewer people are aware that it’s not just protein that you need if you want to build muscle effectively: a swathe of vitamins and minerals are also required in order to help muscles repair and regenerate quickly. The issue is, we don’t know how our bodies metabolise macro- and micronutrients, making it a guess game to work out the best combination of these to support our muscle building efforts.
NGX Nutrition came up with a way to help you work out the optimal combination of nutrients by offering a DNA analysis service that focuses on nutrition. It is true, even the best DNA tests won’t provide you with a lot of useful information about your nutritional needs, apart from telling you that you are genetically predisposed to being sensitive to lactose.
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DNA-powered nutrition
As explained to me in the post-report seminar – included in the price of the DNA test – the NGX DNA test looks at all the DNA segments that are proven to affect metabolic performance, so the NGX DNA report is not just a one-page paper explaining that you are awful at metabolising gluten. Among other things, the NGX DNA test checks how well you metabolise certain vitamins such as vitamin D and B12 as well as folate (vitamin B9), all of which can affect workout performance and recovery.
On top of vitamin metabolisation, the NGX DNA test also explains how well your body responds to caffeine and antioxidants plus how effectively it copes with inflammation. Naturally, the DNA test also reveals how competent your system processes fats and carbohydrates, lactose and gluten and explains what this all means.
Mix it up with NGX
In all honesty, I was a bit confused by the report, before it was explained to me in the webinar so I highly recommend that everyone should wait until after the consultation to draw conclusions from the report. A lot of times, the report will present information in the most objective way possible, making it feel like that your body is not capable of doing anything apart from keeping you barely alive. After the webinar, findings on the report are put into perspective.
It is also worth noting that the NGX DNA test does not tell you what quantities of either of these micro- and macronutrients are actually present in your system at the time of the test; it ‘merely’ checks genetic predisposition. For example, the report might say you metabolise B12 poorly and that you should take more than the recommended daily intake, but it can’t tell if you are actually taking enough if not. A blood test might clarify that but that’s not what you are doing here.
Plant-based goodness
Also included in the price is two weeks’ worth of ‘Bodyfuel’ which is a plant-based protein powder personalised to your DNA. Bodyfuel is said to help improve performance since it contains the right quantities of the nutrients but admittedly, it is pretty much impossible to judge the effectiveness of the concoction after two weeks. I would imagine it would be pretty much impossible to judge effectiveness even after a year without a blood test, especially considering that you consume other things throughout the day than just your two servings of Bodyfuel.
For people who are interested in nutrition and/or actively work out, the NGX DNA test might provide useful information about how to improve general well being and more importantly, sports performance. The cost of the test is on par with similar DNA tests but the personalised nutrition makes the NGX DNA test more appealing to athletes and bodybuilders. At the end of the day, taking protein supplements is all about convenience and by taking the Bodyfuel, you can rest assured that your protein powder is not only convenient but also useful and optimised for you. In theory anyway.
