Every Ingredient. Every Dose. No Proprietary Blend.
We don't believe in "proprietary blends" — that's the supplement industry's way of hiding underdoses behind a marketing name. Here is everything in NITRO GUM, in the amount it's actually in, with the reason it's there.
Caffeine (microencapsulated) — 70 mg per piece
The stimulant. We use a microencapsulated form: each caffeine particle is coated in a thin lipid/wax matrix that releases under mechanical pressure (chewing). This is what gives NITRO its even 10–15 minute release curve instead of a single 2-minute spike.
Caffeine itself acts as an adenosine receptor antagonist — blocking the receptor that builds drowsiness pressure across the day. The buccal route gets it into circulation faster than oral intake because it skips first-pass liver metabolism. Source: USP-grade caffeine anhydrous, US-sourced, lot-tested for purity.
L-Theanine — 100 mg per piece
The smoother. L-theanine is a non-protein amino acid found in tea leaves. Paired with caffeine at roughly a 1:1.4 ratio (which is what we run), it consistently produces sustained attention without the jittery edge — that's the most-replicated finding in the caffeine + theanine literature.
Source: fermentation-derived L-theanine (Suntheanine®-grade), which is the form used in the bulk of clinical trials. Avoids the tea-derived form's variable purity.
Lion's Mane Dual Extract — 250 mg per piece
The cognition lever. Hericium erinaceus is a mushroom with both human-trial evidence and a plausible mechanism — it appears to upregulate nerve growth factor (NGF) activity. We use a dual extract (water + ethanol) of the fruiting body, not mycelium-on-grain, which is where most cheaper supplements cut costs.
Lion's mane is not an acute stimulant. It doesn't "hit." What it contributes to over time is the mental-locked-in quality of a session — the part of training where you stay present across multiple sets, not just the first one.
Sodium Bicarbonate (microencapsulated) — 40 mg per piece
The buffer. Sodium bicarbonate raises blood and muscle pH, which can delay the onset of acidic fatigue. The literature's full ergogenic dose is much higher than what we include — we use 40 mg as a buffering accent, not a competition dose. It's microencapsulated because uncoated bicarb tastes terrible and irritates the gut.
Xylitol — ~400–500 mg per piece
The primary sweetener. Sugar alcohol that doesn't spike blood glucose, doesn't feed cariogenic bacteria (xylitol is actually tooth-protective), and gives gum the bulk it needs without using sugar. Sourced from corn cob hemicellulose, US-processed.
Stevia (Reb-A) — 2–5 mg per piece
The secondary sweetener. High-intensity natural sweetener used in trace amounts to round out flavor sweetness without a chalky xylitol-only finish. Reb-A is the cleanest steviol glycoside — minimal aftertaste.
Gum Base + Flavor System
The chew. A high-elasticity gum base designed to hold its texture across a 10–15 minute chew window — long enough for the encapsulated actives to release evenly, without going to pulp in the first three minutes. Flavor system is natural and artificial, no artificial dyes, formulated for clean tested environments.
What's NOT in NITRO GUM
- No sugar
- No aspartame, sucralose, or acesulfame-K
- No artificial colors / dyes
- No proprietary blends
- No hidden stimulants (yohimbine, DMAA, DMHA, etc.)
- No banned substances by design
- No animal-derived ingredients (vegan)
Testing & Verification
Every batch goes to an independent third-party lab for label accuracy and purity testing before it ships. Certificates of Analysis are kept on file and available on request. Formal banned-substance certifications (NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport) are in progress — when they're issued, they go on the label. Not before.