In September of 2020, we released our Basics Series, which features several single-ingredient products that contain no fillers, excipients, or artificial substances. The Basics Series is a convenient and affordable way to customize your supplement stack. 

Although Axe & Sledge prides itself on making comprehensive supplements that cater to the majority of people’s needs, we understand that everyone is different. So we created a line of products that gives every hard-working M’fer more options and flexibility. Tailoring a supplement stack to your own specific needs will help you reach your health and fitness goals even faster.

Now that you understand what the Basics Series is all about, let’s dive deeper into one of the supplements that’s included in this lineup — Peak-O2!

PeakO2®: Performance Enhancing Mushrooms

PeakO2® is a patented ingredient from Compound Solutions, one of the most well-respected ingredient suppliers, researchers, and developers in the world. If you’re familiar with some of our other products, such as Ignition Switch or Seventh Gear, you already know that we’re fans of several of Compound Solutions’ branded-ingredients.

Compound Solutions is the mastermind behind various cutting-edge sports nutrition ingredients, including TeaCrine® and Dynamine®. But one of their newest creations that’s getting a lot of attention in the industry is none other than PeakO2®.

PeakO2® is a proprietary blend of six organic mushrooms that are grown in the United States, which includes:

• Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
• King Trumpet (Pleurotus eryngii)
• Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
• Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
• Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

This unique combination of mushrooms seems to express powerful adaptogenic properties and offer numerous health/performance benefits.

Furthermore, PeakO2® is:

• Informed-Sport & Informed-Choice Certified
• Vegan
• Gluten-Free
• Non-GMO
• Grown on organic oats in the USA[1]

PeakO2® was specifically designed to help users adapt to and overcome both physical and mental stress, resulting in improved power output and endurance. PeakO2® carries out its performance-enhancing effects by improving oxygen utilization and work capacity, while simultaneously reducing lactate levels.[1-3] In other words, PeakO2® allows you to train harder and for longer.

Therefore, PeakO2® is useful for a variety of activities, such as running, martial arts, bodybuilding, powerlifting, swimming, or cycling. Practically, any sport that requires a high level of endurance and/or power can benefit from PeakO2®!

Since PeakO2® is a relatively new ingredient, there’s only a handful of human clinical trials that have been performed on it. However, their results are quite impressive…

PeakO2® Research

In 2015, a group of researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, set out to determine the effects of supplementing with PeakO2® for three weeks.

The main outcome measures of this study were:

• Oxygen kinetics
• Time to exhaustion
• Aerobic power
• Lactate levels during high-intensity exercise[2]

Using a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, the researchers split the volunteers into two groups:

• Treatment group: received 4 grams of PeakO2® daily
• Placebo group: received 4 grams of maltodextrin daily

Pre-test and post-test, the volunteers were required to complete a maximal graded exercise test, 6-minute sub-maximal test, and 3-minute all-out test on a cycle ergometer.[2]

After three weeks, the results showed that the treatment group saw a significant increase in peak power output compared to baseline and the placebo group (17.6% vs. 11.8%). The treatment group also improved their time to exhaustion by approximately 70 seconds, whereas the placebo group only saw a 5-second increase.[2]

The researchers concluded that supplementing with up to 4 grams of PeakO2® per day for three weeks may improve VO2 max, increase time to exhaustion, and help extend peak power output during high-intensity exercise.[2]

Another study with 28 individuals, found that participants supplementing with PeakO2® increased their maximum oxygen consumption (as measured by VO2 max) by almost 4ml/kg/min. Since oxygen is crucial for any activity, PeakO2’s unique ability to promote oxygen consumption during exercise can benefit nearly any activity, from walking to bodybuilding.[3]

Lastly, this same study showed that supplementing with PeakO2® can improve blood lactate levels, oxygen consumption, and may boost energy (adenosine triphosphate) production. All three of these effects would help optimize exercise performance.[3]

Suggested Use

As you can tell by the studies, supplementing with PeakO2® on a daily basis is recommended for maximum benefits. However, the majority of sports nutrition companies put PeakO2® in their pre-workouts. Since the majority of people don’t consume pre-workout every single day, you may be missing out on the full potential of PeakO2®.

Fortunately, Axe & Sledge has a stand-alone PeakO2® supplement that you can easily add to your supplement stack to ensure you’re getting the daily clinical dose and all of the benefits it has to offer.

Here’s how we recommend taking Axe & Sledge Peak-O2 for optimal results:

• Training Days: consume one serving (2 grams) pre-workout with 6-8 and one serving post-workout with 6 to 8 ounces of water or preferred beverage
• Non-training days: consume two serving throughout the day

Keep in mind that Axe & Sledge Peak-O2 is not flavored, so we highly recommend mixing it with a fruit-flavored beverage, such as The Grind.

Stacking Options

Peak-O2 stacks well with:

• Hydraulic
• Ignition Switch
• The Grind
• Seventh Gear
• Demo Day
• Citrulline
• Arginine
• Glutamine
• Beta Alanine
• Betaine

You can also get the full Basics Stack for a discounted price!

References

1. Compound Solutions. Accessed March 2021. “PeakO2® Ingredient Info.”https://compoundsolutions.com/ingredients/peako2/
2. Hirsch, K. et al. Sept. 2015. “Chronic Supplementation of a Mushroom Blend on Oxygen Kinetics, Peak Power, and Time to Exhaustion.” Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 12,45.https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P45
3. Dudgeon, W. et al. March 2018. “The Effects of High and Low-Dose Cordyceps Miltaris-Containing Mushroom Blend Supplementation After Seven and Twenty-Eight Days.” American Journal of Sports Science, vol. 6,1.http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=155&doi=10.11648/j.ajss.20180601.11