Q: Mike, i know you always say that you arent much of a man for supplements and all, but what is your opinion on the ErgoPharm Ergolean AMP, as far as a fat burner and energy provider pre-workout.

A: I really hope you meant to say I'm not much of a FAN of supplements... :) I haven't had first-hand experience with this product, but looking at the ingredient list it's basically chocamine. Chocamine is made from cocoa. It's a stimulant that's largely similar to caffeine (in fact, it contains caffeine among other things) but that's supposed to have less of a quick kick and more of a prolonged milder stimulation. It's one of many 'alternative' stimulants that cropped up after the government ban of ephedra for health risks. Because it is so new, there's pretty much no information on its health effects other than the word of mouth. Just like for any other supplement, I've heard or seen everything from people loving it to people swearing it's worthless or worse. It's impossible to say for certain, but I suppose the fact that it's derived from cocoa powder gives some assurance of its safety compared to more 'exotic' supps.

As far as its effectiveness it should be comparable to a gentler caffeine, so perhaps something similar to drinking 2-3 small cups of mild coffee in a few hours time. The only way you'll know for sure is try it yourself since everyone reacts to these things differently.

Once again, my usual lecture about supps -- don't expect miracles from them and don't expect them to make up for a deficient diet and/or exercise regimens. They may help you a little bit, but none of them will make a world of difference like a good diet and exercise routines can.