But to many, the sale of the avant-garde Austin, TX, startup that pioneered nootropic supplements and unconventional training came as a surprise. Why would a company like Onnit, which became a health and wellness-industry leader under its own steam, join forces with a multinational conglomerate that sells everything from Axe® body spray to Q-tips®?

The answer, according to Marcus, is to allow Onnit to fulfill its potential and help more people around the world than it ever could on its own.

Marcus wanted to set the record straight with Onnit’s fans and readers (i.e. you), explaining why it was time to let his child leave the nest.

Onnit: You founded Onnit more than a decade ago and have been the majority shareholder all that time. Why was now the time to sell Onnit?

Aubrey Marcus: Onnit selling now is the culmination of a long, long journey. That journey started with an idea, and the idea was based on practices that [Olympic champion skier] Bode Miller, [podcaster] Joe Rogan, [MMA fighter] Roger Huerta, and I were already following. All of us were doing things in an unconventional way. The supplements we took, the diets we chose to follow, the mindset we tried to adopt, the information we chose to use… We all ultimately realized that we had something different, and really important, to offer the world.

From the very beginning, Joe Rogan and I envisioned Onnit as a globally-disruptive entity. We wanted to share all these things we learned with the world—and

“with the world” is a key phrase in that statement, because while we have shared it with as many people as possible, very little if anything we put out has been translated into other languages. We’ve been unable to distribute our products to most of the countries in the world, so we haven’t been able to live up to the original idea of Onnit being global.

We knew there was a ceiling on where our expertise lay, so the idea that another company that was already a global force could take what we have at Onnit and proliferate it around the world was something that we’ve had in mind for a long time. We were really just waiting for the right partner to come along, and the right time for Onnit to be truly ready, and it just so happens that now is that time.

This deal with Unilever is really the logical conclusion of a longstanding dream to bring Onnit’s message and tools to the whole world. 

Onnit was your baby and now it’s like we’ve grown up and moved out of the house. You must be experiencing a range of emotions. What does it mean to you personally?

Of course, there’s excitement. There’s general shock because, while I envisioned this happening, to have it actually happen is almost indescribable. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet.

I’m also feeling really sentimental. I’ve been thinking back on the old days when our gym was a fraction of its size—it was a little classroom—and I remember working out in there. I remember formulating the smoothies we now have in the café [at Onnit Gym] on my own kitchen counter. All of these moments that led up to where we are now….

So it’s a lot of different feelings. But if I had to call one out, it’s gratitude. Overwhelming gratitude. I’m incredibly grateful for all the people who have been a part of this journey.

What will your involvement with Onnit be going forward, and where will you go outside of Onnit?

Onnit is part of what I eat and what I supplement. It’s the ideas that I have and the spirit that I live by. It’s always going to be a part of me and I’m always going to be a part of it. Last year, when I stepped down as CEO to make time for other ventures, we carved out the ideal position for my continued involvement with Onnit. As Unilever comes in, none of that is changing.

My role will be identical to what it’s been for the past year. That is, I’ll still be working on product development, innovation, ideas around both content and product, and really just making sure Onnit stays on the cutting edge of human optimization.

As for what I’m doing outside of Onnit, I’m still podcasting, writing books, and running Fit for Service—these were the reasons I stepped down as CEO in the first place. But to be clear, I’m still going to be working with Onnit, and everything I decided to concentrate on last year with the company will continue, so it’s an ideal situation.

Joe Rogan is a co-founder of Onnit and probably its most famous spokesperson. What will his role be going forward?

The same. Ultimately, Joe is still there to be a champion of the brand. He’s always going to talk about the cool shit that he’s seeing out in the world and the stuff he’s trying that’s working for him. The great thing about Joe is that he talks about what he feels as honestly and authentically as possible. Contrary to what some people may think, he was never a shill for Onnit. No one could ever get Joe to talk about a product he didn’t fully believe in. Joe only did what Joe wanted to do, and he will continue to do what Joe wants to do [laughs].

I have immense trust for Unilever and their team. I know where they stand, and I have absolute faith that they’re going to continue to uphold all of Onnit’s values. But the fact that Joe and I are going to continue to be around speaking the truth is ultimately the greatest protection for the brand. We’re just going to keep telling it like it is, and I have no doubt that Onnit will continue improving on all fronts as a result.

So why was Unilever the right choice? A lot of people will see them as a faceless corporate giant. How are they able to help Onnit carry on its mission of being for the good of all?

When you get to the size that Unilever is, there’s always going to be a bias. People associate large with bad. That’s the universal stereotype that’s out there in the world, and I understand that. There have certainly been a lot of big corporations that have done a lot of shady things. People think of big corporations as faceless, careless, money-making entities, but that’s not what I met in dealing with this team. I met a lot of good people who care a lot about Onnit and the world, and are also real experts in their fields. 

When we started looking for a buyer, our banking team submitted me a list of potential acquirers. As soon as I saw the names, I got out my red pen and started crossing companies out. Unilever was one of the ones that remained. I hadn’t met them yet, so I didn’t understand fully why they were such a perfect fit, but just seeing the type of brands they had and looking at some of their accolades, I knew they were a contender.

They have a 50/50 gender balance in their management team. They’ve been number one on the Globescan Sustainability Leaders survey for 10 consecutive years. This is a global survey that tracks experts’ opinions on which companies have the most environmentally-sustainable business practices, and Unilever tops the list. They’re reducing virgin plastic use in all of their 400 brands by 50%. They championed a campaign in the UK to end discrimination based on hair—because research shows that many African Americans feel pressure to straighten their hair for the workplace. So Unilever is doing a lot of really cool things for the world.

Of course, they’re a massive company, and not everything they do is going to be perfect. I’m not going to try to defend every action that this nearly 100 year-old company has made in every one of their 400 brands, but I sensed early on that they’re doing their best to be a leader in the world. When I met the Unilever team, every one of them showed me respect and there was a real resonance. They had the same spirit as the team at Onnit.

And they’re very receptive to ideas. This is not a one-way relationship where Unilever buys Onnit and now Onnit is run their way. As part of the Unilever family, Onnit is now going to bring its principles and values to Unilever so that they can take on some of what makes us great. This is a mutual relationship, and I’m looking forward to that. Believe me, if I see something they do that I don’t agree with, I’m going to call up the leaders and say, “Hey, what the fuck’s up with this? Here’s what I think you could do better.” I’m looking forward to both sides of this deal learning from each other.

Unilever is very aligned with Onnit in terms of philosophy, and they’re already fans of our brand. One of the leaders on their team is an avid polo player, and she was telling me how many more goals she scores when she takes ShroomTech® SPORT. Another one is in love with Alpha BRAIN®. He’s read my book and listened to my podcasts.

In your Instagram post announcing the sale, you mentioned that you attended the Burning Man festival a few years ago at the same time as one of the Unilever execs. Does that mean that you have so much in common with this team that you’d actually hang out with these guys in your free time?

I absolutely would. That was a crazy synchronicity—that my first year of Burning Man was when he was there. It just goes to show that the people at Unilever aren’t all what you may expect of a corporation that size. You might expect the leaders to be all buttoned up, walking into the room in a suit. But he showed up to our first meeting in Onnit’s gorilla shirt and talking about being at Burning Man [laughs].

He also asked insightful questions, and shared important details about his company. When the world settles down a little bit, he’s going to take me on a trip to India, where Unilever has a strong presence, and he’s going to show me around. So it’s more than a partnership we have; it’s a friendship. 

On the surface, a lot of Unilever’s brands don’t seem to fit with what Onnit is about. How does Onnit figure into a company that sells Hellmann’s® mayonnaise and Noxzema®?

I don’t think you could have any company at the size that Unilever is that would have exclusively brands that immediately align with Onnit. But Onnit is an indicator of the direction that Unilever is looking to go. Coming from where they’ve been, and being around for almost 100 years, of course there are things that are different from us. But their acquisition of Onnit is not about them trying to make Onnit more like what they already have. I personally believe it’s the opposite.

They’re growing their health and wellness sector. They have Olly® and Liquid I.V.® and SmartyPants® vitamins. And as for the rest, hopefully, there can be a little bit of Onnit that rubs off on all the existing legacy brands, and we’ll see the whole portfolio catch a little Onnit flavor—because it certainly won’t be vice versa. Onnit is going to continue to lead from the front.

What do you predict for Onnit’s future under the Unilever umbrella?

One thing I’m sure of is that so many more countries around the world are going to get access to our products and information. Our blog articles are going to be translated into dozens of languages, and our products will be more accessible than ever. I always felt like Onnit’s potential was unlimited. With the resources Unilever brings, anything really is possible now. We can become a true household name. People who are interested in Total Human Optimization will know about Onnit the way they already know about brands like Nike.

The thing Onnit’s fans and employees will probably be most concerned about is how Onnit will be able to maintain its culture. The Austin, TX, HQ has become a mecca to people who love the brand around the world and want to come and train with our staff. Can we sustain the brother- and sisterhood that has made Onnit so unique?

The Onnit culture is the last thing we want to change. Unilever understands the importance of culture, and that’s one of the reasons they love us. For those who want to come train with us, the Onnit Gym is going to be the same. The smoothies at the café are going to continue to flow. All the employees and staff are going to remain. There’s not going to be any change of office locations. Unilever loves that we’re in Austin, and they recognize how well we fit in with this city and its culture.

Finally, what would you say to skeptics who think that any time a company sells, it’s all about money?

Of course, this is a huge financial blessing for myself, and Joe Rogan, and so many people who have been a part of Onnit from the beginning. I’m excited about what I’m going to be able to do with these resources. What ideas I’m going to be able to fuel, and what I’m going to be able to create—documentaries, books, content, charities, and everything else I want to bring into the world.

But selling the company is really what I felt was best for Onnit’s future. For anyone who is skeptical, I encourage you to wait and see. Keep an open mind, and watch what happens. I have complete faith this is only going to be positive for Onnit and for the good of all.

Hear more from Aubrey on the decision to sell Onnit to Unilever on the Aubrey Marcus podcast, with Onnit CEO Jason Havey. 

And find out more about Unilever here.

The post Onnit Joins Unilever: An Interview With Aubrey Marcus appeared first on Onnit Academy.

At Onnit, we believe that the best way to achieve any goal is to recognize that the body, mind, and spirit are intertwined. Improvement in one area, specifically, will bring progress universally, while a deficiency in anything will hold back everything. If you want to lose 20 pounds, you can’t ignore the mindset that led to your gaining unwanted weight in the first place. Likewise, if you’re a mother who wants to raise the healthiest, happiest children she can, you have to consider the role exercise must play in your own life to help you manage stress, maintain your health, and set a positive example for your kids.

For the doctors and nurses working so heroically to save lives in hospitals across the country to perform at their peak—as well as maximize their own health under these trying circumstances—exercise and good nutrition are vital.

Much research has shown that when a person is vigorously active and in shape, he/she maintains a stronger immune system, in addition to greater mental acuity and physical endurance. Fitter healthcare providers make for a more resilient force on the front lines of this global crisis. For this reason, we’re giving the Onnit 6 Bodyweight program to these workers absolutely free. 

What Is The Onnit 6 Bodyweight Program?

The Onnit 6 Bodyweight program is a five-star fitness plan that goes for six weeks. It requires only your bodyweight (no strength training equipment necessary), so it can be done in the comfort of your own home, and aims to improve total-body strength, stability, and conditioning. It can help promote better movement skills, fat loss, and aid in correcting the muscle imbalances that are at the root of common aches and pains. Since its launch in 2018, O6 Bodyweight has sold more than 16,000 units.

The Onnit 6 Program includes:

· 4 resistance training/metabolic conditioning sessions and 2 non-traditional yoga workouts per week.

· A variety of fun, challenging training methods—including Tabata, EMOM, and circuit training—that leave you looking forward to each workout.

· 3 levels of progression for every exercise, so you can easily scale and customize each workout based on your ability level and experience.

· Video instruction from Onnit Chief Fitness Officer John Wolf; you’ll feel like you’re getting personal coaching from one of the best trainers in the world.

· Delicious, diet-friendly recipes and nutrition tips.

· Mindset strategies from Onnit Founder Aubrey Marcus himself.

Note: The program is only free to US Healthcare providers with an NPI, including those with an MD, DO, NP, PA, and DDS. All applicants will be verified by ID.me.

Not a medical professional but know someone who is? Don’t let them miss this opportunity! Send them a link to this page now.

Here’s How to Get O6 Bodyweight for Free

Step 1. Click on Shop in the menu above.

Step 2. Under the Fitness drop-down menu, find “Onnit 6 – Bodyweight,” and add it to your cart.

Step 3. Go through checkout, and on the Payment page, click the link for “Military, first responder, and medical discounts.”

Step 4. Verify your identity as a nurse or medical professional via ID.me. Upon successful completion, you’ll be redirected back to your cart.

The Onnit 6 Bodyweight product in your cart will change to FREE, as long as your account hasn’t purchased Onnit 6 Bodyweight before. Complete your checkout. O6 Bodyweight will be added to your account’s Digital Library.

The post Onnit 6 Bodyweight is now FREE for Frontline Healthcare Providers appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Transparency is one of Onnit’s founding principles and core values. We always show you our hand. When one of our supplements is studied in a clinical trial, we publish the results, whether they show what we hoped they would or not. When our articles take an unpopular stand, or make a controversial point, we back them up with the most recent and scientifically sound research available, so you know how we came to our conclusions. We expect you to be skeptical, and we welcome your scrutiny. For these reasons, we want you to know why this year’s Semi-Annual Sale has been structured the way it has, and why we think it’s to the benefit of all.

Why Change Our Sale?

Onnit has always been a brand dedicated to helping its followers and customers find the path to total human optimization—being the best they can be by improving every aspect of health, performance, and wellness. This holds for our employees as well.

With the health and safety of our workers being our number one concern, Onnit’s warehouse staff is abiding by the social distancing measures recommended by the CDC during this crisis. As a result, we currently have a smaller staff working shorter shifts fulfilling product orders. This limits the number of orders that can be fulfilled in a prompt manner. If we ran a massive sale now, it would further disrupt our fulfillment process, and tax our employees who are already working so hard—and at their own risk—to keep Onnit’s inventory moving. We can’t ask them to bear that burden, and we know you wouldn’t either. Furthermore, doing so would slow the fulfillment process down to the point where it might take weeks for your order to be filled and shipped to you, and we don’t want you to think you can no longer rely on us for speedy deliveries.

To circumvent this problem, we’re offering our Semi-Annual Sale one piece at a time. Instead of discounting everything in our store at once, we will slash prices on each category of products in turn for a month. We expect this to slow the traffic of our sale, making it easier to fulfill orders and handle customer concerns with a smaller staff. Below is the schedule we’ll follow to ensure a smooth, organized sale for both our staff and you, our valued customer. The sale kicks off with supplements on May 4, and then moves to nutrition products, apparel, and fitness equipment.

New Sale Schedule

Week 1: Supplements 25% Off
Dates: 05/04 – 05/10

Week 2: Nutrition 20% Off
Dates: 05/11 – 05/17

Week 3: Apparel, Accessories, and Gear Up to 50% off
Dates: 05/18 – 05/24

Week 4: Fitness up to 18% Off
Dates: 05/25 – 05/31

You’ll get the same great discounts on all the products you’ve come to expect from Onnit, and our team remains committed to getting your orders to you as swiftly as we can.

If you have questions about your order after it’s placed, you can find our most common order status and shipping questions here, and of course, our optimized support team is ready and willing to lend a helping hand.

Our customers mean everything to us, and we think this is the best solution to keep our staff safe while providing you the shopping experience you’ve grown accustomed to.

Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay Onnit.

The post Our 2020 Semi-Annual Sale Schedule appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Onnit becomes the official performance nutrition partner of EXOS
EXOS will use Onnit’s leading supplements as part of their nutrition protocol at elite training facilities and collaborate on new products to better serve athletes worldwide.

Phoenix, (01/15/2018) – EXOS, a leader in human performance, has named Onnit, a leader in nutrition and unconventional fitness, as its official performance nutrition partner. The partnership brings together two innovative companies focused on helping others optimize their daily performance.

“Our mission at EXOS is to understand the needs and goals of our clients, and then provide solutions to help them improve their lives,” said Mark Verstegen, president and founder of EXOS. “Partnering with Onnit allows us to further upgrade our nutrition protocols as part of our integrated solutions that support the needs of our clients.”

As part of the partnership, EXOS will integrate products from Onnit’s nutrition and supplement line, such as Shroom TECH Sport, and newly co-developed products, like Onnit Mineral Electrolytes, into nutrition protocols for athletes and clients at its elite training facilities. One of the first groups to benefit from the product integration will be the 100-plus athletes preparing for the 2018 NFL draft as part of EXOS’ industry-leading NFL combine and pro day preparation program.

“We’ve only just begun to imagine the extent of this partnership, and I’m really excited to explore what we’re capable of doing together,” said Aubrey Marcus, founder of Onnit. “Being able to tap into EXOS’ expertise and network of specialists and marry their insights with our innovative product development will allow us to continue bringing new products to market that help our respective clients and anyone looking to optimize their performance.”

In addition to supplement product integration across EXOS’ various populations, including professional, college, and youth athletes, teams, active adults, corporate wellness clients, and U.S. military operators, EXOS and Onnit will create new products and conduct product research together. An EXOS performance dietitian based at Onnit’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, will work with the Onnit team to identify nutrition and supplement gaps in the marketplace, and develop new products and formulas to support the needs of athletes and active adults.

“The world of nutrition is always changing, and EXOS is always looking for the best nutritional strategy, the best new research, and the products that can help support our clients,” said Amanda Carlson-Phillips, vice president of nutrition and research at EXOS. “Onnit meets our needs in all of those areas while providing the opportunity to integrate our teams to innovate new nutrition and supplement products together.”

About EXOS

EXOS is a leader in the field of human performance, a category it created more than 15 years ago. Today, EXOS employs more than 3,500 people in over 400 locations worldwide. With award-winning facilities, technology, and services, EXOS helps people take control of their health and performance so they can achieve what matters most to them. EXOS is trusted by hundreds of clients, including one-quarter of Fortune 100 companies, world champions in sports, and leaders in health care, military, and community organizations.

About Onnit

Onnit is a fitness lifestyle company dedicated to helping its clients and customers find the path to total human optimization — being the best they can be by improving every aspect of health, performance, and wellness. Specializing in unconventional training and cutting-edge nutritional supplements, Onnit was founded in 2010 and has gone on to produce Alpha BRAIN®, its flagship cognitive enhancer, and Primal Bells, the popular jungle-themed kettlebell line. Onnit’s headquarters—including Onnit Gym, a destination for celebrities and pro athletes—is in Austin, Texas.

For EXOS media inquiries, please contact:
Hanna Major
hmajor@teamexos.com
480-449-9000

For Onnit media inquiries, please contact:
Eric Jackman
eric@jacktaylorpr.com

The post EXOS x Onnit PRESS RELEASE appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Seeds of Peace Summary

● Seeds of Peace is an organization that works to promote positive interaction between young people on opposite sides of political conflicts.

● Seeds of Peace provides an annual summer camp where teens and educators from communities divided by conflict can meet and engage in open discussions. They also work in these communities at home and abroad year-round.
round.

● For #GivingTuesday, Onnit is asking for $1 donations to Seeds of Peace when you make any purchase on our site. Onnit will match the donation 100%.

Whatever the reason you came to this website, we want to provide what you’re looking for. Whether it was to get information on training, nutrition, or ways to relieve stress or promote a healthy mindset, we try to cover everything that contributes to Total Human Optimization—being the best, most fully developed person you can be.

Part of that mission to better yourself, we believe, is working to better the world around you, which is why Onnit is a consistent supporter of community activism. This year, in the spirit of Giving Tuesday, we want to shine a light on one of our favorite non-profits—Seeds of Peace.

Founded in 1993, Seeds of Peace is an organization that seeks to develop the community leaders of tomorrow. It operates a summer camp in Otisfield, Maine, about an hour northwest of Portland, where young people from areas of political conflict, war, and poverty around the world gather for several weeks.

Each year, the camp hosts around 300 teens aged 14 to 16 from Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, India, and Pakistan, as well as the U.S. and U.K. In some respects it’s like any other summer camp—kids spend time outdoors playing sports, canoeing, and doing arts and crafts.

Onnit’s own Master Trainer Cristian Plascencia even visited Maine last summer to take the campers through an unconventional workout. But their summer is unique and memorable for a much different reason.

Each day, the kids—or “Seeds,” as they’re called—spend almost two hours meeting in small groups run by professional dialogue facilitators. There, they discuss their differing backgrounds and cultures and learn to listen and, hopefully, even empathize with each other—an opportunity they’d likely never get at home.

“They get to meet someone from the other side of their conflict, often for the first time,” says Eric Kapenga, who worked as a counselor at the camp for nine sessions and is now Communications Specialist for Seeds of Peace. “Someone their own age, and in a neutral setting. It’s really powerful.”

Kapenga points out that the only Israelis most Palestinians ever meet are armed soldiers at checkpoints. For most Israelis, the only Palestinians they come across are ones they see on TV in the context of terrorist acts. “It gives the Seeds a chance to hear the other side’s narrative.”

Over 6,000 young adults have been through the program over the years, and some have gone on to bring outstanding change to their communities.

One of Kapenga’s campers, a Pakistani Seed, came to realize through conversation with Indian Seeds that the Indian version of their shared history was completely different from what he had learned in school.

“So he decided to create a textbook that juxtaposes the official Indian version with the Pakistani one so you can see how each side presents history in a very different way—a way which furthers the conflict.” That book is now being shared in schools in both India and Pakistan.

Sarah Brajtbord attended camp when she was a high school student from Dallas, Texas. “For me, the biggest takeaway was the way in which it opened up my world view,” she says. “I wasn’t living in my Dallas bubble anymore.

I began to see connections between what was going on in my community and what was happening overseas. I now had friends who were living there so I started experiencing the news that was coming out of there in a much more personal way.

It really pushed me to not take things at face value and not take statements I heard as absolute truths.”

Brajtbord fell in love with the organization and is now the Assistant Camp Director and U.S.-based Programs Manager.

Cristian Plascencia, a Onnit Academy Master Trainer, visited Seeds of Peace last summer to introduce the kids to Unconventional Training.

The process to become a Seed and attend the camp is arduous—prospects are either selected by their government or must go through a lengthy application process. Kapenga says only about five percent of applicants make the cut. Still, most campers don’t arrive enthusiastic to learn.

“Not everyone wants to listen and engage with the other side,” says Brajtbord. “They come to tell the other side, ‘I’m right and you’re wrong and I’m here to speak to you about the realities of my life.’ Part of our process is breaking down a lot of the national identities they have, because none of us are sole representatives of our communities.”

“The Seeds often come in overly polite,” adds Kapenga. “They believe the other side is untrustworthy, so they’re extra careful around them. The interaction is very superficial at first. But when they get to know each other, they open up and really start to communicate.

We do group challenge exercises with them in addition to the dialogue sessions in order to build communication and teamwork. For example, there’s one challenge where pairs of Seeds work together to cross a rope obstacle that’s 40-feet high.”

The Seeds of Peace program doesn’t end when summer does. The organization runs year-round leadership development initiatives for Seeds in their home communities and spreads the gospel of open communication to other students as well—including those who would never be able to attend the camp.

To them, Brajtbord offers the following: “If you’re passionate about making a difference in the world, continue to develop it. You are not alone in wanting to create social change. There’s power in numbers.”

In keeping with the tradition of Giving Tuesday, Onnit is asking its customers to donate to Seeds of Peace. For today only, give just one extra dollar when you check out after buying any Onnit product and we’ll match the donation.

Onnit has been able to give the organization over $45,000 in donations since October of 2015.

For more information, visit seedsofpeace.org.

The post World Peace? We’re Onnit appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Several of the naturally occurring compounds in AB have cholinesterase inhibiting properties and could prove beneficial in individuals with subjective memory complains or objective cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive disorders.

This study investigated the effects of AB on ERP and EEG cognitive measures in healthy adults.

Methods

Twenty subjects between 18 and 35 years were recruited into the ERP/EEG study from a larger study participating in an eight-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo
controlled trial of AB.

All subjects were administered an EEG/ERP test at baseline, after acute treatment, and at the end of the study using an integrated hardware/software system for data collection and analysis. The testing protocol consisted of a two-deviant auditory oddball paradigm followed by 3min of resting EEG.

Results

Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in P3a and P3b latency in the AB! group compared to placebo.

Post-hoc analyses showed a significantly shorter latency for both measures after acute administration of AB!, suggesting increased attention and classification speed in this group of subjects.

Moreover, ANOVA with repeated measures showed a significant effect of treatment on P3a amplitude over time, suggesting a positive effect of AB on executive function.

While statistical comparisons for P3b amplitude showed no significant effects, a sub analysis limite to the frontal electrodes showed a significant increase in P3b amplitude in the treatment group, suggesting an increase in amount of attentional resources allocated to the stimulus after AB.

Finally,comparison of Peak Alpha Frequency (PAF) in Placebo vs. AB groups showed a significant increase in PAF after repeated treatment administration.

This EEG measure is directly correlated with processing speed and performance in a number of cognitive tasks, and it has been found to decrease with age.

Conclusion

While preliminary, subjects randomized to the AB group demonstrated beneficial effects on cognitive performance in both ERP and EEG tests.

Effects of AB on ERP/EEG appear similar to other cholinesterase inhibiting compounds that are used in patients with cognitive dysfunction due to Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders.

The post Effects of the Nootropic Compound Alpha BRAIN on ERP and EEG Measures of Cognitive Performance appeared first on Onnit Academy.

An initial scan of a customer database confirmed that a person with the same name and matching location of the student in question had indeed purchased one bottle of 30 count Alpha BRAIN® in October 2013.  While the article does not mention the lot number shown on the bottle, the two batches that were in circulation at that time were marked #215300, and #135000.  Both of those lots had been independently tested for banned & illegal substances including amphetamines by one of the top labs in the country BSCG (Banned Substances Control Group).  A complete list of potential substances screened for by BSCG can be found here. The certificates are published below:

Alpha BRAIN® Drug Free Certification Lot #135000

Alpha BRAIN® Drug Free Certification Lot #215300

Commenting on this situation, founder of Onnit Aubrey Marcus said:  “We can say unequivocally that there are no amphetamines or other banned substances in Alpha BRAIN®.  We electively test every batch of Alpha BRAIN® at our own expense to ensure that our products are free of any banned or illegal substances. This type of testing is not required, but we at Onnit hold ourselves to a different standard, with nothing short of impeccability as our goal.”

Both potential batches that the bottle might have come from were screened, and showed no presence of any banned substances including any in the class of amphetamines.

The article mentions that the initial test of Alpha BRAIN® was positive for “amphetamines” in general, but that “it had not yet been confirmed with the state toxicology lab, and that false positives had been known to occur.”  Commenting on the potential circumstances that could generate a false positive, Oliver Catlin, president of BCSG said “When conducting initial testing on possible drug substances law enforcement personnel often use non-specific drug testing kits that react to a group of compounds in a particular class in order to narrow down what drug might be present.  It is possible for these types of kits to react to other substances that are present but are not illegal.  Alpha BRAIN® contains a blend of ingredients each with unique chemical properties, and it is possible one of the ingredients triggered an initial positive result.  To confirm Initial results mass spectrometry testing is usually performed, which definitively determines whether an illegal drug is present or not.  Alpha BRAIN® batches are regularly tested as part of the BSCG Certified Drug Free supplement certification program.  Our testing protocol uses liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LCMS) and covers more than 145 drugs including amphetamines in general and several forms of ‘ecstasy’ drugs specifically.  None of the Alpha BRAIN® batches we have tested were found to contain amphetamines or any other banned or illegal drug.”

The banned substances control group (BSCG) was founded by Dr. Don Catlin who created the first anti-doping lab in the United States in 1982.  According to the website the Catlin team has provided testing services to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), MLB, NFL, NCAA, the U.S. military, several Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.

Many of the organizations listed above are responsible for testing some of the athletes who take Onnit products, including Alpha BRAIN®.  Commenting on the situation, Olympian Trey Hardee said, “I have taken Onnit products 30 minutes prior to being tested for competition.  I’ve never had a single issue.”  Cub Swanson, top 10 MMA fighter, echoed the sentiment adding “I take Alpha BRAIN® before I fight, and I’ve been tested without incident.”

Commenting further on the situation, Aubrey Marcus said “It is clear to us that this situation is likely the result of one of two scenarios.  Either a false positive was triggered on an actual unadulterated Alpha BRAIN® capsule, or something else had been placed inside the Alpha BRAIN® bottle.”

Onnit is currently attempting to reach out to the publishers of the article and any interested parties to provide the testing results and information present.  For further information or to reach Onnit please contact Jennifer@onnit.com.

The post Alpha BRAIN® Banned Substance Testing Protocol and Results appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Live Music Black Swan Yoga Recovery Series

Friday, March 13, 2015 will also be the start to a ten day Live Music Black Swan Yoga Recovery Series. The event is an official SXSW event for badge holders and Black Swan Yoga members and will feature some of  the best emerging artists in the world music scene. The series will combine live music with vinyasa yoga curated to invigorate everyone from beginner to expert. For a soothing end, or beginning, to your day, Sound Healing Journeys with musician and healer Porangui will be offered as well.

More details and the schedule can be found at www.blackswanyoga.com/sxsw

Onnit Products Launch at Whole Foods World Headquarters

Friday, March 13, 2015 Onnit products launch at Whole Foods World Headquarters in downtown Austin with a four day event. In celebration, the company has built an Onnit store within Whole Foods featuring product sampling, special guest performances by Onnit Professionals, and demonstrations by the Onnit Academy Coaches and Black Swan Yoga Trainers.

The pinnacle of the weekend will be a live Total Human Optimization Podcast with Comedian & UFC Commentator, Joe Rogan and Onnit CEO, Aubrey Marcus on Sunday, March 15th at 3 pm. Special guests include professional nutritionist Mike Dolce, Stephen “tWitch” Boss from So You Think You Can Dance, and UFC Fighters Cub Swanson, Tim Kennedy, and Andrew Craig.

Onnit at Whole Foods Schedule

Friday, March 13

• Healthy Cooking Demo with Mike Dolce, 11 am – 2 pm
• Q & A with Onnit CEO Aubrey Marcus, 2 pm – 3 pm
• Demonstrations by Onnit Academy & Black Swan Yoga 3 – 8 pm

Saturday, March 14:

• Dance Performance by Stephen “tWitch” Boss 11 am – 1 pm & 2 pm – 4 pm
• Demonstrations by Onnit Academy 5 – 8 pm

Sunday, March 15

• Demonstrations by Onnit Academy 11 am – 2 pm
• Total Human Optimization Podcast with Joe Rogan and Onnit CEO, Aubrey Marcus 3 – 4 pm
• Autographs with Joe & Aubrey 4 – 5 pm
• Demonstrations by Black Swan Yoga  5 – 8 pm

Monday, March 16

• Sparring with Cub Swanson, Tim Kennedy and Andrew Craig, 11 am – 2 pm
• Demonstrations by Onnit Academy & Black Swan Yoga 3-8 pm

New Onnit Food Truck

The new Onnit “Total Human Optimization” Food Truck makes its debut at SXSW. Protein smoothies and blended coffees will be available during the Whole Foods launch Monday through Friday in front of the store. The truck will then move to Black Swan Yoga at 403 Orchard St. for post yoga fuel a rejuvenation.

For more information contact jennifer (at) onnit (dot) com.

The post NEWS: Onnit Launches Into SXSW appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Onnit Academy Gym, also known as Defranco’s Gym at Onnit Academy, is an innovative new fitness facility that combines cutting edge technology with a modern version of ancient training techniques using steel maces, steel clubs, and kettlebells. To recover from the high intensity training methods taught there, members and outside customers are invited to use Whole Body Cryotherapy to recover and reduce soreness.

“While cryotherapy has been around since 1978, the method we use is much more advanced,” stated John Wolf, manager and Director of Education at Onnit Academy Gym. “Most people are familiar with sitting in bathtubs full of ice to reduce inflammation after tough workout sessions; what we have is a much friendlier 2-3 minute session that does the same thing.”

Onnit Academy Gym offers Whole Body Cryotherapy using a cutting edge Cryosauna unit. This high tech, single person chamber exposes the users body to extremely low temperatures (approximately -200 to -240 F) in order to stimulate receptors and rapidly decrease skin temperature.

Onnit Academy’s cryotherapy chamber has already been used by a variety of NFL athletes and hopefuls that have taken part in the gym’s Combine Preparation Program developed by Joe Defranco. Professional athletes are acutely aware of the benefits of cryotherapy to reduce recovery time, muscle soreness, and joint pain.

Austin Gym’s Cryosauna Cryotherapy Unit

The Cryosauna unit used at Onnit Academy was developed by Jonas Juehne, M.D., the first physician to bring non-medical cyrotherapy treatments to North America with his company Cryohealth. The research behind cryotherapy is decades deep and covers a variety of topics, including the effects it has on depressive symptoms, inflammatory response, anti-oxidative status, and thermal, circulatory, and neuromuscular responses. You can find a full list of the studies at https://www.cryohealthcare.com/wbc_research/

“I can personally attest to the results of cryotherapy,” said Mark de Grasse, Chief Fitness Officer of Onnit Labs. “The Onnit Academy Gym workouts can be pretty tough when you’re throwing around kettlebells, maces, and clubs; after a long week of training it’s always good to boost your recovery for the weekend with a quick 3-minute session in the tank.”

Onnit Academy is the Complete Fitness Solution

Onnit Academy Gym is located in South Austin at 4401 Freidrich Lane Suite 301, Austin, TX 78744. The gym is open to the public and features personal training, large group classes, transformation classes, a holistic cafe, cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and a retail space that sells Onnit supplements and equipment. Find out more at https://www.onnitacademygym.com

The post NEWS: New Austin Gym Offers High-Tech Recovery Solution appeared first on Onnit Academy.

A group of 18 healthy subjects from the flagship Alpha BRAIN clinical trial enrolled in a sub-study that measured brain wave electrical activity during an active response task known as the “three stimulus oddball paradigm.” Subjects were asked to differentiate between a standard tone (1000hz) and a target tone (2000hz), as well as ignore a distracter tone (white noise), and click a hand held button when hearing the target.  A typical brainwave pattern shows a positive upward reflection that peaks between 250-400 ms, known as the p300. The latency of this peak reflects engagement of attention and processing speed.

The subjects were randomized to either ingest Alpha BRAIN or placebo.  Measurements were collected prior to supplementation at baseline (day 0), 45-minutes after supplementation (day 1), and after the full supplementation period (day 45). Three time point collections allowed assessment of the physiological effects resulting from both single and continuous doses of Alpha BRAIN.  There were no significant differences between the groups at baseline.

Analysis of the data showed significantly shorter latencies of the p300 waveforms, both target (p3b) and distractor tones (p3a), for the Alpha BRAIN group on Day 1 after ingestion of a single dose (p<0.01).  The difference between the two groups amounted to 24.99 ms. Furthermore, the faster response time persisted over time with significant differences at the end of the 45 days (p<0.05) for the p3a latency.

The difference in peak amplitude represents another profound finding. Not only was the latency of the response to the stimuli shorter, but the waveform also reached higher maximum amplitude when subjects detected the distracter tone (p3a) and target tone (p3a) in recordings from frontal electrodes. Taken together, these results indicate that an increased amount of attentional resources are being dedicated to the task by taking Alpha BRAIN, even after a single dose.  This is a strong indication that Alpha BRAIN may provide potential benefits in processing speed.

“The implications of this study change the competitive landscape in many fields. When you combine the incredible safety data from the full clinical trial, the confirmation that Alpha BRAIN is banned substance free from BCSG, with this result demonstrated here, there is no reason that Alpha BRAIN shouldn’t be taken by every competitor who could benefit from increased processing speed.” Commented Onnit CEO Aubrey Marcus.

One of those fields is mixed martial arts.  Onnit athlete and UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw commented  “I’ve been taking Alpha BRAIN for several years, so while I am happy to see the data, it is unfortunate I can’t keep this product a secret from the world!”

Another competitive landscape that is buzzing over the announcement of the news is that of competitive gaming.  “I posted the news to my social feed and we got a flood of messages from competitive gamers. The correlation between the testing methodology and what is required to be an elite performer in the field of gaming is really exciting,” added Marcus.

Onnit is reviewing a variety of conferences to present this data and is expecting peer review and publication in mid 2015.

For more information contact Jarrett@onnit.com.

The post Single Dose of Alpha BRAIN Significantly Increases Processing Speed appeared first on Onnit Academy.