MaxATP and Max N-Fuze are unique in that they come in a powder form that is to be mixed with a small amount of water to facilitate ingestion. This delivery mechanism was developed by conscious design. There are two significant benefits to this approach:
- first, there is extremely high absorption of the active ingredients by the cells; and
- second, the active ingredients reach the cells and start to deliver benefits almost instantly (within minutes).
This is in stark contrast to most pills (think in terms of a typical multi-vitamin tablet). In a standard tablet the active ingredients are mixed with a (hopefully inert) filler and compressed to the tablet shape. It takes quite some time for the filler to dissolve to the point that the active ingredients are released to come in contact with stomach or intestine lining and hence get absorbed by the body. In fact, it is not uncommon for some portion of the tablet to make it all the way through the digestive system intact and be eliminated without actually being made available to the body at all. Absorption of a tablet’s active ingredients can be less than 60% of what is on the product’s list of ingredients.
Clearly the Max approach is superior.
Both N-Fuze and ATP have a fair amount of niacin in the form of niacinamide. Virtually all supplements that provide niacin do so using niacinamide. The reason is that the body can deal with the intake of niacin at a limited rate. Any amount of niacin that exceeds that limit floats round the blood stream until the body can deal with it. Niacinamide breaks down slowly into niacin. This lets the body deal with the niacin at a rate it can handle.
Excess niacin in the bloodstream opens up the capillaries. The result is something called Niacin Flush. Niacin flush in not harmful. It just feels weird and your skin becomes very red. Some people actually take pure niacin to experience the flush. In certain cases doctors will prescribe niacin intentionally to open the blood vessels. Niacin flush goes away in about 20 minutes as the body absorbs the niacin.
About 1 person in 100 seems to have a body chemistry that breaks down the niacinamide very quickly. The reason this is an issue with ATP and N-Fuze is that the dissolved powder is designed to get into the system almost instantly. So if the niacinamide breaks down quickly the bloodstream is flooded with niacin in a short period of time.
If you are one of the people that breaks down niacinamide quickly, there are a couple of strategies that you can try in order to avoid experiencing the flush. Sip the ATP or N-Fuze slowly over a period of 20 minutes or so to allow your body to absorb the niacin at a rate it can handle. Also avoid acid beverages like coffee and citrus juices before taking ATP or N-Fuze since these acids sitting in the stomach seem to speed the breakdown of the niacinamide.
If you experience Niacin Flush, remember that niacin and its resulting flush is occasionally prescribed by doctors, and remember the effect is harmless and relatively short lived.