Epicatechin Review: Muscle Growth with Nootropics Depot

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Epicatechin is known as a supplement that may have a very beneficial effect on muscle-building, as a myostatin blocking supplement.

It’s found in our daily food, but 200 grams of Raw Cacoa powder daily is not very sustainable for me in the long run.

I’m skeptical about natural “muscle-building” supplements, but I’ve first-hand witnessed what the right supplements from Nootropics Depot can do to my body.

I’ve written multiple reviews about their products.

Their quality is top-notch, and the products contain the ingredients that are listed.

This should be the standard but unfortunately is very rare.

If you’re interested, you can read reviews about other Nootropics Depot testosterone-boosting/ muscle-building supplements by clicking on the name:

• Tongkat Ali
• Ashwagandha KSM-66
• Cistanche Tubulosa
• Horny Goat Weed

Is Epicatechin a worthy addition to my arsenal of supplements, and will I break through strength plateaus, build muscle, and achieve my greater physique faster?

This is my review of Epicatechin from Nootropics Depot.

Grab some popcorn, relax, and let's get started.

Practical information on Epicatechin

Content: 30 or 90 tablets of 90% Epicatechin that each contains 200mg of Epicatechin and 6mg of Piperine.

Recommended serving size: One daily capsule.

Supply duration: At the recommended daily dose of one capsule, you can buy either a one-month or three-month supply.

Where to buy it: Epicatechin can be bought at the Nootropics Depot webshop, which you can find by clicking here.

Ingredients in Epicatechin

Epicatechin from Nootropics has only two ingredients: 200mg of 90% Epicatechin, and 6mg of Piperine.

200mg of 90% Epicatechin

Epicatechin is a specific kind of flavonoid found in certain foods like (pure) chocolate, green tea, blackberries, etc.

It increases nitric oxide, which widens the blood vessels.

This allows for more nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to go into the muscles.

This causes improved athletic performance, better pumps, better muscle contractions, etc.

Epicatechin is also a myostatin inhibitor. Myostatin regulates/suppresses muscle-building.

By decreasing the amount of Myostatin and therefore increasing Follistatin(enhances muscle-building), we’re able to build muscle at a faster rate.

More studies on humans should be done, but the research is promising.

In this regard, I’m a simple gym bro.

I see (natural) gains, and that’s good enough for me to give it a shot.

The dose that’s needed to reap all these great benefits should be around 2mg per kg of bodyweight.

With the high-quality Epicatechin of Nootropics Depot, we should be all set for maximum results.

6mg of Piperine

Piperine is an alkaloid that can be found in black pepper, where it’s responsible for the sharp taste.

It’s used alongside Epicatechin because it increases nutrient absorption.

In research, Piperine has been shown to increase the absorption of several nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.

Benefits of Epicatechin

Nootropics Depot Epicatechin has unfortunately not reduced myostatin levels to go to zero, allowing me to become a real-life gorilla in terms of muscle mass.

However, there are certainly noticeable benefits to gain from Epicatechin.

Note: People can react quite differently to plant compounds.

Some might praise a natural compound as a sacrifice worthy to the Viking Gods, while others don’t react to it. I can only share my experience.

You might feel more or fewer effects, who knows?

Athletic performance

Epicatechin can boost athletic performance by increasing nitric oxide, which results in widened blood vessels, allowing more nutrient and oxygen-rich blood into the muscle.

This can increase cardiovascular endurance, increase power output, enhance recovery, and improve mind-muscle connection.

Oh, and boosting nitric oxide results in huge pumps in the gym.

Muscle soreness

Epicatechin has decreased muscle soreness noticeable, and this effect is reported by a lot of people.

I believe this might be the cause of the increased nutrient and oxygen-rich blood that can enter the muscles, allowing for better post-workout recovery.

Muscle/ Strength/ Physique

I’ve experienced a faster rate of muscle gain, strength increase, and improved body composition when taking Nootropics Depot Epicatechin.

I’ve been working out for over 6 years, so natural progress is fairly slow, to say the least.

A boost in these regards is therefore noticeable and very welcomed.

Besides Epicatechin’s beneficial effects on nitric oxide, this can also be explained by its capability to inhibit Myostatin, thereby increasing Follistatin in the body.

Myostatin is responsible for suppressing/ regulating muscle gains, and Follistatin does the exact opposite.

In simple terms: POTENTIALLY MORE GAINS AND FASTER.

Retaining muscle during off periods

Sometimes life happens, and you either don’t have the time or are just not able to train.

I’ll do about anything during those times to not see my hard-earned muscle wither away like it’s nothing.

Epicatechin might help to save the day here.

This natural compound may help you retain muscle in two ways as explained above.

Firstly, because your muscles get more nutrient and oxygen-rich blood they’re better equipped to survive the period of not training.

Secondly, because Epicatechin inhibits Myostatin, your body will be less tempted to “regulate or suppress” your muscle mass.

Taken both together, you can understand how this might be beneficial.

I have not tried this, because I simply love the gym too much. But there have been many experiences, so I had to include it.

It might be beneficial for a lot of people (and myself too the next time I’m forced to take time off the gym).

Potential increase in testosterone

Epicatechin might boost testosterone levels.

However, this is mainly anecdotally supported by bodybuilders who’ve tried this natural compound.

I’ve not tested my blood while solely supplementing with Epicatechin as I did for my Tongkat Ali review (4 months before and after blood results of testosterone), which you can find here.

Cognitive function

Epicatechin, as explained above, promotes better blood flow in the body.

This blood isn’t exclusively reserved for pumping up the chest and biceps in the gym.

It does go to the brain as well, which may have a positive effect on cognitive ability, such as memory and executive function

Mood

Epicatechin might have a positive effect on well-being.

Better overall well-being means better days.

Better days result in more progress, and progress is what life is all about (in my opinion).

Side effects of Epicatechin

Epicatechin should not cause any (known about) side effects, nor have I experienced any.

Research suggests it’s safe to consume at least 2mg of Epicatechin daily.

However, more research is needed to see up to what dosage Epicatechin is safe to consume, and what side effects could occur.

Your best bet is to always look for high-quality supplements, such as from Nootropics Depot, that contain the listed ingredients.

Also, stick to the recommended dosages and you should be all right.

Price of Epicatechin at Nootropics Depot

Epicatechin from Nootropics Depot is priced at $19.99 for 30 capsules or $49.99 for 90 capsules.

For the latter, this comes out to paying around $0.56 a day for Epicatechin.

Most Epicatechin products are not standardized to such high levels of active ingredients.

Especially in combination with Piperine, which can boost absorption from natural compounds by up to 2000%.

For me, the high quality of Nootropics Depot, and knowing that the listed ingredients are actually in the supplement, are worth it.

So I think the price is reasonable for the benefits I get (especially as a natural).

How do I stack Epicatechin with other supplements?

I stack Nootropics Depot Epicatechin with other Nootropics Depot supplements:

Tongkat Ali

Great for: improving testosterone, increasing strength, a better body composition, better sex life, more energy, and better stress control.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Cistanche Tubulosa

Great for: improving testosterone, increasing strength, a better body composition, more energy, better mood, and improved cognitive abilities (like memory).

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Ashwagandha KSM-66

Great for: improving sleep quality, decreasing anxiety, better stress control, improving testosterone levels/ muscle & strength gains, more energy, and better mood.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Longvida Curcumin

Great for: reducing inflammation, reducing pain, improving cognitive abilities (memory/focus), and potentially a better mood/ faster muscle gains.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Green Tea Extract 45% EGCG

Great for: Improving metabolic function, faster fat loss, better skin, reducing inflammation, and overall health.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Also possible to stack with Horny Goat Weed

Great for: sexual health (mainly improved blood flow to the penile tissue), reducing anxiety, better mood, and possibly improving testosterone/reducing inflammation and pain/ more energy.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Final words and do I recommend Epicatechin?

Nootropics Depot Epicatechin is a high-quality supplement, that contains an optimal dose of epicatechin combined with Piperine to boost absorption.

It’s as good as it gets for an Epicatechin supplement.

The benefits are in my opinion definitely worth the cost, especially because it didn’t have any side effects, nor did the research find any thus far.

Epicatechin improved my workouts, strength, body composition, etc.

It may have played a role in raising testosterone, lifting my mood, and improving my cognitive abilities.

I can recommend it and for me, it’s worth the price.

It will be a part of my supplement stack for many years to come.

If for any reason my view on this changes I’ll come back and edit the article.

If you want to try Nootropics Depot Epicatechin yourself, you can find it by clicking here.

Q/A

Why does Nootropics Depot Epicatechin have Piperine?

Piperine significantly enhances the benefits of Epicatechin, by increasing the absorption by the body.

Some natural compounds, such as Epicatechin are not well absorbed by the body on their own.

Piperine, an alkaloid that can be found in black pepper, is shown to increase nutrient absorption.

It’s therefore very beneficial that Nootropics Depot combines high-quality Epicatechin and Piperine in their Epicatechin supplement.