In the Mix - A NuLiv Science Podcast

Melting Forest moves roughly 10,000 cans a day with a team of fewer than 10 people.

Sean McDonald, founder and CEO, and Nancy Pineda, who runs operations, joined Richard Wang on In the Mix with NuLiv Science to explain how that actually works. We covered the parts most founder interviews skip: what velocity a grocery shelf really demands, why they added cost to the can instead of cutting it, and how a full-spectrum cordyceps ends up dispersed in a beverage instead of sitting at the bottom.

Melting Forest is a food-based functional beverage brand now in just under 8,000 stores, including Target, Sprouts, multiple Kroger divisions, Ralphs, Stater Bros, Bristol Farms, and World Market, with a recent launch in Canada.

In this episode:

Putting unapproved prototype cans on a Bristol Farms shelf to watch shoppers react

Why the mushroom branding scared off national buyers, and why that was the point

The real velocity bar for an RTD: three to six units per store per week

Fail fast, and why 20 strong stores beat 2,000 weak ones

Solving mushroom solubility instead of hiding behind extract ratios

Cordyceps at 20 microns, caffeine held at 150mg

Why Senactiv® was formulated for truck drivers and warehouse workers, not athletes

Glow Up: 15g collagen, 5g fiber, no caffeine, and why it isn't sold as a protein drink

FODMAP certified fiber, and the cost of not bloating your customer

How Astrion® made the cut, and why supply reliability decided it

Saying no when a national retailer wants to change your formula

Robik Samborsky built Apollon Nutrition without a website, without distribution, and without ever meaning to start a supplement brand. It began as a smoothie bar in his New Jersey gym. Fifteen years later, it's a multiple-time Brand of the Year winner.

In this conversation with the NuLiv Science team, Robik talks through his path from immigrating to the US to buying Apollon Gym on a shoestring, why he's turned down chasing mainstream retail, how he thinks about athlete loyalty and long-term trust, and where he sees the supplement industry heading.

This conversation includes personal experiences and opinions shared for discussion purposes. NuLiv Science does not promote or endorse the use of unregulated products. 

What does it actually take to build a supplement line worthy of a 60-year legacy? 

Kenny Carter, Director of Product Innovation at Gold's Gym, breaks down the full 

formulation philosophy behind the Gold's Gym supplement line — from why citrulline is dosed at 8g, to why creatine belongs in a gummy instead of a pre-workout, to the role AstraGin® plays in making every other ingredient work harder.

In this episode, Kenny covers:

→ The "gold, silver, bronze" dosing framework — and what most brands get wrong

→ Why AstraGin® is in the pre-workout (and why most brands skip gut health entirely)

→ The creatine gummy: why it exists, and the pH-stable pectin process behind it

→ Natural caffeine vs. synthetic — and what it means for how you feel mid-workout

→ The "less is more" philosophy for younger athletes

→ Where the Gold's Gym supplement line is headed: RTDs, protein snacks, hydration

→ What it was like to walk into the Mecca for the first time — and never leave

Kenny trained at Gold's Gym Venice Beach for a decade before moving into product development. He's been formulating for science-first sports nutrition brands ever since. This conversation goes deep on what separates ingredients that belong on a label from ones that actually move the needle.

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NuLiv Science is the maker of AstraGin® — a patented ingredient derived from 

Panax notoginseng and Astragalus membranaceus, shown to support amino acid 

absorption in the gut. Learn more at nulivscience.com.

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Chapters:

0:00 Intro & flavor tasting

2:15 Rapid fire: fitness questions with Kenny

9:00 Gold's Gym Venice — The Mecca experience

18:45 From personal trainer to Director of Product Innovation

26:00 The clinical dosing framework: gold, silver, bronze

33:30 Why AstraGin® is in the pre-workout

38:00 Creatine gummies: the science and the manufacturing challenge

46:00 Natural caffeine and the "no crash" design goal

52:00 Younger athletes and the "less is more" philosophy

58:30 RTDs, format expansion, and what's next for Gold's Gym

1:04:00 The genesis: "How could this fail?"

In this episode, we dive deep into the supplement industry with Drew Peters, a powerhouse in the world of sports nutrition and health optimization. Drawing from his extensive expertise, Drew shares the "ugly side" of the supplement business, his personal protocol for staying lean at 50, and the secrets behind formulating the perfect pre-workout.

Meet our Guest:

Drew Peters is a renowned industry figurehead and formulator holding several key roles:

• Owner of VG Nutraceuticals
• Chief Science Officer for Vital Source Nutrition, Beast Bites, and Zenos Health
• Expert Consultant for global brands like Dragon Pharma
  
  

What You’ll Learn:

The "Three-Prong" Pump Strategy: Why most pre-workouts fail by only targeting one pathway and how to maximize vasodilation, muscle fullness, and nitric oxide retention

Gummy Science vs. Marketing: The massive manufacturing hurdles of putting clinical doses into gummies and why stability is a "slurry" nightmare.

Longevity at 65: Why Drew maintains 11–12% body fat year-round and his "desert island" list of essential supplements: Creatine, NMN, and high-grade Curcumin.

The Business Trap: Why 99% of brands fail within 24 months due to cash flow, scaling struggles, and the impact of private equity on brand culture.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to scale a brand or a fitness enthusiast wanting to optimize your protocol, this conversation is packed with "behind the scenes" insights you won't find anywhere else.

We sit down with Jason Budsock, VP of Product at Animal, at their headquarters in New Jersey, to discuss the science and strategy behind some of the most iconic supplements in the industry.

In this podcast:

1. The Smarties Collaboration: Discover how two family-owned New Jersey businesses—Animal and Smarties—partnered to create an authentic, sugar-free creatine chew that mirrors the classic candy's flavor profile.
2. Supplement Formulation: Jason explains the mindset behind developing a formula, balancing the needs of the consumer with retail stakeholders and scientific efficacy.
3. Optimizing the Flagship: Learn why Animal continues to optimize its 40-year-old flagship product, the Animal Pack, to stay on top of the latest trends and science.
4. Daily Supplement Staples: Jason shares his personal non-negotiable supplements, including creatine (20g daily split), Animal Pack, and pre-workouts like Animal Fury.
5. The Future of Animal: A sneak peek into upcoming formats and the new Animal/Universal building and gym opening soon.

This video features a wide-ranging conversation with supplement industry veteran Marc Lobliner, covering everything from the science of performance to the realities of entrepreneurship and the state of global leadership.

A central theme is the concept of "1 + 1 = 3," where specific ingredients like goBHB, creatine, and Astragin can work together to provide benefits for cognition, heart health, and muscle preservation that exceed their individual effects.

The conversation explores how global politics and trade regulations directly impact the supplement industry, from the sourcing of containers to the availability and price of high-quality ingredients like creatine.

Watch the full conversation and read more on the blog here: https://nulivscience.com/creatine-gobhb-supplement-synergy/

In this episode, we sit down with Sarvar Nazir, the visionary founder of  @ProxEnergy , to discuss how he is revolutionizing the functional beverage market with the world's first true "hybrid" drink.

Sarvar shares the incredible journey of how he went from prototyping formulas in his truck and garage with a SodaStream to launching a professional-grade carbonated protein energy drink. We dive deep into the science behind the formula, including the use of 20 grams of protein and premium ingredients like Senactiv and Alpha-GPC to provide clean, jitter-free energy.

For the full breakdown of the conversation and FAQs, read the blog here: https://nulivscience.com/why-prox-is-the-new-standard-for-hybrid-performance-drinks/

In this podcast episode, we sit down with Tito, Matt, and Emma from CleverPro to explore metabolic health, and muscle preservation.

We discuss the "GLP-1 Catch-22"—the risk of losing critical muscle and bone mass instead of fat—and how metabolic-first formulations like Carbivore and Heatwave work to bridge this gap. The conversation also covers the importance of insulin sensitivity, the role of mTor in building muscle while burning fat, and how clinically studied ingredients like InnoSlim® are used to optimize carb breakdown and appetite suppression.

🎧 Listen to the full episode to learn why metabolic-first performance is the key to healthy aging and elite wellness.

In this episode, we sit down with the co-founders of Juna, Jewel Zimmer and Taylor Lamb, a Southern California wellness brand redefining what science-backed supplements should look like for women. We explore how metabolic health, blood sugar balance, sleep quality, and brain function are shaping modern women’s wellness.

We discuss why metabolism goes beyond weight loss, the role of glucose regulation and AMPK, and how clinically studied ingredients like InnoSlim® are used in formulations such as Juna’s Smart Burn. The conversation also covers sleep quality, recovery, and how Juna’s Nightcap is designed to support relaxation and restorative sleep without next-day grogginess.

The conversation dives into:

• How metabolic dysfunction affects energy, focus, sleep, and brain health
• Why women’s biology requires a different approach to metabolism and fat loss
• The role of AMPK, the body’s master metabolic switch
• Why stimulant-heavy fat burners often work against women’s health
• How clinically studied, plant-based ingredients like InnoSlim® support glucose balance and metabolic efficiency
• The connection between deep sleep, brain detoxification, and next-day mental clarity
• Why modern consumers are demanding transparency, testing, and real science in supplements

This episode highlights a major shift in wellness: moving away from quick fixes and toward metabolic-first health strategies that support both the body and the brain.

Whether you’re a formulator, brand founder, health professional, or wellness enthusiast, this conversation offers a science-forward look at where women’s health, metabolism, and cognitive wellness are headed next.

🎧 Watch the full episode to learn why metabolic-first wellness is redefining women’s health: https://youtu.be/-W_nTmHYF-M

Pet gut health affects far more than digestion. It plays a critical role in nutrient absorption, immune balance, behavior, and long-term wellness in dogs and cats.

In this episode, we break down why modern pet nutrition is shifting toward a gut-first approach and how supporting digestion and absorption can help pets get more value from the nutrition they already consume.

We also discuss how absorption science, commonly studied in human nutrition, has influenced modern thinking around pet formulation, including insights from ingredients like AstraGin®, which was developed to support nutrient absorption and gut integrity.

This conversation focuses on perspectives from Fera Pets, a vet-founded brand focused on evidence-based, gut-forward pet nutrition, and NuLiv Science, an ingredient innovation company specializing in absorption and gut health research.

🔗 Learn more about Fera Pets: https://ferapets.com
🔗 Learn more about AstraGin®: https://nulivscience.com/astragin/

Read the full blog on how the gut is the control center of pet health: https://nulivscience.com/the-gut-is-the-control-center-of-pet-health/

If you’re a pet parent, formulator, or brand interested in the future of pet wellness, this episode will change how you think about supplements.