I'll say that I think Cissus has some noticeable effect for me as well. I have played around with just taking it when I feel beat up and taking it as a preventative measure. I think that for me, I can just take a bit now and again (before I NEED it, but not every day) and still get the benefits.

I will also say that I take the powdered version (take the leaf or root or whatever the hell and dry it out and grind it up) and have no experience with pills. When I take it I think I'm going about 3x the suggested dose for 2-3 days, then I'll lay off for the rest of the week. It works for me, and I can say that taking it after an injury it usually takes a lot of it to make an impact. Maybe ground is less potent? Who knows. I got a metric crap ton of the stuff for cheap and it works. I'm not one to argue. Oh, and powdered... it tastes like ass. Have fun if you go that route. I have to dilute in iced tea. Wouldn't put it in a protein shake. Iced tea seems to blend nicely... you know, all those ground leaves in harmony.