SCI-MX X-PLODE Hardcore Pre Workout Review
SCI-MX X-PLODE Hardcore Pre Workout Review First Look:
I have had a fairly heavy weekend.
A party with my co-workers on Thursday meant Friday was a right off, even after a 2 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon I couldn’t muster the courage to do anything productive weights wise.
Then Saturday was spent decorating my house and accidentally shutting down all of the electrics in my house.
This meant after a day of hard graft I had to have a bath instead of a shower because the shower is electric, it also meant my phone battery was dead, no lights, no internet, no PC absolutely nothing.
You really do not realize how much we depend on it.
The only thing to do was get out of the house and on the booze with my buddies.
Even that didn’t stop us going back to mine boozing it up in the dark once the pub had thrown us out for being to rowdy.
With no power until Sunday evening, the only option again was to hit the pub with the girlfriend.
That means Monday (today) hasn’t been exactly fulfilling nor joyful.
I am about to hit the deadlifts and by God I need a lift. I need a kick up the ass to get me motivated.
Hence why I am typing this for you.
In front of me is a sachet which contains 20g and 10 ingredients. I am promised energy, power and a pump…
If anything I need a red hot poker up my ass if I am going to muster the strength to get in to the gym beneath my living room.
Ingredients:
Arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) – Tests on supplementation draw no real benefit that would not be found from resistance training itself.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21813912
L-Citrulline – This is used as a sports performance and cardiovascular health supplement. L-Citrulline supplementation results in reduced fatigue and improved endurance for both aerobic and anaerobic prolonged exercise.
An increase in growth hormone has been noted with exercise, but not at rest.
L-citrulline boosts nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps your arteries relax and work better, which improves blood flow throughout your body.
Supplementing can help lower blood pressure in people with pre-hypertension.
This is often found in the best pre workouts.
To supplement L-citrulline to enhance sports performance, take 6,000 – 8,000 mg of citrulline malate about an hour before exercise.
https://examine.com/supplements/citrulline/
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/l-citrulline-uses-and-risks#1
Taurine – It has been touted that Taurine can help mental performance.
Early clinical research suggested that taurine, in combination with caffeine, glucuronolactone, and B vitamins, can improve attention and reasoning in adolescents, but does not improve memory.
However, there is insufficient evidence to prove this is always the case.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1024-taurine.aspx?activeingredientid=1024
Beta-alanine – Supplementation of this non essential amino acid aids the production of carnosine. That’s a compound that plays a role in muscle endurance in high-intensity exercise.
That said, studies have not exactly been positive nor entirely conclusive.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1222-beta-alanine.aspx?activeingredientid=1222&activeingredientname=beta-alanine
Caffeine – It stimulates the central nervous system (CNS), heart, muscles, and the centers that control blood pressure to give you an extra boost and hit that PB.
Caffeine Anhydrous is the purest form of caffeine so always look out for it.
This is found in 4 Gauge which is the best pre-workout.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-979-caffeine.aspx?activeingredientid=979
Lysine – It seems to have more effect at treating the spread of Herpes rather than offering any benefit whatsoever for athletic performance.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-237-LYSINE.aspx?activeIngredientId=237&activeIngredientName=LYSINE
Tyrosine – Tyrosine is taken for depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the inability to stay awake (narcolepsy), and improving alertness following sleep deprivation.
It is also used for stress, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS).
Acetyl Tyrosine is a more soluble form of tyrosine.
https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/
Glutamine – It is generally touted as a Muscle Builder, but has not been proven to enhance muscle building in healthy individuals; only those suffering from physical trauma such as burns or muscular wounds (knife wounds) or in disease states in which muscle wasting occurs, such as AIDS.
Taking glutamine by mouth does not seem to improve athletic performance according to studies.
https://examine.com/supplements/glutamine/
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-878-glutamine.aspx?activeingredientid=87
Salt (sodium) – An essential mineral; its consumption is critical to our health. However, Americans plus a lot of Western countries do consume double the recommended daily intake.
Excess sodium may not raise blood pressure, but it is associated with other health issues, such as kidney damage and an increased risk of cognitive decline.
https://examine.com/nutrition/awful-nutrition-myths/
Paullinia Cupana (AKA Guarana) – Studies note that 75mg guarana (9mg caffeine) was able to enhance cognitive scores related to memory and reaction time with a subsequent dose-response study noting that 75mg was more effective than higher (150-300mg) and lower (37.5mg) doses.
https://examine.com/supplements/paullinia-cupana/
Protein – Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a “macronutrient,” meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it.
http://www.webmd.com/men/features/benefits-protein
Glucose Polymers – Glucose is a carbohydrate, and is the most important simple sugar in human metabolism. In oral rehydration solutions GP can be effective, inexpensive, easily used.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2007958
Eleutherococcus Senticosus (Siberian Ginseng) – Whilst there is evidence that this can actually help treat herpes and reduce the severity of cold and flu, there is very little solid evidence to reliably suggest this helps increase testosterone or increase strength.
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/siberian-ginseng
Dose:
The sachet was orange flavor. It tasted more like carrots though and I am not too keen on carrots.
The sachet was 20000mg which compares well to some of the best pre workout supplements we have tried.
Video:
Effects & Benefits:
Salt is required because we lose this vital mineral through perspiration, however, a typical Western diet is laden with lots of salt already.
Citrulline requires 6000mg to be effective at reducing fatigue, increasing endurance and producing more nitric oxide.
Guarana is another ingredient that is dose sensitive. It’s good for cognitive function when dosed at the correct levels.
Therefore, if dosed correctly, this is a great addition to have.
Caffeine is a great and widely popular stimulant that is able to energize, keep us awake, focus and raise the metabolism.
Tyrosine can also help curb sleepiness so you can pick yourself up from the sofa and drive to the gym.
Protein is great for recovery and muscle building, protein isn’t often found in pre workouts and is usually taken straight after your exercise session. However, it is a welcome addition here.
Glucose is a simple sugar and carbohydrate your body can use for energy.
READ: Read about our favorite pre workout that turned me in to a beast on the rugby pitch
How did it feel?
Apart from the slightly odd taste I certainly felt the Beta-Alanine which was making my wrists feel like I had pins and needles.
I did feel a bit more focused and eager to hit the weights.
However, once in the gym I didn’t really feel anymore powerful or pumped.
Negatives:
Taurine is not proven to help when taken orally.
Too much salt isn’t healthy, and, Western diets are laden with salt so you probably get enough in your diet.
Citrulline and Guarana are dose sensitive and neither are dosed correctly in this product by a long shot.
Beta-Alanine isn’t proven to offer any other benefit that make you feel the tingle sensation, I could just tickle my perineum to get that sensation or cat my cat to lick it.
AAKG appears to offer no benefit for resistance training.
Lysine seems to offer more benefit as a remedy for sexually transmitted diseases and Glutamine is better for treating trauma victims than provide and benefit for someone working out.
Not quite content with just one STD treatment Siberian Ginseng has been added which again, like Lysine appears to be better at treating herpes than increase strength or power output.
SCI-MX X-PLODE Hardcore Pre Workout Review Conclusion:
This doesn’t really offer what it promises on the packet from my experience.
Maybe I am just dead inside but I didn’t feel any raw or explosive power. Nothing more than usual anyway.
I felt the tingle of Beta-Alanine initially and a desire to get in to the gym but that soon wore of and while the Caffeine was felt, it was the only thing I felt I was benefiting from and the only ingredient that was being effective.
So while it was okay at first, there are other pre workout supplements which are just way more effective at helping you succeed in the gym.
They include a full list of effective and proven ingredients whereas this offers some decent ingredients but then they’re inadequately dosed and a fair number of ingredients that offer no benefit at all.
Score:
1/5
