My USN Amino ENER-G RTD Pre Workout Review
My USN Amino ENER-G RTD Pre Workout Review First Look:
I am basically a cripple from playing rugby which is basically two weeks ago.
My legs hurt so much I wake up on the dot at 05:30 every morning because of the pain.
That means any trips to the gym are fairly limited, it wasn’t too long ago that my shoulder stopped hurting.
However, last night to make matters worse I had a couple of runs to the shop lined up to buy some furniture for the girlfriend.
I filled the car from one store and quickly headed over to another with the battery on my phone rapidly deteriorating effectively leaving me lost in an area I am unfamiliar with apart form the notoriety surrounding it.
Once I had finished up I headed home and grabbed something to eat and wanted to at least squeeze some shoulders and back workouts in.
So, scurrying around for a sample of pre workout did not yield any positive results, however, I had bought this ready to drink bottle of Amino ENER-G the night before when I was at the grocery store.
With this in mind I headed to the refrigerator and gulped the nice mixed berry flavor drink down.
It was lightly carbonated and just the right consistency, it caused no bloating whatsoever and was refreshing.
Ingredients:
RELATED: We’ve tried and tested the best pre-workout supplement HERE!
Vitamin B6 – Comprising three chemically distinct compounds pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, and pyridoxine, is involved in the regulation of mental function and mood.
Vitamin B6 is also an essential homocysteine re-methylation cofactor, and deficiency is associated with increase in blood homocysteine levels.
Homocysteine is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease and may also have directly toxic effects on neurons of the central nervous system.
Neuropsychiatric disorders including seizures, migraine, chronic pain and depression have been linked to vitamin B6 deficiency.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14584010
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) – Gives you more energy and boost your metabolism, helping you shed unwanted pounds. Ensure you are not deficient in Vitamin B12 so you can do that quick 10 miler at 5am…
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-b12-cobalamin
Niacinamide (Vit B3) – Higher amounts of niacin can improve cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular risks and maybe symptoms for Alzheimer’s . However, the jury is out on these real benefits.
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/924.htm
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.
It is also found in Instant Knockout which is the best fat burner available at present.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-979-caffeine.aspx?activeingredientid=979
Magnesium – Research into magnesium supplementation also increased testosterone production in men.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20352370
Zinc – An aphrodisiac and Testosterone Booster.
Zinc is also very important for the functioning of the enzyme, hormone, and immune systems. In very high doses, zinc can act as an aromatase inhibitor and reduce estrogen levels.
It is also a potent antioxidant and can provide benefits for prostate issues.
https://examine.com/supplements/Zinc/
BCAA – BCAAs (typically a combination of L-Leucine, L-IsoLeucine and L-Valine) play a critical role in muscle development because they are metabolized in the muscle rather than the liver.
Because BCAAs are metabolized in the muscle, they can be used for building new proteins or for energy.
However, Supplementation is not necessary if you eat eggs and meat regularly.
https://examine.com/supplements/branched-chain-amino-acids/
Dose:
1 bottle before training.
This is a combined amount of just over 1400.5mg.
This does not compare well to many of the best pre workout supplements.
It did taste very nice, the consistency was right and I didn’t feel bloated at all.
Benefits & Effects:
Caffeine is a great stimulant that can effect the CNS which controls muscle and heart stimulation.
Tyrosine can help you stay more alert, particularly if you are deprived of sleep.
B12 is great for energy production as well as boosting your metabolism. Often found in fat burners such as Instant Knockout.
B6 can help with energy levels but also prevent the risk of seizures and even depression from a deficiency.
Magnesium will help increase your testosterone levels even if you are not infertile.
Zinc is actually great for raising testosterone levels. High levels of testosterone increase your energy levels not to mention help increase muscle mass and reduce fat levels.
BCAA’s are critical to building muscle.
Ensure that of you are supplementing with BCAA’s that it is part of a stack because taking BCAA’s alone offer very limited benefits. You can read a bit about that, here.
This is also very convenient, no mixing or powders spilling all over your car or house.
How Did It Feel?
As I explain in my video I was looking tired according to my girlfriend. That was not the feedback I wanted to hear nor had anticipated to hear either.
Especially as I had been on some errands, however, the camera doesn’t lie and nor does my girlfriend by the sound of it.
Eitherway, clearly shattered I drank this just before my workout, as planned and while it didn’t offer any surge or aggression or mental performance, it did wake me up and get me through my sets.
Essentially it was like having a couple of strong espresso’s.
Video:
Negatives:
B3 Niacin doesn’t seem to be able to offer the cardiovascular benefits it is renowned for.
It is really under dosed when compared to what I would consider a ‘proper’ pre workout which includes many more ingredients and at higher levels of content.
While it woke me up, it did not offer any additional focus or real energy that I would like from a pre workout.
It certainly didn’t help me hit a new PR.
My USN Amino ENER-G RTD Pre Workout Review Conclusion:
This is okay as a bit of a pick me up, it works well to waken you up if you feel a little sleepy before working out or even at work or driving.
However, while it includes the staples of B vitamins and Caffeine plus the BCAA’s it misses out on other vital ingredients to really give it that edge.
We could also say that it is missing other key ingredients such as:
- Coconut water
- Beet
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Creatine
- Citrulline
- Carnitine
However, overall, the real key marker for me was that it just didn’t feel like it offered any surge of power, energy or aggression.
It was also under dosed.
Okay, this is convenient, but there is a better product than this that will get you fired up and cause hell in your chosen sport.
Score:
2/5
