VMI Sports TRAIN Energy Catalyst Pre Workout Review
VMI Sports TRAIN Energy Catalyst Pre Workout Review First Look:
I did something scandalous and downright atrocious today.
It went against my very own set of beliefs.
I decided to take my bicycle out for a spin.
Yep, about 10 miles round trip on a bicycle, putting my cardiovascular system through its paces and to previously never reached nor wanted heights.
So, 10 miles later, 2 flies in my eyeballs and 1 in my mouth I am sat in front of my PC with exhausted legs eating toast. I feel knackered. It is hard to believe I used to cycle over 100 miles per week and still be deadlifting 500lbs week in week out.
I guess that is the beauty of youth, and even though I am only 5 years older it certainly seems to have made a difference, then again, it is probably just a mental barrier I need to overcome.
I plan in the near future to cycle at least 12 miles per day when I move house much closer to work and this will hopefully start to build up my cardio fitness.
If I am honest, having the ability to run up 3 flights of stairs and not be panting like a dog in a hot car will feel amazing, and so will seeing more of my abs.
Vanity aside, because I went out last night for dinner after a long week and having a bottle of Pino Grigio I felt tired and a bit rough around the edges.
Therefore, before my bike ride I wanted to take something that would give me a kick up the ass that I needed and straighten me out.
In comes VMI Sports TRAIN. I mixed this up just before making a few adjustments to my bike and hit the trails.
As the sachet said, I was expecting Pump, Focus and Energy.
Ingredients:
Dendrobium – Now becoming a popular stimulant found in pre-workout supplements. However, the effects have not been studied in people so it is all a bit of an unknown.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1263-dendrobium.aspx?activeingredientid=1263&activeingredientname=dendrobium
Dicaffeine Malate – Caffeine and Malic Acid bonded. Malic acid is found in apples and the two combined help prevent the crash once the caffeine has worn off. This is found in Mr. Hyde Cutz but very little in terms of scientific studies to be found.
B-phenylethylamine hcl – Used for treating depression and increasing athletic performance. No evidence to substantiate these claims.
Limited supplemental usage due to being rapidly broken down into inactive components.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1274-PHENETHYLAMINE.aspx?activeIngredientId=1274&activeIngredientName=PHENETHYLAMINE
Chloride – Chloride Ion is a chlorine anion that forms the negatively charged part of certain salts, including sodium and hydrogen chloride salts, and is an essential electrolyte located in all body fluids responsible for maintaining acid/base balance, transmitting nerve impulses and regulating fluid in and out of cells.
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/chloride
Phosphorus – Higher serum phosphorus levels are associated with cardiovascular disease. It is unknown if sex hormones associate with phosphorus levels in humans.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3787687/
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, but it will only raise testosterone levels if the user is deficient in zinc.
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/
Calcium – Results show that training results in increased testosterone levels in athletes and that the increase is greater if accompanied by calcium supplementation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19099204
Potassium – Potassium levels change with sodium levels to keep muscles working properly throughout your body, especially your heart.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/potassium-directory
Salt (sodium) – An essential mineral; its consumption is critical to our health. However, Americans 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/
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
Agmatine – Agmatine is a metabolite of L-Arginine. It shows promise for alleviating neuropathic pain and drug addiction. Agmatine supplementation can also protect from strokes and benefit cognitive health.
https://examine.com/supplements/agmatine
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 been small and not entirely conclusive.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1222-beta-alanine.aspx?activeingredientid=1222&activeingredientname=beta-alanine
Beta Alanine does give many users that tingly/itchy feeling. Some love it, others hate it.
I think it is best described at Chillblains – i.e when you go in to a warm room after your hands have been exposed to the cold and they start to feel itchy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3491570/
Betaine (trimethylglycine) – Betaine has been recommended as a performance enhancing compound, although with quite unreliable results.
When taken at 1.25g twice daily, betaine has at times been linked to increased power output (only to fail in other instances) and minor increases in workout volume and endurance (a bit more reliable than power output, but still not a consensus).
https://examine.com/supplements/trimethylglycine/
Higenamine – Data shows an increase in energy expenditure and kilocalorie expenditure. It also results in a moderate increase in heart rate and systolic blood pressure similar to caffeine.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24139127
Picamilon (nicotinyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid, nicotinyl-GAB, pikatropin, pikamilon) – Picamilon is used as a prescription drug in Russia for a variety of neurological conditions. It is not approved as a drug in the U.S.
https://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/ProductsIngredients/ucm472881.htm
It is used for promoting lean muscle growth, burning fat, stabilizing blood pressure, and relieving pain.
No real evidence to prove it does though.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-464-GABA%20GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC%20ACID.aspx?activeIngredientId=464&activeIngredientName=GABA%20GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC%20ACID
Dose:
1 sachet with water which is 8200mg.
This is not competitive compared to the best pre workout supplements that offer around twice as much.
My sachet came in grape cooler flavor which turned out to be really nice. The consistency was a bit watery which is to be expected with a low dose.
I chugged it back with vigor though.
Effects:
Potassium and salt keep your muscles working effectively. Potassium can help prevent cramp and you need to replenish your sodium levels when you’ve been sweating a lot.
Chloride is good for maintaining acid/base balance, transmitting nerve impulses and regulating fluid in and out of cells.
Magnesium, Zinc and Calcium can all increase testosterone levels, if used continuously when found in a testosterone booster your overall body composition and performance will be improved.
Agmatine offers a double whammy of benefits by helping cognition and helping prevent that stroke you maybe concerned of when suffering from those heart palpitations after drinking the combined strength of 8 coffee’s.
Caffiene is a great stimulantand often found in pre workouts and fat burners due to its thermogenic effects.
Beatine offers mixed results but it does seem to increase power output.
Higenamine is often found in fat burners due to increasing fat oxidization and increasing energy expenditure.
Beta-Alanine provides you with a tingly sensation all over which makes you think that the supplement is working and feels like you have energy coursing through your veins.
However, there is no proof of improved athleticism and it almost acts as a trick to fool you in to thinking it is working.
So how did it feel?
Not a lot happened.
This is probably down to the low overall dose.
I didn’t feel energized, focused or pumped.
It just felt like I had a nice tasting soft beverage at all. It didn’t straighten me out, nor get me wanting to hit the trails anymore than beforehand.
And also the proprietary blend is most likely hiding the actual low content offered of each ingredient included within that blend. This is the problem with proprietary blends.
Check out my thoughts on the video below.
READ: Read about our favorite pre workout that turned me in to a beast on the rugby pitch
Video:
Negatives:
5 of the 16 ingredients do not offer any proven benefit.
That means it is only 69% effective for our workout needs.
So, its a pass on that Major of yours but it isn’t great or the best offering out there, so what bother with something that is only three quarters effective?
Most worryingly though is that 1 of the ingredients isn’t approved by the FDA as a dietary ingredient…those pesky Ruskies approve it as a drug though. I’m puzzled as to why though because there is no evidence suggesting it promotes lean muscle growth, burning fat, stabilizing blood pressure, or relieving pain
Beta-Alanine is a bit of a bugbear of mine as so many pre workouts include it, but only for it’s ability to make you think something is happening.
It makes you think you are turning in to a super hero when all you are getting is pins and needles, you can sit on you arm for 15 minutes and get the same result.
This also consists of a proprietary blend as well, be damned!
B-phenylethylamine hcl, Dendrobium, Dicaffeine Malate just have no body of evidence behind them to be effective at all.
Alarmingly higher serum phosphorus levels are associated with cardiovascular disease…not good.
VMI Sports TRAIN Energy Catalyst Pre Workout Review Conclusion:
This offers a wealth of ingredients with much of those included ingredients being theoretically effective and beneficial to us to help power though a workout, or just a bike ride when hungover.
However, when dosed so low and trying to squeeze in so many ingredients in a small amount the effectiveness is going to suffer.
It’s a bit like a jack of trades, master of none. This is particularly relevant to this pre workout.
Lots going on, but neither done to the maximum potential.
As a result, I felt no benefit whatsoever, nor do I see any benefit to buying this over something else that may have a lower ingredient profile but if all of those ingredients are adequately dosed and proven to work, it becomes a no brainer to use that instead.
Try one of these we have picked out for being the most effective.
Score:
0/5
