T E S T O S T E R O N E J U N K I E

BSN N.O.-XPLODE Pre Workout Igniter Review First Look:

Today and yesterday has been a hangover hell.

The rugby tour was excellent fun and constant drinking from breakfast until whenever we passed out which in my case was naked laying face down having not paid a taxi driver…whoops. Don’t worry, he was paid in the end.

Either way I have tried a number of pre workouts which worked really well to help get relieve the intense headache and feeling of doom I so often feel after hitting the sauce.

So, having got home from work today I quickly prepared some food having eaten a Subway for breakfast and a KFC for lunch.

Today was going to have to just be a full on cheat.

However, considering the amount of Guinness, Baileys and Tia Maria I had drunk over the previous few days I guess it would barely touch the sides anyway.

So eager to get the endorphin’s racing I drank the hideous smelling green apple flavored powder from BSN and walked the few yards in to my gym.

Why did I pick BSN N.O Xplode?

Well BSN is a huge brand, their metallic red sachet is instantly recognizable and the first ever pre workout i tried about 8 years ago was also from BSN.

I also tried their X.E. Edge pre workout not too long ago which was a good product.

This also has a fuck load of ingredients.

Ingredients:

Vitamin D – D3 is a great Testosterone boosting vitamin that must be taken advantage of to trigger further production of Testosterone in your body.

However, there are two types of Vitamin D. There’s calciferol (vitamin D₂) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃) – we are only interested in cholecalciferol which is D3; this is the type our skin synthesizes from the sun and becomes a hormone which results in the increases in our testosterone.

Research by the US Library of Medicine has shown that testosterone productions are increased with Vitamin D3 supplementation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3712348/

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) – Thiamine is required by our bodies to properly use carbohydrates.

Some research suggests that taking thiamine together with pantethine and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) does not improve muscle strength or endurance in athletes.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-965-thiamine%20vitamin%20b1.aspx?activeingredientid=965&activeingredientname=thiamine%20vitamin%20b1

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

Vitamin B6 – Using it in its most natural form, pyridoxine, B6 is an essential nutrient to raising the body’s metabolism and aiding the fat burning process.

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

Folic Acid (Vit. B9) – There’s many benefits of Folic Acid, treating kidney problems is one of them. Folic acid can also help produce more testosterone along with B12 but also necessary to form red blood cells and is also necessary in the formation of DNA.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1017-folic%20acid.aspx?activeingredientid=1017&

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

Magnesium – Research into magnesium supplementation also increased testosterone production in men.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20352370

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – Pantothenic acid, as with other B vitamins are able to convert your food in to energy.

They’re also able to help you body use fats and proteins effectively, notwithstanding the creation of red bllod cells which carry oxygen to your muscles.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid

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/

Calcium – Results show that training results in increased testosterone levels in athletes and that the increase is greater if accompanied by calcium supplementation.

However, calcium supplements are also known to increase artery plaque which in the long term can cause cardiovascular problems.

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 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/

Creatine – A well regarded supplement overall!

Supplementation increases creatine storage and promotes a faster regeneration of adenosine triphosphate between high intensity exercises.

These improved outcomes will increase performance and promote greater training adaptations.

There are many alternative forms of creatine, however, none are more effective than the basic creatine monohydrate be it in tablet, chew or powder form. There’s really no need to spend any more money than what is required.

http://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-9-33

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/creatine.html

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

Calcium Phosphate – It is necessary for normal functioning of nerves, cells, muscle, and bone. However, in this form it can cause upset stomach or constipation.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-159847-139/calcium-phosphate-dibasic-825-mg-calcium-2-8-gram-powder/details#side-effects

Sodium Phosphate – Involved in cell structure, energy transport and storage, vitamin function, and numerous other processes essential to health.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-735-phosphate%20salts.aspx?activeingredientid=735&activeingredientname=phosphate%20salts

AstraGin – It is a 100% natural food ingredient that has shown in cell, animal, and human studies to support the absorption of many essential life supporting and health promoting nutrients, such as amino acids, glucose, and vitamins into human cells.

• Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) – Supplementation can provide a variety of health benefits, but may not actually prolong lifespan. It has a low bioavailability, meaning it doesn’t circulate well through the body after being ingested.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/astragalus

• Panax Notoginseng –  An important herbal medicine for cardiovascular protection; nevertheless, it could also be used as an anti-hypertensive agent on the basis of clinical experience.

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/204840/

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

Potassium Bicarbonate – Our body needs potassium in the blood to help with the correct operation of the cells, kidneys, heart, muscles and the nerves.

It can cause an upset stomach, puking, wind and even diarrhea.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6857-8058/potassium-bicarbonate-tablet-effervescent/details#side-effects

Sodium bicarbonate – Used to treat and reduce stomach acid which may be causing discomfort.

It can cause bloating of the stomach and wind.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-11325-4123/sodium-bicarbonate/details#side-effects

Magnesium Oxide – You can lose too much magnesium from losing too much fluid be this from heavy vomiting, diarrhea or even if your diet is not up to scratch.

You need magnesium for normal operation of cells, bones and organs.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3954-5106/magnesium-oxide/details#uses

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/

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

Grapefruit – Appears to be effective at reducing fat mass when a mixture of polyphenols are used, and may work nicely with Caffeine.

https://examine.com/supplements/grapefruit/

Caffeine Pterostilbene Cocrystal – Co-crystals enjoyed six times more solubility than pure Pterostilbene compound in studies.  Solubility has improved, as well as dissolution rate, bioavailability and hygroscopicity.

http://journal.library.iisc.ernet.in/index.php/iisc/article/viewFile/4454/4625

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 prehypertension.

This is often found in the best pre workouts.

https://examine.com/supplements/citrulline/

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/l-citrulline-uses-and-risks#1

Danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza) – Used for blood circulation problems but there are not scientific studies able to proof this.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-931-danshen.aspx?activeingredientid=931&activeingredientname=danshen

Grape Seed Extract (Vitis Vinifera) – Grapes, or the chemicals within them, especially oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs), have been touted as powerful antioxidants yet in humans there is a real lack of clear evidence that there are any real benefits.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/grape-seed

Phyllanthus Emblica (Officinalis) – There is not enough evidence to recommend Emblica for any particular purpose, it appears to possess a wide spectrum of potential benefits that require further research and may contribute to general well being and longevity.

https://examine.com/supplements/emblica-officinalis/

Hawthorn – This can be potentially used for to help improve mild heart failure symptoms, however, some studies also say the contrary.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-527-HAWTHORN.aspx?activeIngredientId=527&activeIngredientName=HAWTHORN&source=2

Folate – Being low on folate means you are unable to absorb nutrients properly from the bowel.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1017-Folate+FOLIC+ACID.aspx?activeIngredientId=1017&activeIngredientName=Folate+(FOLIC+ACID)&source=2

Dimethylaminoethanol DMAE – This compound can help with cognitive impairment, however, results from studies are a bit patchy. This is not classified for use as a food additive in the USA. Has been marketed as DEANOL.

https://examine.com/supplements/dmae/

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

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – Higher amounts of niacin can improve cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular risks. However, the jury is out on these real benefits.

https://examine.com/supplements/vitamin-b3/

Calcium Panthothenate – The calcium salt of the water soluble vitamin B5 which is necessary for metabolic functions and is a growth factor. It is responsible for steroid synthesis.

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/calcium_pantothenate#section=Top

Toothed Clubmoss (Devil’s Ash, Devil’s Claw, Ground Pine) – Traditionally used for memory improvement and cognition.

https://examine.com/supplements/clubmoss

Dose:

1 sachet with water was 20g which is a massive amount.

20g is much more than most pre workout formulas but the taste was horrendous, it was hard for me to drink it without holding my nose.

Do not for the love of God or Lucifer pick the green apple flavor.

Effects & Benefits:

What we have here is essentially a big old sachet of soluble multi vitamins, which is many respects is great.

A lot of these ingredients are required for health bodily function, which is not at all bad, lets face it. I guess this is the sort of thing astronauts may receive to ensure their body at least has the nutrients required to operate when a farm isn’t on hand to cultivate food.

So what is good?

It is good to see D3, B6, B1, B12, B9, B5, Magnesium, Sodium (to an extent) and Potassium.

Strangely much of the population does seem to be deficient in D3, Magnesium and I particularly like the addition of Potassium because when you are playing sport of working out it can help prevent muscle cramps.  Cramp is horrendous when I am playing rugby.

There’s also a lot of benefit gained from Creatine which is commonly found in any supplement looking to build muscle and increase strength, if not overall performance.

This is the same with Caffeine, it’s an extremely popular stimulant that can help people focus and give them energy which can help users wake up if they’re feeling tired and lackadaisical.

Folate is also good for ensuring that you can absorb the nutrients from your bowel.

Citrulline is found in the best pre workout we have tried called 4 Gauge, Citrulline can help reduce fatigue and increase as well as maintain performance.

When you lose lots of fluid from extreme exercise or when in a hot environment it is good to have Magnesium Oxide available as this can help replenish the Magnesium required for healthy operation of cells, your bones and organs.

Sodium phosphate ensures that a lot of functions are working effectively that are vital to health.

Panax Notoginseng is good for cardiovascular health, in bouts of physical exercise this needs to be in tip top health.

Grapefruit is sometimes found in fat burners (you can see the best ones here) as it is useful for burning fat according to studies.

Calcium Panthothenate helps natural steroid (human growth hormone) synthesis.

Clubbed Toothmoss is something often found in nootropics due to its cognitive benefits.

So how did it feel?

Considering the absolute plethora of ingredients I just did not feel any benefit or effects for that matter. I felt nothing.

I was really surprised by this considering the X.E Edge version was really quite good and scored a respectable 4 stars.

Apart from the taste and the smell which was making me gag they were the only notably points.

So, okay a lot of the ingredients included are about helping your body function properly by getting the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins which is all well and good, but you can get that in a much cheaper multi-vitamin.

Plus, I want to feel like a stabbed rat when I have a pre workout and that is what was missing.

Check out my thoughts in the video below.

READ: Read about our favorite pre workout that turned me in to a beast on the rugby pitch

Video:

Negatives:

Creatine to be effective needs regular and consistent dosing…usually if I am using creatine I would cycle it everyday for 4 weeks.

With Beta-Alanine it normally produces a tingling sensation which I didn’t feel at all. Other than this sensation the benefits are yet to be confirmed.

There’s also quite a few ingredients that can cause nausea, bloating, wind and even diarrhea and I can confirm I definitely felt bloated and was farting something chronic in my gym which wasn’t pleasant.

Then there’s the calcium, while beneficial in many respects; supplementation, not drinking milk or dairy products can cause artery plaque.

Sodium is vital so replacing lost salts when we sweat is necessary but many of us have too much salt in our diets, consuming more will not help.

Creatine is good if it is used consistently and continuously to reap the benefits.

Astralagus happens to be very poor bio-availability wise which means we will not see much in the way of effects.

Then there’s  number of ingredients that just have no conclusive studies to prove their touted benefits, these are:

1. Taurine
2. Beta-alanine
3. Dashen
4. Grape extract
5. Hawthorn
6. DMAE
7. B-phenylethylamine
8. Phyllanthus Emblica

That’s a whole host of problems right there which is disappointing considering how well established BSN is and, how good some of their other products are and how much resources they must have for research and development.

It must be said that this consists of a proprietary blend.

This could be the reason why I felt no effect whatsoever yet the supplement contains a wealth of ingredients.

A proprietary blend is a scam, basically.

It means that a company such as BSN can hide all of the included ingredients behind a blend and not disclose how much of each ingredient is actually included.

This means they can just include trace amounts…which could explain why I didn’t feel anything.

It seems they have taken a ‘caution to the wind’ approach to the development of this pre workout.

BSN N.O.-XPLODE Pre Workout Igniter Review Conclusion:

There’s a hell of a lot of ingredients in this pre workout.

However, I do feel much of this could be covered by a multi-vitamin or just by eating correct, nutritious foods which you should already be doing if you are looking to increase your musculature, or overall fitness.

Therefore, many of those ingredients are just not required and could be omitted.

As already mentioned, I want a pre workout to send me spazzy in the gym and rip it up full of energy, power and gusto…that is their purpose not pick up the pieces because I’ve been eating Pop Tarts all day.

“Alas! there’s loads of other ingredients” you cry.

Yes, there are and in fact the sachet and the dose is big, full of almost every ingredient and mineral you can imagine.

However, it is clear to the extent of the minimal research put in to this product because for one, I didn’t feel a thing.

Secondly they included ingredients that can cause stomach discomfort, which they did.

Thirdly 8 ingredients have no conclusive studies proving they are effective.

This really was not what I was expecting, I, as I am sure you do to, just want a safe, effective pre workout that will help you focus and provide more energy to hit that PB or just even get you in the right frame of mind, drag yourself from the sofa after a long day and do some exercise.

This seems to fail of all of those points. As a result, I would buy one of these pre workouts and forget even considering this.