Grenade .50 Calibre Pre Workout Devastator Review

Ben BA(Hons), PGCert

Contents show

Grenade .50 Calibre Pre Workout First Look:

With the picture of a .50 cal bullet on the sachet which has reeked so much havoc across Iraq and Afghanistan it is not hard to see that this product means business.

Great fonts, design and overall visual experience means that this sticks out a mile and you hear people talk about products from Grenade as if they are actually that, a grenade and they must be used carefully.

Bottom line is that it’s just marketing, but it seems to be working.

So I gleefully threw the powder in my drink like it was MDMA and gulped the fucker back in hope of some urgency as I pondered hitting the gym at 10pm.

I have already found the best Pre-Workout formula I have ever come across which I use for rugby and I just wanted to try something else to see if it would compare especially as I was feeling shattered.

Ingredients:

RELATED: We’ve tried and tested the best pre-workout supplement HERE!

Sodium – There are mechanisms in place for sodium bicarbonate to be a fat-burning agent (it increases ketone production and lipolysis and causes a minor increase in metabolic rate), but these have not yet been linked to actual weight loss in trials.

https://examine.com/supplements/sodium-bicarbonate/

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

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

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

Creatine – A well regarded supplement.

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.

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

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

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.

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

L-Arginine – This is found in many pre workout supplements or products designed to make you more vascular.

L-Arginine opens up the blood vessels and arteries to assist with blood flowwhich carries more oxygen to the muscles.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-875-l-arginine.aspx?activeingredientid=875&

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&

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.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.

American Ginseng – Preliminary studies suggest that American ginseng may improve cognition. More research is needed.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/american-ginseng

Glycerol – Seems to be most effective when administered rectally (in your ass) as a laxative.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-4-glycerol.aspx?activeingredientid=4&

Beta Vulgaris (Beet) – Beet can also increase nitric oxide in the body. This chemical can dialate blood vessels and was popular with athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

This is found in my favorite pre workout.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-306-beet.aspx?activeingredientid=306&activeingredientname=beet

Glucuronolactone – Studies suggest no significant contribution towards energy.

https://examine.com/supplements/glucuronolactone/

Cocoa Bean Extract (Theobroma) – Studies show that in conjunction with a controlled diet, cocoa bean extract may play a role in body weight management.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3113527/

Green Tea – well known to have many powerful health benefits. Clinical studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat.

One study found that the combination of green tea and caffeine improved weight loss and maintenance in people who were overweight and moderately obese.

Some researchers think that substances in green tea known as catechins are responsible for the herb’s fat-burning effect. Green tea extract is found in many a good fat burning supplement.

http://news.psu.edu/story/310179/2014/04/02/research/research-suggests-green-tea-exercise-boost-weight-loss-health

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).

https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/

Bitter Orange (Citrus Aurantium) – At present, Citrus aurantium may be the best thermogenic substitute for ephedra.

However, more studies are needed to establish this definitively.

Bitter orange is possibly unsafe when taken as a supplement for a medical purpose such as weight loss.

Bitter orange, particularly when taken with stimulants such as caffeine or caffeine-containing herbs, increases the risk for high blood pressure, fainting, heart attack, stroke, and other severe side effects.

There are reports that bitter orange can trigger headaches, including migraine and cluster headaches, in some people.

Bitter orange can cause sensitivity to the sun. Wear sunblock outside, especially if you are light-skinned.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12939122

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/grp/2011/382852/

Branch Chain Amino Acids – 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:

We are told to have 1 serving which works out at just over 11g.

However, I went mental and had 2 servings. Yes, I double dropped like a techno producer.

The taste was Lemon Raid and was very pleasant, in fact I loved it.

Smash it 30 minutes prior to training and expect everything.

Effects:

Feeling absolutely shattered after a long day the prospect of hitting the gym did not appeal whatsoever.

In fact, even taking this supplement didn’t appeal.

However, I pulled my shirt sleeves up, ripped the double serving sachet open and mixed it with water then drank it with purpose…

Needless to say the tiredness wore off pretty quickly, in fact I felt like I was ‘coming up’ on pills.

The sudden rush caught me a little off hand and I made my way all 3 steps from my house to my gym and started off with some squats.

My strength was good and it felt like I was on to a winner.

There was even a bit of a buzz or tingly feeling which I had only experienced with 4 Gauge.

Alas, as quick as I was forced into feeling like a new born, it wore off.

It literally felt like it lasted 15 minutes and my real power seemed to tail off toward the end of my session.

This could be because there’s a lower dose of Beet and Citrulline with the Grenade product.

Negatives:

What felt good at first ran out of gas far too quickly.

I couldn’t get my head around it.

Now, it is not to say it was entirely bad, there was a definite buzz, my drowsiness had subsided enough to launch myself in to doing squats in the gym but the longevity wasn’t there to keep up the momentum for a solid hour workout.

There’s also a fair few ingredients that are not really proven to offer any benefit plus some of the good ingredients are under dosed compared to the best.

Then there’s bitter orange. When this is taken in combination with Caffeine as with this supplement it can potentially cause heart problems.

Surprisingly I didn’t shit everywhere when I did my squats considering this has Glycerol which acts as a laxative.