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

My OLIMP Sports Nutrition AMOK Mega Capsules Pre Workout Review First Look:

It is late on Monday evening.

I have done a full day at work, I have cycled home, I was lifting yesterday afternoon and I generally feel a bit tired.

I stayed at my girlfriends house until late so didn’t get to bed until about 00:30 and I think it has caught up with me a little bit today.

Work was okay, but sometimes just having lots of questions fired at me from different clients can put you out of kilter a little bit and I can start to feel like I have been merely answering queries rather than doing any solid work. 

Either way, having already eaten this evening I think it is almost time to hit the weights.

As per usual I am taking a pre workout.

This one is from OLIMP Sports Nutrition and instead of a powder to be mixed with water it is in capsule format.

These capsules are pretty big too, in fact, they were a pain in the ass to swallow. 

And, if I am being picky, I quite like the refreshing (sometimes) taste of having a flavored drink before a workout, however, these capsules are very convenient to carry around with you and easy to take anywhere.

So, I have taken them, and I wait with bated breath to see what effect they may have… 

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14584010

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

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

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/

Panex Ginseng – This form of Ginseng is the most highly researched. There’s lots of evidence which suggest cognitive function, mood and immunity is increased.

There is evidence for better erections and an increase in testosterone production for infertile men.

https://examine.com/supplements/panax-ginseng/

Dose:

2 capsules before training.

This is a combined amount of 2153.5mg plus 2.2g or protein.

This does not compare as well to many of the best pre workout supplements which will offer over 15,000mg.

While the capsules are really convenient to take, they are quite big so some may find them difficult to take.

Benefits & Effects:

Caffeine is a great stimulant that can effect the CNS which controls muscle and heart stimulation.

B6 is great for testosterone levels plus energy and even fat burning.

Magnesium good for increasing testosterone.

Protein is great for muscle recovery.

Guarana can be good for improving brain function, however, it seems to be dose sensitive. With lower doses around the 75mg mark being more beneficial than those nearing 150mg or over.

Panax Ginseng is also able to improve brain function, increase mood, testosterone and even erections…not sure if that is suitable for the gym though.

How Did It Feel?

I haven’t really felt anything. I don’t feel quite as drowsy as I did previously but to say I am now ready to take the gym on and all it can throw at me would be a dirty big fat lie.

I am not impressed by its effects…or rather its lack of effects.

You would be just as well having an espresso before hitting the weights or whatever sport you partake.

Video:

Negatives:

There is a really low daily dose, with only the protein managing to improve it, even then it is still low.

There’s no evidence that Beta-Alanine can actually offer any benefit.

Guarana seems to be dosed too high to be optimal.

Taurine doesn’t have concrete evidence to prove that it is truly effective.

There’s a lack of other proven ingredients too which make up the best pre workout supplements.

I have mentioned it before, and I will say it again…

Now this is really down to personal preference only, but I prefer having a nice, sharp tasting drink loaded with stimulants and ingredients able to help me push it harder in the gym rather than taking a couple of pills.

There’s no ingredients such as Arginine which can increase blood flow which improves supplying oxygen to the muscles and organs as well as taking waste products away.

Just taking pills, although highly convenient, just lessen the overall experience.

My OLIMP Sports Nutrition AMOK Mega Capsules Pre Workout Review Conclusion:

This offers a really low daily dose and omits many proven ingredients that are present in many of the best pre workout supplements.

It also lacks the overall experience of drinking a supplement which also hydrates you which is important when we are partaking in physical expertise.

There’s also no ingredients included that are able to increase blood flow or increase nitric oxide production.

Therefore, as it is missing the following ingredients I would not suggest that this pre workout from Supplements Direct is worth bothering with:

• Coconut water
• Potassium
• Theanine
• Rhodiola
• Carnitine
• Beet
• Citrulline
• Arginine

There is a better product than this that will get you fired up and cause hell in your chosen sport.

Score:

0/5