My SciVation Xtend Ripped Review // Pre Workout & Fat Burner

My SciVation Xtend Ripped Review // Pre Workout & Fat Burner

My SciVation Xtend Ripped Review First Look:


In today’s convenience fulled world with people having little time to think about things properly or give it the consideration it deserves we want products that can do everything, quickly.

So, in comes the tide of supplements that try to be all things to all men (and women, too).

Yet, in so many cases, this just results in watered down blends of numerous different ingredients that, based on a quick glance, look to perform well.

However, the results are never too positive and it seems that the product is merely created to try and fill a void in the market.

So, with a bit of trepidation, I am sat here with this product from SciVation which claims to not only be a pre workout but also a fat burner supplement.

Now, this actually isn’t such a bad call.

Many ingredients found in fat burners cross over in to pre workout territory seamlessly and effectively.

In fact, most fat burners would be a good supplement to take before a gym session. The only thing is, fat burners tend to come in pill format, whereas pre workouts in water based drinks.

Essentially, ingesting a pill takes longer for the ingredients to take effect and spreads the dose out over a longer period of time, whereas liquid acts much quick for that almost instant hit.

So, will this offer anything added benefit, or purely creating one supplement and just labelling it up as two to capture a wider audience?

The fact is, not all pre workout supplements are even effective or offer any kind of real world benefit.

The main issues that I come across are:

  • Doses of effective ingredients that are too low to be of any benefit
  • Unproven ingredients
  • Proprietary blends
  • Potential harmful ingredients
  • It just doesn’t work

With this in mind, and with my experience of using many pre workout supplements before I hit the gym or play rugby.

I am keen to find out exactly what is beneficial so we can extract the best from ourselves and perform to a higher standard be it before the workout or during the workout.

Let’s face it, sometimes it is hard to be motivated to hit the gym. Especially if the weather is shit, you’re tired and if there’s other responsibilities you need to attend to.

Plus, if you are anything like me, it is also quite difficult to keep on top of all the numerous supplements and pills required. Not to mention maintaining a strict nutrition plan.

So, hopefully, this may be able to at least offer a modicum of convenience and ease, while reducing costs.


What can a pre workout really do?

The use of a pre workout supplement is traditionally to provide a more explosive and focused workout when you hit the gym.

This is achieved by providing high levels of stimulants to fight fatigue as well as increase the blood flow to the muscles and organs.

They can also include other ingredients that are known to help increase cognitive function so you can effectively zero in on your goal and help smash it.

However, they are no commonly used by students looking to concentrate while stay up late as well as gamer’s and even machine operatives or long distance drivers.

The main key benefits are:

  • Increase energy – Smash your workout with more intensity
  • Motivation – Get straight out of bed for an early morning gym session
  • Improved focus – Zero in on your weights program or even revise harder
  • Alert – Stay alert and improve concentration

However, not all pre workout supplements are equal, and some are downright terrible or contain potentially dangerous ingredients in dangerous doses, or concealed doses.

We analyse each one with an in depth review.

What can a fat burner really do?

You may well be surprised actually.

The idea that an effective fat burner just magically makes your waist smaller is far from the truth.

However, only the effective fat burners contain a number of ingredients in correct doses that work harmoniously and through a number of outcomes help you lose fat mass, not muscle.

Their benefits include, but are not limited to:

  • Increase energy – This will help you be more active and stimulate you for effective workouts
  • Thermogenic – These ingredients will increase the temperature of your core which increases calorie expenditure
  • Appetite control – The ability to feel fuller and not to fall for sweet, calorie laden treats

As a result I tend to supplement my exercise regime with a fat burner supplement.

I have found Instant Knockout to offer the best results and as a result I try to use that daily.button-4


Ingredients: The Science

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. However, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, supplementation will be vital.

BCAA’s are often included in whey protein supplements, too.

https://examine.com/supplements/branched-chain-amino-acids/

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 pre-hypertension.

This is often found in the best pre workouts.

To supplement L-citrulline to enhance sports performance, take 6,000 – 8,000 mg of citrulline malate about an hour before exercise.

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

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

You can read more about Citrulline and its benefits for exercise, here.

Carnitine

Acetyl-L-carnitine helps the body produce energy. It is important for heart and brain function, muscle movement, and many other body processes.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/carnitine-lcarnitine

Men who were supplemented 2g per day showed an increase of Insulin like growth hormone when combined with exercise.

Very limited evidence to suggest any fat loss unless you are an elderly person.

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2003/08000/The_Effects_of_L_Carnitine_L_Tartrate.5.aspx

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

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

Glutamine

It is generally touted as a Muscle Builder, but has not been proven to enhance muscle building in healthy individuals; only those suffering from physical trauma such as burns or muscular wounds (knife wounds) or in disease states in which muscle wasting occurs, such as AIDS.

Taking glutamine by mouth does not seem to improve athletic performance according to studies.

https://examine.com/supplements/glutamine/

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-878-glutamine.aspx?activeingredientid=878

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. Found in the best fat burners.

It also contributes to the reduction of fatigue and if you are not getting enough B6 you can suffer from cognitive decline as well as depression.

B6 also contributes to normal and healthy hormone levels.

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

Conjugated Linolenic Acid (CLA)

Initial reports and studies have showed that CLA helped a bunch of women who did no exercise lose 9% of their body fat.

However, further studies are showing very mixed, if not medicore results that aren’t really setting the world alight, in fact the side effects are having their presence felt moreso outweighing any real benefits.

Any benefits that were found meant that the composition had to be greater than 80%.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/conjugated-linoleic-acid-cla

Potassium

An electrolyte that helps your nerves function and muscles contract.

https://medlineplus.gov/potassium.html

Capsicum (Cayenne)

Known to boost metabolism, cayenne causes the body to produce extra heat and burn more calories for fuel.

This is found in our favorite fat burner Instant Knockout.

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

Sodium (Salt)

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 of sodium, so you have to be careful about how much you intake, especially if you are not perspiring or passing urine much.

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/


Dose:

One scoop prior to your training session.

A scoop is an impressive 16.7g.

This compares very well to many of the best pre workout supplements which will offer over 15g.


Pros:

This is loaded with ingredients, so, that, in itself is a positive for the product.

They do look to be more useful in a pre workout rather than a fat burner. It’s seems the balance isn’t quite right.

Let’s look more closely…

BCAA‘s help with building muscle and creating energy, so a particularly good and welcome addition.

Especially as you work out you will be tearing muscle fibers.

BCAA’s will help repair and recover. This has the standard amount of around 5g per serving.

Carnitine is better suited in a pre workout as it can help increase blood flow.

However, there has been proof of fat loss in people, but this only seems to occur in the elderly.

2g is need for any physical benefit.

B6 is a double hitter. It can help fight fatigue and depression while also enabling the metabolic rate which will help increase calorie expenditure.

Citrulline is all about performance increases. It can increase nitric oxide levels, improve blood flow and also growth hormone levels during exercise.

However, this is dose sensitive and if there’s not enough being supplemented, it doesn’t work.

Potassium is an electrolyte that is important for muscle and nerve function, so this is great for a pre workout supplement. Also good when you are wanting to burn some fat by hitting the gym.

Sodium is a vital mineral that is lost through excessive perspiration or urination.

So, if you are involved in intense physical activity or train in a hot climate you need to replenish lost salts.

Cayenne is often found in the most effect fat burner supplements on the market. This is because it raises the body temperature, which in turn raises the metabolism and burns more calories.


Price:

$37.99


Cons:

What we have to understand is that just because it has some good ingredients included in a supplement, it does not mean that it is effective.

Doses are as important as the ingredients themselves.

This is where this supplement from SciVation falters…

B6 is very low dosed when there isn’t even 1mg worth included.

Citrulline is massively under-dosed to provide the numerous benefits it can potentially offer to the fitness enthusiast.

This is the same for Carnitine. We require 2g, yet this offers only 25% of that requirement.

Then we have CLA.

CLA is quite the interesting ingredient to have. An early study hailed some amazing results showing that the participants of the study lost 9% body fat.

Yet thereafter, the same results have never been achieved.

What we do know, is that for it to be effective we need a minimum 80% composition, but this information is not to our knowledge here.

So, really, nothing is actual concrete about this.

Glutamine is rife in supplements. However, the reality is that the benefits only come to light if your body has suffered trauma such as a knife wound or you are suffering from AIDS.

Not that useful if you are just looking to run that bit quicker or lift a bit more weight.


My SciVation Xtend Ripped Review Conclusion:

So what do we have here then?

Well, not surprisingly this pre workout cum fat burner also contains branch chained amino acids which fits in with the new trend of BCAA supplements and pre workout supplements being very blurred in terms of their market positioning.

Either way, it benefits the user.

Then there’s useful ingredients for both fat cutting and muscle movement plus recovery.

However, this does miss out lots of other, ingredients that I would almost consider the basic necessities.

Ingredients that still would transgress successfully to both fat burning and for increasing energy to help you get that successful workout.

Ingredients such as:

  • Caffeine
  • Green Coffee
  • Green Tea
  • Magnesium
  • B12
  • Vitamin C

Then there is the issue regarding the low overall doses of dose sensitive ingredients.

The doses provided here are well off the required amounts to help you excel at your chosen sport or even aid with fat loss.

So, overall, this again falls in to the category of diluting the product by trying to atract a wider audience.

It does most things, but not very well.

Is there anything else to add…?

Well, yes, there is a better product than this that will get you fired up and cause hell in your chosen sport, so it is worth taking a look at 4GAUGE.

FAVORITE FAT BURNER SUPPLEMENTS

> Increase metabolism

> Increase Energy

> No banned ingredients

> Thermogenics

> Get the BEST deals

READ THE GUIDE. GET THE RESULTS.

Ben BA(Hons), PGCert

Ben established this site to be a free resource in 2015. Since then it has gained over half a million visits. He has always been interested in sport and he started playing rugby at the age of 6 represented his town, county and school. Ben also enjoys cycling, has started skiing and is in the Army Reserve representing his Regiment as part of the 150 Regimental Shooting Team. He holds a bachelor's and postgraduate degree in sport exercise & nutrition.

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