I’ve been taking a pre-workout (NOS Blast) that I just randomly picked up at Walmart, so I decided to vet out the ingredients since I have seemed to have felt some benefit from taking it before I train. I am going to admit that it could be a placebo affect because as I’ve said before, when I take I feel motivated to push harder because I don’t want to be a poser. I don’t want to be that guy that takes a bunch of supplements but never gets in shape. Why bother and why waste the money?

Citrulline Malate

High levels of ammonia increases feelings of fatigue, and it is removed via the Urea cycle. Ammonia is converter to urea and is sent to the kidneys to be peed out. The more ornithine available the faster ammonia can be removed. Citrulline has the ability to double both arginine and ornithine (which the body reconverts into citrulline) levels in the body.

L-Arginine is not very bio-available, whereas citrulline is very bio-available as a supplement. Citrulline is converted into arginine in the body and is far more bio-available. Arginine helps remove ammonia AND is required to release NO.

Nitric Oxide Cycle – an increase in nitric oxide leads to a greater pump. This is the cycle in which arginine converts into citrulline, and this conversion process also produces some Nitric Oxide (NO). From there the citrulline gets converted back into arginine, and round and round she goes. NO increases blood flow by causing blood vessels to relax, giving you the good pump.

So increased citrulline improves the body’s ability for physical work output, improves endurance, and reduces fatigue. It also appears to increase the release of growth hormone after exercise and reduces delayed onset muscle soreness. Also improves ED. It looks like based on my research that citrulline malate is inferior to L-citrulline. Apparently it is a combination of L-Citrulline and L-malate, the second of which does pretty much nothing for you in terms of increasing NO. So only half of the amount per serving is actual citrulline.

Citrulline Malate- 8 grams, or 4 grams of L-Citrulline

Beta Alanine

3 sources of ATP; ATP-CP system (first 1-3 reps, first few seconds of sprint, 1 rep max – basically 3 seconds of max effort), then Anaerobic Glycolysis (which produces lactic acid and hinders glycolysis), then Aerobic. Beta alanine gets turned into Carnosine which acts as a lactic acid “buffer”. This allows you to use glycolysis longer. This will lead to one-2 more reps (8-15 reps), high intensity aerobic activity (rowing) when training between 60-240 seconds per. It clears lactic acid faster, and lactic acid slows the recharge of ATP-CP system.

OVER 200 POUNDS 5-6 grams over the day, taken with meals

Under 200 pounds 4 grams should be fine.

Creatine

Creatine phosphate which is stored in your cells adds it’s phosphate molecule to the ATP which you use during the ATP-CP (explosive) phase of working out (the first 3 seconds basically). So reps 2-4 are still around 90% of your 1 rep max. Black dudes genetically store more creatine phosphate than white dudes. Once the creatine phosphate supply runs out the body switches to the anaerobic system. This system can’t produce as much energy.

5 grams creatine supplement per day has been shown to be 80-100% bio-available, which leads to a 15-20 % increase in creatine phosphate stored in the muscles. Increase in creatine phosphate stores means the body needs to store more water in the muscles to accommodate them. Also helps increase glycogen stores. Supplementation has been shown to reduce headaches in children with brain injuries.

If you take 20-25 grams per day for a week you will reach full muscle saturation levels. After loading, then 5 grams per day for maintenance phase. If you only take the 5 gram per day dose it may take up to a month to reach full saturation.

Studies suggest that it can be taken any time of day, not necessary to take pre-workout. There appears to be no need to cycle off; a 2003 study showed that there were no ill effects after 21 months of continuous use.

Taurine

Taurine helps balance electrolytes in the cells, forms bio-salts, supports nervous system, can help decrease blood sugar levels and lower blood pressure. May increase the muscle’s ability to contract, reduces metabolic waste in muscles allowing them to work longer without the “burning”, increases fat burning in humans during exercise. Aids in osmoregulation. Acts as an anti-oxidant.

500-1000 mg / day

Summary:

Citrulline has the ability to double both arginine and ornithine. Important because ornithine converts into citrulline which converts into Arginine which removes ammonia and releases NO in the process

Beta alanine gets turned into Carnosine which acts as a lactic acid “buffer”. Lactic acid slows the recharge of ATP-CP system (explosive 1 rep max power), plus removing lactic acid allows you to use glycolysis longer.

Creatine phosphate adds it’s phosphate molecule to the ATP which you use during the ATP-CP (explosive) phase of working out.

So it looks like Beta Alanine works synergistically with Creatine.

The breakdown should be as follows:

Creatine: 20 grams/day for 1st week, 5 grams/day thereafter for maintenance – any time of day

Beta Alanine: 4 grams/day – taken with meals

L-Citrulline: 4 grams pre workout

NOS Blast Pre-workout

Citrulline Malate: 750mg/scoop – nowhere near enough

Beta Alanine: 1.6 g/scoop – close if taken 2x per day

Creatine: 2.55 g / scoop – good if taken 2x per day

L-Arginine: 1.5 g/scoop – Probably unnecessary

Taurine: 1g

Choline: 150 mg/scoop

Caffeine Anhydrous: 150 mg/scoop

Have a Great Day!

Lubimûr