Finding a good pre-workout is not as easy a task as many people suspect; some pre-workouts can be too powerful leaving you feeling nauseated rather than pumped, while others can have the opposite effect and leave you wondering whether you actually took anything.
Then there are pre-workouts that are overpriced or use pointless ingredients.
When you do find the right pre-workout though, it can massively improve your entire workout. In this review we will take a look at Blade Sport Pre-Workout to see whether it is a quality pre-workout or not.
Table of Contents
About Blade Sport Pre-Workout
Blade Sport is a Hungarian supplement company that has been in business since 2015; it shot to fame in Europe thanks to its Beef Protein supplement, and it has carried that fame through to the present day, thanks to a host of high quality, well-priced supplements.
Blade Sport Pre-Workout is based around a powerful dose of l-citrulline and is designed to increase energy and endurance, as well as enhancing strength and power, and help you to focus during a workout. There are a lot of ingredients contained within Blade Sport pre-workout and it will be interesting to discover whether these ingredients are effective or just filler.
Blade Sport Pre-Workout Supplement Facts
There are 11 active ingredients contained within Blade Sport Pre-Workout. The caffeine content is medium to high, though we’ve seen a lot higher in similar pre-workouts.
There is a decent serving of creatine monohydrate, as well as l-citrulline, beta-alanine, and l-arginine. Other ingredients such as green tea extract, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG), taurine, and tyrosine are also present.
Serving Size: 15g mixed with 250ml of cold water
Servings per Container: 30
Ingredient | Amount per Serving |
L-Citrulline-Malate 2:1 | 5g |
Beta-Alanine | 3g |
L-Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AAKG) | 1g |
Creatine Monohydrate | 2g |
L-Arginine | 500mg |
N-Acetyl-L-Carnitine | 500mg |
Green Tea Extract | 100mg |
Guarana Extract (12% caffeine) | 100mg (12mg caffeine) |
Caffeine | 220mg |
L-Taurine | 800mg |
L-Tyrosine | 500mg |
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Directions for Use
Blade Sport have provided some fairly detailed directions for use. You are supposed to mix one 15g serving with 250ml of cold water in a shaker. Then take the mixture around 15-20 minutes before a workout. If you weigh less than 75kg then you should only take half a serving. In any case, you should try only half a serving the first time you use it due to the caffeine content of the supplement (232mg per serving).
Blade Sport Pre-Workout Analysis
As we have mentioned before, there are 11 active ingredients present within Blade Sport Pre-workout. We will now take an in-depth look at each one and decide whether the ingredient is correctly dosed, effective, and worthy of inclusion.
L-Citrulline-Malate 2:1 (5g)
Citrulline Malate is a combination of citrulline and “an organic salt bound to malic acid” [1]. L-citrulline is an amino acid and is used by the body for nitric oxide metabolism. Studies have found that taking citrulline before exercise can lead to increases in growth hormone [2] and a possible increase in muscle protein synthesis (though results for this are mixed). Citrulline also appears to increase ATP production and therefore may improve aerobic or anaerobic performance (or both). The standard dosage for citrulline-malate is 6-8g so the 5g per serving in Blade Sport pre-workout may seem slightly low, however 5g should still be effective.
Beta-Alanine (3g)
Beta-alanine is a modified version of alanine, an amino acid. Though you find beta-alanine in many pre-workouts, like creatine it can actually be taken at any time. It does not have to be taken within a certain period of time. It really is a fantastic pre-workout ingredient though. It has been shown to significantly reduce fatigue and increase muscular endurance. Making it a great choice for anyone who lifts weights. The dosage is spot-on, as standard dosage is between 2g and 5g.
L-Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (1g)
A combination of L-Arginine (an amino acid) and alpha-ketoglutarate (an anionic salt) AAKG has been shown to increase nitric oxide production. This increases blood flow [3] which can help you create a “pump” while you lift. This will help increase nutrient uptake to the muscles and may increase protein synthesis. There is some evidence that L-arginine supplementation can increase anaerobic running capacity and reduce body fat in people with metabolic syndrome [4]. This is a decent ingredient, but if it were missing, you’d probably not notice.
Creatine Monohydrate (2g)
As with beta-alanine, creatine monohydrate is a fantastic ingredient that does not need to be taken pre-workout. To see best results, you really need to be loading with creatine, or taking it daily. This means that a pre-workout supplement may not be the best source (unless you exercise everyday – which has its own issues). But there are so many benefits that are associated with creatine monohydrate that we are loathed to criticize Blade Sport for including it. Creatine monohydrate has been proven to increase power, reduce fatigue, and increase focus. Supplementing with creatine will help you to build muscle, recover from exercise, and train harder. Creatine has also been shown to have many cognitive benefits. The dosage here is quite low, however if you take a separate creatine supplement (which you should) then it works well alongside it.
L-Arginine (500mg)
We have already discussed the benefits of L-arginine when we covered l-arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) earlier. It is good at increasing blood flow to the muscles and may help you to train harder.
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Green Tea Extract (100mg)
There are several benefits associated with green tea catechins, but we’re not sure what benefits it has as a pre-workout. One study found that taking green tea extract pre-workout led to a reduction in muscle soreness the day after a workout, but that was with a dosage that was 1,800mg (18 times higher than the amount in this supplement) [5]. It may slightly increase cognition and also appears to have a minor impact on blood flow, but the reality is that green tea extract does not offer many benefits for exercise. An odd choice for a pre-workout ingredient.
Guarana Extract (100mg)
Guarana is a seed that contains caffeine, adding 12mg of caffeine to the pre-workout. We’re really not sure why this ingredient is present. The next ingredient on this list is 220mg of caffeine, so what is the need for an additional 12mg of caffeine from guarana?
Caffeine (220mg)
The quintessential pre-workout ingredient, caffeine has so many benefits that this is almost a no-brainer. Caffeine can increase fat oxidation during a workout, increase power, reduce fatigue, reduce pain, and allow you to train harder and for longer. However, there is a drawback. Habitual caffeine intake can massively reduce the effectiveness of caffeine.
In other words, the more you take, the less it works. If you want the best from caffeine you should really consider cycling a caffeinated pre-workout with a non-stimulatory pre-workout. We like Performance Lab SPORT Pre for this. In terms of dosage, 200mg of caffeine is pretty much perfect if you are looking for fat burning. But most studies use much higher dosages for sports performance increases. Though recent research has found that lower doses can still be effective, considering the fact that 200mg is quite a high dose of caffeine we’re going to say that Blade Sport has got their caffeine dosage correct.
L-Taurine (800mg)
Taurine may be able to increase exercise capacity, but the only studies to have noticed a significant increase were in populations with heart conditions [6], who would certainly not be the target market! Particularly considering the caffeine content (which can increase blood pressure). Taurine does increase blood flow, so may be useful for inducing a good workout pump. Other than that, there is little reason to include it.
L-Tyrosine (500mg)
Can improve focus, memory, and boost your mood. How useful this would be during a workout is debatable, but increasing cognition is a common listed benefit of pre-workouts, and l-tyrosine will help Blade Sport Pre-Workout deliver on this promise. The dosage is just about right.
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Blade Sport Pre-Workout Benefits
There are a lot of benefits associated with taking Blade Sport Pre-Workout. The citrulline malate will increase growth hormone production as well as give you an energy boost. Beta-alanine will help to reduce fatigue and increase endurance, while several other ingredients will help to increase blood flow. Creatine monohydrate has numerous benefits and anyone serious about training should definitely be taking it daily.
The caffeine content is decent, and this should help you to not only burn some more fat than usual, it should also help lift your training to another level. Reducing fatigue, increasing power, reducing pain, and allowing you to lift heavier for longer.
There are also several ingredients that have been shown to improve cognition. The ability to focus and feel good during a workout can really help you to train harder and at a greater intensity. If you participate in certain sports, then this pre-workout may help you to sharpen your reflexes and make better decisions.
Bottom Line: There are a lot of cleverly chosen ingredients here, and most of them are correctly dosed. They should allow for a high-quality workout, and the pre-workout may also help to kickstart your recovery by increasing protein synthesis, increasing blood flow, and increasing growth hormone.
Who Takes it?
This pre-workout is perfect for men or women and can be enjoyed by anyone looking to get more out of their workouts – particularly if they feel that intensity has recently been lacking. If you have high blood pressure, or heart issues then this may not be the supplement for you, but other than that it really will suit anyone. Just remember that thanks to its high caffeine content Blade Sport Pre-Workout should not be taken late in the evening as it will affect your sleep.
Any Potential Side Effects of Blade Sport Pre-Workout?
Several ingredients within Blade Sport pre-workout may affect blood pressure. L-tyrosine for example, can increase blood pressure as can caffeine. Some other ingredients can also increase blood flow by widening your blood vessels which lowers blood pressure. Caffeine can cause nausea, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, and bad sleep. Creatine can cause bloating at first, dehydration, and headaches, though if you increase your hydration you should see no issues. Beta-alanine may cause paresthesia (tingling skin) but this is non-harmful.
Blade Sport Pre-Workout Summary
Pros:
- Reduction in fatigue
- Increase in power
- Well dosed ingredients
- Increased aerobic and anaerobic performance
- Caffeine may lead to increased fat burning
- Cognitive improvements – focus, mood, decision-making
- Increased energy during your workouts thanks to beta-alanine, creatine etc.
Cons:
- Some ingredients are fairly inconsequential – green tea extract, guarana
- Gastrointestinal issues may occur
- Certain ingredients do not need to be taken pre-workout – creatine, beta-alanine
- Difficult to purchase due to lack of availability
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Blade Sport Pre-Workout Price & Buying Info
Finding a place that sells Blade Sport Pre-Workout is quite difficult. The UK version of Blade Sport sells 30 servings for £37.50 which is around $46. But we can’t find a place that sells it outside of Europe, and even when you try to purchase it through the Blade Sport website, you have to contact the company for a price. Ominous.
Blade Sport Pre-Workout: Final Word
This pre-workout is pretty decent, though as with any stimulatory supplement there will be a number of situations where using it would not be ideal. If you train late at night then you should definitely avoid it, as should anyone who already consumes a lot of caffeine throughout the day.
The inclusion of creatine monohydrate is a bit irritating. There is no real reason to include it in a pre-workout as it is not dependent on timing. You can take it whenever you want throughout the day and it will take several days for the creatine in your system to build up enough for you to see a difference.
You should really be taking creatine monohydrate separately. But customers expect pre-workouts to have creatine, so it is no surprise to see it here. Provided that you take the pre-workout every day then there shouldn’t be any issue.
There are some well thought out ingredients in this supplement, and we really don’t want to be too negative here. If you purchase this pre-workout you should be pleased with the results. It’s a decent supplement.
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