Brought to you by one of the most popular supplement companies in Romania. Genius Nutrition, Warcry is a highly specialized pre-workout intended to help you crush your workouts, and your goals.
This pre-workout pledges to help you feel pumped up and ready to lift, providing key nutrients to help you feel focused, energized and strong. The products used are claimed to be scientifically backed and tested at state-of-the-art labs in Europe, providing the highest quality to customers globally.
But does Warcry live up to its claims? Is it really the highest quality product bringing about top-quality results? Are you going to be crushing workouts or falling flat?
Today we’re going to review this product in detail to assess whether it’s worth the hype.
Table of Contents
About Genius Nutrition Warcry
Genius Nutrition describes Warcry as a ‘cutting-edge pre-workout’. Claiming that ‘for us, good has never been good enough.’
Warcry, therefore, has supposedly been formulated to give ‘more strength, pump, concentration and energy, and the ultimate training experience.’
Genius Nutrition hold themselves to four key principles making up the pillars of the brand:
- The highest quality raw materials and ingredients – if a supplement doesn’t work it’s not doing its job. Having this as the first key principle of the brand is a good sign.
- Unique compositions of last generation – this may be poorly translated from Romanian but essentially this principle refers to the company’s commitment to keep updating their products in line with new scientific research. As a consumer you want to be able to trust that you’re getting the most up to date supplements in line with scientific discoveries, so if it lives up to this, it’s a worthy principle.
- Safety and high standards – the products are GMP and HACCP eligible, meaning they’re protected by quality and food safety standards.
- Results – Genius Nutrition is a brand that knows what they want to give you. They want quality, safety, updates and RESULTS. As do we.
All of which sounds great, but marketing pledges aside, we need to look at Warcry’s formula to see if it really does achieve all of the above.
Formula notes:
- A quick glance suggests this is a well-rounded pre-workout – the ingredient list is separated into four sections: the pump engine, the performance engine, the neuro-energy engine and the focus engine. This hits all angles.
- High caffeine (potential risk of jittery side effects) – most pre-workouts contain some caffeine but Warcry contains a high amount if you take two scoops.
- It’s not 100% natural as it contains Artificial ingredients – similar to most sports supplements, Warcry contains a high amount of artificial flavors and colorings alongside the standard ingredients which are likely to give it an extremely sweet flavor.
Genius Nutrition Warcry Supplement Facts
Genius Nutrition Warcry’s supplement facts label, showing its ingredients.
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Ingredients Amount Per Scoop (double for two scoops):
- Citrulline malate – 3500mg
- Glycopump – 1250mg
- Beta-Alanine – 1800mg
- L-Norvaline – 50mg
- N-acetyl L-tyrosine – 700mg
- L-phenylalanine – 400mg
- ALC – 250mg
- Taurine – 400mg
- Caffeine – 150mg
- Alpha-GPC – 150mg
- L-theanine – 50mg
- Piperine – 2.5mg
- Huperzine – 50mcg
- Olive leaf extract – 25mg
- Arctic root – 125mg
- Ginseng – 125mg
Genius Nutrition Warcry’s Directions for use
Mix one scoop of Genius Nutrition Warcry with 300ml of water before training on an empty stomach, wait ten minutes before you start to train.
This is one serving that provides 150mg caffeine. The label recommends two servings which provides 300mg of caffeine which is reaching the upper limit of what is recommended.
What each ingredient is for
Citrulline malate
Citrulline malate is a very popular pre-workout ingredient and has been well researched. It’s an essential amino acid that plays a key role in circulatory function, like supporting the removal of ammonia and producing nitric oxide.
When amino acids are produced in the body, ammonia is formed as a byproduct. During exercise, increased amino acid catabolism occurs and subsequently more ammonia is created that needs to be disposed of, as it’s toxic to the body. So citrulline malate helps to dispose of it, combined with arginine, both converting to nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide increases blood flow, shuttling more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and acting as a urea cycle to remove ammonia build up. What this means in terms of a pre-workout is that citrulline malate gives you a pump and helps you work for longer without fatigue. Two scoops of Warcry gives you an impressive 7g. Examine.com recommends between 6-8g of citrulline malate for an enhanced sports performance, so this is right on the money.
Glycopump
Glycopump is a concentrated form of glycerin powder, created and produced in Germany that is then transported to the Genius Nutrition labs in Romania. Glycerol is a common pre-workout ingredient and has been backed by numerous randomized controlled trials as a solid performance enhancer.
How it works is by increasing the volume of water in the blood that is then transported around the body within the cells to prevent dehydration during exercise and create a pumped appearance. When consumed with a large amount of water, this ingredient pushes you into a state of hyperhydration. Being in this state during a workout has been seen in research to improve performance and exercise capacity by around 24 percent.
Note that glycerol is banned in some sports competitions because of its ability to influence test results by altering the amount of fluid in the blood.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that it is naturally occurring in the body. Once consumed, beta-alanine converts to make carnosine, a peptide that promotes muscle movement and motor function. Carnosine also reduces lactic acid build up in the muscles during exercise.
As shown in a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, this helps you to perform better and for longer, giving you a better reaction time and ability to recover between sets. Beta-alanine doses of more than 1,000mg may give you the tingles but this is harmless.
Most studies use between 2-5g of beta-alanine per day, so one scoop of Warcry is a little under the recommended dosage (1,800mg). Two scoops, however, will hit the sweet spot.
L-norvaline
This ingredient is controversial. It comes from the amino acid valine, a substrate used to produce nitric oxide. As mentioned above, nitric oxide increases blood flow to pump up your muscles and help them work for longer.
The controversy comes from a study published in Science Daily in February this year that found links between L-norvaline and neurodegenerative diseases. This is said to be because the compound damages brain cells, acting as a cytotoxin. The researchers found that in higher doses and more frequent exposure made this ingredient more toxic to the body. This isn’t a recommended pre-workout ingredient.
N-acetyl L-tyrosine
This ingredient is considered part of the neuro-energy engine and is a nootropic, meaning it promotes mental clarity and cognitive function. When consumed, it stimulates an endorphin release and the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and adrenaline. These key neurotransmitters result in feelings of happiness, alertness and wakefulness; the perfect combination for a good workout. In order to enjoy the cognitive benefits of NALT, you need around 700mg a day which is what Warcry offers in one scoop.
ALC (ALCAR)
Another amino acid to add to the already long list of amino acids in this product, acetyl l-carnitine helps to produce energy. It does this by shuttling triglycerides from stored body fat to the mitochondria within the muscle cells to use as energy. This as a result also increases fat metabolism to help regulate body weight whilst providing energy for exercise.
This ingredient also has nootropic properties. When consumed, it is able to transfer across the blood-brain barrier where it boosts cognitive function. This is predominantly the reason as to why it has been used in clinical trials on patients with Alzheimer’s disease and a range of other mental and neurodegenerative conditions.
Here’s where we run into our first dosage issue. The 500mg of ALCAR included in two scoops of this formula is lower than proven dosages for nootropic benefit. Examine.com, for instance, recommends between 630-2500mg for best results.
Taurine
Taurine is naturally occurring in the heart and brain and is also found in some common food items like meat and fish. Its use as a pre-workout ingredient in some higher end formulas is common, particularly when combined with caffeine. It’s also found in many energy drinks. The combination of these two ingredients boosts cognitive function and increases physical performance.
Taurine plays a key role in motor regulatory functions, helping you to contract certain muscles during movements and exert strength and force. When consumed in a pre-workout, taurine can help your muscles from fatiguing and optimizing recovery between sets, as shown in a study published in the journal Antioxidants in 2017.
It can also tackle a potential taurine deficiency caused by the beta-alanine.
The dosage here is slightly low for one scoop (400mg) but ideal for two scoops. A typical dose is between 500-2,000mg per day.
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L-phenylalanine
This ingredient is another amino acid and plays a role in cognitive performance. It is said to aid fat oxidation when consumed pre workout according to a recent study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Caffeine and L-theanine
The reason these two ingredients are combined under one heading is due to their synergistic role in the pre-workout. When combined together, each ingredient enhances the effects of the other whilst counteracting some of the less favorable effects. For example, caffeine can cause anxiety and shakiness in some people, but when combined with l-theanine, these negative side effects are lessened.
In fact, a study published in 2015 found that in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, when consumed together, caffeine and l-theanine significantly boosted blood flow, cognitive performance and mood.
The caffeine here (150mg per scoop) is high enough to be effective. Two scoops will put you close to the daily recommended upper limit of 400mg, so be aware of any other caffeine sources you are consuming.
Alpha-GPC
This is a form of choline proven to have nootropic benefits, boosting cognition via enhanced acetylcholine production and protecting the brain. It may sound strange to include it in a pre-workout, but acetylcholine is also thought to be responsible for boosting growth hormone and activating muscles. An acceptable daily dose for most adults is considered to be around 300-1200mg taken via one to three doses. Two scoops of Warcry just about delivers this amount (300mg).
Piperine
Piperine is an ingredient derived from black pepper. It doesn’t directly impact performance, but it boosts the bioavailability of the other ingredients in the mix.
Huperzine, olive leaf extract, arctic root and ginseng
This unique combination of herbal extracts is designed to optimize the bioavailability of each ingredient to ensure that they are effectively used by the body prior to exercise. These plants have been shown in various research to improve mental performance and enhance mental clarity.
These ingredients are common in Eastern medicine and act as adaptogens, helping to regulate the hypothalamic and adrenal glands, hacking the stress response to make you perform better.
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Formula Analysis
This pre-workout is pretty standard, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It covers all the bases for an effective pre-workout, covering the aesthetic (the pump), the physical and the mental. Most of the ingredients are included in clinically effective dosages with just a couple on the low side.
It is also missing another common pre-workout ingredient, creatine, but this can be supplemented in bigger and more effective doses separately, so it’s not the end of the world.
We do take issue with the L-novaline in this formula; it seems an unreasonable risk to take given the research. Besides, citrulline malate is an effective nitric oxide booster in its own right.
Likewise, while most people will love the benefits of the glycopump, those competing in sports should first check if it is banned by their professional body.
Genius Nutrition Warcry Benefits
If you want to feel pumped up and exhilarated prior to your workout then this is a good pre-workout for you. The ingredient list is foolproof, there is no way you’re going to be feeling tired or weak prior to your lift. So in that sense, this pre-workout is effective.
Who Takes It?
This pre workout can be taken by anyone over the age of 18, other than women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people with phenylketonuria.
Any Side Effects?
Genius Nutrition states that this is a very strong product and beginners should start with only one scoop. They also state that you should never exceed more than two scoops. Side effects may include skin tingling from the beta-alanine. Those sensitive to caffeine may notice some side effects when taking the higher dose, but the theanine should help to reduce them.
Genius Nutrition Warcry Summary
Pros:
- Ingredients cover all key bases for a pre-workout: mental, physical and aesthetic.
- Most are scientifically proven and very effective.
- It comes in seven unique flavors
- Reasonably priced
- GMP and HACCP protected
Cons:
- Some ingredients are not well supported in up to date scientific research
- L-norvaline: why take the risk?
- High caffeine content if taking two scoops
- A lot of artificial flavors and colorings
- Not a unique ingredient list
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Pricing and Buying Info
You can buy this product for 149 RON or 34.56 USD, depending on where you get it from. It contains 20 servings per tub and has seven flavors to choose from.
Final word on Genius Nutrition Warcry
Overall, we like this brand.
They have paid attention to detail when creating their sports supplements; they care about the quality, taste and results of the product which is all we really ask for.
Yes, it’s not quite as revolutionary or cutting-edge as the literature claims. But the majority of ingredients are science-backed and provided in high enough doses (some impressively so for a pre-workout) to help you feel energized in the gym, able to lift more and workout for longer.
We like the fact that Genius Nutrition has also paid attention to synergy; the combination of caffeine and theanine, for instance, or the inclusion of beta-alanine and taurine demonstrates that they know their stuff. Piperine will boost the impact of this synergy even further.
If you want to upgrade your workouts tenfold to help you get to your goals quicker, you need to start taking a pre-workout.
Whether you’re tired or lazy, it’s fair to say that Genius Nutrition Warcry will give you a kick – or should we say, a shove – in the right direction.
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