Are you ready for the Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre Review? Brace yourself! Optimum Nutrition is one of the biggest names in the workout supplements arena. The company has traditionally been known for its Gold Standard protein powders and generally has been a niche player in the pre-workout space.
For such a huge brand to be out of the fastest growing category in the supplement industry must have been an open wound which wasn’t healed with the company’s Gold Standard Pre Workout, which to a large extent didn’t tell any real story. The lunch of the Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre promises to bring so much more to the table.
In this hands-on ON Pro Pre Review we are set to explore the promise vs reality and mostly can it compete with the increasing lineup of fully dosed pre-workouts.
Before we dive into the details, 2 things are very clear – a long list of ingredients and a full disclosure label! Starting off on the right foot.
L-Citrulline – Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre contains a whopping 6g of pure L-Citrulline. Most fitness enthusiasts would know that L-Citrulline is pivotal for the purpose of raising your nitric oxide levels. Increased nitric oxide levels increase the blood flow, which translates into muscle pumps at the gym.
L-Leucine – L-Leucine is the main branched-chain amino acid that has been proven to promote muscle growth.
Everything appears to be going perfectly well in a workout until fatigue kicks in, right? Well, here’s what Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre can do about it:
Vitamin D3 – Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre contains 800 IU of Vitamin D3. Such a quantity of Vitamin D3 is greater than what is really required for a pre-workout supplement—not that we’re complaining! Considering the benefits that Vitamin D3 has got to offer—such as a better immune system, lower fatigue, and enhance general health. It can easily be said that it’s one of the most favored nutrients of fitness enthusiasts. However, if you’re looking to benefit from all that Vitamin D3 has got to offer, it’s recommended for you to take additional supplements as well. Why? Well, it’s because the recommended dosage of Vitamin D is 2,500 IU per day. However, for a pre workout supplement, Pro Pre provides more Vitamin D3 than most of its alternatives.
Beta Alanine – The 3.2g dosage of Beta Alanine is right on the money. Such a dosage of Beta Alanine might cause a few jitters to those fitness enthusiasts who are not yet acquainted with this dosage level. However, those who thrive on the muscle-endurance boosting capabilities will absolutely love what it has got to offer.
Here’s what Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre has got to ensure that you don’t blank out during your workouts:
Rhodiola Rosea – Not a common sighting in the pre-workout category. Pro Pre contains 200mg of Rhodiola Rosea, with the aim that it’ll be useful for the purpose of improving focus while reducing fatigue.
Caffeine Anhydrous – 300mg of Caffeine is exactly what you need to tear down those muscles at the gym. And guess what…this is exactly the dosage that Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre contains. I like the amount. For most people, this would be just enough to feel a serious energy kick, but without the jitters or crash.
L-Theanine – Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre offers a 200mg dosage of L-Theanine. When you consume a higher dosage of L-Theanine—as compared to the dosage of caffeine—the two work in synergy to form a “smart-caffeine” combination. This combination not only enhances the effects of caffeine but also serves to reduce its jittery side-effects. You should note that research has shown that you want to at least match the amount of l-theanine to caffeine to achieve optimal effect. Which is not the case here.
Ashwagandha – Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb that’s been used for centuries in one form or another.Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. It is supplemented primarily for its ability to prevent anxiety. Ashwagandha’s anti-anxiety effect is even synergistic with alcohol.
Coffee Fruit Concentrate – Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre contains 1g of Coffee Fruit Concentrate. This is a patented ingredient which is extracted from the whole fruit of the coffee bean. According to the marketing campaign of the Company, it’ll function as a cognitive enhancer by raising your neuroprotein levels. Since this is a patented, no comments can obviously be made about it. However, a case can be made for saying that an additional amount of Rhodiola Rosea would have been much more effective rather than the inclusion of Coffee Fruit Concentrate.
Trans Resveratrol – Resveratrol is a compound found in red wine that has traditionally been believed to prolong your life. While there’s no scientific evidence to back that belief up, Resveratrol has been found to improve the quality of life. Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre contains 75mg of Trans-Resveratrol, but when you bring it all into perspective, its inclusion appears to be pointless. I mean…Resveratrol does nothing to make your workouts better, so why include it in a pre-workout supplement?
N-acetyl L-Tyrosine – Optimum Nutrition contains 1g of L-Tyrosine. L-Tyrosine is known as a “brain booster” that has got the power to improve your cognition. 1G of the N-Aetyl form is definitely on the high end and you should feel the impact on your focus.
One thing is clear from this Optimum Nutrition Pro Pre Review, Pro Pre is definitely Optimum Nutrition’s best product in the pre-workout category to date. Priced at $32 mark for 20 full servings, it is on par with its competitors. Obviously, you should always compare prices on our price comparison engine to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Is it enough to get on our top 10 list? I doubt it. It just doesn’t carry enough uniqueness to get it there. Is it on par with the ‘traditional stim’ leading players (JYM, PRE-KAGED), almost. One thing is certain, it is certainly enough, to compete on the hard earned money of gym goers who graduated C4 and N.O Xplode and want a balanced complete package from a mainstream brand, and with PRO PRE joins the latest product releases by other mainstream competitors like MusclePharm, AllMax & Dymatize.
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