The energy, focus, and ergogenic potency of a pre workout often define a brand -- if nothing else, a pre workout supplement is quite often an individual’s introduction to a supplement company. Perfectly blending energy, focus, performance, taste (and pumps), all but guarantees that a fitness enthusiast will continue to use the pre workout as well as explore other options the company has to offer (protein powder, thermo’s, collagen supplements, etc.).
However, a poor-tasting or (even worse) subpar-performing pre workout pretty much seals the deal that “other” options will be explored.
That’s why we’ve devoted countless hours of R&D plus real-world testing with our athletes, and fitness enthusiasts in the gym and on the field to develop and refine the best all-in-one pre workout possible. The result of those efforts was the original 1UP Pre Workout, which received consistently high marks across each “pillar of pre workout perfection” -- energy, focus, performance, flavor, and pumps.
Regardless of what we’ve created, we’re committed to constantly improving and bringing you the best products available!
Staying true to our ideals, we’ve upgraded our best-selling pre workout to refine the natural energy, more focus, and better performance aspects while delivering the same great taste and muscle pumps!
What’s in 1UP Pre Workout?
Nitric Oxide Pump Complex
L-Citrulline
Citrulline is an amino acid found in watermelon that enhances arginine levels even greater than L-arginine.
Why is this important?
Arginine is the amino acid that serves as the “fuel” for nitric oxide (NO) production. Greater levels of arginine support better NO production, and with greater NO production comes improved blood flow, nutrient delivery, exercise performance, and pumps. Furthermore, L-Citrulline has been extensively researched and found to improve exercise performance for both aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (resistance training) workouts.[1,2,3,4,5]
1UP Pre Workout includes a robust 6,000mg L-Citrulline per full serving to support exercise performance, healthy blood flow, and muscle pumps.
Nitrosigine®
Nitrosigine is a premium complex of arginine and inositol that has been shown to be as effective as 8g citrulline malate.[6] It is significantly better than regular arginine supplements (as is pure L-Citrulline).
Where Nitrosigine really makes its mark is with its research-backed findings -- it’s backed by 30 studies![7]
What’s more, Nitrosigine isn’t only beneficial for exercise performance; it also enhances focus and cognitive performance. And, Nitrosigine is fast-acting…showing benefits as quick as 15 minutes.[7]
Collectively, this makes Nitrosigine a great compliment to L-Citrulline as well as a great 3-in-1 standalone pre workout supplement (energy, performance, focus)!
Energy, Focus & Mood Complex
InnovaBean™ (98% Natural Caffeine)
Caffeine is the foundation upon which the best pre workout supplements are built. The time-tested stimulant has been investigated hundreds of times, and it’s been shown to improve mental and physical performance, heighten mood, and sharpen focus.
For the new 1UP Pre Workout, we’ve upgraded to InnovaBean, a natural source of caffeine from green coffee beans that offers clean, crisp, sugar-free energy while eliminating the reliance on chemically-synthesized caffeine.
Guarana Seed Extract
Guarana is an Amazonian plant long used for its healing, anti-fatigue, and antioxidant properties. In addition to a bevy of polyphenols and antioxidants, the seeds also contain caffeine.
Research indicates that guarana may provide additional benefits over caffeine-only supplementation.[8] Additionally, a recent meta-analysis noted that guarana may improve mood as well as affective domain (emotions, attitudes, and feelings).[9]
Combining natural caffeine from green coffee beans with guarana (which contains 22% natural caffeine) delivers a unique and game-changing combination of energizers, focus boosters, natural polyphenols, and performance-enhancement found in no other pre workout!
CognatiQ®
The ability to focus during training is paramount to training hard and getting results during your transformation challenge. While there are many nootropics available that promise to heighten focus and support brain health, few have clinical studies backing them.
CognatiQ (aka NeuroFactor) is one of the exceptions. It’s derived from coffee fruit (not to be confused with coffee beans, which are inside the fruit), and the supplement has been clinically shown to significantly increase levels brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) -- a critical neuroprotein that impacts brain cells, learning, memory, and higher thinking.
Furthermore, CognatiQ is a stimulant-free nootropic that has been studied in humans and found to BDNF up to 143% from baseline measurements and kept them elevated for at least two hours![10]
Huperzia Serrata Extract
Acetylcholine (aka “the learning neurotransmitter”) is heavily involved in memory, learning, and muscle contractions. It comes as no surprise, then, that the vitally important neurochemical also plays a role in the mind-muscle connection.
However, an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase is responsible for metabolizing (breaking down) acetylcholine.
Huperzia serrata is a plant that contains an alkaloid called huperzine a that limits the activity of acetylcholinesterase, which supports greater, longer-lasting levels of the critical neurotransmitter. From a workout standpoint, greater acetylcholine concentrations promote tighter focus and concentration as well as a stronger mind-muscle connection (helping to “feel” the muscles working each rep).
Anticatabolic
Calcium HMB
It’s no secret that intense exercise stimulates protein synthesis; however, long, arduous training sessions can also lead to muscle breakdown (“catabolism”). For these reasons, we encourage trainees to have a pre-workout meal (such as a scoop of 1UP whey protein, possibly along with some carbs).
To further combat catabolism and attenuate muscle soreness, 1UP Pre Workout includes HMB -- a metabolite of Leucine (the “king” of amino acids) that has been shown to limit protein degradation and support lean body mass. In fact, research shows that a combination of whey protein + HMB may result in greater lean mass gains.[11]
References
- Bendahan D, Mattei J, Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S, Le Guern ME, Cozzone P. Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2002;36(4):282-289. doi:10.1136/bjsm.36.4.282.
- Orozco-Gutierrez JJ, Castillo-Martinez L, Orea-Tejeda A, et al. Effect of L-arginine or L-citrulline oral supplementation on blood pressure and right ventricular function in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction. Cardiol J. 2010;17(6):612-618.
- Perez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J strength Cond Res. 2010;24(5):1215-1222. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cb28e0.
- Suzuki T, Morita M, Kobayashi Y, Kamimura A. Oral L-citrulline supplementation enhances cycling time trial performance in healthy trained men: Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled 2-way crossover study. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2016;13:6. doi:10.1186/s12970-016-0117-z.
- Bailey SJ, Blackwell JR, Lord T, Vanhatalo A, Winyard PG, Jones AM. l-Citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2015;119(4):385-395. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00192.2014.
- Rogers, J.M., Gills, J. & Gray, M. Acute effects of Nitrosigine® and citrulline malate on vasodilation in young adults. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 17, 12 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00343-y
- https://nutrition21.com/nitrosigine/
- Moustakas D, Mezzio M, Rodriguez BR, Constable MA, Mulligan ME, Voura EB. Guarana provides additional stimulation over caffeine alone in the planarian model. PLoS One. 2015 Apr 16;10(4):e0123310. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123310. PMID: 25880065; PMCID: PMC4399916.
- Hack B, Penna EM, Talik T, Chandrashekhar R, Millard-Stafford M. Effect of Guarana (Paullinia cupana) on Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 14;15(2):434. doi: 10.3390/nu15020434. PMID: 36678305; PMCID: PMC9865053.
- Reyes-Izquierdo, T., Nemzer, B., Shu, C., et al; “Modulatory effects of coffee fruit extract on plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects”; British Journal of Nutrition; 2013
- Stahn AC, Maggioni MA, Gunga HC, Terblanche E. Combined protein and calcium β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate induced gains in leg fat free mass: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020 Mar 12;17(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-0336-1. PMID: 32164702; PMCID: PMC7069016.
