Pre-Workout Shootout: Jack3d, Anadraulic State GT, NOXplode, and Superpump 250
In the pre-workout creatine market, there are many options, but the big four are Anadraulic State GT, Jack3d, NoXplode, and Superpump 250. These are all solid pre-workout options and all will give you extra pump, endurance, and focus on the gym. Now it’s time to look at each one, discuss the advantages or disadvantages of each, and how they might fit into your exercise program.
The first contender is LG Sciences’ Anadraulic State GT. It’s a strong creatine-based product that has a great strawberry lemonade flavor and a mix of some pretty cool new ingredients. Anadraulic State GT advertises itself as a “creandro” product, meaning it has factors that may help men increase their testosterone, as shown by preliminary data. This is a huge difference because it can really help increase the anabolic environment and recovery. It is also the only product proven to contain hydrolyzed amino acids, which are great for recovery and growth. They will be available to your muscles as a group of amino acids, and because they are hydrolyzed (pre-digested), they won’t cause bloating or discomfort, making them perfect just before the gym. Anadraulic State GT also contains a new form of synephrine and caffeine to give you a stimulating boost, which will help increase your performance. As a pre-workout creatine supplement, it contains all the things you need, including beta alanine, creatine monohydrate, and specific free-form amino acids like taurine. On the world’s largest bodybuilding review site, Anadraulic State GT is rated 9.5 out of 10, making it a very popular and solid performing product. It is the only product to have the addition of these hydrolyzed amino acids, which was recently shown in a Dutch study to increase muscle growth by 33% compared to a pre-workout powder without hydrolyzed amino acids.
The second contender is USP Labs Jack3d. This is a relatively new product on the pre-workout market and promises a no-nonsense formula with no fillers or dyes. USP Labs Jack3d’s claim to fame is that it contains no magnesium, which could cause you to go potty during your workout. I’m not convinced about this, but it’s a possibility I suppose. USP Labs Jack3d contains geranamine and caffeine to give it a stimulant boost, but the previous formula contained theophylline, which has been removed from the formula. It contains very few ingredients, but they are effective and taste relatively good. Of all the pre-workout creatine formulas, USP Labs Jack3d has the fewest ingredients, which is part of USP’s selling point. It currently has a very respectable 9.0 rating, making it a superior product.
Gaspari Superpump 250 is a traditional “kitchen sink” formula that has a little bit of everything, including maltodextrin, creatine, some free-form amino acids, and many other ingredients. To be honest, there are so many ingredients that it’s hard to see how they could all interact. Still, the Gaspari Superpump 250 has a huge following and people seem to like it. It has a rating of 8.4 out of 10 and comes in the largest variety of flavors. I’ve personally only tried the orange one and it tasted pretty good, no complaints. It has some great adaptogens like Bacopa and Rhodiola and a healthy dose of free-form amino acids, including some of the branched-chain amino acids. Overall, it’s a solid performer with a good variety and a good mix of carbs to amino acids and enough creatine and arginine to give you good pumps. The only thing missing is beta alanine, which is a key performance ingredient and mixes well with creatine.
BSN NoXplode is the current king of pre-workout formulas. Over the years, it has changed several times in both ingredients and forms of creatine. It’s another “kitchen sink” formula with everything together and even the excipients listed as “active” ingredients. Like Superpump 250, it contains a mix of ingredients, but it only contains creatine malate, not creatine monohydrate. This does have some benefits, as creatine malate doesn’t seem to make you as bloated as other forms of creatine, but it doesn’t have the body of evidence as creatine monohydrate for increasing satellite cell production, lowering myostatin, and performance. It has some great aspects to it like creatine-ol phosphate which is a creatine-like molecule that promises to help increase endurance, NAD which is great for energy, citrulline malate for endurance and beta alanine which improves endurance. performance. There are too many ingredients to see how they all fit together, so it’s hard to give an exhaustive review of each ingredient. It has a rating of 8.1 out of 10 on the top review site, making it a very strong option.
The side effects for each are more or less the same. They all contain caffeine, which obviously makes you feel focused, however can make you feel jittery if too much is consumed. Jack3d and Anadraulic State GT add two extra stimulants, for the stimulant junkies, so if you like to hook up before the gym, these two are more for you. They all also contain creatine, which has the potential to make you bloated. With the inclusion of insulin-like factors, LG Sciences Anadraulic State GT, BSN NOXplode and Gaspari Superpump 250 should cause less bloating as creatine is “forced” into muscle cells and not trapped to attract additional water. Also, those that contain beta alanine, such as Anadraulic State GT, USP Labs Jack3d, and NOXplode, may cause you to “pins and needles” or “itch” as that is a natural side effect of beta alanine. This usually goes away within 5-10 minutes and the benefits of beta alanine make it more than acceptable. Don’t be alarmed when you feel it. The USP Labs Jack3d article claims that magnesium-containing pre-workout creatine mixes like Superpump and NOXplode can cause you to go to the bathroom and have “runs” during your workout, as magnesium has laxative effects, but I personally think this it’s overkill but you should know if you think it could be a problem.
Of all the products reviewed, you really can’t make a bad choice. A good pre-workout formula that contains creatine is essential for a good workout, so try them all and decide for yourself which one is right for you. They all taste pretty good and have similar effects. The choice comes down to whether you want a simpler, more effective formula like Anadraulic State GT or prefer the shotgun effect of all in one powder. Do you want the testosterone-boosting effects of Anadraulic State GT or the inclusion of arginine in the other products? Overall, these will help transform your training and give you more focus, aggressiveness, and attitude in the gym.
The retail price of each formula is quite varied. NOXplode is around $35, Superpump 250 is $31.99, USP Labs Jack3d is $26.99, and Anadraulic State GT is $25.99, so they’re all pretty close, but NOXplode is the highest price point, still only around 10 dollars separates the four.
Of the four, I would recommend Anadraulic State GT because it is the most complete formulation for my needs. The addition of hydrolyzed amino acids makes a big difference in performance, as hydrolyzed amino acids immediately enter the bloodstream and provide energy and recovery while you exercise.