ASC Supplements El Jefe Review: Made for the Stim Junkie

Ingredients Profile

El Jefe is comprised of three separate blends, so we will go over each of them. It’s a 1-2 scoop per serving product, the doses discussed will be based on 2 scoops.

Performance & Pump Matrix:

This blend starts out with Citrulline Malate at a (2:1) ratio at 7 grams. Citrulline Malate has been shown to increase endurance and performance, and Citrulline on its own is the most popular nitric oxide booster in the sports nutrition, so we have no issue with the ingredient in here. Although we have to mention we’d probably be happier with simple L-Citrulline. After Citrulline Malate, we get 4 grams of Beta-Alanine. Beta-Alanine is a proven endurance booster, as it buffers lactic acid. The clinical dose of Beta-Alanine is 3.2 grams per day, so you’re getting more than enough in El Jefe. Beta-Alanine is something you should supplement with every day, so while it isn’t necessarily bad to see Beta-Alanine in a pre-workout, but some are seeing it as unnecessary. Still, El Jefe provides a solid dose.

The next ingredient is Betaine Anhydrous, which has been shown to increase power output. At 2 scoops, you’re getting 2.5 grams, which is a clinical dose. Following Betaine, we get Taurine. Taurine is a very popular ingredient, as it has been shown to aid in blood flow and hydration. At 1.5 grams, you’re getting a good amount in here. 

The last two ingredients are a bit more exotic, but awesome. We have Nitrosigine® at 1.5 grams, which is the clinical dose. This ingredient has been shown to increase nitric oxide and has solid research supporting it. Next we have ElevATP®, which is ancient peat extract and apple fruit extract. It has been shown to increase ATP levels, which can lead to increased performance. 

Jefe Stim Matrix:

Now we come to the fun part, which is the stim blend. Let’s face it, most people using pre-workouts expect a high dose of stims to get that energy many of us crave so much. El Jefe starts us off with Choline Bitartrate and Caffeine Anhydrous. Since this is all in a proprietary blend we don’t really know how much of each ingredient we are getting. Since Choline is at the top, it is dosed the highest out of any other ingredient in the blend. With that said, it does say on the side of the label that there are 400mg of caffeine (from all sources) in this product. This is on the higher end and this is actually our cutoff for caffeine. So if this had anymore caffeine in here, we wouldn’t recommend or use it. With that said, there is also Di-Caffeine Malate in this blend, which is a time-released caffeine. Di-Caffeine Malate helps at prolonging energy, while also preventing a crash. 

Three more ingredients in here are Theobromine, Eria Jarensis, and Juglans Regia extract. Theobromine is a xanthine which is similar to caffeine in structure. It is usually extracted from Cocoa Extract, and has been shown to aid in energy. Since this is a proprietary blend, we don’t know how much Theobromine is in here, although you do not need a lot for it to be effective. As for the J. Regia and Eria J. extracts, they are natural sources of DMHA and N-Phenyl Dimethylamine. Both ingredients are great for energy, which certainly aid in giving El Jefe a strong kick to it. 

Lastly, we have Alpha-Yohimbine and Huperzine A. Alpha-Yohimbine is a common ingredient thrown into pre-workouts and fat burners, as it can aid in energy. It’s also quite powerful, and many experience jitters from it. They give us 1.6mg in 2 scoops, which isn’t too high (a good thing). As for Huperzine A, to keep it simple, it prevents acetylcholine from being broken down in the brain, therefore prolonging the effects of Choline Bitartrate and aiding in focus.   

The last matrix is called the Absorption Matrix, which is just Blacker Pepper Extract. Black Pepper Extract may increase the absorption of some ingredients. 

Overall, the Performance & Pump Matrix is well-dosed, and the Stim Matrix is good as well. Of course, we wish there was more transparency in a stim blend, however since we can’t knock on it too hard as they are transparent with the Alpha-Yohimbine and Caffeine content. El Jefe was formulated well, and there isn’t too much we can knock this product for.

Effectiveness

Energy:(9.0/10)

The energy from El Jefe is what most are going to notice, and it sure is strong. With the inclusions of Eria J and J Regia, as well as the high Caffeine content, there is no way El Jefe will not hit you hard. Our user reported a rather powerful increase in energy, with some slight jitters, most likely due to the inclusion of Alpha-Yohimbine. The energy is actually quite strong at even one scoop, although may be more suited for a beginner.

There was a noticeable amount of sweat that our user reported. The Alpha-Yohimbine can certainly do this to some people. Either way, this pre-workout is more geared towards stim-junkies. 

Pump:(8.5/10)

The pumps from El Jefe are noticeable and enjoyable. The combination of Citrulline Malate and Nitrosigine do their duties here. While the pumps are not as strong as something with Nitrates, they should suffice for most. If you really need a stronger pump, El Jefe can be stacked with many pump products on the market.  

Focus:(8.4/10)

With the combination of stimulants and nootropics, there is a noticeable increase in focus with El Jefe. The only drawback is that too many stimulants (especially with Alpha-Yohimbine) may make you scatterbrained, which happened on occasion with our user. This can vary by tolerance, food intake, etc. each time you take El Jefe. 

Taste

Orange Dreamsicle: (7.8/10)

We had the Orange Dreamsicle flavor and while it was not bad, you can tell it has a lot to mask here. El Jefe made an attempt at Orange Creamsicle and got within range, however there is a certain bitterness in the background that is unavoidable. It’s certainly the weakest point of El Jefe. 

We wouldn’t call it enjoyable, but it certainly doesn’t taste bad. Our user preferred to drink it quickly. Another note, there is a noticeable hint of pepper to it, and shaking the tub will release a powder storm that may make you sneeze.

Mixability

El Jefe mixes quite alright, however there is quite a bit of sediment that floats around. If you drink it shortly after mixing it, you won’t have problems. If you sip on it, you’ll notice some build up at the bottom of your cup.

We used the Official Shaker Cup of Fitness Informant, The Ice Shaker.

Check out the video above for a full mixability test.

Value

You can get El Jefe for $50 directly from the ASC website, which gives you 20 servings. If you use coupon code INFORMANT it will knock off 25%. This brings the price down below $2 per serving for a well-dosed, hard-hitting pre-workout. You don’t find this type of value often.