VMI Sports K-XR RTD

The On-The-Go beverage aspect of sports nutrition has been on the rise since 2018ish. Many brands have released their own version of an energy drink to try to compete with first-movers, while others shifted course and went with a ready-to-drink format. Previously before the 2018 boom, many of these RTD beverages were underdosed and tasted awful. VMI Sports knew they had one of the best tasting powdered pre-workouts on the market in K-XR. The brand took the next logical step in 2021 to launch their own version of a ready-to-drink K-XR.

VMI Sports K-XR RTD vs K-XR Powder

VMI Sports K-XR RTD does differ from their powdered version of the pre-workout. There are several key differences between the two. First, and most obvious, is the different formula with different ingredients and dosages. You can load a powder more than you can a 16oz liquid. Many of these ingredients in K-XR powder are not soluble in water, which would make the RTD gritty and have residue at the bottom of the bottle. With that said, K-XR RTD has more active ingredients per serving than K-XR powder.

The second difference, and one we are a big fan of, is that K-XR RTD is a fully disclosed, transparent label while K-XR powder still contains proprietary blends.

VMI Sports K-XR RTD Supplement Facts

Now that we covered the differences and why behind the powder and the RTD, let’s dive deeper into the formula behind the RTD.

VMI Sports K-XR RTD starts with 6g of 2:1 Citrulline Malate. This means that the formula contains 4g Citrulline and 2g Malic Acid. Citrulline, at dosages as low as 3g, has been shown to increase blood flow in the body. Citrulline is the precursor to Arginine, which converts in the body to Nitric Oxide. This, in turn, increases blood flow. Malic Acid has been shown in some studies to boost performance.

Beta-Alanine, one of the most used ingredient in sports nutrition, is dosed at 3.2g. This is the “clinical” dosage of Beta-Alanine. Beta-Alanine is the ingredient that can cause paresthesia aka itching. Many consumers feel this feeling and assume the pre-workout is a great pre-workout (they judge on feel) but that is not always the case. Beta-Alanine serves a much higher purpose that contributing to the “itch.” It can buffer lactic acid which can prolong muscular endurance.

HydroMax (glycerol) is dosed at 2g. Glycerol is an ingredient designed to hold/absorb liquid into the muscle cells. Glycerol essentially can turn your muscles into a “sponge” of sorts. At 2g this is a respectable dosage in a RTD formula.

Betaine Anhydrous is dosed at 2g. We like to see this at 1.5g-2.5g. This can help with force output (strength) as well as contribute to pump and recovery.

Taurine, which is used to regulate electrolytes and improve performance, is dosed at 1,500mg. We typically see this at 1g, so this is a bigger dosage than we typically see. It can also help with mellowing out the jitters from caffeine and aid in alertness.

L-Tyrosine is gaining more and more popularity for it’s impact (positive) on cognition. We get 750mg of Tyrosine per serving of K-XR RTD. This is respectable. In most powder formulas we get 1g, but to come close in a liquid state is impressive.

The big callout on this particular RTD is the 400mg caffeine callout on the front of the bottle. Caffeine is comprised of three sources. Caffeine Citrate is dosed at 300mg (yielding 150mg caffeine). Caffeine Citrate works the quickest of caffeine sources. This would be the “caffeine source” that hits the quickest. Caffeine Anhydrous is dosed at 160mg. This is also a fast acting caffeine source, but can take 20-30 minutes longer than Citrate to “kick-in”. The 160mg of Caffeine Anhydrous yields 160mg of caffeine (that is 310mg total caffeine so far). Lastly, users get 145mg Di-Caffeine Malate. This is a longer lasting source of caffeine that takes longer to kick in. This yields approximate 75% caffeine which would be about 109mg (420mg total). Based on actual dosages and rounding rules, as well as testing, 400mg caffeine would be the actual output.

Another nootropic ingredient in Huperzine is used at 30mcg (3mg = 3,000mcg * 1% = 30mcg). We typically see this at a minimum of 50mcg in powders. This can help improve focus and memory.

The last ingredient is Alpha Yohimbe at 1.5mg. This is one of the strongest stimulants on the planet. This can help with alertness, energy and boosting fat loss/metabolism. 

Overall, this is one of the more impressive formulas on the market today for RTDs.

VMI Sports K-XR RTD Quick Feedback

The biggest thing for us upon using K-XR pre-workout RTD was even with the 400mg caffeine and Alpha Yomhimbe we didn’t experience a crash. Don’t get us wrong, it hits hard upon drinking a full bottle. The first thing you notice is energy, by far. The second thing you notice is a calming focus sensation without jitters (which surprised us). Pump is mediocre, but we don’t expect it to be crazy due to the use of stims and the limited ingredients for pump. Overall we had a great workout with K-XR RTD from VMI Sports.

VMI Sports K-XR RTD Flavors

K-XR Pre-Workout RTD is available (as of this writing) in four flavors: Miami Vice, Patriot Pop, Pink Lemonade and Gummy Bear. See video above for full feedback on these flavors.

Miami Vice is our favorite flavor, as is their powdered version. Miami Vice is a strawberry pineapple flavor.

Patriot Pop is your bomb pop flavor. This is a blue raspberry/cherry flavor.

Gummy Bear is your typical mixed fruit candy flavor.

Pink Lemonade is our second favorite flavor. Think pink lemonade, that’s exactly what this is.

Flavor preference:

1. Miami Vice
2. Pink Lemonade
3. Patriot Pop
4. Gummy Bear