Core Nutritionals Core ABCD
Pros
- Aminos+
- 5g BCAA
- Taste
- Effectiveness
- Value
Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 10%
Overview of Core Nutritionals Core ABCD
You've probably heard us talk about Core Nutritionals before through our social channels or even here on FitnessInformant.com, but it is one of the best brands in the space today. Doug Miller, CEO, believes in creating fully transparent, efficaciously dosed products.
Core ABCD is a great alternative to energy drinks and coffee but also provide the added benefit doses of BCAAs that will actually work. On top of caffeine and aminos you also get other benefits such as cognitive enhancement and a boost in performance. Core ABCD is a great option to add to your daily intake of water for some pick-me-up and cognitive enhancement.
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Testing Results and Ratings
We reviewed Core Nutritionals Core ABCD on five categories. We first start by looking at its ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the different ingredients used in this amino acid supplement, what their intention is and how effectively dosed are each ingredient.
We then look at effectiveness. An effective amino acid product will use high quality, proven ingredients, at clinically backed dosages. This is generally an extension of the profile section. The higher quality ingredients used at proper dosages, the more effective that amino product will be.
Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out the following flavors: Sweet Tea.
Mixability refers to how well the powder mixes in 12-16 oz of water. We use the shaker bottle test. This would be your typical Blender Bottle with the spiral chrome ball.
Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and mixability in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of BCAA/EAA products on the market.
Ingredients Profile
A lot of companies have released an energized amino, but not much more than that. Core ABCD is more than just an energy infused amino acid product. Core ABCD provides you the BCAAs you want at the ratio we like, as well as low doses of caffeine to provide energy and a boost in memory and focus.
We start with 5g of 2:1:1 BCAAs. This is the ratio most widely accepted in the industry. A 5g serving size is a good dosage, especially with a product like this which is more than just a BCAA. We also get 1.6g of Beta-Alanine. Beta-Alanine is an ingredient used to boost performance through the reduction of muscular fatigue. The clinical dosage is 3.2g, but we typically will be getting that in a pre-workout (note: to use Core ABCD as a pre-workout it is recommended you take two scoops).
ALCAR (Acetyl-L-Carnitine) is used at 500mg. This aids in energy production and a boost in cognitive performance by burning off fatty acids as energy. We like to see this dosed at 500mg to 1,500mg. It is the superior form of Carnitine. NALT (N-Acetyl-Tyrosine) is used at 500mg. This is a cognitive boosting ingredient that may improve memory and focus. This ingredient can be dosed as low as 350mg. Choline Bitartrate is another ingredient that boosts mental performance. We get 500mg which is a decent amount in an amino acid product.
The last ingredient is Caffeine Anhydrous at 100mg. This is a a perfect dosage of caffeine (coffee is approximately 80-90mg per cup) to make it a coffee replacement. This works well in conjunction with the cognitive ingredients to provide a good energy and good focus from what is more than just an amino acid product.
Overall we like this product as an everyday use product that will aid in muscle recovery, energy product and a boost in mental performance. If used as a pre-workout we would recommend two scoops to give you the best results.
Effectiveness
The purpose of Core ABCD is to aid in muscle recovery, produce energy and boost mental performance. We can say it does all three. At 5g BCAA, at the 2:1:1 ratio, you should be getting an increase in muscle protein synthesis to help with muscle recovery. The 100mg caffeine is sufficient to provide an energy boost. If you’re addicted to 300mg caffeine energy drinks it may not work as well for you, but for the vast majority it should be just fine. We like the cognitive boosting ingredients in Tyrosine, Choline Bitartrate and ALCAR as you definitely can tell that your mind is more “clear” and you are able to focus better.
At two scoops this would be a decent pre-workout for many as well, but even at the single serve, it’s a good, effective BCAA.
Taste
Sweet Tea:
We will be the first to admit that we’re not huge sweet tea fans in general, but they nailed the flavor on this. It does taste exactly like you’d think sweet tea would taste. Admittedly it’s not our favorite flavor but that’s subjective, if you are a sweet tea fan we can definitely see how you will love this.
Note: Add Core ABC Lemon Drop and you have an Arnold Palmer.
Mixability
By nature, amino acids (BCAAs) are not soluble in water. However, Core ABCD mixes pretty well. You get some slight residue and particles, but overall it is not bad at all. There are no clumps or chunks. You may get a little grit here or there, but nothing to lose sleep over.
Check out our mixability video above featuring the Official Cup of Fitness Informant: Ice Shaker Cup.
Value
A good BCAA product should be about $1 per serving. The fact that we get 5g BCAA plus the addition of Caffeine, Beta-Alanine, Choline Bitartrate, NALT and ALCAR makes this a better buy for your buck (literally). With coupon code INFORMANT you will also save 10% dropping the price to $27 for 30-servings, a really good buy. If you’re looking for something to replace your coffee or energy drink addiction at a better price point, Core ABCD is your go-to.
Available at these Fitness Informant Approved Retailers
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Core Nutritionals Core ABCD
Pros
- Aminos+
- 5g BCAA
- Taste
- Effectiveness
- Value
