Apollon Nutrition Bareknuckle: Premium Non-Stimulant Pre-workout

Bareknuckle Supplement Facts

Disclaimer: This article is based upon the 20 (28g) serving size 

L-Citrulline 10,000mg

Bareknuckle starts off with a massive dose of L-citrulline at 10,000mg!  L-citrulline is an amino acid and precursor to the king of blood flow enhancing compounds, nitric oxide. Nitric oxide expands blood vessels through a process called vasodilation. This mechanism allows more blood to be delivered to your muscles, and at the same time, also helps to remove waste products on its way out. Since blood is the carrier of oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue, increases in blood flow proves to be beneficial for exercise performance.

Arginine Nitrate 4,200mg

It is no easy feat including nitrates within a formula, yet Apollon managed to pack a never-before-seen dose of arginine nitrate at 4,200mg! Nitric Oxide is widely considered the king of blood flow enhancing compounds. Arginine nitrate converts to nitric oxide and improves blood flow through a variety of mechanisms. This improvement in circulation poses numerous benefits:

• improves oxygen uptake
• improved nutrient delivery
• prolongs time to exhaustion
• reduces fatigue
• improved recovery

You may be familiar with other blood flow enhancing ingredients such as citrulline, arginine, agmatine, and Nitrosigine; all of which are popular pre-workout ingredients that increase nitric oxide one way or another. The benefit of nitrates compared to the previous ingredients is that nitrates are more effective at smaller doses, and their effects take place in a more timely manner. This typically makes them more desirable. 

Beta-Alanine 3,200mg

You may be more familiar with beta-alanine due to the ‘”tingling” sensation it provides upon consumption. Beta-alanine is an amino acid responsible for the synthesis of carnosyn, which is primarily responsible for acid-base regulation within muscle cells. Lactic acid begins to build up during exercise, which can induce fatigue and hinder performance. Carnosyn helps to prevent drop in pH levels by binding to hydrogen ions. This mechanism prolongs increases endurance and overall performance in the gym.

L-Tyrosine 3,000mg

To start off the focus complex, Bareknuckle features a solid dose of L-Tyrosine. L-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid; one that the body can produce on its own. It’s one of the most popular nootropic compounds in the supplement industry and is a precursor to neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline. L-tyrosine is primarily used to enhance both focus and cognition during bouts of acute stress, such as exercising. It’s also known to provide a slight euphoric feel due to its dopamine enhancing properties.

Betaine Anhydrous 2,500mg

To promote hydration, Bareknuckle manages to pack in a solid dose of betaine anhydrous at 2,500mg. One study showed that 2,500mg betaine supplementation over a two week period increased peak power during bench press . Another study showed that betaine also increased power output in cyclists during a twelve second split. Based off these results alone, it is clear why Apollon opted to utilize betaine’s benefits in

Alpha-GPC 800mg

Like L-tyrosine, Alpha-GPC is one of the most popular nootropic compounds on the market, and for good reason. Alpha-GPC is a precursor to one of the most important neurotransmitters in the body, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine plays a role in memory, cognition, and muscle contractions. Alpha-GPC has been shown to be more effective crossing the blood brain barrier and for that reason, is typically considered more desirable when compared to other choline precursors like choline bitartrate, Citicholine, or DMAE. Supplementation with Alpha-GPC has also been shown to significantly increase vertical jump power and peak bench press force, which makes it a great ingredient to include within a pre-workout formula.

Himalayan Pink Sea Salt 500mg

Himalayan pink sea salt is rich in sodium, which is an electrolyte that aids in hydration by maintaining fluid balance of cells. Hydration is key to exercise performance, as we all are familiar with. Daily sodium intake fluctuates case-by-case, but 1,500mg daily is widely considered to be the recommended daily amount for adults. Bareknuckle provides nearly 1/3 of daily sodium intake within this formula.

Grape Seed Extract 400mg

Grape Seed Extract is another quality ingredient included within Bareknuckle’s formula, as it is rich in proanthocyanidins and tannins that are typically used in supplements to enhance blood flow and overall health. Grape Seed Extract poses antioxidant properties, which promotes endothelial relaxation and ultimately, expands blood vessels. This expansion in blood vessels, also known as vasodilation, helps to enhance blood flow. Because of its antioxidative properties, Grape Seed Extract has been show to reduce inflammation and negative effects of stress on the mind and body. This makes Grape Seed Extract an exceptional ingredient for overall health and valuable inclusion within a pre-workout formula.

CognatIQ 100mg

Bareknuckle also features a clinical dose of CognatIQ to increase BDNF levels. BDNF serves as a neurotransmitter neuromodulator that plays a role in neuronal plasticity, which is essential for memory and learning. Studies conclude that BDNF enhances neuronal growth and also modulates dendritic growth. To stack on to that, BDNF also plays a role in overall health by protecting the heart and vasculature from disease processes along with aiding in prevention of neurological diseases. Overall, CognatIQ is another quality ingredient and has rightfully earned itself a spot in Bareknuckle’s formula.

AstraGin 50mg

NuLiv Science’s patented ingredient, AstraGin, poses a plethora of benefits and is one of the most popular pre-workout ingredients in the industry. AstraGin provides “full gut support” through several mechanisms:

1. enhanced nutrient absorption
2. microbiota viability
3. immune cell viability
4. promoting healthy intestinal wall environment

AstraGin has a unique, yet simple mechanism of action. It increases the number of transporter proteins present within the gut. Transporter proteins are responsible for carrying nutrients to the intestinal wall, which are then absorbed by the body and put to use.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies conclude that AstraGin primarily increases the absorption of amino acids, especially arginine. AstraGin also has limited data supporting the absorption of histidine, lysine, glucose, folate, creatine, agmatine, beta-alanine, choline, citrulline, BCAAs, and carnitine.