Apollon Nutrition Bloody Bare Knuckle: Next-Level Non-Stimulant Pre-Workout

Apollon Nutrition Blood Bare Knuckle Supplement Facts

Bare Knuckle, Apollon Nutrition’s premium non-stimulant pre-workout, consistently finds its way into our “best of” lists when it comes to a non-stim pre-workout. Apollon Nutrition loves to use branded ingredients at clinical dosages as well as non-branded, proven by studies, ingredients meant to improve your performance and recovery. Bloody Bare Knuckle takes this another level. What we loved in the Bare Knuckle version isn’t lost, but what we do get is more, more more. More new ingredients and more dosing on key ingredients. 

Bloody Bare Knuckle is a 40/20 servings non-stimulant pre-workout. Most users can get a full 40-servings out of this pre-workout but for the sake of education we are going to focus on the full scoop serving size which is the 20-serving dosing.

Citrulline – 10,000mg

Bloody Bare Knuckle keeps the 10g dose of Citrulline in the formula. This is the same from the current Bare Knuckle formula. Citrulline converts into Arginine when it is consumed. This then will help ignite the nitric oxide pathway to produce more nitric oxide (NO). This then will push more nutrient rich blood into the muscles.

The more blood flow into the muscles (and cardiovascular system) the better the output. This can help with muscular endurance and recovery as nutrient rich blood floods the muscles and aids in repair. The more blood flow in the body the better your cardiovascular system can perform for you. Lastly, the more blood flow the bigger the pump. The 10g dosage of Citrulline would be the max we would recommend in any product. 

Beta Alanine – 6,400mg

Beta Alanine is one of the most well studied ingredients in sports and active nutrition. It gets its clout from its ability to cause the tingling and itchyness of the skin. This is called Paresthesia. This, however, is not the benefit from Beta Alanine.

The real benefit of supplementing with Beta Alanine is the fact it can improve muscular endurance and aid in preventing DOMS (delayed on-set muscle soreness) by buffering lactic acid which can cause muscle breakdown, fatigue, failure and soreness.

We typically see this dosed at 3.2g, which is what you’d get with the 1/2 scoop serving size, but recently we’ve seen several formulas with the 6.4g dosage. This is 2x the dosage in the everyday offering of Bare Knuckle. 

Creatine Monohydrate – 5,000mg

What might be the single most important ingredient in the history of the category, Creatine Monohydrate is also the most well-studied and proven ingredient. Creatine Monohydrate is dosed at 5g per a full scoop serving. Creatine Monohydrate in a pre-workout is beneficial for several reasons. The first is Creatine plays a roll in ATP production. Creatine enhances the energy produced by the Krebs cycle by acting as a rapid ATP regeneration system.

Creatine Monohydrate has also been shown, when used daily, to help improve lean body mass, reduce body fat and support cognition. The recommended dosage of Creatine Monohydrate is 5g daily.

Creatine Monohydrate is not in the everyday Bare Knuckle version.

Betaine Anhydrous – 5,000mg

Betaine Anhydrous is a popular ingredient used in pre-workouts. The 5g dosage is one of the largest we’ve seen in a single scoop pre-workout. 

Betaine Anhydrous helps with more intercellular hydration. With have more hydration in your muscle cells betaine anhydrous can help with your overall power output, stimulate water-based pumps, protein synthesis, and general overall hydration. Even though this not a very well-known ingredient to the general public, the usage of Betaine Anhydrous can help improve your overall workout performance. With Betaine Anhydrous being used for several other benefits you may find suggestions of using 2,500-6,000mg throughout the day. The 5,000mg dosage is double what is available in the everyday version of Bare Knuckle.

Tyrosine – 3,000mg

Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid known to aid in improving cognition (focus, attention and memory). Tyrosine is an essential component for the production of several important brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. This can lead to help keeping your focus up in the weight room. With dosages per day varied dependent on the weight of the user. Tyrosine is a nice add at 3,000mg to help improve mind-muscle connection. The 3,000mg dosage is the same as the current everyday offering.

Nitrosigine – 1,500mg

Apollon Nutrition elected to go with 1,500mg of Nitrosigine from Nutrition 21 over the Arginine Nitrate in the everyday version of Bare Knuckle. Nitrosigine has been shown to work as well as 8g of Citrulline Malate in terms of blood production in the body. Studies show that Nitrosigine can aid in improving blood flow (the pump), performance and cognition. The 1,500mg dosage of Nitrosigine is the clinically studied and accepted dose.

Alpha-GPC – 1,000mg

Alpha-GPC is one of the most credible forms of choline you can get in a dietary supplement. Users want to get at least 300mg of active Alpha-GPC. The 1,000mg dose of Alpha-GPC yields 50% Alpha-GPC so users will get 500mg of active Alpha-GPC. Alpha-GPC has been proven to improve cognition which is memory, focus, attention and even mood and alertness. 

CellFlo6 – 600mg

Grean Tea Extract is what CellFlo6 is. This ingredient comes from an industry veteran who understands the blood flow pathways better than most. Grean Tea Extract contains catechins like epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which has been shown to improve blood flow and cardiovascular function. CellFlo6 can increase nitric oxide production in the blood vessels, which can help relax and widen them. This improves blood flow and reduces blood pressure overall. We typically see this ingredient dosed between 200-400mg. The 600mg dosage of CellFlo6 is one of the biggest we’ve ever seen.

CellFlo6 was not used in the everyday version of Bare Knuckle.

VasoDrive-AP – 508mg

VasoDrive-AP is hydrolyzed casein peptides that allow the pump to last longer. VasoDrive-AP works by supporting arterial elasticity by inhibiting an enzyme that leads to the constriction of blood vessels. The typcial dosage we see is 254mg, some brands have elected to go to 508mg which is where it should be dosed.

VasoDrive-AP was not used in the everyday version of Bare Knuckle.

Himalayan Pink Salt – 500mg

Apollon Nutrition has added 500mg of Himalayan Pink Salt to aid in electrolyte balance and water retention. This is key when you exercise because you deplete salts. Salts are important for overall hydration and muscle contraction.

Grape Seed Extract – 400mg

Grape Seed Extract 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. 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. The 400mg dosage is the same as the everyday offering of Bare Knuckle.

CognatiQ – 100mg

Bloody Bare Knuckle 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. CognatiQ is also used in the everyday offering of Bare Knuckle at 100mg

AstraGin – 50mg

AstraGin is used across the board of products from Apollon Nutrition. It helps your body absorb and use more of the ingredients dosed in this formula. It also can help improve gut health.