While it seems like a lot of the industry is racing to 500mg, 600mg, 700mg caffeine…we have responsible companies like MFIT Supps who are putting the consumer first by not overstimulating their workout. It’s understandable why consumes love stims. You can feel them. They give you a feeling like no other…to the point where it feels like your heart is going to pound out of your chest. What many consumers don’t realize is that being over stimulated during your workout is counterintuitive to fitness goals. The more stims you take, the less blood flow you get. The less blood flow means a mediocre to non-existent pump. The pump not only looks cool, it also helps bring nutrient rich blood into your muscles to help with recovery, repair and ultimately growth.
The issue with many lower caffeinated pre-workouts is that they also lower the dosages on other key ingredients. This then forces you to take more than one serving, which also means you are upping your caffeine. We’ve been looking for a lower to mid-caffeine level pre-workout that also doses other key ingredients at clinical/efficacious amounts. MFIT Supps by A&Z Pharmaceuticals does just that with Havoc. Being backed by a pharmaceutical companies also gives you reassurance that you are getting what they say you are getting on the label.
MFIT Supps Havoc
MFIT Supps Havoc is their stim-based pre-workout, but with minimal stim (that’s a good thing). To fully understand MFIT Supps Havoc you need to understand the supplement facts panel.
L-Citrulline Malate – 8g
MFIT Supps Havoc starts with the popular pump inducing ingredient L-Citrulline Malate. Now, the label does not clarify the ration of Citrulline to Malic Acid, but we typically see this at 2:1 or 1:1. At 2:1 that would mean we are getting at least the clinical dosage of Citrulline between 3-5g. This variation of Citrulline does two things. The first is it improve blood flow through the inclusion of Citrulline. Citrulline is the precursor to Arginine in the body. When Citrulline is consumed it is converted to Arginine in the body which increases the production of Nitric Oxide. The more Nitric Oxide means the better pumps. Malic Acid may contribute to a boost in performance.
CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine – 3.5g
Beta-Alanine , the ingredient responsible for the “tingles” aka paraesthesia, also provides a boost in endurance. Beta-Alanine is dosed at 3.5g in MFIT Supps Havoc. The daily dosage requirement of Beta-Alanine is 3.2g. Many people are led to believe a pre-workout is effective when they feel this “tingle” effect, but that’s not the case. Beta-Alanine is a great addition to a pre-workout, but it doesn’t define it. Ensuring you are getting daily consumption of Beta-Alanine at a minimum of 3.2g ensures saturation and ultimately a boost in muscular endurance to allow you to workout longer.
Creatine Monohydrate – 2.5g
Creatine Monohydrate is the most studied, effective sports nutrition ingredient in the space. Creatine Monohydrate helps your body create ATP for energy. This is how our body runs during exercise. The body needs creatine to restore ATP from ADP. Creatine also can saturate the muscles with liquid providing a fuller pump. Supplementing with creatine can lead to strength gains. Creatine Monohydrate is recommended to take daily at 5g. MFIT Supps doses at 2.5g, half the clinical dosage, which will still aid in ATP production and pumps. The other reason it is dosed at 2.5g is because MFIT Supps makes a Whey Protein Matrix that also includes 2.5g which would give you your daily value of Creatine Monohydrate.
Beet Root Powder – 1g
Beet Root Powder is a natural source of nitrates which can help improve blood flow. At 1g, we are getting the appropriate dosage of Beet Root Powder. Beets are one of the best natural sources of nitrates which can improve blood flow. If you do not have Beet Root Powder in your pre-workout you can actually eat real beets before a workout and notice the difference.
Agmatine Sulfate (AGMass) – 1g
Another pump centric ingreidnet used in Agmatine Sulfate. Agmatine Sulfate does not increase nitric oxide, however it is a tool that regulates NO levels in the blood stream. Agmatine is of interest to performance athletes because of its ability to increase the 3rd synthase. This synthase is known as your endothelial NO synthase, which is responsible for signaling the vasodilation of the blood vessels. Long story short, Agmatine Sulfate helps vasodilate your blood vessels. At 1g we are getting a great dosage of AGMass.
Watermelon Fruit Powder – 1g
Watermelon Fruit Powder is a fairly new ingredient used in pre-workout supplements. It is used because it is a natural source of Citrulline. Not only will this help improve pumps, it actually can help aid in recovery when combined with Citrulline. A study conducted on athletes showed that when Watermelon Juice was consumed with L-Citrulline, the athletes had better recovery after 24 hours. The study used 4.83g Citrulline and 1.17g Watermelon. At 1g of Watermelon Fruit Powder, we are sitting good.
AlphaSize Alpha-GPC – 250mg
AlphaSize Alpha-GPC is a branded version of the effective nootropic Alpha-GPC. Alpha-GPC improves brain functionality and cognitive performance. This aids in focus and clarity in the gym. Alpha-GPC crosses the blood-brain barrier to boost choline levels in the brain, and it is involved in the synthesis and release of acetylcholine (AC). This boost of choline and release of AC significantly stimulates cognitive functioning. We like to see Alpha-GPC at a minimum of 300mg. At 250mg Alpha-GPC, MFIT Supps Havoc is right there which will improve your brain function.
Caffeine Anhydrous – 200mg
Caffeine Anhydrous is the most widely used caffeine molecule in pre-workouts. It is the purest form of caffeine and the fasting hitting. A 200mg dosage is just less than 3 cups of coffee. This is a responsible amount of caffeine to ensure there’s not elevated heart rate (to the point of dangerous) and to ensure there is no vasoconstriction. This is the only stimulant in the entire MFIT Supps Havoc pre-workout.
L-Theanine – 35mg
L-Theanine is known as the relaxation and mood enhancing ingredient. At too high of a level, it can counteract the effects of stimulants and actually aid in sleep. At 35mg we don’t have to worry about that, but it will help you relax and aid in overall focus. We typically see Theanine dosed around 100mg, so this is on the lower end of dosage, most likely due to the lack of stimulants, which is a smart approach. We don’t need 100mg of Theanine here for impact. With only 200mg Caffeine Anhydrous as the stimulant, a dosage of 35mg Theanine is just fine.
Final Takeaway
Honestly, this is a great pre-workout. For all of you stim junkies, you need to change your perception on effective pre-workouts. We’ve been looking for a lower stimulant pre-workout with effective dosages of other key ingredients for quite some time now and MFIT Supps Havoc is just that. Just because we are getting a lower amount of caffeine doesn’t mean we are getting a lower amount of the other good impactful ingredients used in Havoc.
The energy levels of Havoc are just fine. If you are one that uses 400mg caffeine you may not quite get the same feeling, but you will make up for it in pumps and focus. The pump of Havoc is great, with Citrulline Malate, Watermelon Fruit Powder, Creatine Monohydrate and AGMass, you get a good full pump that aids in muscle recovery. Focus is also really good with the Alpha-GPC, caffeine and Theanine combo. The addition of Beta-Alanine aids in muscle endurance as well.
Overall, this is one of the best low stim pre-workouts on the market today. If you’re looking for something that has some caffeine but not an overwhelming amount, MFIT Supps Havoc is your go-to.
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