Redcon1 Total War Pre Workout Review

Total War Overview

The pre workout supplement market has exploded over the recent years and I’ve been trying a bunch of different products lately. For a while I really liked Gaspari Nutrition’s SuperPump series. Some formulas were better than others but none could come close to the original SuperPump 250 formula. Those who’ve tried SuperPump250 know exactly what I’m talking about.

Earlier this year (2020) I was on a mission to try a bunch of new pre workouts to see what was out there and how good these products really were. I’ve tried Gaspari Nutrition, GAT PMP, GAT Nitraflex, TypeZero Caffeine Free Pre Workout, and most recently Redcon1 Total War.

I’ll have to say that Redcon1 Total War is definitely my new favorite pre workout supplement. I’ve been using this pre workout for about 4 months now and I really don’t see a need to make any more changes at this point. The energy, focus, and pump are all excellent. Below is my comprehensive review of Redcon1 Total War.

Ingredients

Citrulline Malate (6g)

L-Citrulline is one of the three dietary amino acids in the urea cycle, alongside L-arginine and L-Ornithine. Taking L-Citrulline increases plasma levels of ornithine and arginine and improves the ammonia recycling process and nitric oxide metabolism. Consequently, it is used in areas where nitric oxide is relevant, namely erectile dysfunction caused by high blood pressure, athletic performance, and cardiovascular health.[1]

Beta Alanine (3.2g)

Beta-alanine has been shown to enhance muscular endurance. Many people report being able to perform one or two additional reps in the gym when training in sets of 8–15 repetitions. Beta-alanine supplementation can also improve moderate- to high-intensity cardiovascular exercise performance, like rowing or sprinting.[2]

Agmatine Sulfate (1g)

Agmatine is derived from L-arginine through decarboxylation (the removal of a carboxylic acid group). It is stored in neurons and is released during neuronal activation. Agmatine is considered to be a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator.

Preliminary research suggests agmatine has potential use in the treatment of neuropathic pain and drug addiction. It also protects the brain from toxins and strokes.[3]

Taurine (1g)

Taurine is an organic acid which acts as a lipid/membrane stabilizer in the body and can aid various antioxidant defense systems.

Taurine exerts most of its benefits vicariously through other compounds in the body, but exerts some of its own on a cellular level. It is being heavily researched as an anti-diabetic compound due to its actions on organs of the body of most concern to diabetics (kidney, eye, nerve health) as well as controlling blood sugar while reducing some forms of insulin resistance.[4]

Juniper Extract (150mg)

Juniper is a tree that grows wild in some parts of Europe, North America, and Asia. There are many varieties of juniper, but Juniperus communis is the most common in North America.

Some people take juniper by mouth for problems with digestion, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and kidney and bladder stones along with many other conditions. Some people apply juniper directly to the skin for wounds and pain in joints and muscles. But there is limited scientific research to support any of these uses.[5]

Caffeine Anhydrous (250mg)

Caffeine occurs naturally in plants such as coffee beans, tea, and cacao, which is the source of cocoa for chocolate.

Through specific laboratory processes, which include filtering out the water and other chemical components, the caffeine from these plants will form caffeine anhydrous.

This dehydration process means caffeine anhydrous is more concentrated and, therefore, more potent than regular caffeine.[6]

Di-Caffeine Malate (100mg)

Di-caffeine malate is a form of caffeine fused with malic acid to form an ionic bond at a ratio of about 75:25. It is used in pre-workout supplements to provide a sustained release of caffeine and delivering a lasting level of energy. The malic acid present in this compound helps to prevent digestive stress often caused by natural caffeine and caffeine anhydrous.[7]

Green Tea Extract (45mg)

Green tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all made from the same plant but are prepared using different processing methods.

Green tea extract contains polyphenols. These include the most active type, epigallocatechin gallate. Green tea and oolong tea have the highest levels of polyphenols. This means they have the most health benefits. The fermentation and processing to make black tea decreases the polyphenols. It does this by converting them to theaflavins and thearubigins. All of the teas have catechins and tannins in different amounts.

Other significant parts of tea include caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. The polyphenols of green tea are strong antioxidants.[8]

Naringin (25mg)

Naringin has antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and cholesterol lowering activity.

Studies have shown that naringin has a cholesterol-lowering effect, reduces LDL oxidation and can help to prevent hypercholesterolemia.[9]

BioPerine (10mg)

BioPerine is the trademarked name for Piperine, Black pepper extract. BioPerine is a completely natural ingredient, which significantly improves bioavailability and benefits of nutritive compounds such as Amino acids, Herbal extracts, Water, and Fat-soluble Vitamins, Antioxidants and Minerals.[10]

Theobroma Cacao Extract (5mg)

The Theobroma cacao tree, or cocoa, has recently garnered increasing attention and become the subject of research due to its antioxidant properties, which are related to potential anti-cancer effects.[11]

Taste, Texture, & Mixability

I have personally tried Rainbow Candy, Sour Gummy Bear, and Strawberry Mango. They all taste pretty good to me but taste is a pretty subjective thing. I will say that they are all pretty sweet, which I personally like but I could see it being overwhelming to some.

Redcon1 Total War easily dissolves in water and I usually use around 6-8 ounces when mixing it. This isn’t something that I would sip on so I usually just slam it down in a couple of seconds.

Effectiveness

I have found that taking Redcon1 Total War approximately 40 minutes prior to my workout gives it enough time to start kicking in by the time I get to the gym.

Energy

Total War has 350mg of total caffeine which gives you a really big burst of energy in the gym. This is definitely not for the faint of heart. If you are sensitive to caffeine you might want to start with a half scoop.

Since it has a combination of Caffeine Anhydrous and Di-Caffeine Malate you get a quick burst of energy followed by a sustained release of energy. My workouts typically consist of about an hour of weight training followed by 30 – 45 minutes of steady state cardio and Total War gives me enough energy to get through those workouts.

Focus

I definitely feel more focused in the gym when taking Total War. I usually just put my headphones on and zone in on the task at hand. You can definitely notice a difference when taking it.

Pump & Vascularity

Redcon1 Total War has 6g of Citrulline Malate which is a very popular and effective nitric oxide booster. Total War really delivers when it comes to giving you a great pump in the gym. If you’re somewhat lean you’ll also notice a pretty big boost in vascularity during your workouts.

Strength And Endurance

I haven’t experienced much in terms of strength gains from taking Total War but I can definitely notice a boost in endurance. It’s one of the reasons why I’m able to workout for 1.5 – 2 hours daily.

Side Effects

There are really only 2 side effects that I’ve personally experienced when taking Redcon1 Total War. Since Total War contains 3.2g of Beta Alanine you might experience the Beta Alanine tingles.

Taking excessive amounts of beta-alanine (more than 800mg) may cause paraesthesia, an unusual sensation typically described as “tingling of the skin.” It’s usually experienced in the face, neck and back of the hands. While this sensation is harmless it can be somewhat annoying. This sensation is not always experienced and usually only lasts 30 -45 minutes.

The other side effect that I usually notice is that a few hours after my workout I’ll have a midday crash. This is probably due to the high amount of caffeine.

Cost

You can usually find Redcon1 Total War on Amazon for $29.99. Each tub contains 30 servings so it costs you about $1 a day. This is definitely one of the most cost effective pre workout supplements on the market and is an excellent deal for the quality of the ingredients that you’re getting.

Conclusion

Redcon1 Total War is my new personal favorite pre workout supplement. It gives me everything that I need from a pre workout. Total War gives me a great amount of focus, energy, endurance, and pumps in the gym. The taste is enjoyable and there are a bunch of different flavors that you can switch between. In my humble opinion it’s definitely worth checking out.

Total War Overview