Welcome to the most comprehensive Anarchy pre-workout review available.
Everything you could possibly want to know about this MuscleTech produced supplement in one simple and easy to understand article. From where to buy it, how much it costs and what flavor options are available, to a detailed ingredient breakdown so you know exactly what you’re getting for your money.
Pre-workouts are, without doubt, the hottest product on the nutritional supplement market at the moment, with hundreds of different brands promising to revolutionise your training regime and help you accelerate your gains.
Whilst there are definitely some worthwhile products out there with meaningful dosages of ingredients which are proven to be of tangible benefit to your exercise performance, there are also a lot of bullshit products which aren’t going to achieve anything other than expensive piss!
As a result, research is an absolute must before you make a decision as to whether a particular product is right for you. The problem is, who really has the time in their busy schedules to commit enough hours to such a task. And that ladies and gentlemen is where we come in. We’ve collated all the information you need in one convenient place so you no longer have to trawl the internet looking for it yourselves.
What’s more, all the technical stuff is 100% supported by the latest scientific research, unlike the vast majority of product descriptions you find on manufacturers websites!
MuscleTech Anarchy review: my initial thoughts
Without doubt the first thing I look at when it comes to assessing the merits of a pre-workout product is the Supplement Facts Label, the panel of information on the back of the tub, which details exactly what’s in it and hopefully in what quantities!
It’s at this stage that you will be able to answer perhaps the most important question when it comes to making a good decision about supplements containing multiple ingredients. And that all important question is…? Are there any PROPRIETARY BLENDS?!
If you’re into your training and have experience with pre-workout supplements in general then the chances are you know exactly what a proprietary blend is, but for the newbies among you… It’s when a supplement manufacturer chooses not to disclose the precise weight of each individual ingredient per serving, instead giving you a total weight for a blend of ingredients. Why is this so important?
Well if you don’t know how much of each ingredient you are consuming, there is no way of you knowing whether you are taking on board an optimum serving! Not a great place to be when it comes to supporting your training.
The good news for this product is that there isn’t a single proprietary blend in sight, a good start to our MuscleTech Anarchy pre-workout review!
The only other thing to note initially about this product before we get into the flesh of this review is the fact that the number of servings per tub listed is based on a one scoop serving, but the advertised dosing of the key ingredients highlighted are based on a two scoop serving. All of that means you need to half the number of servings the product claims to contain per tub and therefore double the cost per serving!
Anarchy pre-workout ingredients
All of this information is based on a 2 scoop serving of Anarchy pre-workout
Beta alanine (3.2g)
One of the most widely researched nutritional supplements, beta alanine is regarded as one of the most effective ingredients with regards to exercise performance.
Supplemented at the correct levels, beta alanine helps to increase your muscle stores of something called carnosine, which plays a critical role in buffering lactic acid during intense bouts of short duration exercise.[1]
Most of the scientific research pertaining to beta alanine suggests that a daily serving of 4-6g for a period of at least two weeks is sufficient to raise carnosine levels enough to have a tangible performance benefit![2] Whilst that 3.2g serving in every 2 scoops of Anarchy, therefore, falls a little short of this ideal dose, it is still likely to be effective.
Why? Because carnosine levels have been shown to keep rising with regular supplementation beyond that initial 2 week phase. As a result a dose of 3.2g per day will increase your stores, it might just take a little longer than if you were consuming 4-6g per day!
Not a bad start to the ingredients section of our Anarchy pre-workout review!
L-citrulline (3g)
One of the most exciting nutritional supplement prospects on the market today. Citrulline helps to raise your blood levels of another amino acid called arginine. Increase blood arginine boosts the production of nitric oxide, which in turn generates increased vasodilation and therefore gives better circulation. Improved circulation means more blood flow to working muscles during exercise which all helps in delaying fatigue![3]
Most research dictates that a daily serving of 3-6g for at least a week is necessary to generate these positive effects.[4] This means the 3g dose in Anarchy just about squeezes in at the bottom end of this range… Another huge positive for our MuscleTech Anarchy review!
On looking at the Supplement Facts Label you will notice that there is also a 2g serving of arginine in addition to the l-citrulline. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this would further help to increase your blood levels of arginine thus magnifying the fatigue fighting effects of this product even more. You might even wonder why you can’t just supplement directly with arginine in the first place. It is, after all, the raised levels of arginine in the blood, which is the key behind citrulline’s impact!
Unfortunately, direct oral supplementation with arginine does not have the same effect when it comes to raising your blood levels of the amino acid… Why? Because the vast majority of ingested arginine is broken down in the liver before ever reaching the bloodstream. As a result, the 2g serving of arginine in this product is largely irrelevant to its impact on your exercise performance!
Caffeine (320 mg)
Comfortably the most commonly used stimulant ingredient within the supplement market, and particularly in pre-workouts due to the requirement to prepare users for tough workouts, caffeine has some definite benefits for your exercise performance.
Not only can it help you to achieve an optimum physical and mental state for tough workouts, giving you a much needed energy boost, it has also been demonstrated to help you burn more fat during your sessions!
Most research indicates that caffeine can be effective at dosages as low as 100 mg and is safe to consume at levels as high as 400 mg per day.[5] That means the 320 mg per serving of Anarchy pre-workout is certainly going to pack a punch, even for the hardened stimulant users among you. As a result it may cause some minor side effects… more on that a little later.
There are a few other active ingredients contained within this product, including hydromax, l-theanine, choline bitartrate and pomegranate. Unfortunately there is very little, if any, scientific research to support the efficacy of any of these ingredients for exercise performance, and as a result we won’t be considering their inclusion or dosages in any more depth!
Anarchy pre-workout side effects
There are a couple of ingredients which we feel our MuscleTech Anarchy pre-workout review should draw your attention to as far as potential side effects are concerned.
Beta alanine can cause a mild tingling sensation on the surface of the skin (particularly in the face), which normally subsides after around 20 minutes. The good news is this symptom is completely harmless and should be taken as evidence you are consuming a meaningful dose of beta alanine and not something entirely useless.
As mentioned above, high doses of caffeine can also present a few issues as far as side effects are concerned, and 320 mg is absolutely a high dose! Diarrhea, vomiting, the jitters and even anxiety are all potential issues users could suffer from. As a result, we recommend starting with a single scoop of this product in order to test the waters, particularly if you already know that you have a low tolerance level!
Pros and cons of MuscleTech Anarchy
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Where to buy MuscleTech Anarchy pre-workout
Whilst you don’t seem to be able to purchase this Anarchy pre-workout directly from MuscleTech, there is a section on the website which handily tells you where you can buy it, based on your location.
It is also available on global online retail giant Amazon, so be sure to shop around to find the best price!
At $27.99 on Amazon, Anarchy pre-workout comes in at a rather pricey $1.87 per serving (based on 2 scoops). Whilst this is not the most expensive pre-workout supplement we’ve ever reviewed, this price tag does put it at the more costly end of the market!
In all honesty it is pretty difficult to track down exactly how many flavor options there are for this product! It is definitely available in fruit punch, watermelon and icy rocket but the information is certainly not forthcoming on the official Muscletech website!
Summary: Anarchy pre-workout review conclusion
All in all this has been a pretty positive MuscleTech Anarchy review. Solid doses of beta alanine, and citrulline can be considered major positives for any pre-workout product. They are two well researched and highly effective ingredients when it comes to boosting your exercise performance.
The particularly potent dose of caffeine can also be considered a major positive, especially if you are a hardened stimulant user or are looking for a serious training buzz. If you’re new to pre-workouts, or would rather avoid some of the negatives associated with significant stimulant intake, then this may not be the product for you, however.
It is definitely an expensive option, and we’re not entirely convinced that the ingredients included and the dosages they appear in warrant such a price tag. Confusion over flavor options (we can only find 3) and the presence of multiple ingredients which have little if any evidence to support their efficacy for exercise performance, adds to the negatives!
Our final verdict…? There’s certainly no arguments from us over the inclusion of meaningful doses of some of the most effective nutritional supplements on the market. Such a high dose of caffeine is, however, a little contentious and for the price, we would probably expect one more really proven ingredient, or slightly higher doses of those active ingredients which are present! Give it a go and you’re unlikely to be disappointed, but you can probably find better for the price!
References:
[1] beta-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters- J Appl Physiol (1985). 2007 Nov;103(5
[2] International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine- J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015; 12: 30.
[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124046306000531
[4]Bailey, S. J., Blackwell, J. R., Lord, T., Vanhatalo, A., Winyard, P. G., & Jones, A. M. (2015). L-citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(4), 385-395.
[5] Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism- Obesity Reviews 2011
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