Neurocore
$22.99
Pros
- Contains many proven ingredients
- No Proprietary blend
Cons
- You have to double scoop it to get optimal doses of each ingredient
- Misleading marketing regarding servings as you need 2 servings to get advertised quantities
- Very high caffeine dosage could cause side effects
Welcome to the most comprehensive Neurocore pre-workout review on the internet.
Neurocore is a pre-workout from the company MuscleTech. Neurocore contains 7 ingredients with a 6-gram serving per dosage. Neurocore contains proven ingredients such as beta-alanine, citrulline, caffeine, and more. The downside to Neurocore is that you will have to double scoop this pre-workout in order to get optimal doses of key ingredients. Neurocore contains no proprietary blends so you know exactly how much of each ingredient you receive per dosage.
If you’re starting to take your training regime more seriously, or you’ve been a committed gym-goer for several years, chances are you’ve looked into nutritional supplements as a way of optimizing your gains.
Pre-workout is, without doubt, the emerging product within this world, with a multitude of brands manufacturing a whole range of different supplements designed to boost your training performance and help you make the physical gains you’ve dreamed of for so long.
The problem for consumers is that for every pre-workout supplement that will definitely help you get the most out of your training, there are plenty more that end up being a complete waste of money. So how do you distinguish between the two and make sure you only part with your hard-earned cash for a product that’s actually worth your time and money…?!
Well, that’s where we come in!
This MuscleTech Neurocore pre-workout review will provide you with all the knowledge you need to determine whether this particular product is worth getting your hands on. A detailed assessment of the ingredients and their dosages supported by the latest scientific research. No sales pitches, no marketing jargon, just the cold hard facts!
About MuscleTech
MuscleTech’s mission statement is “to continuously research, develop, patent, produce and market the most effective diet and sports supplements in the world.”
The company is quick to emphasize their “unflinching commitment to science and research as a means to producing the best supplements in the world…” something which “has been the backbone of the #1 selling bodybuilding supplement brand in America since the emergence of MuscleTech supplements back in 1995.”
“A portion of every dollar spent on MuscleTech supplements is allocated towards funding scientific research to discover new and more effective ways to help increase lean muscle mass and strength, reduce body fat and improve athletic performance.”
MuscleTech is well known for producing “groundbreaking, high-quality supplements”… with “over 30 US and 50 worldwide patents… and tons of professional athletes and bodybuilders” flocking “to Team MuscleTech for researched and scientifically advanced formula.”
This is certainly one of the more detailed and impressive ‘about us’ sections we’ve come across on a manufacturer website, and it’s easy to be sucked in and trust MuscleTech from the get-go.
The only foolproof way of determining whether or not their products are worth parting with your hard earned cash, however, is to take a detailed look at which ingredients they contain and in what quantities!
Ingredients in Neurocore pre-workout
| Serving size: 1 Scoop (6 grams) | Amount Per Serving | %Daily Value |
| Calories | 15 | |
| Sodium | 5mg | <1% |
| Beta-Alanine(CarnoSyn®) | 1.6g | |
| L-Citrulline | 1.5g | |
| Creatine Hydrochloride (HCl) | 1.5g | |
| Caffeine Anhydrous | 160mg | |
| L-Theanine | 75mg | |
| Rhodiola Extract (as Rhodiela Rosea) | 50mg | |
| Yohimbe Extract (as Pausinystalia Yohimbe) (Bark) | 20mg |
First things first, does Neurocore contain any proprietary blends? For the uninitiated among you, that’s when the supplement manufacturer combines ingredients into a blend and only discloses the total weight of the mix and not the precise quantity of each component ingredient.
This is particularly unhelpful given how important it is to know exactly how much certain ingredients you are putting into your body. Despite what supplement brands might try to tell you, they are only used for one reason. To hide underdosed key ingredients from YOU, the consumer!
Fortunately for this Neurocore review, there isn’t a single proprietary blend in sight… Good start!
All of the dosages listed below are based on a 2 scoop serving of this Neurocore pre-workout.
Beta-alanine (3.2g)
Supplementation with beta-alanine helps increase your muscle stores of something called carnosine which plays a key role in the buffering of lactic acid during anaerobic activity. Given that lactic acid build-up is one of the major causes of muscular fatigue, this is of huge significance to your body’s capacity to train for longer before fatigue sets in. Sounds pretty useful, right?!
Most of the scientific research suggests that 4-6g of beta alanine per day for a period of at least 2 weeks is sufficient to raise your muscle carnosine stores enough to have the desired fatigue fighting effect.
That means the 3.2g serving in 2 scoops of Neurocore falls a little short of this optimal dose. Having said that, taken daily, it should still be enough to build carnosine stores. It may just take a little longer to do so!
L-citrulline (3g)
Probably one of the most exciting nutritional supplements on the market as far as exercise performance is concerned. Citrulline consumption helps your body produce more of an amino acid called arginine, which plays a crucial role in releasing nitric oxide. Increased nitric oxide levels are beneficial to circulation and help generate more blood flow to working muscles during intense exercise. Not only can this be critical to helping you fight fatigue, but it also makes for some pretty sweet muscle pumps!
In order to achieve these benefits, the studies suggest that a daily dose of 3-6g of l-citrulline for a period of at least 7 days should be sufficient. This means, the 3g serving in Neurocore just squeezes in at the bottom end of this optimum range.
Whilst we would prefer MuscleTech to use the malate form of citrulline due to its energy-boosting potential, it would be wrong of us to complain too much about an optimally dosed ingredient of such quality. Another positive string to the bow of this Neurocore pre-workout review.
Creatine hydrochloride (3g)
Creatine is the most widely researched and clinically effective nutritional supplement on the market, capable of helping you increase both strength and lean muscle mass gains, in particular.
Most, if not all, of the most comprehensive studies have been undertaken using the monohydrate form of creatine, which is proven to be effective at daily doses of 5g over a period of some weeks.
The limited research into creatine hydrochloride suggests that it can be consumed at a lower dose of 1-2g per day and achieve the same ergogenic benefits as the monohydrate variety. This would mean that the 3g serving contained in 2 scoops of Neurocore is more than enough to benefit your training performance.
Having said that, there is nowhere near the level of research into creatine hydrochloride as there is into monohydrate. As a result, our Neurocore review remains a little skeptical about its use.
If you’re serious about the potential benefits of creatine supplementation and you want guaranteed results, we would advise sourcing a pure creatine monohydrate supplement. That way, you are in complete control of your daily dosing of a product that thousands of studies have proven effective.
Caffeine (320 mg)
The most popular stimulant ingredient used in pre-workout products by an absolute mile. Caffeine not only helps increase your energy before and during a workout, but it also has the potential of boosting your metabolism and helping you to burn more fat during sessions.
The scientific research suggests that caffeine is an effective supplement for exercise performance at levels as low as 100 mg, whilst it can be safely consumed in doses as high as 400 mg per day.
That means the 320 mg serving per 2 scoops of Neurocore is certainly an effective dose.
Are there any side effects?
The two ingredients in this Neurocore pre-workout which may cause some minor side effects are caffeine and beta-alanine.
High doses of caffeine have been shown to cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, the jitters and even anxiety.
320 mg is certainly a big enough dose to result in these side effects in certain individuals.
As a result, we would advise starting with a single scoop serving of Neurocore to test your tolerance levels before gradually increasing to a full 2 scoop serving. This is an excellent idea if you are new to pre-workout supplements or have a low caffeine tolerance.
Beta-alanine tends to cause a mild tingling sensation on the skin’s surface, which lasts around 20 minutes. The good news is, this side effect is completely harmless. In fact, it should be taken as a sign that you are consuming a meaningful dose of beta-alanine and not something else entirely useless!
Was Neurocore pre-workout banned?
It appears so yes! Previous Neurocore formulas seem to have contained the now banned stimulant ingredient DMAA, which was shown to have potentially dangerous health implications for users, including heart palpitations and increased blood pressure.
Whilst the latest Neurocore product doesn’t seem to contain DMAA anymore, MuscleTech does seem to have a reputation for producing supplements that blur the line somewhat between effective supplements and dangerous drugs.
Our advice? Treat MuscleTech products with a degree of caution and check the supplement facts label very closely!
Pros and cons of Pro Series Neurocore by MuscleTech
| Pros | Cons |
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Pricing
At $24.99 on the official MuscleTech website, Neurocore comes in at $1.25 per 2 scoop serving. This puts it kind of in the middle of the road as far as cost goes, maybe a little towards the more expensive end of the market.
Flavor options
With only 2 flavors to choose from in Cherry Limeade and Icy Blue Raspberry, there aren’t a whole lot of options, particularly if you’re fussy about the taste of your pre-workout.
Where to buy Neurocore pre-workout?
In addition to the official MuscleTech website, Neurocore can also be purchased at global online retailer Amazon and trusted third-party supplement sites such as bodybuilding.com, GNC, and thevitaminshoppe.com, so be sure to shop around for the best price!
Summary
All in all, this has been a pretty positive Neurocore pre-workout review. With solid doses of l-citrulline, beta-alanine, and creatine hydrochloride, and a huge serving of caffeine, this product contains some very effective ingredients capable of offering you tangible benefits to your training performance.
We would, of course, rather than Neurocore contained citrulline malate rather than l-citrulline and creatine monohydrate rather than hydrochloride. Still, it is difficult to criticize MuscleTech too heavily to use optimal dosages of effective ingredients.
Having said that, whenever a supplement manufacturer has a product range banned or has a general reputation like MuscleTech’s, you should be very cautious when purchasing their products. DMAA is a potentially dangerous drug, and its inclusion in any sports nutrition supplement should not be taken lightly. Despite Neurocore no longer contain it, MuscleTech remains a manufacturer to be skeptical of.
Price-wise, $1.25 per serving is probably about right given the ingredients and their dosages. Having said that, there are probably better pre-workout products out there for the same price, produced by more respectable brands.
Our conclusion. Neurocore will definitely help you take your training to the next level, especially if you are new to the pre-workout market. Don’t settle too early, though, and be sure to spend some time shopping around for the right product for you!
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