Psychotic pre-workout
$54.95
Pros
- Contains some proven ingredients (beta-alanine, caffeine, creatine)
- Most likely good doses of stimulants caffeine and ampiberry but hard to be certain
Cons
- Contains a proprietary blend which doesn't reveal exact dosage of ingredients
- Beta-alanine and creatine probably underdosed
- 1 serving only provides around 4.5 g of active ingredients
- Ridiculously expensive
In this Insane Labz Psychotic pre-workout review, we will give you all the information you need on this pre-workout supplement.
We will go over the ingredients, side effects, if it’s good, is it cost-effective, and everything you need to know before making an informed decision on your next pre-workout supplement.
Psychotic is a pre-workout supplement from Insane Labz that contains 8 ingredients in a proprietary blend. Even though the formula of Psychotic pre-workout contains proven ingredients such as beta-alanine, creatine, and caffeine it’s highly likely that most of them are underdosed. That’s because the whole serving is just around 4.5 grams of active ingredients. Overall it’s a poor choice for a pre-workout however the caffeine dosage could be optimal, there’s no way of knowing because they don’t reveal any dosages in this formula
Want to know more about Psyochitic pre-workout and if it’s worth trying?
That’s why we’ve come up with this Psychotic pre-workout review so that you can be safe in the knowledge that at least one more of the hundreds of pre-workout supplements available online can be ticked off your list of research!
Psychotic pre-workout ingredients
| Serving size: 1 Scoop (6g) | Amount Per Serving | %Daily Value |
| PSYCHOTIC™ BLEND | 4459 mg | * |
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Beta-Alanine, Creatine Monohydrate, Caffeine Anhydrous, AMPiberry® (Juniperus Communis)(berry), OxyGold® (Fulvic Acid), Dimethylethanolamine, Rauwolfia Vomitoria Extract (std. min. 90% alpha yohimbine)(rootbark), Huperzine Serrata Standardizes Extract (whole aerial plant)
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All the big guns of the nutritional supplement world are present and correct in this Insane Labz created pre-workout. Beta-alanine, creatine, and caffeine headline the show and, at first glance, make this product look like a pretty attractive option. However, if you are looking for a pre-workout containing creatine, be sure not to confuse Psychotic with another Insane Labz creation, Psychotic Gold, which makes use of a slightly different formula!
Proprietary blend- BIG FAIL!
Whilst the most effective ingredients are present, it quickly becomes obvious that we’re dealing with a proprietary blend here, the ultimate negative of any multi-ingredient supplement, whether it be a pre or post-workout product.
When we talk about a proprietary blend, we basically mean that the manufacturers tell you which ingredients are included but leave the specific quantities a mystery. This means, unless you have a scientific lab in your living room, it’s going to be very difficult for you to work out exactly what you’re putting in your body!
In the case of Insane Labz Psychotic pre-workout, it includes a blend of the ingredients mentioned above, totalling 4459 mg. The order in which the ingredients appear on the supplement label does tell you which appear in the biggest quantity within this blend, but still no exact amounts.
With that in mind, of the big-name active ingredients, we can tell you that the one which features in the largest quantity is beta-alanine, followed by creatine and then caffeine.
Beta-alanine:
As one of the most thoroughly researched and physiologically effective supplements, the inclusion of beta-alanine in the Psychotic pre-workout is a real positive. What’s so special about this non-essential amino acid? I hear you cry…?!
Well, beta alanine is converted by your body into something called carnosine which helps to delay muscle fatigue during intense activity by reducing the accumulation of something called lactic acid. It is the increase in acidity within your muscles, which leads to that energy sapping burning sensation you feel in your legs when you’re fighting through your final set of heavy back squats!
Unfortunately, because Insane Labz doesn’t offer any information as far as how much beta-alanine is actually in their Psychotic pre-workout, we can’t tell you whether it’s a useful inclusion or not. But, given the total blend is under 5g and the optimum daily dosage of beta-alanine is around 5g, that at least tells you it doesn’t contain the scientifically researched and recommended quantity. But, then again, not many pre-workout supplements do!
Creatine:
Undoubtedly, the most researched and clinically effective nutritional supplement on the market, which makes the inclusion of creatine in this product another major positive.
Creatine helps your body to resynthesise ATP (most effective source of energy for your muscles) during very short duration, high intensity activity. We’re talking stuff like Olympic lifting and repeat sprints. As a result of this more efficient energy production process, you are able to perform more repetitions at heavier loads and therefore generate greater physiological adaptations such as increased lean muscle mass. Ohhh baby!
Again, given that we have no clear information on the quantity of creatine in the Psychotic pre-workout, we can’t assess the merits of its inclusion. However, much like with the beta-alanine, the total blend amounts to less than 5g combined isn’t promising. With substantial research to indicate that creatine should be loaded at 20g per day for one week to saturate muscle stores before more long-term supplementation at 5g per day, it seems very unlikely that this Insane Labz product has a meaningful dose of creatine in it.
Caffeine anhydrous
It’s impossible to determine whether Psychotic pre-workout contains our recommended 250 mg dose of caffeine. Given that it is the third most prevalent ingredient in the product, and clearly has the highest bang to weight ratio of the big three ingredients included, it is probably safe to say that there is an ergogenically effective quantity of caffeine per serving.
Without the living room scientific lab we were talking about earlier. However, it really is tricky to say for sure!
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
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Pricing
Listed at $64.95 per pot (35 servings) on the official Insane Labz website, Psychotic pre-workout comes in at $1.85 per serving. That puts this product very much at the expensive end of the market!
Summary
Unfortunately, this Psychotic pre-workout review really did fall at the first hurdle. It is almost impossible to look beyond using a proprietary blend, which supplement manufacturers only ever use to hide stuff they don’t want their customers to know about. Usually, low doses of the most effective ingredients you really want and need.
So, despite the fact it contains the holy trifecta of beta alanine, creatine and caffeine, the failure to detail the exact quantities of each, makes this product next to useless as an effective pre-workout tool.
Add to that the fact it comes in at the more expensive end of the pre-workout market, and Insane Labz Psychotic is really struggling to impress us!
FAQ
Is Psychotic pre-workout bad for you?
It’s pretty hard to tell if Insane Labz Psychotic pre-workout is bad for you because they don’t reveal how much each active ingredient is included per serving.
But given that the entire blend weighs under 5g, no key ingredients can be dosed at dangerously high levels, except perhaps for caffeine. So as a precaution, we would recommend starting with a half dose to test your tolerance levels before ramping things up if everything is all good.
Psychotic pre-workout side effects
As with any pre-workout supplement, there is a long list of potential side effects when taking a Psychotic pre-workout. High levels of stimulants such as caffeine can cause dizziness, nausea, and a jittery feeling, particularly in those with a low tolerance level. That’s why it’s best to test the effects of these ingredients with initially low doses.
Beta-alanine usually causes a tingling sensation on the skin’s surface, which normally disappears after 15 minutes or so. There is absolutely nothing to worry about. It happens to everyone and certainly isn’t causing you any harm. Just think of it as the product letting you know it actually contains beta-alanine and is doing what it’s supposed to!
Creatine, particularly the monohydrate variety, can cause bloating and a slight increase in weight. This is down to the fact that it causes your muscles to retain more water. This in itself is nothing to worry about, but it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in large doses. Fortunately for you, the dose in Psychotic pre-workout is, in all likelihood, too low to give you too much grief in this department.
Does Psychotic pre-workout have carbs in it?
According to myfitnesspal, one scoop of Psychotic pre-workout contains just 30 kcal and 7g of carbohydrates. So if you’re looking to shred and ditch some of that excess body fat, then this product could be pretty useful.
What is AMPiBerry?
AmpiBerry (comes from the common juniper plant) is a replacement for a chemical called Dimethylhexylamine (DMHA), a psychoactive central nervous system stimulant. It is used to prolong the half-life of stimulants such as caffeine which helps pre-workouts give you smooth energy levels throughout your session.
DMHA has been made illegal in countries like Australia due to its similar structure to other banned stimulants, including ephedrine and DMAA. AmpiBerry, however, is legal.
References
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).
Grindstaff PD, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on repetitive sprint performance and body composition in competitive swimmers. Int J Sport Nutr. 1997;7(4):330–46.
Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update- journal of international sports science and nutrition.
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