SUPERHUMAN
$43.00
Pros
- Solid dose of Caffeine and L-Citrulline
- No proprietary blend
- Properly dosed ingredients
- Many exciting flavors
- Great lineup of ingredients
Cons
- Caffeine dose may be too high for some people
- No free shipping
- Can come with side effects
Welcome to the most comprehensive SUPERHUMAN pre-workout review on the internet!
Superhuman is a pre-workout supplement made by the company Alpha Lion, It contains 13 ingredients that are highly dosed and the serving size is 18.2-grams. It’s one of the more powerful pre-workouts available, featuring ingredients such as Citrulline Malate, Taurine, Caffeine, Nitrosigine, Beta-Alanine, Betaine for exercise performance, focus, and muscle pumps.
A detailed breakdown of what’s in it, how much is in it, and whether the science says, that’s enough to have the effects the manufacturer is claiming. Simple!
Whether you’re just starting out on a fitness journey or you’ve been smashing your workouts for a number of years, nutritional supplements can definitely help you to achieve your goals. Pre-workouts, in particular, are beginning to dominate the market, with hundreds of manufacturers and brands competing for your hard earned cash!
Sounds great, right? Loads of options for the consumer and lots of competition among supplement companies surely mean high-quality products at reasonable prices? Not necessarily. If you’re not careful, you can easily end up with a tub of pre-workout, which does very little other than give you expensive piss!
That’s why we’ve put the hours of research in, so you don’t have to. All the information you need in one convenient place so that you can decide for yourself whether yet another pre-workout supplement is all that it’s cracked up to be!
SUPERHUMAN pre-workout review: my initial thoughts
There are probably two bits of information that determine my initial assessment of a pre-workout, and they can both be found with the briefest of glances at the Supplement Facts Label.
The first thing to consider is the total weight of one scoop vs. the weight of the product’s active ingredients. In the case of this SUPERHUMAN pre-workout, one scoop weighs 18.2g (pretty significant), with active ingredients making up an impressive 15.65g, leaving only a minimal amount of space. To be taken up with flavorings, preservatives, and other fillers! A pretty good effort if you ask this Alpha Lion SUPERHUMAN review!
The second point to consider is whether the product contains any proprietary blends… For those not already aware of what that actually means, here goes… A proprietary blend is a mixture of ingredients where the total weight of the blend is disclosed, but the precise quantities of each component ingredient are not. That means you, as the consumer, have no idea how much of any of the key ingredients you are taking on board per serving. NOT a great place to be when it comes to a nutritional supplement.
If you are in any doubt as to why a manufacturer might use a proprietary blend, we can categorically tell you that it’s not because they are trying to prevent competitors from stealing their patented formulas. Instead, there is one reason and one reason only, and that’s to hide underdosed ingredients from YOU, the customer!
Fortunately for this product, there isn’t a single proprietary blend insight. A good start to our SUPERHUMAN Hulk juice review!
Okay, so we’ve got a great scoop size with a solid active ingredient ratio, and not a single proprietary blend included. So let’s take a closer look at the exact ingredients on show and their dosages to determine whether this product is actually going to benefit your training regime!
SUPERHUMAN pre-workout ingredients
Makers of Superhuman pre-workout have recently updated their formula calling it Superhuman V2.
We have updated this Superhumanpre-workout review featuring the new formula of Superhuman V2 which is quite similar to the old formula but not exactly the same.
| Serving size 2 scoop (18.2 grams) | Amount Per Serving | %Daily Value |
| Sodium | 100 mg | 4%* |
| Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) | 500 mcg | 8,334%* |
| Niacin | 25 mg | 156%* |
| SUPERHUMAN ENERGY & FOCUS MATRIX | ||
| Caffeine Anhydrous | 300 mg | ** |
| Infinergy™ DiCaffeine Malate (75% Caffeine) | 100 mg | ** |
| N-Methyl Tyramine HCI | 75 mg | ** |
| Theobromine | 100 mg | ** |
| SUPERHUMAN PUMP & PERFORMANCE MATRIX | ||
| L-Citrulline Malate (2:1) | 7,000 mg | ** |
| L-Taurine | 1,000 mg | ** |
| Nitrosigine® (Inositol Arginine Silicate) | 750 mg | ** |
| S7™ (Green Coffee Bean Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric Extract, Tart Cherry, Blueberry, Broccoli, Kale) | 100 mg | ** |
| SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH MATRIX | ||
| Beta-Alanine | 3,200 mg | ** |
| Betaine Anhydrous | 2,500 mg | ** |
| SUPERHUMAN ANTI-CRASH MATRIX | ||
| L-Theanine | 350 mg | ** |
| SUPERHUMAN ABSORPTION MATRIX | ||
| Astragin™ (Astragalus membranaceus (root) Panax notoginseng (root) | 50 mg | ** |
| Bioperine® Black Pepper (Piper Nigrum) Extract | 5 mg | |
Citrulline malate (7g)
Citrulline malate is finding its way into pre-workout supplements with increasing regularity, and for a good reason. It is probably one of the most exciting nutritional ingredients on the market right now, with the capacity to help you to fight fatigue during sessions. How…?
Well, if dosed correctly, citrulline helps you to raise your blood levels of another amino acid called arginine. Increased levels of arginine boosts your production of nitric oxide which in turn causes greater vasodilation and improved circulation. Better circulation means more blood flow and therefore extra oxygen to working muscles during exercise.[1]
To achieve such tangible effects for your exercise performance, citrulline malate must be dosed at 6-8g approximately 30-60 minutes before your session.[2] That means the 7g contained in each scoop of this SUPERHUMAN Hulk juice product is absolutely banged on!
Great start to this SUPERHUMAN pre-workout review!
Beta-alanine (3.2g)
Outside of creatine, beta-alanine is the most widely researched and clinically effective nutritional supplement on the market for exercise performance.
Dosed correctly for a long enough period, it is capable of improving your anaerobic capacity. It does this by increasing your muscle stores of something called carnosine, which is directly involved in the buffering of lactic acid in your muscles during intense activity.[3] Given that lactic acid buildup is one of the primary causes of muscular fatigue, this seems like a pretty useful effect to us!
Most scientific studies suggest that a 4-6g serving per day for a period of at least 2 weeks is sufficient to increase your carnosine levels adequately to have a tangible effect on exercise performance.[4]
Whilst that means the 3.2g contained in this Alpha Lion-inspired pre-workout is a little shy of the bottom end of this range, it should still be an effective dose and is still a far greater serving of beta-alanine; than most other pre-workout products we’ve reviewed! Given that muscle saturation of carnosine appears to keep increasing the longer you supplement with beta-alanine, likely, a 3.2g serving will eventually have the same kind of effect as a more optimum dose; it may just take a little longer to get there! Solid enough effort from Alpha Lion here; well done!
Caffeine (375 mg)
Caffeine is undoubtedly the most commonly found stimulant ingredient in pre-workout supplements, and for a good reason. There is a wealth of research to suggest that it helps boost energy levels, improve mental focus, and increase the amount of fat you burn during workouts.
The science tells us that it is effective at doses as low as 100 mg and is safe to consume at levels as high as 400 mg per day.[5]
That means the 375 mg serving in this SUPERHUMAN pre-workout is a seriously potent dose and will have an impact on even the most hardened of stimulant users. Be warned, if you are new to pre-workout or have a generally low tolerance level to caffeine, then a full scoop serving of this product may be too much for you to handle! We’ll discuss the potential side effects of this kind of caffeine consumption a little later!
Taurine (1g) and betaine (2.5g)
We’ve grouped these two ingredients because the evidence corroborates any suggestions of them being beneficial to exercise performance is limited at best.
Whilst betaine is purported to help increase strength gains and improve body composition. Although taurine has supposed benefits for endurance, most scientific research into these ingredients is equivocal at best!
SUPERHUMAN side effects
There are two ingredients in this Alpha Lion pre-workout that need to be on your radar regarding potential side effects!
Extremely high doses of caffeine, such as the one in a single scoop of SUPERHUMAN Hulk juice, has the potential to cause several symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, jitters, and even anxiety. As a result, we would recommend starting with a half dose of this product to test the waters, unless, of course, you’re a hardened veteran of stimulant-based products!
Beta-alanine tends to cause a mild tingling sensation on the skin’s surface (particularly the face), which subsides after approximately 20 minutes. Don’t panic; this symptom is completely harmless and should be considered evidence that you are consuming a meaningful dose. The 3.2 serving contained in SUPERHUMAN, whilst not quite optimal, will absolutely be enough to elicit such a response, by the way!
Is SUPERHUMAN pre-workout safe?
It seems to be yes. There are no signs of any dangerous stimulant ingredients like DMAA or DMHA, which are increasingly finding their way into pre-workout products. As far as this SUPERHUMAN by Alpha Lion review can tell, this product contains nothing but well-researched ingredients considered safe for human consumption at the dosages disclosed!
Another tick in the positives column for SUPERHUMAN Hulk juice!
Pros and cons of Alpha Lion SUPERHUMAN pre-workout
| Pros | Cons |
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What is Hulk juice?
Hulk juice is simply the name of one of the flavor options available in SUPERHUMAN by Alpha Lion. It actually refers to the Sour Gummy Bear option of this product!
Where to buy SUPERHUMAN by Alpha Lion?
SUPERHUMAN pre-workout can be purchased at the official Alpha Lion website for a price of $43, which means it comes in at a rather pricey $2 per serving! You can also find it for sale at third-party supplement sites, trufitsupplements.com, and suppz.com, so be sure to shop around for the best price!
Summary: SUPERHUMAN pre-workout review conclusion
Overall, this has been an incredibly positive SUPERHUMAN pre-workout review. I mean, there’s not an awful lot to criticize about a product that contains an optimum dose of citrulline malate, a strong serving of beta-alanine, and potent caffeine hit. As a result, this Alpha Lion-produced pre-workout will absolutely help you to make the gains you want in the gym.
The availability of 5 flavor options should also give even the fussiest consumers out there enough choice to find a taste to their liking.
The only real negatives are the inclusion of betaine and taurine, both of which could be replaced with other more proven ingredients, or even larger doses of citrulline malate and beta-alanine, and the price. At $2 per serving, SUPERHUMAN is certainly one of the most expensive pre-workout products we’ve reviewed. Arguably the quality and dosages of ingredients warrant this kind of cost. Still, there are almost certainly options out there that would achieve the same kind of results without setting you back quite as much financially!
Our final verdict?
By all means, give this pre-workout a go, especially if budget isn’t really an issue for you. You certainly won’t be disappointed. If like us, however, you are a little more conscious about the cost of your supplements, then we’d suggest you keep your eyes out for products offering a similar kind of package for less of an outlay!
References:
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124046306000531
[2]Pérez-Guisado, J., & Jakeman, P. M. (2010). Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(5), 1215-1222.
[3] 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
[4] Stellingwerff T, Anwander H, Egger A, Buehler T, Kreis R, Decombaz J, et al. Effect of two beta-alanine dosing protocols on muscle carnosine synthesis and washout. Amino Acids. 2012;42(6):2461–72. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1054-4 and Harris RC, Jones GA, Kim HJ, Kim CK, Price KA, Wise JA. Changes in muscle carnosine of subjects with 4 weeks of supplementation with a controlled release formulation of beta-alanine (CarnoSyn), and for 6 weeks post (Abstract) FASEB J. 2009;23:599.4.
[5] Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism- Obesity Reviews 2011
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