Do most of you buy the newest pre-workout because your favorite bodybuilder promoted it, only to find the label says 543507945mg of a proprietary blend of ingredients?
Pffft. DISSAPOINTMENT.
De novo Nutrition is NOT one of those typical brands you find on the shelf of your local GNC. They are all about creating a quality product, showing a full ingredients disclosure, and they are science based.
No junk filler ingredients here.
*First off I would like to state the fact that I am in no way affiliated with De novo Nutrition and do not get anything for this review. I solely wrote this to give a modest review of a great product!
I first found out about this brand from following Ryan Doris and Ben Esgro, the two founders of the company, who really intrigued me with their philosophies on lifting and life when I endlessly watched on YouTube. It was in fact these videos that really convinced me that this was a brand I could stand behind.
If you have never checked out any of their videos on YouTube, just listen to one of them before you go lift and I guarantee you’ll go into the workout feeling amped and focused as hell.
Here is one of my favorites in the 7 part series they made called Mental Muscle.
Just take a moment and watch this, and listen very carefully.
If you like this one you should check out their whole series as well as all the other informative videos they have posted.
With all that said let’s get to the supplement review.
Epoch Alpha is priced at a modest 39.99 only available through Denovo Nutrition. At 30 servings(28.2g/s) per container, the cost per serving is about $1.30 per scoop. For what you are getting ingredient wise, this is a pretty damn good price. All the ingredients here are based on proper scientific doses and here is the ingredient list breakdown:
8 grams BCAA (4 grams Leucine, 2 grams Isoleucine, 2 grams Valine)
6 grams L-Citrulline DL-Malate
3.75 grams Sodium Citrate (Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate)
3 grams Carnosyn® Beta Alanine
2.5 grams Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate
1.25 grams Potassium Citrate (Tripotassium Citrate Monohydrate)
300 milligrams Caffeine Anhydrous
300 milligrams L-Theanine
10 milligrams Yohimbine Extract
Let’s break down the ingredient list with the help of Examine.com
- Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) refers to three amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. BCAA supplementation, for people with low dietary protein intake, can promote muscle protein synthesis and increase muscle growth over time. It can also be used to prevent fatigue in novice athletes. The standard leucine dosage is between 2-10g.
- L-Citrulline is used as a sports performance and cardiovascular health supplement. It’s supplementation results in reduced fatigue and improved endurance for both aerobic and anaerobic prolonged exercise. However, there is not enough evidence to support the claim that L-citrulline supplementation improves power output during exercise. To supplement L-citrulline to enhance sports performance, take 6,000 – 8,000 mg of citrulline malate about an hour before exercise.
- Sodium citrate has been found to help to effectively restore plasma volume and hydration when dosed correctly. The ingestion of 0.5 g of sodium citrate/kg body mass shortly before a 5 km running time trial improves performance in well-trained college runners.(V Oöpik et al., 2002) To help balance out hydration even further , De novo Nutrition also included Potassium in their formula.
- 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. The standard daily dose of 2 to 5 grams is sufficient to see the performance increases noted.
- Creatine is a molecule produced in the body, where it stores high-energy phosphate groups in the form of phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate). During periods of stress, phosphocreatine releases energy to aid cellular function. This is what causes strength increases after creatine supplementation, but this action can also aid the brain, bones, muscles, and liver. Most of the benefits of creatine are provided through this mechanism. The proper dosing is anywhere between 2.5 to 5g daily for performance benefits.
- Caffeine is a powerful stimulant as we all know and is a great addition to this pre-workout. The label on this particular product does give different dosage information based on bodyweight. As individual caffeine dosages differ, one should start at the lowest dosage and work their way up. Many of caffeine’s effects, including fat burning, strength benefits, and euphoria, are subject to tolerance, and may not occur in people used to caffeine, no matter how large the dose is.
- Theanine is known to promote relaxation without sedation. It appears to be effective at this as well as reducing stress at standard dosages. A combination of L-Theanine with Caffeine (100-200mg each) is noted to be synergistic in promoting cognition and attention.
- Yohimbine is a fat burning compound and works by increasing adrenaline levels in the body, as well as inhibiting a regulatory process in fat cells, which normally suppresses fat burning. Dosages of 0.2mg/kg bodyweight have been successfully used to increase fat burning without significant implications on cardiovascular parameters like heart rate and blood pressure and should be taken between meals or in a fasted state.
Now for my personal review on this product!
If you’ve made it this far I am sure you want to finally hear what I think of it. Let me start off by saying I am not usually a fan of any green apple flavor. If you are, let me assure you it definitely tastes exactly like sour green apples and for me it is tolerable enough to drink on a daily basis.
Mixability of this product is great. When taking this pre-workout make sure you put the proper amount of water listed for each serving size, and a good tip is to put the water in the cup or shaker first, then proceed to scoop powder in. This way no powder clumps up and sticks to the sides.
The price on this seems to be perfect as it has so many ingredients dosed to scientifically proven amounts. You are getting a lot for the money and it is very affordable as I said earlier in this review at $1.30 per scoop.
As for the actual effects of this when training. I feel like I can sustain a longer more productive training session when taking this. I have energy throughout the entire session and never feel a crazy insane rush where I am shaking like many pre workouts with a lot of caffeine give you. I also never feel a crash of any sort which makes me like this product even more. My focus is on point and I feel like this gives me consistently good sessions day after day even when I am tired.
I would fully recommend giving this pre-workout a try the next time you are in the market for an exceptional product to enhance your training experience. You can order this good good right here.
FYI: If you are someone who doesn’t like stimulants this product is not for you. A good recommendation for you would be to check out Layne Norton’s pre-workout called Carbon Prep. This is a fantastic alternative to stimulant based pre-workouts.
Sources: British Journal of Sport Medicine, Examine.com