A Brutally Honest Review and Giveaway: Gamma Labs Pre-Training Formula

Recently I received a free sample of Gamma Labs Pre-Training Formula for a review. I’ve tested the product and I’m ready to share my findings with you but before I do, I thought I should clarify a couple of things about my reviewing methods:

• I will always be honest about whether I paid for the product I’m reviewing, or received it for free
• I receive a lot of offers to try out products or affiliate myself with them – but I turn most of them down
• When I accept a sample it’s because I’m genuinely interested in the product and believe you may be too
• I am not an expert by any means – I have no training (medical or otherwise) and the opinions I share are just that – opinions
• Before you try any supplement please consult with your Doctor
• My reviews will always be brutally honest – it doesn’t matter if I received a product for free or not

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get on with the show …

 

The Background Info

The Pre-Training Formula I tried is a relatively new product by Gamma Labs. The idea behind it is that you take two scoops of the product thirty minutes before your workout and it will help you power through your training. In that sense it’s similar to other products on the market such as gels and gummy chews. To help you build muscle it uses creatine, which is something not often seen in your run of the mill protein powder.

The nutritionals for the product are as follows:

Calories Total Carbohydrate Vitamin C (as ascorbate acid) Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopherol acetate) Niacin Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCl) Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) Sodium (as sodium chloride) Energy Complex acetyl-l carnitine Caffeine Anhydrous Mucuna pruriens (20% I-dopa) ATP Creatine Pump Complex: Focus Complex: Antioxidant Complex: Acai berry (Euterpe oleracea) and pomegranate fruit

Serving Size   2 Scoops
Servings Per Container  15
Amount Per Serving		% DV
20.00
1.00 g	1%
100.00 mg
25.00 IU
20.00 mg
10.00 mg
250.00 mcg	4167%
80.00 mg
426.00 mg	**
	**
	**
	**
	**
10876.00 mg	**
500.00 mg	**
400.00 mg	**
	**
** Daily Value (DV) not established

Before trying out the supplement I consulted with Nick – the trainer I used for years in Victoria and the person I still consider my personal guide through the world of nutrition and fitness. I really hadn’t heard of creatine before so I had some questions about its benefits/downsides. Nick informed me (in a nutshell) that creatine is a bit controversial and that most people that consume a diet high in meat (particularly red meat) will already have ample creatine in their diet. More specifically, a few hundred grams of meat a day will net a person sufficient creatine to forego supplementation. But if you’re a person that is vegan or vegetarian, or like me goes a long period of time without eating red meat, you may stand to derive some benefits from creatine. However, that benefit is likely only to be evident when engaging in power activities, such as lifting heavy weights (if you’re that kind of a person) or while sprinting. I imagine the same would be true for high-intensity interval training, although Nick didn’t state that specifically.

In addition, Nick made some comments about the amount of time you can expect size gains from creatine supplementation to last but I’ll leave that for him to expand upon in the comments if he wishes. Overall, I’m guessing that if you’re reading this blog then gaining size from weight training is not your primary concern.

 

The Methodology

This past Saturday I took two back to back Zumba classes (approximately 2 1/2 hours worth of exercise), first a regular Zumba class followed by a Zumba toning class that incorporates some upper body training with a lot of lower body isolation work.

Anybody that has ever gone to a Zumba class can tell you it’s absolutely draining and if you do it with the right amount of zest, is guaranteed to leave you drenched in sweat. In fact, I usually only do one class on any given day because that’s all I feel I’m up for. But Saturday, I decided to go big or go home.

Before my first class I had a light breakfast and hydrated. In between classes I had a break and decided to try out the Gamma Labs Pre-Training Formula. I emptied a single serving packet into a large mason jar and filled it half way (this is more liquid than is recommended by the manufacturer but I needed water). The first thing I noticed was the slightly reddish colour that was produced – very much like you would expect from juice crystals for children. The next thing I noticed was how smooth it was – this thing mixed up like a dream. Not a single lump. Perfectly uniform.

I have to confess I wasn’t expecting much by way of taste but I was pleasantly surprised. The drink itself was kind of yummy and not overly sweet.

Pretty soon it was time for my class and time to put the Pre-Training Formula to the test.

 

The Results

If you look on the GNC website you’ll find a ton of positive reviews . In particular, those that have tried the product rave about the energy boost they get after consuming the drink. Well I experienced the exact same thing.

To be honest, by the time the second class came around I should have been fading. And fast. But instead I found I had a lot more energy and was able to totally power through my workout. It was a little uncanny and seriously surprising.

By the time the second workout was over I felt better than when I began. The energy boost also seemed to last quite a long time but I am not so quick to attribute it to the formula as it may have a lot to do with the post-exercise endorphin release.

 

The Review

The product did exactly what it said it would do – give me energy to get through a workout. But that is honestly one of my worries; the label indicates that there are over 400mg of an energy complex in every serving but its unclear about just how much of it is caffeine. Did I essentially consume the equivalent of several cups of coffee before my second class!?!? Is that the reason I felt so energized and focused!?!? A little more disclosure on the part of the manufacturer would go a long way towards allaying my concerns about elevated caffeine levels.

Since I haven’t been using this product for very long (or been doing much lifting of heavy weights) I’m unable to give an opinion on the benefits or downsides of creatine. If you’re going to use this product instead of a protein powder, I highly recommend that you first consult with your Doctor or a trained fitness professional.

Lastly, I’ll just note that this Pre-Training Formula uses sucralose, and artificial sweetener. If could be so bold as to make a suggestion to the manufacturer, I would encourage the use of another sweetening agent instead of sucralose. As a basic rule, it’s best to keep things as natural as possible.

Bottom line – would I recommend this product? I’m not sure. Truth be told, I’m not informed enough in the intricacies of supplementing to make that call. But if you’re at all curious, I do encourage you to buy the product (after consultation) and make up your own mind!

 

The Giveaway

Thanks to generosity of Gamma Labs, I’m giving away seven individual samples of the Pre-Training Formula. To enter, all you have to do is comment on this blog entry before 9am PST on Friday, September 23rd, 2011.

If you’re a fan of the Toronto Girl West Facebook Page , you’ll automatically receive an extra entry!

Question: Do you use any supplements or fuelling products in your training? What do you use and for what purpose?