Reviews
Redcon1 Total War Pre-Workout Review
This is our Redcon1 Total War pre-workout review.
Total War is more of a mainstream pre-workout, often pegged alongside brands such as Cellucor, Optimum Nutrition, BPI Sports, and GAT Sports.
It’s a pre-workout that I’ve tried many times in the past, in many different flavors, and it’s time to give my personal opinion on where Redcon1’s product ranks as a pre-workout.
Total War Pre-Workout Review
This is my full comprehensive Total War pre-workout review. In this article we’re going to be discussing and reviewing the following things:
- Tub size/servings
- Serving size
- Ingredients
- Flavors
- Price
- Where to Buy
- Value
- Effectiveness
- FAQ
- Summary
Important Information
Before we get into the big stuff like the ingredients, prices, flavors, and effectiveness; let’s quickly cover some important information on servings, product weight, and potential supplement stacks.
Tub Size/Servings
A single tub of Total War has a net weight of 441g and contains 30 servings. A good serving count for a pre-workout supplement.
Scoop Size
A single scoop of Total War weighs 14.7g, which is a fair serving size.
Suggested Stacks
Total War is actually included in a variety of bundles on their website. They let you select a bundle by goal, and more often than not you’ll find Total War is one of the products included in those stacks.
Total War Ingredients/Supplement Facts
Redcon1 states that: “Milligram for milligram you won’t find a stronger product. All ingredients are at clinical dosages for efficacy as well as full label transparency.”
Whilst it’s awesome that they are fully transparent on their labels, and do appear to have included ‘clinical dosages’ for all their ingredients, there are a few caveats.
Here’s a full breakdown of Total War’s ingredients and dosages:
Citrulline Malate 2:1 – 6000mg
Citrulline malate is a compound combining L-citrulline and Malic acid. The common 2:1 ratio it’s used in means there is 4000mg of L-citrulline and 2000mg of malic acid in Total War.
This is within the ‘clinically effective dosage’ range, yet it’s still on the lower end, and definitely not the strongest dosage used in a pre-workout.
Beta-Alanine – 3200mg
Studies have found that the optimal dosage for beta-alanine is around 3200mg, however, many people fail to realize the studies also mention that a ‘loading phase of beta-alanine is essential to increase carnosine concentration levels in the muscle tissue’.
You would need to load up 179g of beta-alanine within a 28 day period to see any possible benefits. You won’t be getting this amount through a pre-workout alone; so if you’re not additionally supplementing with beta-alanine itself, this ingredient is unlikely to result in any increases in performance.
Agmatine Sulfate – 1000mg
Agmatine sulfate is a decarboxylated metabolite of the amino acid L-arginine. Several studies have shown that Agmatine sulfate may help regulate eNOS production, in return increasing nitric oxide levels in muscle tissue.
The research is still minimal.
1000mg to 1500mg is a common dosage found in pre-workout supplements.
Taurine – 1000mg
Taurine is a controversial ingredient for pre-workout supplements, as despite its benefits it does appear to have anti-inflammatory properties. When you’re in the gym trying to get as much blood pumping into the muscles as possible, this ingredient could possibly counteract that goal.
Caffeine Anhydrous – 250mg
The caffeine content is where Total War shines, containing 250mg of caffeine anhydrous, and 100mg of di-caffeine malate; which we’ll get to below.
Caffeine Anhydrous is the most common form of caffeine used in supplements, and 250mg is a very good dosage.
Juniper – 150mg
Juniper has been thought to be beneficial for many reasons, however, there’s no conclusive research or evidence to support these at this time.
In my opinion, it’s not a necessary ingredient to be included here.
Di-Caffeine Malate – 100mg
Di-caffeine malate is a slow-releasing form of caffeine. Its inclusion in pre-workout supplements is to try and prevent any energy crashes caused by regular caffeine. 100mg of di-caffeine malate is equivalent to 70mg of caffeine, and this is a standard dosage.
Green Tea (Leaf) Extract – 45mg
Green tea extract can increase fat oxidation rate and may help boost fat burning. It’s often a common ingredient in pre-workouts and fat burner supplements.
Naringin – 25mg
Naringin is a flavonoid glycoside that is found in the skin of grapefruit and oranges and is the origin of their bitter taste.
BioPerine – 10mg
BioPerine is a patented extract obtained from black pepper fruits. It’s an anti-oxidant and also helps to increase nutrient absorption, which is beneficial when taking other supplements.
Theobroma Cocoa – 5mg
Theobroma Cocoa, or Cacao, is the technical name for the cocoa plant. It contains theobromine which is an ingredient being studied for possible cognitive benefits. Most supplements will use theobromine itself, however, Redcon1 includes the Theobroma Cocoa extract.
Total War Flavor Options
Total War is available in a wide range of flavors. The company has continued adding to its flavor selection over the years, which leaves us with roughly 21 flavors currently available.
Here’s a list of all the current flavor options for Total War:
- Green Apple
- Blue Coconut
- Blue Lemonade
- Blue Raspberry
- Candy Apple
- Grape
- Orange Crush
- Pineapple Juice
- Rainbow Candy
- Sour Gummy Bear
- Strawberry Kiwi
- Strawberry Mango
- Tiger’s Blood
- Vice City
- Watermelon
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Patriot
- Olympia Fireball
- Lemon Lime Blast
- Cali Splash
- Sour Gummy
I’ve personally tried both the Blue Lemonade and Grape flavors, and in all honesty, they did not taste good. It was difficult to even finish the drink. Maybe I just got unlucky with the flavor selection, maybe not. I had to add a ton of ice into the shaker just to make it tolerable.
I can’t speak about the other flavors on the list.
Price
Now we’ve covered all the important information about the product itself, let’s talk about the cost.
The price of Total War is $39.99 for 30 servings. This is a relatively standard price, given the serving count and the 14.7g of content per serving.
Where can you buy Total War?
You can buy Total War on their official website, or you can also purchase it on Nutrition Faktory.
Effectiveness
When we look at the effectiveness of Total War, it ticks one box more than the others. The combination of caffeine anhydrous, caffeine di-malate and theobromine in their respective dosages work very well for stimulation and energy.
However, the pump never felt amazing, and I didn’t experience ‘laser-like focus’ when using Total War.
Whilst there’s a decent dose of citrulline and agmatine sulfate included, Total War still leans towards energy more than anything else. If you’re looking for something that’s going to get you psyched up for the gym and bouncing off the walls, this will do the trick.
The focus and the pump are where it lacks.
Summary
So where does Total War stack up as a pre-workout supplement?
Overall, Total War is a decent choice for a high-stim pre-workout. This should be your main focus if you’re going to purchase total war. A high stim, high energy pre-workout, with a side of muscular pump.
I definitely felt the negative side effects of beta-alanine (itching), and the lack of a cognitive counter for the high caffeine content. I wasn’t a fan of the flavors either, or at least the ones I’ve tried. They felt very artificial. Fine for one sip, but finishing the whole thing wasn’t a great experience.
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