Broken Arrow Pre workout supplement is gaining popularity with supplement users. Therefore I wanted to investigate why this is and give my detailed analysis of the product, which will provide insight on its safety, effectiveness, and overall opinion.
The pre workout supplement era is upon us. Supplement companies are seizing on the opportunity to sell these types of products to consumers looking for an amphetamine-type effect. The amphetamine-type effect is one in which the user of said amphetamine experiences feelings of nervousness, jitteriness, anxiety, irritability, and excitability. Years ago, someone thought it was a good idea to experience this effect right before training or working and during training and working out. Consumers agreed, and hence the pre workout era began. One of those pre workout supplements that is gaining popularity is a supplement called Broken Arrow Pre Workout distributed by Repp Sports. This article will go into detail exactly what Broken Arrow Pre Workout is, its benefits, side effects, and much more.
Who Sells Broken Arrow Pre Workout
Upon Googling, “Broken Arrow pre workout supplement,” I came across a company called Repp Sports, which seems to be the manufacturer. According to their website www.reppsports.com, the company’s headquarters is located at 975 Bennett Dr. Longwood, FL, zip code 32750. According to Google Maps, it looks like they are located in some sort of business park in a white warehouse looking building. This is a good sign, in my opinion, because some supplement companies claiming to be professional are actually located in mom’s basement.
Repp Sports looks like they carry and distribute about ten products/supplements. In my opinion, all of the products are pretty common in the supplement space. Meaning, they carry products that most other supplement companies carry—supplements like laxogenin, whey protein, DAA, shaker cups, and some others. I do not see anything cutting edge or unique. Upon further assessment, I feel this is a brand and lifestyle type of supplement company—nothing special about them or their products. They have a nicely designed supplement label and branding. But let us take a closer look at Broken Arrow Pre Workout to see why it is gaining popularity by supplement buyers and if it is truly special or just marketing hype.
What Is Broken Arrow Pre Workout
The first thing I do when I evaluate a dietary supplement is to go right to the companies website. Keep in mind that I am a supplement expert, and I have been manufacturing supplements for over 20 years. I went to the website, and the first thing I see in a bold typeface is “….cutting edge ingredients”. “Hmmm,” I say to myself. And I start looking for these so-called cutting edge ingredients while evaluating a bunch of other things, most notably the label.
Here is an image of the supplement facts panel for Broken Arrow Pre Workout.
The first thing I notice is that the supplement facts panel itself violates the CFR 111’s for dietary supplements. The supplement facts panel should be white with black typeface, not black with white font. If the FDA inspected this product, they would make Repp Sports change this, and they would do so by issuing them a 483 warning letter.
Broken Arrow Ingredients
Next, I looked for the so-called “cutting edge ingredients.” I found none. The first thing that stood out to me was the high amount of caffeine in the product. Broken Arrow Pre Workout contains a whopping 350 mg per serving. On average, there is about 100 mg of caffeine in coffee, 111mg in a Red Bull, 200mg about in 5 Hour Energy, and 86 mg in a Monster Energy Drink.
It seems Repp Sports wants to put the most caffeine legally allowed by law into Broken Arrow pre workout supplement. The FDA says 400 mg of caffeine can be consumed per day.
The next ingredient I noticed was citrus aurantium, otherwise known as bitter orange. Citrus aurantium contains p-synephrine, which can increase blood pressure. I do not have a problem with this ingredient per se’, but what I do have a problem with is combining it with 350 mg of caffeine. Studies have been published that concluded bitter orange is safe to use in dietary supplements.
However, the German version of our FDA, found that combining caffeine with bitter orange can be dangerous, and they recommend not using this combination. They produced an entire report that can is found here. They concluded this,
“This is all the more concerning, as it is to be expected that the two substances mutually reinforce each other’s effects on the cardiovascular system. This applies to the known synergy between caffeine and sympathomimetic substances, which include synephrine regarding induction of an increase in heart frequency and possibly of cardiac arrhythmia.”
In laymen’s terms, combining these two ingredients can cause serious heart problems if one has underlying problems according to this report by the Germans.
It is for that reason that I have to warn caution to anyone that is thinking about using it. Caffeine and bitter orange are completely safe to use, but combining the two may not be.
The next ingredient up is Citrulline Malate. Broken Arrow pre workout contains 6 grams. Citrulline malate can be used to give the consumer a better “pump.” However, the problem with this is caffeine is a vasoconstrictor. A vasoconstrictor reduces blood flow and most likely will counteract the citrulline malate. This study indicated reduced forearm blood flow after the consumption of caffeine.
The next ingredient is beta-alanine. Beta-alanine is one a great ingredient, and Broken Arrow pre workout contains a dosage of 3.2 grams according to the label. This is the “magic number,” according to the website www.carnosyn.com which are the world leaders in sports nutrition research dealing with beta-alanine. However, I do not know if Broken Arrow pre workout supplement is using carnosyn or a cheap Chinese rip off version. One would have to contact Repp Sports and ask them. If they are not using Carnosyn, in my opinion, they should be. The Chinese are notorious for making fake, counterfeit ingredients. I would ask Repp Sports to see a 3rd party lab analysis that validates the amount of beta-alanine in the product.
Next, the product contains Alpha GPC. Alpha GPC is the brand name for the ingredient, Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline. A company called Chemi-nutra manufacturers the ingredient and owns the trademark. The ingredient is promoted to support brain health. Broken Arrow pre workout contains 100 mg of Alpha GPC. This is the correct dosage to use.
The next ingredient on the supplement facts panel is black pepper extract. The product contains 5 mg. The component helps support the absorption of the other ingredients. However, I do have an issue with this. Sabinsa, an ingredient manufacturer, has a patent on a product called Bioperine, which is their black pepper extract. Sabinsa has the patent on this product that states in a nutshell, that it will help with the absorption of other products. My problem with Broken Arrow Pre Workout is that they are not using the Bioperine name, which could mean two things. One, they are using it but did not bother using the trademark name. Or they are using a cheap Chinese ripoff version. There are two ways to find out if they are using Bioperine or not. One call up Sabinsa and ask them or contact Repp Sports and ask them. My first choice would be to call up Sabinsa and ask them.
The Other Ingredients
There are some more ingredients that don’t raise any alarm bells or are interesting to mention. Broken Arrow Pre Workout has a couple of free form amino acids, sodium, and theobromine. My personal opinion is that these ingredients do not have any ergogenic benefit at all.
Artificial Ingredients
Most of the flavors that Broken Arrow pre workout comes in, such as lime, fruit punch, gummy, and melon all-state on the supplement facts panel that it contains artificial flavors and sweeteners. The two artificial sweeteners that it uses are acesulfame-K and sucralose.
The one issue I have with the product in regards to the “contains artificial flavors” is that is may or may not contain artificial colors. I have never seen this powder mix up. But if it mixes in water and then turns a color… for example, if one mixes the lime and the water turns yellow, then most likely it contains an artificial color Yellow #5, which by CFR 111’s rules must be listed on the label. I do not see Yellow #5 on the Broken Arrow supplement facts panel. But this does not mean it contains artificial colors; I am only guessing. The only way to find out is to call the company and ask them. Some people are highly allergic to Yellow #5, and this is a serious violation of the regulations if the product does contain Yellow #5, and they are not listing on the label. ?The FDA can force them to do a recall.
What To Expect From Broken Arrow Pre Workout
This dietary supplement is a big-time amphetamine product. Not only that, but it contains a combination which the German government determines to be unsafe. Combing caffeine with bitter orange is surely going to give the user a serious feeling of excitement, nervousness, and the jitters.
Is the product anabolic?
I do not consider this product as a muscle building or sports nutrition product. I merely consider it an amphetamine. It does not contain any ingredients that will help increase muscle protein synthesis. Caffeine and bitter orange are ingredients commonly used in weight loss products. The only case someone would have to say it is a sports nutrition or bodybuilding product would be if they said the caffeine helps them train with more intensity and for a longer period of time.
In conclusion, Broken Arrow pre workout supplement is one of the most powerful amphetamine supplements on the market, yet controversial because of its use of bitter orange. Remember, before using any dietary supplement that contains this combination of stimulants, ask your doctor first.