I was very excited to try this new pre as I was always a fan of The Curse. The Curse certainly wasn't my favourite of all the pres but never complained when i trained with mates who always used it and I used a scoop off them.
When I saw the profile of shadow-x I was even more excited. Not gimmicky ingredients, decent dosages and a little high on the caffeine for me but not enough for me to discredit the product. If you have read my other pre workout reviews you will know I am a big fan of low stimulant neurtropic pres which this is not really aimed at, but I am still looking forward to it.
Mixability and taste:
As expected from supplements now in such a competitive and progressive injury the mixability was perfect straight away, now nasty bits. The taste was also good, not moreish or a particularly strong flavour but easy drinking. Due to the inclusion of leucine I was expecting and very surprised for it not to be the case that a bold strong flavour was required to cover this up.
Muscle Power Matrix 3,750 mg
(Beta Alanine 2,000mg, Taurine 1,000mg, L-Leucine 750mg)
This for me is a very good dosage of BA, beyond 2g and the tingles get a bit too much, this just based on my tolerance, I know people who would want to 2 scoop this to get their goal BA. But for someone like that I would just suggest get a cheap stand alone BA to add in.
Taurine at a dose of 1g is sufficient and will be the dosages found in a lot of other energy drinks. This combined with the caffeine is gaining support for being effective in sports performance.
L-Leucine included in a pre workout was not an ingredient i got excited by but i am also happy to have it in there. However while using this pre workout i would consider the amino acids i am using and ensure they are to a 2:1:1 ratio.
Muscle Pump Fusion 2600 mg
(L-Citrulline 2,000mg, Betaine Anhydrous 600mg)
L-citrulline is in a dosage only slighter then what i would see as perfect. I would certainly be confident in a 2g dosage of this to be effective.
Betaine Anhydrous like with the L-Leucine will be working in a protein synthesis, muscle preserving role rather then enabling to pump as it is categorized on the label. However studies are showing a lot of support for Betaine Anhydrous, although these are conducted with a higher dose.
Mental Focus Mind Lock 855 mg
(Caffeine Anhydrous 350mg, L-Tyrosine 500mg, Olive Leaf Extract (40% Oleuropein) 5mg)
The Caffeine as mentioned above is a bit high for me. I like up to 250mg especially as with a 3.5g dose I would not want to 2 scoop it in order to increase other ingredients. However this product does not particularly need 2 scoops in my eyes.
L-Tyrosine is an ingredient I really like, personally the dosage like on a couple of other ingredients is about 75% there. But 500mg could be clearly effective for some others especially with a lower bodyweight.
In a 9g scoop these once these ingredients have been accounted for there is 2.65g of other ingredients.
Now putting all these ingredients into practice. As expected from the profile and dosages I didn't feel too much of a buzz or any thing pre gym, my caffeine tolerance is quite high. But what I look for in a pre is how I perform during training. I was thrilled with shadow-x, I had the focus and energ to push for extra reps or go for a drop set. I got a really good pump, last night was legs and my quads were pumping up very quickly. This energy and focus lasted throughout the full training session with no crash or intensity drops. I will 100% be using this product again including tonight.
Price:
£27.45 for 30 servings works out at 92p a serving. I think this is a pretty good price. It is a true 1 scoop pre workout which is rare and with the level of proven ingredients included at a good dosage i highly recommend this product.
