Comprehensive Pre

84%
Good

MusclePharm Assault Black is definitely formulated with some impressive ingredients. The flavor is good, and each bottle retails for $50 and provides 30 servings. Considering the expansive profile, the price seems affordable.

However, my main gripe is that there is too much caffeine per serving. If caffeine doesn’t affect you as much, MusclePharm Assault Black is worth checking out. If you don’t respond well to caffeine, you may want to take less than a full scoop or maybe try a different product.

  • Ingredients
  • Value
  • Mixability
  • Flavor
  • Effectiveness

MusclePharm Assault Black is designed to be a comprehensive pre-workout, providing a wide range of beneficial ingredients to boost energy, power output, recovery, and muscle pumps.

I tried out Assault Black for a couple of days. Here’s what I thought about MusclePharm’s newest pre-workout supplement.

What’s Inside MusclePharm Assault Black?

MusclePharm Assault Black provides a long list of ingredients. Instead of running through every single ingredient, I decided to highlight some key components of MusclePharm Assault Black so you can better understand how it works:

L-Citrulline DL-Malate 2:1 (3 g)

This amino acid is turned into L-arginine in the body, which in turn increases nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes vascular smooth muscle to improve blood flow. [1] Essentially, bodybuilders supplement with L-citrulline to improve the pump they get during their workout.

Beet Root Extract (200 mg)

Beet root is another pump ingredient used to improve blood flow for better muscle pumps. Research shows nitrates in beets are converted to nitric oxide. [2]

Creatine Hydrochloride (HCL) (1.5 g)

Creatine is a chemical found within the body in the muscles. Creatine is involved in producing energy for anaerobic exercise. Research shows supplementing with additional creatine to improve physical performance. [3]

BCAAs (1.5 g)

Branched-chain amino acids have been shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness post workout. [4] Also, leucine, one of the three BCAAs, has been shown to be involved with improving muscle protein synthesis. [5] This could potentially mean greater muscle growth.

CarnoSyn Beta Alanine (2 g)

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that affects muscles. More specifically, CarnoSyn has been studied for its ability to improve physical performance by increasing time to exhaustion. [6]

Caffeine Anhydrous (300 mg)

Caffeine supplementation is used to improve power output. During one clinical study, test subjects who experienced power output decreases in the morning relative to the evening supplemented with 3 mg/kg caffeine. Research shows caffeine supplementation reversed the power output decreases. [7]

What I thought Of MusclePharm Assault Black

I supplemented with Assault Black before some of my leg workouts as well as a chest workout.

First off, the watermelon flavor was pretty good. I mixed one scoop with 12 ounces of water about 15 minutes before my work outs. I prefer using smaller amounts of liquid immediately prior to working out, but MusclePharm Assault Black calls for more water.

I normally take pre-workouts with caffeine in them; however, there was too much caffeine in MusclePharm Assault Black for me. Consequently, I took three-fourths scoop after my first experience and it was a lot better. Although, taking a dose smaller than the recommended amount means I wasn’t getting as much beta alanine, creatine, and BCAAs.

I did notice some good muscle pumps while working out. With a smaller dose, I also noticed some good energy.

Overall, the ingredients are impressive. I do think that the caffeine content is a little high. But, if you are used to taking high amounts of caffeine, then you may not be affected.

Final Thoughts

MusclePharm Assault Black is definitely formulated with some impressive ingredients. The flavor is good, and each bottle retails for $50 and provides 30 servings. Considering the expansive profile, the price seems affordable.

However, my main gripe is that there is too much caffeine per serving. If caffeine doesn’t affect you as much, MusclePharm Assault Black is worth checking out. If you don’t respond well to caffeine, you may want to take less than a full scoop or maybe try a different product.

References

[1] Ochiai M, et al. “Short-term effects of L-citrulline supplementation on arterial stiffness in middle-aged men.” Int J Cardiol. 2012 Mar 8;155(2):257-61. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2010.10.004. Epub 2010 Nov 9. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21067832

[2] Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure. WebMD. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20121212/beetroot-juice-blood-pressure?page=2

[3] Creatine. WebMD. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-873-creatine.aspx?activeingredientid=873&activeingredientname=creatine

[4] Shimomura Y, et al. “Branched-chain amino acid supplementation before squat exercise and delayed-onset muscle soreness.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2010 Jun;20(3):236-44. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20601741

[5] Layne E. Norton and Donald K. Layman. “Leucine Regulates Translation Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle After Exercise.” J. Nutr. February 2006 vol. 136. No. 2. Available from: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/2/533S

[6] del Favero S, et al. “Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn) supplementation in elderly subjects (60-80 years): effects on muscle carnosine content and physical capacity.” Amino Acids. 2012 Jul;43(1):49-56. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1190-x. Epub 2011 Dec 6. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22143432

[7] Mora-Rodriguez R, et al. “Caffeine ingestion reverses the circadian rhythm effects on neuromuscular performance in highly resistance-trained men.” PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e33807. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033807. Epub 2012 Apr 4. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22496767