Naked energy

Naked Energy Pre-Workout Review

This Naked Energy pre-workout review will take an in-depth look at one of the most interesting pre-workouts on the market. Naked Energy sent me a product to try, and I’ve been using it for just over 30 days now. This review will take a look through the ingredients list, and it will draw on my personal experience with the supplement to give you a solid idea of whether Naked Energy pre-workout is the right pre-workout for you.

Naked Energy Pre-Workout: First Impression

I made two big mistakes the first time I tried Naked Energy: 1) I didn’t check the label properly, and 2) I didn’t mix it with anything other than water. The second mistake led to a truly disgusting taste (Naked Energy has no flavour), but it wasn’t too big a deal. The first mistake was a big one!

Because I didn’t check the label, I assumed that Naked Energy was a non-stim pre-workout. In other words, I didn’t think that it had any caffeine in it. So I drank my morning coffee (100-200mg caffeine) and then drank my pre-workout (200 mg caffeine).

This meant that I had rapidly ingested up to 400 mg of caffeine without even realising it! My workout was incredible, but I’ve never run to a toilet faster in my life after finishing my last set. Lessons learned: I now mix my pre-workout with water and a mixed-berry squash (fruit drink for any American readers out there).

I also skip my morning coffee and drink my pre-workout first thing before leaving for the gym.

Pros

  • Vegan-friendly ingredients
  • All ingredients are evidence-based
  • Excellent value for money
  • Mixes well with water
  • Stim-free version available

Cons

  • The unflavoured version tastes awful
  • Underdosed ingedients

Naked Energy Ingredients

Naked energy

CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine (2 grams)

Beta-alanine has several well-documented benefits for performance. Studies have shown that it can reduce fatigue and increase your VO2 max [1]. Allowing you to train a little harder and for longer. Beta-alanine can also increase muscular endurance, which is great for getting those last few reps out.

You don’t have to take beta-alanine before a workout, like creatine you can take it at any time provided you are consistent, and you will see the results in the gym. There are 2 grams of beta-alanine per serving, which is usually enough to cause a tingling feeling in your fingers (known as paraesthesia). But because Naked Energy uses CarnoSyn for their beta-alanine, this is avoided.

The dosage is a little low. The standard dosage is between 3 grams and 6 grams, so 2 grams is not going to be enough for optimal results. The CarnoSyn website recommends 3.2 grams per day, so you would want to take a slightly larger serving size for the best results.

Creatine Monohydrate (1 gram)

There are many benefits to taking creatine monohydrate, and it is a standard ingredient in pre-workouts. Creatine can help to reduce fatigue, it allows you to train for longer at a higher intensity, it can increase blood flow, and it also appears to have mood and cognitive enhancing benefits [2].

As with beta-alanine, you don’t need to take creatine at any specific time. You just want to be taking it consistently so that it builds up in your muscles. That doesn’t mean that it is a bad idea to have it in a pre-workout, provided you are taking it frequently.

Again, the dosage is quite low. You would normally want to take around 2.5 grams per day. Some people may even need to take 5 grams per day before they see results. So, 1 gram is a little on the low side. You might want to consider purchasing some creatine monohydrate to take alongside your pre-workout.

AjiPure L-Arginine (1 gram)

L-Arginine is an amino acid that can help to increase nitric oxide (NO) in the body. This leads to increased blood flow as NO widens blood vessels. You can train at a higher intensity with l-arginine, and you also get that muscle pump that gymgoers crave. The standard dosage for l-arginine is between 3 grams and 6 grams, so the dosage in Naked Energy is low.

Natural Caffeine Anhydrous (200 mg)

Caffeine is the most popular pre-workout ingredient of them all, and it is no wonder. Its ability to reduce the perception of pain and temporarily banish fatigue makes it perfect for working out. That being said, 200 mg is quite low. Annoyingly though, it is just high enough to make doubling the dosage difficult.

This needs explaining.

While 200 mg of caffeine is often used for fat-burning, you need higher doses to see improvements in performance. The typical dose used in scientific experiments is 3-6 mg per kg of body weight. When I was doing my dissertation on the effect of caffeine on run performance, I used dosages of 3 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg.

So, a 70 kg person would use around 210 mg to 350 mg of caffeine. For most men, 200 mg is a little too low to be effective. However, 400 mg would be too high. If you weigh 90-100 kg, then you could handle 400 mg, but many men (and most women) are lighter than that.

This is an issue for Naked Energy because to get the correct dosage of L-arginine, beta-alanine, and creatine monohydrate, you would want to triple the serving size. But doing this would lead to you consuming too much caffeine.

My Experience with Naked Energy Pre-Workout

When you look at the relevant literature, Naked Energy pre-workout appears to be underdosed for each ingredient. But life isn’t lived in test conditions. How did I actually find it?

Taste 1/5

It’s a little unfair to score an unflavored pre-workout on its taste, but the truth is that even unflavored supplements have a taste. The first time I tried Naked Energy unflavored, I mixed it with water and nothing else.

The taste was absolutely horrific. I was barely able to finish it. But this was a rookie mistake. Ever since I have mixed it with a mixed berry fruit drink and some water, and the unflavored powder has mixed with it perfectly.

My advice, get the unflavored version and mix it with a fruit squash. You won’t regret it.

My Workout 5/5

Before talking about how Naked Energy has affected my workouts, it is important to give the workouts some context. I started working out for the first time in 8 months, around three weeks before I started taking Naked Energy.

This means that I was in the newbie-gains part of my workout cycle. Where my strength and coordination were coming back to me, and my lifts were only going to improve.

Before taking Naked Energy, I was drinking a double espresso before my workouts. I like coffee as a pre-workout, but there are several issues with it.

After taking Naked Energy, I feel that my workouts have improved massively. I genuinely noticed that I had better muscular endurance after I started using it. I train fasted (due to lack of time before my 7:30 am workouts) and need all the energy I can get.

Naked Energy definitely delivered.

That being said, I need to see what my workouts are like when I use higher doses of each ingredient. Perhaps I am not reaching my potential yet?

Still, I’ve really been enjoying my workouts recently, and my strength and energy levels in the gym have definitely improved. Is this all down to the pre-workout? Or is it down to my consistency? Probably a bit of both.

Side Effects5/5

Other than day one, where I accidentally paired 250 mg of caffeine from coffee with 200 mg of pre-workout caffeine and very nearly ruined some perfectly good boxers, I have to say that I haven’t experienced any side effects. This is probably down to the fact that I have a high tolerance for caffeine and that there isn’t enough creatine or beta-alanine for me to experience side effects.

It’s not necessarily a good thing that I’m not experiencing side effects, if you know what I mean.

About Naked Nutrition

Naked Nutrition is best known for its Naked Whey supplement line, and it has been in business since 2014. The brand prides itself on not using filler ingredients and often sells single-ingredient supplements.

This is noticeable with Naked Energy, which only contains four main ingredients (alongside B vitamins, vitamin C, and calcium). Not all of its supplements are vegan-friendly, but many are. Naked Nutrition puts extra effort in when it comes to this.

Is Naked Energy a Good Pre-Workout? My Verdict

I like Naked Energy, it has no side effects (that I have noticed), and I’ve definitely seen improvements in my gym workouts. However, I feel that the dosages of each ingredient is a little on the low side. Considering how reasonably priced the pre-workout is, I don’t feel that people are getting ripped off. But I would definitely like to see higher doses of beta-alanine, creatine, and arginine.

I would say that Naked Energy is perfect for new gymgoers, as its ingredients will provide excellent results as you learn how to use the gym. But, at a certain point, you are going to need to find something with a more powerful formula. Unless you happen to be quite light (50 kg), in which case the dosages will fit you perfectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Naked Energy Have Creatine?

Yes, Naked Energy has 1 gram of creatine monohydrate per serving. This is not near the correct dosage, so you could take Naked Energy alongside another creatine-containing supplement and still be within your target limit.

Are Pre-Workouts Good for You?

Pre-workouts can allow you to train harder and for longer, which can lead to greater results in the gym. This is a good thing for your health. In general, pre-workouts are pretty neutral when it comes to your overall health. They aren’t bad for you, and they may offer some non-gym-related benefits. But taking a pre-workout without working out will do little for your health.

Do I Need a Pre-Workout as a Beginner?

Possibly not, but it could help you, particularly if you train first thing in the morning. Caffeine and other stimulants can help to banish fatigue, lower your perception of pain, and allow you to train harder. If you are completely new to the gym, then training too hard can lead to severe muscle pain, so keep that in mind. But this is only an issue for the first week or so.

 

Note: Naked Nutrition sent me a free tub of Naked Energy to review

About the Author Matt Smith

Matt Smith is the owner of Beer N Biceps. He has a degree in Sports Science, 10 years of experience working in the fitness industry, and has written for hundreds of fitness websites. He is a lover of good quality beer and believes that drinking in moderation can form part of a healthy lifestyle.

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