Black Magic BZRK Voodoo (limited edition)

BZRK VOODOO Ingredients

In a single one-scoop serving of Voodoo from BZRK, you get the following:

• Citrulline Malate – 10,000 mg

  Get ready for a wild ride… new users definitely will wish to start at half of a scoop!

  The non-essential amino acid citrulline is one of the best nitric oxide boosters known to supplement science,^[1] and has replaced arginine in recent years owing to its superior bioavailability.^[2] Unlike arginine, citrulline does not excessively break down before it’s absorbed into the intestinal wall^[3] (something known as the “first pass effect”).

  Research studies on citrulline have shown that it has the following effects on human physiology:

  • Better uptake of oxygen and greater top-end athletic power^[4]
  • Longer time to exhaustion (better endurance) – a 2010 study found that high-dose citrulline (like what we have here) increased the max number of bench press reps by a whopping 53%^[5]
  • Up to 40% less muscle soreness after exercise^[5]

  These effects are mediated by nitric oxide’s ability to cause vasodilation, which refers to the expansion of blood vessels. It ultimately means a higher volume of blood flow and more blood is delivered to the smaller peripheral blood vessels. As a result, oxygen and nutrients are delivered to muscle cells more efficiently, and lactic acid is removed more efficiently as well, both during and after exercise. Since lactic acid is one of the primary causes of muscle soreness and fatigue, it’s not surprising that citrulline supplementation can speed recovery.

• • Choline Bitartrate – 1,000 mg

    Choline bitartrate is a form of choline that increases our levels of both choline and acetylcholine. Choline is an essential nutrient, meaning that the human body can’t synthesize choline endogenously. We must obtain choline from food or supplements.

    The roles of choline in the body are many, but arguably, what’s most important is that it helps maintain the structure of cellular membranes throughout the entire body.^[9]

    For most pre-workouts, though, we use the ingredient for focus. This is because choline is a precursor to acetylcholine,^[10] which we often refer to as the “learning neurotransmitter” because it’s so crucial for memory consolidation, the process of encoding short-term memories into long-term memories. Acetylcholine promotes signal transmission between neurons, so having more acetylcholine generally gives better cognition and heightened mental energy.

    Choline is also required for optimal fat metabolism^[11-14] and increases the body’s retention of carnitine,^[15-17] another important nutrient.

    Choline deficiency is really bad – so given that acetylcholine supports cognition, you probably won’t be shocked to hear that being deficient in acetylcholine can cause serious cognitive problems.

    But a choline deficiency can also precipitate muscle catabolism and even organ damage – including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is associated with the metabolic syndrome that’s observed in advanced type 2 diabetes cases.^[18]

    There’s definitely less concern for a deficiency with this bitartrate dose (double the usual 500 milligrams we see), and we have another ingredient in DMAE that will synergize with it as well!

  • L-Tyrosine – 1,000 mg

    L-Tyrosine helps support thyroid function^[19,20] by increasing the production of the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).^[20] A good tyrosine supplement will help prevent the slowed thyroid function that’s typically observed during periods of intense physical stress, like while completing a demanding training program or cutting calories to lose weight.^[21,22]

    However, as with choline, it’s not in BZRK Voodoo for its diet applications – it’s here for focus. That’s because tyrosine is also a precursor for dopamine,^[23] as well as epinephrine and norepinephrine.^[24,25] All three of these neurotransmitters will increase your mental and physical energy when upregulated.

• • Epinephrine and norepinephrine also help with appetite suppression and fat burning,^[26] which can support training when on a cut (diet).

    As shown in some studies on the US Military, tyrosine supplementation has been shown to particularly benefit people who are acutely sleep deprived, especially when compared with caffeine.^[27,28] Those looking for some Voodoo may have this issue, although we’ll always emphasize proper sleep habits whenever possible.

  • Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE bitartrate) – 750 mg

    Dimethylaminoethanol, also known as DMAE, is a close cousin of choline. Although it doesn’t raise acetylcholine levels directly, some evidence suggests that DMAE may raise free choline levels – thus making it more available for the production of acetylcholine – and stimulate cholinergic receptors.^[29]

    This is a higher-than-usual dose (as with many of the other ingredients in BZRK Voodoo), and should synergize very well with the choline bitartrate also in the formula. DMAE “spares” choline by preventing it from being metabolized in peripheral tissues, meaning that more of your total choline supply is circulated to the central nervous system.^[30]

    In at least one human study, DMAE has been shown to stabilize mood in people with borderline emotional disorders.^[31] In this study, researchers measured the electrical activity in subjects’ brains by way of an EEG machine and observed that subjects who took DMAE had more optimal brain wave patterns after ingestion.^[31]

  • NitroRocket (arugula extract) – 500 mg

    NitroRocket is a patented arugula extract with an estimated 10% nitrate content by weight, which is a much higher concentration than what you’d find in whole beets, celery, and spinach. Although it might not sound impressive on the face of it, 10% nitrates is actually a very impressive standardization, since whole arugula only has about 0.43% nitrate by weight.^[32] So obviously, if you’re only after the nitrates in these foods in a pre-workout setting, this extract is a much better bet than eating the source foods to get that nitrate pump. Nitrates are great to take as a pre-workout because of their ability to increase nitric oxide,^[33-35] much like citrulline above and with all the same benefits.

    Just to recap, some of the benefits of differing forms of nitrates — in varying doses (admittedly often higher than what we’ll get here from NitroRocket) — are:

    • Improved circulation^[36]
    • Greater aerobic efficiency^[36-39]
    • Increased strength^[34,40]
    • Increased physical endurance^[38,39]
    • Faster recovery
    • Higher cellular energy levels^[35,40,41]

    NitroRocket may not have any clinical data behind it, but we can lean towards some of the above effects and expect to get pushed in the right direction, although we can’t make specific claims on this ingredient until more research is out.

    Overall, this is an impressive naturally-sourced ingredient that the original BZRK doesn’t have, and we’ll take it any day of the week.

  • Catuaba Bark Extract (30% Polyphenols) – 500mg

    A repeat ingredient from the previous Mad Sour Melons version of BZRK Voodoo that was formerly in the Possessed Matrix, catuaba bark extract is a potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase,^[42] the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. This will extend the action of acetylcholine, helping focus alongside choline. It also has documented anti-fatigue effects.^[42]

    So why do we want more acetylcholine? The answer is that by facilitating inter-neuronal communication,^[43] acetylcholine can improve pretty much every aspect of cognition – including not just mental processes, but physical.

    For example, while acetylcholine upregulation can significantly improve learning and memory,^[44,45] it can also improve motor skills like balance and coordination.^[46,47]

    Acetylcholine is particularly good for accelerating long-term potentiation, the neurological process that’s responsible for memory consolidation.^[43]

  • Possessed Matrix – 1,360 mg

    This is a nice and powerful little blend that’s formulated to provide some supplementary stimulation to the main stimulants in this pre-workout stack. Briefly:

    • 

      PEA stimulates a strong, but brief release of catecholamines, that will vastly boost your mood and may help lipolysis.

      Beta phenylethylamine (PEA): widely recognized as one of the greatest workout stimulants ever. Taking PEA will flood your brain with catecholamines, such as dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, thus making you feel energized and motivated — even euphoric.^[48]

    • Caffeine anhydrous, dicaffeine malate, and caffeine citrate: caffeine really needs no introduction. By blocking the brain’s receptors for adenosine and phosphodiesterase, caffeine increases neural activity and decreases feelings of fatigue.^[49] Caffeine also increases your body’s rate of fat burning, making more energy available for a workout.^[50-52]

      This blend brings three different forms of caffeine – straight caffeine anhydrous, slower-metabolizing caffeine malate, and faster caffeine citrate!

      Note that we have 400 milligrams of total caffeine per serving. It’s quite a large amount, so use with caution and start with half a scoop to assess the overall stimulant load in BZRK Voodoo!

    • Inositol hexanicotinate: Inositol is a simple carbohydrate that’s great at supporting neurotransmitter activity in your brain. It can also help maintain the phospholipid bilayer cellular membranes that enclose the contents of all your body’s cells.^[53,54] There is such a thing as inositol deficiency, and it leads to cognitive dysfunction,^[55] so that’s a good argument for inositol supplementation. But taking more inositol than your brain really needs can upregulate the production of dopamine and serotonin above baseline,^[54] which helps optimize cognitive efficiency.

      However, another reason we see this is because this is a source of niacin — inositol hexanicotinate is the niacin source we see in flush-free niacin supplements. Niacin contributes to NAD+ production, which is beneficial for cellular health and can support ATP production. ATP is short for adenosine triphosphate and is the energy currency of our cells.

    • Senactiv (Rosa roxburghii, Panax notoginseng): developed by NuLiv Science, Senactiv is one of the most innovative designer supplements on the market today. As a senolytic agent, Senactiv can help your body break down old, dead, or dying cells – senescent cells – which frees up both resources and space for their place to be taken by new, healthy cells. The bioactive constituents of Senactive are sourced from two plants with a pretty long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), among other traditional medicine systems.

      

      Significantly lower perceived exertion with Senactiv’s ginseng!^[61]

      These constituents ave also been studied extensively by modern science. Just the purified extracts used in Senactive have been the subject of at least four human trials and two in vivo animal studies.^[56-61] One of these studies found that the ginseng-derived component of Senactiv was able to prevent muscle damage, accelerate glycogen replenishment, and reduce inflammation in those who took it after an intense workout.^[56]

    • Theacrine: a purine alkaloid similar in structure and function to caffeine,^[70] with similar effects. Theacrine can give you more energy, both mental and physical,^[71] partly by blocking the action of adenosine (like caffeine does).^[72] Theacrine is also dopaminergic, and helps upregulate the function of dopamine receptors.^[70] All of this can help improve motivation and focus during your workout.
    • Huperzine A: another acetylcholinesterase inhibitor,^[62] huperzine A independently improves memory and cognition,^[63] so if you’re stacking it with a bunch of stuff that increases acetylcholine production and function, as we are here, you can expect an even bigger effect than usual from huperzine. Huperzine A also protects the mitochondria in your neurons from oxidative stress.^[64]
      

      Acetylcholinesterase breaks down our acetylcholine. Huperzine A helps slow this process down.

      This will further help in synergy with the choline bitartrate, adding to the cholinergenic experience alongside DMAE.

  • B Vitamins (B1, B2, B6) – megadoses

    Most readers are probably already aware that the B vitamins are crucial for optimal glucose metabolism and cognitive function, giving B vitamin megadoses an energizing effect. It’s no surprise, then, to see them in this pre-workout formula, especially since VOODOO contains a large dose of caffeine. And some studies have found that caffeine intake is inversely correlated with blood levels of B vitamins.^[65]

    
    

    Any given B vitamin does a ton of stuff in the human body, but here’s a brief run-down on the roles most relevant to a pre-workout:

    • Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an important cofactor for various enzymatic processes that are involved in cellular energy production.^[66]
    • Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is a precursor to a number of proteins involved in several important metabolic processes, including electron transport and the metabolism of lipids.^[67] Riboflavin’s key role in the electron transport chain, which is responsible for producing ATP,^[67] the basic unit of cellular energy, is probably why it’s included here.
    • Vitamin B6 helps to regulate homocysteine levels in the blood.^[68] Since caffeine intake can raise homocysteine levels,^[69] it’s definitely a good idea to take some extra vitamin B6 if you’re consuming large doses of caffeine.