Total War is a pre-workout sold by a brand called REDCON1. The brand claims that this product “packs a powerful combination of endurance, pump, energy and focus factors,” and that it contains clinically researched ingredients at efficacious doses.
But does Total War contain research-backed ingredient doses? Does it contain any questionable additives? Why was the founder of the manufacturer of Total War recently arrested? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Total War?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Total War Pre-Workout to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll provide a cost comparison documenting which retailer sells Total War for the best price, and feature real customer reviews.
We'll also explain why the founders of REDCON1 were recently arrested.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Total War Preworkout are shown above.
This supplement contains some research-backed active ingredients.
Citrulline malate is a “pump” ingredient because it can improve blood flow, which has downstream effects on exercise endurance.
A 2021 meta-study found that citrulline malate supplementation at a similar dose to that in Total War increased energy production (measured by ATP synthesis) by 34%.
Beta-alanine is clinically shown to increase power, as we documented in our review of another supplement containing this ingredient called Bucked Up Pre-Workout.
The minimum effective dose appears to be 1 gram (g), while Total War contains 3.2 g.
Caffeine is included at a total dose of 320 milligrams (mg).
A medical review published in the Sports Medicine journal found that caffeine supplementation improves physical and mental performance during exercise.
While there are three ingredients in Total War that we consider effectively dosed ergogenics (exercise-enhancers), there are also several questionable inactive ingredients.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener which was shown in a clinical trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition to decrease insulin sensitivity in otherwise healthy adults, which suggests it may harm metabolism.
Artificial flavors have no nutritional value, and animal studies have shown them to be toxic.
Natural flavors are a healthier option than artificial flavors in our opinion, but a medical review published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal suggests that some natural flavoring ingredients and their metabolites may be toxic.
Overall, we consider Total War likely to improve workout performance and reduce fatigue, but we do not currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of the additive ingredients discussed above.
Real People Try Total War
A popular fitness influencer named “Garage Gym Homie” reviewed the “Black Ops” version of Total War unfavorably:
A popular fitness influencer named Derek with a channel called “More Plates More Dates” has a video “scientifically dismantling” the top five pre-workouts on Amazon, of which Total War is one.
We’ve timestamped the below video to his analysis of Total War:
REDCON1 Founders Arrested
REDCON1 is the manufacturer of Total War, as referenced in the intro to this article.
Two men by the name of Phillip Braun and Aaron Singerman, who founded REDCON1, were arrested on federal conspiracy charges and face up to 13 years in prison, according to Natural Products Insider.
The above-linked article details that the founders of the company were charged by the Department of Justice with introduction of unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead.
This suggests that the founders were planning to implement drug ingredients into their supplements, which is a major red flag about the brand as a whole in our opinion.
We do not recommend purchasing any REDCON1 supplements in light of this information.
Does Total War Cause Side Effects?
Since pre-workouts as a supplement category tend to be more likely to cause side effects than the average supplement (given their stimulatory nature), consumers are often curious about whether Total War will cause side effects.
This supplement doesn’t appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it challenging to say for certain whether or not it causes side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
The caffeine dose is relatively high (more than three standard cups of coffee). This suggests that Total War may cause anxiety and jitters in those who are sensitive to stimulants.
This is a high enough caffeine dose to raise blood pressure, so we’d recommend that anyone with high blood pressure speak with their doctor prior to taking this supplement.
Beta-alanine is clinically shown to cause an uncomfortable tingling sensation in some individuals, as we documented in our review of Hyde Pre Workout.
Overall, we do not consider Total War likely to cause side effects in healthy adults who regularly consume caffeine, but it may cause side effects in stimulant-sensitive individuals.
Where to Get the Best Price
Total War is sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase, at the time of updating this article:
The Vitamin Shoppe: $44.99 (free shipping, link)
Brand website: $42.99 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $33.99 (plus shipping, third-party seller, link)
Amazon: $27.99 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Total War is currently around 50% cheaper at Amazon than at the brand's website when factoring in shipping fees.
Customers Rate Total War
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, Total War Pre-Workout has been reviewed over 21,000 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Luis c.” who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
“Very good taste . Solid formula , all in all good base pre workout . Dollar and change per serving can’t beat that with the quality . Always look to try new preworkouts but always find myself coming back to this one”
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Angelina” who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
“When i first tried it i was like Okayy.. not that bad.. i can get used to this. WRONG a week later i was absolutely sick of how this taste! Even thinking about it gets me nauseous. I tried to thug it out because i need prework out but MAN this taste SO BAD and i still have a whole tub left. It does give you energy though but i don’t feel as if though it’s a lot”
REDCON1 currently has an average rating of 2.74 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) page.
The brand responds to the majority of customer complaints offering resolution, which is a good sign.
Our Clean Pre-Workout Picks
Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract is our top pre-workout supplement.
Panax ginseng extract increases muscle recruitment (source) and reduces physical fatigue (source), and our supplement is third-party tested to ensure its purity and potency.
Pique Breakfast Black Tea Sticks is our top whole food energy pick.
Black tea consumption is "associated with rapid increases in alertness and information processing capacity" (source), and Pique's tea is organic and comes in convenient stick packs that can be mixed into water.
Both of the products mentioned in this section are entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Total War Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Total War Preworkout in our opinion:
Pros:
- Effective dose of stimulant ingredients
- Should improve power
- Should reduce fatigue
- Cheap on Amazon
Cons:
- Founder of manufacturer arrested on unapproved drug charges
- High caffeine dose may cause anxiety in some individuals
- Contains artificial sweetener
- Contains artificial flavors
- Contains natural flavors
- Brand's website charges for shipping
