Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. All statements are merely the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to pre-workout supplements.
Bucked Up Pre-Workout is a keto pre-workout product. The brand suggests that it’s potent, stating on their website that “you won’t find ineffective doses of any ingredients.”
But does Bucked Up Pre-Workout actually contain research-backed ingredient doses? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Does it cause side effects?? And what was our Product Tester's honest experience trying Bucked Up before working out?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Bucked Up Pre-Workout to give our take on whether the supplement is likely to be effective for increasing energy and performance, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also share the honest experience of our Product Tester who used this supplement for a month, and discuss the risk of side effects.
Key takeaways:
- Contains research-backed active ingredients for workout enhancement
- Contains inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Bucked Up Pre-Workout
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in the Blue Raz flavor of Bucked Up Pre-Workout are shown below:
There are some effectively-dosed active ingredients for physical and mental performance benefits.
Caffeine is included at a 200 milligram (mg) dose, and a medical review published in the Sports Medicine journal found that caffeine increases power output and reduces physical and mental fatigue during exercise. The amount in Bucked Up is an effective dose, equivalent to around two cups of coffee.
Beta-alanine is frequently included in pre-workout supplements and for good reason. As we documented in our review of another supplement containing this ingredient called Mr Hyde Pre Workout, beta alanine is clinically shown to increase power at a minimum dose of 1,000 mg, so the amount in Bucked Up (2,000 mg) is effectively dosed.
Citrulline malate is a nitric oxide precursor, meaning it can improve blood flow and stamina. A meta-study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology reports that citrulline malate supplementation prior to exercise reduced muscle soreness by 40% after 24 hours.
Alpha GPC appears to be an effective ergogenic (exercise-enhancing) aid, but may be slightly underdosed in Bucked Up. A 2015 clinical trial found that Alpha GPC supplementation at a daily dose of 600 mg increased lower body force production, but the dose in Bucked Up is only 200 mg.
We cannot find any trials proving a 200 mg Alpha GPC dose is effective, nor does the brand cite any on their product page.
Taurine is an amino acid that can help prevent muscle damage caused by exercise, but at a 3,000 mg dose according to a 2017 clinical trial. The 100 mg dose in Bucked Up is relatively low for an amino acid.
The inactive ingredients in Bucked Up Pre-Workout are shown below:
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener which is clinically shown to negatively impact insulin function in healthy adults even at only 15% of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) level.
Artificial flavors have no nutritive value and are shown to be highly toxic in animal studies.
Natural flavors, while healthier than artificial flavors in our opinion, is a broad categorical term that fails to describe the specific flavoring agents used. Without this information it’s hard to assess ingredient safety.
Overall we consider Bucked Up Pre-Workout likely to improve physical and mental performance in the gym, but we would not recommend it due to the additive ingredients.
We Tested Bucked Up Pre-Workout
One of our product testers named Matt Donnelly tried Bucked Up. Here's his experience:
The product comes sealed under the lid and removing the seal was not difficult. Inside, you may need to dig around for the plastic scoop.
My main issue with the packaging was that the text on the container was so small it was very difficult to read. I wanted to make sure I was using the product correctly, but I needed to go to the website to get directions because it was too small to read on the container.
I tried “Blue Razz” and the taste was similar to a blue raspberry lollipop.
The product helped boost my energy for my workout, specifically in terms of endurance. I was able to push through the last part of my workout with more ease when I would generally start to feel winded.
About 15 minutes after consuming this pre-workout supplement, I started to feel a very unexpected tingling sensation on the surface of my skin.
After the first try, I thought maybe there could have been another reason for this, but when I tried it the second time I experienced the same tingling sensation.
While the product may work as intended, I felt that I did not want to ingest anything into my body that would cause this sensation, so I stopped using it after the second use.
Overall, I would rate Bucked Up Pre-Workout 5/10 and I do not plan to purchase it in the future.
Does Bucked Up Cause Side Effects?
Bucked Up doesn’t appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, so we can’t say for certain whether or not it will cause side effects. However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
Caffeine is a stimulant and can cause jitters and anxiety in sensitive individuals. We’d recommend that individuals with anxiety avoid this supplement (and any other stimulatory pre-workouts).
Artificial flavors may cause hyperactivity according to a medical review published in the Neurotherapeutics journal.
Overall we consider pre-workout supplements more likely to cause side effects than the average supplement category, due to their stimulatory nature and additive ingredients, but we do not consider Bucked Up more likely than the average pre-workout to do so, nor do we consider Bucked Up likely to cause side effects in the average healthy adult.
Can Pre-Workouts Be Dangerous?
Pre-workouts can be a safe way to improve exercise performance for healthy adults, but it’s important to avoid taking too high of a dose. This interesting video from the “Chubbyemu” channel has over 6 million views and explains what happened when a TikToker took eight scoops of pre-workout:
Bucked Up vs. Other Popular Pre-Workouts
Here's how Bucked Up compares to other popular pre-workout supplements in our opinion, in terms of both potential efficacy and healthiness:
Alpha Lion
We consider Bucked Up Pre-Workout to be to be more effectively-dosed.
Alpha Lion also contains artificial food colors, which are clinically shown to be toxic in some cases.
Winner: Bucked Up Pre-Workout
Ghost Pre-Workout
Very similar formulation to Bucked Up.
Contains research-backed active ingredients at generally effective doses, and an inactive ingredient profile we consider to be highly unhealthy (as we documented in our is Ghost pre workout good article).
Winner: Tie
Alani Nu Pre-Workout
Similarly effective active ingredients, but Alani Nu is free from artificial flavors
Winner: Alani Nu Pre-Workout
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.
Bucked Up Pre-Workout Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Bucked Up Pre-Workout in our opinion:
Pros:
- Likely to improve physical performance
- Likely to improve mental performance
- Most active ingredients effectively dosed
- Naturally colored
Cons:
- Contains artificial sweetener
- Contains artificial flavors
- Contains natural flavors
- May cause anxiety in sensitive individuals
