One of the most popular pre-workout drinks is Cellucor C4. So, what is so good about this supplement? Does it really work? Is it safe? Does it have any side-effects? Let’s find out.
What is Cellucor C4?
Cellucor C4 is a pre-workout supplement that helps with improving your workout performance. Its aim is to enhance awareness, wakefulness and mental focus. It is considered a general-use product and can be utilized for all workout types and any training style.
It is Cellucor’s flagship product and is considered to be the number one pre-workout supplement in the country.
Flavours and Taste
Cellucor C4 comes in 8 different flavours, of which Icy Blue Razz is the most popular. Another popular flavour is Fruit Punch. The supplement tastes quite nice and isn’t too sweet when mixed with 500ml of water.
What are the Ingredients in Cellucor C4?
The main active ingredients in Cellucor C4 are caffeine, Arginine, creatine and beta-alanine. The caffeine is great for wakefulness, but there isn’t enough in the supplement to give you the jitters. Creatine and beta-alanine and a good combination to increase endurance as well as strength-endurance. The supplement also contains the B vitamins, which are necessary for the metabolization of energy, and Vitamin C helps with collagen synthesis and a strong antioxidant.
Benefits and Effectiveness
The presence of Vitamin Bs will only help you in your workout if you are deficient in this mineral. Otherwise, it’s just a feel-good ingredient in this supplement. However, Vitamin C is a good addition, since it can help counteract the effect of nitrates and cellular damage common during workouts. Overall, while this supplement has good ingredients, their dosage is one the lower side per scoop. They do get more effective if you use 2 scoops instead of one.
Side Effects and Cons
One of the biggest cons of Cellucor C4 is that it is a proprietary blend, you don’t know exactly what the doses are for some of the ingredients. While this product is considered generally safe, it does have a few side-effects. The arginine in the supplement causes diarrhea for some people, as well as other gastrointestinal problems. However, this could be a direct result of overusing the product.
Another ingredient – tyrosine – can lead to stomach irritation, gastric issues, migraines and headaches, as well as nervousness. Caffeine comes with the risk of high blood pressure, an increased heart rate, insomnia and the jitters.
TeaCrine, which is another ingredient in Cellucor C4, was studied for 8 weeks, and it was found to have safe results. It is also one of the healthiest and most active ingredients in this supplement. Arginine was found to be safe for the circulatory system, as well creatine.
It is also important to note that while these ingredients on their own may not impact you, their combination may still cause internal damage. This is due to the fact that there is not enough research done into the potential dangers of taking Cellucor C4.