BPI “Best PRE Workout” – Is it Really Though?

BPI Sports has released a brand new product tilted Best Pre Workout, utilizing the power of BHB to help you burn fat for fuel during workouts.

When it comes to crafting out of the box formulas, BPI Sports is at the top of the list. While most of the industry has become a giant game of copycat in regards to pre workout formulas, BPI has taken the road less traveled and explored the unconventional.

Nowhere is this more clear than when they released Pump-HD in 2015, which had a completely different formula from its competition but still worked well for most users.

Oddly with this release, BPI set their sights on the ketogenic crowd but really didn’t market it to them. Dubbed BPI Best Pre Workout (but not to be confused with our Best Pre Workout buyer’s guide), this new offering aims to increase ketone bodies, a form of energy generated from stored fat instead of carbs (when dietary carbs are not available).

Will it work?

Before we get to the breakdown, take a second to check the best deal and sign up for PricePlow alerts:

Best Pre Workout Ingredients

Best Pre Workout utilizes a proprietary blend of fats / ketones formulated to enhance the body’s transition into a ketogenic state faster while providing energy boosting ingredients:

• Best Pre Workout Ketogenic Blend (7g)

  • CAPTEX Medium Chain Triglycerides

    

    Best Pre Workout uses a combination of two forms of BHB along with MCT powder to help shift your body away from carb-burning to fat-burning. The question is, is the dose used high enough?

    Captex is a patented form of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) used in a number of functional foods and beverages, as well as cosmeceutical personal care products. MCTs are a special type of fat that is rapidly absorbed by the body and immediately used for energy as if they were a carbohydrate.

    One thing to remember about MCTs is that they won’t be converted to stored fat regardless if consumed in the presence of carbs or how much MCT you ingest. Ingesting MCTs pre workout means you’ll start your workout off burning fat for fuel^[1], thus potentially setting you up for an easier transition to fat-adapted workouts.

  • Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB)

    Beta-hydroxybutyrate is an organic compound formed from the combination of beta hydroxy acid and a keto acid. It’s synthesized in the liver from acetoacetate, the first ketone produced when in a fasted state. BHB also happens to be the primary energy substrate during prolonged exercise or starvation.^[2]

    Some research has shown that ingestion of BHB 15 minutes prior to exercise has been shown to decrease the amount of oxygen consumed, thereby making a particular exercise less taxing.^[3,4] This ultimately enhances your endurance and power output throughout your workout.

    Other companies are also promoting the benefits of it, so we’re definitely going to need to research and write a more advanced analysis at some point in mid 2016. We’ll link you up to that post when it’s done.

    To see all supplements using this ingredient, which is notoriously very difficult to flavor, see our Beta Hydroxybutyrate page. We’ll get that in-depth writeup on BHB.

  • go-BHB

    

    go-BHB is a patented form of “super” BHB that binds it to various mineral salts to improve bioavailability and decrease its acidity.

    go-BHB is a patented ketone body developed by Compound Solutions.^[5] It’s comprised of a collection of calcium, magnesium and sodium salts of BHB.

    BHB, and ketones in general, are naturally, so bonding it to these other elements helps to buffer this acidity as well as replace vital minerals loss due to the diuretic effects of ingesting ketones.

    No studies are provided in regards to go-BHB but Compound Solutions has touted the product as “delivering an immediate boost of energy and performance to athletes, busy professionals and ‘Biohackers’ looking for an edge.”

    The concept is indeed interesting, a form of super BHB, but we’d like to see some proof to verify these claims.

• Best Pre Workout Energy Blend (450mg)

  • Caffeine Anhydrous (250mg)

    

    The goal of BPI’s newest product is to optimize fat as the go-to energy source for workouts while still providing ample energy and focus from it’s “Energy Blend.”

    When living the keto life, you’re eating ultra-low or no carb. This can lead to lethargy and that general mental haze so many describe when reducing their carb consumption.

    To counter this, BPI has included a solid 250mg dose of caffeine to help shake the cobwebs and give you an energy infusion to get to the weight room and get work done.

    This amount is right in our sweet spot, as well as many of our readers. It’s nice to see some companies still stay with reasonable caffeine doses while others are continuing to venture into the 350+mg territory.

  • CDP-Choline

    Another drawback to going low carb for some is the lack of focus and concentration for many individuals. As you no doubt have experienced on occasion, it’s nearly impossible to have a productive workout when you’re not mentally checked in.

    To get around this issue and really get you “in the zone” mentally, Best Pre Workout includes CDP-Choline (citicoline), which is the most bioavailable form of choline available.^[6] Another perk of choline supplementation, is that it increases fat oxidation, furthering your ability to utilize fat for fuel during your workouts..^[7,8]

    Note that keto dieters should also enjoy whole eggs – not just egg whites – and those will also provide a critical source of choline. We love this stuff.

  • Solanum tuberosum

    

    Best Pre Workout is the first keto-inducing pre workout we’ve seen hit the market. Will it sell big with the community?

    Don’t get fooled by the science-y sounding name, this is nothing more than the common potato. This ingredient has also shown up in Burn XS, BPI’s new stim-free fat burner.

    You may be wondering why a carb packed food like potato is incorporated into a keto-based pre workout, but hang on a sec. Research has demonstrated that potato extracts have been shown to be effective for decreasing body weight and fat mass while also improving glucose control.^[9]

  • Taraxacum Officinale

    Also known as Dandelion Root, Taraxacum Officinale is widely used for its pro-diuretic properties.^[10] But, where this ingredient really shines is its ability to improve glucose uptake in skeletal muscle,^[11] thereby ensuring those minimal amount of carbs you are consuming go to replenishing glycogen, and not stored as fat.

  • Lycoris radiata extract

    Another ingredient found in Burn XS is Lycoris Radiata, a.k.a. Red Spider Lily. This plant contains a number of alkaloids that act as powerful antioxidants in the body.^[12]

    More importantly, these same alkaloids also inhibit acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for degrading acetylcholine.^[13] This helps maintain higher levels of this vital neurotransmitter, ultimately giving you better focus and concentration.

Interesting. We really need to see how this supplement works (you can test your ketone levels with “Keto Sticks”) — if it truly does speed up the transition to ketosis, then there is some credence here. BHB is a big up-and-comer, depending on who you ask.

Our question is, will this help speed up weight loss in non-keto dieters? Is this a great weight loss pre workout in non-keto dieters? Are the doses enough? Or is this just a case of BPI jumping in early on a burgeoning diet, just like tons of other companies eventually jumped in on the Crossfit-driven paleo diet?

Flavors Available

Still uncertain what a Ketogenic Diet is and how to structure one? Head over to BPI’s blog for a full breakdown.

If there’s one thing BPI always, ALWAYS delivers on, it’s outstanding flavoring with all of their products. Time will tell if the formula behind Best Pre Workout really works, but you can take it to the bank that it sure will be the best tasting product out there . Those interested in giving Best Pre Workout a test run will have the option of four flavors, including:

• Apple Pear
• Blue Lemon Ice
• Tropical Freeze
• Watermelon Ice

Takeaway

No one is more willing to take a walk on the wild side of sports supplements than BPI. Best Pre Workout is a clear indication of that.

Ketogenic pre workouts are a relative newcomer to the industry and it’ll be interesting to see the industry reaction to its release and whether or not it will start an avalanche of new keto-based products hitting the market.

Is BPI on to something real here, or is this just pandering to a growing diet segment? Is this yet another way for them to spam the search engines with their questionably-named “Best” supplement series, or will this make it to our real best pre workout list?

In order to find out, we’re going to want to see how this performs in terms of actual testing for ketosis levels – which is easily done – and if it is applicable to everyone or just to those who are on the keto diet.