C4 Pre Workout Ingredients – Know What’s In It

 

C4 by Cellucor is one of the most popular pre workouts in the world.  A large part of their success in the supplement world is due to their successful C4 pre workout ingredients.

Whether you are interested specifically in the C4 line of pre workouts or just want to know more about pre workout ingredients in general, the research in this post will have all of the valuable information that you need to know.

C4 has many options available in pre workouts depending on what your exercise needs are.  C4 Original is the best selling in this Cellucor line, therefore we will be using the original as a basis for C4 ingredients.  The majority of the other Cellucor line of pre workouts all have very similar ingredients except for a few changes.

So we are going to look deeper into the good and any potentially less useful ingredients used in C4.  I will also be giving a brief description for some of their other great products.  You can also check out my C4 Pre Workout Reviews

 

The Manufacturer

The manufacturer of C4 is Cellucor.  They are known for making many different kinds of nutritional supplements, but mainly pre workouts.  Because of the popularity, great reviews and reasonable price point, I chose to do some research into C4.  We know that Cellucor is an US-based company that has been around for 15 years.  C4 is the largest selling pre workout in the world.

C4 pre workout supplements are even in my personal rotation of pre workouts that I regularly take.  Because of this, I’ve done some C4 Pre Workout Reviews on this as well.

Being a large well known company, they have plenty of financing to pay for research and development necessary.  They have devised the best quality ingredients and the correct blend of ratios to make a potent, well-rounded pre workout.

C4 has grown it’s product line to include Thermogenic Fat Burning Pre Workouts, “On The Go” Pre-Mixed Energy Drinks, protein powders and even C4 Gummies.

Cellucor products are available at most big box stores and online retailers.  Some of the other C4 names are C4 Extreme, C4 Extreme Energy, C4 Ultimate, C4 Ultimate Shred, C4 Ripped, C4 Sport and C4 Carbonated Energy drinks.

I have tried several of these, and have been satisfied with the results.  Of course, their different products are aimed at people with different fitness goals.

None of these are FDA approved pre workouts, since nutritional supplements as a whole are not inspected by the FDA.  However, the FDA does approve the individual ingredients that go into a pre workout supplements.

C4 Pre Workout Ingredients

The C4 website shows all of their ingredient listed for each product and gives a good description of each.  However, I’m going to break it down in more detail while giving an unbiased review of them.

Pictured to the left is the Supplemental Facts label from a can of C4 Original.  Let’s go first to the bottom of the label where is says explosive energy blend.

This is one of the most important parts of this pre workout because this describes where it gets it’s kick from.

Caffeine

The Caffeine Anhydrous at 150mg is an average for a pre workout.  The Anhydrous part just means that it is a dehydrated form of Caffeine.  I have seen pre workout supplements as high as 400Mg, which would be too much for most of us.

High quantities of Caffeine can give you anxiety, nausea, and the jitters.  I talk more about these affects in my post on Are Pre Workouts Bad.

I am impressed that C4 can provide such a strong kick with only 150mg of Caffeine.  Caffeine is good for you if taken properly.

It’s the best ingredient available for providing you with energy and motivation.  You will feel the Caffeine rush more than any other ingredient in a pre workout supplement.

Teacrine

This is accompanied by another source of Caffeine called Theacrine (or Teacrine).  Teacrine is a natural product that is extracted from the tea leaf.  Teacrine is used to boost energy and improved motivation.  The advantage of Teacrine is that your body does not build a tolerance to it as fast as Caffeine.

Beta-Alanine

There are several different Amino Acids in C4.  Amino Acids are the building block for protein synthesis and developing muscle.  One of the most important Amino Acids listed here is Beta-Alanine.

This is very important for any workout routine because it improves athletic performance, exercise capacity and helps to build lean muscle mass.  This Amino will sometimes give you that harmless head tingling feeling.

L-Arginine

Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate is also an Amino Acid the supports the production of Nitric Oxide.  Nitric Oxide is what causes increased vascularization.

This brings oxygen and nutrients to your muscle tissue at a faster rate.  This keeps your muscles from fatiguing and helps them recover quicker between sets.

Vitamin B’s

As with most pre workouts, they have added vitamins.  These include Vitamin B6 and B12 which are a great natural source of energy.  Niacin and Folic Acid are other just names for other B Vitamins.

This vitamin is used to support natural energy in the body.  The amount of B vitamins here is more than your daily recommended allowance.

Creatine

The final heavy hitter is Creatine Nitrate.  Creatine is another Amino Acid known for improving muscle strength and athletic performance.  Creatine also is also know to increase muscle growth.  It is also a key component in muscle recovery.  There has been more research on this product when it comes to muscle development that any other.

Inactive ingredients

Malic Acid is just a flavoring agent and Citric Acid is a preservative.  The only ingredient that could be deemed as unhealthy is the artificial color(FD&C Red #40).

Sucralose is an artificial zero-calorie product that is made from sugar.  There are mixed theories on how good this sweetener is for you.

Personally, I don’t worry about artificial colorings and sugars too much.  You should only be ingesting small quantities of your pre workout powder.

If you are trying to avoid artificial ingredients, you should try “All Natural” pre workouts or “Organic” pre workout supplements.

If you have any questions or comments regarding C4 pre workout ingredients, please leave them in the section at the bottom, and I will respond.

See My C4 Pre Workout Reviews Here

 

Best Place to Purchase C4

C4 is available it seems almost anywhere, Walmart to GNC and from Ebay to Amazon.  My website links go to Amazon since this website is the most useful for me.  They give decent product descriptions and comparisons.  Amazon also has an extensive review section that I use quite frequently.

Don’t believe all of the pre workout online reviews, good or bad because it is all personal preference.  There is also the “Prime” membership for $15.00 per month where you get free two day shipping on almost everything.

It is also important to know that they also have a 30 day warranty on any of their nutritional supplements.  If you don’t care for it for any reason you can return it. This enables you to try as many of them necessary until you get the one that works best for your goals.

The C4 Family

We don’t have time to go over all of the C4 options available, but I do have a few favorites.  My top one is C4 Ultimate Shred.  This is one of the most potent in their pre workout line.

In addition to the 300mg per serving of Caffeine, it also has the most thermogenic properties for weight loss.  This pre workout heats up your body temperature to burn the maximum amount of calories.

There are also several C4 “On the Go” options for when you don’t have time to mix your pre workout supplement.  These come in both C4 Original and C4 Ultimate.

The only disadvantage to the C4 “On the Go” products is that you cannot adjust the taste or strength like you can in a powder.

C4 Original is the best selling and most popular, mainly because it was the first.  Some of the others are C4 Ripped, C4 Extreme, C4 Extreme Energy, C4 Ultimate, and C4 Sport.

I’m looking forward to trying the C4 Gummies sometime.  Most of the C4 products range in price from $20.00 to $40.00 depending on what your fitness goals are.

 

See my Review for “On the Go” C4 Energy Drink

 

The C4 Ingredient Conclusion

The ingredients in C4 Original are a simple blend of Caffeine and Amino Acids and seem to work great in combination.  I guess it should be a great product coming from the largest pre workout manufacturer.

I’ve used C4 Original many times, and their simple combination of ingredients works very well.  It gave me the energy, motivation, strength, and performance that I needed for an intense workout.

I was impressed that C4 packs such a punch having only 150mg of Caffeine when some pre workouts can contain twice as much.

The one thing that I have seen yet is a C4 Caffeine-Free version for those that are Caffeine intolerant.   If you are interested in the brands that offer Caffeine Free pre workouts click here.

The C4, as well as other pre workouts, are not FDA approved, but the ingredients that they contain are.

If any pre workout was ever deemed unsafe, the FDA will pull it from the shelves.  From my research, I don’t see any ingredients that don’t belong so I feel that C4 is a safe choice.

C4 keeps it simple with its ingredient list, and I think this is a good thing.  Sucralose, which is an artificial sugar, is actually derived from sugar.  However, there are mixed reviews about its long term effects  The artificial coloring is found in foods everywhere, but in pre workout supplements you are consuming a very small amount of it.

If you prefer not to have any artificial ingredients in your diet, I would recommend an All Natural or an Organic Pre Workout.  I’ll be doing some more C4 pre workout reviews as they come out with new products in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.

I hope you enjoyed this review.  If you have any questions or comments about C4 pre workout ingredients, please leave a comment below and I will respond.

 

See My C4 Ultimate Shred Review Here