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Bloom Nutrition’s pre-workout is a natural formula with ingredients that are claimed to improve focus, energy, and endurance. Unlike pre-workout supplements I’ve reviewed in the past, this one is catered for awesome ladies trying to get in shape.
But can it deliver on its promises, or is it lacking in sufficiently potent ingredients? What is the evidence behind them and what is the feedback from those real people who have tried it?
In this article, I’ll be looking at the scientific literature and help you understand whether or not Bloom Nutrition’s pre-workout formula is worth it.
Main Takeaways
- This pre-workout has a variety of ingredients that are known to be effective in increasing power output, endurance, and energy.
- Whether or not these ingredients are dosed appropriately is difficult to tell given how most ingredients are hidden behind a proprietary formula.
- Priced at $1 per serving, this pre-workout is reasonably affordable. It comes with 40 servings per canister, which is also pretty good when compared to other pre-workouts.
Our Favorite Pre Workout
Before I Get Started, Let’s Talk Proprietary Blends
The reason I want to touch upon proprietary blends is that they make it even more difficult to understand whether a given product is effective.
And unfortunately, Bloom’s pre-workout formula happens to contain two different blends where you have the more relevant ingredients.
There are a few reasons why I don’t like proprietary blends:
1 –You cannot know the precise amount of each ingredient in a proprietary blend. This makes it hard to gauge the potential effectiveness of the supplement, and it’s even harder to compare products.
2 –Companies can also take advantage of proprietary blends to obscure the fact that beneficial ingredients are included in negligible amounts, while fillers or cheaper ingredients make up the bulk of the blend.
3 –Some ingredients might interact with medications or have potential side effects at certain doses. Without knowing the exact amounts, it’s hard for consumers and health professionals to assess potential risks.
4 –For people tracking their intake of certain nutrients or compounds, proprietary blends make it impossible to accurately count what’s being consumed.
Alas, proprietary blends aren’t inherently bad, especially if a company wishes to protect trade secrets. However, transparency is always preferred, particularly if we’re dealing with a category of supplements that’s less dissected.
Ingredient Analysis
Now that I’ve got my little rant about proprietary formulas out of the way, I’d like to dive deep. Yes, I want to analyze each ingredient to help you understand if the supplement you wish to purchase has all the right ingredients.
Let’s start with the first one in the Natural Performance Blend.
L-Arginine
This is an amino acid that’s vital in the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels relax and improve circulation, leading to increased blood flow to the muscles during exercise.
However, there’s no evidence to suggest that the L-Arginine effect on exercise performance is significant.
A lot of the research (like this systematic review and meta-analysis) doesn’t show a positive impact of arginine on exercise performance.
Only when different types of exercise and various performance outcomes are combined together inappropriately in meta-analyses, do the results seem to suggest a performance benefit from arginine.
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is a crucial part of how our bodies use fat for energy, as it helps transport fats into our cells so they can be burned for energy.
It seems to be helpful for reducing fatigue in older adults who have low muscular endurance, but when it comes to athletes and physically active individuals, the evidence is less consistent.
Alas, there’s also some research showing it can lead to small improvements in performance and might help limit muscle damage during weight lifting or resistance exercise.
Beta-Alanine
This amino acid helps produce carnosine, a molecule that helps buffer acid in muscles, improving muscular endurance.
Many studies show that beta-alanine can enhance performance, especially during high-intensity or short-duration exercises.
For instance, this systematic review and meta-analysis shows that beta-alanine can enhance muscular endurance during high-intensity exercise lasting 1–10 minutes.
Beet Root Extract
Beetroot has a lot of something called nitrates. Our bodies can turn these nitrates into something else called nitric oxide. In theory, this could help us exercise better and for longer.
The good news is that studies do show that beetroot can help improve how we perform during different types of exercise.
Generally, beetroot seems to help us feel less tired when our muscles are working really hard for a long time.
This could be most helpful for exercises where you keep going without many breaks, like in sports such as hockey, and rugby, or workouts like CrossFit.
Beetroot might also help a little bit when you’re doing very long workouts. So, it could be useful whether you’re doing intense short exercises or going for a long run or bike ride— though more research is necessary!
It’s important to note that in this context beetroot is consumed as a juice.
Now let’s look at the first ingredient in the Clean Energy Blend.
L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is like the builder of some important brain chemicals – dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE), which can run low when we’re stressed or thinking hard.
When you take L-Tyrosine, it gets into your blood, peaks in about one to two hours, and stays high for up to eight hours. It then crosses a barrier into your brain, where brain cells use it to make dopamine, which can then be changed into norepinephrine.
The cool part is that L-Tyrosine can only do this in brain cells that are active, which might be why it can help to reverse the effects of stress.
The main benefit of L-Tyrosine comes from its ability to refill the levels of these brain chemicals that can run low during stress.
Research shows that it can help keep our thinking sharp under stressful conditions. While it hasn’t been shown to boost memory when we’re at rest, it can help keep memory working well under stress.
Asian Ginseng Root Powder
Asian Ginseng, which is also known as Panax Ginseng is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to how it might help your exercise.
One study using mice suggested that the substances in ginseng (polysaccharides) might help reduce tiredness and improve endurance.
However, only a certain type of polysaccharides called acidic polysaccharides seemed to significantly improve performance. These acidic polysaccharides also seemed to help boost the amount of glucose in the blood, reduce certain fats, and increase a beneficial antioxidant.
Yet, another study using mice and a specific part of ginseng called ginsenosides didn’t show clear improvements in swim time, even though there was a slight trend towards improvement. When it comes to hormones, a study with experienced athletes who took ginseng extract for six weeks didn’t show any changes in their levels of testosterone or cortisol, two key hormones for exercise.
Also, another study on male runners found that taking ginseng didn’t change their immune cell count or certain aspects of their immune function.
On a different note, a study in mice suggested that ginseng might have a “warming effect.” This was seen in mice that were made to feel cold or warm, and those given ginseng spent less time on a nearby warming pad.
So overall, it seems like ginseng might have some potential benefits for exercise, but the research isn’t totally clear yet, and it’s important to consider that these studies were mostly done in mice and not humans.
Rhodiola Root Powder
Rhodiola, an herb known for its adaptogenic properties, has shown some intriguing results when studied in the context of physical exercise and performance.
There is evidence that one of the active compounds in Rhodiola, salidroside, can trigger a metabolic pathway (AMPK) in muscle cells, leading to increased glucose uptake.
This essentially means that it could help muscles efficiently use glucose, providing more energy during workouts.
Additionally, a study showed that Rhodiola supplementation could lead to lower fatty acid levels during an exercise test, which was accompanied by increased antioxidant activity and fewer muscle damage biomarkers. Recovery from exercise was also improved with reduced lactate levels.
A meta-analysis examining Rhodiola supplementation’s impact on physical performance produced varied results, with some studies finding positive effects and others not.
The benefits seemed to be more apparent in reducing the perception of fatigue, enabling more physical work.
These studies generally used Rhodiola in different doses and durations, ranging from 100mg to 660mg for a period of 4 to 30 days before exercise.
In real-world stress scenarios, such as physicians doing rounds or students during exams, Rhodiola showed a significant protective effect against fatigue.
Some research even linked rhodiola supplementation with an increased VO2 max and time to exhaustion in cycling tests. However, other studies involving trained athletes showed less promising results, with no significant ergogenic effects seen from moderate Rhodiola doses.
Caffeine
The primary mode of action of caffeine revolves around inhibiting adenosine receptors.
Adenosine, which naturally promotes relaxation and sleepiness, is counteracted by caffeine, leading to increased wakefulness and alertness.
This antagonism of adenosine impacts various neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and adrenaline, eliciting an overall heightened state of arousal.
In terms of enhancing workout performance, research indicates that caffeine can boost power output. This might be attributed to its ability to reduce pain perception while increasing calcium mobilization within muscle cells, consequently boosting power output.
However, the impact of caffeine on maximum single-repetition strength performance (1 rep max) is less clear. While studies indicate that caffeine doesn’t necessarily enhance 1 rep max performance, it seems to significantly increase sub-maximal power output, especially in the 6-12 rep range.
Caffeine’s role in anaerobic cardiovascular exercises is fascinating. It appears to delay muscle fatigue, partly due to its impact on the neurological level and partly due to its effects on skeletal muscle. It seems like caffeine potentiates muscle contractions induced by electrical stimulation, influencing neuromuscular junctions.
When it comes to endurance, caffeine is also a valuable ally as it can increase what’s called “time to exhaustion”. This effect is more pronounced in those not adapted to regular caffeine use, though. Reduced perception of effort is one of the potential mechanisms underlying caffeine’s endurance-enhancing effects.
Additionally, caffeine might aid in managing post-exercise muscle soreness.
In one study, caffeine-naive individuals reported reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness 48-72 hours after eccentric exercise when they had taken caffeine an hour before the workout.
L-Theanine
Unlike the typical amino acids that serve as building blocks for protein synthesis, L-theanine falls into the category of non-proteinogenic amino acids, meaning it isn’t used to build proteins.
One of L-theanine’s notable features is its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and influence brain activity.
It’s known to boost alpha waves, which are associated with a relaxed mental state, potentially explaining its anxiety and stress-reducing effects. L-theanine’s impact on neurotransmitter signaling has been demonstrated in animal studies, and while less explored, human studies suggest potential cognitive benefits as well.
In the context of a pre-workout supplement, the synergy between L-theanine and caffeine is relevant. L-theanine can counterbalance some of the less desirable effects of caffeine, like jitters and increased blood pressure, without causing drowsiness.
This may lead to a state of ‘relaxed alertness’ that could be beneficial during workouts.
Finally, L-theanine’s sleep-enhancing qualities could indirectly aid workout performance. Good quality sleep is crucial for recovery and muscle growth, so by promoting a relaxed state in the brain, L-theanine may help improve sleep quality, thus contributing to better workout recovery.
What Do Real Customers Have To Say?
There weren’t many real video testimonials from real customers, in fact, the only thing video I found was from a YouTube creator called Priscilla Fuentes:
Again, I don’t know how legitimate she is, so take it with a grain of salt.
Now, here are some real customer reviews I’ve found through third-party websites (i.e. Amazon):
“I really enjoyed using this pre-workout and felt it made all the difference! The taste alone is delicious but the main thing I was happy about after taking it was the boost of energy I felt before my workouts without the jittery feeling. Taste and efficiency without the jitters are the main things I look for in a good pre-workout, and this one delivers both! I will be ordering it again and have already recommended it to my friends as well.” – Choppa Kris
“i got the greens from this company and they are amazing !! the taste of the preworkout is good but it gave me an all day headache! some of the ingredients are fake sugars which can cause headaches for those sensitive. i have had this happen to me a couple times with other pre workouts. i hate i wasted my money on it cause i tried it once and i don’t know if i will attempt to try it again due to not being able to get rid of the headache! read the ingredients before you buy!” – christina
“I have used the Bloom greens for the past year and i love it!! The berry and citrus are my favorite flavors! I recently started using the Bloom Pre workout and that has become my new favorite. The blue raspberry flavor is so good!!” – Sarah Farley
You’re free to check it out for yourself for further proof, but the reviews on this supplement are mostly positive.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost?
One canister of Bloom’s pre-workout costs $39.99, which is the equivalent of around $1 per serving. A single canister comes with 40 servings, which is quite generous compared to many other formulas (that typically contain 30).
Is it considered safe?
Generally, this pre-workout is considered safe as it doesn’t contain any visibly harmful substances. However, the brand (Bloom) does suggest getting in contact with a customer support agent in case you have allergies as the product is manufactured in a facility where other products are also handled.
Is it vegan-friendly?
Based on the ingredients I see on the label, this formula is suitable for vegans. However, if you’re a bit more strict, and would rather avoid cross-contamination, Bloom does manufacture its products in a facility where other allergens (i.e. dairy) are also used in production.
What’s The Bottom Line?
Purely based on the ingredients it contains, it seems to me that this pre-workout formula is actually effective. It’s a shame that they hide doses behind two proprietary formulas, so it’s difficult to assess the supplement’s effectiveness.
However, with ingredients like caffeine, L-theanine, beta-alanine, and L-tyrosine, you’re very likely to experience the benefits that are expected of a pre-workout formula. Plus, this seems to be confirmed by the overall positive customer reviews.
Additionally, I do think that Bloom’s product is priced quite reasonably at $1 per serving, and the fact it contains 40 servings per canister makes it attractive.
Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.
