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2017 Update:Cellucor updated their ingredient list after methylsynephrine came under scrutiny by the FDA in early 2016. If synephrine with an added methyl group was being banned, then it was prudent for supplement companies to stop selling products containing synephrine.

Cellucor C4 is one of the most-popular pre-workout supplements on the market. It features a concentrated formula and small scoop sizes, both of which attract consumers by the droves. Not only that, but C4 packs a wallop in the gym and will give you some of the best workouts of your life. But why is C4 so effective?

Let’s take a look at the ingredients label and briefly highlight what each major ingredient does:

C4 Ingredients for 2017 and 2018

After the methylsynephrine ban in early 2016, Cellucor reformulated C4. They removed the synephrine and added theacrine.

Theacrine is a stimulant which is structurally similar to caffeine and also has parallel mechanisms of action. One advantage of theacrine over caffeine is it’s inability to build tolerance in animal studies. This is a clear advantage since caffeine quickly establishes tolerance.

Updated C4 Ingredient List (2017 and 2018)

Theacrine: This replaced synephrine and is the major difference from the old formula. It’s structurally similar to caffeine, but doesn’t build tolerance. This more than makes up for the lack of synephrine.
Vitamin C as ascorbic acid: kept from the original formula
Niacin as niacinamide: kept from the original formula
Vitamin B6 as pyridoxal-5-phosphate: kept from the original formula. One difference is that this ingredient now appears on its own instead of in the proprietary “explosive energy blend.” It’s unknown if the dosage for this changed from the original.
Folic acid: kept from the original formula, but now no longer called folate.
Vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin: kept from the original formula
Beta alanine: Kept, but increased from 1500mg to 1600mg. Although small, this is a welcome increase. Still, at least 2g of beta alanine is needed for an effective dose. This limitation is understandable though as Cellucor could only use so many ingredients while having one dose fit into a single scoop.
Creatine nitrate: kept from the original formula
Arginine alpha ketoglutarate: kept from the original formula
N-acetyl-L-tyrosine: kept from the original formula
Caffeine anhydrous: Increased from 135mg to 150mg. This increase may be due to losing the synergy with synephrine
Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean extract standardized for L-dopa): kept from the original formula

C4 Pre Workout Ingredients (2015 and prior original formula)

Beta Alanine powder: Improves carnosine levels and reduces fatigue
Creatine Nitrate: Improves water retention and boosts muscle growth
Arginine AKG: Improves protein synthesis and libido levels
Vitamin C supplement: Improves overall wellbeing but also shows promise in boosting energy levels
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) supplement: Increase the production and efficiency of neurotransmitters
Caffeine Anhydrous powder: Boosts energy levels and increases focus
Mucuna Pruriens: Increases the brain’s capacity to produce neurotransmitters and protein
Bitter Orange: Boosts energy and attacks the body’s fat stores
Niacinamide: Increases energy levels and focus
Folic Acid: Helps the body make new cells
Vitamin B12: Helps with normal functioning of the brain and nervous system

C4 Ingredients — The ingredients list: Man’s best friend!

Whew. Quite a list. Individually, these supplements promise and deliver on any number of benefits to the body. But taken on their own, you may not notice much of an effect, or if you do, it will be minute.

However, taken altogether prior to a workout, the synergistic effect is tremendous. Your energy levels skyrocket, your focus hones, and your body sets itself on a one-way train to muscle growth and fat loss.

C4 New Formula vs the Old Formula

Is the 2017 (and 2018) C4 formula better than the old formula? The slight increase to beta alanine, caffeine, and the addition of theacrine more than make up for the lack of synephrine. The 15mg of extra caffeine anhydrous and the new theacrine stimulant offsetting caffeine’s tolerance only serves to enhance the stimulatory properties of C4.

Since C4 kept the same amount of mucuna pruriens and NALT, you’re still going to feel the elevated mood (and slight euphria) that you felt from the old formula.

How to make your own C4

You really cannot ask for a better combination of ingredients in a pre-workout supplement, but what if you don’t have the cash on hand to buy a major name brand blend?

This is where bulk supplements come into play. Nearly all of these ingredients are available for purchase in bulk online sites like beamzen.com or purebulk.com. At first, bulk prices may seem steep, but when you break down cost by serving, that is where you will see the real savings. If you are looking to invest in long term pre workout supplementation, check out this break down of Cellucor C4.

Supplement	Serving size	Amount for at least 100 Servings	Cost
Beta Alanine	2g	100g	$4.79
Creatine	3-5g	500g*	$8.89
Arginine	3-5g	500g*	$15.95
Vitamin C	250mg	25g	$3.25
NALT	350g	50g*	$3.25
Caffeine Anhydrous	50mg	5g	$0.99
Mucuna Pruriens	250mg	25g	$6.40
Bitter Orange	10-20mg	5g*	$3.42
Niacinamide	1 capsule	100 capsules	~$4.00
Folic Acid	1 capsule	250 capsules*	~$3.00
Vitamin B12	1 capsule	100 capsules	~$5.00
Total Cost			$55.69
Total Per Serving			$0.56

*500g Creatine provides 100-166 servings
*500g Arginine provides 100-166 servings
*50g NALT provides 142 servings
*5g Bitter Orange provides 250-500 servings
*250 capsules of folic acid is 250 servings

The largest variant Cellucor offers contains 60 servings and costs $49.99, which breaks down to $0.83 per serving. However, as you can see by buying bulk, you save $0.27 per serving with some extra left over supplement to do with as you please.

This may not seem like very much, but if you are committed to this particular blend, then you can increase your bulk purchases to save even more. For example, if you bought enough to create 250 servings that would cost you around $106 dollars, breaking down to $0.42 per serving and still leaving you plenty of left overs of multiple supplements. That is a savings of $0.41 per serving. Looking at it long term, buying 250 servings at a time will last you about 8 months and save you over $100.

It comes down to cost versus convenience. It is clearly more convenient to buy a premixed blend and call it a day. However, if you are on a budget, it is well worth your time to invest in a digital scale and some gelatin capsules as the DIY method clearly lands you some big savings.

Benefits of Pre-Workout Supplementation

For a long time, supplementation was viewed from a post-workout perspective. Empty the fuel tank, refill the fuel tank. Over recent years, however, it’s become increasingly obvious that by filling your tank with the right kind of fuel before you workout, you can make sure the right nutrients are ready to go right when you need them.

Pre-workout supplements can help you maximize:

*Strength – Any time you workout, you have to overload your muscles to get results. Pre-workout supplements can help you lift more weight and for a longer duration while training and ensure your muscles have the energy to perform.

*Recovery – DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) can be a thorn in the side of any athlete. The right supplements can reduce muscle soreness so you’ll be ready for the next session faster.

*Fat Loss – By taking supplements that help your body use its own fat as fuel, you can improve body composition by burning fat while you build muscle. Lean muscle is also referred to as “metabolic currency” meaning the more lean muscle you have, the better you are at burning fat!

Which Supplements Should I Take?

Now that you’re well aware of the benefits of pre-workout supplementation, you’re probably wondering which supplements you should be taking and you may be a little confused. This confusion is understandable as there are many effective pre-workout supplements on the market. Fear not! Below are the essentials of pre-workout supplements for women. These will help you achieve the benefits listed above and get the most out of your gym time.

Magnesium Creatine Chelate

Creatine is one of the most widely-used supplements and a staple in many athlete’s stacks. Creatine helps support performance while training and improved recovery post-workout. There is a downside to some forms of creatine, however. Some users report bloating when taking basic forms of creatine, mainly creatine monohydrate. So, what’s the best creatine for women that don’t want to walk around feeling bloated?

Magnesium creatine chelate is a relatively new form of creatine that helps you get performance and recovery benefits of creatine without feeling like you swallowed a balloon. One study even showed that magnesium creatine chelate was 6-8% more effective than creatine monohydrate alone. Higher performance with no bloating worries make this the best pre-workout creatine for women.

Whey Protein

As you exercise, muscle tissue is broken down and then repaired afterward by building blocks of protein called amino acids. Whey protein, another staple in the supplement world, helps repair muscles faster by delivering amino acids to muscles quickly. When you repair muscles quicker two main things happen. First, you experience less soreness so you’re ready to get back in the gym faster. Second, and perhaps the more important of the two, you build muscle and see results faster. Whey protein is normally sold in powdered form and in a variety of flavors so you can mix it with other supplements in a pre-workout shake.

Citrulline Malate

Citrulline malate is a complementary supplement to magnesium creatine chelate. By reducing muscle fatigue and improving strength, citrulline malate makes you more efficient in the gym and helps you work harder. Citrulline malate works in two main ways. First, it increases blood flow to the muscles, removing toxins, and delivering nutrients. Second, it increases ATP energy in muscles, giving you that extra boost to work harder. The icing on the cake with citrulline malate is the recovery benefit. Research shows that citrulline malate not only improves performance during a workout, but can reduce soreness by up to 50%!

Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide (sometimes shown as the acronym NO) is a fantastic supplement with multiple benefits. First, it increases blood flow to the muscles during workout. It delivers more nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, enabling you to workout harder and longer in both strength and endurance exercises. The increased flow of nutrients to muscles also boosts recovery. Additionally, it helps the body use existing energy more efficiently and improve lypolysis. Meaning, glucose in your bloodstream and stored fat can be broken down and used even faster as fuel during a workout!

There you have it, four high-quality pre-workout supplements that come highly recommended for women! As you can tell, these all have incredibly synergistic effects. Whether it is whey protein providing amino acids or nitric oxide moving them to muscles while burning off fat for energy, these supplements are sure to help you get the results you want in the gym.

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Cellucor C4 Ingredients: New Formula vs Old Formula