REVIEW - CONTROLLED LABS CONTROLLED LABS WHITE FLOOD REVIEW

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RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE AUD$119.95

SUMMARY

OUR REVIEW

Introduction

Although smaller than some of the other big name established brands, Controlled Labs is one of those companies that has a well known reputation for manufacturing quality supplements, founded on proven technology and research. So what differentiates White Flood from the masses? And can it really give you that spark needed to really maximize your workouts? Or is it instead destined to sink among the sea of competition in the pre-workout market.

Taste

Although a lot of pre-workout supplements come in a multitude of flavours, the choice with White Flood is restricted at present to either electric lemonade, electric lemonade or electric lemonade. In the US I believe new flavours have been released onto the market, White Raspberry and Fruit Punch, but are yet to hit our shores. That stated I decided to go with electric lemonade for the purpose of this review.

So how does white flood go down?….with a bit of a kick. Controlled labs would have to be strong contenders for worst tasting pre-workout supplement of the year. The taste does manage to capture that traditional lemonade flavour, although with a distinct bitter taste. The best comparison I can make is it resembles a sour/bitter lemon lolly and really didn’t appeal to me at all. But hey I guess I’m not drinking this stuff for taste, I’m drinking it for functionality.



Ease of Mixing

Mixability of White Flood was similar to that of other NO products. A couple of scoops mixed in with 200-400mls of water and a few good shakes were all that was needed to dissolve the powder and foaming was minimal. On the down side a couple of grainer particles always seemed to remain in the bottom of the shaker, however a small splash of water and an extra sip should take care of any remains. I strongly recommend using cold water for mixing, it doesn’t improve the mixability in any way but sure makes the powder taste slightly better.



Effectiveness

As with the case with all pre-workout products Controlled Labs white flood promises the usual raft of benefits such as ‘out of this world muscle pumps’, ‘increased vasculatity’ and ‘improved strength, stamina and focus’ and for the most part I thought it delivered. Muscle pump and vasculatity were certainly more noticeable after taking white flood, however it fell short of those experienced in other NO products, most notably the aptly named ‘Superpump’. On the flip side the energy was great; it always managed to get me ‘up’ for the session, even on days when I was a touch lethargic beforehand. It’s a different kind of energy experienced from other pre-workout products such as Superpump, and NO-Xplode, so instead of that all out blow your head off kind of oomph, White Flood tended to produce a more sustained and smooth energy level. I still found the urge to train hard, lift heavy, and focus more intently just with a slightly less of a bang.



Nutritional Analysis

White flood provides a unique take in its nutritional components to what is offered by most of the NO competitors. The formula is split into three complexes, the first; the ENO Flood complex entails the Arginine AKG (2200 Mg) and Ornithine AKG (800mg) mix. The second, the FlooDurance blend is comprised of Beta Alanine (1700 Mg) and L-Tyrosine (700 Mg). The third titled the Energy and Antioxidant Complex consists of Inosine, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), Glucuronolactone, Caffeine, Potassium Gluconate, Cocoa Bean, Evodia Rutaecarpa, L-Norvaline, Sugar Cane, Coenzyme Q10, Vinpocetine, Alpha-Carotene, Zeaxanthin, Cryptoxanthin, Lutein, Folic Acid, Selenium, and Huperzia Serrata.

A quick review of the ingredients and akin to other pre-workout products, White flood has the usual NO suspects such as Arginine and Caffeine which provide the necessary pumps and stimulant effects. Controlled labs however, have opted against adding Creatine and instead added a few obscurer ingredients such Inosine, GABA, L-Norvaline, Carotenoids (Alpha-Carotene, Zeaxanthin, and Cryptoxanthin) and Coenzyme Q10. The choice of some of these ingredients is interesting to say the least.

In a nutshell Inosine essentially is a compound vital to energy production and previous studies have suggested when taken at times of increased nitric oxide production may help reduce free radicals produced from exercise-stress. GABA is an important neurotransmitter that is normally associated with relaxation and sleep, so why include this is a pre-workout product? Well, when suppled in smaller does and combined with other stimulants GABA has also shown to enhance neuron activity. Additionally, GABA also plays an important roll in boosting Growth Hormone production which is critical for muscle growth. Inclusion of L-Norvaline when synergised with AKG may enhance NO usage and production. Finally Carotenoids and Coenzyme Q10 generally have a variety of health benefits including enhancing energy, increased recovery and reduction of fatigue and exercise stress.

Inclusion of Beta-alanine and L-tyrosine in the FlooDurance blend should also help to extend and improve workout performance. Beta-alanine in particular has been shown to enhance oxygen transport, reduce muscle fatigue and improve high intensity athletic performance. L-tyrosine (a non-essential amino acid) has also been suggested to boost both mood and energy, which should serve well to put you in that all important mindset before training. As an additional note White Flood is also one of the only workout supplements that is both carbohydrate and creatine free, so should have particular appeal to those that are looking for a pre-working supplement to use while cycling off creatine or seeking a carbohydrate free NO formula.



Value for Money

White Flood costs $99 for a 606g tub and provides 50 serves. While the overall price is a little higher than many of its competitors, a review of the serving information shows White Flood actually contains 50 serves per container not the usual 40 serves as with most other brands. This places the cost per serving at around $2 and similar to that of Gaspari’s Superpump. Another plus from White flood is I found the suggested serving size of two scoops (12.2g) always produced a fairly good response and rarely did I ever have to up the dosage unlike some other NO supplements.

Conclusion

Controlled Labs White Flood certainly provides a unique NO blend that takes a twist on the average pre-workout formula. In the sea of NO supplements, White Flood is different enough to elevate itself from the surrounding waters and is worthy of some serious consideration. With a more level type of energy than other products, it provided a good switch up from time to time and I liked the effects enough to overlook its major caveat, the taste. However, for me It doesn’t quite rank as one of the top pre-workout supplements I’ve used, but it’s not far behind and is one of the only pre-workout NO supplements without creatine or carbohydrates, making it an ideal choice when either cycling off creatine or trying to lower carbohydrate intake.