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Crack Reloaded: Dark Labs Pre Workout Review (2024)

by Nader Qudimat
Updated December 31, 2023
OVERVIEW
Type
Pre Workout
Price
$54.99 - 59.99
Serving Size
18.3g
Availability 
Widely available
Positives
Amplifies aggression and urgency
Energy hits hard and lasts long
500mg eria jarensis and 500mg beta phenethylamine
Negatives 
Can cause anxious feeling from the initial rush of energy

Bottom Line

For years now Dark Labs has created some of the best pre workouts on the market. 

From the original Crack, to Flame, Herolean and the variations of limited editions. 

Crack Reloaded isn't your typical DMAA or DMHA pre workout.

Instead, it relies on other stimulants to provide the best experience possible. 

And knowing Dark Labs, we already assume that they have succeeded as they normally would. 

Although this is a Crack pre workout, it's a Reloaded version that doesn't use exotic stimulants, other than eria jarensis. 

But it still surprisingly hits even harder than previous Crack pre workouts.

Our video review can be found here

Use discount code FITFREK and check out our review below...

CHECK IT OUT 

Stim junkies are going to love this...

You probably already know Dark Labs is one of the best companies for their hard hitting pre workouts.

They have never failed to impress us.

You'd never see a supplement without DMAA, DMHA and / or eria jarensis and a whole mix of ingredients into one epic formula. 

However, Crack Reloaded doesn't contain DMAA or DMHA.

And you're probably wondering if it hits hard. 

As we all know, anything that has the same Remake, or Reloaded isn't as good as the original.

However this is it's own pre workout, that hits much harder than any other Crack or any Dark Labs supplement for that matter. 

Crack Reloaded contains 500mg caffeine, along with 1g PEA but it doesn't have any harsh stims like DMHA and DMAA.

Is it anything like the OG Crack, Crack Gold or Flame?

In a way yes but with more drive and focus with a bit of euphoria. 

This is the pre workout to take when you're looking for a break from DMAA and DMHA.

But it's not exactly a low stim pre workout as it has 500mg of caffeine along with a whole bunch of other stims. 

We also reviewed Crack Primal here.

My Crack Reloaded Review

If you prefer a video review, check out the video below:

I have tried all the pre workouts from Dark Labs. 

But this one came to me as a surprise as it no longer had DMHA or DMAA

My initial thoughts was this was just going to be a high energy pre workout. 

Boy was I wrong. 

This is one of the most intense focus inducing and aggressive pre workouts I've taken in a while. 

There's really some tunnel vision focus going on with Crack Reloaded.

With two scoops of this stuff, you'll easily get close to 6 hours of energy and some more. 

Thanks to the 500mg of caffeine coming from 3 different forms, there's a nice flow of energy from slow, fast and medium digesting sources. 

And not to mention the nootropics, with 600mg Alpha GPC, 100mcg huperzine and 1g choline bitartrate.

These nootropics alone are an incredible combination for focus and mental energy but combined with the caffeine, and the other stimulants, there's an endless supply of energy. 

There's a strong anxious feeling that is ignited with Reloaded.

And synephrine is likely what causes it. 

It makes me want to get up, and get to the gym as quickly as possible. 

While the pumps isn't the highlight of Crack Reloaded, it made me push myself so I could work my way to some nasty pumps. 

But I really enjoyed combining this with a non stimulant nitric oxide booster like Transparent Labs Nitric Oxide and / or Pump. 

The original Crack had great pumps but no one buys Dark Labs pre workouts for pumps anyway.

All in all, Crack Reloaded is quite the smart pre workout, with lots of stimulants to last through your workout and some more while not relying on DMHA or DMAA. 

Crack Reloaded Ingredients

Like the previous Crack pre workouts, Reloaded requires 2 scoops for a full serving. 

Take a look at the ingredients below...

Crack Reloaded has a mix of nootropics, stimulants, and some nitric oxide boosters to help provide a great experience. 

The energy from this workout lasts for hours at a time.

It'll easily power your 1-2 hour workouts and some more.

It uses 3 different forms of caffeine, 3 mental enhancers (nootropics), and 1g of PEA (500mg from eria jarensis and 500mg from regular PEA).

With Crack Reloaded you'll be in a motivated mode to workout hard. 

L-Citrulline Malate 2:1 (6g)

These days its more common than not to see citrulline as the first ingredient. 

The reason for this is because it's one of the best ingredients to have for boosting performance. 

Citrulline increases l-arginine levels in the blood, leading to greater vasodilation, and better blood flow.

By doing this, it'll reduce blood pressure, increase nutrient delivery and will lead to better pumps. 

It is the superior choice over arginine as arginine barely gets past the digestive system. [1]

When citrulline reaches the kidneys, it converts into arginine and it won't interfere with citrulline's ability to increase vasodilation. [2]

With increased vasodilation. you'll have more energy to workout, less fatigue, and it'll help enhance recovery while reducing soreness. 

Beta Alanine (3.2g)

When it comes to tingles, this is where it comes from. 

Beta alanine here is dosed at 3.2g, a full clinical dose. 

It works by decreasing the lactic acid build up that occurs from high volume sets.

This isn't something you'll feel if you've already been taking pre workouts with beta alanine as your body will be saturated with it eventually. 

Tingles is something that some people enjoy, but if you don't like it, then you'll likely saturate yourself with it and feel much less of it eventually. 

Combined with citrulline you'll likely see a performance boost with increased endurance, better workload capacity and less of a burn during your high volume sets. 

And of course there's plenty of studies proving it's efficacy. 

There's 15 studies involving 360 participants demonstrating that beta alanine works at it's best when sets last between 1-4 minutes. [3]

There's also 40 different studies using 1461 participants that was used in a meta analysis that showed beta alanine can increase endurance for exercises that lasted from 30 seconds up to 10 minutes. [4]

All in all, beta alanine is a great ingredient to add in any pre workout and you can understand why it is so popular.

Choline Bitartrate (1g)

Choline is needed for the peak functioning of cells in the body as it's an essential molecule. 

When it comes to deficiency, it's common to find this an issue for most people as it comes from animal sources like eggs, seafood and meat. [5, 6]

So for vegans, this is definitely a must have since they are more likely to be need this molecule from dietary supplements.

Choline functions in the synthesis of phospholipids which plays an important role in the structure integrity of every cell in your body. 

Depending on your genetics, diet and lifestyle, you may be lucky enough to have enough of this essential molecule in your body.

Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine which is regarded as a learning neurotransmitter.

It's commonly used as a nootropic to enhance focus. 

If you're deficient in choline, it can increase the risk for issues on the muscle, liver and the development of the brain in animals as shown in research. [7]

There's already another form of choline in Crack Reloaded and that's Alpha GPC, an even more premium form that can increase muscle size and strength. [8]

Although Dark Labs already has more than enough stimulants to increase focus and energy, there's also a mix of nootropics that can establish a strong mind to body connection. 

Agmatine Sulfate (1g)

Long ago, Arginine was debunked as being something useful for increasing nitric oxide levels. 

Because of it's poor bioavailability in it's original form, it was never going to take off, without bonding it with something of course. 

However there's been a solution to that and that's agmatine sulfate, which is a arginine metabolite that can inhibit the function of arginase. 

Arginase is an enzyme that can reduce arginine. 

By doing this, it can allow arginine to flow freely in the blood for a longer period of time, translating to more nitric oxide and better vasodilation. 

Agmatine can also increase NO production by upregulating nitric oxide synthase. [9]

Although there's agmatine and citrulline in Crack Reloaded, the pumps are not the highlight of this pre workout and no one would use this solely for the pumps. 

Lion's Mane (1g)

You might be wondering what is a mushroom doing in Crack Reloaded?

Lion's Mane is a very popular ingredient mainly for it's unique compounds like erinacines, erinacea lactones, glycoproteins, hericerins, and polysaccharides, aka beta glucans. [10]

There's several benefits to lions mane, mostly because it contains many vitamins and minerals

But the main reason why it's used in Crack Reloaded is because it can reduce fatigue, helping you feel energized and focused. [11]

It also has benefits for cardiovascular health, which is necessary if you've been using stim junkie pre workouts like anything from Dark Labs. 

Alpha GPC 50% (600mg)

Alpha GPC is one of the most popular choices for choline as it can not only increase acetylcholine levels but it can help with strength and muscle gains. [6]

Dark Labs didn't just go with regular choline in here, but they also have Alpha GPC. 

Both of these are popular nootropics and will help increase mental and physical performance in the gym, especially with helping enhance tunnel vision feeling that Crack Reloaded has. 

Of course, as we mentioned, not getting enough choline can actually decrease performance and increase risks for health. 

There's also huperzine at the bottom, which will help prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine and will help maintain focus throughout the day. 

Beta Phenylethylamine (500mg)

This is where things get interesting as Dark Labs has gone above and beyond with mood elevation. 

Or at least they tried to. 

In this formula, there's a gram of eria jarensis and beta PEA. 

PEA is widely accepted as being one of the best stimulants in a pre workout. 

The reason for this is because it can increase the feel good neurotransmitters in the brain, aka the catecholamines, like adrenaline, dopamine, and noradrenaline, helping you feel at the top of your game with the best motivation, and energy, and it can even be euphoric. [12]

Caffeine Anhydrous (350mg)

Caffeine is a must have in a pre workout.

It's the grandfather of stimulants and it makes everything else that much better. 

Even if there are other stimulants, like DMHA and DMAA, then caffeine would still be a must have as it's the foundation for energy. 

It can increase alertness, neural activity and reduce fatigue. [13]

Caffeine can also enhance thermogenesis, as it can increase the metabolic rate of the body, allowing for more energy to be used in a workout. [14, 15)

Caffeine Citrate (150mg)

Yes that's right, Dark Labs has gone with not one, not two, but three different forms of caffeine. 

Caffeine anhydrous is the fast acting stimulant, while caffeine citrate hits faster and caffeine malate is a slow digesting form of caffeine.  

This means you'll have energy for your workout and some more. 

Kaff2 Malate (100mg)

This one is the slow digesting caffeine form, which takes a little longer to digest. 

While you're getting smacked in the face with 2 fast acting forms, you'll continue to have energy over the next few hours with caffeine malate. 

In total, there's 500mg of caffeine in Crack Reloaded, not to mention the other stimulants in here. 

As you'll see, there isn't any need for DMHA or DMAA in this formula. 

Theobromine (100mg)

It's time to go smooth with energy with caffeine's cousin, theobromine.

This is a methylxanthine, similar to caffeine, and it can inhibit adenosine, and phosphodiesterase. [17]

But caffeine is much stronger in comparison for energy, however theobromine has it's place as it can last longer due to it's longer half life. [18]

It gives a much smoother energetic feel while providing a mood boost. 

Dark Labs has put in a decent dose here at 100mg, although we've seen doses as high as 200mg. 

Isopropylnorsynephrine (50mg)

A useful and popular thermogenic that's used often is isopropylnorsynephrine. 

This is a strong lipolytic agent that frees up fatty acids to be used for energy. [19]

Isopropylnorsynephrine is similar to ephedrine but is considered to be much safer, although it works great when it's combined with other stimulants. 

When it's combined with other stimulants, it works even better and can play a huge role in synergy especially with the other stimulants in Crack Reloaded, like caffeine, theobromine, and eria jarensis

Noopept (30mg)

The second last nootropic in Crack Reloaded is Noopept.

A popular mental enhancing ingredient, Noopept is believed to increase BDNF and NGF, while providing some protection for mental health.

Noopept is the easier name but it's actually called N-phenylacetyl-L-polyglycine ethyl ester, and it's almost identical in effects to piracetam but is considered to be stronger with smaller dosages. 

In 2009, a study found that noopept improved mood, energy and anxiety and was found to be the better choice over piracetam. [20]

The dosage for this compound is generally between 10mg to 30mg, but of course Dark Labs has gone big with 30mg here. 

Alpha Yohimbine (2mg)

Love it or hate it, yohimbine can be an excellent addition to a pre workout. 

When it's dosed just right, it can enhance the experience and it can get you going. 

But when it's dosed too high, it can cause anxiety and jitters.

In fact, researchers have found high doses to cause panic attacks. [21, 22]

But of course here the dose is very low at 2mg and it adds the perfect touch to the stimulant blend of Crack Reloaded. 

Huperzia Serrata (100mcg)

A nootropic blend of choline and noopept just isn't the same without huperzine A.

This is one of the best nootropics as it works by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine. 

There's also some research supporting potential for improving neural health, slowing down brain cell death and can potentially help with denovo neurogenesis. [23, 24, 25]

In Crack, it's combined with lion's mane, 2 forms of choline, noopept, so there's no wonder that it can provide so much long lasting focus!

STRONG FOCUS
Crack Reloaded by Dark Labs

Coming out of the Polish company, Dark Labs, Crack Reloaded is the first pre workout without DMAA and DMHA.

It's loaded with 500mg eria jarensis, and a load of stimulants to help provide aggressive focus along with decent pumps.

Also available from MySupplementPlug, and SuppsCentral.

Highlights:
  • Strong focus and energy
  • Solid mix of nootropics
  • Long lasting
Ingredients: 6g Citrulline Malate, 3.2g Beta Alanine, 1g Choline Bitartrate, 1g Agmatine Sulfate, 1g Lion's Mane, 600mg Alpha Gpc 50%, 100mcg Huperzia Serrata
Stimulants: 500mg Beta-Phenylethylamine, 500mg Eria Jarensis, 350mg Caffeine, 150mg Caffeine Citrate, 100mg Dicaffeine Malate, 100mg Theobromine HCL, 50mg Isopropylnorsynephrine, 30mg Noopept, 2mg Alpha Yohimbine
Discount code: FITFREK
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Reload Your Workouts with Crack

Crack Reloaded has everyone guessing what a proper pre workout looks like from Dark Labs. 

This one is different because it doesn't use exotic stimulants like DMHA or DMAA. 

Although it doesn't have either of those, it still has 500mg caffeine, 1000mg of PEA, and a few other stimulants to help enhance the experience. 

DMHA or DMAA definitely wasn't needed din this pre workout. 

It is one of the best we've had for tunnel vision focus, incredible performance, and a ridiculous amount of motivating energy. 

by Nader Qudimat

Forged by iron and cold steel, I'm Nader, a mid-30s natural bodybuilder. Once a 100lb skinny guy, I've transformed into a 200lb muscular athlete with over 15 years of lifting experience. Today, I leverage my transformation and extensive experience to guide countless individuals on their fitness journeys.

Click here to check out my 12 year transformation: Natural 12 Year Transformation

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