DBAP - When you want to train like a f***ing Demigod!!

High stimulant pre-workouts are without a doubt, the most highly sought out pre-workouts on the market. Although the market is flooded with these pre-workouts that claim to be the next monumental pre-workout, most only offer a high amount of stimulant, but really nothing else in the way of performance boosters to help you maximize your efforts and intensity in the gym. Don't get me wrong, high stimulants can really get you psyched for an upcoming workout, but if you also add in clinical dosing of certain performance boosters, you now have a concoction that will provide a truly out of this world training experience. Introducing... DBAP by Axe & Sledge.

"Don't be a p*ssy" -- Seth Feroce. This pretty much sums up Seth's outlook on training and life itself. This is also the outlook that was applied when formulating DBAP! In fact... that is what DBAP stands for! This one truly is for those who are looking to enter into another dimension while training, and truly become a "HARD WORKING M'FER"!!

DBAP is a colossal combination of a high-powered, extreme-stimulant pre-workout and a hard-hitting, high-powered thermogenic. Each serving comes LOADED with a staggering dose of caffeine at 550mg, along with a robust stimulant blend consisting of Theobromine, Synephrine HCL, Alpha Yohimbine, and Yohimbine HCL. This combination delivers an ASTOUNDING level of energy that will have you seeing sounds, and will also last throughout the entire workout so you can surpass maximum intensity! 

But, unlike many high-stimulants on the market, DBAP doesn't stop there! The mad scientists at Axe & Sledge have also formulated this energy colossus with clinical doses of GBB (Gamma Butyrobetaine) to really turn up the heat and keep you sweating throughout the whole workout as well. But wait... THERE"S STILL MORE! DBAP also contains clinical doses of nootropics L-Tyrosine and Alpha-GPC to provide tunnel vision focus, Beta-Alanine to increase muscular endurance and delay muscle fatigue so you can push your body to the absolute limit, and also Betaine Anhydrous to help increase cellular hydration and increase power/force output.

Now, that we've seen what this formula is made of, let's break down the whole formula, so we can get an idea of all the extreme benefits this stimulant and performance bomb has to offer!

DBAP INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN

• B-Vitamins

The body requires several nutrients to function properly and respond well to your exertion in the gym. B-vitamins are mandatory in the energy-producing pathways of the body, while folate and vitamin B-12 are required for the synthesis of new cells, such as the red blood cells, and for the repair of damaged cells. Active individuals with poor or marginal nutritional status for a B-vitamin may have decreased ability to perform exercise at high intensity.

Vitamin B12 for athletes plays an important role in athletic performance. It’s a water-soluble vitamin that’s essential for red blood cell production, brain function and DNA synthesis. 

Vitamin B6 in coenzyme forms performs a wide variety of functions in the body and is extremely versatile, with involvement in more than 100 enzyme reactions, mostly concerned with protein metabolism. Both PLP and PMP are involved in amino acid metabolism, and PLP is also involved in the metabolism of one-carbon units, carbohydrates, and lipids. Vitamin B6 also plays a role in cognitive development through the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters and in maintaining normal levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood. Vitamin B6 is involved in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, immune function (for example, it promotes lymphocyte and interleukin-2 production), and hemoglobin formation.

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is a crucial nutrient in our bodies. In fact, every part of your body needs it to function properly. The key role of niacin in your body is to synthesize the coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), which are involved in over 400 biochemical reactions in your body — mainly related to obtaining energy from the food you eat. It helps to convert protein, carbs, and fats into energy (as ATP).

Each serving of DBAP contains:

- Niacin (as niacinamide) - 25mg 
- Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCL) - 20.75mg
- Vitamin B12 (AS cyanocobalamin) - 200mcg

• Beta-Alanine - 3,200mg

Beta-Alanine, or 3-aminopropionic acid is a naturally-occurring beta-amino acid and a component of the histidine dipeptides carnosine and anserine. Beta-Alanine has the distinct ability to raise muscle carnosine concentrations. In fact, beta-alanine is the limiting amino acids in carnosine synthesis, meaning that its presence in the bloodstream is directly tied to muscle carnosine levels. 

The resulting carnosine then acts as lactic acid buffer for our muscles (Lactic acid buildup is the burning sensation you feel during an exercise due to not enough oxygen available to complete the process, so a substance called lactate is made). which provides numerous benefits, including increases in work capacity, reducing muscle fatigue, increasing peak power output, and boosting overall athletic performance. These sensational benefits are the reason why Beta-Alanine is a pre-workout staple and a very well-known ingredient.

3,200mg is a clinical dose of Beta Alanine and will provide substantial benefits in increasing time to muscle exhaustion, increasing muscle endurance, delaying muscle fatigue, and buffering lactic acid so you can push your body longer and harder every workout.

• Betaine Anhydrous - 2,500mg

Betaine Anhydrous is an osmolyte, meaning it increases cellular water retention through osmosis. This gives Betaine Anhydrous the distinct ability to cause muscle fibers to swell, which will also stimulate muscle protein synthesis, promoting muscle growth. These increases in cell volumization and muscle cell uptake can significantly increase anaerobic power aka strength gains, as well as improve both endurance and power/force output. Simply put, Betaine Anhydrous pulls water into the muscle cells. This increases muscle fullness or volume. This process is also called water-based pumps.

2,500mg is a clinical dose of Betaine Anhydrous that will help increase power/force output, increase capacity to perform anaerobic work, increase natural energy levels, promote cellular hydration and boost ATP (the source of energy that is used to power the movement of contraction in working muscles) much like creatine does, and can help to take your strength gains and lean mass gains to new levels.

• Taurine - 1,000mg

Taurine is a powerful amino acid and is the second most abundant amino acid in the body. The body makes it by breaking down the amino acid cysteine. It is shown to enhance muscle contraction to boost power and rid the muscle of lactic acid, improving recovery. Much like Betaine Anhydrous, it's also an osmolyte that will increase cell volumization and muscle cell uptake, and boost cellular hydration. 

2,000mg of Taurine is a clinical dose that will provide some monstrous benefits such as increased power/force output, enhanced muscle contractions, improvements in stamina and endurance, increased cellular hydration, accelerated recovery, increased cognitive function (focus, concentration, memory, learning), and supports central nervous system function.

• L-Tyrosine - 1,000mg

L-Tyrosine is one of the most popular ingredients in pre-workouts these days, and for very good reason. It plays a significant role in the production of Dopamine (our feel good hormone), Adrenaline and Noradrenaline, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine, and thyroid hormones. Supplementing L-Tyrosine replenishes these important neurotransmitters and dramatically improves mental function (focus, concentration, memory, learning).

1,000mg is a clinical dose of L-Tyrosine and will trigger several of our “feel-good” neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine and dopamine. This will greatly enhance a sense of well being, boost mood, and drastically increase mental alertness and focus. As an added bonus, it can also lower anxiety and stress so nothing will stand in your way from crushing every workout!

• Caffeine Anhydrous - 475mg

Caffeine is undeniably the most known and utilized stimulant in the world. Caffeine occurs naturally in plants such as coffee beans, tea, and cacao, which is the source of cocoa for chocolate. It's a CNS (Central Nervous System) stimulant that has been shown to reduce feelings of fatigue, increase energy levels, heighten mental alertness, lower perceived exertion, and even lower levels of perceived pain.

Caffeine also improves mental acuity and sharpness, helps maintain laser-like focus, and even improves some technical skills both during and after strenuous activity. And, if that isn't enough, it's also believed to enhance the body's ability to use its own fat as fuel, which can effectively increase the time to exhaustion in endurance events. 

475mg is a colossal dose of caffeine anhydrous, and will take energy levels through the roof. Use caution with this pre-workout as this is ana extreme level of stimulant, which definitely isn't for everyone. 

The benefits of caffeine include:

- Increased mental alertness and energy levels 

Caffeine works in the brain as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, so when I say energy, I mean alertness. Caffeine blocks certain receptors in the brain that increase levels of epinephrine, adrenaline, and dopamine. Blocking these receptors in the brain gives you that drive you feel—and a bit of euphoria—when you consume caffeine before a workout

- Increased Strength and Power

The nerves that activate muscle fibers, once stimulated by caffeine, activate those muscle fibers with greater force. More force equals more strength, which is why caffeine can increase your strength during a workout.

- Enhanced Muscular Endurance

Caffeine increases endurance in several ways. The first is by increasing fat burning during workouts. When you train with caffeine, you burn more fat. This spares muscle glycogen, which means you have more energy later in the workout, when you need it most. Another way caffeine can improve endurance is by boosting nitric oxide levels. That's right, research shows that caffeine can enhance vasodilation, the term for the widening of blood vessels. This allows more blood to flow to the muscles, which in turn delivers more oxygen and more nutrients, resulting in greater overall endurance.

- Reduced Muscle Soreness

Believe it or not, research shows that caffeine works incredibly well for helping ease muscle soreness by altering your perceived exertion during your workouts. With less muscle soreness, you can go harder, perhaps banging out a few extra reps you probably wouldn't have gotten if that muscle soreness was too much. More reps equals more work done by your muscles, and that equals better results.

• Alpha-GPC 300mg

Alpha-GPC (A-GPC) is a potent building block of acetylcholine, which as we discussed, is a vastly important neurotransmitter present in both brain and muscle tissue. A-GPC is converted to phosphorylcholine, a metabolically active form of the essential nutrient choline. Phosphorylcholine migrates to the synaptic nerve endings found throughout the central nervous system and in turn increases acetylcholine synthesis and release. \

All athletic research performed with Alpha-GPC has proven to benefit cognitive performance (memory, learning, recall, focus, and repetitive tasking) and also to benefit physical performance, including power output, force development, strength, jumping, and agility. It has even been shown to help improve video game performance. Major plus for all you gamers out there who also love to lift!

• zumXR Extended Release Caffeine 100mg

zümXR® Caffeine is extended released caffeine that alters how caffeine is absorbed and then processed by the body. The technology of zümXR® takes you typical caffeine that has extremely rapid absorption and is processed in the body almost instantly and delays the entire process. This delaying effect then produces an extended-release effect on the caffeine.

Your typical caffeine anhydrous is fast-absorbing, fast-digesting and VERY fast acting! With effects felt within the first 15 minutes after consumption and all the energy being delivered within the first hour. This is why we see caffeine anhydrous used in 90% of stimulant formulas, the rapid onset of effects makes it extremely desirable for achieving increases in energy for users. 

On the other side of the coin, zümXR® Extended Release Caffeine, is designed to NOT provide the effects of caffeine anhydrous; at least from an energy release timeline point of view. The specific zümXR® technology is designed to allow no MORE than 50% of the caffeine ‘energy’ within the first hour after the consumption of zümXR® Caffeine. And then by the 5-6 hour mark, no LESS than 80% of the caffeine energy will have been released, absorbed and utilized by the body.

This slowed down release of caffeine allows for much more gradual onset of effects from the caffeine serve attached to the zümXR® and thus allows for much longer-lasting energy than you typical caffeine anhydrous. This slowed down release also helps to prevent any jitters and alleviates a mid or post-workout crash!

• Theobromine - 200mg 

We've already discussed the benefits of caffeine for us as lifters/athletes so now, we'll discuss all the great benefits of theobromine. Theobromine is a bitter, volatile compound obtained from cacao seeds. It’s technically an alkaloid compound (meaning a nitrogen-atom containing chemical) that resembles caffeine and has similar effects, but it also provides vasodilation effects, and hence improved oxygen transport. When combined, caffeine and theobromine act synergistically to improve workout performance and intensity.

Theobromine and caffeine are similarly constructed types of pharmacologically active chemicals but with noticeably different effects. Theobromine is gentle, mild, has a slow onset, and is long lasting, whereas caffeine is intense, strong, fast acting, and short lived. While these two compounds have similar effects, the key difference is that caffeine has an effect on the central nervous system and theobromine most significantly affects smooth muscle. This provides a smooth long-lasting energy source that comes with zero crash!

• Gamma-Butyrobetaine - 30mg

A Pro-Carnitine molecule as our body actually converts GBB into L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine is essential for the transport of activated fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane during mitochondrial beta oxidation. In other words, it helps the body to utilize fatty acids as an energy source. It also creates a potent exothermic effect, meaning it releases heat, and this reaction causes the thermogenic effect in the body. 

This is one of the most potent thermogenics on the market. Trust me when I say, be prepared to sweat!!

• Synephrine HCL - 30mg

Synephrine is a beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist which stimulates lipolysis -- the break down of lipids (fats) and triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol, which can then be burned by the body for energy. Synephrine is also structurally similar to ephedrine and increases energy, mood, and focus. Synephrine has also been shown to improve energy expenditure as well as athletic performance both on its own and in combination with caffeine!

• Rauwolscine (Alpha Yohimbine) 2.7mg & Yohimbine HCL - 2mg

 Rauwolscine (also known as Alpha Yohimbine), similar to its stereoisomer, yohimbine, is most commonly used as an amped-up fat burner. Recent developments are showing it has some potential as a pre-workout as well, especially when combined in bodybuilding stacks. 

Rauwolscine has two notable mechanisms through which it positively impacts pre-workout formulas:

- Alpha blocking. Rauwolscine’s first-line mechanism is as an alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist. This bioactivity helps with blood pressure, and may have pre-workout benefits related to enhanced circulation and better pumps.

- Activating serotonin. The compound elevates serotonin levels by activating 5-HT1a/b receptors – a bioactivity that may directly promote a bright mood and indirectly help fat-burning by helping to promote appetite satisfaction.

The breakdown of fat cells is restricted by a number of processes, including the activation of alpha-adrenergic receptors by epinephrine and norepinephrine. Rauwolscine acts to oppose such activity by blocking alpha-adrenergic receptors and enabling fat burning to continue functioning seamlessly. As an antagonist, rauwolscine does not directly activate fat burning, but rather allows the operation to carry on unreservedly, which suggests increases in weight loss concurrent with the upkeep of body muscle and definition. In other words, for bodybuilding applications rauwolscine may help with “shredding” efforts.

Rauwolscine’s alpha blocking activity leaves excess quantities of epinephrine and norepinephrine readily available for use, for a stimulant effect. Following this reasoning, rauwolscine is suspected to amplify performance as a potential adrenaline booster. Holding more available adrenaline in the system may likely enhance muscle strength and net performance due to the importance of related hormones in workout regimens. Moreover, muscles might be able to get started the slightest bit sooner and sustain workout duration for longer stretches of time.

Through activating 5-HT1a/b receptors, rauwolscine is capable of inducing serotonin-like effects throughout the body.⁷ Serotonin is largely renowned for being a formidable mood booster. Sustaining a positive disposition may be an idyllic state of being for people engaged in exercises. It can thus possibly account for more motivated and enjoyable workouts. Accompanying effects of increasing serotonin levels include padding pain sensitivity and regulating blood pressure, which may additionally benefit workout sessions.

CONCLUSION

Energy levels that will have you feeling like you're in a completely different atmosphere... intense, tunnel vision focus to keep you fully dialed in throughout the whole workout... a colossal energy source that lasts for the whole workout so you can push at maximum intensity on every rep and every set... relentless endurance so you can continue to push your body longer and harder... high powered thermogenics that will have you dripping sweat after the first set... drive power levels through the roof...

Those new to pre-workouts will want to avoid this one, as this is for experienced users, who are accustomed to high levels of caffeine and stimulants.

Even experienced users I would highly recommend starting with a half serving, as this one is EXTREMELY powerful. 2 scoops... well... be prepared for all out warfare with the weights, and energy that will take you to a different dimension!