5.0 out of 5 stars My #1 preworkout! Ideal taste & dose of caffeine, creatine & beta alanine

A. · May 1, 2020

HOW TO USE WISELY: - for your first dose, try 1 scoop (or a half scoop if you're small or female) & sip slowly - do NOT take simultaneously with other vitamins or supplements (raises risk of niacin flushing) - do NOT take simultaneously with other caffeine (until you know your sensitivity) - drink 8-10 glasses of water daily to maintain hydration, + more if needed for workouts - be aware it creates a "pumped" feeling of increased bloodflow & energy (so if you dislike that, don't take it)PERSPECTIVE: I'm a former athlete & gym trainer during college, currently a daily runner, part-time crossfitter & yoga enthusiast. I've weight-trained consistently for over a decade, drank many preworkouts & taken almost every fitness supplement ingredient on the market in one form or another. Considering the ingredients + price + availability + consistency of taste & texture, SixStar Explosion is the best on the market in my humble opinion. I guess others agree with me, because when I researched for this review, I discovered this is the best-selling preworkout in the US by units (& some sources say it's the best-selling fitness supplement powder in the US of all time, with ~200 million sold).TASTE/ TEXTURE: I like the Fruit Punch best, but all flavors are good and mix easily in a blender bottle. If you enjoy that generic all-American fruit punch taste (think: fruit punch KoolAid, sip-up drinks & candy flavors, not some gourmet authentic taste lol) then I think you'll like it best too. I sometimes add vanilla protein powder if I can't eat for a while. The Icy Rocket flavor is good, but it had a different mouth feel or aftertaste for me which took a bit of getting used to. It tastes excellent with vanilla protein powder + lots of ice, though, like those fruity + vanilla popsicles we ate (or some of us ate) as kids.INGREDIENTS: I'm 5'5" & 120lbs, and my daily workouts are a mix of running & resistance training. I do crossfit or yoga a few times per week with friends. For ME, 1 scoop of SixStar Explosion has almost exactly the amount of caffeine, niacin, beta alanine, & creatine that I want in a preworkout. If you're a big dude who's twice my weight, then you may want to increase your dose to 2 scoops after you know how it affects you. This is consistent with the label which says 2 scoops are fine. We know caffeine & some of these other ingredients have a stronger affect on females & individuals with smaller body weight & lower % of lean body mass, so those individuals should be conservative in dosing. Keep in mind that larger individuals, particularly larger males with a high % of lean body mass, may need additional creatine to reach optimal levels. Optimal creatine levels depend on multiple factors like lean mass, supplement dose, length of time & consistency of supplementation. Beta alanine and niacin both help improve blood flow and there's evidence that beta alanine may increase endurance so these are common ingredients in preworkouts.I'm SHOCKED by the reviews of people who claim they took 1 scoop and felt uncontrollable itching & redness. I work in healthcare and have NEVER seen a patient present with those symptoms from taking ANY legal supplement. That said, if you're sensitive to caffeine, then it's UNWISE to take any caffeinated product with additional caffeine, stimulants, or stimulating meds. Also, this product contains niacin which can cause slight flushing, a harmless side effect of increasing blood flow to the skin (which is what most people WANT in a preworkout). Do NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY take this product with a multivitamin that also contains niacin. I'd think this is common sense, but I realize that not everyone is as experienced with supplements. Lastly, some folks do claim that high doses of beta alanine (ABOVE this product) make them feel tingly, which could be a result of greater nerve sensitivity. Of course, greater sensitivity is a side effect of increased pump in general, which is what you want in a preworkout. The people claiming to have outright itching are mysterious, as there's no medical reason that should occur. If you're experiencing real itching & inflammation after consuming ANY food or product, PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. Genuine itching & inflammation are likely an allergy. But again, I've never seen that occur from these types of products and there's no medical reason for it with this product in particular. In healthcare, we consider a lot of the supplement "reactions" (that people entertain their friends or forums by talking about but never seek medical care to treat) to be "gym lore" inspired by groupthink/ placebo effect. Ya know what's likely to make you itch? Reading reviews/ forum tales of people claiming product made them itch, then taking that product & waiting to itch! ;-)BOTTOM LINE: The good news is that SixStar Explosion preworkout WORKS. I recommend it frequently, because It's the best value for the price. It contains ingredients that DO create real effects on your body and help you reach your fitness goals, which is what most of us want. You'll get a pump, increased energy, & increased blood flow. The amount of creatine in this product is sufficient for many of us to reach optimal levels. The flavor is good, the texture mixes well, and this preworkout can be used alone or with vanilla protein powder + 16oz of water.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Flavor, Solid Energy Boost, and Affordable!

A.F. · August 27, 2024

My husband and I have been using Six Star Pre-Workout for about a year or so now, and it has quickly become our go-to pre-workout. My husband is a gym rat - 6'3" and 215lbs - and works out every single day, sometimes twice a day. He takes pre-workout before every session, and I also prefer to take it when I workout, although not as often as he does. Because of this, we go through pre-workout quickly, and finding an affordable option that delivers results without sacrificing taste has been a challenge.We used to take C4 and other popular brands, but the prices have become increasingly expensive over the past few years. We tried several cheaper alternatives, but most had terrible flavors that we couldn’t stomach for long. Some were also either too weak or too strong in terms of energy boosts, making it hard to find the right balance.Then we discovered Six Star Pre-Workout, and we were pleasantly surprised! Not only is it affordable, but the flavor is also great. We started with the icy rocket freeze flavor, which we loved, and recently tried the fruit punch flavor - it’s just as good. The taste is smooth and enjoyable, not overly sweet or artificial like some others we’ve tried.More importantly, the energy boost is perfect for both of us. It gives us just the right amount of focus and intensity to power through our workouts without feeling jittery or crashing afterward. With 3.2g of Beta-Alanine and 320mg of caffeine, it packs a punch without being overwhelming. As long as the formula stays consistent and the price remains low, we will definitely keep buying this pre-workout.If you’re looking for a pre-workout that’s affordable, effective, and tastes great, I highly recommend giving Six Star a try. We’ve been happy with both the icy rocket freeze and fruit punch flavors, and we might try the pink lemonade next!

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Be A Self Starter

M. · January 21, 2023

So I read all the 5-star ratings. And the 1-star ratings. None are honest in full. The taste is far better than others I have tried. I did get creatine free. Creatine causes the itching many are experiencing especially if you don't consume enough water in your daily life. It's a flush. Drink MORE water. I diluted mine twice as much, but I also drink water. I used about 1.5 scoops. 1 would never be enough. The energy isn't there. (Edited Part) This workout is for cardio lovers not lifters. Here's my theory. There is no pump. There is a burn but the burn you would need to go the distance not the pump you need to do the extra rep. It also doesn't have that kick start push. Here's where you have to be A self-starter. Once you get going the prework out gets going and puts up a sweat. It is more of a thermogenic than an energy or adrenaline giver. This burn coupled with the creatine and caffeine is known to cause a reaction especially if in direct contact with the sun or salt from your own sweat. Your skin would feel like it was on fire. I dislike a rapid heartbeat as a runner. That can be dangerous for us. This won't give you that jittery or shaky feeling and the itch again was mostly with the creatine version. I simply felt hot like with any other thermogenic. Most prework out powders make me itch. This one actually didn't. I thus felt the burn and desire to do a bit more cardio due to the thermogenic. Nothing like in comparison with the powders created just for weightlifters who need extra strength. So, overall, it's a decent bang for the buck. If you want heart racing adrenaline this isn't for you. I imagine you could drink a cup of coffee or tea with this to see if that helps but overall, I will use this for cardio and nothing else. It's not the stimulant most people want or need when they do pre workout. But it definitely helps with a long cardio session.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product

M.F. · October 24, 2024

Tastes great and gives you a good boost for your workout

Does the job at its price point.

P.G. · May 8, 2023

Yeah, good tasting pre-workout and decent efficacy too! It's not the most amazing PWO I've ever taken, but at its price it gets the job done. Enough caffeine for my personal preference.If you want/need a pre-workout & a bit short on cash (and don't want to resort to mixing instant coffee into coke or something) this is the perfect choice