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Apollon Nutrition · Pre-workout

Is Apollon Nutrition Bare Knuckle underdosed?

2 scoops = 12 g40 scoopsLabel as of 25 Sep 2023 · NIH DSLD
Verdict

Below research dose on 2 of 3 key ingredients.

Beta-Alanine and Betaine Anhydrous are below the amounts studies use.

Effective dose
1
Below research dose
4
Hidden in a blend
0
Too much
0

Ingredient by ingredient

Per scoop · bodyweight 75 kg (default)
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)Per scoop 6 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: a vitamin or mineral. We grade a pre-workout’s ingredients against exercise studies; vitamins and minerals are graded only on their own supplement pages.

  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride)Per scoop 5 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: a vitamin or mineral. We grade a pre-workout’s ingredients against exercise studies; vitamins and minerals are graded only on their own supplement pages.

  • Folic AcidPer scoop 200 mcgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: a vitamin or mineral. We grade a pre-workout’s ingredients against exercise studies; vitamins and minerals are graded only on their own supplement pages.

  • Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)Per scoop 125 mcgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: a vitamin or mineral. We grade a pre-workout’s ingredients against exercise studies; vitamins and minerals are graded only on their own supplement pages.

  • Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)Per scoop 13 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: a vitamin or mineral. We grade a pre-workout’s ingredients against exercise studies; vitamins and minerals are graded only on their own supplement pages.

  • SodiumPer scoop 30 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Contains 60 mg. Not graded: on its own the sodium in a serving says little, because what counts is the drink it makes. Electrolyte products are judged on the sodium per litre once mixed as the label directs (0.5–0.7 g per litre, AIS).

  • L-CitrullinePer scoop 2 gStudies 4–5.33 gEffective doseWeak

    Contains 4 g; studies use 4–5.33 g.

  • Beta-AlanineLabel: Beta AlaninePer scoop 800 mgStudies 3.2–6.4 g/dayBelow research doseStrong

    Contains 1.6 g; studies use 3.2–6.4 g/day. Beta-Alanine works through daily use over weeks; a lower amount still builds up, just more slowly.

  • L-ArginineLabel: NO3-T (Arginine Nitrate)Per scoop 551 mgStudies 0.15 g/kgBelow research doseWeak

    Contains 1.1 g (14.7 mg/kg at 75 kg); studies use 0.15 g/kg.

    ASSUMPTION: arginine nitrate (1:1) is counted as the L-arginine in it: 174.20 ÷ 237.21 g/mol = 73.4% of the printed weight. Used only when the label does not state the arginine itself.

  • Betaine AnhydrousPer scoop 625 mgStudies 2.5 g/dayBelow research doseModerate

    Contains 1.25 g; studies use 2.5 g/day. Betaine Anhydrous works through daily use over weeks; a lower amount still builds up, just more slowly.

  • L-TyrosinePer scoop 500 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Contains 1 g. Not graded: a 2023 meta-analysis found no effect on endurance; its evidence is for focus under stress, at about 150 mg per kg of bodyweight.

  • Agmatine SulfatePer scoop 375 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Contains 750 mg. Not graded: no human study has tested it for exercise; human studies are for nerve pain.

  • Lion's Mane Fruiting Body Extract (Hericium erinaceus Pers. Fruiting Body Extract)Per scoop 250 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: we have no research dose for it from exercise studies.

  • Alpha-GPCLabel: L-Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine [50%]Per scoop 75 mgStudies 250–600 mg/dayBelow research doseWeak

    Contains 150 mg; studies use 250–600 mg/day. Trials gave it daily, for weeks.

  • Himalayan Pink SaltPer scoop 75 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: we have no research dose for it from exercise studies.

  • AstraGinPer scoop 13 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Contains 25 mg. Not graded: added to help the body absorb other ingredients; it has no dose of its own to judge.

Use “Check it for your dose” to see this table for your own scoops and bodyweight. Only caffeine is dosed per kilogram in the studies we cite; the other research doses are fixed amounts, so your weight doesn't change them.

How many scoops would it take?

To reach the low end of the research dose for each underdosed ingredient.

Beta-Alanine to 3.2 g
4.0 scoops
brings 0 mg caffeine
Betaine Anhydrous to 2.5 g
4.0 scoops
brings 0 mg caffeine

Where the reference doses come from

  1. Alpha-GPC, 250–600 mg/day: Bellar et al., 2015Marcus et al., 2017.
  2. Beta-Alanine, 3.2–6.4 g/day: Harris et al., 2006Hobson et al., 2012Trexler et al., 2015.
  3. Betaine Anhydrous, 2.5 g/day: Cholewa et al., 2013Hoffman et al., 2009Zawieja et al., 2024.
  4. L-Arginine, 0.15 g/kg: Viribay et al., 2020.
  5. L-Citrulline, 4–5.33 g: Gough et al., 2021Vårvik et al., 2021.
  6. Daily caffeine reference, 400 mg: US FDA, Spilling the Beans.
  7. Label data: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2026. https://dsld.od.nih.gov/. Label 295360.

Assumptions used on this page: ASSUMPTION: arginine nitrate (1:1) is counted as the L-arginine in it: 174.20 ÷ 237.21 g/mol = 73.4% of the printed weight. Used only when the label does not state the arginine itself.

Methodology 1.11. Read the full methodology or the corrections log.