Check a label

Cellucor · Pre-workout

Is Cellucor C4 Ripped underdosed?

1 scoop = 6 g30 scoopsLabel as of 22 Jun 2023 · NIH DSLD
Verdict

Below research dose on 2 of 2 key ingredients.

Beta-Alanine and Caffeine are below the amounts studies use. 2 ingredients sit in an undisclosed blend. Caffeine is below 3 mg/kg at 75 kg, plus an unlisted amount from coffee bean extract.

Effective dose
0
Below research dose
2
Hidden in a blend
2
Too much
0

Ingredient by ingredient

Per scoop · bodyweight 75 kg (default)
  • Vitamin CLabel: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)Per scoop 250 mgStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Contains 250 mg. 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.

  • Niacin (Niacinamide)Per scoop 30 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 (Pyridoxal 5-Phosphate)Per scoop 500 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.

  • Folic AcidPer scoop 250 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 35 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.

  • Beta-AlanineLabel: CarnoSyn (Beta-Alanine)Per scoop 1.6 gStudies 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.

  • Arginine Alpha-KetoglutaratePer scoop 1 gStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

    Not graded: the label gives it in a form or blend we can't turn into a dose (no stated ratio or amount), so it isn't counted. See the methodology.

  • L-Carnitine L-TartrateLabel: L-Carnitine TartratePer scoop In a blendStudies 3 g/dayHidden in a blendWeak

    Amount not disclosed. As the 1st of 4 ingredients in the 1 g C4 Ripped Blend, it contains 0.25–1.00 g. Even that maximum is below the 3 g/day studies use.

  • Coffee Bean ExtractLabel: Green Coffee Bean Extract (Chlorogenic Acid) [standardized for chlorogenic acids]Per scoop In a blendStudies Not setUnlisted caffeineNot graded

    Coffee Bean Extract can contain caffeine, and the label doesn't say how much it adds.

  • Capsimax Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) fruit extractPer scoop In a blendStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

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

  • Coleus forskohlii Root ExtractPer scoop In a blendStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

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

  • N-Acetyl-L-TyrosinePer scoop In a blendStudies Not setHidden in a blendNot graded

    Amount not disclosed. As the 1st of 3 ingredients in the 371 mg Explosive Energy Blend, it contains 124–371 mg.

  • CaffeineLabel: Caffeine AnhydrousPer scoop 150 mgStudies 3–6 mg/kgBelow research doseStrong

    Contains 150 mg (2 mg/kg at 75 kg); studies use 3–6 mg/kg.

  • Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens) seed extract (L-Dopa)Per scoop In a blendStudies Not setNot gradedNot graded

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

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.

C4 Ripped Blend
Proprietary blend · 4 ingredients · amounts not disclosed
1 g total

US labels must list blend ingredients heaviest first (21 CFR 101.36). So the 1st is at least 1/4 of the blend, the 2nd can be at most half, the 3rd at most a third, and so on.

  • L-Carnitine L-Tartrate · 1st0.25–1.00 g
  • Coffee Bean Extract · 2nd≤0.50 g
Explosive Energy Blend
Proprietary blend · 3 ingredients · amounts not disclosed
371 mg total

US labels must list blend ingredients heaviest first (21 CFR 101.36). So the 1st is at least 1/3 of the blend, the 2nd can be at most half, the 3rd at most a third.

  • N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine · 1st124–371 mg

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
2.0 scoops
brings 300 mg caffeine
Caffeine to 225 mg
1.5 scoops
brings 225 mg caffeine

Where the reference doses come from

  1. Beta-Alanine, 3.2–6.4 g/day: Harris et al., 2006Hobson et al., 2012Trexler et al., 2015.
  2. Caffeine, 3–6 mg/kg: Guest et al., 2021.
  3. L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, 3 g/day: Stefan et al., 2021Volek et al., 2002.
  4. Vitamin C, 200–1000 mg/day: Frei et al., 2012Gonzalez et al., 2026Levine et al., 1996.
  5. Daily caffeine reference, 400 mg: US FDA, Spilling the Beans.
  6. Blend order rule: 21 CFR 101.36.
  7. Label data: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2026. https://dsld.od.nih.gov/. Label 291627.

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