Broken Arrow Elite Pre Workout Review

Broken Arrow Elite pre workout is the updated version of Broken Arrow from Repp Sports. The most notable change in the “elite” version of Broken Arrow is the removal of DMHA from the formula, which was replaced with a 150 mg proprietary blend.

Keep reading to see my personal experience with this pre workout, a breakdown of the ingredient label, and my overall impression of Broken Arrow Elite pre workout.

Review Summary

I think Broken Arrow Elite pre workout is a solid pre workout for beginners or those looking for something they can take daily without issue. However, at the current price of $48, there are better alternatives available. I probably wouldn’t pay more than $35 for this pre workout.

I wouldn’t recommend it for those seeking a super strong, high-stimulant pre workout.

Compared to the original Broken Arrow, which had 150 mg of DMHA and 300 mg of Alpha GPC, this ingredient package seems worse. The DMHA has been replaced with a prop blend of 150 mg, which consists mostly of ingredients that don’t appear to be stimulants (except for the synephrine), and the dose of Alpha GPC has been reduced from 300 mg to 100 mg. And yet, the price is $8 higher for the “elite” version. Hmm…

You can buy Broken Arrow Elite pre workout from Supplement City for $40, but I think there are better pre workouts you can get at that price point.

I’d recommend Game Day pre workout for a budget-friendly daily supplement or Legion Pulse pre workout for a slightly pricier, pump-heavy alternative.

Experience

I had the “hail storm” flavor of Broken Arrow Elite pre workout and I thought the flavor was pretty good. It was kind of a blueberry/raspberry type flavor.

Within about 20-30 minutes I could feel the beta alanine tingling and caffeine start to kick in. This pre workout does contain caffeine citrate, which works more quickly than traditional caffeine anhydrous.

I’d say the effects peaked within about 45 minutes and lasted for about 2 hours or so. Overall, this felt like a pretty basic pre workout to me. Energy and focus wise, it was okay, like a 6/10. I think a less experienced stimulant user would probably rate it higher than that, but this was my experience.

Overall I’d say this is a pretty standard pre workout. It gets some of the basics right, but isn’t really exceptional. Some of the more interesting ingredients (Alpha GPC, Theobromine) are under dosed and the only stimulant in addition to caffeine is synephrine (and we can’t even tell how much since it is included as part of a proprietary blend).

Ingredient Label

Sodium Bicarbonate (150 mg)

Sodium bicarbonate, also known as good old fashioned baking soda, helps protect against acidity in the body (i.e. the “burn”). However, this effect occurs as doses around 200-300 mg per kilogram of body weight (source).

As such, this 150 mg dose is too small to achieve these kind of lactic acid buffering effects. However, it can help offset sodium loss during exercise, which can result in fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, and more (source).

L-Citrulline Malate (6 g)

L-Citrulline Malate is included for pumps and enhanced blood flow. 6 grams is a great dose.

Beta Alanine (3.2 g)

Beta alanine gives you the “tingles” after you take a pre workout. Regular use of beta alanine has been shown to increase muscular endurance. 3.2 grams is a solid, standard dose.

Betaine Anhydrous (1.5 g)

There is some inconsistent research suggesting regular consumption of betaine anhydrous can increase power output. 1.5 grams is not within the recommended daily dosage range for possible physical performance improvements, which is 2.5 grams to 6 grams (Examine).

L-Taurine (1 g)

Taurine is kind of a “miscellaneous” pre workout ingredient with a range of potential, albeit limited, physical benefits. It can aid in blood flow, reduce cramping, and act as a booster to anti-oxidant defense systems (Examine). It’s a pretty insignificant ingredient in pre workout compared to other ingredients, but doesn’t hurt anything either.

L-Tyrosine (1 g)

A 500 mg to 1 gram dose of L-Tyrosine is recommended to help stabilize mood and offset the crash effects of caffeine. The 1 gram dose of L-Tyrosine in Broken Arrow Elite is solid.

Caffeine (Anhydrous and Citrate) (350 mg)

I do not know how much of the 350 mg is made up of caffeine anhydrous vs. caffeine citrate, but it is interesting seeing caffeine citrate included here. Caffeine citrate hits faster and fades more quickly than caffeine anhydrous, sort of the opposite of the more slowly released caffeine di-malate included in other pre workouts. My assumption is the split is probably something like 250 to 300 mg caffeine anhydrous with 100 to 50 mg caffeine citrate, but I’m not sure. I’ll reach out to Repp Sports to ask.

Anyway – 350 mg is a great dose of caffeine. I usually like to see between 300 and 400 mg of caffeine, so I am happy with this dose.

CitraFuze Proprietary Blend (150 mg)

This proprietary blend is almost certainly used as the replacement for DMHA, which appeared in the original version of Broken Arrow and has been removed from the “elite” version.

I’m not a fan of proprietary blends, as they do not provide transparency to the consumer. You can’t tell the exact dosage of all ingredients in a proprietary blend, which often leads to them being used to mask under-dosed ingredients.

This blend contains Synephrine, Hesperidin, Naringin, N-ethyl-L-glutamine, 2-(3,4-dihydroxphenyl)-3-5,7-trihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one. They are, at a basic level, a stimulant, blood flow enhancer, anti-oxidant, stress reducer, and, for 2-(3,4-dihydroxphenyl)-3-5,7-trihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one, I have no clue, respectively.

Alpha GPC (100 mg)

Alpha GPC is an ingredient appearing more and more frequently in pre workouts and nootropics. It can lead to increased cognition in patients with cognitive decline, as well as increase power output. However, the only study showing increased power output from Alpha GPC supplementation used a dosage of 600 mg, so there is not currently any research showing similar results for a 100 mg dosage (Examine).

Theobromine (100 mg)

Theobromine is a compound, structurally similar to caffeine, naturally found in dark chocolate, coffee beans, and guarana berries. It lowers blood pressure, acts as a milder, longer lasting stimulant than caffeine, and may positive impact mood (source, source).

100 mg is likely a little low for a theobromine dosage, but may still have some stimulation effects. Researched doses usually range between 200 and 400 mg (source).

Black Pepper Extract (5 mg)

Black pepper extract aids the absorption of nutritional supplements.

About Kyle Risley

Kyle Risley founded Lift Vault in 2016 to make finding great powerlifting programs easier. Since then, the site has grown to include hundreds of programs for strength, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and more. He currently lives in Massachusetts and continues to compete in powerlifting.