Darkside Ultra Pre Xtreme Pre-Workout Review

Ultra Pre Xtreme is a high-stim pre-workout supplement made by Darkside. Boasting 425 mg of caffeine from two sources, 300 mg of eria jarensis, and 60 mg of hordenine, Ultra Pre Xtreme delivers a surprisingly smooth blend of energy, focus, and euphoria.

I strongly recommend this for anyone who wants to take a break from DMAA pre-workouts and DMHA pre-workouts while still experiencing a strong pre-workout. I’ll definitely be finishing my tub.

Read on for more details on my experience, where to buy this product, and an ingredient breakdown.

Thanks to Muscle Factory SC for sending me this product to review.

Where to Buy Darkside Ultra Pre Xtreme

You can buy Darkside Ultra Pre Xtreme from the following retailers:

• Muscle Factory SC
  • LV5 = $5 off
• Supp Kingz
  • LIFTVAULT15 = 15% off
• Supps Central
  • LIFTVAULT15 = 15% off

My Experience

I’m more than halfway through my tub of Ultra Pre Xtreme and I have to say I absolutely love this pre-workout. The energy and mood elevation just hit me perfectly. I really didn’t expect to enjoy this one so much, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Effects

This is a stim forward pre-workout that always puts me in a good mood. In fact, I’ve come to enjoy taking a half scoop as a nootropic when I’m working from home. The focus in on-point.

The beta alanine tingling hits quickly, within 10 to 15 minutes, and the energy comes shortly thereafter. The energy is very smooth, not overwhelming, and carries nice mood elevation with it.

If you’d told me that this pre-workout contains DMHA I would have believed you, but it does not. I am guessing the mood elevation comes from the eria jarensis, but it may be the combination of eria jarensis, hordenine, and huperzine. I don’t know, there’s just something about it that I really enjoy.

Even though there’s 425 mg of caffeine (350 from caffeine anhydrous, 75 mg yield from di-caffeine malate), it doesn’t feel overwhelming. This is too much caffeine for a beginner, but otherwise I think Ultra Pre Xtreme is an approachable pre-workout for anyone seeking stims.

Pumps are pretty lacking with this one. If you want pumps, I wouldn’t recommend Ultra Pre Xtreme and would instead recommend checking out my list of the best pump pre-workouts.

Flavor

I tried the mango tango flavor and it was super tasty.

Other available flavors include blue lemons and kandy krush, but I haven’t tried those.

Scoop

A full serving of Darkside Ultra Pre Xtreme is 11.1 grams, which is basically a perfect level scoop.

Darkside Ultra Pre Xtreme Ingredients

L-Citrulline Malate 2:1 – 4,000 mg

Citrulline Malate (2:1) is one of the most common pre workout ingredients. It has extensive evidence supporting its effects on increasing nitric oxide production, power output, pumps, blood flow, and endurance. 

Usually, L-Citrulline Malate has a 2:1 Ratio of Citrulline and Malic Acid (hence the Malate). With Ultra Pre Xtreme, you are getting 2.66 g of pure L-Citrulline, which is less than the recommended 4 g dosage.

Beta Alanine – 3,200 mg

Beta Alanine has been repeatedly shown to increase maximal strength levels when taken regularly. Like Citrulline Malate, it is one of the most common and best researched pre workout ingredients on the market today.

3.2 grams is 100% of the clinical beta alanine dosage.

L-Tyrosine – 1,000 mg

L-Tyrosine has been shown to boost cognitive performance in stressful environments. It is typically included in pre workouts as a focus ingredient.

1,000 mg is a solid dosage of L-Tyrosine for achieving any anti-stress effects. It is right in the middle of the typical dosage range (500 mg to 2,000 mg) for exercise.

Alpha GPC 50% – 600 mg

L-Alpha GPC creates choline, a molecule associated with increased cognition found naturally in eggs. This is the unique ingredient found in the newest generation of Legion’s Pulse pre-workout (300 mg) and Apollon Nutrition’s Overtime Nootropic (600 mg).

Some early research suggests that Alpha GPC supplementation produces a notiable increase in power output. (More info: Examine)

It is unclear if 600 mg is sufficient to achieve cognitive improvements. A 2015 study using 250 mg and 500 mg doses did not observe any measurable cognitive improvements in healthy test subjects. With that being said, the 600 mg included is the typical dose you’ll see in other pre-workouts and nootropic supplements.

Caffeine Anhydrous – 350 mg

Caffeine is easily the ingredient most associated with pre workout supplements. It is famous for its energizing, motivating, and mood enhancing effects.

350 mg of caffeine anhydrous is a pretty strong dosage of caffeine.

Combined with the 100 mg of di-caffeine malate (75 mg yield), Ultra Pre Xtreme contains a total of 425 mg of caffeine. This is on the upper end of what most pre-workouts offer and certainly substantial.

Eria Jarensis – 300 mg

N-Phenethyl Dimethylamine Citrate, aka Eria Jarensis. Eria Jarensis is a stimulant commonly seen alongside DMHA in high stim pre-workouts.

300 mg is in the upper range for the dose of this ingredient. Usual amounts range from 150 mg all the way up to 500 mg, as found in Flame Pre Workout (which is terrific, for the record).

Green Tea Extract – 125 mg

GCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is a plant-based compound called catechin. Catechins are natural phenols and antioxidants with a wide array of effects. Familiar sources include white tea extract and green tea extract. It’s often simply referred to as green tea extract.

So how does green tea extract work?

EGCG acts as a fat burner by inhibiting catechol-0-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that degrades catecholamines. By inhibiting COMT, catecholamine levels elevate.

Why do you care?

Because catecholamines help break down fat stores. By inhibiting COMT, EGCG allows catecholamines to do their thing for more extended periods, leading to increased levels of fat removal.

In terms of dosage, most people should try to aim for 400 to 500 mg of green tea extract per day. Jupiter, with only 100 mg, is quite underdosed.

Di-caffeine Malate – 100 mg

Di-caffeine malate is essentially the “extended release” form of caffeine. This helps achieve two things: longer lasting effects of the pre workout and a smoother ride on the energy train with less crash.

As dicaffeine malate is 75% caffeine and 25% malic acid, a 100 mg dosage yields 75 mg of caffeine.

Hordenine HCL – 60 mg

Hordenine (N,N-dimethyltyramine) is a stimulant that is often included in recent “nootropic” products. It is not widely researched, so much of the information available comes from anecdotal accounts.

According to those account, “effective” doses start around 20 mg, so the 60 mg included in Ultra Pre Xtreme is more than enough to feel the focus effects touted by proponents of Hordenine.

Astragin – 50 mg

Like Bioperine (aka black pepper extract), AstraGin helps with the absorption of nutrients.

50 mg is the standard dosage for this ingredient.

Niacin – 30 mg

There is 30 mg of niacin, which can cause skin flushing in some people. I didn’t notice anything in particular from this ingredient, but I wanted to note it for everyone.

Huperzine – 20 mg

Huperzine A is cholinergic and acts as a cognitive enhancer. The occasional dose in other pre-workouts tends to be 50 mcg to 200 mcg. As an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, It helps lengthen the half-life of cholinergic sources (such as Alpha GPC, Citicoline, CDP Choline) (Examine) and keep your focus longer.

At 20 mg, is either a misprint of 20 mcg or an insanely high dosage.

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.