Deception Pre-workout

In recent years, collaborations between companies have become increasingly popular. We've seen Ghost x Thavage, Panda x Apollon, and Black Magic x Panda; each one has delivered in every way imagineable. The newest collaboration product belongs to none other than Condemned Labz and Black Magic Supply. The two supplement powerhouses came together to formulate one of the most anticipated pre-workout collaborations of 2024. There's a lot to admire about their new Deception pre-workout, so let's break it down to the nitty-gritty.

Deception is a premium pre-workout formula that's efficaciously dosed in blood-flow, endurance, energy, and focus. It seemingly checks off every box any avid gym rat could possibly imagine, all while remaining completely compliant by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) standards. Coming in at a price point of $59.99 for 20 full servings, it definitely clocks in more towards the premium side in terms of pricing. However, I can assure you this formula is worth every penny.

Let's dive in, shall we?

Supplement Facts

*Disclaimer: This article is based upon the 1 scoop (29.5g) serving size

Blood-flow and Performance

Kicking off this blood-flow and performance complex, Deception features a combination of 8,000mg citrulline paired with 1,500mg Nitrosigine. L-citrulline is a non-essential amino acid and precursor to the holy grail of blood flow-enhancing compounds, nitric oxide. Nitric oxide expands blood vessels through a process called vasodilation. This mechanism allows more blood to be delivered to your muscles; at the same time, it also helps to remove waste products on their way out. Since blood is the carrier of oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue, increases in blood flow prove to be especially beneficial for exercise performance.

Nitrosigine is comprised of a Bonded Arginine Silicate complex. Arginine is a direct precursor to nitric oxide; however, it's bioavailability is extremely low. This means that a small amount of supplemented arginine is actually available for the body to put to use. However, due to it's unique composition, Nitrosigine is significantly more bioavailable than pure arginine itself and has been shown to outperform arginine in both 1) efficiency and 2) length of time in which serum arginine levels remain increased. As previously mentioned, arginine is a direct precursor to nitric oxide, so increases in serum arginine levels proves to be especially beneficial for enhancing nitric oxide levels and promoting overall performance in the gym. For an additional benefit, silicon contributes to enhanced blood-flow by improving the flexibility of arterial walls, known as the endothelium.

Additionally, Deception features one of my personal favorite performance ingredients in VasoDrive-AP dosed at 508mg. VasoDrive-AP is naturally occurring and derived from milk protein through a proprietary enzymatic process. The two lactotripeptides present within VasoDrive-AP are known as Valyl-Prolyl-Proline and Isoleucyl-Prolyl-Proline. These two peptides are characterized as ACE inhibitors, which act as diuretics and improve endothelial arterial flexibility. To make it simple, VasoDrive-AP makes the inner lining of blood vessels more flexible, which increases the diameter and allows for a larger volume of blood to flow through those vessels. It does so by enhancing the production of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).

Other performance ingredients present within Deception include beta-alanine to buffer acidity levels and promote endurance, betaine anhydrous and taurine to promote hydration, and agmatine to further increase nitric oxide levels.

Energy

Deception's energy complex is fairly simple, yet highly effective. As mentioned above, it remains completely compliant with WADA standards, which is something I love to see. Deception manages to pack a grand total of 347mg of caffeine derived from three sources; caffeine anhydrous, caffeine citrate, and ZumXR. Caffeine anhydrous is the purest form of caffeine, offering 100% caffeine content by mass. The benefits of caffeine anhydrous are well understood, as it is potentially the most consumed ingredient in the world. Caffeine consumption has been shown to provide a number of benefits; it increases energy, suppresses appetite which aids in fat loss, enhances focus and attention, and much more. 

Caffeine citrate is 50% caffeine by mass and poses similar properties to caffeine anhydrous. However, its' effects take effect in a more rapid onset. Because of this, it's often paired with other forms of caffeine to provide quick-hitting energy towards the beginning of one's workout. The last caffeine source present within Deception is ZumXR, which is a longer lasting form of caffeine and helps to prevent that ever-so-dreaded crash towards the end of one's workout. This trio of caffeine works to provide sustainable energy throughout all levels of one's workout.

Other energy sources present within Deception include theobromine and rauwolscine. Theobromine is responsible for sustainable energy levels and mood enhancement, while rauwolscine also poses stimulatory properties and enhances thermogenesis.

Focus

For focus, Deception includes a solid dose of L-tyrosine at 3,000mg. L-tyrosine is an amino acid that enhances dopamine and noradrenaline levels within the body. Dopamine, more commonly known as the "feel good" neurotransmitter, heightens focus and provides a slight euphoric feeling. Additionally, 300mg of mucuna pruriens further enhances dopamine levels.

It's challenging to formulate a solid focus complex without the mention of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that increases focus, cognition, and muscle contractions. Because of this, increases in acetylcholine prove to be especially beneficial for performance training. Deception opts to use a generous 600mg dose of Alpha-GPC within its formula. Upon consumption, Alpha-GPC is broken down into choline and glycerol-1-phosphate. Choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a critical role in brain function by supporting memory, attention, cognition, and skeletal muscle contraction. The other molecule in Alpha-GPC, glycerol-1-phosphate, is utilized to support cellular membranes.

Lastly, Deception includes 50mg of NuLiv Science's beloved AstraGin for its documented absorption properties.

Details

Deception will be available June 1st at a price-point of $59.99 for 20 full servings. It comes in two flavors:

1. Blue Krush
2. Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade

Recent Supplement Industry News