This is a unique review, because we’re looking at 2 products on this one page here. We found this supplements company, Bullet Reloaded by chance, but it caught our attention due to it’s ‘apocalypse’ themed website and branded products.
So, here’s the products we’ll be looking at:
- Atomic Pre-Load (pre-workout supplement)
- Thermoloaded (fat burner supplement)
Take a look:
About The Company
Bullet Reloaded were first established in 2015, but haven’t quite managed to make a name for themselves. As we mentioned, this company use their ‘apocalypse’ themed back-story to market their products presented in bullet shell containers.
Usually, budget prices result in products’ ingredients being under-dosed. So we’ll be keeping a close eye on whether this is the case for Atomic Pre-Load and Thermoloaded in the next section.
The Ingredients and How They Work
We’ll examine the nutrient profiles of each product in this section. Ultimately, this is a great way of seeing how effective the supplements will be; studies have proven that the dosage of ingredients is the most important factor on whether a supplement will actually help you lose weight or gain muscle (depending on your fitness goals).
See for yourself:
Atomic Pre-Load
Caffeine
Caffeine is a key ingredient in any pre-workout supplement, so Bullet Reloaded have done well by dosing this stimulant sensibly.
We always recommend that you consume under 200mg caffeine per serving in pre-workouts; with a 200mg dosage in Atomic Pre-Load, you should be safe from side effects here.
L-Tyrosine
Here’s the first mistake by Bullet Reloaded. We’re not sure why they’ve added l-tyrosine into a pre-workout supplement; this nutrient is a cognitive booster that’s suited to a nootropic, but isn’t needed in Atomic Pre-Load.
Why isn’t it needed? Answer: caffeine offers enough boost in your focus to benefit your gym session, so there’s no need for any additional cognitive boosters in pre-workout supplements.
Asian Ginseng
Now, we’re even more confused…there’s really no need for asian ginseng to be in a pre-workout supplement.
Why? Answer: it’s shown to be an effective testosterone boosting ingredient, but it’s only effective when consumed in 100mg dosages (or more) and taken in 3-4 servings spread throughout your day.
As a raise in testosterone levels isn’t what pre-workouts are made for, it’s not needed in Atomic Pre-Load. If you’re looking for increase your T levels and libido, then a testosterone booster supplement will be more beneficial for you.
Creatine Hydrochloride
Creatine can be a key addition to any pre-workout supplement, so good job by Bullet Reloaded here. However, we usually recommend you to consume at least 1,000mg creatine to enhance your strength and endurance.
Studies have shown that consuming under this amount won’t guarantee that you’ll experience these benefits. Not only that, we prefer creatine monohydrate (call us old-fashioned, but creatine monohydrate is tried-and-tested to work and has been used for decades).
As a result, Bullet Reloaded should have dosed this higher, and replaced creatine hydrochloride with monohydrate – to ensure you experienced the best results.
See SupplementTester’s Highest Rated
– Pre-Workout Supplements Here –
Bacopa Monnieri
Guess what? This is another nootropic herb that’s not really needed in Atomic Pre-Load.
We could move swiftly on, but since we’re here we’ll go into more detail; bacopa monnieri is also believed to reduce anxiety too. But unfortunately, there hasn’t been any studies that suggest it can improve your performance – meaning it’s an ineffective nutrient in Atomic Pre-Load.
However, that doesn’t mean this is a useless ingredient in general. We actually consider bacopa monnieri to be one of the best nutrients you can find in nootropic supplements.
Creatine Ethyl Ester HCI
We mentioned that there are different forms of creatine before. Well, creatine ethyl ester is another one.
Is it any more beneficial than creatine monohydrate? No.
In fact, studies have shown that creatine monohydrate is the most effective and reliable form (others might be more water soluble, but they’re not as reliable at delivering results).
We don’t mind having to add more water to our pre-workouts, so we’d choose creatine monohydrate everytime.
Vitamin D3
While vitamin d3 is a key test boosting ingredient, there’s no place for it in a pre-workout supplement.
Why? Answer: like with asian ginseng, you need to supplement this 3-4 times spread throughout your day, instead of just with the one serving that pre-workouts offer.
Not only that, studies have shown that 3,332IU is the optimal dosage of vitamin d3; as Atomic Pre-Load only contains 400IU, it’s not likely to do much here.
Rhodiola Rosea
Finally, an ingredient worth talking about in a pre-workout. We consider rhodiola rosea to be a key ingredient in these supplements, as it’s shown to reduce muscle fatigue & damage, as well as improving your focus in the gym.
Rhodiola rosea is also very efficient, as it’s shown to be effective in dosages as low as 50mg. As Atomic Pre-Load contains 50mg, Bullet Reloaded have dosed this well here.
Agmatine Sulfate & Magnesium Creatine Chelate
We’ve grouped these 2 ingredients together, as neither of them have shown to be very effective at improving your gym session. This is turning into quite a long review, so that’s really all you need to know about them.
Thermoloaded
The Good
Right, so you can see that this review is getting quite long, so we’re grouping the good ingredients together here. Then, we’ll take you through the ingredients that we believe you should avoid.
Remember that Thermoloaded is a fat burner, so we’ll be looking out for different ingredients (all supplements have different key ingredients, as they all are designed to help you reach different goals. In thermoloaded’s case, we’re looking for nutrients that’ll help you lose body fat).
See for yourself:
- Caffeine – This is key fat burning ingredient, as caffeine can help raise your energy levels during a cut. Also, it’s known for being one of the best thermogenic nutrients available. Thermoloaded contains 300mg, but we couldn’t find the serving size of this product, so we can’t determine whether it’s been overdosed per capsule (we recommend consuming under 100mg caffeine per capsule to avoid jitters).
- Cayenne pepper extract – If you’ve ever eaten a meal containing this chilli pepper before, then you’ll know that it can raise your body temperature due to its ‘spice’. Well, this is exactly how it works to boost your metabolism and help you burn more fat. However, Thermoloaded only contains 40mg (studies have shown that you need at least 100mg for it to work).
- Green coffee bean extract – Another key fat burning ingredient, green coffee bean extract contains chlorogenic acid, which has shown to boost your metabolism. However, it’s been underdosed in Thermoloaded, as studies show that you need at least 100mg for it to work, while Thermoloaded only contains a tiny 15mg.
- Green tea leaf extract – This is one of our favorite nutrients to help you burn fat. It’s shown to benefit your general health and boost your metabolism, as it’s a great thermogenic. Bullet Reloaded have dosed this well too, so no problems here.
The Bad
- Bitter Orange Extract – Also known as citrus aurantium and synephrine, this is on our ‘blacklist’ of nutrients to avoid. It’s been banned in certain countries after causing harmful side effects, so we recommend that you stay away to stay safe. But for the haters thinking we’re being unfair, we will acknowledge that bitter orange extract has shown to promote fat loss. But we’re not willing to risk our health when there’s better ingredients available.
- Raspberry Ketone – When a product contains raspberry ketone, it’s always an indicator that the company hasn’t completed enough research. Basically, it gained attention for being some kind of ‘miracle’ ingredient, but since then studies have proven that it doesn’t work. As a result, raspberry ketone is an ineffective addition to Thermoloaded.
- Theobromine – This is a stimulant found in cocoa beans, and is believed to be responsible for the slight ‘kick’ you get after eating chocolate. However, having 2 stimulants in 1 fat burner increases your risk of suffering from side effects like jitters and energy crashes. As a result, we always recommend that you choose supplements containing only 1 stimulant, with an overall dosage of under 100mg caffeine per capsule.
See SupplementTester’s Highest Rated
– Pre-Workout Supplements –
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Side Effects
The good news is that Atomic Pre-Load doesn’t contain any ingredients that are likely to cause any side effects. We’re happy to see that Bullet Reloaded didn’t include beta-alanine, which is responsible for causing paresthesia (itchy, tingly skin).
However, you are at risk of side effects when taking Thermoloaded, due to this fat burner containing potentially harmful ingredients such as bitter orange extract and having 2 stimulants in 1 product.
See the possible side effects you might experience:
- Jitters
- Energy Crashes
- Nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- High blood pressure
Review Conclusion
Ultimately, you have to remember that this is a fairly new company. So they’ll make mistakes and learn from it, and they might even create some great supplements in the future.
However, for now, neither Atomic Pre-Load or Thermoloaded are able to compete with the best fat burners or pre-workouts on the market.