When the contents of Gifted Nutrition’s pre-workout Accelerate first surfaced, it immediately raised a lot of concerns. The brand did later release an official facts panel confirming more for the supplement, however the concern was still there. Aside from all the talk, Gifted as well as Phil Heath did stick up for their formula saying that you really have to try the product before you judge it. As it turns out that right there is a philosophy we actually live by, hence why we pulled out our wallet and invested in a tub of Accelerate. While we don’t want to spoil it all in the introduction, it really only took us about three workouts to come up with a final opinion. It was in those sessions that we put the pre-workout to the test, run it back to back against the best and come with today’s review.
Firstly we will get the aforementioned contents concerns out of the way, or at least our take on Accelerate’s ingredients. Basically at first, second and final glance all the supplement really looks like to us is a caffeinated amino, with the added power of beta-alanine. It’s label definitely isn’t the most impressive thing in the world, but after hearing what Gifted had to say, and going by our use before you abuse motto, we gave Accelerate the benefit of the doubt. In the past we’ve seen not so interesting products turn out to be a lot better than they appear, and even though we knew it would be a stretch for Gifted’s pre-workout. We figured if we at least tried the supplement we could find out first hand if it works or not.
The only way we can really describe Accelerate is to compare it to something, as it’s not really like any other pre-workout we’ve had. By that we don’t mean that it blows everything out of the water, we mean it’s about as bad as you can get. With most formulas the energy kick and beta-alanine pins and needles are the early signs of a product taking effect. In top competitors those two are usually followed by strong focus, increased intensity and even better energy. Unfortunately for Accelerate you don’t get any of that, leaving it at the pins and needles and very minor energy boost. While the beta-alanine’s mildly uncomfortable side effect does end quite quickly, the only real part left that enhances your performance is the energy kick. The lone highlight comes at the usual time, however it’s not something you’re going to want to get excited about. Earlier when we said we need to compare Accelerate to something to describe it, we’d have to say it’s best matched to the likes of an energy drink or soft pre-workout. The effect is indeed noticeable, it’s just at such a low level that once you start working out it disappears so fast you’ll almost feel like you didn’t even take anything.
With a performance that is about as disappointing as they come, there are a couple more areas we need to touch on. Firstly in the recommended use section there is no limit listed for the product. It’s not something that’s usually an issue especially when a caffeine amount is listed, although that’s not what Gifted have done. Users are instructed to use one scoop before their workout and one scoop during, suggesting a maximum of two at anyone time. Despite the complex directions, whether you use one or two scoops of Accelerate at once, or as recommended split up. We found the supplement’s performance to be similar, if not identical regardless of timing.
The other area we have to highlight is the flavoring of the product. Opinions and preferences are of course different from person to person, so our taste review may not be how others feel, but Gifted’s fruit punch recipe is a bit of a mess. For us it definitely ranks up there with some of the worst flavored pre-workouts on the market, though only due to as mentioned, it’s messy mixture. Accelerate doesn’t have that typical tropical theme going, it instead incorporates a range of tastes that results in an overwhelmingly sour combination of what we believe to be orange, raspberry and cherry. It wasn’t until we diluted the supplement down that we figured out those flavors, although even then as bearable as it was it still had a bit of a tang.
In all honesty we were really pulling for Gifted Nutrition and Accelerate. The brand on many occasions have talked a strong game, and even when in contact with us shown great confidence in their pre-workout, as well as all their other products. We were hoping for an upset, something that may see Gifted send a message to those doubting the power of Accelerate. Unfortunately the supplement is without a doubt one of the worst ones we’ve ever had. It lacks the ability to deliver any more than the one effect, which in a category that can make or break a brand. Puts Gifted Nutrition in an awkward position against competitors packing multiple effects in unforgettable performances.
