Virtus Sports Nutrition Kronos Pre Workout Review

By now, you’re probably asking yourself why we review a new pre-workout what seems like every week. We have an answer: Because they make the world go ‘round. All joking aside, we simply can’t handle ourselves when it comes to searching for the next amazing pre-workout. It seems that a good pre-workout is the cornerstone of many successful supplement companies and so to find the top-tier product we have to ensure each one we try provides us with a multitude of benefits including a scientifically studied list of ingredients with clinically trialed doses.

Yes, that seems like pretty high standards but we just keep finding more and more that fit the bill. Our latest find, Kronos, by Virtus Sports Nutrition has a HUGE list of ingredients and at a quick glance, tons that we recognize and love. Virtus was kind enough to ship us out both of their uniquely named flavors; Sunset Punch and Blue Demon to hear our thoughts on how Kronos stacks up to the rest of the market.

We will let you read through the review for yourself, but let’s just say now that Kronos far exceeded our expectations.

Flavors and Mixability:

Mixability for this product was surprisingly awesome considering the amount of ingredients. We tried both recommended dosages for beginner and advanced users; a half scoop (10g) and full scoop (20g). In 12oz of water the half scoop completely dissolves, no remnants or grittiness in the bottom of the shaker or in your mouth. The 20g scoop in 12 oz of water mixed up really well but had a little bit of residue left at the bottom of the shaker. A few swirls took care of that problem and it can be easily adjusted by adding a few extra ounces of water as well. Regardless, for such a large scoop, this product mixed very well and shares the top of the mixability charts with some of our other favorite pre-workouts.

Sunset Punch- Not your typical fruit punch, at all. This flavor seemed more like a watermelon jolly rancher mixed with a tropical blast flavored drink and also had a bit of a sour aftertaste. It’s a very hard flavor to explain but it’s like mixing watermelon with your favorite tropical beverage and somehow finishing off with a sour patch kid! Bottom line is… this flavor was pretty tasty and refreshing. We would recommend using a bit more water if you try this flavor because it is relatively strong tasting in 12oz of water. It is a flavor we have yet to experience (that’s a good thing!) and we think those who try Kronos will definitely love it. If you are in the market for a pre-workout that has a unique yet satisfying flavor, we think you should opt for Sunset Punch.

Blue Demon- Blue Demon is a more traditional “blueberry” flavor with lots of different fruit notes. No, not like blueberry the fruit, but more like a blue raspberry mixed with a hint of blueberry, but also some fruit punch. We are a big fan of berry flavored products here at Modern Athletic Health and this one is a winner. We liked saving a little of this to mix with our intra workout cocktails as well because it seems to enhance other berry flavors. Mixing this with 16-20oz of water was the sweet spot for us, but if you’re a fan of stronger tasting pre-workouts then we recommend you use this in 12-16oz.

Ingredients: With over 17 different ingredients, we are just going to touch on what each ingredient does within its respective complex on the label. If you want a bit more information you can head over to www.virtussportsnutrition.com and check out the full write up of each ingredient and what it does.

Pump Complex:

• Citrulline Malate 2:1: Citrulline has been known to prolong muscle fatigue enhance nitric oxide in the body leading to bigger and better pumps. Citrulline has also been known to lower blood ammonia and lactate which leads to lower rest times, better recovery, and overall better endurance.

• Betaine Anhydrous 98%: Betaine anhydrous has been known to improve neurotransmission as well as detoxify your liver. Aside from this the biggest known benefits have been increased muscular strength size, work capacity, and explosive power. Betaine has also been known to provide an enhanced effect the longer it is supplemented.

• Agmatine Sulfate: Agmatine is known as a tremendous pump agent and nitric oxide potentiator. Studies shown that supplementing with Agmatine can increase Luteinizing Hormone and Growth Hormone to with prolonged supplementation.

• Taurine: Taurine is a well known adaptogen and can increase muscular endurance, reduce muscle damage, and lessen fatigue. Taurine is also known to alleviate lower back pumps that can be common with some high rep movements.

• Ornithine HCL: Ornithine is known as an amino acid that your body can convert into arginine. This will in turn increase nitric oxide in the body and improve vasodilation. Ornithine is also known to remove bodily waste such as ammonia from the body as well.

• Nitrosigine: Nitrosigine is a major vasodilation ingredient that is 5x stronger than arginine HCL. This fast-acting ingredient can start working in the body in as little as 15 minutes and last up to 8 hours!

• Arginine HCL: Although the product has both Nitrosigine and Ornithine in it, Arginine HCL was added for more than just a pump. Arginine has been shown to be a catalyst for the production of HGH which, as we know can improve muscle recovery, improve sleep, improved metabolism, and improved organ function.

• AmentoPump: AmentoPump works amazing in products with many pump agents. AmentoPump has the ability to enhance blood flow while relaxing and expanding blood cells rather than just increasing blood moving through the blood stream. This can create huge pumps in the gym and is a Modern Athletic Health favorite, not found in too many products currently on the market!

Cellular Energy & Focus Complex

• Beta Alanine: Beta alanine is a staple in pre-workout supplements for numerous reasons. Besides giving you that pins and needles tingling feeling (paresthesia), beta alanine can improve muscular strength, increased muscle mass, improved aerobic and anaerobic endurance, and improved power output. This is becoming one of the topresearched sports supplements behind creatine.

• Tyrosine: A crucial amino acid responsible for activating dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine while also stimulating thyroid hormones. This amino acid can act like an adaptogen by increasing our own “feel-good” hormonesand allowing or body and minds to undergo stressors without adverse effects.

• Caffeine Complex (Infinergy): This complex combines caffeine anhydrous and Di-caffeine malate which form to improve energy, power, vasodilation and improve thermogenic effects. Infinergy also provides much longer lasting caffeine that hits you faster without the jittery effect. WE recommend you do not use this product or any product with Infinergy within 4 hours of your regular sleep time.

• 2-AminoIsoheptane: Also known as DMHA, this ingredient is similar to DMAA or Ephedrine with regards to how it can increase energy and improve cognitive functioning. DMHA is thought to be the ultimate workout enhancer because of its ability to increase both physical and cognitive effects during workouts.

• N-phenethyldimethylamine: More commonly known as Aria Jarensis, it has the ability to stimulate the central nervous system and improve Dopamine levels. Dopamine has the ability to give you a heightened sense of well-being, eliminate exhaustion, and have you power through longer workouts.

• Huperzine A: Huperzine A is a type of nootropic ingredient that has the ability to improve cognitive functioning. Huperzine A has shown to cause improved memory, improved neurotransmission, and improved mind to muscle connections.

Delivery & Nutrient Uptake Complex

Cyclic Dextrin: Cyclic Dextrin is a form of carbohydrate that also has the ability to enhance pre-workout energy and speed up post workout recovery without bloating or feelings of fullness. Cyclic Dextrin also has the ability create a sustained energy released through a slow gradual absorption into the blood stream.

Astragin: Astragin is the top bioavailability enhancer on the market today. AstraGIN has been proven to improve absorption rate and increase bioavailability of ingredients it is paired with in numerous studies.

Our Thoughts: Kronos is an absolute beast of a pre-workout. Saying that this is a major pump product is a huge understatement. First off, we got to experience pumps in body parts that we weren’t even working! When training chest, be prepared to experience a crazy triceps pump; when training back, you will certainly get an insane forearm and bicep pump as well. Taking this before cardio even caused a bit of a leg pump and noticeable vascularity increases on the first dose!

Energy from Kronos is also way better than we expected at just half a scoop. Infinergy provides fast hitting, jitter free energy within about 20 minutes and it lasts 5+ hours! This product is perfect for those who do a fasted morning workout, or even those who may have a job that they have to go to after their workout. The energy slowly fades but there is no crash. Again, we recommend taking this at least 4-6 hours away from your bed time because the energy DOES last at least 4 hours.

Lastly, the performance in the gym showed a tremendous increase with Kronos. We saw increases in strength and reps performed on heavy compounds and lighter accessories alike.

One of the coolest aspects of Kronos was that we had a great mind to muscle connection that resulted in some of the strongest pumps we have EVER felt in our lives. Kronos also possessed the magical power to give us enough energy to do cardio after we workout, which means no more excuses to not get in the best shape of your life!

Price point: If dosed at half a scoop, which we think is absolutely enough, your tub will last for about 40 workouts. The price of this product is $49.99 however if you use the code VIRTUS30 at their website (click here) it brings the total down to $34.99 which makes the product under $1 per scoop. Much cheaper than an energy drink and easily as powerful as any other pre-workout product we have ever tried, this is definitely worth the price.

We absolutely LOVED Kronos; from the formula to the effects, we believe that any hardcore athlete that is looking for a step up from their classic pre-workout needs to try it.

Virtus Sports Nutrition created a real gem with Kronos. With no proprietary blends, fully disclosed label, and a laundry list of ingredients that have numerous clinical trials and scientifically backed claims, Kronos is the real deal. Head over to Virtus’ website now and check out Kronos, a truly comprehensive all-in-one pre-workout experience.