Check out Gerhart's review of El Jefe (Orange Creamsicle):
Overview of ASC Supplements El Jefe
El Jefe is one of the more powerful pre-workouts currently on the market, and our user enjoyed his run with it. The energy is strong, the pumps are there, and the ergogenics are well-dosed.
While the flavor could use a little work, it’s an enjoyable pre-workout overall and won’t leave you disappointed if you’re a stim-junkie.
Testing Results and Ratings
We reviewed ASC Supplements El Jefe on five categories. We first start by looking at its ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the different ingredients used in the pre-workout supplement, what their intention is and how effectively dosed are each ingredient.
We then look at effectiveness. An effective pre-workout product will use high quality, proven ingredients, at clinically backed dosages. This is generally an extension of the profile section. The higher quality ingredients used at proper dosages, the more effective that pre-workout will be.
Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out the following flavors: .Orange Creamsicle
Mixability refers to how well the powder mixes in 6-8oz of water.
Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and mixability in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of pre-workout products on the market.
Ingredients Profile
El Jefe is comprised of three separate blends, so we will go over each of them. It’s a 1-2 scoop per serving product, the doses discussed will be based on 2 scoops.
Performance & Pump Matrix:
This blend starts out with Citrulline Malate at a (2:1) ratio at 7 grams. Citrulline Malate has been shown to increase endurance and performance, and Citrulline on its own is the most popular nitric oxide booster in sports nutrition, so we have no issue with the ingredient in here. Although we have to mention we’d probably be happier with simple L-Citrulline. After Citrulline Malate, we get 4 grams of Beta-Alanine. Beta-Alanine is a proven endurance booster, as it buffers lactic acid. The clinical dose of Beta-Alanine is 3.2 grams per day, so you’re getting more than enough in El Jefe. Beta-Alanine is something you should supplement with every day, El Jefe provides a solid dose.
The next ingredient is Betaine Anhydrous, which has been shown to increase power output. At 2 scoops, you’re getting 2.5 grams, which is a clinical dose. Following Betaine, we get Taurine. Taurine is a very popular ingredient, as it has been shown to aid in blood flow and hydration. At 1.5 grams, you’re getting a good amount in here.
The last two ingredients are a bit more exotic, but awesome. We have Nitrosigine® at 1.5 grams, which is the clinical dose. This ingredient has been shown to increase nitric oxide and has solid research supporting it. Next we have ElevATP®, which is ancient peat extract and apple fruit extract. It has been shown to increase ATP levels, which can lead to increased performance.
Jefe Stim Matrix:
Now we come to the fun part, which is the stim blend. Let’s face it, most people using pre-workouts expect a high dose of stims to get that energy many of us crave so much. El Jefe starts us off with Choline Bitartrate and Caffeine Anhydrous. Since Choline is at the top, it is dosed the highest out of any other ingredient in the blend. With that said, it does say on the side of the label that there are 400mg of caffeine (from all sources) in this product. This is on the higher end and this is actually our cutoff for caffeine. So if this had anymore caffeine in here, we wouldn’t recommend or use it. With that said, there is also Caffiene Di-Malate in this blend, which is a time-released caffeine. Di-Caffeine Malate helps at prolonging energy, while also preventing a crash.
Three more ingredients in here are Theobromine, Eria Jarensis, and Juglans Regia extract. Theobromine is a xanthine which is similar to caffeine in structure. It is usually extracted from Cocoa Extract, and has been shown to aid in energy. Since this is a proprietary blend, we don’t know how much Theobromine is in here, although you do not need a lot for it to be effective.
Lastly, we have Alpha-Yohimbine and Huperzine A. Alpha-Yohimbine is a common ingredient thrown into pre-workouts and fat burners, as it can aid in energy. It’s also quite powerful, and many experience jitters from it. They give us 1.6mg in 2 scoops, which isn’t too high (a good thing). As for Huperzine A, to keep it simple, it prevents acetylcholine from being broken down in the brain, therefore prolonging the effects of Choline Bitartrate and aiding in focus.
The last matrix is called the Absorption Matrix, which is Blacker Pepper Extract. Black Pepper Extract may increase the absorption of some ingredients.
Overall, the Performance & Pump Matrix is well-dosed, and the Stim Matrix is good as well. Of course, we wish there was more transparency in a stim blend, however since we can’t knock on it too hard as they are transparent with the Alpha-Yohimbine and Caffeine content. El Jefe was formulated well, and there isn’t too much we can knock this product for.
Effectiveness
Energy: (9.0/10)
The energy from El Jefe is what most are going to notice, and it sure is strong. With the inclusions of Eria J and J Regia, as well as the high Caffeine content, there is no way El Jefe will not hit you hard. Our user reported a rather powerful increase in energy, with some slight jitters, most likely due to the inclusion of Alpha-Yohimbine. The energy is actually quite strong at even one scoop, although may be more suited for a beginner.
There was a noticeable amount of sweat that our user reported. The Alpha-Yohimbine can certainly do this to some people. Either way, this pre-workout is more geared towards stim-junkies.
Pump: (8.5/10)
The pumps from El Jefe are very noticeable and enjoyable. The combination of Citrulline Malate and Nitrosigine do their duties here and are plenty for most. If you really need a stronger pump, El Jefe can be stacked with many pump products (like Sicario) on the market.
Focus: (8.4/10)
With the combination of stimulants and nootropics, there is a noticeable increase in focus with El Jefe. The only drawback is that too many stimulants (especially with Alpha-Yohimbine) may make you scatterbrained, which happened on occasion with our user. This can vary by tolerance, food intake, etc. each time you take El Jefe.
Taste
Orange Creamsicle:
We had the Orange Creamsicle flavor and while it was not bad, you can tell it has a lot to mask here. There is a certain bitterness in the background that is unavoidable. It’s certainly the weakest point of El Jefe. But it certainly doesn’t taste bad. Our user preferred to drink it quickly.
Mixability
El Jefe mixes quite alright however, there is a bit of sediment that floats around. If you drink it shortly after mixing it, you won’t have problems.
Check out the video above for a full mixability test.