Gnarly Nutrition Reviews (2024)
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Gnarly Sports Nutrition is a supplement company that offers a wide range of products, but which is right for you, and are any of these supplements worth it?
In this article, we’ll be looking at 5 Gnarly products, including protein, creatine, and pre-workout. We’ll be weighing out the pros and cons of each so you can decide if you could benefit from any of them.
Gnarly Whey Protein
- Best For: Protein intake, Fat Loss, Building Muscle, Recovery
- Suitable for Vegans: No
- Protein Source: Whey Protein Concentrate
- Serving Size: 45g
- Calories: 160
- Protein per Serving: 25g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fat: 4g
- Price per Serving: ~$3.15
Starting off our Gnarly Nutrition reviews, we’ll be looking at their whey protein. Whey protein is a staple for many athletes, so how does this supplement compare to similar options out there?
At 25g of protein per serving, Gnarly has a solid amount of protein, although 160 calories per serving is somewhat high. As a result, this may not be the best option for people looking to stay in a caloric deficit.
We recommend aiming for 0.7-1g of protein per pound of body weight when looking to build muscle. So, for most people, an extra 25g of protein from a supplement like this would help them hit their protein goals.
While this is a high-quality, grass-fed whey supplement, the main issue is its price. At ~$3.15 per serving, Gnarly is much more expensive than many other high-quality whey supplements out there. As a result, it’s tough to fully recommend this supplement.
While Gnarly Nutrition delivers a solid, basic whey protein supplement, it does come at a very high price point
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Gnarly Vegan Plant Protein
- Best For: Protein intake, Fat Loss, Building Muscle, Recovery, Micronutrient Intake
- Suitable for Vegans: Protein Blend (Pea Protein Isolate, Chia Seed Protein, & Cranberry Seed Protein)
- Protein Source: Whey Protein Concentrate
- Serving Size: 50g
- Calories: 200
- Protein per Serving: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fat: 7g
- Price per Serving: ~$3.87
Now that we’ve covered Gnarly’s whey protein, let’s take a look at their plant-based alternative. This may be a good choice for any vegans, lactose-intolerant individuals, or those who prefer to avoid dairy products.
This supplement contains 20g of protein per serving, with 200 calories per serving as well. While this isn’t bad for a vegan protein powder, it has a low protein-to-calorie ratio. Similar to Gnarly’s whey protein, this may not be ideal for anybody trying to stay in a caloric deficit.
One major benefit here is that this supplement contains high amounts of numerous vitamins and minerals like Iron, Vitamin D, and B Vitamins. So, it is a nice option for vegans as they are at risk of being deficient because of the elimination diet.
However, like Gnarly’s whey protein, at ~$3.87 per serving, this is very expensive for a vegan protein powder. Once again, while it is a high-quality supplement, there are many similar options out there for much cheaper.
Gnarly offers a good vegan protein powder with 20g of protein per serving, even though it comes at an unreasonably high price point.
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Gnarly Pre-Workout
- Best for: Training Volume, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue, High-Intensity Exercise Performance, Enhanced “Pumping” Effect
- Flavor: Strawberry Lemonade, Mango
- Caffeine: 180mg
- Special Ingredients: Beta-Alanine, Citrulline Malate
- Serving: 14g
- Price per Serving: ~$1.63
Next, let’s take a look at Gnarly’s pre-workout. Unlike the two protein powders covered above, which are meant as nutritional supplements, pre-workout is meant to give you a boost before you exercise, mainly through caffeine and other active ingredients.
Gnarly contains a solid 180mg of caffeine per serving, which is fairly mild for a pre-workout. However, this should be an adequate dose of caffeine for most people, especially if you’ve never used pre-workout before.
In terms of additional active ingredients, Gnarly contains Beta-Alanine and Citrulline Malate. Beta-Alanine has been shown to reduce fatigue, although it has no acute effects on your performance. This means it needs to be taken every day to be effective.
Citrulline Malate does likely have some acute and chronic effects like improving exercise capacity, although we recommend higher doses of 10g to achieve an acute effect.
Gnarly contains 5g of Citrulline Malate and 2.5g of Beta-Alanine. While these are research-backed ingredients, these are fairly low doses unlikely to produce major effects.
Finally, at ~$1.63, Gnarly is priced similarly to other pre-workouts on the market. However, keep in mind that it doesn’t have the best breakdown of active ingredients when compared to many competitors.
Gnarly offers a pre-workout with 180mg of caffeine per serving and fairly low doses of Beta-Alanine and Citrulline Malate. This may make it a good option for anybody primarily looking to use pre-workout for a moderate dose of caffeine.
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Gnarly Creatine
- Best For: High-Intensity Exercise Performance, Muscular Strength, Training Volume, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue
- Flavor: Unflavored
- Servings per Container: 90
- Type: Creatine Monohydrate
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Price per Serving: $0.61
Next, let’s look at the Gnarly sports nutrition creatine supplement. If you’re unfamiliar, creatine is one of the most effective, research-backed supplements out there.
The main benefit of creatine is improved high-intensity exercise performance. Creatine also has very few drawbacks, which is why we recommend it to nearly all athletes.
Similar to Beta-Alanine, Creatine needs to be taken every day to be effective. The standard daily dose is 3-5g, with Gnarly’s serving size being 5g per serving. Gnarly is also made with creatine monohydrate, which is the most well-researched, effective form of creatine.
Creatine is one of the main sports supplements we recommend because of its solid effects and affordability. Each serving of Gnarly’s creatine will cost you ~$0.61, which isn’t the cheapest creatine out there but isn’t too expensive either.
Creatine is easily one of the most effective sports supplements available, and Gnarly delivers a good option, even if it is somewhat pricey.
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Gnarly Performance Greens
- Best For: Micronutrient Intake
- Flavor: Blueberry Acai, Lemon Mint
- Servings per Container: 30
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Price per Serving: ~$1.83
Finally, let’s take a look at Gnarly’s Performance Greens supplement, which is meant to give you a boost of micronutrients, sort of like a multivitamin. These greens contain 100% of your daily recommended value for 14 micronutrients including Vitamin C, E, D, and K.
Overall, while supplements like this can be good for some people, most people eating a healthy, balanced diet will not see much benefit.
We recommend consulting with your doctor and getting your blood work done to see if a nutritional supplement like this would benefit you.
This supplement will cost you ~$1.83 per serving, which is a decent price compared to many other nutritional supplements out there. As a result, Gnarly may be a good pick if you’re looking for relatively affordable greens powder.
While greens powder likely won’t be too beneficial for most people, Gnarly does offer a high-quality supplement with high doses of many different micronutrients.
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Who and What are Gnarly Nutrition Supplements For?
| Product | Best For | Price Per Serving |
|---|---|---|
| Gnarly Whey Protein | Protein intake, Fat Loss, Building Muscle, Recovery | ~$3.15 |
| Gnarly Plant-Based Protein | Protein intake, Fat Loss, Building Muscle, Recovery, Micronutrient Intake | ~$3.87 |
| Gnarly Pre-Workout | Training Volume, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue, High-Intensity Exercise Performance, Enhanced “Pumping” Effect | ~$1.63 |
| Gnarly Creatine | High-Intensity Exercise Performance, Muscular Strength, Training Volume, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue | $0.61 |
| Gnarly Greens Powder | Micronutrient Intake | ~$1.83 |
Most Gnarly Nutrition supplements are targeted towards athletes who want a boost to their diet or performance. Overall, while each supplement we’ve covered has its own pros and cons, we recommend some more highly than others.
Both of Gnarly’s protein powders – whey and plant-based – may help people hit their protein targets, which will then help them build muscle.
However, protein powder is not necessary for everyone, especially if you already eat a diet rich in protein. It’s worth noting these are also both expensive supplements for what you’re getting.
Next, Gnarly’s pre-workout may provide a boost to your performance in the gym. This is mainly beneficial because of the caffeine, as the other active ingredients are dosed low and have mostly chronic effects.
While this will offer a solid dose of caffeine to beginners, keep in mind many experienced pre-workout users may want a stronger formula.
As you can see from our Gnarly creatine review above, this is the main supplement Gnarly offers that we would highly recommend. This is because creatine will almost definitely provide some benefit to high-intensity exercise performance. Just keep in mind that Gnarly’s creatine is far from the cheapest option on the market.
Finally, Gnarly’s greens supplement may be beneficial to you if you’re in need of multiple micronutrients in a convenient single supplement. This would be beneficial for folks on some kind of elimination diets like vegan, keto, carnivore etc.
However, for most people, greens supplements are completely unnecessary. As a result, this is the supplement from Gnarly that we would recommend the least.
So, overall, Gnarly supplements are high-quality, albeit fairly expensive. Our main recommendations are their protein powders and creatine, as these are most likely to provide real benefits to you and your training.
Conclusion
Gnarly Nutrition offers many different supplements, including protein powders, pre-workout, creatine, and greens, which we all covered in depth above.
Our main recommendations are Gnarly protein powder and creatine, as these are the supplements most likely to improve your ability to gain muscle and perform in the gym. Just keep in mind there are much cheaper options out there for both kinds of supplement.
Have you tried any Gnarly Nutrition supplements? Do you have any recommendations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Also Read:
References:
- Everson A. Nunes, et. al, “Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults,” Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 13, 795–810, (2022)
- Brad Heins, “Grass-fed cows produce healthier milk,” University of Minnesota Extension, https://extension.umn.edu/pasture-based-dairy/grass-fed-cows-produce-healthier-milk (Accessed September 14, 2024).
- B McGonigle, et. al, “EFFECTS OF BETA-ALANINE ON ANAEROBIC PERFORMANCE” International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 8: Iss. 8, Article 67. (2020).
- Gonzalez AM, et. al “Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature.” J Strength Cond Res. May;34(5):1480-1495. (2020).
- Kreider RB, et. al. “International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Jun 13;14:18. (2017).
- Photos made by Torokhtiy Media Team
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Author: Jacek Szymanowski
Certified Nutritionist,
M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology
Performance Architect,
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
With over 30 years of fighting experience, specialization in nutrition coaching for athletes, and expertise in metabolic health and dietary strategies, Jacek offers a comprehensive approach to optimizing your performance and well-being. Backed by a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology, Jacek remains at the forefront of scientific advancements, ensuring that his coaching is always evidence-based and up-to-date.
Still have questions after reading our article? Unlock your full potential by engaging with our experts and community! Don’t hesitate — leave a comment below and Jacek Szymanowski will provide a personalized answer and insights to help you reach your goals.