Xtend Ripped is an amino acid and fat-burner supplement made by Scivation.
It’s designed to reduce muscle breakdown during workouts, as well as improve fat-loss and recovery.
Scivation is an American supplement company, who are best-known for their Xtend range.
Ingredients Label
Active Ingredients
BCAAs
BCAAs, or branched chain amino acids, are the amino acids most relevant to muscular growth and repair.
They’ve been shown to preserve muscle mass during exercise, as well as improve recovery time (1).
Citrulline Malate
Citrulline is another type of amino acid, which boosts nitric oxide levels.
This increases vasodilation, a widening of the blood vessels, which contributes to pumps and endurance (2).
The malate form can significantly reduce muscle soreness (3).
An effective dose is about 6-8g.
Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that is tied to muscle growth, however it has shown no extra benefits when taken alongside BCAAs (4, 5).
CLA
Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is a type of fatty-acid which may improve fat-loss.
Studies show that it is actually better for increasing lean body mass than reducing body fat levels, which is an unreliable outcome with CLA (6, 7).
The effective dose is between 3-6g per day with food.
L-Carnitine-L-Tartrate
Carnitine is an amino acid which is burns fat in those who are carnitine-deficient.
Research also shows that this tartrate form can increase power output (8).
An effective dose is 1-4g.
Capsicum annum
Capsicum contains a compound called capsaicin.
Studies show that it can improve metabolic rate and fat oxidation (9, 10).
Who Takes It?
Athletes wanting an amino acid supplement with a fat-burning edge may benefit from using Xtend Ripped.
How to Take
Mix 1 heaped scoop (16.7g) with 250-350mL water, and consume during your workout.
Side Effects
Capsicum extract may interfere with the metabolism of some prescription medicines.
Pros
- Solid dose of BCAAs in each scoop
- Variety of fat-burning ingredients
- May also improve pumps and performance.
Cons
- Doses of all ingredients other than BCAAs are on the small side
- Fat-burning ingredients may not be all that effective, even at full doses.
Conclusion
Xtend Ripped puts a fat-burning touch on the already popular and effective amino acid supplement, Xtend.
Like the original formula, it should be excellent for preserving muscle during workouts, and improving recovery time.
The fat-burning edge, however, appears to be very small, with the fat-burning ingredients appearing quite ineffective, especialy at the provided doses.
You may get a small fat-burning effect from this supplement, however the main benefits come solely from the BCAAs.