Welcome to my unbiased P6 Ripped review!
I must say, I was very excited to write up this review for you, having used other products from the manufacturer Cellucor before. Overall, I was very pleased with Cellucor’s other products, but it’s time to see if this offering keeps the reputation of the brand up, or takes advantage of a well-established name for marketing.
The big question for me was “is it truly possible to increase your testosterone, build muscle and get shredded at the same time?” Seems like a very big asking, and what I hope P6 Ripped is capable of doing.
Table of Contents
What Exactly Is P6 Ripped?
P6 Ripped prides itself on being a testosterone booster that is also a thermogenic weight loss supplement, which means that you can enjoy muscle growth while also staying lean throughout. Manufactured by the company Cellucor, the brand is generally well respected in the fitness community, as it has many solid offerings behind it.
P6 Ripped is a rather adventurous supplement, as many have come to appreciate that bulking, or increasing testosterone does not usually coincide with weight loss. However, you can greatly cut down the curve to getting in shape if you can accomplish both at the same time.
Among The Claimed Benefits Of P6 Ripped Are:
- Increasing your libido and sex drive, which is an effect all testosterone boosters should possess.
- Improving performance and strength output
- Improving muscle hypertrophy via increased protein synthesis
- Enhanced utilization of fat for energy, helping you shed weight in the process.
Pros Of The Supplement
- Widely available for purchase via the Internet
- Contains a proprietary caffeine formulation that claims to extend the active life of this ingredient
- Very reputable manufacturer adds credibility to the product line
- Contains a few ingredients that can help increase testosterone levels, and also muscle gain.
- Increases caloric expenditure as heat, thanks to the presence of capsaicin
Cons
- Very expensive; a bottle of 120 capsules costs more than $80, which is significantly higher than other testosterone boosters.
- Uses a proprietary blend approach, which in essence makes it lose points for transparency. It is hard to determine individual doses of each ingredient.
- Not vegetarian-friendly; probably because capsule shells are made of gelatin.
- Ingredients used for testosterone elevation are not the best in class, so are likely to be moderately useful at best.
Who Is P6 Ripped For?
P6 Ripped is primarily marketed to individuals who are avid fitness enthusiasts, typically those that go through a bulking phase followed by cutting to lose excess body fat. P6 Ripped appears to help you solve this conundrum by doing both at the same time, effectively allowing you to stay summer ready all year.
While on the surface this is all good, it is useless if there is not enough scientific evidence to back up its claims. The use of a proprietary blend is never good, as often times there is not enough justification to hide individual doses. The ingredient profile should be the number one indicator of overall product quality and determine if you are likely to experience what you set out to.
Secondly, is the presence of consumer reviews and transformations. A product that has very scant or negative reviews indicates that it is not a good seller, or just not accepted by the masses. On the other hand, if the product is widely available for sale at numerous locations, and has a fairly positive response by many consumers, it probably does what it claims.
Now it’s time for the fun part; let’s get into the actual ingredients and what they do.
P6 Ripped Ingredients and Dosage
The manufacturer of P6 Ripped very simply indicates that you should consume one serving of the supplement in the morning, and another in the afternoon, taking care to ensure that you do not consume it within 6 hours of bedtime.
This should be longer for individuals with a stimulant sensitivity.
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)
Vitamin D should be considered an essential vitamin for men, even though surprisingly millions of Americans are deficient in it. Men with the lowest blood concentration of vitamin D typically tend to have lower testosterone levels as well.
On the other hand, men that regularly supplement with vitamin D, or get sufficient sun exposure show strong correlations to higher testosterone levels [1] as well. This is a fairly good start to its testosterone boosting ingredients, as many other formulations take this important vitamin for granted.
Ashwagandha Root
Ashwagandha Root is an adaptogen that has proven itself to help modulate testosterone levels, in large part by helping to reduce the impact of cortisol [2]. Cortisol is highly suppressive of testosterone and explains why men that are under immense stress tend to have the lowest testosterone levels.
However, in addition to this property Ashwagandha Root has been shown to increase testosterone levels by up to 40% in infertile men, and up to 16% in healthy men. This is significant and shows that the future is bright for Ashwagandha Root supplements dosed in the right concentrations (which is 5g/day; it remains to be seen if lower doses elicit such an effect).
Tribulus Alatus
A close relative of the well-known Tribulus Terrestris herb, Tribulus Alatus claims to be able to do all that Tribulus Terrestris has failed at. To date, one study has been conducted on rodents where Tribulus Alatus has been found to increase androgen levels[3], giving merit to the fact that it may act as an aphrodisiac at the minimum.
It remains to be seen if these effects are reproducible in humans, as studies have not been conducted as yet. Based on that, this relative of Tribulus Terrestris cannot be given a free pass.
Ovine Placenta
Don’t make the name of this ingredient freak you out; it actually has a bit of scientific merit behind it. If you’ve ever investigated the way testosterone production works, it starts when human chorionic gonadotropin (or HCG) stimulates luteinizing hormone to act on the cells of the testes to increase their output of testosterone.
This is why professional bodybuilders after coming off a cycle of anabolic steroids, often need to take HCG injections in order to bring about natural testosterone production once again.
Ovine placenta, on the other hand, contains a related chorionic gonadotropin compound, Ovine meaning sheep. This hormone, known as ECG, shares several similar functions to HCG [4] and can act in much the same way.
This loosely means that you can stimulate testosterone production without HCG injections by consuming sheep placenta.
I would say this effect is still investigational, even though there is the possibility of it being a big deal.
Agaricus Bisporus
Known commonly as the white button mushroom, this ingredient possesses anti-aromatase properties [5], which can help to prevent the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. Anti-aromatase compounds offer noticeable, but often short-lived increases in blood testosterone levels, since less of it will be converted into estrogen.
Stinging Nettle Root Extract
Stinging nettle root extract has been touted for years as an herb that can improve male hormonal health, but in reality, many of its claims are not backed up by human studies.
For instance, nettle root extract has been found to have SHBG [6] (sex hormone binding globulin) and DHT [7] inhibiting properties, both of which lend themselves to increasing testosterone levels. However, the major caveat with these studies is the fact that they were conducted in the lab, and not on humans.
Likewise, a few animal studies have confirmed these, but it still brings into question the assumption of if it will translate to human subjects the same. It has been shown to improve prostate health, by relieving symptoms such as urinary frequency and burning, although it showed no change in testosterone levels.
Extended Release Caffeine Blend
This appears to be a patented caffeine delivery system that allows it to last up to six hours in the body before its effects wean. This seems to be superior to the usual 2 to 4-hour crash many experience after a dose of caffeine.
Caffeine’s beauty is simple; it increases fat mobilization so a greater amount is burned, mildly elevates metabolic rate, and inhibits the storage of new fat. By itself, it is unlikely to do much but when combined with other ingredients can have a synergistic effect.
Forskolin
This is a versatile herb which is effective in increasing your metabolism [8], improving thyroid function, enhancing the utilization of fat as fuel, and even enhancing testosterone levels in the process. Not bad for a fat burner right?
Cayenne Fruit Extract
Cayenne fruit extract, or what we know as a cayenne pepper, is included in P6 Ripped for its effect on increasing thermogenesis, or the burning of calories and liberation as heat. Ever noticed after eating a meal with lots of peppers that you start sweating? Yes, this isn’t just some random reaction, but this is thermogenesis [9] in action as the body tries to dissipate the heat generated by the burning of calories.
Not surprisingly, capsaicin is thought to improve the metabolism of the macronutrients, especially fat, which can then be efficiently used as energy during your workout session.
Results From Users
For something as popular as Cellucor’s P6 Ripped, I was surprised that I didn’t find more before and after transformation photos of people that have used the product. Regardless, I did manage to find one legitimate transformation, which while not drastic, is commendable as being a real one.
It seems that the lack of a large number of reviews indicates that the product may not be Cellucor’s bestseller, even though it appears to be well received by the majority of people that use it. I strongly believe this is due to its ridiculously high price.
P6 Ripped Side Effects
Overall, the product is very well received and tolerated by people that use it. From experience, however, I can tell you that people with stimulant sensitivities, such as caffeine, should not use this product. From rapid heartbeat to insomnia, this product contains a significant amount of stimulant based ingredients – so you have been warned.
Summary – Does P6 Ripped Really Work?
Based on analysis of the ingredient profile, and customer testimonials from users, I can conclude that the product does have a fair amount of promise. However, it is still far from the best product on the market but can have its specialist usage by persons who wish to increase muscle mass and retain their leaness at the same time.
The proprietary blend was a bad step. Cellucor should do its utmost to preserve the trust it has built with its customers over the past decade. I strongly believe if they update the formulation and labels to reflect clearly the amount of each ingredient in it, more people would be willing to possibly give it a shot.
On that note, however, is the exorbitant cost. The only ingredient I can see that possibly justifies this cost is the sheep placenta since I don’t know what the going rate for this ingredient is. If you exclude this, it is very much overpriced, and not worth purchasing.
If the price is not a factor that you consider, by all means, purchase it and give it a shot. I’d love to hear your results. You can read our Performance Lab Flex Review to find out more
Where To Buy P6 Ripped?
One of the strongest selling points of P6 Ripped is the fact that it can be purchased easily from many different sources.
Be prepared to dish out in excess of $80 for a bottle of 120 capsules, just so you’re not caught off-guard.