As a team of bodybuilders, chemists, and innovators, Enhanced Athlete is here to disrupt a chaotic industry by doing whatever it takes to bring you the most effective hardcore supplements available. They swear never to stop pioneering in the interest of the future of bodybuilding and do this by staying on the cutting edge of technology and chemistry.
This includes their extreme fat burner, Code Red, which they say will light up stubborn fat stores like no other.
Does it live up to the claims? Let’s find out in this review of Enhanced Athlete Code Red!
About Enhanced Athlete Code Red
Who ordered the code red??!! No, the whole courtroom—or in this case, the gym floor—is NOT out of order–at least when it comes to burning fat. That’s because Enhanced Athlete has fat-burning figured out, or so they claim, and their ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, plant compounds, and amino acids, are precisely what you need to burn fat.
Enhanced Athlete Code Red is caffeine-free and works by inhibiting the Alpha-2 receptors that are associated with stubborn body fat. However, this doesn’t mean it’s stimulant-free, just that it gets you wired on compounds other than caffeine.
Enhanced Athlete Code Red Benefits
Burns Stubborn Fat
If you’re someone who hits the gym regularly for intense workouts, chances are you’re already fairly lean, though correct us if we’re wrong: you still have that nagging bit of belly fat that just WILL NOT go away, and your overall cut isn’t exactly as lean and ripped as you’d like it to be.
But according to Enhanced, Code Red’s ingredients are designed to inhibit the alpha2 receptors that are preventing your body from burning more fat. This includes that darned last little bit that is otherwise just. Will. Not. Go. Away.
But by blocking your alpha2 receptors along with reducing fat-friendly inflammation, balancing your fat-burning hormones, and getting your metabolism to hit its peak, Code Red can help you get THERE.
Caffeine Free
Many, many fat burners contain caffeine; from JYM Shred to Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner to Hunter Burn. And while the energizing benefits of caffeine can be nice, a common downside is the whole lying-awake-gnashing-your-teeth-until-the-alarm-goes-off thing.
That, and there’s the irritability, tremors, and high blood pressure associated with too much caffeine, which is but a few of the reasons Enhanced Athlete goes with compounds similar to caffeine, along with other compounds that are similar to ephedrine. The good news is that, though similar, neither is as potent as their doppelganger so that while the thermogenic benefits can still be reaped, there is less risk of overload and the aforementioned ills of maximum caffeine consumption.
Scientifically Proven Ingredients
Okay, trusting the word of a sales site and trusting the word of science are two different things, with science taking the upper edge when it comes to credibility. No, this isn’t to say that we think Enhanced are complete liars, just that we’d rather take the word of unbiased science to theirs since at times we do fear they may be stretching the truth just a tad.
Enhanced Athlete Code Red Ingredients
Enhanced Athlete Code Red’s formula includes vitamin C, vitamin B5, Potassium, Green Tea Extract, L-Tyrosine, Bitter Orange Extract, Theobroma Cocoa Extract, Choline, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, Titanium Dioxide, and Magnesium Stearate. We will take a closer look at these ingredients below.
Vitamin C 100 mg
Though we mostly know vitamin C as our go-to during cold and flu season, it also plays an important role in helping you burn fat. For instance, science tells us that those who get plenty of vitamin C in their diets burn around 30% more fat than those who are depleted.
This likely has to do with vitamin C’s relationship with carnitine, which it’s essential in the synthesis of. This makes sense since carnitine is responsible for the oxidation of fat in muscle cells—something that occurs even while you’re at rest.
Vitamin B5 20 mg
While vitamin C helps you burn more fat, pantothenic acid, AKA Vitamin B5, is responsible for breaking down stored fats and releasing their energy. It’s also responsible for helping metabolize protein and coenzyme-10, which comes in handy for bodybuilders looking for bigger, leaner, denser muscle mass. That’s because not only is coenzyme-10 a potent antioxidant, it’s also involved in the synthesis of fat from foods as well as creating cholesterol from fat and protein.
And as though to accentuate this, it’s also involved in forming both androgens and energizing hormones to keep them in balance, which makes keeping its levels high important.
Of course, it is one of the most abundantly available water-soluble vitamins there are (the name “pantothenic” essentially breaks down to “everywhere” in ancient Greek), and being water-soluble you can only get your levels up so high, so it’s likely you’re already getting enough of it from your diet alone.
Potassium 114 mg
While we all know of it as an important electrolyte in preventing cramping to help complete gruelling workouts, healthy levels of it may also play a role in keeping you lean. That’s because along with allowing you to maintain energy through your workout by allowing muscle contractions, it also helps process iron, which is associated with energy production.
Plus, it helps regulate fluids and prevents water retention.
Green Tea Extract 500 mg
It’s in every single other fat burner on the market, so why not? It contains potent antioxidants that can reduce the effects oxidative stress has on your physique (hint: oxidative stress keeps you plump and well-rounded), and also contains L-theanine which is known for producing a calm, cool, and relaxed mental state.
We are curious though about green tea’s natural caffeine content, especially since Enhanced doesn’t specify anything about this green tea being caffeine-free. They do, however, state that their product is free of the zippy stuff, so are we to assume “caffeine-free green tea” is simply implied?
Perhaps, though in the meantime, we’ll just point to green tea’s standard selling points, which are that it’s a potent antioxidant with energizing properties we thought were from caffeine.
L-Tyrosine 500 mg
L-tyrosine helps produce some important chemicals in your body, which includes the reward hormone dopamine, as well as thyroid and stress hormones. Altogether, this helps it energize you and control the production of stress hormones that have a negative effect on your girth (we’re looking at you, cortisol!).
That, and it helps you gain a sense of reward due to its association with dopamine. This means less seeking of reward through junk food—not to mention fewer stress hormones mean fewer cravings.
Bitter Orange Extract 225 mg
Okay, so there’s no caffeine in this formula (supposedly, at least…), which leaves room for other stimulants such as synephrine, which is similar to ephedra. And, for those of us lucky enough to experience legal ephedrine back in the day (it’s now banned), most gyms were well-stocked on the stuff that made your scalp tingle while you worked out like a fiend. Essentially, it was a legal speed that was branded “natural” since it did indeed come from a natural plant. It did, on the other hand, raise blood pressure and heart rates to potentially dangerous levels, and thanks to a minor league pitcher who used WAAAAYYY too much before dying on the mound, it’s now illegal.
But synephrine from bitter orange while similar to ephedrine is milder and not as dangerous.
Plus, it stimulates glucose uptake in the muscles for better fat burn and also increases thermogenesis to burn even more fat—just without ephedra’s tingling scalp and Tasmanian Devil energy.
Theobroma Cocoa Extract 150 mg
Similar in molecular structure to caffeine, theobromine also stimulates the heart the way caffeine does, though unlike caffeine it lowers, rather than raises, blood pressure. It also elevates good cholesterol while lowering the bad kind, and while its effects are similar to caffeine, they’re milder and last longer.
Plus, it has other benefits such as opening airways and improving focus and concentration that, altogether, make it an outstanding alternative to caffeine or other stimulants.
Choline 100 mg
Though grouped with B-complex vitamins, this water-soluble essential nutrient is neither vitamin nor mineral, though it does have some key functions in transporting fat out of the liver.
It also helps with brain function and focus, and Enhanced claims they put it in here to help alleviate the crappy way you can feel when your blood sugar is too low.
FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, Titanium Dioxide, and Magnesium Stearate
And what better to wrap your nice, healthy, all-natural supplement than in some pure synthetic crap with questionable safety? Sure, the capsule’s only a little bit, though every little bit does count, last we checked.
That, and overall, it’s just not a good look on a “natural” product, even if it does make the capsules so nice and brightly coloured.
So is house paint, in fact…
Does Enhanced Athlete Code Red Work?
With this and any other fat-burner like it on the market, whether or not it works is subjective to what you put into it. If you plan on popping pills before spending your time on the couch wolfing down Twinkies dusted in confectioners’ sugar and Pop Tart crumbles, then no, it won’t work.
On the other hand, if you hit the gym hard, recover correctly, eat a healthy whole foods diet, and use this to compliment all that and more, then yes, you can perhaps burn a bit more body fat than you otherwise would without Code Red.
Who is Enhanced Athlete Code Red Best For?
Those who are doing all the right things but still can’t shake that last little nagging bit of flab may as well give Enhanced Athlete Code Red a shot. It does have ingredients proven to boost fat oxidation and can help balance some key hormones along the way.
Other than the capsule ingredients coming from a paint supply store, it contains beneficial ingredients that can keep your blood pressure healthy while providing you with energy. It is, as they say, caffeine-free, though it contains some of caffeine’s more well-behaved cousins.
Enhanced Athlete Code Red is also 100% guaranteed for 30-days, which is generous enough for us to call it generous enough.
But if you’re pregnant, nursing, or on medication, check with your doctor before calling for a Code Red.
Claims vs. Reality
We’re still not sure what’s up with the green tea and its potential to have caffeine in it, though otherwise, Enhanced seems to make the normal claims most fat-burners make: that theirs will help you burn more fat than all the other ones like it on the market.
True, most of the other ones contain at least some caffeine, though this isn’t to say that Code Red isn’t stimulant-free—just that it contains stimulants that are as friendly to your need to sleep as they are to your cardiovascular health.
Is Enhanced Athlete Code Red Safe?
Other than the capsule ingredients possibly causing your kids to be born with three eyes, the main side effect you’ll feel is smooth energy and stamina in the gym. This means you not only get the thermogenic boost from the ingredients in Code Red but extra fat burn from working out harder as well.
You do need to stay within the recommended dose though since the product contains stimulants that could have negative side effects if overused. You should also check with your doctor before using if you’re pregnant, nursing, or on medication.
Where to Buy Enhanced Athlete Code Red
About a month’s worth will usually set you back $39.99, but right now you can get about 15% off here making it only $34.99—shipping included—which isn’t too bad. It’s also guaranteed for 30-days so that if it doesn’t work for you, simply return it for a 100% refund.
Along with the Enhanced website, you can purchase Code Red through Amazon and other independent sites specializing in bodybuilding supplements such as Blackdiamondsupplements.com.