Improve CrossFit Performance in 3 Weeks

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Fight Gone Bad
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Fight Gone Bad vs. Betaine

What happens when you pair one of CrossFit's toughest workouts with a natural performance-enhancing substance? Let's find out.

Only have time for a 17-minute workout? Do three rounds of the five exercises below in a circuit fashion. Perform each exercise for one minute and try to get as many reps as possible. Rest for only one minute between each round:

  1. Wall Balls (20-pound ball)
  2. Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls (75 pounds)
  3. Box Jumps (20-inch box)
  4. Push Presses (75 pounds)
  5. Rowing Machine (Burn as many calories as possible)

If you don't die or injure yourself, you'll finish in exactly 17 minutes.

You might recognize this as the CrossFit "Fight Gone Bad" workout. In a recent study, it was used to test the performance benefits of betaine, and the results were surprising.

Remind Me: What is Betaine?

Betaine is a naturally occurring compound usually derived from beets. It's known for increasing work capacity (the ability to sustain muscular activity and effort,) increasing strength and power output, improving muscle endurance, and enhancing the ability to sustain energy. In short, it makes tough workouts easier.

Betaine
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The "Fight Gone Bad" Study

Researchers recruited 43 experienced male CrossFitters for this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. They were given either 2.5 or 5 grams of betaine daily for 3 weeks, while another group received a placebo. Each participant performed the Fight Gone Bad workout before and after the supplementation period.

What happened? As expected, the placebo group didn't see any major improvements. However, those taking 2.5 or 5 grams of betaine...

  • Improved workout performance by about 9% in 3 weeks. (They were able to do more reps on each round.)
  • Experienced a 7% testosterone boost with no change in cortisol.
  • Those taking 2.5 grams experienced the same benefits as those taking 5 grams.

Where to Get Betaine

If you want to try it, look for betaine anhydrous, not betaine hydrochloride (HCl) which is a digestive aid. Based on the study, 2.5 grams is all you need. Betaine anhydrous is also part of the Surge (Buy at Amazon) formula (2.5g per serving).

Oen Intensity - Buy Surge at Amazon

Along with betaine, Surge contains:

Reference

  1. Zawieja, Emilia, et al. "Betaine Supplementation Improves CrossFit Performance and Increases Testosterone Levels, but Has No Influence on Wingate Power: Randomized Crossover Trial." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 20, no. 1, 2023, p. 2231411
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Interesting. I’m wondering if something like betaine is an immediate booster - that you’d see performance gains with each serving - or a gradual performance booster over time with consistent intake.

I do CF, and I’m “regionally competitive”, meaning I’ve placed well in local comps and did make Quarterfinals in 2024 for the international competition. I have taken Surge and also just cyclic dextrin from other companies and it’s tough to tell the what supplement is doing what. I’ll go back to Surge, now that it’s in stock, once I run out of Skratch. Do you guys ever sponsor or give deals to competitors? Not that I’m super high level but it could get the word out to the CF community.

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Lemon drop?