Rather than the usual exotic plant extract, or coveted and patented proprietary blends, relatively new kid, Black Knight Supplements have come up with a new strategy to stand out from the rest: design.
With a growing host of products in their Medi-Evil range, Black Knight Supplements’s fat burner Excalibur is without a doubt, their most famous product.
This may in part be due to the design of the product. In what looks like something that belongs in an Alchemy lab from the Dark Ages, Excalibur definitely draws the eye from other ‘more traditional’ competitors.
Even the capsules are a victim of the marketing, colored black with era-relevant calligraphy labeling each serving.
My main concern, and goal is to establish:
Is quality still king in the Medi-Evil empire?
According to them, the product is the real deal and offers the usual fat burning features:
- Thermogenic properties
- Appetite suppression
- Raised metabolism
Ignoring for a second that this fat burner looks the product of a gothic methlab, what really separates it from the run of the mill competitor?
Let’s find out.
About the Company
Black Knight Supplements started releasing products in 2013.
With “a combined experience of more the 40 years in the sports nutrition industry” they managed to secure Excalibur as ‘The Sports Nutrition Product of the Year’ shortly after its release.
They are a UK-based company, but via operating with an international flat-rate based shipping no country appears to be off limits charging the same shipping amount to wherever the customer may hail from.
The Ingredients and how they work
Excalibur, like most fat burners, comes in capsule form. The recommended dosage is one to two capsules a day an hour before food each morning. For tolerance issues, BKS suggest using Excalibur on a six day cycle, breaking for a day, then repeating.
At one dosage per day it must be strong stuff, so what exactly is in it?
Evidently, a lot of stimulants. No wonder this product is recommended in the morning only.
Green Tea Extract 500mg – I’m a huge fan of Green Tea but this dosage may be too much for the regular user. Excalibur has the same amount of green tea in one serving than most fat burners do in four! Potentially it could lead to very dangerous effects.
Bitter Orange 500mg – I’ve spoken openly about Bitter Orange time and time again: it has never been proven to work for weight loss. Although it has been said to have potential, hard evidence begs to differ. It can also lead to side effects when combined with caffeinated herbs like green tea. Although, at these doses that seems more like a certainty.
L-Tyrosine – Chiefly dealing with connections in the brain. L-Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that regualtes cortisol, seratonin and dopamine levels in the body. It helps mental alertness and combats fatigue, however, at this dosage it risks side effects.
Caffeine 250mg – Increasing the body’s metabolism and energy levels. Caffeine keeps the user alert and focused. Having said that, at this potency it may work with the other ingredients and cause unwanted side effects.
Guarana Extract 150mg – It’s a shrewd and strong choice for a fat burner, a good source of caffeine, increases energy, metabolism and alertness. Guarana also has thermogenic properties that help with weight loss. In this case however, there may be far too much stimulant presence to use it safely.
L-Caritine 50mg – An amino acid well known for raising energy levels, working with the body L-Cartitine increases mental focus and gives you the stamina to workout for longer.
Trigesteze 30mg – Unique to Medi-Evil. Apparently a blend of digestive enzymes and helps with protein synthesis. This is the first proprietary blend I’ve come across that doesn’t mention specifics – if you know the blend, please comment the ingredients in the box at the bottom of this review.
Capsicum 25mg – From the cayenne pepper. It’s thermogenic properties are great for losing weight as it raises the body’s temperature, making it require energy to be cooled down. A top choice to burn more calories.
Check out which ingredients work and which don’t in our
– Fat burner ingredients guide –
Side Effects
Getting right into it, 900mg of this single serving fat burner is either caffeine-based, or the actual component in its purest form.
The recommended amount per day is around 400mg.
This can lead to a whole host of side effects such as:
- A fast heart rate
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Difficulty sleeping
- Nausea
- Restlessness
- Tremors
- Urinating more often
- Vomiting
As for the excessive amounts of Bitter Orange, even more side effects become potential hazards for the Excalibur user. Problems to watch out for can be increased blood pressure, fainting, heart attacks and strokes.
So far it’s not looking so positive.
Excalibur Pros and Cons
Pros
- The product uses a wide range of natural ingredients
- It has a quirky design which will not get confused with your other supplements
Cons
- Far too potent for every day use
- Too large a dosage for one serving per day
- Potential side effects are escalated due to the large dosages
- Evening workouts are off – high dosage that late would give trouble sleeping
Excalibur Review Conclusion
Excalibur, although using the right kinds of ingredients within their product, they seem to have abused their amounts.
With each serving filled to the brim with potent stimulants, the risk of danger becomes far for likely. I would not recommend this product to anyone looking to buy a fat burner, as it’s potency is too strong to be enjoyed and properly harnessed.