Advertised as a hardcore muscle builder – Brutal 4CE is naturally formulated and commercially available. Find out how it works, what is in it, possible side effects and how it compares.
PROS
Good looking brand
Some good ingredients
CONS
Unclear inclusion rates
Mixed customer reviews
VERDICT – NOT RECOMMENDED
Brutal 4CE is an expensive bodybuilding supplement that has theoretical value as a muscle growth accelerant but may not be able to deliver the intended results.
In our opinion there are superior muscle building supplements such as DBal Max
Brutal 4CE Review
Brutal 4CE is a bodybuilding supplement manufactured in the USA for Blackstone Labs. The company is based in Boca Raton, Florida, and claims to be the “hardcore holy grail of supplements” that “knows what bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts want” and works tirelessly to give it to them.
That sounds great, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, the company has somewhat of a checkered past and, at the time of this review (August 2021) it was still under investigation due to allegations made in early 2019.
According to the original announcement made by the Department of Justice, Blackstone Labs and Ventech Labs distributed hundreds of thousands of illegal products, including anabolic steroids, by fraudulently presenting them as high-quality dietary supplements.
Although the allegations may ultimately prove to be false, we feel it’s would be wrong to omit this information from our Brutal 4CE review.
What Is Brutal 4CE and How Does It Work?
Brutal 4CE is a tablet you take orally, two times each day. It provides a special blend of 4-DHEA (4-androsterone). 4-DHEA belongs to a class of chemicals known as prohormones that are precursors to testosterone and similar muscle-building hormones.
If you were to see 4-DHEA as a form of testosterone booster, you would not be far off the mark but there are many ways to boost testosterone, and using 4-DHEA may not be one of the best options.
There are concerns the ingredient may have the potential to cause serious side effects similar to those caused by alternative muscle-building hormones.
However, by boosting testosterone, 4-DHEA may provide a number of benefits including faster healing, accelerated muscle growth, improvements in fat burning, and increases in energy and physical stamina. (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1553/4-androsterone)
Brutal 4CE Usage Guidelines
The directions on the back of the bottle are short and to the point. They tell you to take one tablet, two times per day.
The label also points out there may be a need to obtain expert medical advice before using Brutal 4CE.
If you have a personal or family history of prostate cancer, enlarged prostate, heart disease, or cholesterol problems you will need to do so.
If you would need to use Brutal 4CE alongside medication or plan on using it as part of a stack, you will need to seek expert advice too.
Although Blackwell Labs fails to mention it, Brutal 4CE will not be a suitable option for women who are pregnant or nursing a child.
Promised Benefits
- Massive gains in muscle size and strength
- Fast results
- A serious muscle-builder for serious bodybuilders and athletes
Brutal 4CE Ingredient Profile
The only active ingredient in Brutal 4CE is a proprietary blend that consists of three forms of 4-DHEA.
Each tablet provides:
4-DHEA Blend (65 mg):
- 4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one
- 4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Undecanoate
- 4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Caprylate
Brutal 4CE Ingredient Potential
The first thing we need to look at here is the dosage. A lot of sources will tell you it’s very low. Two tablets per day only provide 130 mg. The recommended dose for this ingredient is 200-400 mg per day.
Although a lot of people who are familiar with Brutal 4CE products state they are often overpriced, under-dosed, and lacking in power; in this case, the low dose may be acceptable.
Brutal 4CE utilizes a special delivery system that may improve ingredient absorption.
Liposomal Delivery System
The human digestive system is not perfect. A lot of the nutrients and medicinal compounds we consume are not fully absorbed. That’s why many supplements use ingredients, such as piperine, that can improve ingredient bioavailability.
Liposomal delivery systems use liposomes to carry medicines and therapeutic compounds to the intestines, where they are absorbed into the blood.
Scientists first became interested in this type of delivery system back in the 1970s and, although few supplement manufacturers take advantage of liposomal delivery methods, the technology is improving.
Standard ingredients may lose potency due to exposure to stomach acids. Liposomal delivery systems prevent this by coating the active ingredients with a special protective layer that doesn’t disintegrate until the compounds it is carrying are further down the digestive tract. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818067/)
This type of delivery system has a lot of promise but some systems work better than others and there is no way to know how good this particular one is.
Blackstone Labs claims its version provides 99 percent bioavailability. If this is true, that’s incredibly good but the company doesn’t provide any links to scientific literature or other proof to support its claim.
4-androstene-3b-ol, 17-one
4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one is more commonly known as 4-DHEA. It’s important not to confuse it with 5-DHEA (known simply as DHEA) or with 1-DHEA. There are differences between all three but there is no need to go into the science here.
4-DHEA is a prohormone your body produces. It can also be simulated in a lab. The 4-DHEA in supplements is the test tube variety.
Supplements that provide 4-DHEA boost testosterone and estrogen production. 4-DHEA allegedly provides better muscle and strength gains than 5-DHEA.
Both ingredients convert to 4-androstenediol, which then converts to testosterone. However, 4-DHEA converts more rapidly than 5-DHEA. Hence the allegations of greater benefits.
4-DHEA Esters
4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Undecanoate, and 4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Caprylate are both 4-DHEA esters.
Esters are organic compounds constructed by using an alkyl or similar ingredient to replace the hydrogen of an acid. But this is getting unnecessarily complicated now. Think of 4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Undecanoate and 4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Caprylate as 4-DHEA in slightly modified forms.
Esters boost fat solubility and lower water solubility. By doing this, they help compounds to act on the muscles instead of the blood.
4-androstene-3b-ol,17-one Undecanoate is a 4-DHEA that allegedly boosts testosterone without causing side effects.
Supplements that supply it may provide bigger, stronger muscles and associated anabolic benefits.
4 androstene-3b-ol, 17-one Caprylate is an ester-salt of caprylic acid. It’s a fatty acid chain the body digests easily. Caprylic acids are sometimes used as a treatment for fungal and bacterial diseases.
Brutal 4CE Customer Reviews
Some customers appear to be pleased with the way the product performs. Others are not impressed.
A couple of positive reviews from past customers
I should have taken this supplement long ago. I had been working out for months and nothing was happening, but then I started taking Brutal 4CE. My stamina has improved so much that I can work out twice as long without feeling tired or sore.
“I’ve been taking Brutal 4CE for about a month now and it has improved my muscle gains, stamina, and reduced inflammation in my joints!”
A couple of negative Brutal 4CE reviews.
I didn’t notice any gains with Brutal 4CE, my workouts were not any more intense. I won’t be buying again
I must say I am disappointed, I had high hopes but I feel that I have wasted my time and money.
Brutal 4CE Side Effects
The benefits and risks 4-DHEA may present require further study but there are concerns it may have the potential to cause serious side effects including liver and kidney damage and/or heart attacks and strokes.
Where to Buy Brutal 4CE
Brutal 4CE is available from many online supplement stores. You can also buy it from the manufacturer’s website but this is rarely the cheapest way to go.
At the time of this review, a 30-day supply of tablets cost $109.99 plus shipping. Some third-party suppliers were selling the same pills for half the price or less.
Money-Back Guarantee
Blackstone Labs supplements do not have a money-back guarantee.
Brutal 4CE – The Bottom Line
Brutal 4CE is an expensive bodybuilding supplement that has theoretical value as a muscle growth accelerant but may not be able to deliver the goods in reality.
The formulation is totally reliant on one ingredient, albeit in three different forms.
4-DHEA is a promising ingredient that’s worthy of further study. The research available at the present time fails to support the claims people make relating to its ability to boost testosterone and improve muscle growth.
That’s not to say it cannot do these things. We are only highlighting the lack of proof.
The inclusion rate is also an issue. Unless the liposomal delivery system is as good as Blackstone Labs says it is, two tablets per day may not provide enough 4-DHEA to meet the dosing recommendations.
Customer reviews also fail to be sufficiently supportive of this supplement’s abilities. Even though some of the reviewers appear to believe it works, it’s entirely possible the results they are achieving are due to training and diet rather than supplement intervention.
Brutal 4CE is an interesting product that falls well short of being impressive. That makes it all the more surprising to see Blackstone Labs trying to sell it at such an overinflated price.
It’s possible some people may see the high price as an indication of super-potency. Unfortunately, anyone who takes a “you get what you pay for” attitude may get a brutal reeducation from the School of Hard Knocks.
The lack of a money-back guarantee is yet one more reason to think long and hard before buying this product.
Several cheaper options have more sophisticated formulations and better customers reviews. The best steroid alternatives and similar muscle boosters also have money-back guarantees. Brutal 4CE is not in the same league.
Alternatives to Brutal 4CE
- RadBulk – A legal alternative to RAD 140. Brutal Force RadBulk provides all the benefit and none of the risk of testolone. It is great for gaining lean muscle mass and cutting body fat.
- D-Bal from Crazybulk is ideal for anyone who wants rapid muscle gains. It is a bulking supplement that you take 45 minutes after your workout.