Gnarly Nutrition offers products intended to support training routines, athletic performance, and daily nutrition needs. The brand’s offerings revolve around targeting common needs tied to exercise, such as energy support before workouts, fueling during activity, and recovery after intense training.
Its lineup features protein powders, pre-workouts, hydration blends, and creatine mixes to support diverse fitness goals. The brand also offers products like Omega 3s that may further support cardiovascular and joint health.
This review will evaluate the brand’s positioning, the structure of its product categories, and how clearly the platform communicates quality standards and labeling transparency. It also covers associated advantages, real user experiences, and potential limitations.
Led by CEO and in-house scientist Shannon O’Grady, PhD, Gnarly Nutrition positions its products around training support for a wide range of activity levels, from everyday exercise routines to more demanding performance goals.
The brand organizes its catalog into categories like Everyday Products, Pre-Workout Products, Performance Products, and Recovery Products. Some signature offerings across these categories include the Gnarly Hydrate, Fuel₂O, Pre-Workout, BCAAs, Collagen Pro, Performance Greens, and Creatine. The brand also offers additional offerings like the Baseline Vitamin D3 and Baseline Mg Glycinate.
According to its official website, the manufacturers highlight label transparency (including a stated avoidance of proprietary blends) and an emphasis on clean formulations, which exclude GMOs, artificial colors/flavors, soy, and gluten. All offerings also undergo third-party testing for their potency and purity.
Gnarly BCAAs is a flavored drink mix formulated to contain 5g of vegan BCAAs per 10-gram serving in a 2:1:1 ratio of isoleucine, leucine, and valine. The formulation is intended for use before, during, or after intense training to support recovery and workout endurance.
Leucine in the formula acts as the dominant signal amino acid that activates mTORC1 signaling in skeletal muscle, which helps promote muscle protein synthesis to support muscle growth. Isoleucine and valine contribute primarily as metabolic regulators of fuel use during exercise, supporting branched-chain oxidation pathways in muscle that become more active during prolonged training.
During hard sessions, the BCAAs may also interact with tryptophan to move across the blood–brain barrier (LAT1 transporter), potentially influencing serotonin-related fatigue signaling. Such effects may help reduce feelings of fatigue, improve motivation, and support prolonged exercise sessions.
As per its official website, Vegan Protein provides 20g of protein per two scoops (50g), 200 calories, and 9g of dietary fiber. The product features vegan protein sourced from a mix of pea protein isolate, chia seed protein, and cranberry seed protein. It is available in chocolate, vanilla, and golden milk flavor variants.
Pea protein isolate serves as the primary amino acid driver, providing a leucine-containing profile that activates mTOR signaling, thereby supporting muscle repair processes. Chia and cranberry seed proteins broaden the amino acid spectrum, helping improve EAA completeness and balancing limiting amino acids common in single-source plant proteins.
The makers included fiber from Isomalto-Oligosaccharide, which may slow gastric emptying and minimize post-meal glucose response through delayed carbohydrate absorption and gut fermentation into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Such benefits may help support digestion and reduce the risk of concerns like bloating and indigestion.
The formulation also comprises a mix of 14 vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, selenium, manganese, vitamins E and C, alongside copper and iron. Such nutrients may support mitochondrial ATP production, antioxidant enzyme activity, and muscle contraction.
Hydrate is an electrolyte drink mix formulated for hydration support during exercise and sweat loss conditions. The formula is positioned for intra-activity fueling and daily hydration, providing a structured electrolyte blend comprising sodium, potassium, and magnesium. As per its official site, the product comes in multiple flavor variants, including orange pineapple, raspberry, lemonade, and ruby red grapefruit.
Sodium could help support extracellular fluid balance and is essential for maintaining thirst signaling, intestinal water absorption, and sodium-glucose co-transport mechanisms (SGLT1) that pull water into circulation during exercise. Potassium is added to help maintain membrane potential across muscle and nerve cells, supporting normal electrical signaling during repeated contractions.
Magnesium functions as a cofactor for ATP-dependent enzymes and could help stabilize neuromuscular excitability by modulating calcium handling at the cellular level. Such effects may support efficient muscle relaxation and help minimize excessive firing that may otherwise contribute to cramping sensations.
Gnarly Whey might support post-exercise recovery, muscle rebuilding, and daily protein intake goals. As per its official site, the formulation is sourced from antibiotic-free, non-RBGH milk that retains naturally occurring milk fractions alongside protein, including small amounts of fat-associated nutrients.
Whey protein concentrate supports recovery by rapidly delivering essential amino acids that activate muscle protein synthesis through mTOR signaling. Fast digestion and absorption provided by whey concentrate may increase post-exercise amino acid availability in plasma, which supports muscle remodeling and reduces the time muscle remains in a net breakdown state.
The manufacturers further included pre- and probiotics in the formula to support gut environment stability and nutrient handling. Such inclusions may be particularly helpful if you often experience GI disruption from frequent fueling or high protein intake.
Collagen Pro is an unflavored collagen powder intended for connective tissue support, which may support joint health, tissue resilience, mobility, and skin-related structural maintenance. As per its official website, the formulation contains grass-fed bovine collagen peptides alongside collagen cofactors such as vitamin C and supportive minerals.
Collagen peptides supply connective-tissue-related amino acids and signaling peptides that support extracellular matrix turnover. Digested collagen yields peptides rich in glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which may appear in circulation and support the signaling of fibroblast and tenocyte production. This is especially helpful because tendons and ligaments adapt more slowly than muscle tissue and are vulnerable to cumulative strain when training volume rises faster than connective tissue capacity.
Vitamin C in the formulation could help stabilize collagen triple-helix structure and enable proper crosslinking strength, which might contribute to improved skin elasticity and firmness. Zinc and copper are included as supportive trace minerals to support tissue repair signaling, and collagen maturation processes.
Gnarly Pre-Workout is a vegan pre-exercise drink mix formulated to support training intensity, mental focus, and fatigue resistance. As per its official website, the formulation is offered in both caffeinated and caffeine-free versions and is available in strawberry lemonade and mango flavors.
The formulation contains caffeine that works by blocking adenosine receptors (A1 and A2A), reducing perceived effort and increasing alertness through higher dopaminergic and noradrenergic signaling. Such effects may translate to increased focus and willingness to sustain intensity.
Asian ginseng in the formula contributes adaptogenic signaling via ginsenosides that could help lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, support nitric-oxide–related vascular tone, and glucose uptake. These benefits may support perceived stamina under high training load. The manufacturers further included citrulline malate in the formula to support arginine availability and nitric oxide production, which may boost endurance, improve stamina, and reduce perceived fatigue.
Performance Greens may support baseline energy, immune resilience, and blood circulation. The formulation contains plant concentrates such as beet root, tart cherry, and pomegranate, alongside functional mushrooms and botanical extracts like cordyceps, reishi, turmeric, and ginseng.
Beet root and pomegranate support nitric oxide–linked blood flow pathways by increasing nitrate-derived nitric oxide availability and supporting endothelial function. Such effects may improve microcirculatory delivery of oxygen and nutrients during activity. Tart cherry contributes anthocyanins that interact with COX-related inflammatory signaling and oxidative stress pathways. These mechanisms may help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness and support recovery signaling after high training loads.
Turmeric in the formulation provides curcuminoid fractions that influence NF-κB and other inflammation transcription pathways, thereby lowering inflammation and oxidative stress. Cordyceps and ginseng are included for adaptogenic and metabolic support, which may help support mitochondrial efficiency and oxygen utilization for improved endurance. Reishi adds immune-active polysaccharides and triterpenes that may support innate immunity.
Gnarly Creatine may help support strength, power output, training recovery, and cognitive performance. As per its official website, the formulation features Creapure® as its sole ingredient, which is a high-purity, widely studied creatine monohydrate source.
Inside muscle and brain tissue, creatine is phosphorylated into phosphocreatine, which stores high-energy phosphate groups that help support the regeneration of ATP during sudden and intense bursts of physical activity, such as heavy lifting, sprinting, or explosive climbing.
Creapure® creatine monohydrate helps shuttle phosphate energy between mitochondria (ATP production zones) and working muscle fibers (ATP consumption zones). The buffering effect can reduce reliance on rapid glycolysis in early high-intensity work, which may blunt early acid accumulation and delay fatigue sensations during repeated efforts.
Creatine also supports neuronal energy stability under high cognitive demand by contributing to ATP availability in synapses and ion-pump activity, which may help focus.
Gnarly Nutrition claims that its powdered offerings are NSF Certified. The certification may confirm that each product aligns with its label for ingredient identity and stated dosage. It also claims to verify that products meet established limits for contaminants such as heavy metals and microbes.
According to NSF program requirements, certification involves ongoing audits and repeated testing intended to support consistency over time. The structured certification approach can differentiate the brand in the performance nutrition market, where many brands rely on internal testing or limited public disclosure.
The brand further claims to apply a higher level of verification to select products and flavors through NSF Certified for Sport®. Such a program claims to screen for more than 270 substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It claims to include batch testing and manufacturing facility inspections rather than formula review alone.
Gnarly Nutrition claims it was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, near the Wasatch Mountains, a region closely tied to trail running, climbing, skiing, and endurance sports. The brand claims its founders came from outdoor recreation backgrounds and built the company within mountain and trail communities rather than mainstream fitness markets.
This mountain sports heritage gives the brand a more authentic position in the outdoor and endurance category. It may appeal to athletes who prefer brands built from their culture rather than adapted later. The brand’s origin claims to support credibility with specialty retailers, coaches, and endurance athletes who value firsthand understanding of mountain training demands.
The brand states its early formulations accounted for the environments of mountain and trail training, including long sessions, elevation changes, uneven terrain, and environmental stress. According to Gnarly, this led to a focus on resilience, simplicity, and practical performance, rather than gym-centric size or aesthetics.
Gnarly Nutrition was co-founded by athletes like Eli Kerr with products developed through real-world athletic experience and community input, alongside claimed partnerships with elites such as Karl Meltzer (ultra-distance trail runner with Appalachian Trail speed records) and Clare Gallagher (ultramarathoner with Leadville 100 wins).
The brand claims these products were tested during training and competition, reflecting prolonged efforts, variable terrain, and real fatigue rather than controlled conditions. This athlete-tested approach, rooted in founder experience and elite validation, supports relevance in the outdoor endurance category. The model prioritizes field-tested nutrition, strengthening trust with coaches and specialty retailers while establishing practitioner-led authenticity.
Gnarly Nutrition sells mainly through its official website, third-party marketplaces like Amazon, and a retail partnership with REI. This strategy may give the brand strong reach within the outdoor and endurance community, but limits exposure beyond that group. The REI partnership focuses on outdoor athletes, stocking portable products such as single-serve protein packets and hydration mixes. The brand maintains a limited presence in major chains, mass retailers, or supplement specialists like GNC or Walmart. This selective model favors specialty visibility and aligns with the brand's mountain sports positioning, though it may reduce encounters during routine mainstream shopping.
Gnarly Nutrition bases its products on well-studied ingredients. Many formulas carry NSF Certified for Sport testing, which confirms label accuracy and screens for banned substances. The brand emphasizes foundational science for individual ingredients over prominently featuring sponsored, peer-reviewed clinical trials on its complete finished products. Available information shows reliance on ingredient-level research rather than published studies measuring outcomes like performance gains, endurance, or recovery specifically from Gnarly's formulations. This strategy prioritizes safety certification alongside athlete-tested narratives, which may offer limited public clinical data on real-world results from extended use.
Klean Athlete Pro and Gnarly Nutrition both position themselves as athlete-focused sports nutrition brands built around performance routines, product testing, and clean label standards. However, the brands have some differences in terms of their core positioning, formulation standards, range of offerings, and sustainability messaging.
Founded in 2012, Klean Athlete Pro presents itself as a training-focused nutrition brand, with a product lineup mapped to long-term athletic foundations and regulated ingredient standards through a structured product catalog and formal manufacturing certifications. Meanwhile, Gnarly Nutrition operates as a sports nutrition brand organized around usage timing, outdoor activity types, and functional goals.
Klean Athlete Pro structures discovery primarily by product categories and training use cases such as vitamins and minerals, protein powders, electrolytes and energy support, pre and post workout formulas, creatine and amino acids, and sleep and focus support. Some signature offerings from the brand include options such as the Klean Multivitamin, Collagen+C, Klean Omega, Klean D 5000 IU, Klean D 1000, Klean Creatine, and Klean Probiotic. Beyond these, the brand also offers Klean Magnesium and Klean Isolate with natural flavor variants including chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
Meanwhile, Gnarly structures discovery around when and how products are used, guiding selection by usage timing, including pre-workout, everyday products, performance products, and recovery products. As part of its catalog, the brand offers products such as the Performance Greens, BCAAs, Hydrate, Creatine, Collagen Pro, and Fuel₂O. Beyond these, the brand also provides lifestyle and nutrition support formulations like the Baseline Vitamin D3, Baseline Mg Glycinate, and a Sample Box.
Quality and certification standards is another area where the brands differ. Klean Athlete Pro repeatedly highlights NSF Certified for Sport® and describes U.S. production and testing using NSF International quality standards, with manufacturing at an NSF GMP-registered facility and finished product manufacturing and testing stated to occur domestically. Meanwhile, Gnarly also emphasizes NSF testing, but its framing is more sports compliance-oriented. The brand’s framing describes NSF as a third-party benchmark recognized by the World Anti Doping Agency and differentiating NSF Certified products as tested for true label claims, microbes, heavy metals, and pesticides.
Sustainability is a priority for both brands, but the strategies and level of operational detail differ. Klean Athlete Pro describes sustainability through recyclable packaging initiatives, greenhouse gas reduction efforts, and a reduction in virgin plastic packaging by one-third. These standards are complemented by the brand’s use of renewable electricity and operational changes, such as the removal of a plastic neckband bottle component. Meanwhile, Gnarly’s sustainability narrative is more packaging disruptive, describing a move from plastic tubs to steel cans and positioning steel as recycled at above 70% versus plastic below 8%. The brand also outlines sustainability plans with partners such as the Plastic Impact Alliance and Sustainable Packaging Movement to remove plastic completely from its product line.
When comparing the brands, both Ascent and Gnarly Nutrition position themselves as research-informed sports nutrition brands built around training support, clean formulation priorities, and product testing. However, the brands have some nuances in terms of their quality standards, breadth of product offerings, and core positioning.
Ascent is presented as a family-owned sports nutrition brand based in Denver, Colorado, with its core identity tied to protein-led recovery and muscle health support. Meanwhile, Gnarly Nutrition positions its identity around supporting athletic performance and outdoor activity, with navigation built around usage sequencing, activity type, and function.
The Ascent brand organizes its storefront around product types that reflect protein-centered nutrition and adjacent categories, with dedicated sections such as whey, creatine, clear whey isolate, Iced Coffee + Protein, hydration, and micellar casein. Ascent’s Whey Protein lineup features multiple flavor options, including Chocolate Protein Powder, Vanilla Protein Powder, Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Powder, Brownie Batter Protein Powder, and Fruity Cereal Protein Powder. Meanwhile, Gnarly organizes the lineup around how products fit into training flow, guiding selection by usage categories such as everyday products, recovery products, performance products, and pre-workout products. The brand includes protein as one part of a broader system, highlighted through offerings like the Vegan Plant Protein, Grass-Fed Whey Protein, and Protect Our Winters x Mint Mocha Whey.
Creatine appears in both brand catalogs, but it is positioned differently. Ascent offers Clean Creatine as creatine monohydrate made with 100% Creapure®. Meanwhile, Gnarly positions creatine as part of an everyday system, listing Creatine as one of its offerings. Hydration and energy range are handled differently by the two brands. Ascent offers Clean Hydration + Energy Powder in flavors such as Raspberry Lemonade, Orange Mango, and Citrus. Meanwhile, Gnarly builds hydration as a central functional pillar, listing products such as Gnarly Hydrate and Fuel₂O.
In reviewing Gnarly Nutrition’s reputation, we assessed the brand’s background, operational consistency, and ratings across independent platforms. On the Better Business Bureau, the brand holds an “A+” rating and indicates 8+ years in business operations. TenereTeam provides the brand with a 4.5 out of 5 score based on 1300+ ratings across the platform. Many users appreciated the brand’s products, such as Fuel2O and Whey Protein, for their effects on supporting fueling, replenishment, and recovery. However, a few users expressed dissatisfaction with the charges levied on return shipping and a lack of transparency around some specific products.
To evaluate the brand, we reviewed verified Amazon ratings and reviews for the brand’s two core products. Such an assessment can help understand how real users describe taste, mixability, workout usefulness, hydration performance, and perceived value in day-to-day use.
Gnarly BCAAs carry a 4.5 out of 5 score based on over 400+ global reviews. Many users appreciated the product as a cleaner amino acid option, with multiple users highlighting naturally sweetened flavor, the absence of artificial flavors, and the availability of caffeine-free variants as a practical advantage for evening training. Users also experienced a reduction in next-day soreness and improved recovery during heavy training blocks. However, a few described the Berry Lemonade flavor as too intense or artificial, while some users described minor settling of the powder at the bottom that required swirling.
On Amazon, the Gnarly Hydrate maintains a 4.3 out of 5 based on 330+ global reviews. The prevailing theme is functional hydration that feels steady rather than stimulant-like, with users describing less thirst, fewer cramps, and better endurance support. The formula was repeatedly appreciated for including minerals beyond sodium for providing electrolyte support. That said, a few users described the product as too sweet, while others noted a processed taste due to the use of stevia and added sugar.
Based on the available feedback, it appears that many users appreciated the brand’s products, especially for their clean ingredient framing, flavor quality, and training usability. However, the consistent trade-offs highlighted in the reviews included premium pricing, flavor intensity, and occasional mixability issues.
Gnarly Nutrition positions itself around supporting training performance and post-exercise recovery, with its identity tied to transparent ingredient disclosures and third-party NSF verification.
However, the brand’s product format and category design introduce some considerations. Its lineup is powder-focused, which might be inconvenient if you have a busy schedule or do not want the hassles of mixing powders into drinks. The product range also stays strongly athlete-oriented, which might reduce relevance if your goals are broader than training output, recovery, and endurance.
Risk and tolerance considerations are also essential points to consider. For instance, the brand’s creatine powders and stimulant-based pre-workouts may cause jitters, elevated heart rate, sleep disruption, or stomach upset. These factors should also be kept in mind before exploring the brand.
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