Gnarly Nutrition is a sports nutrition brand built around supporting performance, recovery, and everyday training needs. It focuses on creating formulas that help you train harder, recover faster, and stay consistent over time.
The brand’s product range covers most of the core categories used in strength training, endurance sports, and daily fitness routines. It also includes greens and functional products to support daily nutrient intake.
In this review, we will take a closer look at Gnarly Nutrition’s offerings and compare them with similar brands. We will also evaluate its overall reputation and real user experiences.
About Gnarly Nutrition
As per the official website, Gnarly Nutrition is built on clean formulation, label transparency, and third-party testing. It highlights that all its products are made without GMOs, artificial colors and flavors, soy, or gluten, and most of the lineup is vegan-friendly. The brand focuses on providing performance support that fits into endurance training, strength work, and outdoor activity.
Gnarly Nutrition features a Pre-Workout and Performance range that includes pre-workouts, BCAAs, essential amino acids, collagen blends, and carbohydrate-electrolyte formulas such as Fuel₂O. These products are designed to support energy output, hydration, and muscle protection during demanding sessions.
The Hydration line’s Gnarly Hydrate supports electrolyte balance and fluid absorption for activities like running, cycling, climbing, and high-intensity training. The brand also offers both dairy-based and plant-based protein powders, including Gnarly Whey and Gnarly Vegan, along with specialty whey blends. These formulas focus on muscle repair and daily protein intake, giving flexibility across different diet preferences. Meanwhile, the Everyday category extends beyond workouts into general nutrition, with products such as creatine, performance greens, omega-3s, and iron that help support ongoing nutritional needs.
According to the official website, Gnarly Nutrition emphasizes verification and dosing accuracy. Its products are NSF Certified or NSF for Sport Certified, meaning the formulas are tested for label accuracy, contaminants, and substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Gnarly Nutrition Bestsellers
Gnarly Hydrate
Gnarly Hydrate is designed to support rapid fluid absorption, sustained energy during physical activity, and basic muscle and nerve function. It may help stabilize blood volume, cellular hydration, and the electrical signals that control muscle contraction, which are directly tied to endurance and cramp risk.
Magnesium citrate is included as a highly bioavailable form of magnesium that dissolves well in water and is readily absorbed in the small intestine. It might help regulate calcium flow in muscle fibers, allowing muscles to relax after contraction.
As per the official website, the formula also contains potassium citrate, which supplies potassium, the primary electrolyte inside muscle and nerve cells. Potassium helps maintain the electrical gradient across cell membranes that allows nerves to fire and muscles to contract in a coordinated way.
During prolonged or intense exercise, potassium is lost through sweat and shifted out of cells, which can impair muscle responsiveness and increase feelings of weakness. Providing potassium in citrate form also supports acid–base balance in the blood, helping prevent the buildup of metabolic acidity that contributes to early fatigue.
Gnarly Whey
As per the official website, Gnarly Whey is formulated to support muscle recovery, muscle growth, and everyday nutrition using protein sourced from antibiotic-free, non-rBGH, grass-fed cow’s milk.
Whey concentrate naturally contains essential amino acids, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are required to activate muscle protein synthesis after training. These amino acids are absorbed quickly, allowing muscle tissue to repair exercise-induced micro-damage and rebuild stronger fibers. As whey also contains naturally occurring fats, including small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, it contributes to satiety and provides lipid components that support cell membrane integrity and metabolic signaling.
The makers also added bioperine in this formula, which slows the breakdown of certain nutrients and increases their transport across the intestinal wall. This can improve the bioavailability of amino acids, minerals, and other compounds present in the formula.
Gnarly BCAAs
Gnarly BCAAs could offer rapid amino acid delivery during and after training to support muscle recovery and workout endurance. The BCAA blend provides three amino acids that make up a large portion of skeletal muscle protein. L-leucine plays a central regulatory role by activating the mTOR signaling pathway, which is the primary molecular switch that turns on muscle protein synthesis after training. When mTOR is stimulated, muscle cells increase the rate at which they build new contractile proteins to repair damaged fibers and adapt to training load.
L-isoleucine in Gnarly BCAAs may support glucose uptake into muscle cells and help regulate energy metabolism during exercise, which can reduce how quickly muscle glycogen is depleted. L-valine in this formula also participates in nitrogen balance and helps limit the breakdown of existing muscle protein when the body is under prolonged physical stress.
The makers also added aquamin red algae in Gnarly BCAAs, which might help stabilize the electrical activity of muscle fibers and support ATP-dependent processes. Caffeine from green tea leaf in this formula blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, which reduces the perception of fatigue and can improve neuromuscular drive during exercise. It also promotes the release of stored fatty acids for energy, helping preserve muscle glycogen during longer or more intense workouts.
Gnarly Vegan Protein
As per the official website, Gnarly Vegan Protein supports post-workout recovery and daily protein intake without relying on dairy or animal-derived ingredients. Its structure centers on a blended protein system that supplies essential amino acids needed for muscle repair while remaining easier to digest than many single-source plant proteins. Pea protein isolate in Gnarly Vegan Protein contains lysine, arginine, and branched-chain amino acids that are directly involved in muscle tissue repair and growth signaling.
The formula also combines chia seed protein and cranberry seed protein, which contain polyphenols and bioactive peptides that can influence immune cell activity and help moderate exercise-induced oxidative stress.
Gnarly Performance Greens
Gnarly Performance Greens may support energy levels, immune function, and circulation through concentrated green and red plant extracts. The formula works by supplying compounds that influence cellular energy production, oxygen delivery, and antioxidant balance.
According to the official website, organic spirulina in this product supports mitochondrial energy production by supplying cofactors needed for the electron transport chain, where cells convert oxygen and nutrients into ATP.
Gnarly Performance Greens also combines wheat grass, which contributes chlorophyll, vitamin C, and trace minerals that support red blood cell function and oxygen transport. The vitamin C and plant enzymes in wheat grass also support immune cell activity by protecting white blood cells from oxidative damage during physical stress. The formula also has beet root, which might support better circulation, enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery, while also helping remove metabolic waste products such as lactate.
Gnarly Creatine
Gnarly Creatine could support muscle strength, power output, recovery, and cognitive function. It has creatine, which is stored primarily in muscle and brain tissue, where it plays a central role in rapid energy production.
As per the official website, Gnarly Creatine increases the amount of stored phosphocreatine inside cells, which directly supports short bursts of high-intensity activity and the cellular processes that follow exercise.
Creatine also influences recovery at the cellular level by supporting osmotic balance and muscle cell hydration. When creatine accumulates inside muscle fibers, it draws water into the cell, increasing cell volume and activating signaling pathways associated with protein synthesis and tissue repair. This supports the rebuilding of contractile proteins and helps reduce the structural stress that contributes to post-exercise soreness and prolonged fatigue.
Gnarly Collagen Pro
Gnarly Collagen Pro may support joint structure, connective tissue repair, and the integrity of skin, hair, and nails. It uses hydrolyzed bovine collagen, which means the collagen proteins are broken down into smaller peptides that dissolve easily and are more readily absorbed through the intestinal wall. Once absorbed, these peptides circulate to tissues with high collagen turnover, such as cartilage, tendons, ligaments, skin, and bone.
Hydrolyzed collagen provides glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which are the specific building blocks the body uses to synthesize new collagen fibers. It may support the repair of the extracellular matrix that absorbs mechanical stress and allows smooth movement between bones.
Gnarly Pre-Workout
As per the official website, Gnarly Pre-Workout supports short-term power output, sustained stamina, and mental focus by combining amino acids that influence blood flow, muscular energy systems, and fatigue signaling.
The formula includes citrulline malate, which could improve the delivery of oxygen and glucose while also speeding the removal of metabolic by-products such as ammonia and lactate. The malate component also feeds into the citric acid cycle inside mitochondria, supporting ATP production during prolonged or high-volume exercise.
The vegan BCAA blend in Gnarly Pre-Workout may initiate protein synthesis and limit exercise-induced breakdown. It could also support glucose uptake into muscle fibers, helping maintain energy availability, while contributing to nitrogen balance and reducing the rate at which existing muscle protein is broken down during extended workouts.
Gnarly Nutrition Advantage
NSF-Certified Brand Standards
Gnarly Nutrition claims to follow third-party quality standards set by NSF. Certification is built into the brand’s framework. The brand mentions that all its products carry NSF Content Certification, and select options, including certain Vegan Protein flavors, also meet NSF Certified for Sport® requirements. These certifications depend on independent lab testing rather than internal claims.
NSF Content Certification confirms that ingredient types and amounts match the product label, and the testing checks for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, microbes, and undeclared substances. Accredited laboratories conduct the testing, supported by toxicology reviews and label audits. This process supports consistency and baseline safety across the product line.
NSF Certified for Sport® adds stricter controls if you are a competitive athlete. As per the official website, each production lot is tested for more than 270 substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, including stimulants, steroids, and narcotics. The program also requires regular facility audits and cross-contamination safeguards. You can verify specific product lots through the NSF public database, adding transparency for those subject to anti-doping rules.
Gnarly Nutrition Limitations
Limitations In Independent Validation
Gnarly Nutrition holds NSF certification, which confirms label accuracy, manufacturing quality, and banned substance screening. It mainly supports safety and compliance, not proof of performance or measurable results.
Outside of certification, the brand does not highlight peer-reviewed clinical trials on its finished products. Independent studies measuring outcomes such as endurance, recovery, or markers like VO2 max are not prominently shared. Product credibility, therefore, leans on formulation logic and athlete feedback rather than published performance data.
This means Gnarly Nutrition’s products may meet strong quality and safety standards, but their real-world performance is harder to verify through independent data alone. Without finished-product trials, it becomes difficult to separate formulation promise from measurable, repeatable outcomes across different users and training conditions.
Restricted Retail Presence
Gnarly Nutrition highlights a narrow retail footprint. The brand sells mainly through its own website and select REI stores. It does not appear in major chains such as GNC or Vitamin Shoppe, or in mass retailers like Walmart or Target. This limited placement reduces in-store discovery and impulse purchases. If you prefer to browse products in person or shop at common product retailers, you may have fewer chances to encounter the brand. Many competing sports nutrition brands appear in running shops, bike stores, and broader retail chains, which increases everyday visibility.
Gnarly Nutrition also has limited exposure on major online marketplaces. Its products are not widely listed on platforms like Amazon, iHerb, or Bodybuilding.com, aside from small-scale resellers. While this controlled distribution helps protect pricing and brand messaging, it also limits reach and keeps the brand concentrated within a niche, outdoor-focused audience rather than the wider sports nutrition market.
Gnarly Nutrition Alternatives
Skratch Labs
Skratch Labs and Gnarly Nutrition both operate in the sports-nutrition space, but they approach performance support through different product structures.
As per its official website, Skratch Labs is centered on maintaining energy and hydration during training, which is also highlighted in its products such as Hydration Sport Drink Mix, Unsweetened Hydration Sport Drink Mix, Super High-Carb Sport Drink Mix, and Electrolyte Booster. These formulas are designed to deliver fluids, sodium, and carbohydrates in a way that fits directly into long rides, runs, and endurance sessions. Meanwhile, Gnarly Nutrition also offers hydration through Gnarly Hydrate and Gnarly Fuel₂O, but it positions these products within a wider performance system that includes pre-workout, recovery, and everyday supplementation.
The two brands also differ in how they deliver energy. Skratch Labs relies on food-based options such as Energy Chews Sport Fuel, and Energy Bar Sport Fuel, which use fruit, oats, and nut butters to provide carbohydrates that can be consumed mid-session. Gnarly Nutrition does not offer bars or chews and instead uses powdered formats such as Gnarly Pre-Workout, Essential Aminos, and Gnarly BCAAs to support energy, focus, and training output, giving the brand a more product-oriented profile.
Skratch Labs keeps its recovery category focused on Recovery Sport Drink Mix, offered in flavors such as chocolate, horchata, strawberries + cream, and a vegan oat milk latte. These blends are intended to replenish carbohydrates and protein after training. On the other hand, Gnarly Nutrition expands recovery into multiple protein-based formats, including Gnarly Whey, Gnarly Vegan, and Gnarly Collagen Pro, allowing recovery to be addressed through both muscle protein intake and connective-tissue support.
Skratch Labs keeps its focus on training-day nutrition, with most of its nutrient delivery coming through hydration and recovery formulas rather than standalone formulas. Gnarly extends beyond training into daily nutritional coverage through products such as Gnarly Performance Greens, Gnarly Baseline Omega-3, Gnarly Baseline Iron, Gnarly Baseline Mg Glycinate, and Gnarly Baseline Vitamin D3. This gives the brand a broader role in ongoing micronutrient support
As per their official website, Skratch Labs places more emphasis on ingredient simplicity and food-style formulations and does not prominently feature NSF certification in its product listings. Gnarly highlights NSF Certified for Sport and NSF Contents Certified products, including options such as Gnarly BCAAs and Essential Aminos. Skratch Labs is structured around on-training fueling, while Gnarly Nutrition follows a broader model.
Transparent Labs
Transparent Labs functions as a broad-spectrum brand covering muscle building, fat loss, recovery, cognition, hormonal support, sleep, and gut health. Gnarly Nutrition maintains a narrower focus centered on hydration, endurance, recovery, and everyday athletic performance.
As per their official website, Transparent Labs offers an extensive catalog that includes Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate, Creatine HMB, Mass Gainer, Bulk Pre-Workout, Lean Pre-Workout, Bulk Black, Sleep & Recover, Krill Oil, Probiotic Advanced Gut Health Formula, and multiple micronutrients. Gnarly Nutrition’s lineup is more streamlined, built around core performance products such as Gnarly Hydrate, Gnarly Whey, Gnarly Vegan, and Baseline vitamins and minerals like Iron, Magnesium Glycinate, and Vitamin D3.
Transparent Labs structures its catalog around goal-based and formula-based series, offering multiple variations within each category, including Bulk Pre-Workout, Lean Pre-Workout, Stim-Free Pre-Workout, and Bulk Black, alongside multiple hydration, protein, and recovery options. Gnarly Nutrition typically offers a single core formula, such as one main Pre-Workout, one BCAA blend, one Creatine, and one Hydrate system, keeping product selection simpler.
Transparent Labs places strong emphasis on physique-oriented outcomes, using products such as Creatine HMB, Growth, Nitric Oxide, Cyclic Dextrin, Mass Gainer, and Build to support muscle size, strength, pumps, and recovery. Gnarly Nutrition prioritizes functional training support, relying on Essential Aminos, Creatine, Hydrate, Fuel₂O, and protein powders to support endurance, hydration, and post-training recovery.
According to their official website, Transparent Labs offers multiple formats in protein powders, including Grass-Fed Whey Isolate, Grass-Fed Casein, Pea Protein, Vegan Protein Isolate, Beef Protein Isolate, and Protein Bars. Gnarly Nutrition limits its protein offerings to Gnarly Whey and Gnarly Vegan.
Transparent Labs emphasizes full-label disclosure, clinically dosed formulas, natural and grass-fed ingredients, and third-party testing across a wide range of complex blends. Gnarly Nutrition highlights NSF certification, GMO-free standards, and vegan-friendly formulations, particularly for products used during training and competition.
The pricing structure also reflects their different positioning. Transparent Labs covers a wide range, from entry-level options such as Magnesium Bisglycinate at around $16.99-$20 to premium formulas like Grass-Fed Colostrum at $89.99 to $95.00, with most performance products priced around $49.99 to $59.99. Gnarly Nutrition maintains a tighter price range, from $9.95 for Baseline Mg Glycinate to approximately $62.95 for its protein powders, keeping its portfolio more compact and consistent.
Pros
- Covers hydration, protein, recovery, and training support categories.
- Uses NSF Certified for Sport testing on select products.
- Provides single-serve packets for on-the-go use.
Cons
- Emphasizes training performance over general daily support.
- The brand does not offer personalized options for highly customized nutrition needs.
How Did We Evaluate?
Real User Experiences
To evaluate Gnarly Nutrition, we examined how its products perform in everyday use. We looked for user experiences across Amazon. Its Creatine Powder has received a 4.5 rating based on 66+ reviews. Many users report improved workout energy, strength, and muscle tone, along with clean ingredients and a neutral taste that blends easily into drinks. At the same time, some customers note that the powder does not dissolve well.
The brand’s Hydrate Electrolyte Powder holds a 4.3-star rating from 335+ reviews. Customers highlight the addition of potassium, magnesium, and sodium alongside relatively low sugar, which supports its appeal for exercise and daily hydration. Flavor consistency, however, is less predictable. While several users enjoy the taste, others describe certain flavors as overly sweet or artificial, which affects the experience.
Gnarly’s Vegan Plant Protein highlights a 4.1-star rating from 184+ reviews. Many customers appreciate the flavor of options such as Golden Milk and vanilla and find the formula suitable for plant-based or sensitive diets. However, repeated reports of dented containers, broken seals, and damaged packaging reduce confidence, especially at a higher price point.
Gnarly Nutrition appears to offer products with clear functional benefits, particularly in its creatine and electrolyte ranges. At the same time, recurring issues with packaging, occasional quality lapses, and variable flavor execution limit how consistently the brand delivers a premium experience among its users.
Brand Credibility
Gnarly is a performance-focused brand that centers its lineup around protein powders, hydration mixes, amino acids, pre-workouts, and endurance support formulas. It focuses on clean labels, no proprietary blends, and NSF-certified ingredients for its formulations. The brand has received an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, with a minimum number of complaints made in the past.
We also considered third-party consumer feedback, including Tenereteam, where it holds a 4.5-star rating based on a small number of reviews, which could limit understanding of overall satisfaction, product consistency, or how the brand performs across a wider customer base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The brand offers trial-friendly options through stick packs and sample boxes, including the Gnarly Sample Box and Pro Gnarly Sample Box, which let you try products like Vegan Protein, Pre-Workout, Hydrate, Performance Greens, and Collagen Pro before buying full-size tubs.
Yes. The brand discloses ingredient sources and avoids proprietary blends, with NSF-tested formulas and materials like grass-fed U.S. collagen and Friend-of-the-Sea certified omega-3s, while shifting to recyclable steel cans and eliminating plastic scoops to reduce waste.
No. The brand only offers unflavored options for products like Creatine. Most other categories, including protein powders, pre-workout, BCAAs, and Performance Greens, are sold only in flavored versions.
Conclusion
Gnarly Nutrition is said to focus on clean formulations, full label disclosure, and third-party verification. Many of the ingredients used in its formulas, including creatine monohydrate, essential amino acids, citrulline malate, electrolytes, and hydrolyzed collagen, have been widely studied for their roles in muscle energy production, fluid balance, connective tissue turnover, and exercise recovery. However, there is no direct clinical research on Gnarly’s finished products.
The brand does not share peer-reviewed trials that measure how its specific blends influence outcomes such as endurance, strength, or recovery in real training conditions. This means you depend more on ingredient science and formulation design than on published data for the final products. While Gnarly Nutrition claims to offer controlled, clean formulations, it lacks direct performance validation when deciding if it fits your training goals.
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.