Pre-workout
Pre-workout formulas in powder, ready-to-drink shots and capsules, with caffeine and stimulant-free options. We explain which caffeine dose suits you, what citrulline and beta-alanine actually do, and when to take it.Read more →
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Choosing a pre-workout that matches your training
A pre-workout is a blend you take shortly before training. Most formulas are built on three actives: caffeine for alertness, L-citrulline for blood flow, and beta-alanine for high-rep sets. Everything else is usually supporting cast. Within our wider sports nutrition range, this is the category where labels differ the most, so reading the per-serving column pays off.
The doses decide whether a formula does anything
Studies that show an effect use roughly 150 to 300 mg caffeine, 6 to 8 g L-citrulline and 3.2 g beta-alanine per serving. Plenty of tubs list twenty ingredients and reach none of those numbers. Two things worth checking before you buy:
- Scoops per serving. Some labels only hit their doses at two scoops, which halves the servings you actually get.
- Proprietary blends. If ingredients are grouped under one total, you cannot see the individual doses.
If you prefer to control the amounts yourself, single ingredients work just as well. Many people pair a caffeine source with pure citrulline powder and buy beta-alanine separately.
Caffeine or stimulant-free
Caffeine helps to increase alertness and concentration. That is also its drawback: a 300 mg serving at seven in the evening can still reach into your night. Stimulant-free formulas keep the citrulline and beta-alanine and leave the caffeine out. They suit evening sessions, heavy coffee drinkers and anyone who gets jittery. Counting your total daily caffeine, coffee and tea included, is more useful than picking the strongest tub on the shelf.
Powders, shots and capsules
Powder is the cheapest per serving and lets you take half a scoop while you learn your tolerance. Ready-to-drink shots are a fixed dose in a bottle, handy on the way to the gym and gentler on the stomach for some people. Capsules avoid flavourings and sweeteners, which some people prefer, but the volume needed for 8 g of citrulline makes capsule pre-workouts rare.
How we choose the pre-workout formulas we stock
We look at three things: the form, the dose, and whether the combination makes sense. A transparent label with full doses of citrulline and beta-alanine beats a long ingredient list, so we skip proprietary blends. We keep both caffeinated and stimulant-free options, because training times differ per person. We buy directly from the brands, our compliance team checks every product before it goes live, and we test products ourselves while independent labs spot-check batches. You can read how we select brands and products.
Who it suits, and what it will not do
A pre-workout earns its place when you train hard and want focus for a demanding session. It will not replace sleep, food or a sensible programme, and it does not build muscle on its own. Beta-alanine works cumulatively: expect a difference in high-rep endurance after several weeks of daily use, not on day one. Beta-alanine and citrulline have no authorised European health claim, so we describe what people use them for and stop there. If recovery after the session is your main concern, our post-training options are the better starting point.
Frequently asked questions
It is a blend taken shortly before training, usually as a powder mixed with water. Most formulas combine caffeine with L-citrulline and beta-alanine, and some add creatine, B vitamins or amino acids. The idea is to bring together in one serving what many people would otherwise buy separately. Formulas differ mainly in two ways: how much caffeine per serving, and whether the other ingredients are dosed at research-backed levels or only in trace amounts.
