It depends on what’s in the pre-workout, but ingredients like caffeine, beta-alanine, and betaine have been linked to higher energy levels, better power production, and improved endurance. Some ingredients, like tyrosine and taurine, may even improve focus. What is the best pre-workout? We like BULK because it contains over 4,000 percent of your daily need for vitamin B12, and research suggests that men may be more likely to have a B12 deficiency. ( 4) B12 is important because of its effects on energy levels and nerve function. One of the symptoms of deficiency is even muscle weakness, so it’s important to ensure you’re getting enough. ( 4) Pre-workouts work by providing you with different nutrients that will improve your exercise performance. This can be through ingredients such as caffeine which can improve your time to fatigue during a workout. Other ingredients such as beta alanine and vitamins can also be added to improve your performance by helping you to feel energised and well-fuelled through your workout. The big downside here is that you can’t see exactly how much of each ingredient is in the formula, as Onnit uses proprietary blends. That’s not to say this isn’t a solid pre-workout, but if you prefer to know the exact amounts of each ingredient, you may need to look elsewhere.

Still, there are other potential hazards associated with dry scooping. For example, you can also choke on the powder. There’s a reason the directions on pre-workout powders tell you to mix it with water into your favorite shaker bottle. ( 28) Final Word

Some pre-workout formulas may also contain beta alanine and L-citrulline, which have both been shown to improve energy in endurance-related exercise. 9,10 You’ll find all of these key ingredients in THE Pre-Workout, benefiting both short-duration (strength training) and longer-duration (cardio based) activities. Another category of the common ingredients found in pre-workouts are B vitamins like niacin and vitamin B12. These vitamins play key roles in metabolism and energy. 7 They may also contain creatine, a common ergogenic (building) aid, which increases performance in short-duration, high intensity exercise, and also helps with lean gains when taken consistently. 8 Caffeine is one of the most common ingredients found in pre-workout shakes, which has been shown to provide benefits such as improvements in muscle power and endurance, without increasing how hard the activity feels (the rate of perceived exertion). 3,4 In other words, you’re able to accomplish more in your workout without feeling like you’re pushing yourself harder. If you don't fuel yourself properly before exercises or hard workouts, you'll be less energised, weaker and will tire faster than normal. That's a fact. Pre-workout is designed to help fight this, to help you keep going harder and for longer. While the supplement can be taken in a variety of formats — from meals to shakes to pills and more — they're all designed to boost energy levels and increase focus.

Myvitamins Pre-Workout Shot is an expert formulation of nutrients including vitamin B6 and B12 to reduce feelings of tiredness and to support normal energy yielding metabolism. (1,2) We’ve also added popular workout ingredients including caffeine to improve alertness and concentration. 3 Flavor: The formula might be great, but if the tas Although each brand chooses their own ingredients, pre-workout shakes are often made up of caffeine, vitamins, creatine, and other various ingredients to enhance energy and strength. 1 If you’re engaged in sports, supplements (like pre-workouts) may be super helpful. They might increase the amount of energy you have and the effectiveness of the exercise. We’ve tried dozens of pre-workouts to land on this list of the best pre-workout supplements on the market for almost any athlete, whether you love or hate caffeine, want to improve your run time, or just get a better pump. Hobson RM, Saunders B, Ball G, Harris RC, Sale C. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids. 2012 Jul;43(1):25-37. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1200-z. Epub 2012 Jan 24. PMID: 22270875; PMCID: PMC3374095.This formula also contains some major pre-workout players in solid doses, like citrulline, dosed at three grams. Citrulline works to help increase nitric oxide levels, which, in turn, can relax the blood vessels, improving blood flow. This can potentially help you achieve better pumps, improve recovery, and even improve endurance. ( 8) This pre-workout is also one of few that has actually been researched. Resistance-trained young men took this supplement and trained hard for four weeks and saw improvements in their bench press and lean mass over a placebo, so it has that going for it too. ( 10) As sports nutritionist Matt Lovell points out, there are definitely some pre-workout products that you should actively avoid. "I would say any speed cousins, amphetamine cousins. Some pre-workouts basically contain ecstasy. Or close to it," he says. Is Pre-Workout Dangerous? Harnden CS, Agu J, Gascoyne T. Effects of citrulline on endurance performance in young healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023 Dec;20(1):2209056. doi: 10.1080/15502783.2023.2209056. PMID: 37155582; PMCID: PMC10167868.

During testing, we did notice that this product doesn’t mix very well — there were floaties in the water even after some hardcore shaking. It’s not a huge issue, but if floating bits are a deal-breaker for you, you may want to try a different pre. Also, our tester wasn’t a fan of the taste, noting that it’s slightly bitter. Many athletes and fitness professionals use coffee as a pre-workout Oscar Wong // Getty Images Can I Use Coffee as a Pre-Workout? B3/B12 Vitamins ABE Ultimate Pre-Workout delivers a unique blend of the most researched ergogenic aids and performance ingredients to fuel your physical performance, reduce tiredness & fatigue* and to enhance focus throughout your training session.If you’re new to working out and need an energy boost, or have been training for a while and feel like your progress has plateaued, then this shake might be beneficial for you. The benefits of pre-workouts are related to increasing energy, performance and strength. Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges. She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more. The main benefits of pre-workout include increases in performance and strength. Studies have shown short term increases in lean body mass and lower body strength when supplementing consistently. What are the side effects of pre-workout? Having your shake 30-60 minutes before your session gives enough time for the supplement to get into your bloodstream and give you the benefits you’re looking for. THE Pre-Workout is designed to be taken dissolved in water 30 minutes before your workout, which also helps you to stay hydrated. BULK is one of the stronger pre-workouts we’ve seen with a large dose of one of the most researched ingredients on the market: caffeine. Despite the high caffeine content, we liked how the energy came on in a more measured way with no noticeable crash at the end. “ I did notice improved focus and a great pump at the end of my workout, and there was also no crash once the caffeine wore off,” our tester says.