Pre-workout labels can look like a chemistry exam. The good news is that a handful of ingredients do most of the work, and once you know them, you can tell a well-built formula from flashy marketing in about ten seconds.

Start here: avoid proprietary blends

A “proprietary blend” lists ingredients but hides how much of each is in the scoop. That makes it impossible to know whether you are getting an effective amount. Look for a fully disclosed label that lists every ingredient with its dose.

The core ingredients

Caffeine: energy and focus

Caffeine is the most reliable performance ingredient in any pre-workout. It supports alertness, focus and endurance, and can make hard efforts feel a bit easier.* Research typically uses about 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight, which is roughly 200 to 400 mg for many adults, but more is not better. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults, and that includes your coffee, soda and energy drinks. If you are sensitive or train in the evening, choose a lower dose or stop earlier in the day.

L-citrulline: blood flow and “pump”

L-citrulline is an amino acid your body converts to arginine and then to nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax. That is where the “pump” feeling comes from.* L-citrulline malate is citrulline paired with malic acid; studies often use 6 to 8 grams of citrulline malate. Plain L-citrulline is more concentrated per gram.

Creatine: strength and power

Creatine supports strength and power in short, hard efforts.* It works by building up in your muscles over time, so the dose you take every day matters more than the dose right before training. A pre-workout with creatine helps you hit your daily 3 to 5 grams on training days. (See our Creatine 101 guide.)

Beta-alanine: endurance in the burn zone

Beta-alanine raises muscle carnosine, which helps buffer acid during efforts lasting about one to four minutes.* Research uses about 3.2 to 6.4 grams a day over several weeks. The harmless tingling some people feel is called paresthesia.

Focus blends

Many formulas add ingredients like L-tyrosine (often as N-acetyl tyrosine), L-theanine, choline sources or Bacopa. L-theanine is often paired with caffeine to smooth out the jittery edge. The research on focus ingredients is more mixed than for caffeine or creatine, so treat them as a bonus, not the main event.

B vitamins

B vitamins support normal energy metabolism.* They will not give you a buzz the way caffeine does, but they help your body use the fuel you eat.

How to use a pre-workout well

• Take it 20 to 30 minutes before training so the caffeine kicks in when you start.
• Start with half a scoop to see how you respond.
• Count all your caffeine for the day, and avoid it within about six hours of bed if sleep suffers.
• Drink water. A pre-workout does not replace hydration.
• Skip it if you are pregnant, nursing, sensitive to caffeine or have a heart condition, unless your doctor says otherwise.

Upward Nutrition Ignite Pre-Workout

Ignite Pre-Workout Fruit Punch is fully disclosed with no proprietary blend: 2,000 mg L-citrulline malate, 2,000 mg creatine monohydrate and 200 mg caffeine per scoop, plus a focus blend with N-acetyl tyrosine, DMAE and L-theanine, and B vitamins. It is made in the USA in an FDA-registered, GMP-certified facility and third-party tested for quality and purity.

Shop Ignite Pre-Workout →

References

1. Guest NS, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18:1.
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? (consumer update).
3. Gonzalez AM, Trexler ET. Effects of citrulline supplementation on exercise performance in humans: a review of the current literature. J Strength Cond Res. 2020;34(5):1480-1495.
4. Trexler ET, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: beta-alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:30.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, have a medical condition or take medication.