Pre-workouts are a popular category of strength supplements. The goal of such a supplement is to give you a boost during your workout. However, new research questions this. We discuss three studies.

STUDY 1

A 2024 study compared three types of pre-workouts with a placebo drink of the same color and flavor. A group of 10 experienced female strength athletes completed a series of bench presses and leg presses to failure, after each consuming one of the following drinks:

• Caffeine only (6 mg/kg);
• A blend of typical pre-workout ingredients: 200 mg caffeine, 8 g citrulline malate, 4 g beta-alanine, 2.5 g betaine and some other substances;
• Half a scoop of the above pre-workout;
• A placebo.

The results: There were no significant differences in the number of repetitions they could do for either exercise with a pre-workout supplement compared to the placebo control.

The researchers concluded that “the results of the current study contradict the advertised and marketed ergogenic benefits of pre-workout supplements.”

STUDY 2

A recent study also examined the effectiveness of multi-ingredient pre-workouts. Forty-three middle-aged participants, both men and women, followed a six-week strength training program performed three times per week, each time full-body. They were given the following:

• A pre-workout or a carbohydrate-only drink;
• The pre-workout contained ingredients totaling 30 grams, namely: carbohydrates, proteins, 400 mg caffeine, 2.5 g citrulline malate, 2 g betaine and 1 g taurine;
• Both with the same taste, color and texture;
• Take 15 minutes before the start of training.

The results: Both groups saw more or less the same results in body mass, hip circumference, fat loss, lean muscle mass, and increases in muscle thickness in the biceps and quadriceps.

STUDY 3

An older study, from 2019, already examined the effects of a specific pre-workout, namely Bang Pre-Workout Master Blaster. Sixteen men participated in this study. They followed a four-week strength training program and were given either Bang or a placebo.

The results: no significant effects were observed on dietary intake, fat mass, or body fat percentage. The study did find a slightly higher increase in 1RM during squats in the group consuming Bang.

NOTES

Are pre-workouts inherently worthless? Not really. First of all, this only involves a handful of studies. Furthermore, whether a pre-workout actually “does” anything depends on its composition. And that’s often where it’s lacking, both in terms of the ingredients and the dosage. Sometimes, the exact dosage isn’t even listed on the label.

The ingredients in a pre-workout must have at least a somewhat proven positive effect on strength and/or endurance. Furthermore, that effect must be acute (meaning it must occur within about an hour), otherwise there’s no reason to take them immediately before training. Beta-alanine (recommended dose 4-6 g) and, to a lesser extent, betaine (2.5 g) do have scientifically proven small positive effects on training performance, but those effects are not acute: you can essentially take these supplements at any time of the day. Therefore, they don’t really belong in a pre-workout.

Ingredients that may also have a small, immediate positive effect on training include caffeine, citrulline malate, rhodiola rosea, taurine, and alpha-GPC. You can read more about this, and how to make your own pre-workout, in this article.

As mentioned, the amount often matters. The pre-workout in the second study in this article contained only 2.5 g of citrulline malate, while it should contain at least 6 to 8 g. Research into the ergogenic benefits of citrulline malate yields mixed results.

The caffeine in the first study apparently had no effect, not even the incredibly high dose of 6 mg/kg, but there’s a fair amount of research supporting caffeine’s stimulant properties. These may be primarily mental, though.

CONCLUSION

Pre-workout supplements are popular, but their effectiveness seems limited, especially when we zoom in on the ingredients.

Besides creatine, there aren’t many substances that can significantly enhance training performance in strength athletes. Research results for the handful of ingredients that could provide a small boost, such as caffeine and citrulline malate, are limited and variable. New studies show no effect whatsoever with these ingredients. And even if there is an effect, it’s small and may or may not be placebo-controlled. Finally, any potentially effective ingredients are often presented in doses that are too small.

In this article, we describe the ingredients that may have some effect as a pre-workout. These are: caffeine, citrulline malate, rhodiola rosea, taurine, and alpha-GPC. Creatine is not a pre-workout supplement because you don’t necessarily need to take it before training. As far as we know, there are no pre-workouts available on the Dutch and Belgian markets that contain all these ingredients, and even in the correct dosages. However, the ingredients in question are all available separately. Therefore, it’s best to make your own pre-workout, even if it’s a bit more expensive.

IF you even want a pre-workout. Strength supplements have traditionally been overhyped. The only supplement extensively researched and proven effective for strength/muscle growth is creatine. But even creatine supplementation isn’t essential for optimal results.