There is an increased level of excitement when purchasing a pre workout compared to other supplements. Every major brand has a pre workout supplement, if not multiple options. There’s just something fun about shopping for a new pre workout compared to protein, vitamins, or creatine.
With that said, there is a lot that goes into choosing the right product. Pre workouts range from about $30-50 or more, and you don’t want your money to go to waste. Many consumers simply can’t look at a product formulation and determine whether it is a good choice or not. They may have to rely on a store employee or customer reviews to decide; which isn’t always the greatest idea.
In an ideal scenario, you would have the autonomy to make an educated purchasing decision based on your own knowledge. You don’t have to have a grasp on every single ingredient to know if a specific pre workout is a good product or not.
Below are 5 guidelines to help choose the best pre workout possible, no matter the scenario. If you’re using the pre workout for a sport, for lifting weights, or if you’re on a budget, all the information provided is applicable.
Sometimes it’s better to gauge things by what you shouldn’t do rather than what you should. The list is written in terms of what things you should avoid when selecting a pre workout. Within each entry are additional suggestions on how to choose a quality product.
1. Proprietary Blends
A proprietary blend is a collection of ingredients listed on the label that do not specify the exact dosage for each one. It’s often listed as blend or even matrix if the manufacturer wants to be fancy.
The blend will list the total amount of all the ingredients, say 10 grams, but not the amount of each one. This is problematic in the sense that certain ingredients may fall short of what an efficacious dose will be. This practice is called pixie dusting, where ingredients will be part of a proprietary blend but the dose will be so small that it is virtually worthless.
Companies will do this to save money, as obviously a properly dosed pre workout would cost more to manufacture. They are banking on the idea that a consumer will recognize the ingredient, but not know what a proper amount is. They are also hoping that the consumer will simply assume that the proper amount is in there.
However, this would be a poor assumption for the consumer, as the whole point of using a proprietary blend is to save money for the supplement company. They can turn a much larger profit on a pre workout that costs $5 to manufacture instead of $15.
One thing to keep in mind is that a blend of ingredients has to be listed in order from highest concentration to lowest concentration. This applies to food and drinks as well. If you purchased a bottle of soda, the first ingredient would be water, since there is more water than any other ingredient. The last ingredient would likely be an artificial sweetener, as it doesn’t take much to flavor the product.
This knowledge is important when shopping for a pre workout. A proprietary blend isn’t automatically bad, it just isn’t ideal. If you know what to look for in the blend, it will help your decision making.
An immediate red flag is when the first ingredient of a proprietary blend is Taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that aids in hydration. It serves a mild function with relation to exercise but nothing too noticeable. The reason companies add Taurine to blends is because it is incredibly cheap. Those familiar with the amino acid spiking scandals with popular protein powders may be familiar with Taurine.
If you see a 5 gram proprietary blend that has Taurine listed first, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Taurine makes up 4 out of the 5 grams (or more).
Proprietary blends should be avoided if possible in all supplements; including amino acids, fat burners, and multivitamins.
2. Underdosed Ingredients
Going hand in hand with entry one is underdosed ingredients. This applies to both proprietary and non-proprietary blend formulations. With prop blends you don’t know exactly what is in the product but regular labels will transparently list each ingredient.
However, a transparent label does not mean it’s a good one. As mentioned, companies will often add but underdose ingredients that positively impact performance, but not in efficacious amounts.
Every ingredient needs to meet a certain threshold in order to increase performance. For example; 6 grams of citrulline, 5 grams of creatine, and 1-2 grams of carnitine are all efficacious doses. With that said, a consumer can’t be expected to memorize all of these numbers.
An excellent resource for supplement ingredients is Examine. Examine has a page for every ingredient with links to studies and a write up on what the ingredient does, what is an effective amount, etc.
The best part is that there isn’t any bias; it’s simply information based on studies performed on the supplement ingredient. If a supplement is lacking in studies overall then they will mention that as well.
3. High Stimulant, Low Performance Benefit
Pre workout supplements can be divided into two categories; high stimulant or performance enhancing. Rarely do you get both.
You can often determine what you’re buying by looking at the serving size of each scoop. Typically, a pre workout with a serving size of 5-10 grams falls into the high stimulant category. This is because stimulants like caffeine and yohimbine are measured in milligrams, as opposed to grams. It doesn’t take much in terms of volume to formulate a high stimulant pre workout.
This is not to say stimulants are bad; they provide an unquestionable function in terms of increasing energy. But a pre workout should be more than just stimulation. If it was just about increasing energy then you’d be better served financially by just downing some caffeine pills.
If you are going to fork over $40 on a pre workout, it should be a more comprehensive formula. Caffeine will certainly be included, but there should also be ingredients to delay fatigue, improve blood flow, and increase strength.
Ingredients that are backed by research and improve performance (assuming an adequate dose) include: L-Citrulline, Beta Alanine, L-Carnitine, Creatine, and Ashwagandha.
4. Cookie Cutter Formulations
As you become more familiar with pre workout formulations, you will begin to realize that most companies offer the same thing.
People often gravitate towards popular brands that they are familiar with, but one observation I’ve made recently is that smaller companies are more willing to be creative with their products.
These companies are usually not found in large supplement retailers like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or even Amazon. They are typically local companies found in neighborhood “mom-and-pop” style supplement stores.
It takes a lot for a large retailer to offer your product, so these companies try to increase word-of-mouth through independent supplement shops. As a result, they often offer more innovative products. Don’t let the fact that you don’t recognize a company’s name deter you from trying their products. In many cases, they can put together a formulation that exceeds more popular brands.
5. Non Certified Products
While the true Wild West days of supplementation are gone, there is still a level of non-regulation within the industry. Technically speaking, anyone can start a company and sell products without many barriers to overcome.
Because of this, it’s fairly common to find a product whose label does not match what’s really inside. The initial thought would be that you’re getting way less than expected, with companies cutting corners to save money. This is true, but the opposite can also occur, which is even more dangerous.
Sometimes supplements have far greater amounts than listed on the label. Consuming too much of a supplement or vitamin can lead to toxicity, and a slew of health problems.
In fairness to these companies, many of them do not make their products on site. They send the formulation to a separate manufacturer, have the products made, and then sent to their headquarters.
In addition, the ingredients may be sourced from a completely different location, often overseas, which are sent directly to the manufacturing company. Point is, when processes are out of your hands, there is opportunity for things to go wrong.
To circumvent this, try to purchase products that go through third party testing. Companies send batches of their own products to independent laboratories to go through testing. This ensures that the labels are accurate and that the product does not contain any illegal substances.
The NSF is an example of a testing company, and their label will appear on supplements that go through this testing process.