Pre-Workout: What’s Worth It
Most pre-workouts are a few evidence-backed ingredients plus a "proprietary blend" that hides how little of each you’re getting. The good news: the ingredients that actually work are well known and cheap. Here’s what to look for, the clinical doses that matter (where most products under-dose), and why building your own beats a hidden-dose tub.
Last reviewed Jun 24, 2026 · Evidence-based — every ingredient links to its underlying studies.
- Check for clinical doses (not just a "blend" total)
- Caffeine + citrulline + beta-alanine + creatine are the core
- Build your own to hit real doses for less
- Trust proprietary blends that hide per-ingredient amounts
- Pay for under-dosed "fairy-dusted" extras
- Take caffeine pre-workout late in the day (wrecks sleep)
Key point: A handful of ingredients work at specific doses; the rest is filler. The label trick is the hidden-dose "proprietary blend."
What works — at what dose
- 9.5Caffeine— ~3–6 mg/kg ~45–60 min before — the most reliable performance booster; don’t take it late in the day, and go easy if you’re sensitive or have high blood pressure/arrhythmia
- 9.5Creatine— 3–5 g/day (timing doesn’t matter — it works by saturation, so daily > pre-workout-only)
- 6L-citrulline— 6–8 g (or citrulline malate ~8 g) for blood flow/pump and reps — most blends under-dose this badly
- 7.5Beta-alanine— ~3.2–6.4 g/day for muscular endurance on longer sets — it’s a daily-loaded ingredient (works by building muscle carnosine over weeks), not an acute pre-workout hit; the tingle ("paresthesia") is harmless
- 7.5Beetroot / nitrate— Endurance/blood-flow benefit, mainly for aerobic work; ~5–9 mmol nitrate ~2–3h before
- 7.5Taurine— Small ergogenic signal; commonly included, modest evidence
- 6Tyrosine— May help under stress/fatigue/sleep-deprivation; not a core performance ingredient
- Proprietary "blends" (hidden doses)— If the label doesn’t list per-ingredient amounts, assume the active ones are under-dosed
- BCAAs / exotic "pump" extras— Redundant if you eat enough protein; many added ingredients are fairy-dusted
The proprietary-blend trick
The core pre-workout ingredients have specific doses that produced the results in studies: citrulline at 6–8 g, beta-alanine at 3.2+ g, caffeine at 3–6 mg/kg, creatine at 3–5 g daily. The problem is the "proprietary blend" label, which lists ingredients but not amounts — so a tub can claim citrulline and beta-alanine while including a fraction of the effective dose ("fairy dusting"). Either buy products that disclose per-ingredient doses, or build your own from bulk caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and creatine for a fraction of the price and full clinical doses. And keep caffeine to earlier in the day — a late-afternoon pre-workout can wreck your sleep.
Sources & further reading
Common questions
What pre-workout ingredients actually work?
Caffeine (3–6 mg/kg), L-citrulline (6–8 g), beta-alanine (3.2+ g/day), and creatine (3–5 g/day) are the evidence-backed core. Beetroot/nitrate helps endurance. Most other ingredients are filler or under-dosed.
Why does my pre-workout list citrulline but I feel nothing?
Almost certainly under-dosing. Citrulline needs ~6–8 g and beta-alanine ~3.2 g to work, but "proprietary blends" hide amounts and often include a fraction of that. Buy disclosed doses or build your own.
Is the tingling from beta-alanine bad?
No — that’s harmless paresthesia from beta-alanine, not a problem. You can reduce it by splitting the dose through the day (it works by accumulating over weeks, not acutely).
Should I just make my own?
Often yes — bulk caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and creatine let you hit full clinical doses for far less than a hidden-blend tub. Just keep caffeine away from the evening.
Educational guidance, not medical advice. Evidence and safety details for each option live on its individual page; see a clinician for prescription treatments or persistent problems.
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