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5 Best Tasting Pre-Workout Supplements in 2023
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- Written by Blanca Garcia, RDN
Medically reviewed by
Kathy Shattler, MS, RDN
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Transparent Labs BULK
- Natural sweetener
- Gluten-Free, non-GMO
- No artificial preservatives
Gorilla Mode
- Amino acids that increase nitric oxide levels
- Pure L-citrulline
- High-caffeine content
Cellucor C4 Extreme Energy Pre-workout
- No artificial dyes or flavors
- Transparent labels
- Extra nitric oxide support
Best tasting pre-workout supplements have been flavored for fitness goals. Besides, you want to aid in eating well and sleeping well. Still, you won’t always feel 100% for a workout. Pre-workouts can be an alternative to get you started. Or professional athletes at higher levels of fitness need extra stimulants to push through a long or strenuous workout.
Either way, the pre-workout is used; there are a variety of pre-workouts with an array of ingredients and flavor options to suit any need. Pre-workouts can be as simple as coffee or as complex as a formulated pre-workout powder.
The reality is that to start a workout regimen; you need to be fueled and rested. How you get there is up to you, carbohydrates aren’t the only nutrients that can help improve performance; the ingredients found in pre-workouts can help a person get through a workout[1]. Any pre-workout can do the job, but it helps to be a good-tasting pre-workout supplement.
Read on for the five best tasting pre-workout supplements in 2022.
Best Tasting Pre-Workout on the market in (March. 2023)
- Transparent Labs BULK – Best Potency
- Alani Nu Pre-Workout – Best Value
- Optimum Nutrition – Best Tasting Flavors
- Gorilla Mode – Editor’s Choice
- Cellucor C4 Extreme Energy Pre-workout – Most Potency
The Line Up At A Glance
Editor’s Choice
Transparent Labs BULK
- Natural sweetener
- Gluten-Free, non-GMO
- No artificial preservatives
Best for a Variety of Flavors
Alani Nu Pre-Workout
- Simple ingredients
- Naturally flavored
- Variety of flavors
Best Value
Optimum Nutrition
- Quick dissolving
- Can be used as early as 15 minutes pre-workout
- Additional vitamins and minerals
Best High-End
Gorilla Mode
- Amino acids that increase nitric oxide levels
- Pure L-citrulline
- High-caffeine content
Best Natural ingredients
Cellucor C4 Extreme Energy Pre-workout
- No artificial dyes or flavors
- Transparent labels
- Extra nitric oxide support
5 Best Tasting Pre-Workout in 2023
Transparent Labs BULK
Transparent Labs is the top choice for not using artificial sweeteners and no artificial preservatives.
- Natural sweetener
- Gluten-Free, free of ingredients made with genetically modified organisms (non-GMO)
- No artificial preservatives
- Complicated return policy
If you are looking for the best pre-workout that is natural, the Transparent Labs BULK pre-workout supplement is it. Unlike other pre-workout supplements, it uses a natural sweetener, stevia from the Stevia Rebaudiana plant. Its ingredients are gluten-free and non-GMO with no artificial additives. It comes with a blend of amino acids, B vitamins, minerals, branched-chained amino acids (BCAAs), and caffeine.
It features a formula that does not give jitters or a crash after workouts. It also has a variety of flavors, eight to be precise. The available flavors are lemon-lime, watermelon, sour grape, green apple, orange, blue raspberry, strawberry lemonade, and tropical punch.
Its focus is on athletes and gym-goers that want muscle growth.
The recommended dosage for this pre-workout is to test your tolerance with ½ scoop with 8-10 ounces of water about 20-30 minutes before your workout. It’s recommended that you don’t exceed two scoops per day.
Quality ingredients make this pre-workout high in price compared to others, with a 60-day money-back guarantee with a limited return policy. You can use this product alone or alongside other products.
Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout
Gorilla Mode Pre-workout has carefully chosen ingredients that optimize energy with none of the itchy symptoms.
- Amino acids that increase nitric oxide levels
- Pure L-citrulline
- High-caffeine content
- Gritty taste if not shaken well
- Artificial sweeteners
Gorilla Mode Pre-workout was carefully crafted, and the website goes in-depth about each ingredient and why it was chosen. Gorilla Mode is the only pre-workout that provides L-citrulline without malate (malic acid) to boost nitric oxide, which helps increase the opening of blood vessels to enhance energy and blood flow. There is research on supplementing with L-citrulline and L-citrulline malate and the benefits of boosting nitric oxide levels[2]. Still, Gorilla Mode has chosen to provide L-citrulline and malic acid separately to clarify the amount that is included in each. They express concern that the way the supplement industry adds L-citrulline malate may just be mixed in together rather than bonded together. But, there is no way of truly knowing how each supplement company does this. Also, they claim that this can potentially hide the ratio of L-citrulline and malic acid and reduce the potential benefits of L-citrulline. What is true is that L-citrulline increases performance in smaller doses than L-citrulline malate and causes a greater boost in nitric oxide levels along with waste removal from the muscles such as lactic acid and ammonia[3].
You can get a variety of best-tasting Gorilla Mode pre-workout flavors such as
- Firefly lemonade (sour and sweet lemonade)
- Fruit punch
- Mojo mojito
- Volcano burst (orange, pineapple, mango)
- Mango peach
- Tigers blood (coconut, watermelon, strawberry)
- Bombsicle (cherry lime and blue raspberry)
- Cherry blackout (black cherry)
- Mouth-watering watermelon (sweet watermelon)
- Jungle juice (coconut, pineapple, mango)
- Lemon-lime
This product helps to increase focus and drive and facilitates endurance and power. The recommended dosage is 1-2 scoops in 12-14 ounces of water, and shake well. If you are sensitive to stimulants, it’s recommended that you start with ½ scoop first and work your way up to no more than two scoops per day. You can buy one tub or three tubs for a discount. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, but the product must be returned unused and sealed.
Cellucor C4 Extreme Pre-Workout
C4 extreme has no artificial presence of dyes and flavors; Its transparent supplement labels include explosive energy and muscular endurance ingredients.
- No artificial dyes or flavors
- Transparent labels
- Extra nitric oxide support
- NSF certified for sport
- Tingling sensation
- Artificial sweeteners
Cellucor gives you the C4 extreme to give you explosive energy, performance, and mental focus. The first product in the project is a clear evolution platform, which means clean, clear, and evolving products. No artificial dyes or flavors, no calories, no sugar, and no carbs, with no proprietary blends and innovative ingredients.
This pre-workout formula features the bonding of citrulline and nitrates to support improved nitric oxide through two different pathways. Also, its patented beta-alanine is added to fight fatigue and improve endurance.
Unfortunately, despite the other wonderful ingredients, it does have artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K). Sucralose has been shown to adversely affect gut bacteria thus[3] affecting digestion. It also raises blood sugar if taken in conjunction with carbohydrates. It is considered a controversial ingredient because while it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it has documentation of adverse effects in some people.
Ace-K contains the carcinogen methylene chloride[4]. It has been reported to cause headaches, depression, nausea, liver disturbances, kidney effects, mental confusion, visual defects, and even cancer.
You can get this pre-workout in delicious flavors like sour batch bros, icy blue razz, fruit punch, watermelon, and ultra frost. The recommended dose is one scoop with six ounces of water 20-30 minutes before working out. You can purchase one time or subscribe and save 30% on your first order and 20% recurring. This product comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and provides options for a replacement product.
Alani Nu Pre-Workout
For energy and endurance that comes with caffeine and amino acids. A gluten-free and sugar-free pre-workout.
- Minimal ingredients
- Naturally flavored
- Variety of flavors
- Tingling sensation
- Artificial sweeteners
- It may cause a headache during the first week
Alani Nu’s Pre-workout helps level up a workout with caffeine and amino acids to keep you from crashing. This is an energy-boosting pre-workout that supports exercise endurance and cognitive health.
This is another pre-workout that includes sucralose and Ace-K with the same effects as mentioned previously. This is unfortunate when monk fruit and stevia exist as safer alternatives.
It comes in various tasty flavors; some flavors are island crush, breeze berry, mimosa, galaxy lemonade, and carnival candy grape. The recommended dosage is ½ scoop in six ounces of water until tolerance is established; one scoop can be used once established.
Because of its caffeine content of 200 mg per serving, don’t consume more than once serving over 3-4 hours or take it late in the day. You can make a one-time purchase or subscribe and save for a 5% discount. It’s available on the product’s website, Amazon, and other retailers. It comes with a 30-day return policy for store credit, equal to the cost of the product.
Optimum Nutrition
A pre-workout that helps with energy and focus, using caffeine from natural sources.
- Quick dissolving
- Can be used as early as 15 minutes pre-workout
- Additional vitamins and minerals
- Artificial flavors
- Artificial sweeteners
Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Pre-Workout combines caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine monohydrate for energy, focus, increased performance, and endurance. It comes with flavor options like blueberry lemonade, fruit punch, green apple, and watermelon.
This pre-workout is easy to use; it’s quick to dissolve and is the only one on this list that can be taken 15 minutes before a workout. So if you are in a hurry to get started with a workout, this one can get you going faster. It also comes with extra vitamins and minerals to optimize energy and performance.
The controversial ingredients sucralose and Ace-K are also present in this pre-workout. Again, this comes with the effects mentioned above and precautions.
The recommended dosage is one scoop into six to eight ounces of cold water and shakes for 30 seconds until fully dissolved; take 15-30 minutes before exercise. You can buy it on its own for a reasonable price or sign up for the newsletter for a 15% discount on the first purchase. With a 30-day money-back guarantee as long as it’s purchased through the website and more than 75% of the product is still unused.
What To Look For In A Good Tasting Pre-Workout?
Finding the best tasting pre-workout can take some time to figure out. Not everyone is a big fan of powdered drinks and less so of artificial flavors. But some quick tips that can help you is first to read the label. The label can tell you a lot; the first thing is they all have some sweetener, the number of ingredients can affect flavor, the flavor can be from a natural source or artificially flavored.
The use of a natural sweetener like stevia or artificial sweeteners like sucralose or acesulfame potassium can make a difference in taste and physiological side effects. Some people don’t notice the difference in taste or experience negative side effects, but you may, and knowing beforehand how the pre-workout is sweetened can help you figure out if this is the product for you.
Also, you can find a pre-workout flavor to choose from. It will all depend on what calls your attention, and even then, tasting pre-workout supplements to find the right one can take a few tries. Lastly, reading reviews from different websites of the product and the flavors can tell you a lot and prevent disappointment.
How To Choose The Best Tasting Pre-Workout?
Although taste is important to keep you on the pre-workout routine, you first need to find a good pre-workout supplement that meets your specific needs. Possibly one that provides the ingredients that you are looking for and the benefits you want.
The most common pre-workout ingredients in a pre-workout product are
-Branched-chained amino acids (BCAAs) -Which increase muscle building and reduce tiredness
-B Vitamins-Energy production and its efficient use in the body
-Caffeine-Increased activity
-Creatine Monohydrate-Increased muscle power and performance
-Taurine-fat burning, reduce oxidative stress
-Nitrogen Dioxide boosters-Better blood flow for efficient nutrient uptake
Many pre-workout supplements have the ingredients mentioned above in varying amounts. The reality is that it’s up to you.
Things that can be important to you may not be so for others. When choosing your first or next tub of pre-workout, you can ask yourself, is it a natural pre-workout, stimulant-free pre-workout, natural flavors, or do you want it to taste good. Caffeine is a stimulant that has been shown to help with the improvement of cognition and improved performance in a tired person[5]. But a large amount of caffeine can negatively affect how you feel if you are sensitive to it. Heavy ingredients can make the consistency gritty or chalky.
Final Thought
Choosing a pre-workout should not be your first option; making sure you get enough sleep, food, and rest between workouts can help you feel energized, focused, and strong. Also, regularly eating pre and post-workouts can help you get those nutrients needed for the strain you will put on your body. The ingredients commonly found in a pre-workout can naturally be found in foods, and that should be your first source.
Caring for your overall health can keep you energized and feeling strong. If you don’t feel 100% or want to get through strenuous workouts, using a pre-workout supplement can be helpful. Take into account that most pre-workout supplements are stimulants, and understanding your level of sensitivity to stimulants can affect how you feel during workouts.
Pre-workouts are generally safe to consume, yet side effects can be itchy from beta-alanine or over jitteriness from high caffeine content. You can find pre-workouts with no beta-alanine added or a low dose. You can choose a pre-workout with a low dose of caffeine intake; keep in mind the maximum amount of caffeine to be no more than its upper limit of 400 mg per day[6].
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can take pre-workout and post-workout supplements.
Pre-workout manufacturers recommend against combining two pre-workouts. Pre-workouts may include stimulant ingredients that, when combined, can cause side effects.
Most pre-workouts contain caffeine, and drinking coffee may increase caffeine to uncomfortable levels that may cause side effects. You may want to try a caffeine-free pre-workout.
The recommended upper limit for caffeine is 400 mg per day. Most pre-workouts are between 150 mg- 375 mg, and 400 mg of coffee equals about 2-3 cups of coffee per day[6].
You can, but after a few weeks, it’s recommended to cycle off to prevent tolerance build-up.
Side effects can be feelings of jitters, itchiness, nervousness, an upset stomach, and interrupted sleep, especially if the pre-workout is taken after 3 pm[1]. Side effects from the controversial ingredients may be experienced.
You can take the pre-workout 30 minutes before a workout, or if you want to extend a workout, you can hold off until you are further along in your workout. Make sure to read the label for instructions.
No, pre-workout products are not mandated to be third-party tested. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the supplement industry; therefore, it’s up to the company to make sure they include the ingredients they claim to include.
+ 6 sources
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- Smith, A.E., Fukuda, D.H., Kendall, K.L. and Stout, J.R. (2010). The effects of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, creatine, and amino acids during three weeks of high-intensity exercise on aerobic and anaerobic performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, [online] 7(1), pp.1–11. Available at: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-7-10
- Gonzalez, A. M., & Trexler, E. T. (2020). Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(5), 1480–1495. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000003426
- gilmerm (2021). Is Sucralose (Splenda) Bad for You? [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-sucralose-splenda-bad-for-you/
- Kovacs, B. (2020). Artificial Sweeteners Side Effects and Chart. [online] MedicineNet. Available at: https://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm
- Nehlig, A. (2010). Is Caffeine a Cognitive Enhancer? Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, [online] 20(s1), pp.S85–S94. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20182035/
- Nawrot, P., Jordan, S., Eastwood, J., Rotstein, J., Hugenholtz, A. and Feeley, M. (2003). Effects of caffeine on human health. Food Additives and Contaminants. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark-Feeley/publication/10957470_Effect_of_caffeine_on_human_health/links/09e41508e60e522c2a000000/Effect-of-caffeine-on-human-health.pdf
Written by:
Blanca Garcia, RDN
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
