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Best Keto Pre-Workout 2024: 5 Choices For Maximizing Muscle Growth
Updated on
- Written by Karla Tafra, Nutritionist
Medically reviewed by
Kathy Shattler, MS, RDN
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Onnit Shroom Tech SPORT
- Helps the body with cellular energy
- Dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and contains no genetically modified organisms (GMO)
- Contains adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms
- Clinically-tested formula
Cellucor C4
- Named the number-one global pre-workout brand
- Affordable
- A variety of great flavors
Perfect Keto Perform
- Added medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
- Less caffeine than most pre-workouts
- Sugar-free and free of artificial ingredients
Pre-workouts are popular supplements that help increase your energy levels and improve your athletic performance. They are stimulants that are meant to give you a burst of energy for even the toughest workouts, promote fat burn, and give you that extra push when you need it the most.
There is something for everyone with a myriad of different types of pre-workouts on the market. Whether you’re vegan, a carnivore, or following a keto diet, you’ll be able to find a high-quality pre-workout supplement that will help you reach your fitness goals.
Best Keto Friendly Pre-Workout (April. 2024)
- Onnit Shroom Tech SPORT – Editor’s Choice
- Cellucor C4 – Best Flavors
- Perfect Keto Perform – Best Plant-Based
- RSP Nutrition AminoLean Pre-Workout – Best for Weight Management
- BPI Sports One More Rep – Best for Muscle Recovery
Best Keto Pre-Workout For Building Muscle In 2024
Onnit Shroom Tech SPORT
Onnit Shroom Tech SPORT is a superfood-powered keto-friendly pre-workout supplement designed to help your body with cellular energy and improve your training volume.
- Helps the body with cellular energy
- Dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and contains no genetically modified organisms (GMO)
- Contains adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms
- Clinically tested formula
- Expensive
- Contains dextrin and maltodextrin which are known to create digestive discomfort and allergic reactions in some people; it should also be used with caution in diabetics[1] due to its high glycemic index
Onnit Shroom Tech SPORT contains some powerful plant extracts that help boost your energy levels by literally increasing your adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. With clinical studies[2] to back up their claims, their formula helps improve your athletic performance, increase your endurance, and promote a higher training volume.
Onnit Shroom Tech SPORT contains powerful ingredients such as Cordyceps sinensis, Rhodiola, ashwagandha, green tea extract, and methyl B-12 which are studied[3] for their effect on one’s athletic performance, endurance, and energy levels.
Additionally, some of these ingredients such as ashwagandha and Rhodiola, are known as adaptogens, or compounds that help reduce inflammation, stress hormones, and stress-related damage. They also help improve your cardiorespiratory endurance[4] or VO2 Max.
Cellucor C4
A trusted supplement brand with one of their most popular products, Cellucor C4 provides a quick and efficient energy boost to help you increase your muscular endurance and help you take your workout to the next level.
- Named the number-one global pre-workout brand
- Affordable
- A variety of great flavors
- Contains artificial ingredients and sweeteners such as sucralose, which is known to create digestive discomfort[5] and hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar
- A high dose of caffeine might be harmful to those who are sensitive to caffeine
Cellucor C4 has been one of the most popular pre-workout supplements for almost a decade, with thousands of people naming it their favorite brand. Its formula is powerful and contains 150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, one gram (g) of creatine nitrate, 1.6 grams of beta-alanine, and a potent energy-boosting blend that helps increase your energy levels and maximize your time spent exercising.
It’s not the cleanest product on the market as it contains some artificial ingredients and sweeteners known to cause potential adverse health effects in some people. On the other hand, those who like it and report no digestive discomfort to speak of may think about choosing it as a pre-workout. Since it contains no sugar, it’s suited for those on a ketogenic and low-carb diet, helping you lose weight, burn fat, and maintain lean muscle mass.
Perfect Keto Perform
A clean and high-quality pre-workout that’s specifically made for those following a ketogenic diet to boost their energy levels and improve athletic performance.
- Added medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
- Less caffeine than most pre-workouts
- Sugar-free and free of artificial ingredients
- Expensive
- Not for those who want to train in a fasted state (contains 50 calories that will break your fast)
Perfect Keto Perform is a sugar-free and artificial ingredient-free keto pre-workout drink that provides you with a boost of energy when you most need it. Their formula is clean and contains all the ingredients to help you push through your workouts without elevating your blood sugar levels.
The pre-workout contains beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a molecule[6] that’s also known as a ketone body, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and creatine monohydrate, beta-alanine, L-citrulline, additional branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), natural caffeine, and stevia as a sweetener. All of these ingredients combined create a powerful energy response in your body, supplying you with fuel to increase your strain during your workouts and get one step closer to your fitness goals.
RSP Nutrition AminoLean Pre-Workout
An all-in-one pre-workout and energy solution, AminoLean helps increase performance and focus while giving you a boost of energy and replenishing you with essential amino acids. Their main target audience is women, but the product is suitable for everyone.
- All-in-one pre-workout and energy solution
- Zero calories, making it suitable for those who train in a fast state
- Contains five grams of essential amino acids
- Helps with weight management
- Contains maltodextrin, sucralose, and other artificial ingredients
RSP Nutrition AminoLean pre-workout has a powerful formula that combines various ingredients to help you push through your toughest workouts while helping with weight management and maximizing lean muscle mass with an essential amino acid blend.
The formula contains zero carbs, zero sugars, and zero calories, making it suitable even for those who practice intermittent fasting. The weight management part of the formula contains ingredients like green tea extract and green coffee bean extract, which increase your blood flow and help send oxygen into every muscle cell. This keto-friendly pre-workout powder is great for endurance exercise and muscle building.
It’s important to note that although the formula seems great, it does contain some artificial ingredients and sweeteners that might cause digestive distress or blood sugar problems, so pay attention to how you feel after drinking it.
BPI Sports One More Rep
A great blend of potent ingredients to fuel your workouts while increasing your blood circulation, protecting your heart, aiding your digestive system, and promoting enhanced recovery.
- Contains beetroot powder that causes increased blood flow and muscle-building
- Contains citrulline to promote recovery
- A combination of betaine and beetroot improves digestive health
- Contains maltodextrin, sucralose, and other artificial ingredients
BPI Sports is a renowned brand of supplements that creates high-quality products that leave people happy with their results. Their One More Rep pre-workout powder is a powerful blend of incredible ingredients that boost energy, improve your digestive health, and increase recovery.
The formula contains beetroot powder known to increase blood circulation and oxygen to the muscles, citrulline, which enhances recovery, and betaine, which in combination with the beetroot powder, supports digestive and heart health.
It’s one of the affordable keto-friendly pre-workouts, but it does contain some artificial sweeteners and ingredients that might cause digestive discomfort and potential blood sugar problems.
What Is Keto Pre-Workout?
A keto or ketogenic pre-workout supplement contains a low or zero-carbohydrate stimulant formula that provides you with a burst of energy while keeping your blood sugar low. Since there are no (or a negligent amount) carbs and sugars, your body doesn’t produce insulin[7] as a response, thus keeping your blood glucose levels in check.
When it comes to macronutrients and their roles in the human body, carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy and fuel. Once they’re not available, your body either creates glucose by breaking down protein or starts utilizing fat for fuel. The latter[8] is also known as a state of ketosis. Those following a ketogenic diet are always on the lookout for keto-friendly products and supplements as they still want to be able to use them without an insulin response.
Why Should You Take A Keto Pre-Workout Supplement?
First and foremost, taking a pre-workout supplement is not a requirement or something everyone should take. It’s a product that helps you maximize your fitness goals by providing you with an energy kick that can boost your performance and motivation, making you push harder during your workout sessions.
Additionally, you can always try to get an energy boost from keto-friendly foods before your workout and avoid the supplements altogether. Some people find that taking a pre-workout supplement is more convenient for their schedule and daily routine as they don’t have the time to make a keto pre-workout meal or even get a keto pre-workout snack, making a keto pre-workout supplement a perfect way to help them increase their endurance and work towards achieving their fitness goals.
Benefits Of Keto Pre-Workouts
Keto pre-workout supplements help provide you with additional energy without carbohydrates. Their formulas efficiently increase the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in your cells by utilizing fat for fuel and stimulating the use of ketones with powerful compounds such as caffeine, MCTs, and BHB.
Additionally, most of these keto-friendly pre-workout formulas contain other powerful ingredients such as branched-chain amino acids, beta-alanine, creatine, and adaptogens that can help increase muscular strength and performance, aid in fat burn and weight loss, as well as lower your stress hormones, and improve recovery post-workout sessions.
Choosing The Best Keto Pre-Workout
The best keto pre-workout supplements contain a powerful formula that will help you stay in ketosis while supplying you with the necessary energy boost to improve your exercise endurance and help you push through even the hardest workout routine.
When choosing the best pre-workout supplement, there are a few factors to consider:
- Zero or extremely low sugar – if you’re looking to stay in ketosis, it’s important to make sure your pre-workout is low in carbohydrates and sugars. If you can choose one that contains zero of both, that would be even more preferable.
- No artificial ingredients – to minimize the risk of any potential digestive issues or reactions, try to choose a pre-workout that does not contain any artificial ingredients, fillers, colors, or sweeteners
- Added BCAAs – pre-workout products that contain an additional amino acid blend that helps promote muscle growth and weight loss
- Other powerful ingredients – many pre-workout dietary supplements contain additional ingredients that can help reduce your inflammation, improve recovery, protect your digestive health, and increase exercise endurance
- No jittery side effects – if you’re sensitive to caffeine, look for those pre-workout products that don’t have high caffeine content. Limiting your caffeine intake will help prevent the jittery feelings[9] people sometimes get with pre-workouts.
The Bottom Line
Keto pre-workout supplements are great additions to your diet that help fuel your workouts and give you that extra energy boost when you need it the most without causing a sugar rush. Although they aren’t necessary for a good-quality workout, they are a great tool you can use when your motivation is low, and you feel like you need something to push you through your fitness routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, using keto pre-workout supplements is safe to consume, but those sensitive to caffeine or specific artificial sweeteners need to ensure they’re not overdoing it. Caffeine can cause jittery sensations, and artificial sweeteners can cause digestive discomfort.
No, pre-workout supplements, in general, do not contain a lot of calories, especially those with zero carbs and zero sugar.
Yes, especially if it contains added BCAAs that promote muscle growth and aid in recovery. The goal of a pre-workout supplement is to increase your fitness performance and help you build strength and endurance.
Ketogenic pre-workout supplements usually contain zero carbs or a very negligent amount which won’t kick you out of ketosis or even have the slightest impact on your blood sugar levels. Keto diets allow up to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day (equating to 200 calories), with most people consuming around 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The ketogenic diet is extremely low in carbs, which signals your body that it needs to start utilizing a different source for creating energy. The goal is to start using fat for fuel and therefore lose weight and body fat.
+ 9 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
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- Clinicaltrials.gov. (2023). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02383017
- De Bock, K., Eijnde, B. O., Ramaekers, M., & Hespel, P. (2004). Acute Rhodiola Rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performance. International journal of sports nutrition and exercise metabolism, 14(3), 298–307. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.14.3.298
- Shenoy, S., Chaskar, U., Sandhu, J. S., & Paadhi, M. M. (2012). Effects of eight-week supplementation of Ashwagandha on cardiorespiratory endurance in elite Indian cyclists. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 3(4), 209–214. https://doi.org/10.4103/0975-9476.104444
- Bian, X., Chi, L., Gao, B., Tu, P., Ru, H., & Lu, K. (2017). Gut Microbiome Response to Sucralose and Its Potential Role in Inducing Liver Inflammation in Mice. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 487. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00487
- Newman, J. C., & Verdin, E. (2017). β-Hydroxybutyrate: A Signaling Metabolite. Annual review of nutrition, 37, 51–76. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064916
- and, D. (2023). Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes. [online] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance#:~:text=When%20blood%20glucose%2C%20also%20called,it%20in%20the%20normal%20range.
- Paoli, A., Bosco, G., Camporesi, E. M., & Mangar, D. (2015). Ketosis, ketogenic diet and food intake control: a complex relationship. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 27. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00027
- Jagim, A. R., Camic, C. L., & Harty, P. S. (2019). Common Habits, Adverse Events, and Opinions Regarding Pre-Workout Supplement Use Among Regular Consumers. Nutrients, 11(4), 855. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040855
Written by:
Karla Tafra, Nutritionist
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
