We searched the internet to gather as many pre-workout supplements as possible for this analysis. Initially, we started with around 165 products but narrowed the list down to 150, excluding those with poor or missing labeling on websites and removing all non-stimulant options. We won’t be releasing the full list of brands included in this analysis, but it features products from both well-known and lesser-known brands to get a good idea what the industry is doing.

As a friendly reminder, please review your labels before purchasing any dietary supplement.

• What Is Pre-Workout
• Average Cost Per Product
• Average Ingredients Per Product
• Average Caffeine Content
• Creatine Monohydrate Usage Rate
• Product Certifications
• Natural vs. Artificial Flavorings
• Sweetening Agents
• Proprietary Blends
• Peak Aminos Forge Pre-Workout

Pre-workout is a type of dietary supplement commonly taken before exercise to enhance physical performance. These products are typically designed to help individuals get the most out of their workouts by boosting energy, focus, endurance, and strength. Pre-workouts generally come in powdered form, which is mixed with water and consumed 15-30 minutes before your exercise of choice.

On average, pre-workout supplements cost around $46.22, with an average serving size of 24.65 servings per container. With an average cost per serving of $1.98 (low of $0.80 and high of $3.25 per serving), pre-workouts are an affordable option for those looking to boost their performance during workouts. While prices can vary depending on the brand, ingredients, and formulation, this average gives consumers a rough estimate of what to expect when purchasing a pre-workout supplement.

Pre-workout supplements typically contain a blend of ingredients designed to boost energy, endurance, focus, and performance. Common ingredients include caffeine, beta-alanine, creatine, and citrulline among others. On average, pre-workout supplements contain about 12.7 ingredients, with some products featuring as few as 4, while others can have as many as 88 ingredients in a single formulation.

• Typically when you see a formulation on the higher end of the ingredient scale…it means they’re throwing in a lot of mushroom and fruit extracts inside a proprietary blend.
• On the other hand, products that are using the low end of the ingredient scale seem to be 50/50 at best when it comes to proper dosing of ingredients for exercise performance.

Caffeine is a key factor driving consumer purchases of pre-workout supplements, as it is a potent stimulant that boosts energy, focus, and mental alertness during exercise. As the most widely used stimulant globally, caffeine is well-known for its ability to increase adrenaline levels, enhance endurance, and decrease the perception of effort, enabling individuals to push harder and perform better in their workouts. Across the list of pre-workout supplements we’ve analyzed, there was an average caffeine content of 300mg per serving with a high of 600mg and low of 100mg per serving.

• As a comparison, an 8oz black cup of coffee contains around 90mg of caffeine while tea is around 55mg.

Creatine monohydrate is a popular dietary supplement used primarily by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to enhance performance during high-intensity, short-duration activities, such as weightlifting, sprinting, and powerlifting. It’s one of the most researched and scientifically supported supplements in the sports nutrition industry.

• Saying that, only 29.4% of all pre-workout supplements use creatine monohydrate in their formulations.

In our opinion, all serious pre-workout supplements should at the very least provide 5g per serving of creatine monohydrate.

Banned substance testing is crucial for dietary supplements because it helps ensure the safety, integrity, and transparency of the products being consumed by athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Many professional sports organizations, such as the NCAA, NFL, and Olympic committees, have strict rules regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and banned substances. If a supplement contains even trace amounts of these substances, it could lead to an athlete testing positive for doping, resulting in suspensions, fines, or career-ending consequences.

When it comes to the flavoring of pre-workout supplements, the majority of products on the market blend both natural and artificial ingredients to create their taste profiles. Specifically, 66.7% of pre-workouts incorporated a combination of natural and artificial flavors, balancing taste and cost-effectiveness. A smaller segment, 32.4%, opted for entirely natural flavors, catering to consumers seeking a cleaner flavor profile. Only 0.9% of pre-workouts rely solely on artificial flavors, typically in an effort to achieve more cost-effective flavoring without the use of natural alternatives.

• There was only one(1) product in our dataset that made up the 0.9% that only used artificial flavoring.

Sucralose stands out as the most widely used sweetener in pre-workout supplements, with an impressive 94.1% of products incorporating it to enhance taste without adding significant calories. Interestingly, sucralose is almost always paired with Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K), another high-intensity (artificial) sweetener to help combat lingering aftertastes from sucralose itself.

• Sucralose by itself was used in 29.2% of pre-workout supplements in our dataset.
• Stevia was used in just 4.4% of pre-workout supplements.
• Monk fruit was used in just 1.5% of pre-workout supplements.

A proprietary blend is a combination of ingredients found in dietary supplements, such as pre-workouts, protein powders, and other nutritional products, where the exact amounts or ratios of each ingredient are not disclosed to the consumer. Instead, the label lists the total weight of the blend along with the names of the included ingredients, but without specifying how much of each ingredient is present.

• In our dataset, 24.3% of pre-workout supplements featured a proprietary blend on their label.

We strongly advise consumers to avoid products with proprietary blends, as they are typically the least transparent and most consumer-unfriendly. With a proprietary blend, you have no way of knowing the exact dosage of each ingredient in the product.

• In many cases, these supplements are underdosed and fail to provide effective support for exercise performance.
• Products with proprietary blends are more likely to contain controversial or even FDA-banned stimulants, such as DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) and DMHA (dimethylhexylamine).

Our Forge pre-workout formulation is a modernized pre-workout supplement that takes a more consumer friendly approach to supporting athletic and exercise performance. Unlike traditional pre-workout supplements that focus solely on high stimulant dosage, Peak Aminos Forge combines a balanced blend of clinically studied ingredients and dosages to support improved exercise performance.

Pros:

• 30% cheaper on average than other similar premium pre-workouts
• Clinically supported and dosed ingredients for exercise performance
• The best natural mixed berry flavor on the market

Cons:

• Only one flavor with 3 more in research and development
• Not currently banned substance certified