Boost workout performance, focus, and recovery without the caffeine crash.
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People who don’t take pre-workout assume it’s an energy drink on crack. Cringy visions of pulsing caffeine-hyped gym bros disproportionately amped for leg day, ego-lifting their way through bicep curls, and screaming their way to a bench press PR come to mind. Sure, pre-workout delivers on energy, but it can also boost workout performance (1, 2, 3, 4), enhance focus (5, 6, 7), and aid recovery (8, 9, 10). Not to mention, it delivers a pretty sweet muscle pump (11).
What do you do when you want those benefits, but don’t want to down a highly caffeinated pre-workout to get the job done? Non-stim pre-workout might be the answer. Non-stim pre-workouts put the performance-enhancing ingredients front and center, leaving caffeine and other iffy stimulants out of the equation.
So, if you’re searching for a non-stim pre-workout, look no further. We’ve rounded up seven of the best non-stim pre-workouts to try and detailed the active ingredients so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Transparent Lab’s subs in ten clinically-dosed ingredients to boost workout performance in place of caffeine. This certainly isn’t the cheapest option around, but it offers clean, high-quality, potent ingredients for the price. This stim-free formula contains L-citrulline to increase blood flow (10); betaine, beta-alanine, carnitine, and elevATP ancient peat and apple fruit extract to support performance (2, 3, 4, 12); and, taurine and BCAAs for better recovery (8, 10). You’ll also get a serious mental boost thanks to the addition of L-tyrosine and choline (5, 13). Choose from a wide range of flavors like Cherry Limeade, Peach Mango, Strawberry Lemonade, and Tropical Punch.
Active Ingredients:
Swolverine’s stim-free pre-workout may lack stimulants, but its ingredient profile has everything you need to crush your next gym session. It contains citrulline malate to increase blood flow (11); betaine, beta-alanine, and carnitine to help you push harder and longer (2, 3, 4); taurine for better recovery (10); and Eleuthero to keep you focused (14). This pre-workout powder also contains coconut water powder and pomegranate fruit powder for a hit of electrolytes to keep your muscles firing when you sweat. It only comes in one flavor: Mango Lemonade; which, according to reviewers tastes incredible.
Active Ingredients:
If you’re chasing gains, Transparent Labs Pump leans heavily on nitric-oxide-boosting ingredients L-citrulline, arginine, glutathione, and bioactive folate (11, 15, 16, 17). Increased nitric oxide levels support vasodilation (the relaxing and widening of blood vessels) and blood flow, rapidly driving nutrients and oxygen to your muscles during a workout. Bonus: the bigger your pump, the more muscle you can expect to build (18). Pump also contains betaine to boost strength and endurance, and reduce fatigue (3), and L-tyrosine to enhance focus and improve mood (5). Drink flavors include Blue Raspberry and Strawberry Lemonade.
Active Ingredients:
Look no further than Huge Supplements Pump Serum for vein-popping pumps. It’s formulated with a whopping 8,000mg of citrulline along with beetroot extract. Both of which elevate nitric oxide levels, thus relaxing blood vessels to make room for more blood—the key to a serious pump (19, 20). It’s also loaded up with a proprietary blend called GlycerPump™, which the brand claims boosts vascularity and performance. We don’t love proprietary blends because it’s tough to know exactly what you’re getting; but, if you’re hunting down a pump the other pump-inducing ingredients may still make this a worthy choice. The smart inclusion of BioPerine (or black pepper extract) makes it easier for your body to absorb all of the good stuff loaded into this blend. Choose between four bold flavors: Strawberry Mojito, Jungle Juice, Cherry Bomb, and Island Dream.
Active Ingredients:
When leg day hits you like a freight train, reach for this stim-free pre-workout for faster recovery. Following in the controversial footsteps of its creator, Joe Rogan (who takes his supplement stack very seriously), Onnit’s Total Strength + Performance is a compilation of proprietary blends, which means you can’t be sure how much of each active ingredient you’re getting. Despite this crucial flaw, we like that this blend prioritizes BCAA’s, glutamine, and beta-alanine for elevated performance and muscle recovery (2, 8, 9). It also contains a string of workout-enhancing ingredients which range from promising to iffy, but not dangerous. Try the Pink Grapefruit flavor for something sour, or Strawberry Lemonade if you’ve got a sweet tooth.
Active Ingredients:
For a decent hit of creatine that doesn’t sacrifice other potent ingredients, make KAGED Pre-Kaged Stim-Free your go-to. This pre-workout is packed with so many ingredients they categorize them into different buckets. All in, you can expect faster muscle recovery (1, 8, 10), better workout performance (2, 3), increased blood flow (11), and improved focus (7). Each serving provides a hit of electrolytes and vitamins B12, B5, and B6, which your body needs to make energy (21). Pick up a tub of Fruit Punch or Cherry.
Active Ingredients:
Ingredient-minded individuals, Gainful is the non-stim pre-workout for you. By taking Gainful’s quiz, you can create a scientifically adjusted formula that varies levels of caffeine, and creatine to your needs. The base formula contains BCAAs, beta-alanine, L-citrulline, leucine, and L-theanine based on your customized inputs like height, weight, gender, and activity level. Gainful comes in two yummy flavors: sour watermelon or lemonade. The only downside is it is subscription-based, but if you aren’t a fan you can cancel at any time.
Active Ingredients:
Optional Ingredients:
What the heck is in your non-stim pre-workout? We get it, the supplement industry is unregulated and sketchy. Here, the most common ingredients to look for on the label and the effective doses to get the most bang for your buck.
| Ingredient | Effects | Clinically Effective Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Arginine | An amino acid that promotes nitric oxide production in the body (22) and may boost aerobic and anaerobic performance (17). | 6-30 grams (6,000 to 30,000mg) per day (23) |
| BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine) | May reduce muscle damage associated with endurance exercise and fill in nutrient gaps in diets lacking meat and dairy (8, 24). | Provided in a 2:1:1 ratio at no more than 20 grams combined per day |
| Beta-Alanine | Buffers and reduces lactic acid build-up in muscles during intense exercise to improve endurance and performance (2). Responsible for the tingling, itchy sensation some people hate. | 4-6 grams (4,000mg to 6,000mg) per day (25) |
| Betaine | A modified amino acid derived from choline that may enhance exercise performance in protocols that challenge muscular endurance with high levels of metabolic stress (3, 26). | 3 grams taken two times per day with meals (27) |
| BioPerine (Black Pepper Extract) | Boost bioavailability—your body’s ability to absorb—of the other nutrients in your pre-workout supplement (28). | There is no clinically recommended dose, but 5mg is reported as safe for consumption by several studies (28) |
| Citrulline malate | Increases muscular endurance, improves aerobic capacity, and reduces muscle soreness (29). | 6-8 grams (6,000 to 8,000mg) taken before exercise (29) |
| Creatine | Increases muscle size and strength, speeds up recovery time by mitigating muscle damage, and boosts cognitive health (1). | 3-5 grams (3,000 to 5,000mg) per day (30) |
| L-Carnitine | May increase power output and VO2 max, and reduce cellular damage and muscle soreness to help you recover faster (4), but research is mixed. | Does not have an upper intake limit, although doses over 3 grams (3,000mg) per day have been linked to nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea (31). |
| L-Citrulline | Increases oxygen and nutrients to muscles, improves performance, and enhances recovery (11). | 3-6 grams (3,000-6,000mg) per day (32) |
| Taurine | Taurine has powerful antioxidant capacities (33) which may decrease DNA damage from exercise (10), improve endurance, boost peak power generation, maintain electrolyte balance, and improve recovery (34). | .5-6 grams (500 to 6,000mg) per day (10) |
| L-Tyrosine | A precursor to the feel-good hormone dopamine, that may improve feelings of well-being and reduce fatigue (5). | 100-300mg per kg of body weight per day |
You’ve got questions about non-stim pre-workout, we’ve got answers.
Yep. Just make sure the one you choose is formulated with the correct ingredients and dosages to improve your specific workout goals. For example, if you’re an athlete, you’ll want to look for a pre-workout option free of creatine since it isn’t prohibited for use in college or pro sports, and will show up on a drug test.
One of the main lures of non-stim pre-workout is that it doesn’t contain caffeine or any other stimulant ingredients that may cue jitters, GI issues, headaches, and insomnia. However, they may still contain beta-alanine, which is responsible for tingling, itchy skin. If you’re not a fan, look for formulations without it like Huge Supplements Pump Serum and .
A pre-workout is considered non-stim when it’s void of stimulants like caffeine, dicaffeine malate, theobromine, and yohimbine. But it does still contain ingredients that give you a natural lift in energy like amino acids and B vitamins.
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