I’ve tried quite a few pre workout boosters and they come in multiple forms. From pills to powders, there’s always something on the market to help keep you healthy and fit. But sometimes it takes trial and error to learn whats best for you. Out of everything I’ve tried so far, there have only been a handful of items that have worked for me. Here’s my take on the 5 best caffeine free workout supplements. Hopefully this can help you in your fitness journey.
Here are the best caffeine-free pre-workouts we’ll be reviewing:
- PUMPSURGE Caffeine-Free Pump & Nootropic Pre Workout Supplement
- Genius Pre Workout Powder – All Natural Nootropic Preworkout & Caffeine Free Nitric Oxide Booster
- Legion Pulse, Best Caffeine Free Natural Pre Workout Supplement for Women and Men
- BSN N.O.-XPLODE Pre-Workout Supplement with Creatine
- PEScience High Volume Caffeine Free Pre Workout
What is Pre Workout?
Pre workout is a supplement that increases physical performance if taken before exercise. They come in the form of pills, beverages, and powders you can mix into drinks. They tend to have a common list of ingredients in order to boost energy levels: caffeine, carbohydrates, amino acids, and vitamins.
Among those ingredients, caffeine and beta alanine are the two used to increase energy levels and endurance respectively.
Caffeine works to increase energy levels by stimulating your brain. Beta alanine is an amino acid that works to prevent the buildup of lactic acid once digested and broken down into other components. Lactic acid buildup happens primarily during exercise and causes muscle fatigue. With beta alinine acting as a buffer to that, you can exercise just that much longer.
What Are The Benefits of Pre Workout?
Taking pre workout won’t turn you into some synthetically enhanced super-soldier, but it can help you train longer and harder during your exercise regimens. The primary benefits of taking pre workout supplements are higher energy levels, increased endurance, blood flow, and strengthened work capacity.
These biological tweaks can do a lot for you health wise. If you can train harder in the gym or in the field, then reach your fitness goals that much more easily. Although every fitness company has it’s own formula, there are commonly used ingredients with each serving a specific purpose:
Caffeine
Caffeine gives you an energy rush and can even improve the duration of your exercises. It works because it’s a stimulant that momentarily keeps your brain from responding to a neurotransmitter responsible for reducing wakefulness (Adenosine).
Beta-Alanine
Beta-Alanine works to reduce the muscle fatigue experienced in most moderate-intense forms of training. As a result, it can help you train longer than normal.
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine acts to boost dopamine and noradrenaline levels during times of acute stress. This in turn helps to elevate mood and cognition during your workouts.
Creatine Nitrate
Creatine helps to regenerate the molecules responsible for providing energy to your cells (ATP). Supplementation over time helps your muscled to deplete energy reserves a lot faster.
Arginine
The main benefit from Arginine is that it improves blood flow and circulation. This is useful because it gets more oxygen and nutrients to your cells at the most crucial moments in your training.
Betaine
Betaine encourages growth of new muscle fibers through protein synthesis. Studies have also shown betaine to have positive effects on fat loss and body composition.
What’s The Best Way to Use Pre Workout?
You would think taking a pre workout supplement is as easy as 1-2-3, but it’s not that simple. There’s one major factor to take into consideration before taking in your training booster; Timing. Timing is everything when it comes to supplements of any kind.
Pre workout is no different! The ingredients need time to be absorbed into the blood stream before they can take full effect. Most pre workouts take approximately 30-45 minutes before they’re digested and ready to work for you. Take it too early, and the effects won’t last for the entire gym session. Take it too late, and the start of your training may seem like an uphill climb.
The best way to prep for your routine is to take your pre workout 30 minutes to an hour beforehand. This way, you’ll get full benefits during your entire session.
Why Take Caffeine Free Pre Workout?
Despite being able to increase energy levels and endurance for your fitness regimen, there is a slight drawback for those who are sensitive to stimulants.
The primary suspect in question is caffeine. Caffeine can cause a myriad of side effects in those sensitive to it, and even in those that aren’t. The safe daily limit for the average adult is around 400 mg, however, most stimulant based pre workout supplements contain on average 150-300 mg per serving.
This means that you’ll come closer to that limit in a shorter period of time, and if you drink coffee outside of the gym that would put you at a higher risk for experiencing caffeine’s daunting side effects:
Jitters
Caffeine can cause excessive shakiness and restlessness.
Restlessness
Excessive intake can cause restlessness.
Increased Heart Rate
Caffeine increases your heart rate naturally and can cause dramatic increases in large doses.
Insomnia
The stimulant effects of caffeine last for hours so it has a potential to interrupt sleep cycles if taken too late in the day.
Dehydration
Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it causes you to relieve water from the body. This can cause dehydration, especially if you aren’t increasing your water intake.
Headaches
A common side effect of excessive caffeine intake are migraine headaches.
While caffeine is fine in moderation, it’s best to avoid it all-together as an ingredient in your pre workout.
What is The Best Caffeine Free Pre Workout?
I’ve tested a myriad of pre workout supplements, and most of them initially contained caffeine. After a while, the high amounts of caffeine proved to be more than what my body could tolerate. This lead me to make the switch to a healthier alternative. Here’s what I found to work best through my fitness journey. I’ve listed the pros and cons of each. Hopefully you can find one that works best for you.
PUMPSURGE Caffeine-Free Pump & Nootropic Pre Workout Supplement
Pump Surge is a pre workout and nootropic supplement. Nootropics are supplements that have the tenancy to promote enhanced cognitive function. Without the need for caffeine, this pre workout supplement enhances energy levels and focus with other ingredients.
Some users have reported difficulty mixing the powder but have managed to resolve the situation by adding more water. It also has a high number of positive user reviews and is relatively inexpensive.
Pros
- Great taste
- Boosts energy Levels
- No Beta-Alanine tingles
Cons
- Chalky aftertaste
- Difficulty mixing
Genius Pre Workout Powder – All Natural Nootropic Preworkout & Caffeine Free Nitric Oxide Booster
Genius pre workout powder has a majority of common ingredients used in most pre workout supplements minus the caffeine. Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, and L-Tyrosine are just a few of what makes this powder work.
Genius uses all natural Non-GMO verified ingredients and even adds a nootropic to the mixture. IT also contains elevATP, which is a trademarked mixture of ingredients shown to increase energy production. However, users that dislike the tingly feeling from Beta-Alanine should proceed with caution as it does contain Beta-Alanine.
A great majority of users have noted positive experiences with this pre workout and there doesn’t seem to be any trouble with mixing the powder.
Pros
- Contains Alpha-GPC (Nootropic)
- Contains elvATP to support energy production
- Efficient and Effective
Cons
- Higher price than some other pre workout powders
- Causes tingles from Beta-Alanine
Legion Pulse, Best Caffeine Free Natural Pre Workout Supplement for Women and Men
Legion Pulse offers multiple pre workout powders. However, only two of them are caffeine free. Out of those two, it comes in blue raspberry and fruit punch. The ingredients listed in Legion Pulse are similar to other caffeine free pre workouts as it contains Beta-Alanine, Citrulline, and Alpha-GPC. However, the dosage of Alpha-GPC in Legion is at half the dosage of others for a slightly more expensive price.
Legion has a higher number of users compared to other pre workout supplements despite the relatively costly price. Most of them report it being effective from boosting their workouts but it does have a bitter taste to it. Also, because of Beta-Alanine, those looking to avoid a tingling sensation should evaluate carefully.
Pros
- Contains Alpha-GPC
- Multiple Flavors
- Effective
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Bitter taste
BSN N.O.-XPLODE Pre-Workout Supplement with Creatine
BSN N.O-Explode is a caffeine free pre workout powder that contains a majority of commonly effective ingredients; including citrulline, creatine, Beta-Alanine, and vitamins. It comes at an affordable price as well.
Most users sensitive to caffeine find this pre workout to be easy on their nervous system and sleep cycle. However, some users have noted that it foams if stirred/mixed improperly and can cause gastrointestinal distress.
Pros
- Affordable
- effective
Cons
- Effervescent mixture can foam quickly
- Tingles from Beta-Alanine
- May cause stomach issues
PEScience High Volume Caffeine Free Pre Workout
PEScience is a pre workout powder that comes in three different flavors: blueberry, cotton candy, and kiwi lime. Although PEScience doesn’t contain any notable ingredients responsible for increasing energy levels, users remark that it is still effective in increasing endurance.
Reviewers have also noted that it gives them sustainable levels of energy throughout their workout. It has an affordable price and has no Beta-Alanine, which means it won’t cause any tingling sensations. This is good as that can be a mental obstacle when trying to workout.
Pros
- Helps sustain energy throughout the entire workout
- No tingles
- Affordable
Cons
- No noticeable energy boost
The Takeaway
It’s often best to go with a pre workout that doesn’t have any stimulants as they can cause adverse side effects in those sensitive to them. They can also cause issues with individuals that aren’t. Because of this, more companies are creating stimulant-free pre workout powders that are still effective enough to benefit you in your training.
Out of all pre workout supplements that don’t contain caffeine, these were the few that I actually benefited from. I noticed that I wasn’t the only one that enjoyed using these during intense training either. However, when it comes to caffeine free pre workout supplements, PUMPSURGE seems to be superior. It boosts energy levels, mixes well, and doesn’t cause any tingling sensation because it lacks Beta-Alanine.
It’s also at an affordable price compared to other caffeine pre workout powders and it tastes great. You can try that one, but it’s also best to try others. That way, you know what works best for you.
