Do Non-Stimulant, Caffeine-Free Pre-workouts Work?
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Nearly all supplements marketed as pre-workouts contain caffeine or some other stimulant, but there are ingredients that can support exercise performance with little to no stimulant effect.
Huperzia serrata, arginine and citrulline, cordyceps, rhodiola rosea, essential amino acids, sodium bicarbonate, and chocolate milk may all help performance when consumed before activity.
Ingredients may need to be taken at different times to maximize their effects.
Pre-workouts are generally considered safe, but there is little research on their long-term effects.
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Do Caffeine-Free Pre-workouts Actually Work?
First thing’s first: there is a strong body of evidence showing that pre-workout supplements of all kinds can help you achieve fitness goals. A 2018 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition looked at 80 different studies done on pre-workout formulas and concluded that they may benefit both muscular endurance and mood during a workout. The authors noted that, when combined with resistance training, pre-workouts can support positive long-term changes in body comp via lean muscle gains.
Nevertheless, most pre-workout formulas contain a mix of ingredients, so trying to pick out exactly which ones are having the intended effect versus those that don’t live up to the hype, or are mere filler, has presented a challenge for scientists. Furthermore, most pre-workouts contain caffeine, and lots of it (upwards of 300 milligrams in a dose-equal to about three cups of coffee). As caffeine has been shown to promote power output, endurance, and alertness, and aid the body in managing stress in multiple ways, it can be difficult to tell what’s really working in a given supplement: the “proprietary blend,” or the caffeine.
With that said, there are several other ingredients that are common in pre-workouts that have been found to be beneficial, although not for the stimulant effect that caffeine promises. We’ll explore these further down under How Do Most Pre-Workouts Work?
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Caffeine-Free, Non-Stimulant Pre-workouts: Do They Work?
if there’s one common denominator underlying most nutrition products that are marketed as pre-workout supplements, it’s the inclusion of caffeine. The majority of pre-workout formulas that have been shown to be effective contain some amount of the stuff, and the fact is that the pre-workout category was born for the sake of helping people feel more energized when they go into the gym. But not every supplement designed to be taken before training is intended to have a stimulant effect.
If you’re someone who chooses to avoid caffeine, or you want something besides alertness and focus from your pre-workout supp-such as a better pump, or support with endurance or strength gains-you have other options. We looked into the best caffeine-free, non-stimulant pre-workouts that may help you perform well without a high risk of feeling wired.
What Pre-workout Supplements Contain Stimulants?
It’s important to understand that caffeine isn’t the only stimulant that might appear in a supplement. Many supplements may claim to be caffeine- or stimulant-free but can still have a stimulant effect, especially if a person is sensitive to one or more ingredients. The body’s reaction to any kind of supplement can be very individual.
Most people think of stimulants as chemicals that raise heart rate and ramp up the central nervous system, but the category is broader than that. The FDA defines a stimulant as a drug or substance that helps restore mental alertness or wakefulness in a fatigued state, so, going by that, virtually any product that helps you feel more mentally energized can be considered to have a stimulant effect.
Don’t misinterpret “caffeine-free” on a label as stimulant-free. If you want something that’s completely sans stimulants, you’ll have to be sure it says so on the bottle, and check that the label’s promises have been vetted by a third-party such as Informed-Sport, which tests supplement batches to determine their safety and purity. However, if you’re on the hunt for stimulant-free pre-workouts simply because you have a problem with caffeine, you may find that you don’t mind a supplement that contains other compounds that may act as stimulants, but have a less-potent stimulant effect.
Technically, the following ingredients fall under the stimulant banner (largely because most contain some amount of caffeine), so, if you’re concerned about consuming stimulants, be wary of any product that advertises them.
- B-complex vitamins
- Caffeine/caffeine anhydrous
- Carnitine
- Cocoa
- Ginseng
- Green coffee bean
- Guarana
- Ma huang
- Taurine
- Yerba maté
- Yohimbe/yohimbine
You can find a more complete list on the Operation Supplement Safety website, a division of the U.S. Department of Defense.
At the same time, be aware that all of these compounds are considered safe by the FDA when consumed by adults in moderation. They’re not controlled substances that can get you in trouble or pose serious risks to your health, provided that you’re a typical healthy adult. And if you consume energy drinks, sodas, or teas, or you eat chocolate, you’ve probably ingested some of these ingredients before.
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