It’s no secret that a lot of pre-workout supplements rely on caffeine as a means of providing an energy boost to help consumers get through their workouts.
The problem here, however, is that not everyone has the same caffeine tolerance level. In fact, some people are so sensitive to caffeine that they can experience adverse symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Jitteriness
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Dependency
If you’re one of those people, this article is for you! We’re going to shed light on some of the best caffeine-free pre-workouts on the market today, so stick around.
Factors to Consider for Caffeine-Free Pre-Workouts
There are a few important factors that you need to consider when in the market for stimulant-free pre-workout supplements to ensure the most bang for your buck, namely:
Transparency
The very first thing you need to look for in a caffeine-free pre-workout product is a label that ensures complete transparency. If you can’t find a 100% transparency guarantee label, move on to the next product.
You see, a lot of brands that use proprietary formulas tend to hide certain ingredients and might even hide their doses. You need to steer clear of such brands!
Instead, you want to opt for a pre-workout brand that highlights exactly how much of each ingredient is present in every scoop. Otherwise, your purchase will simply be a shot in the dark.
Active Ingredients
Having confirmed that you’re dealing with a transparent product, you’ll need to assess the product’s formula to make sure it contains all of the ingredients you’re looking for.
Some of the most notable ingredients to look for in caffeine-free pre-workouts include:
- L-Citrulline: From boosting nitric oxide levels and enhancing blood flow to improving the cardiovascular system and supporting athletic endurance, L-Citrulline is important in stim-free pre-workout supplements.
- L-Tyrosine: This is a non-essential amino acid that helps in the production of catecholamines, which are the hormones that your adrenal glands make. This includes dopamine and adrenaline.
- BCAAs: Branched-chain amino acids—valine, leucine, and isoleucine—help reduce muscle soreness, increase muscle growth, decrease body fatigue, and improve liver health.
- Glycerol: Present in the form of powder, glycerol helps with water absorption and hydration. It’s also effective when it comes to increasing muscle tissue size.
- Betaine: This is one of the most significant amino acids. It helps support heart and liver health, boost power and endurance, and aids in cellular reproduction.
- Choline: This is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in regulating mood and memory. It’s added to pre-workout products to improve focus and post-workout recovery.
- Creatine: Known as creatine monohydrate, this is an organic compound that notably improves lean muscle mass growth, muscle tissue recovery, and overall endurance.
- Taurine: This is an amino acid that’s present in almost all pre-workout supplements. It supports organ health, muscle recovery, sleep quality, and mood. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Piperine: Also known as black pepper extract, piperine is added to pre-workout supplements to help with the absolution of nutrients. It’s added in small amounts in most cases.
- Alpha GPC: This is a phospholipid that improves mental acuity, cognitive functions, and memory. It also improves physical performance. Note that this chemical is made from choline.
- Peak ATP: Though its primary function is to provide energy to muscle tissues, peak ATP also boosts blood flow and improves muscle recovery. Note that this is a clinical form of adenosine triphosphate.
- Agmatine Sulfate: This chemical compound has numerous benefits, from improving nitric oxide and testosterone levels in the body to promoting muscle growth.
- Beet Root Extract: Rich in nitrates, beet root extract helps increase nitric oxide, as well as improve insulin resistance and vascular function.
Serving Size
The next factor to consider is the product’s serving size. Generally, the larger the serving size, the more effective the pre-workout product will be.
How large are we talking about, you ask?
Well, let’s just say that if the product’s serving size is less than 10 grams, you should look into buying a different product. We recommend a bare minimum of 15 grams per serving.
Remember: You need to subtract the measurement of carbohydrates within a pre-workout supplement to get the true serving size. If a product has a total serving size of 30 grams and offers 10 grams of carbs per serving, then the true serving size—that of the product’s active ingredients—is 20 grams.
Product Safety
Caffeine-free pre-workout supplements are generally safe, as they rely on tested ingredients that are primarily concerned with blood flow, endurance, and focus.
Such pre-workouts are free of steroids and chemicals that could interfere with a drug test. They’re also less likely to have adverse effects compared to stimulant-based pre-workouts.
To ensure that the non-stim pre-workout you’re about to buy is safe for consumption, look for a bold label that indicates third-party verification. If the product is verified by a third party, you have nothing to worry about.
Our Top 8 Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout Reviews
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No matter what ingredients or flavor you’re looking for in a caffeine-free pre-workout, one of our below-listed top picks will surely meet your needs and budget.
1. Best Overall Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout: Gorilla Mode Nitric
- Improves strength and power output with a high dose of betaine and creatine.
- Accommodates different tastes since it’s available in 12 different flavors.
- Increases pumps and endurance, as it contains 10,000 mg of pure L-Citrulline.
- Not the most budget-friendly stimulant-free pre-workout.
Spearheading our list of the best caffeine-free pre-workouts is Gorilla Mode Nitric, offering a comprehensive formula that helps increase nitric oxide levels, intracellular hydration, and vasodilation.
This caffeine-free pre-workout is completely saturated with pure L-Citrulline, where the word “pure” here indicates that it’s not artificially inflated with malic acid.
The formula includes a high dose of malic acid, though, independent of L-Citrulline. It serves as a Krebs cycle intermediary, and it ensures a high level of muscular endurance.
On top of that, Gorilla Mode Nitric is topped out when it comes to Agmatine Sulfate and Nitrosigine. So, rest assured that the Arginine-eNOS-NO pathway will be pushed to new boundaries.
The formula also includes glycerpump, creatine monohydrate, and betaine anhydrous. This ensures effective intracellular hyper-hydration that helps in volumizing muscles and improving workout performance.
Gorilla Mode Nitric is available in 12 different flavors to suit different tastes. Lastly, it’s worth noting that the formula isn’t just free of caffeine; it’s free of all forms of stimulants!
2. Best Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout for the Money: Kaged Pre-Kage
- High-quality ingredients and accurate serving size since it’s third-party tested.
- Mixes easily with water; it won’t accumulate at the bottom of your container.
- Vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and doesn’t have any flavors from artificial sources.
- You don’t have much of choice in terms of flavor; there are only two options.
- Only 20 servings per pack, which is a bit less than what other competitors offer.
The Kaged Pre-Kaged is arguably the best caffeine-free pre-workout when it comes to cost-effectiveness. It’s not a cheap pre-workout by any means, but it costs less than Gorilla Mode Nitric yet packs a serious punch.
Pre-Kaged combines a bunch of patented ingredients that are scientifically tested when it comes to increasing strength, muscle size, and workout performance.
Some of the ingredients in this pre-workout’s high-quality formula include creatine HCL, pure L-Citrulline, L-Tyrosine, B vitamins, betaine, and taurine.
Kaged Pre-Kaged is third-party tested, meaning you have nothing to worry about with regard to the quality of its ingredients and the serving size of each component.
What’s more, Pre-Kaged is non-GMO and doesn’t contain any flavors from artificial sources. And speaking of flavors, this stim-free pre-workout supplement is available in two flavors: Fruit Punch and Cherry Bomb.
The ingredients used in this caffeine-free pre-workout formula offer a range of benefits, from increased endurance and reduced muscle fatigue to heightened mental focus and boosted muscle pumps.
3. Best Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout on a Budget: Nutricost PRE-SF
- Very cost-effective considering its comprehensive formula and affordable price.
- Solid combination of L-Citrulline and beta-alanine for improved NO levels.
- Non-GMO formula that’s free of fillers, stimulants, and other harsh components.
- Though it tastes pretty good, the chalkiness and texture are a little off-putting.
- Has only two flavors, and both flavors can be a bit too sweet for some people.
If pre-workouts like Gorilla Mode Nitric and Kaged Pre-Kaged are out of your budget range, you definitely need to check out Nutricost PRE-SF. It offers a high-quality formula at a very affordable price tag.
This pre-workout supplement contains 6,000mg of L-Citrulline and 1,200 of beta-alanine. This combination will boost your nitric oxide levels, as well as increase blood flow and pumps.
Other ingredients that this stim-free pre-workout contains include thiamin, niacin, folate, B vitamins, taurine, tyrosine, and agmatine sulfate. Clearly, it’s a comprehensive formula with a lot of vital ingredients.
This pre-workout formula contains zero fillers and no harsh stimulants whatsoever, not just caffeine. What’s more, it’s non-GMO and formulated in an FDA-registered, GMP-compliant facility.
With Nutricost PRE-SF, you’re getting 30 servings, with each serving measuring around 18 grams. Since this is above the 15-gram minimum we specified, you should see notable results with this caffeine-free pre-workout.
Currently, Nutricost PRE-SF is available in only two flavors: Blue Raspberry, which happens to be our favorite, and Pink Lemonade. Both flavors taste great, with no bitter aftertaste with either one.
4. Best Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout for Pumps: Transparent Labs Stim-Free
- Packed with several ingredients that improve workout performance significantly.
- Available in quite a few delicious flavors to accommodate different tastes.
- This formula doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives.
- The flavor profile can be a bit overpowering; make sure to add enough water.
If you’re looking for a premium stim-free supplement for high-intensity workouts, you can’t go wrong with Transparent Labs Stim-Free, which is a staple in the caffeine-free pre-workouts market.
But what makes this stim-free pre-workout ideal for mind-blowing muscle pumps? For starters, it contains 13 different active ingredients that enhance exercise performance from multiple angles.
Some of the most notable ingredients in this pre-workout formula include citrulline malate, beta-alanine, BCAA, betaine anhydrous, taurine, and L-Tyrosine. The total serving size is 23 mg per scoop.
It’s also worth noting that this stim-free pre-workout includes black pepper extract (piperine), which helps with absorption. So, you should feel the effects of this product in no time.
Transparent Labs Stim-Free isn’t only free of caffeine and other forms of stimulants; it’s also free of artificial coloring, artificial sweeteners, and chemical preservatives.
This stimulant-free pre-workout is available in eight different flavors, including orange, green apple, sour grape, blue raspberry, and more. So, you’re guaranteed to find a flavor that you like.
5. Best Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout for Focus: Genius Pre-Workout
- Clean, scientifically-backed ingredients; it’s based on nootropics and ergogenics.
- The formula is entirely free of artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors, and dyes.
- Improves the mind-muscle connection, which helps you train longer and harder.
- Not big on the flavor, especially the sour apple one; it tastes like sour gummies.
- This pre-workout is a little expensive when you consider the price per serving.
Genius is a brand that specializes in cognitive-improving supplements, and Genius Pre-Workout is its answer to a solid pre-workout supplement that improves focus and alertness without relying on caffeine.
This stim-free pre-workout is all about the mind-to-muscle approach. It’s designed to get your muscles into pump mode and boost their endurance without relying on stimulants such as caffeine.
Genius Pre-Workout uses scientifically-backed ingredients that are known to boost nitric acid levels and blood flow in its formula. This includes L-Citrulline Malate, CarnoSyn beta-alanine, and AlphaSize.
This caffeine-free pre-workout formula is free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and dyes. It’s also worth noting that there’s a 100% transparent label on each pack and that the formula is vegan-friendly.
Genius Pre-Workout is naturally sweetened, and it comes in three different flavors: blue raspberry, sour apple, and grape limeade. We have to say, though, that all three flavors are a bit too sweet.
This caffeine-free pre-workout is a bit expensive, especially considering you get 20 scoops per container. That being said, it’s as natural and transparent as they come, so it’s worth the price.
6. Best Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout for Scoop Size: Pump Serum
- Has one of the largest scoop sizes in the market, offering 31 grams per serving.
- Does a great job of improving muscle fullness, focus, and training capacity.
- Tastes great, and it mixes easily with water, so there are no more leftovers at the bottom.
- This product needs to be mixed with approximately 12 fluid ounces of water.
- Not a lot of flavor options, so you might get stuck with a flavor you don’t like.
If the serving size of the above-listed pre-workouts is too small for your needs, Pump Serum is the perfect pre-workout for your needs, offering 31 grams of active ingredients per serving.
Pump Serum contains a host of scientifically-backed ingredients in precise dosages. Some of the most notable ones include L-Citrulline, L-Tyrosine, beet root, nitrosigine, and glycerpump.
The Pump Serum formula is great for optimizing pump, training capacity, focus, and muscle fullness. And with 31 grams per serving, you’ll be pumping like never before!
The 100% transparency label on the back of the container guarantees that every ingredient advertised is, in fact, part of the formula. What you see is what you get with Pump Serum.
You’d expect such a rich product to taste off, but that’s far from the case. It actually tastes pretty good, with no overpowering sweetness. The scent is also appealing.
Now, speaking of flavor, Pump Serum is available in four different flavor options, including Cherry Berry and Strawberry Mojito, which happen to be the two most popular options.
7. Best Organic Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout: Organic Muscle Superfood
- As clean as they come; no added sugar, dairy, gluten, hormones, or preservatives.
- Improves stamina, focus, and recovery time using all-natural ingredients.
- All three flavors are pretty tasty and not too sweet; we love the lemon berry one!
- This pre-workout might not be as potent as the rest of the options on our list.
- Only three flavors to choose from, with two of them offering only 20 servings.
If you’re in the market for an all-organic pre-workout that’s free of stimulants, Organic Muscle Superfood is the way to go. This supplement is USDA-certified and flies the Climate Pledge Friendly badge with pride.
This product’s formula contains top-tier organic ingredients that are guaranteed to improve your stamina, strength, energy, focus, and recovery time.
Some of the most notable ingredients in this formula include yerba mate, matcha tea, turmeric, ginseng, maca root, and eleuthero root. Clearly, this stim-free pre-workout is non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly.
The Organic Muscle Superfood pre-workout is free of hormones, preservatives, and, of course, stimulants. You don’t have to worry about any adverse side effects, such as crashes, jitters, and headaches.
It’s worth noting that this pre-workout contains no added sugar, which makes it ideal for fat burning, weight loss, and lean muscle building. It’s also keto-friendly and dairy-free.
Organic Muscle Superfood is available in three different fruit-combo flavors: strawberry mango (20 servings), passionfruit guava (20 servings), and lemon berry (30 servings).
8. Best Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout for Creatine: NutraBio PRE Stim-Free
- Outstanding pump matrix that’s composed of L-Citrulline, agmatine, and nitrosigine.
- Full label transparency, so no inaccurate measurements or hidden dosages.
- Boosts strength, energy, focus, and ATP synthesis, and it promotes proper hydration.
- Only two flavor options to choose from, and they’re not really the most appealing.
Packing a serious dose of creatine, NutraBio PRE Stim-Free is one of the best pre-workout supplements when it comes to improving muscle mass growth, recovery, and overall endurance.
Not only does it boast a serious punch in the creatine department, but it also includes beta-alanine, L-Leucine, and a bunch of other effective ingredients that help maximize energy, focus, and ATP synthesis.
This stim-free pre-workout has an excellent pump matrix as well, as it includes L-Citrulline, agmatine, and nitrosigine. So, you should expect your NO levels to soar to new heights.
Another important component is taurine, an amino acid that helps regulate body temperature, boost endurance, and, most importantly, maintain water balance for optimized hydration.
NutraBio PRE boasts full label transparency, so you don’t have to worry about hidden dosages or inaccurate measurements. Also, the formula is free of fillers, additives, and excipients; it contains minimal flavoring.
Speaking of flavor, NutraBio PRE is available in only two flavors: watermelon and dragonfruit candy. Frankly, it doesn’t have the most appealing flavor, but there’s no denying its overall effectiveness.
FAQs
Are Caffeine-Free Pre-Workout Formulas Safe?
Absolutely! Stim-free pre-workouts, which include caffeine-free pre-workouts, are completely safe since they’re reliant on tested ingredients. You should experience none of the side effects of stimulant-based pre-workouts with a caffeine-free alternative.
Do Stim-Free Pre-Workout Supplements Work?
If they contain the right ingredients and serving sizes, then yes, stimulant-free pre-workouts should work just as well as stimulant-containing formulas, if not better.
Are Caffeine-Free Pre-Workouts Better Than Caffeinated Ones?
It depends on your tolerance to caffeine. If you can tolerate caffeine and you exercise early in the day, then a caffeinated pre-workout should be fine.
However, if you’re sensitive to caffeine or you prefer to exercise a few hours before sleep, then you should definitely opt for a stimulant-free pre-workout.
Conclusion
Using any of the above-reviewed caffeine-free pre-workouts, you should no longer experience any jitteriness, shakiness, or post-workout fatigue.
Your endurance, recovery, power output, blood flow, and focus will be improved without any of the side effects associated with stimulant-based pre-workout supplementation.
What are you waiting for? Order your favorite caffeine-free pre-workout and get to pumping some iron!
