17
Products Considered
141
Hours of Research
8
Experts Interviewed
46
Customers Consulted
I have over the years not enjoyed the taste of many pre workouts , but some great tasting pre workout doesn't always needs to have artificial sweeteners.
To help you avoid bad-tasting supplements, we've ranked the five best tasting pre-workout supplements. And all of these deliver when it comes down to their core functions: to achieve results beyond what they ever thought was possible. What is most striking about each supplement, however, is its great flavor.
You would surely love our choices of best tasting pre workouts which balances taste with key ingredients.
NextGen Pre Lab Pro
Overall Rating: 5/5
Pre Lab Pro has one of the best ingredients mix. And provides a super smooth workout experience without any tingly or exhaustion.
Overall Rating: 4.9/5
TL's Lean not only has one of the best flavors amongst all we tasted but also this one is a great product, for those looking to cut fat with lean muscle growth.
10% Discount Code: WELCYON
4Gauge Formula
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
The original fruit blast of 4Gauge was hands down one of the best flavor pre workout, but with addition of 2 more flavor it makes it to the cut of our list.
The Best Tasting Pre-Workout Supplements
1. Pre Lab Pro Next-Gen Pre-Workout Formula- Best Overall Tasting
This supplement features an array of ingredients that offer excellent energy support, and it will enhance your performance and help you feel fantastic.
Key Features
• Good amounts of vitamins and minerals
• Provides a smooth burst of energy suitable for cardio workouts
• Tastes good and contains no artificial sweeteners
Ingredient Quality:
5/5
Workout Performance:
5/5
Value:
4.9/5
Total Flavors: Single
Best Flavor: Natural Berry Flavor
The Pre Lab Pro Next-Gen Pre-Workout Formula is sure to help you crush it in the gym! It features an array of common pre-workout ingredients that offer excellent energy support, and it will not only enhance your performance but also help you feel fantastic. This formula is effective, and it's 100% vegan-friendly, too.
This pre-workout supplement comes with a guarantee. When you buy it, you can be sure that the product is free of proprietary blends, so you'll know how much of each ingredient is in every scoop.
The formula breaks down into an efficient and powerful pre-workout stack and produces highly spirited workouts. Plus, it has a great-tasting berry flavor.
We tried the powder a few different ways—stirred with water or mixed in a shaker bottle—and each way worked fine. There were some lumpy bits to be found at the bottom of the glass after stirring, but these did not seem to be an issue when using our favorite shaker bottle for making protein shakes.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Lean Pre-Workout by Transparent Labs Best Tasting For Lean Growth and Fat Burning
Transparent Labs' Lean Pre-Workout is a more natural option for a great tasting pre-workout supplement. It uses stevia instead of artificial sweeteners, contains no artificial coloring, is gluten-free and non-GMO, and has no artificial preservatives.
• No artificial additives
• Large selection of flavors
• Balanced blend that suits many athletes
10% Discount Code: WELCYON
Ingredient Quality:
5/5
Workout Performance:
4.9/5
Value:
4.9/5
Total Flavors: 10
Best Flavors: Blue Rasberry, Fruit Punch, Orange, Green Apple
Good Flavors: Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical Punch
Meh Flavors: Watermelon, Sour Peach, Sour Grape
Transparent Labs' Lean Pre-Workout is a more natural option for a pre-workout supplement. It uses stevia instead of artificial sweeteners, contains no artificial coloring, is gluten-free and non-GMO, and has no artificial preservatives. In addition it contains ingredients like L-carnitine which helps in burning fat and converting to energy , it comes in ten flavors.
When you buy Transparent Labs' pre-workout powder, you know that you're getting quality. This pre-workout supplement is backed by science and is formulated with the supervision of licensed dietitians, nutritionists, and researchers.
One of the results you can expect from this supplement is an increased resting metabolic rate, making it a great aid in conjunction with exercise for weight loss or losing fat mass. Several studies conducted on this product also showed improved cognition and reaction time.
I have also done a detailed review on lean pre workout after use for 30 days.
Pros:
No artificial additives
Large selection of flavors
Balanced blend that suits many athletes
Pleasant taste
Vegan-friendly and gluten-free
Cons:
3. 4 Gauge - Best Tasting Pre Workout For Beginners
4 Gauge features some pretty great ingredients that increase overall physical and cognitive performance.
Key features:
• Optimal doses of caffeine and l-theanine for energy and concentration
• Increases the effectiveness of workouts
• No artificial sweetners
Ingredient Quality:
4.2/5
Workout Performance:
4.4/5
Value:
4.7/5
Total Flavors: 3
Best Flavors: Fruit Blast, Frozen Lemonade
Good Flavors: Pina Colada
Meh Flavors: N A
4 Gauge features some pretty great ingredients that will help you lift weights or run on a treadmill—together, they create a formula that helps with overall physical and cognitive performance.
The ingredients in this product promote better blood flow to the muscles and thereby help with better oxygen delivery during workouts, which means greater muscle gains, faster recovery, and quicker muscle building.
Trying out Fruit Blast Flavor
4 Gauge now comes in three flavors. Out of which Fruit Blast is our all time favourite. Its taste is superior to that of many of its competitors and there was no peculiar aftertaste when we sampled it.
This is one of the best tasting pre-workouts on the market, and it doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes. The ingredients are clear and you can easily see what you're getting—there are absolutely no secrets.
Pros:
Cons:
4. Pre Kaged - Best Tasting Workout For Strong Lifters
Kris Gethin's brand of pre workout comes with multiple of good flavors. And some are my personal favourites too.
Key features:
• 1.5g of HCL Creatine , highly soluable
• No artificial ingredients
• No other fillers
Ingredient Quality: 5/5
Performance: 4.8/5
Value:
4.5/5
Total Flavors: 7
Best Flavors: Grape, Orange Krush, Berry Blast
Good Flavors: Pink Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple
We haven't tried Flavors: Cherry Bomb
I have always loved Pre Kaged , it has perfect blend of all the ingredients, if you are someone like me who is power lifter or looking for an extra boost on the leg day, then this pre workout does the job.
The pre workout comes in multiple flavours out which my favourites are Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, Grape and Pink Lemonade.
Our Favorite Pre Kaged Flavor - Grape
Pre Kaged has a very extensive list of ingredients which also helps in getting great pump and vasularity. Its good for beginner as well as intermediate training.
Pros:
1.5g of HCL creatine, which is quite expensive ingredient
Its pocket friendly, and great mix of ingredients
Cons:
Doesn't Contains BCAA
This popular product from Nitro Surge has one of the best flavors , while some aren't that great. Its a great pre workout without any kind of unnecessary fillers
• Clean Pre Workout with focus
• Supports Muscle Growth
• Gives great pump
• 13 flavors to choose from.
Ingredient Quality: 4.0/5
Performance: 4.0/5
Value:
4.5/5
Total Flavors: 13
Best Flavors: Grape, Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Margaritta, Black Cherry , Green Apple
Not So Good Flavors: Pineapple,
We haven't tried Flavors: Cherry Bomb
Nitrosurge is a powerful pre-workout powder that will get you ready to burn fat and build muscle. This synergistic formula contains high quantities of ingredients known for promoting fat-burning and muscle-building: l-citrulline, betaine anhydrous, beta-alanine, caffeine, and theanine. That's why most bodybuilders who cut use Nitrosurge during their cutting cycle.
There is a diverse selection of flavors, with more than ten options for you to choose from. I would highly recommend trying the pineapple-flavored product first.
Overall, the product is delicious, but certain flavors don't quite taste natural.
Pros:
Cons:
6. NutraBio PRE
Specifications:
Form: Powder
Flavor: Blue Raspberry, Cherry Limeade, Dragonfruit Candy, Grape Berry Crush, Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemon Bomb, Watermelon
Special ingredients: L-tyrosine, beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine, electrolytes
Diet feature: No data
NutraBio's pre-workout powder has a great combination of effective ingredients at therapeutic doses that will maximize strength, endurance, and focus during your workouts.
If you take time to research the ingredients and the doses, you will see that the company has taken care of every little detail. There's not a single ingredient included that doesn't have some solid scientific endorsement behind it.
And NutraBio PRE’s taste is among the best out there—its seven flavor options never leave a bitter aftertaste, so you get an energy boost that tastes great.
Pros:
Cons:
What to Look For in a Best Tasting Pre-Workout Supplement
When looking for the best-quality pre-workout supplement, it's important to look at the ingredients and other criteria. We recommend you focus on these in particular:
1
Ingredients
It's important that pre-workout components moderately stimulate the central nervous system and create a working formula, and not give inadequate energy or over-stimulate the nervous system. Generally, the components of pre-workouts can be divided into light and aggressive.
Light pre-workouts contain substances such as creatine and amino acids (taurine, glutamine, arginine, citrulline, beta-alanine), as well as BCAAs, various vitamins and minerals, and of course caffeine in doses up to 400 mg per serving as a stimulant. [1, 2, 3]
They act on the body gently, create a reserve resource for the body's work, and will help you recover faster. Pre-workout supplements with a range of light ingredients are usually suitable.
Aggressive pre-workouts contain all sorts of additional stimulants such as high doses of caffeine, guarana, yohimbine, ephedra, geranium, and other extracts and substances that stimulate the nervous system. These pre-workouts put a lot of stress on the heart. Be careful, and choose a formulation that suits your fitness and overall health. [2, 4, 5]
2
Define a goal
It's also important to understand your needs. Your desired result may combine different needs, so it is important to find a balanced, well-matched supplement with the optimal doses of ingredients per serving.
For example:
- If you want to gain strength and stamina, try a blend of creatine, beta-alanine, caffeine, etc. [1, 2]
- For concentration and energy, try a formula with taurine, tyrosine, caffeine, yohimbine, Rhodiola rosea, etc. [1, 2]
- A stimulating effect comes from l-citrulline, l-arginine, and l-ornithine. [2, 6, 7]
- The best recovery is provided by BCAAs, beta-alanine, and glutamine. [1, 2]
3
Price
Effective pre-workout supplements are built exclusively on a balanced composition made of ingredients that go well together. They are not cheap (in the range of $27-50), but they work well. The cost is influenced by the breadth of ingredients in the composition, the amount of active ingredient per serving, the number of servings in the container, and the brand.
4
Form
This is a matter of personal convenience when using the product.
- Capsules and tablets are most convenient.
- Powder needs to be diluted with water or another liquid. This isn't always convenient, but powders have a variety of flavors and are absorbed quickly. In addition, this is a more budget-friendly option.
- Liquid pre-workouts do not require dilution and start working as quickly as possible, but this is the most expensive form of the product.
FAQ
What can I mix with my pre-workout to make it taste better?
The best way to make a pre-workout powder taste better is to consume it with juice. If you are consuming pre-workouts with water, then you can add your favorite flavored BCAAs or flavored powder.
What is the best flavor for pre-workouts?
Everyone has their favorite tastes, so there's no one answer. In our article, we have presented both flavored pre-workout supplements and regular pre-workouts that taste good.
Wrapping Up: What Is the Best Tasting Pre-Workout Supplement?
At the top of our list of the best tasting pre-workouts is 4 Gauge. Its taste is superior to that of many of its competitors, and there was no peculiar aftertaste when we sampled it. Plus, it increases energy and stamina during exercise and has proven to be very effective overall.
Other great tasting pre-workout supplements on this list are also noteworthy. Each has its own ingredients and flavor options. If 4 Gauge's pre-workout powder doesn't satisfy you, try some of the others on the list.
William Toro ‧ CPT & Nutritionist
William is a certified personal trainer from NASM, he has also been a rehab physiologist for sports persons. He has more than 15 years of experience training people. And has featured in multiple publications like FoxNews, CNBC, Bustle, and other.
References:
1. Andrew R. Jagim, Patrick S. Harty, Clayton L. Camic, Common Ingredient Profiles of Multi-Ingredient Pre-Workout Supplements, retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413194/
2. Patrick S. Harty, Hannah A. Zabriskie, Jacob L. Erickson, Paul E. Molling, Chad M. Kerksick, Andrew R. Jagim, Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review, retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6083567/
3. Claudia Mello Meirelles, Cristaiane Matsuura, Roberto Souza Silva, Jr., Felipe Frances Guimaraes, Paulo Sergio Chagas Gomes, Acute Effects of L-Arginine Supplementation on Oxygen Consumption Kinetics and Muscle Oxyhemoglobin and Deoxyhemoglobin during Treadmill Running in Male Adults, retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413837/
4. Pieter A. Cohen, John C. Travis, Peter H. J. Keizers, Patricia Deuster, Bastiaan J. Venhuis, Four experimental stimulants found in sports and weight loss supplements: 2-amino-6-methylheptane (octodrine), 1,4-dimethylamylamine (1,4-DMAA), 1,3-dimethylamylamine (1,3-DMAA) and 1,3-dimethylbutylamine (1,3-DMBA), retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29115866/
5. Nicholas Paivanas, MD, Cardiologist, How Workout Supplements May Harm the Heart and Why Natural Nutrition Is Best, retrieved from https://blog.medstarwashington.org/2019/06/06/how-workout-supplements-may-harm-the-heart-and-why-natural-nutrition-is-best/
6. WebMD, L-Citrulline, retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1245/l-citrulline
7. WebMD, Ornithine, retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-200/ornithine
