Is pre-workout worth it?
Only for the caffeine, usually: that is the ingredient with the evidence, and you can buy it for a fraction of the price.
A typical scoop holds 200 mg of caffeine, some beta-alanine, some citrulline and a list of things in doses too small to matter. Caffeine does the work you can feel. Beta-alanine builds up over weeks, so taking it only on training days wastes it. Citrulline gives a pump; whether it moves performance is unsettled.
If you like the ritual, fine. If you want the effect, caffeine tablets or strong coffee cost a few cents, and creatine every day does more for your training than any pre-workout.
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- Guest, N.S. et al. (2021). International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18(1). 3 to 6 mg/kg about an hour before training, with benefits across endurance, strength and power.
- Trexler, E.T. et al. (2015). International society of sports nutrition position stand: beta-alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 12. 4 to 6 g a day for at least two to four weeks, which a single scoop before training cannot deliver; the tingling is harmless.
- Wang, X. et al. (2026). Effects of citrulline malate supplementation on exercise performance: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis. Nutrients 18(12). The pump ingredient: effects on performance remain uncertain across trials.