While pre workout supplements are a popular choice at the gym for enhanced workout performance, the high amount of caffeine in many pre workouts on the market isn’t for everyone. If you are caffeine sensitive, the good news is that there are great options in the market tailored to preferences for low to no caffeine pre workout powders.
Even if you have a lower tolerance to caffeine or prefer no caffeine at all, supplementing with low caffeine pre workout is still an excellent option if you’re looking to increase athletic performance during a training session.
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Our Top Picks for Best Low Caffeine Pre Workouts
If you’re asking yourself if a low caffeine pre workout powder exists and if so, which is the best, you’re in the right place. Below are the top picks for the best low caffeine pre workout powders on the market.
Best Overall and Best No Crash – Red Leaf Pre Workout Energizer
Best for Improved Focus – Pumpsurge Stim Free Pre Workout
Best Vegan – Genius Pre Workout Powder
Best for Stacking – NutraBio Amino Kick
Best for Beginners – Zhou Lite Up Xtra Pre Workout
Best for Caffeine Cycling – Allmax Nutrition A:Cuts
Note: Highlighted boxes in the table signify the scores below 5 or 4.
Red Leaf Pre Workout Energizer – Best Overall and Best No Crash
* Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars by 1,832 users on Amazon
Overview
Red Leaf Pre-Workout offers a cleaner, healthier way to energize before workouts, featuring immune-boosting ingredients like BCAAs and antioxidants. With a mild dose of caffeine, it provides sustained energy and post-workout benefits, making it a balanced alternative for caffeine sensitive people.
Highlights
- Serving size: 1 scoop (5.4g)
- Servings per container: 30 servings
- Container size: 162g
- Notable ingredients: Beta Alanine, Raspberry Ketone, Green Tea Extract
- Caffeine content: 40mg
- Flavors: Blueberry Acai and Cranberry Lime
- Certifications: Produced in a GMP-certified facility
Price
$32.99
Conclusion
This product is lauded for its natural ingredients, such as beta alanine and BCAAs. With its ability to provide sustained energy and focus, Red Leaf Pre-Workout Energizer has become a go-to low-caffeine choice for those looking to enhance their workout performance with no crash.
Pumpsurge Stim Free Pre-Workout – Best for Improved Focus
* Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by 5,354 users on Amazon
Overview
Pumpsurge stim free pre workout stands out for its reliance on fully dosed ergogenic boosters and nootropic ingredients, promoting intense muscle pumps, mental focus, and vascularity. Made without proprietary blends, it can also lead to increased blood flow, muscle growth, and nutrient delivery.
Highlights
- Serving size: 1 scoop (12.5g)
- Servings per container: 20 servings
- Container size: 250g
- Notable ingredients: L-Citrulline, Taurine, Betaine Anhydrous
- Caffeine content: 0mg
- Zero fillers or dyes
- Research-backed ingredients
- Flavors: Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon
- Certifications: cGMP certified and Transparent Label
Price
$19.99
Conclusion
Pumpsurge is a caffeine-free pre workout that enhances training sessions by improving focus, energy, and pumps. The absence of caffeine makes it appealing to those looking for an alternative to traditional stimulant-heavy pre workouts.
Genius Pre Workout Powder – Best Vegan
* Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by 514 users on their official website
* Rated 4.2 out of 5 stars by 7,763 users on Amazon
Overview
Genius Pre is another caffeine free pre workout designed to enhance physical and mental performance. With ingredients like L-citrulline malate and beta alanine, it promotes nitric oxide elevation, muscle stimulation, and mental clarity, making it suitable for workouts or demanding tasks.
Highlights
- Serving size: 1 scoop (16.9g)
- Servings per container: 20 servings
- Container size: 338g
- Notable ingredients: L-Citrulline Malate, Beta Alanine, ATP
- Caffeine content: 0mg
- No artificial colors, dyes, flavors, or sweeteners
- Flavors: Grape Limeade, Sour Apple, Blue Raspberry, Sour Cherry
Price
$37.99
Conclusion
Genius Pre is a good stimulant free option, providing clean energy without jitters or crashes, making it a versatile choice for daytime or nighttime use. Customers also said it can be useful for stacking with other products produced by The Genius Brand or other supplement brands.
NutraBio Amino Kick – Best for Stacking
* Rated 4.2 out of 5 stars by 89 users on Amazon
Overview
Amino Kick offers a potent blend of amino acids and caffeine, providing energy, mental concentration, muscle recovery, and hydration support. It’s an all-in-one solution for athletes seeking enhanced performance and endurance.
Highlights
- Serving size: 2 scoops (9g)
- Servings per container: 30 servings
- Container size: 270g
- Notable ingredients: BCAAs, CocoPure™ electrolyte mix
- Caffeine content: 100mg
- Flavors: Baja Burst, Blue Raspberry, Georgia Peach Tea, Grape Berry Crush, Orange Mango, Passion Fruit Pineapple, Raspberry Lemonade, Hibiscus Strawberry Buzz
- Certifications: GMP-certified
Price
$23.99
Conclusion
Amino Kick is like your favorite coffee on steroids, offering customizable caffeine levels (1-3 scoops) per personal preference, tons of electrolytes, and good flavor options. Its exceptional taste makes it an excellent choice for blending and stacking with your supplements, making it a game changer for training sessions and hectic days.
Zhou Lite Up Xtra Pre Workout – Best for Beginners
* Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars by 9 users on their official website
* Rated 4.2 out of 5 stars by 83 users on Amazon
Overview
Lite Up XTRA is a pre workout supplement designed to enhance strength, endurance, and performance. It provides clean energy through naturally sourced caffeine and features Nitrosigine® for improved blood flow, resulting in boosted stamina and focus during training sessions.
Highlights
- Serving size: 1 scoop (7g)
- Servings per container: 30 servings
- Container size: 213g
- Notable ingredients: Nitrosigine®, Citrulline Malate
- Caffeine content: 100mg
- No added sugar
- Non-GMO
- Flavors: Natural Cherry, Lime
- Certifications: Lab Verified
Price
$25.99
Conclusion
Lite Up XTRA is an ideal choice for beginners due to its low caffeine content, offering a smooth energy boost devoid of jitters. Its natural composition makes it an effective option for those new to pre workout, enhancing both a training session and daily activities.
Allmax Nutrition A:Cuts – Best for Caffeine Cycling
* Rated 5 out of 5 stars by 151 users on their official website
* Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars by 242 users on Amazon
Overview
A:Cuts Amino Acid Supplement is a flavorful drink mix loaded with energy-boosting ingredients like naturally sourced caffeine, taurine, L-carnitine and green coffee extract. It’s formulated to provide energy and focus, making it an ideal pre workout option to enhance exercise performance.
Highlights
- Serving size: 1 scoop (7g)
- Servings per container: 30 servings
- Container size: 210g
- Notable ingredients: Taurine, L-Carnitine
- Caffeine content: 127mg
- Flavors: Peach Mango, Sweet Tea, Cotton Candy, Pina Colada, Watermelon, Grape, Orange, Pink Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Goji Berry
- Certifications: Clean Label
Price
$19.99
Conclusion
A:Cuts Amino Acid Supplement shines as an ideal choice for caffeine cycling, offering low caffeine content. Its versatility in providing a gentle energy lift makes it a standout option for those aiming to maintain a balanced and enjoyable pre workout routine.
Why Do You Need a Pre Workout With Low Caffeine?
Caffeine Sensitivity
The effect of caffeine varies by individual and many simply don’t have the tolerance for the higher levels of caffeine that most pre workout supplements have; too much caffeine can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms for some.
Many pre workout supplements on the market have 200mg or more of caffeine. While this amount of caffeine can be tolerated by many (per the FDA, 400mg of caffeine, equivalent to 4-5 cups of coffee, is an amount generally not associated with negative effects for the majority of healthy adults), for some, choosing a low caffeine or caffeine free pre workout supplement (100mg or less of caffeine) provides the benefits of an energy boost without the often uncomfortable side effects of too much caffeine.
Sleep Trouble
For those with caffeine sensitivity, sleep disturbances from caffeine consumption are a common complaint. Not achieving restful sleep can inhibit overall health in the long run and prevent you from making effective gains at the gym.
While everyone is different, typically, consuming any caffeine after 2:00 p.m. is likely to negatively affect sleep quality. Keep in mind that even a pre workout with some caffeine can still inhibit sleep, so if you’re heading to the gym later in the afternoon or later, a caffeine free pre workout is going to be the best option.
Young Age
Per the American Academy of Pediatrics, adolescents ages 12-17 should not consume more than 100mg of caffeine daily. Symptoms such as sleep and blood pressure disturbances have been shown with intakes of caffeine greater than 100mg among this age range. Thus, choosing a low caffeine or caffeine free pre workout is best.
How to Choose the Best Low Caffeine Pre Workout
Caffeine Amount
Ultimately, this decision is highly individualized and comes down to personal preference and health factors. Even within the category of low caffeine pre workouts, there is still variability.
For example, our list of pre workouts containing low caffeine ranges from 40-127mg; the effects of 40mg of caffeine versus 127mg will be different. It is your choice regarding what level of caffeine is right for you.
Taste
Of course, taste is an important factor when choosing a pre workout. With a wide range of flavors, it may be best to sample a few to make sure you get a great pre workout tailored to your personal taste preference.
Transparency and Certifications
Understanding the ingredients is very important as we all want to know what we are putting in our bodies. In the current consumer landscape, label transparency has become a non-negotiable prerequisite for many. As an example, a pre workout containing a proprietary blend may not be the right choice for you if you are looking for transparency.
Some certifications to be on the lookout for are:
- NSF Certified for Sport
- US Pharmacopeia (USP)
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP)
Value
If value is important, make sure you calculate how much each serving costs by dividing the price by the number of servings. Additionally, the dose of ingredients per serving will also play a part in value.
Best Low Caffeine Pre Workout Ingredients
L-Citrulline
L-citrulline is an amino acid that helps to increase blood flow by boosting nitric oxide production, resulting in more oxygen to muscles and increased athletic endurance.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are vital for healthy functioning and hydration of the human body. During exercise, they help with fluid retention to keep joints lubricated, maintain energy levels, and prevent dehydration. The four key electrolytes are sodium and chloride (maintains fluid balance), potassium (prevents muscle cramping), magnesium (aids with muscle relaxation), calcium (muscle contraction and heart rhythm regulation).
Beta Alanine
Beta alanine is an amino acid that helps with muscle endurance by increasing carnosine in muscles resulting in reduced fatigue and improved performance during high intensity interval training.
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that helps with the production of ATP, the primary energy source for cells. Benefits include enhanced energy production, improved strength, and decreased recovery time.
Low Caffeine Pre Workout Frequently Asked Questions
When Should I Take Pre Workout?
Always follow directions on the label of the product you have chosen, but, as a general rule of thumb, pre workout supplements should be taken 15 to 30 minutes prior to your workout session for maximum effectiveness.
What Should I Mix Pre Workout With?
Typically, pre workout supplements are consumed with water, but they can be mixed with juice or blended into a shake or smoothie. It’s up to you!
What is the Lowest Caffeine in Pre Workout?
The lowest amount of caffeine in pre workout is 0mg or completely caffeine free. Athletes consuming pre workout without caffeine can still see workout performance benefits as ingredients such as beta alanine, L-citrulline, and taurine have been shown to be performance enhancing ingredients and can help with muscle recovery, focus, and strength.
Is Pre Workout With No Caffeine Better?
This is highly individualized. If you are caffeine sensitive, concerned about sleep disturbances, or between the ages of 12-17, then a pre workout with no caffeine is the best option. Otherwise, consuming a pre workout with low caffeine may be beneficial.
Final Thoughts
There are terrific pre workout supplements on the market that are low caffeine or caffeine free. Our top pick is Red Leaf Pre Workout Energizer. Containing no proprietary blends, 0g of sugar, and cleaner ingredients, this is a great pick for those looking for a low caffeine pre workout powder.
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