In this article, we will show you what the best stim-free pre-workout is.
Pre-workout supplements are one of the supplements that athletes use the most. They improve your workout performance, making you exercise harder and for longer. [1]
Unfortunately, some people don’t tolerate caffeine well, which is the main ingredient of most pre-workouts. The solution for this is taking stimulant-free pre-workouts, that don’t contain any caffeine or other stimulants.
I analyzed many studies and research papers about the ingredients usually included in this type of pre-workouts so I can help you choose products with effective ingredients that will be good alternatives to caffeine.
As we always do with our reviews, I also analyzed all of the customer reviews of each product. This way you know what are the common praises or complaints that customers make about the products.
If you are looking for a stimulant-free pre-workout supplement, then PreSeries STIM-FREE By Transparent Labs is the best overall choice.
But we know that people value the different features of the products differently. That’s why we also show you different pre-workouts for different needs.
Keep reading to find them all.
Best Stim-Free Pre-Workout Supplements
- PreSeries STIM-FREE By Transparent Labs (Best Overall)
- Stim-Free Pulse By Legion (Best Expensive)
- PumpSurge By Jacked Factory (Best Tasting)
- Clean Pre Workout By Type Zero (Best Keto-Friendly)
- Amplify By Cutler Nutrition (Best Cheap)
PreSeries STIM-FREE By Transparent Labs
Best Overall
Our top pick for the best stim-free pre-workout is the PreSeries STIM-FREE By Transparent Labs. In this article, we will list many options for different necessities, but if you just want the best overall, this is the one we recommend.
Transparent Labs is a supplement brand that is completely transparent about what they put in their supplements. They don’t have any proprietary blends so you can see on the products’ labels everything you’ll be consuming and in which doses.
They also explain to you why they chose the ingredients they include in their products, backing up their claims with studies. You can find all this information on their website.
We appreciate all the transparency of this company because many brands in the supplements industry stuff their products with ineffective ingredients or proprietary blends where you don’t know what you are consuming. To us, it’s really important to know what we’re consuming, so we think this is a major pro. Also, it lets us evaluate the real effectiveness of their supplements.
PreSeries STIM-FREE is a stimulant-free pre-workout supplement created by Transparent Labs. They created it to be the very best stimulant-free pre-workout on the market.
This supplement comes with a citrulline malate dose of 6 grams. It falls a bit short of the dose we recommend, which is 8 grams. Citrulline helps you by reducing your rate of perceived exertion (RPE). This way it takes more exercise to make you feel exhausted, making you exercise for longer, improving your gains. Also, it can reduce post-workout muscle soreness. [2, 3]
Note: You can see which are the ingredients and doses we recommend for stim-free pre-workouts, and why, at the bottom of the article.
This pre-workout also contains a good Betaine dose of 2.5 grams. Betaine benefits you by increasing your muscle growth and the amount of exercise you can do. [4]
This product also includes an effective Beta-Alanine dose of 4 grams. The way it helps you is similar to Betaine, it increases how much exercise you can do. [5]
This pre-workout contains all the 3 ingredients we deem essential in a stim-free pre-workout: Citrulline, Betaine, and Beta-Alanine. While there are more ingredients in this product, we don’t think they are worth mentioning because although they are safe to consume their effectiveness as a pre-workout ingredient is still arguable.
Another good thing about this product is that it’s gluten-free. Therefore, people that have an allergy to gluten can consume this supplement without any problem.
Also, it is completely clean from artificial preservatives, coloring, and sweeteners. Therefore, there will be no unhealthy additives in your shake.
Many customers of this product reported that they actually felt energetic after consuming this supplement. However, keep in mind that you won’t feel a ‘rush’ of energy after taking this supplement as you would with caffeine. What you may or may not ‘feel’ is that you’re exercising more than usual.
Some customers also said that they felt a sensation of ‘pins and needles’ all over the skin. This is caused by beta-alanine and it’s completely normal. There is no evidence that it is unsafe. [6]
Most people who took this product also said it tastes bad, being too sweet and having a bad aftertaste. However, many people also said it was decent.
In our opinion, you shouldn’t refrain from buying this product because of this. At the end of the day, everyone has different tastes. But if the taste is important to you, keep reading because we also have the best tasting stim-free pre-workout on this list.
This product costs $49.99 and comes with 30 servings, costing $1.67 per serving. While we think it is expensive, it’s also understandable why. They have the best ingredients in really good quantities.
However, we sent an email to their company asking if they could provide us with a coupon code, which they promptly did. You can use our exclusive code ‘DREAM10’ to get 10% off of anything on their website.
Pros
- Contains the most important ingredients
- No artificial additives
- Full transparency
- Gluten-Free
Cons
- May have a bad taste
- Expensive
Stim-Free Pulse By Legion
Best Expensive
If you want the best ingredients in the best doses and don’t care about the price then the Stim-Free Pulse by Legion is the stim-free pre-workout we recommend.
We didn’t choose this supplement as the best overall because in our opinion the price you pay for the added quantities isn’t worth it. That said, if money is not a problem for you, by all means, go for it, it’s a perfect supplement.
Stim-Free Pulse comes with a perfect Citrulline Malate dose of 8 grams per serving. This will help you delay your fatigue during workouts, making you work out for longer. It will also reduce the soreness you feel in your muscles after the workouts. [2, 3]
This supplement also contains a really good Beta-Alanine dose of 3.6 grams per serving. This helps you increase the amount of exercise you can do over time, increasing your gains. [5]
Also, in this pre-workout, you can find an excellent Betaine dose of 2.5 grams per serving. It will help you increase your exercise capacity, just like Beta-Alanine. [4]
People who bought this supplement reported that they really felt the tingles caused by the Beta-Alanine, which is completely normal and safe. [6]
There’s no consensus about the taste, some people like it, some people don’t, but most people agree that it has a bitter taste.
Pros
- Contains all the three important ingredients in the best doses
- No artificial sweeteners or food dyes
Cons
- Expensive (Poor price/quality ratio)
PumpSurge By Jacked Factory
Best Tasting
Some people really care about the taste of their drinks and just can’t stand a bad-tasting one. If you are one of those people, then the PumpSurge by the popular supplement brand Jacked Factory is the best non-stim pre-workout for you.
PumpSurge contains a big L-Citrulline dose of 5 grams. Like we’ve seen in the product above, Citrulline reduces your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), delaying your fatigue and making you exercise for longer. It also reduces the muscle pain you will feel after the workout. [2, 3]
This product also comes with a perfect dose of 2.5 grams of Betaine. This improves the growth of your muscles and over time increases how much exercise you can do. [4]
Unfortunately, this pre-workout doesn’t come with Beta-Alanine, which we consider to be an important ingredient since these supplements don’t have caffeine. Instead, Jacked Factory decided to use Taurine, which is a safe ingredient but its benefits haven’t been completely proven by studies yet. [7]
What the people who take this pre-workout like the most about it is its taste. The vast majority of people either said the taste was good or great. So, if you care about the taste, we have no better stim-free supplement to show you.
Pros
- Tastes good
- No artificial dyes
Cons
- Doesn’t contain Beta-Alanine
Clean Pre Workout By Type Zero
Best Keto-Friendly
If you are on a keto diet and want to try a stim-free pre-workout, you need to make sure you choose one that is keto-friendly and won’t negatively affect your diet. The Clean Pre Workout By Type Zero is our recommendation for you.
This stim-free pre-workout contains all the three most important ingredients of stim-free pre-workouts: 5 grams of Citrulline Malate, 0.4 grams of Beta-Alanine, and 1.5 grams of Betaine per serving. Unfortunately, these doses are low, which may reduce the benefits of the ingredients.
The benefits of these ingredients are increased amount of exercise you can do over time, reduced post-exercise muscle soreness, and delayed fatigue on workouts so you can exercise for longer. [2, 3, 4, 5]
Also, there are no secret formulas in this supplement so you know exactly what ingredients it contains.
Opinions about the taste are divided. Some people say they like it, some people say they don’t.
Pros
- Keto-friendly
- No secret formulas
Cons
- The ingredients are underdosed
Amplify By Cutler Nutrition
Best Cheap
If you are looking for a more affordable stim-free pre-workout, then Amplify By Cutler Nutrition can be a solid option. In terms of ingredients and effectiveness, this pre-workout supplement is inferior compared to the other supplements on this list. In this case, you get what you pay for.
However, we still think it’s a good cheap pre-workout and it’s really worth it if you don’t have much money right now.
Amplify comes with an L-Citrulline dose of 2.5 grams per serving. It’s not perfect but for the price, it’s a good dose. It will reduce your post-workout muscle soreness, and reduce your perceived exertion, making you exercise more and longer. [2, 3]
Unfortunately, this supplement doesn’t contain either Beta-Alanine or Betaine, two important ingredients in stim-free pre-workouts. Instead, it contains Taurine, which isn’t well tested yet.
Most customers report that this supplement tastes good.
Pros
- Cheap
- Has a good dose of L-Citrulline for the price
- Tastes good
Cons
- Doesn’t contain Beta-Alanine or Betaine
Tip: If you are looking for an affordable pre-workout, you may want to check our list of the best cheap pre-workout supplements in 2022. There are some great options there!
Why Should You Take Stimulant-Free Pre-Workout Supplements?
When it comes to pre-workout supplements, you can choose between two types: those that contain stimulants, and those that don’t. Stimulant-containing pre-workouts are the most popular type. But they can also be the riskiest, as they can cause jitters, energy crashes, and other negative side effects.
If you’re looking for a pre-workout supplement that will give you most of the benefits of a regular pre-workout without the risk of negative side effects, then non-stimulant pre-workouts are the way to go. Here are some of the best benefits of taking non-stimulant pre-workout supplements:
- They’re great for people who can’t tolerate stimulants.
- They don’t cause energy crashes that you feel after consuming high amounts of caffeine.
- They boost your workout performance and recovery without the jitters of stims.
- You don’t have to worry about taking them later in the day as they won’t kill your sleep.
Which Ingredients Should You Look For In A Stim-Free Pre-Workout Supplement?
If you are looking for a pre-workout supplement that doesn’t contain any stimulants, there are some ingredients you should keep in mind.
Most pre-workouts on the market are only effective because of the caffeine they contain. As caffeine-free pre-workouts don’t contain any you need to make sure they contain effective doses of effective ingredients. Below you can find the most important ones.
Citrulline
Both L-Citrulline and Citrulline Malate are very effective pre-workout ingredients. Studies show that consuming Citrulline increases performance in high-intensity exercise. It does that by reducing the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle soreness after working out. [2, 3]
Also, studies show that Citrulline can improve blood flow in older adults. This may be beneficial in enhancing exercise tolerance, which can help you exercise harder or for longer, increasing your gains. [8]
To get these effects, most studies used 3-4 grams of L-Citrulline or 8 grams of Citrulline Malate, so these are the doses we recommend. [3]
Betaine
Betaine is a compound that is proven to improve your workout performance. Studies show that among other benefits if you take Betaine regularly, it can increase your muscle growth. It also increases your work capacity, meaning you’ll be able to do a higher volume of exercise, improving your gains. [4]
You should aim to take about 2.5 grams of Betaine a day as this was the dose used in the study. [4]
Beta-Alanine
Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid. It is best known for giving you the sensation of pins and needles you feel when you take some pre-workout supplements. To this day there’s no indication that this sensation is unsafe but if you want to avoid it you can take this ingredient in lower divided doses. Ideally, you should take multiple doses of 1.6 grams. [5]
Just like Betaine, the main benefit of Beta-Alanine is increasing your exercise capacity. This increases the amount of exercise you can do over time. However, it’s important to know that you will only get the most out of this benefit if your exercise lasts 1-4 minutes. You should take a daily Beta-Alanine dose of 4-6 grams to get its full benefits. [5, 6]
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Stim-Free Pre Workouts Worth Taking?
Are stim-free pre-workouts worth taking? Do stim-free pre-workouts work? These are questions that many people ask, and the answer is a resounding yes! There are many great benefits you can get from taking a stim-free pre-workout supplement.
As you saw above, if you choose the supplement wisely with the correct ingredients, you can get many benefits. They can increase your work capacity, helping you do higher amounts of exercise than you could previously do. They can also reduce your perception of exertion, making you exercise for longer periods.
This type of supplement is a perfect alternative for people that for any reason don’t consume caffeine. And the best part is you can take them at any time of day, even if you are going to bed in a few hours.
The Verdict
If you want an effective caffeine-free pre-workout supplement, then you need to make sure its ingredients are effective and a good substitute for caffeine.
Our verdict is that PreSeries STIM-FREE By Transparent Labs is overall the best stim-free pre-workout. It contains all the important ingredients that you should look for in this type of pre-workout supplement.
Also, it’s from a brand you can trust. Transparent Labs is completely transparent about everything they put in their supplements, and all their claims are backed up by studies.
Always talk to your nutritionist so he/she can help you find the best combination of diet and exercise to help you achieve your goals.
