Read ingredient label. Look for specific ingredients, and also look at how much of each ingredient the preworkout has.

Proprietary labels always mean the preworkout is bullshit. Any company with a proprietary label is just hiding the fact that they're cheaping out on the good stuff.

Ingredients that definitely 100% for sure work:

1. Caffeine.
2. Creatine. But this is a bullshit ingredient in a preworkout. You need creatine regularly (every day). You shouldn't use a preworkout daily.
3. Citrulline Malate. At 1g or less this is bullshit. I'm not sure what the proven amount is, but I go with 6g pre workout.
4. B vitamins. B6 and B12 especially. Careful with Niacin, non-flush is important otherwise you'll be burning.
5. Betaine. Not exciting, but useful.
6. Agmatine Sulfate (for a pump, citrulline helps alongside this)
7. Vitamin D. Very useful, not necessary if you get out in the sun lots... winter months especially it's great. Moving down the vitamin list, a multivitamin can be useful. But B vitamins help prior to a workout more immediately with energy.

Other than that stuff, there's stuff that I think works, but doesn't really have studies behind it:
1. N-Acetyl Tyrosine. Not L-Tyrosine. The difference is the N-Acetyl form is supposed to cross the blood brain barrier better. N-Acetyl Tyrosine gram-for-gram will raise Tyrosine levels in the blood less than regular Tyrosine will, but that's not the point. The question is, how does it interact in the brain. I don't know of any studies that confirm or refute anything. Anecdotally I think it's a promising supplement to increase dopamine production & alertness.
2. Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR). This alongside N-Acetyl Tyrosine gets me moving. I do not think it's placebo. Again, no studies to support or refute, all anecdotal.
3. DMAE.

Shit that works but isn't good for you. Can be dangerous:
1. Synephrine. Gets your blood pumping.
2. 1,3 DMAA
3. Huperzine A

Stuff that might work but seems like it's bullshit:
1. Beta alanine. Gives you the tingles. Haven't seen a study that really backs this stuff up. I wouldn't discount it. If you like the tingles then that's fair enough reason I suppose.

I've missed ingredients for sure, but the long and short of it is... most preworkouts are going to have caffeine, and that's about it. They might throw a couple extra things in there, but in low quantities. Better to buy yourself some bulk citrulline malate, caffeine, some vitamins, and maybe one or two other things in bulk cheap.

I have just finish 2 hours of workout and today I have use ON platinum pre for the first time...I was very very skeptical about the preworkout, but i have admit that something and it can't be only a placebo, usually after 5 min of run at 13 km/h I'm dead, today I run for 7 min and i could run more without problem but I didn't because i feel that this wasnt normal. About the bench press with dumbbells usually i did 16kg, today 16k were like pillows...up to 20kg >.>....after 1 hour of workout I started to lose concentration and lucidity, today i keep both of them unitl the end.

So definitely yes something happen.

PS: sry for any english grammar mistake.

Optimum nutrition's gold standard pre is pretty awesome

Im using the platinum not the gold atm. It is creatine free.

Ps: usually at afternoon I'm used to sleep 1 hour before go to work because I was tired..wtf why today I can't? Lol. I hope to sleep tonight....

This post was edited by nonNo on Mar 4 2017 10:25am

Ingredients.

2g of Citrulline Malate isn't bad.

250mg DMAE is sure to wake you up.

200mg caffeine the most important ingredient.

Capsicum extract as well. Grape seed extract.

Could buy all that on its own much cheaper.

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Mar 4 2017 11:23am

🌈Caffeine🌈

Might give it a go, t4i. I dont do anything atm and i cant stand the smell of coffee Im sure if i made myself i could get into it but im too stubborn to trty it