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Pre-workouts are notorious for containing an array of performance-enhancing ingredients like citrulline, caffeine, BCAAs, tyrosine, creatine, and many others that can target muscle growth, energy, and even recovery. With so many ingredients and so many products that target male customers, deciphering labels and finding the right ingredients to suit your needs, as a female, can be tedious. Do you want something that may include fat burning ingredients to help with weight loss, as well? Or are you just looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend that can help with blood flow, energy, and focus?
No matter what you need in a pre-workout, it’s no secret that many of your run-of-the-mill pre-workouts are marketed more toward men, which may leave some women with questions like, “Will this product do the same things for me?” or “Should I take a different pre-workout with smaller dosages?” Most of the time actually, a lot of the ingredients and doses stay the same for males and females. However, sometimes women may look for a leaner blend, or a different set of vitamins within their pre-workout. We put together this list of pre-workouts that are specifically great for females to help you find your perfect pre-workout match.
The Best Pre-Workout Supplements
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Pre-Workout for Women Overall
The thing we liked most about this formula is that there’s a mix of classic pre-workout ingredients, as well as some less common compounds that are starting to break through in the industry.
Powher Pre-Workout
Powher Pre-Workout is a blend of the typical big-hitters — like taurine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and tyrosine — as well as some more unique ingredients. You’ll find only 100mg of caffeine, which adds a nice kick, but nothing too overwhelming. And one of the unique ingredients in Powher is RedNite, which is a powerful beet extract that can help with neuromuscular efficiency during strength training. (1)
In addition, Powher includes 500mg of coconut water powder that can help with hydration during exercise. This blend comes in a Pink Lemonade flavor that we found to be a bit heavier on the raspberry taste, and very light on notes of citrus.
Powher
A relatively low caffeine pre-workout that's a good mixture of established, science-backed ingredients and newer, slightly experimental compounds that could help with performance.
Who Should Buy Powher Pre-Workout
Women who are looking for a more unique formula will like the RedNite in this blend that deviates from more typical pre-workout ingredients.
Anyone who doesn’t want a ton of caffeine in their pre-workout. Powher only contains 100mg.
Folks who are looking for an extra boost in hydration will like the coconut water powder here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Powher Pre-Workout
Athletes looking for a bigger hit of caffeine to help with early morning workouts may want to look for a pre-workout with more than 100mg.
People who don’t like raspberries may want to steer clear. Though the flavor here is Pink Lemonade, we found that it tasted more like raspberry.
Those who want to stick to the pre-workout basics can find a more straightforward blend.
If you’re looking for a pre-workout that provides solid doses of lots of classic pre-workout ingredients, as well as some more unique ones — like RedNite — Powher can be a great, well-rounded formula for you.
Best Pre-Workout for Women (Runner Up)
Though this product is not specifically made for or marketed to women like some other products on this list, we still love it for its solid doses and all-natural ingredients.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Legion Pulse contains six main ingredients — l-citrulline, beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, 350mg of caffeine anhydrous, l-theanine, and Alpha-GPC (which may help with power output). What stands out about this list of ingredients is the high eight gram dose of citrulline and the 16 different flavors to choose from.
The formula is well-rounded and can help boost your performance and endurance both while lifting weights and while HIIT training on an exercise bike. Plus, it’s naturally flavored and sweetened, so if you’re trying to steer clear of artificial ingredients, you can’t go wrong with Legion Pulse.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Women who want a pre-workout that contains all natural ingredients.
Anyone who wants the choice to have caffeine in their pre-workout — this product allows you to order the same formula with or without caffeine.
People who are looking for a high dose of citrulline will like the eight grams here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Those who want a pre-workout with an average dose of caffeine. While you can opt not to have caffeine in this blend, if you opt in, the dose is relatively high at 350mg.
This pre-workout doesn’t contain creatine, which some women may want to have in their formula.
Legion offers an all-around solid formula that can help with energy, focus, and muscle pumps. Plus, you can decide if you want to order your blend with or without caffeine, and choose from 16 flavors at checkout.
Best Women’s Pre-Workout for Weight Loss
First and foremost, in order to lose weight, you’ll want to focus on taking in fewer calories than you burn each day. After that, this pre-workout may be able to help you out just a little further.
Disclaimer: Please note that none of these products describe themselves as weight loss supplements and should not be taken as such. Please consult with a medical professional before beginning any weight loss protocol.
Transparent Labs LEAN
Transparent Labs LEAN contains some ingredients you may also see on fat burner labels. One of these is synephrine, which can help increase the number of calories burned throughout your day — and the hordenine in this product may also contribute to this cause.
In addition, the iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper may boost thyroid health. On top of that, you’ll find many pillar pre-workout ingredients like citrulline, beta-alanine, and theanine. It’s worth noting that this supp does contain caffeine and theobromine though, both of which are stimulants.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN
Women who are looking to burn more calories with the help of their pre-workout can supplement a calorie deficit with this blend.
This product is free of artificial sweeteners and colors, which may appeal to some.
If you’re looking for multiple flavors to choose from, this product comes in Green Apple, Sour Grape, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blue Raspberry.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs LEAN
You can find a higher dose of caffeine in other pre-workouts if that’s what you’re looking for. There’s only 180mg here.
Women who may be trying to bulk will want to look for a pre-workout that doesn’t contain synephrine or hordenine.
Since many women may look for leaner supplement options, Transparent Labs leaned (pun intended) into this, and designed a product that can help increase thermogenesis (the number of calories you’re burning).
Best Tasting Pre-Workout for Women
If you’re looking for a lot of great-tasting flavors to choose from, we think all seven flavors from Kaged are delicious pre-workout options.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
For those who want an unflavored powder, move right along. But for those who are looking for a wide flavor variety, Kaged pre-workout offers seven delicious flavors — Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb.
On top of the flavor profile, another plus to Pre-Kaged is the above average 6,500mg dose of citrulline, a 274 mg dose of caffeine that can help keep you alert, and additional 2,500mg betaine, which can help with circulation and vascularity. The added benefit of creatine makes this pre-workout not only potentially helpful for endurance and focus, but it may also help you make the most of your workout by utilizing creatine for muscle growth. Plus, this product is naturally flavored and sweetened, which is a plus for those who are trying to avoid artificial ingredients.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Women who are looking for multiple tasty flavors to choose from will appreciate that there are seven eclectic options here.
Anyone who wants a higher dose of citrulline will like the 6,500mg here.
Women looking for a pre-workout that has no flavors or colors from artificial sources will appreciate this formula.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Women looking for less caffeine in their pre-workout as this formula has 274 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of almost three cups of coffee.
Customers who want unflavored options may go with a different pre-workout.
Those who don’t like the tingles you may get from beta-alanine may want to look elsewhere.
If taste is a priority to you, and you’re sick of basic pre-workout flavors, Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout has seven flavors that should keep you hooked on your pre-workout regimen.
Best Pre-Workout for Women’s Muscle Gain
Some women may be looking for a pre-workout that simply helps boost energy before their workout. However, if you’re also wanting something that can help with performance and muscle gain, Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout has 17 stacked ingredients that can help you on your journey to gaining muscle.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
Huge Supplements Wrecked contains 17 ingredients, including many that can help boost muscle growth. The 3,000mg of beta-alanine especially can help increase strength and power, allowing you to lift heavier weights, potentially gaining more muscle mass in the process.
In addition, this product contains ingredients that can help with energy and blood flow, like citrulline and caffeine. Plus, it comes in four delicious flavors — Raspberry Mojito, Bomb Popsicle, Rainbow Burst, and Peach Rings, giving you creative flavor choices, so you never get bored. The price tag on Wrecked is $49.95 for 20 servings per container making it $2.45 per serving — however, the high dosage of each ingredient may allow for higher potency, and the need for a smaller serving size.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
This product packs 18 ingredients at high doses, including 9,000mg of citrulline malate, 3,200mg of beta alanine, 350mg of caffeine, and 2,000mg of betaine anhydrous. Plus, you’ll find 1,000mg of tyrosine and 100mg of Himalayan pink sea salt, as well.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Wrecked
Women who want a pre-workout that can specifically help with blood flow, strength, and power to potentially build more muscle — you’ll appreciate the addition of beta-alanine and citrulline in this formula.
Anyone who wants a good caffeine kick will appreciate the two types of caffeine that amount to 350mg in total.
Women who want to choose from four unique flavors will appreciate the options Wrecked provides.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Huge Supplements Wrecked
If you’re looking for a pre-workout with creatine, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Those who work out later in the day may opt for an option that has less caffeine than this formula.
Women on a budget may want to look for cheaper options on the market — this comes in at almost $2.50 per serving.
For starters, if you want to gain muscle, you’ll have to have a rigorous workout routine to match. But if you want a pre-workout that can help push you along a little bit further, the solid dose of beta-alanine in Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout should have you covered.
Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout for Women
A stim-free pre-workout can be ideal for women who work out late at night, or those who are just trying to avoid caffeine in general. This Legion product is one of our favorites.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout provides the option to nix the caffeine at checkout — though their blend includes 350mg of caffeine, you can select “With Caffeine” or “Without Caffeine” when you’re checking out.
The blend without the 350mg of caffeine doesn’t change otherwise — you’ll find 8g of citrulline, which can facilitate better pumps, as well as Alpha-GPC, which may help increase power output. Plus, you’ll find a few pre-workout classics like betaine, theanine, and beta-alanine. This supp also comes in 16 flavors, which is one of the widest varieties we’ve seen across the market.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Women who work out late at night and may be trying to avoid stimulants in their pre-workout.
Folks who want to potentially achieve better pumps will like the high 8g dose of citrulline in this product.
Anyone looking for a reasonably priced pre-workout will appreciate the price tag here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Customers who want an average dose of caffeine will want to look elsewhere. While you can include caffeine in this blend if you select “With Caffeine” at checkout, the dose is higher than many others at 350mg.
Women who want a more extensive ingredients list can find products with more than six primary ingredients.
For those who are avoiding stimulants, Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout offers a great formula that can help boost blood flow, reduce fatigue, and allow better pumps.
Best Endurance Pre-Workout for Women
For longer workouts, turn to this pick — it’s designed for ergogenic training, meaning it may help enhance performance, recovery, and stamina, making it a top choice for endurance athletes.
Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
This formula comes equipped with some of the essentials for pre-workout, like beta-alanine, citrulline malate and BCAAs, which can help enhance your workout performance. To take it one step further, Transparent Labs added 180g of caffeine paired with 40mg of Infinergy™, which can help sustain the effects of the caffeine, and provide the tools to workout for a longer period of time.
This can be effective for women athletes who need to boost their cardiovascular endurance. This formula includes betaine, which comes from beetroot and can help improve blood flow — plus, beets are an important nutrient for tissue growth in women. LEAN comes in at $1.66 per serving, and is offered in eight delicious flavor options including some basics and some unique flavors, like Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Lemonade, Green Apple, and Sour Peach.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
Women who work out for long periods of time and may need ingredients to help extend their endurance — the caffeine and Infinergy™ combined here can do just that.
Female athletes who would appreciate a beetroot supplement that can help support both tissue growth and blood flow.
Folks who are looking for more innovative ingredients in their pre-workout, rather than just the basics that you find across the market.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
Women who prefer a stimulant-free pre-workout may want to find a pre-workout without caffeine in it.
People who want creatine in their formula may want to look elsewhere.
If you’re trying to conquer long workouts and want a little extra boost in endurance, the Infinergy™ paired with the caffeine may be just the kick you’ve been looking for.
Best Cheap Pre-Workout for Women
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t find a high-quality pre-workout. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout offers great dosages at an affordable price point.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
A cheap pre-workout doesn’t mean cheap ingredients. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout contains all the important ingredients to support your best lifts including 274 mg of caffeine per scoop. The balance of ingredients in this pre-workout has you covered with caffeine for a potential boost in energy, taurine that can help with endurance, beta-alanine, which may increase blood-flow, and creatine HCL that can help expedite your gains.
Plus, it includes l-tyrosine, which may help the fight or flight response, and promote better mental endurance during tough workouts. This pre-workout comes in Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb for seven varied flavors that make it hard to go wrong.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Women who want a decently affordable pre-workout that includes most of the basics of a pre-workout, and a few extra bonus ingredients.
Women who want a high-quality blend of ingredients that includes creatine.
Anyone who’s concerned about mental focus will appreciate the l-tyrosine in addition to caffeine that may help you stay concentrated on giving it your all in your workout.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Athletes looking for a pre-workout that doesn’t contain caffeine may want to opt for a stimulant-free option.
Anyone who wants their pre-workout unflavored should look at other options on the market.
For $2.25 per serving, this pre-workout provides many of the classic pre-workout ingredients, all at solid dosages, and with the added benefit of less common, but equally important ingredients. Plus, it comes in seven different flavors, which should allow you to mix up your routine for many months.
Best Pre-Workout for Female Runners
Running requires a lot of endurance and stamina, and if you want to maintain your training schedule, a pre-workout that can help provide long-term energy, focus, and performance may help.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
For those tacking on those extra miles, Legion’s science-backed ingredient list can help you increase your stamina. Legion includes a solid dose of beta-alanine, which can help increase endurance. You’ll also find betaine and citrulline, which may also be able to help with muscle endurance.
The optional caffeine can boost alertness, and the theanine may help you improve your mood throughout long running workouts. You can buy Legion Pulse in 16 different flavors, all of which are naturally flavored and sweetened.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Female runners who are trying to increase their endurance will like solid doses of beta-alanine, citrulline, and betaine here.
If you’re trying to enjoy your longer runs, this product contains theanine, which may be able to improve your mood during workouts.
Folks who like to go for morning runs may appreciate the 350mg of caffeine in this product.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
If you don’t like the tingles you can get from beta-alanine, know that this product contains 3.6 grams of it.
If you’re looking for a pre-workout that contains AstraGin, or another ingredient that may help with absorption, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
For runners — especially long distance runners — a pre-workout that can help with endurance is important. Legion Pulse contains effective doses of citrulline, betaine, and beta-alanine, all of which can help you hit those long Saturday morning runs.
What’s In Your Pre-Workout?
Since pre-workouts can be so robust, we broke it down a little bit further to eliminate some of the research necessary to choose which ingredients may be right for you.
Caffeine
Caffeine can help with alertness, endurance, power output, strength, and exertion. A typical cup of joe can contain around 180mg of caffeine. Pre-workouts can vary to contain anywhere from 80 to 350mg of caffeine.
Citrulline
Taking about five grams of citrulline (an amino acid commonly found in watermelons) can help with circulation and blood flow, improving power output in the process. This is one of the most common pre-workout ingredients, but you can also take it as a separate supplement and stack it in your regimen. (3)
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine can help improve endurance-based cardio and strength workouts. Since you may be working your muscles for longer, beta-alanine may also help with hypertrophy. A typical dose is about 1.6 to 3.2 grams. (4)
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched pre-workout ingredients. It can help increase power output, up anaerobic capacity, and decrease fatigue. It may also increase muscle size by drawing more water to your muscles. A normal dose is about five to 10 grams per day, and consistency is key, whether you’re taking your creatine in a pre-workout or as a separate supplement altogether. (5)
Betaine Anhydrous
You can find this ingredient in beets and leafy greens, and it’s been linked to power output and muscular endurance. Betaine (from three to six grams daily) can potentially decrease post-exercise cortisol, which may help your body better respond to stress. (6)
Taurine
Taurine can be helpful in improving focus, and it may help with recovery and muscle cramps, too. A typical dose you may find in pre-workouts is one to two grams. (7)
Tyrosine
In addition to potentially helping with focus, tyrosine may also help produce adrenaline and dopamine, which can help the body combat stress (like the kind you endure during intense exercise). While most research has been done with a dose of 5 grams, there isn’t enough information to provide a minimum dosage — we recommend somewhere between 500mg and 5g, but it’s important to talk to your doctor to decipher the right dose for you. (8)
How We Decide Our Picks
We tested a lot of pre-workouts to choose our favorites. In the process, these are the main factors we considered in deciding which ones we thought were the “best.”
Price
Most of the pre-workouts we tried ranged from $1.00 and $2.00 per serving. You can find plenty of pre-workouts closer to the $1.00 range, so the products we considered closer to $2.00 per serving were particularly robust and worth the extra cash.
Dosage
Though most pre-workouts include research-backed ingredients, not all of them provide the proper doses of these ingredients. We not only walked you through the proper doses for each ingredient above, but we also didn’t include products on this list that didn’t match those standard dosages. And for the ingredients (like tyrosine) where the dosage is not clear, we made sure they were within the proper range that had been included in studies.
Ingredients
Pre-workout ingredients lists are longer than a lot of other supplements on the market. You won’t find many pre-workouts with fewer than seven or eight ingredients. Some pre-workouts include the base classic pre-workout ingredients, plus some additional, more innovative ingredients that aren’t as common across the market. Others just stick to the basics. No matter if you’re looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend, or you’re wanting to try something a little different, like Powher, we’ve included a research-backed option for you on this list.
Branding
There’s no denying that many of the products we included on this list have branding and marketing that was designed specifically for women. Some may even include ingredients that are particularly good for women — like beetroot. However, we also included some products that are marketed and branded more generically. If you’re looking for a product that’s made specifically for women, we have plenty for you here — but, we also have options for women who are looking for a non-gender specific pre-workout that may just contain a few solid ingredients that are ideal for female athletes in particular.
What to Consider Before Buying
It’s no secret that the jitters and tingles you may sometimes feel after taking pre-workout can lead to concern for some. However, pre-workouts are legal and the ingredients are all backed by research, so when it comes down to it, you really need to consider what you are personally comfortable with and what your goals are before buying a pre-workout.
Caffeine
Caffeine can cause anxiety, diarrhea, and high blood pressure in some, so it’s important to note your tolerance before buying a pre-workout that contains over 300mg of caffeine. However, caffeine isn’t necessarily bad for you — some people may just tolerate it better than others. For those that exercise late at night, caffeine also may not be ideal since it’s hard to relax after ingesting it. However, if you take caffeine at tolerable doses that your (individual) body can handle without experiencing adverse effects, and you don’t take it right before you need to go to sleep, most people can handle caffeine reasonably well.
Beta-Alanine Tingles
If you’ve ever taken a pre-workout before, you may have felt a slight tingle after ingesting it. Beta-alanine — one of the most common pre-workout ingredients — can cause paresthesia, which is a tingling feeling on the skin. While it’s not harmful, some may not like the feeling. And on the other hand, some may also love it, taking the tingles as a sign that the supplement they’re taking is getting to work. It’s really just a personal preference when it comes to having or not having this particular ingredient in your pre-workout. Just note that if you don’t want to take beta-alanine, you may have a harder time finding a pre-workout, as most of these supplements do contain this ingredient.
Dosage
While many pre-workouts will tout their ingredients without providing the proper dosage to receive the potential effect, the products we included on this list all contain the proper doses — which we covered in detail earlier in this article. Before deciding which pre-workout supplement to buy, make sure you’re checking the labels against the dosages we talked about to ensure you’re purchasing an effective supplement.
Women-Centric Blends
Many of the products we featured here have packaging or ingredients lists that are particularly made for women. Whether they include beetroot or just have a subjectively appealing color scheme on their package, many of these pre-workouts on this list are meant for women in particular. However, if you’re looking for a product that is still great for women, but does not necessarily market themselves to women, we’ve also included a few of those options. You’ll want to decide if you want a women-centric blend or a generic blend before scouring the market.
Consult a Physician
Above everything, it’s imperative that you speak with a physician before adding a new supplement to your regimen. Many people have intolerances (like a caffeine intolerance), and consulting a doctor first and foremost can help you discover which ingredients you should and shouldn’t consume in your pre-workout.
Final Word
It’s no secret that many supplements are marketed toward men. We sifted through the market and picked out some of the best pre-workout supplements that can benefit women in particular. Some of these products are made for and marketed specifically to women while others are more generic, but have an ingredients list that can potentially benefit women specifically.
Most women can take generic pre-workouts — after all, they’re made for the general public, not just men. But if you’re looking for branding that’s specifically targeting women or specific ingredients that could potentially benefit women, this list has you covered. Just make sure you’re considering your personal goals, key ingredients, and price range before hitting the market. After that, allow this list to help you through the rest.
FAQs
Do I need a pre-workout that’s made specifically for women?No. Most women can take the same pre-workouts that men take, and there are countless generic pre-workouts across the market. However, if you want something that is specifically made for women for peace of mind, there are plenty of options for you as well.
How much caffeine is too much caffeine in my pre-workout?Everyone has a different tolerance, but the general dosage falls between 80mg and 350mg. Consult a physician before adding more caffeine to your regimen if you are concerned.
How much do pre-workouts cost?The cost of a container of pre-workout varies greatly, but per serving, pre-workouts generally cost between $1.00 and $2.00. The ones that cost closer to $2.00 are generally more robust, while the ones that are closer to $1.00 may just include the classic pre-workout ingredients with no extras.
References
Flanagan SD, Looney DP, Miller MJ, DuPont WH, Pryor L, Creighton BC, Sterczala AJ, Szivak TK, Hooper DR, Maresh CM, Volek JS, Ellis LA, Kraemer WJ. The Effects of Nitrate-Rich Supplementation on Neuromuscular Efficiency during Heavy Resistance Exercise. J Am Coll Nutr. 2016;35(2):100-7. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2015.1081572. Epub 2016 Feb 17. Erratum in: J Am Coll Nutr. 2017 May-Jun;36(4):317. PMID: 26885762.
Morris DM, Shafer RS, Fairbrother KR, Woodall MW. Effects of lactate consumption on blood bicarbonate levels and performance during high-intensity exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011 Aug;21(4):311-7. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.21.4.311. PMID: 21813914.
Gonzalez AM, Trexler ET. Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 May;34(5):1480-1495. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003426. PMID: 31977835.
Bellinger PM. ?-Alanine supplementation for athletic performance: an update. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Jun;28(6):1751-70. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000327. PMID: 24276304.
Gann, J. J., McKinley-Barnard, S. K., Andre, T. L., Schoch, R. D., & Willoughby, D. S. (2015). Effects of a traditionally-dosed creatine supplementation protocol and resistance training on the skeletal muscle uptake and whole-body metabolism and retention of creatine in males. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12(Suppl 1), P2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P2
Cholewa, J. M., Wyszczelska-Rokiel, M., Glowacki, R., Jakubowski, H., Matthews, T., Wood, R., Craig, S. A., & Paolone, V. (2013). Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-39
McLeay Y, Stannard S, Barnes M. The Effect of Taurine on the Recovery from Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Males. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017 Oct 17;6(4):79. doi: 10.3390/antiox6040079. PMID: 29039798; PMCID: PMC5745489.
Jongkees BJ, Hommel B, Kühn S, Colzato LS. Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands–A review. J Psychiatr Res. 2015 Nov;70:50-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014. Epub 2015 Aug 25. PMID: 26424423.
Pre-workouts are notorious for containing an array of performance-enhancing ingredients like citrulline, caffeine, BCAAs, tyrosine, creatine, and many others that can target muscle growth, energy, and even recovery. With so many ingredients and so many products that target male customers, deciphering labels and finding the right ingredients to suit your needs, as a female, can be tedious. Do you want something that may include fat burning ingredients to help with weight loss, as well? Or are you just looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend that can help with blood flow, energy, and focus?
No matter what you need in a pre-workout, it’s no secret that many of your run-of-the-mill pre-workouts are marketed more toward men, which may leave some women with questions like, “Will this product do the same things for me?” or “Should I take a different pre-workout with smaller dosages?” Most of the time actually, a lot of the ingredients and doses stay the same for males and females. However, sometimes women may look for a leaner blend, or a different set of vitamins within their pre-workout. We put together this list of pre-workouts that are specifically great for females to help you find your perfect pre-workout match.
The Best Pre-Workout Supplements
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Pre-Workout for Women Overall
The thing we liked most about this formula is that there’s a mix of classic pre-workout ingredients, as well as some less common compounds that are starting to break through in the industry.
Powher Pre-Workout
Powher Pre-Workout is a blend of the typical big-hitters — like taurine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and tyrosine — as well as some more unique ingredients. You’ll find only 100mg of caffeine, which adds a nice kick, but nothing too overwhelming. And one of the unique ingredients in Powher is RedNite, which is a powerful beet extract that can help with neuromuscular efficiency during strength training. (1)
In addition, Powher includes 500mg of coconut water powder that can help with hydration during exercise. This blend comes in a Pink Lemonade flavor that we found to be a bit heavier on the raspberry taste, and very light on notes of citrus.
Powher
A relatively low caffeine pre-workout that's a good mixture of established, science-backed ingredients and newer, slightly experimental compounds that could help with performance.
Who Should Buy Powher Pre-Workout
Best Pre-Workout for Women (Runner Up)
Though this product is not specifically made for or marketed to women like some other products on this list, we still love it for its solid doses and all-natural ingredients.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Legion Pulse contains six main ingredients — l-citrulline, beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, 350mg of caffeine anhydrous, l-theanine, and Alpha-GPC (which may help with power output). What stands out about this list of ingredients is the high eight gram dose of citrulline and the 16 different flavors to choose from.
The formula is well-rounded and can help boost your performance and endurance both while lifting weights and while HIIT training on an exercise bike. Plus, it’s naturally flavored and sweetened, so if you’re trying to steer clear of artificial ingredients, you can’t go wrong with Legion Pulse.
20% Off
Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Best Women’s Pre-Workout for Weight Loss
First and foremost, in order to lose weight, you’ll want to focus on taking in fewer calories than you burn each day. After that, this pre-workout may be able to help you out just a little further.
Disclaimer: Please note that none of these products describe themselves as weight loss supplements and should not be taken as such. Please consult with a medical professional before beginning any weight loss protocol.
Transparent Labs LEAN
Transparent Labs LEAN contains some ingredients you may also see on fat burner labels. One of these is synephrine, which can help increase the number of calories burned throughout your day — and the hordenine in this product may also contribute to this cause.
In addition, the iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper may boost thyroid health. On top of that, you’ll find many pillar pre-workout ingredients like citrulline, beta-alanine, and theanine. It’s worth noting that this supp does contain caffeine and theobromine though, both of which are stimulants.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN
Best Tasting Pre-Workout for Women
If you’re looking for a lot of great-tasting flavors to choose from, we think all seven flavors from Kaged are delicious pre-workout options.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
For those who want an unflavored powder, move right along. But for those who are looking for a wide flavor variety, Kaged pre-workout offers seven delicious flavors — Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb.
On top of the flavor profile, another plus to Pre-Kaged is the above average 6,500mg dose of citrulline, a 274 mg dose of caffeine that can help keep you alert, and additional 2,500mg betaine, which can help with circulation and vascularity. The added benefit of creatine makes this pre-workout not only potentially helpful for endurance and focus, but it may also help you make the most of your workout by utilizing creatine for muscle growth. Plus, this product is naturally flavored and sweetened, which is a plus for those who are trying to avoid artificial ingredients.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Best Pre-Workout for Women’s Muscle Gain
Some women may be looking for a pre-workout that simply helps boost energy before their workout. However, if you’re also wanting something that can help with performance and muscle gain, Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout has 17 stacked ingredients that can help you on your journey to gaining muscle.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
Huge Supplements Wrecked contains 17 ingredients, including many that can help boost muscle growth. The 3,000mg of beta-alanine especially can help increase strength and power, allowing you to lift heavier weights, potentially gaining more muscle mass in the process.
In addition, this product contains ingredients that can help with energy and blood flow, like citrulline and caffeine. Plus, it comes in four delicious flavors — Raspberry Mojito, Bomb Popsicle, Rainbow Burst, and Peach Rings, giving you creative flavor choices, so you never get bored. The price tag on Wrecked is $49.95 for 20 servings per container making it $2.45 per serving — however, the high dosage of each ingredient may allow for higher potency, and the need for a smaller serving size.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
This product packs 18 ingredients at high doses, including 9,000mg of citrulline malate, 3,200mg of beta alanine, 350mg of caffeine, and 2,000mg of betaine anhydrous. Plus, you’ll find 1,000mg of tyrosine and 100mg of Himalayan pink sea salt, as well.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Wrecked
Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout for Women
A stim-free pre-workout can be ideal for women who work out late at night, or those who are just trying to avoid caffeine in general. This Legion product is one of our favorites.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout provides the option to nix the caffeine at checkout — though their blend includes 350mg of caffeine, you can select “With Caffeine” or “Without Caffeine” when you’re checking out.
The blend without the 350mg of caffeine doesn’t change otherwise — you’ll find 8g of citrulline, which can facilitate better pumps, as well as Alpha-GPC, which may help increase power output. Plus, you’ll find a few pre-workout classics like betaine, theanine, and beta-alanine. This supp also comes in 16 flavors, which is one of the widest varieties we’ve seen across the market.
20% Off
Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Best Endurance Pre-Workout for Women
For longer workouts, turn to this pick — it’s designed for ergogenic training, meaning it may help enhance performance, recovery, and stamina, making it a top choice for endurance athletes.
Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
This formula comes equipped with some of the essentials for pre-workout, like beta-alanine, citrulline malate and BCAAs, which can help enhance your workout performance. To take it one step further, Transparent Labs added 180g of caffeine paired with 40mg of Infinergy™, which can help sustain the effects of the caffeine, and provide the tools to workout for a longer period of time.
This can be effective for women athletes who need to boost their cardiovascular endurance. This formula includes betaine, which comes from beetroot and can help improve blood flow — plus, beets are an important nutrient for tissue growth in women. LEAN comes in at $1.66 per serving, and is offered in eight delicious flavor options including some basics and some unique flavors, like Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Lemonade, Green Apple, and Sour Peach.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
Best Cheap Pre-Workout for Women
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t find a high-quality pre-workout. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout offers great dosages at an affordable price point.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
A cheap pre-workout doesn’t mean cheap ingredients. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout contains all the important ingredients to support your best lifts including 274 mg of caffeine per scoop. The balance of ingredients in this pre-workout has you covered with caffeine for a potential boost in energy, taurine that can help with endurance, beta-alanine, which may increase blood-flow, and creatine HCL that can help expedite your gains.
Plus, it includes l-tyrosine, which may help the fight or flight response, and promote better mental endurance during tough workouts. This pre-workout comes in Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb for seven varied flavors that make it hard to go wrong.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Best Pre-Workout for Female Runners
Running requires a lot of endurance and stamina, and if you want to maintain your training schedule, a pre-workout that can help provide long-term energy, focus, and performance may help.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
For those tacking on those extra miles, Legion’s science-backed ingredient list can help you increase your stamina. Legion includes a solid dose of beta-alanine, which can help increase endurance. You’ll also find betaine and citrulline, which may also be able to help with muscle endurance.
The optional caffeine can boost alertness, and the theanine may help you improve your mood throughout long running workouts. You can buy Legion Pulse in 16 different flavors, all of which are naturally flavored and sweetened.
20% Off
Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
What’s In Your Pre-Workout?
Since pre-workouts can be so robust, we broke it down a little bit further to eliminate some of the research necessary to choose which ingredients may be right for you.
Caffeine
Caffeine can help with alertness, endurance, power output, strength, and exertion. A typical cup of joe can contain around 180mg of caffeine. Pre-workouts can vary to contain anywhere from 80 to 350mg of caffeine.
Citrulline
Taking about five grams of citrulline (an amino acid commonly found in watermelons) can help with circulation and blood flow, improving power output in the process. This is one of the most common pre-workout ingredients, but you can also take it as a separate supplement and stack it in your regimen. (3)
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine can help improve endurance-based cardio and strength workouts. Since you may be working your muscles for longer, beta-alanine may also help with hypertrophy. A typical dose is about 1.6 to 3.2 grams. (4)
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched pre-workout ingredients. It can help increase power output, up anaerobic capacity, and decrease fatigue. It may also increase muscle size by drawing more water to your muscles. A normal dose is about five to 10 grams per day, and consistency is key, whether you’re taking your creatine in a pre-workout or as a separate supplement altogether. (5)
Betaine Anhydrous
You can find this ingredient in beets and leafy greens, and it’s been linked to power output and muscular endurance. Betaine (from three to six grams daily) can potentially decrease post-exercise cortisol, which may help your body better respond to stress. (6)
Taurine
Taurine can be helpful in improving focus, and it may help with recovery and muscle cramps, too. A typical dose you may find in pre-workouts is one to two grams. (7)
Tyrosine
In addition to potentially helping with focus, tyrosine may also help produce adrenaline and dopamine, which can help the body combat stress (like the kind you endure during intense exercise). While most research has been done with a dose of 5 grams, there isn’t enough information to provide a minimum dosage — we recommend somewhere between 500mg and 5g, but it’s important to talk to your doctor to decipher the right dose for you. (8)
How We Decide Our Picks
We tested a lot of pre-workouts to choose our favorites. In the process, these are the main factors we considered in deciding which ones we thought were the “best.”
Price
Most of the pre-workouts we tried ranged from $1.00 and $2.00 per serving. You can find plenty of pre-workouts closer to the $1.00 range, so the products we considered closer to $2.00 per serving were particularly robust and worth the extra cash.
Dosage
Though most pre-workouts include research-backed ingredients, not all of them provide the proper doses of these ingredients. We not only walked you through the proper doses for each ingredient above, but we also didn’t include products on this list that didn’t match those standard dosages. And for the ingredients (like tyrosine) where the dosage is not clear, we made sure they were within the proper range that had been included in studies.
Ingredients
Pre-workout ingredients lists are longer than a lot of other supplements on the market. You won’t find many pre-workouts with fewer than seven or eight ingredients. Some pre-workouts include the base classic pre-workout ingredients, plus some additional, more innovative ingredients that aren’t as common across the market. Others just stick to the basics. No matter if you’re looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend, or you’re wanting to try something a little different, like Powher, we’ve included a research-backed option for you on this list.
Branding
There’s no denying that many of the products we included on this list have branding and marketing that was designed specifically for women. Some may even include ingredients that are particularly good for women — like beetroot. However, we also included some products that are marketed and branded more generically. If you’re looking for a product that’s made specifically for women, we have plenty for you here — but, we also have options for women who are looking for a non-gender specific pre-workout that may just contain a few solid ingredients that are ideal for female athletes in particular.
What to Consider Before Buying
It’s no secret that the jitters and tingles you may sometimes feel after taking pre-workout can lead to concern for some. However, pre-workouts are legal and the ingredients are all backed by research, so when it comes down to it, you really need to consider what you are personally comfortable with and what your goals are before buying a pre-workout.
Caffeine
Caffeine can cause anxiety, diarrhea, and high blood pressure in some, so it’s important to note your tolerance before buying a pre-workout that contains over 300mg of caffeine. However, caffeine isn’t necessarily bad for you — some people may just tolerate it better than others. For those that exercise late at night, caffeine also may not be ideal since it’s hard to relax after ingesting it. However, if you take caffeine at tolerable...
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No matter what you need in a pre-workout, it’s no secret that many of your run-of-the-mill pre-workouts are marketed more toward men, which may leave some women with questions like, “Will this product do the same things for me?” or “Should I take a different pre-workout with smaller dosages?” Most of the time actually, a lot of the ingredients and doses stay the same for males and females. However, sometimes women may look for a leaner blend, or a different set of vitamins within their pre-workout. We put together this list of pre-workouts that are specifically great for females to help you find your perfect pre-workout match.
The Best Pre-Workout Supplements
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Pre-Workout for Women Overall
The thing we liked most about this formula is that there’s a mix of classic pre-workout ingredients, as well as some less common compounds that are starting to break through in the industry.
Powher Pre-Workout
Powher Pre-Workout is a blend of the typical big-hitters — like taurine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and tyrosine — as well as some more unique ingredients. You’ll find only 100mg of caffeine, which adds a nice kick, but nothing too overwhelming. And one of the unique ingredients in Powher is RedNite, which is a powerful beet extract that can help with neuromuscular efficiency during strength training. (1)
In addition, Powher includes 500mg of coconut water powder that can help with hydration during exercise. This blend comes in a Pink Lemonade flavor that we found to be a bit heavier on the raspberry taste, and very light on notes of citrus.
Powher
A relatively low caffeine pre-workout that's a good mixture of established, science-backed ingredients and newer, slightly experimental compounds that could help with performance.
Who Should Buy Powher Pre-Workout
Women who are looking for a more unique formula will like the RedNite in this blend that deviates from more typical pre-workout ingredients.
Anyone who doesn’t want a ton of caffeine in their pre-workout. Powher only contains 100mg.
Folks who are looking for an extra boost in hydration will like the coconut water powder here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Powher Pre-Workout
Athletes looking for a bigger hit of caffeine to help with early morning workouts may want to look for a pre-workout with more than 100mg.
People who don’t like raspberries may want to steer clear. Though the flavor here is Pink Lemonade, we found that it tasted more like raspberry.
Those who want to stick to the pre-workout basics can find a more straightforward blend.
If you’re looking for a pre-workout that provides solid doses of lots of classic pre-workout ingredients, as well as some more unique ones — like RedNite — Powher can be a great, well-rounded formula for you.
Best Pre-Workout for Women (Runner Up)
Though this product is not specifically made for or marketed to women like some other products on this list, we still love it for its solid doses and all-natural ingredients.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Legion Pulse contains six main ingredients — l-citrulline, beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, 350mg of caffeine anhydrous, l-theanine, and Alpha-GPC (which may help with power output). What stands out about this list of ingredients is the high eight gram dose of citrulline and the 16 different flavors to choose from.
The formula is well-rounded and can help boost your performance and endurance both while lifting weights and while HIIT training on an exercise bike. Plus, it’s naturally flavored and sweetened, so if you’re trying to steer clear of artificial ingredients, you can’t go wrong with Legion Pulse.
20% Off
Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Women who want a pre-workout that contains all natural ingredients.
Anyone who wants the choice to have caffeine in their pre-workout — this product allows you to order the same formula with or without caffeine.
People who are looking for a high dose of citrulline will like the eight grams here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Those who want a pre-workout with an average dose of caffeine. While you can opt not to have caffeine in this blend, if you opt in, the dose is relatively high at 350mg.
This pre-workout doesn’t contain creatine, which some women may want to have in their formula.
Legion offers an all-around solid formula that can help with energy, focus, and muscle pumps. Plus, you can decide if you want to order your blend with or without caffeine, and choose from 16 flavors at checkout.
Best Women’s Pre-Workout for Weight Loss
First and foremost, in order to lose weight, you’ll want to focus on taking in fewer calories than you burn each day. After that, this pre-workout may be able to help you out just a little further.
Disclaimer: Please note that none of these products describe themselves as weight loss supplements and should not be taken as such. Please consult with a medical professional before beginning any weight loss protocol.
Transparent Labs LEAN
Transparent Labs LEAN contains some ingredients you may also see on fat burner labels. One of these is synephrine, which can help increase the number of calories burned throughout your day — and the hordenine in this product may also contribute to this cause.
In addition, the iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper may boost thyroid health. On top of that, you’ll find many pillar pre-workout ingredients like citrulline, beta-alanine, and theanine. It’s worth noting that this supp does contain caffeine and theobromine though, both of which are stimulants.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN
Women who are looking to burn more calories with the help of their pre-workout can supplement a calorie deficit with this blend.
This product is free of artificial sweeteners and colors, which may appeal to some.
If you’re looking for multiple flavors to choose from, this product comes in Green Apple, Sour Grape, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blue Raspberry.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs LEAN
You can find a higher dose of caffeine in other pre-workouts if that’s what you’re looking for. There’s only 180mg here.
Women who may be trying to bulk will want to look for a pre-workout that doesn’t contain synephrine or hordenine.
Since many women may look for leaner supplement options, Transparent Labs leaned (pun intended) into this, and designed a product that can help increase thermogenesis (the number of calories you’re burning).
Best Tasting Pre-Workout for Women
If you’re looking for a lot of great-tasting flavors to choose from, we think all seven flavors from Kaged are delicious pre-workout options.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
For those who want an unflavored powder, move right along. But for those who are looking for a wide flavor variety, Kaged pre-workout offers seven delicious flavors — Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb.
On top of the flavor profile, another plus to Pre-Kaged is the above average 6,500mg dose of citrulline, a 274 mg dose of caffeine that can help keep you alert, and additional 2,500mg betaine, which can help with circulation and vascularity. The added benefit of creatine makes this pre-workout not only potentially helpful for endurance and focus, but it may also help you make the most of your workout by utilizing creatine for muscle growth. Plus, this product is naturally flavored and sweetened, which is a plus for those who are trying to avoid artificial ingredients.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Women who are looking for multiple tasty flavors to choose from will appreciate that there are seven eclectic options here.
Anyone who wants a higher dose of citrulline will like the 6,500mg here.
Women looking for a pre-workout that has no flavors or colors from artificial sources will appreciate this formula.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Women looking for less caffeine in their pre-workout as this formula has 274 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of almost three cups of coffee.
Customers who want unflavored options may go with a different pre-workout.
Those who don’t like the tingles you may get from beta-alanine may want to look elsewhere.
If taste is a priority to you, and you’re sick of basic pre-workout flavors, Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout has seven flavors that should keep you hooked on your pre-workout regimen.
Best Pre-Workout for Women’s Muscle Gain
Some women may be looking for a pre-workout that simply helps boost energy before their workout. However, if you’re also wanting something that can help with performance and muscle gain, Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout has 17 stacked ingredients that can help you on your journey to gaining muscle.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
Huge Supplements Wrecked contains 17 ingredients, including many that can help boost muscle growth. The 3,000mg of beta-alanine especially can help increase strength and power, allowing you to lift heavier weights, potentially gaining more muscle mass in the process.
In addition, this product contains ingredients that can help with energy and blood flow, like citrulline and caffeine. Plus, it comes in four delicious flavors — Raspberry Mojito, Bomb Popsicle, Rainbow Burst, and Peach Rings, giving you creative flavor choices, so you never get bored. The price tag on Wrecked is $49.95 for 20 servings per container making it $2.45 per serving — however, the high dosage of each ingredient may allow for higher potency, and the need for a smaller serving size.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
This product packs 18 ingredients at high doses, including 9,000mg of citrulline malate, 3,200mg of beta alanine, 350mg of caffeine, and 2,000mg of betaine anhydrous. Plus, you’ll find 1,000mg of tyrosine and 100mg of Himalayan pink sea salt, as well.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Wrecked
Women who want a pre-workout that can specifically help with blood flow, strength, and power to potentially build more muscle — you’ll appreciate the addition of beta-alanine and citrulline in this formula.
Anyone who wants a good caffeine kick will appreciate the two types of caffeine that amount to 350mg in total.
Women who want to choose from four unique flavors will appreciate the options Wrecked provides.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Huge Supplements Wrecked
If you’re looking for a pre-workout with creatine, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Those who work out later in the day may opt for an option that has less caffeine than this formula.
Women on a budget may want to look for cheaper options on the market — this comes in at almost $2.50 per serving.
For starters, if you want to gain muscle, you’ll have to have a rigorous workout routine to match. But if you want a pre-workout that can help push you along a little bit further, the solid dose of beta-alanine in Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout should have you covered.
Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout for Women
A stim-free pre-workout can be ideal for women who work out late at night, or those who are just trying to avoid caffeine in general. This Legion product is one of our favorites.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout provides the option to nix the caffeine at checkout — though their blend includes 350mg of caffeine, you can select “With Caffeine” or “Without Caffeine” when you’re checking out.
The blend without the 350mg of caffeine doesn’t change otherwise — you’ll find 8g of citrulline, which can facilitate better pumps, as well as Alpha-GPC, which may help increase power output. Plus, you’ll find a few pre-workout classics like betaine, theanine, and beta-alanine. This supp also comes in 16 flavors, which is one of the widest varieties we’ve seen across the market.
20% Off
Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Women who work out late at night and may be trying to avoid stimulants in their pre-workout.
Folks who want to potentially achieve better pumps will like the high 8g dose of citrulline in this product.
Anyone looking for a reasonably priced pre-workout will appreciate the price tag here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Customers who want an average dose of caffeine will want to look elsewhere. While you can include caffeine in this blend if you select “With Caffeine” at checkout, the dose is higher than many others at 350mg.
Women who want a more extensive ingredients list can find products with more than six primary ingredients.
For those who are avoiding stimulants, Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout offers a great formula that can help boost blood flow, reduce fatigue, and allow better pumps.
Best Endurance Pre-Workout for Women
For longer workouts, turn to this pick — it’s designed for ergogenic training, meaning it may help enhance performance, recovery, and stamina, making it a top choice for endurance athletes.
Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
This formula comes equipped with some of the essentials for pre-workout, like beta-alanine, citrulline malate and BCAAs, which can help enhance your workout performance. To take it one step further, Transparent Labs added 180g of caffeine paired with 40mg of Infinergy™, which can help sustain the effects of the caffeine, and provide the tools to workout for a longer period of time.
This can be effective for women athletes who need to boost their cardiovascular endurance. This formula includes betaine, which comes from beetroot and can help improve blood flow — plus, beets are an important nutrient for tissue growth in women. LEAN comes in at $1.66 per serving, and is offered in eight delicious flavor options including some basics and some unique flavors, like Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Lemonade, Green Apple, and Sour Peach.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
Women who work out for long periods of time and may need ingredients to help extend their endurance — the caffeine and Infinergy™ combined here can do just that.
Female athletes who would appreciate a beetroot supplement that can help support both tissue growth and blood flow.
Folks who are looking for more innovative ingredients in their pre-workout, rather than just the basics that you find across the market.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
Women who prefer a stimulant-free pre-workout may want to find a pre-workout without caffeine in it.
People who want creatine in their formula may want to look elsewhere.
If you’re trying to conquer long workouts and want a little extra boost in endurance, the Infinergy™ paired with the caffeine may be just the kick you’ve been looking for.
Best Cheap Pre-Workout for Women
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t find a high-quality pre-workout. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout offers great dosages at an affordable price point.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
A cheap pre-workout doesn’t mean cheap ingredients. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout contains all the important ingredients to support your best lifts including 274 mg of caffeine per scoop. The balance of ingredients in this pre-workout has you covered with caffeine for a potential boost in energy, taurine that can help with endurance, beta-alanine, which may increase blood-flow, and creatine HCL that can help expedite your gains.
Plus, it includes l-tyrosine, which may help the fight or flight response, and promote better mental endurance during tough workouts. This pre-workout comes in Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb for seven varied flavors that make it hard to go wrong.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Women who want a decently affordable pre-workout that includes most of the basics of a pre-workout, and a few extra bonus ingredients.
Women who want a high-quality blend of ingredients that includes creatine.
Anyone who’s concerned about mental focus will appreciate the l-tyrosine in addition to caffeine that may help you stay concentrated on giving it your all in your workout.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Athletes looking for a pre-workout that doesn’t contain caffeine may want to opt for a stimulant-free option.
Anyone who wants their pre-workout unflavored should look at other options on the market.
For $2.25 per serving, this pre-workout provides many of the classic pre-workout ingredients, all at solid dosages, and with the added benefit of less common, but equally important ingredients. Plus, it comes in seven different flavors, which should allow you to mix up your routine for many months.
Best Pre-Workout for Female Runners
Running requires a lot of endurance and stamina, and if you want to maintain your training schedule, a pre-workout that can help provide long-term energy, focus, and performance may help.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
For those tacking on those extra miles, Legion’s science-backed ingredient list can help you increase your stamina. Legion includes a solid dose of beta-alanine, which can help increase endurance. You’ll also find betaine and citrulline, which may also be able to help with muscle endurance.
The optional caffeine can boost alertness, and the theanine may help you improve your mood throughout long running workouts. You can buy Legion Pulse in 16 different flavors, all of which are naturally flavored and sweetened.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Female runners who are trying to increase their endurance will like solid doses of beta-alanine, citrulline, and betaine here.
If you’re trying to enjoy your longer runs, this product contains theanine, which may be able to improve your mood during workouts.
Folks who like to go for morning runs may appreciate the 350mg of caffeine in this product.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
If you don’t like the tingles you can get from beta-alanine, know that this product contains 3.6 grams of it.
If you’re looking for a pre-workout that contains AstraGin, or another ingredient that may help with absorption, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
For runners — especially long distance runners — a pre-workout that can help with endurance is important. Legion Pulse contains effective doses of citrulline, betaine, and beta-alanine, all of which can help you hit those long Saturday morning runs.
What’s In Your Pre-Workout?
Since pre-workouts can be so robust, we broke it down a little bit further to eliminate some of the research necessary to choose which ingredients may be right for you.
Caffeine
Caffeine can help with alertness, endurance, power output, strength, and exertion. A typical cup of joe can contain around 180mg of caffeine. Pre-workouts can vary to contain anywhere from 80 to 350mg of caffeine.
Citrulline
Taking about five grams of citrulline (an amino acid commonly found in watermelons) can help with circulation and blood flow, improving power output in the process. This is one of the most common pre-workout ingredients, but you can also take it as a separate supplement and stack it in your regimen. (3)
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine can help improve endurance-based cardio and strength workouts. Since you may be working your muscles for longer, beta-alanine may also help with hypertrophy. A typical dose is about 1.6 to 3.2 grams. (4)
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched pre-workout ingredients. It can help increase power output, up anaerobic capacity, and decrease fatigue. It may also increase muscle size by drawing more water to your muscles. A normal dose is about five to 10 grams per day, and consistency is key, whether you’re taking your creatine in a pre-workout or as a separate supplement altogether. (5)
Betaine Anhydrous
You can find this ingredient in beets and leafy greens, and it’s been linked to power output and muscular endurance. Betaine (from three to six grams daily) can potentially decrease post-exercise cortisol, which may help your body better respond to stress. (6)
Taurine
Taurine can be helpful in improving focus, and it may help with recovery and muscle cramps, too. A typical dose you may find in pre-workouts is one to two grams. (7)
Tyrosine
In addition to potentially helping with focus, tyrosine may also help produce adrenaline and dopamine, which can help the body combat stress (like the kind you endure during intense exercise). While most research has been done with a dose of 5 grams, there isn’t enough information to provide a minimum dosage — we recommend somewhere between 500mg and 5g, but it’s important to talk to your doctor to decipher the right dose for you. (8)
How We Decide Our Picks
We tested a lot of pre-workouts to choose our favorites. In the process, these are the main factors we considered in deciding which ones we thought were the “best.”
Price
Most of the pre-workouts we tried ranged from $1.00 and $2.00 per serving. You can find plenty of pre-workouts closer to the $1.00 range, so the products we considered closer to $2.00 per serving were particularly robust and worth the extra cash.
Dosage
Though most pre-workouts include research-backed ingredients, not all of them provide the proper doses of these ingredients. We not only walked you through the proper doses for each ingredient above, but we also didn’t include products on this list that didn’t match those standard dosages. And for the ingredients (like tyrosine) where the dosage is not clear, we made sure they were within the proper range that had been included in studies.
Ingredients
Pre-workout ingredients lists are longer than a lot of other supplements on the market. You won’t find many pre-workouts with fewer than seven or eight ingredients. Some pre-workouts include the base classic pre-workout ingredients, plus some additional, more innovative ingredients that aren’t as common across the market. Others just stick to the basics. No matter if you’re looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend, or you’re wanting to try something a little different, like Powher, we’ve included a research-backed option for you on this list.
Branding
There’s no denying that many of the products we included on this list have branding and marketing that was designed specifically for women. Some may even include ingredients that are particularly good for women — like beetroot. However, we also included some products that are marketed and branded more generically. If you’re looking for a product that’s made specifically for women, we have plenty for you here — but, we also have options for women who are looking for a non-gender specific pre-workout that may just contain a few solid ingredients that are ideal for female athletes in particular.
What to Consider Before Buying
It’s no secret that the jitters and tingles you may sometimes feel after taking pre-workout can lead to concern for some. However, pre-workouts are legal and the ingredients are all backed by research, so when it comes down to it, you really need to consider what you are personally comfortable with and what your goals are before buying a pre-workout.
Caffeine
Caffeine can cause anxiety, diarrhea, and high blood pressure in some, so it’s important to note your tolerance before buying a pre-workout that contains over 300mg of caffeine. However, caffeine isn’t necessarily bad for you — some people may just tolerate it better than others. For those that exercise late at night, caffeine also may not be ideal since it’s hard to relax after ingesting it. However, if you take caffeine at tolerable doses that your (individual) body can handle without experiencing adverse effects, and you don’t take it right before you need to go to sleep, most people can handle caffeine reasonably well.
Beta-Alanine Tingles
If you’ve ever taken a pre-workout before, you may have felt a slight tingle after ingesting it. Beta-alanine — one of the most common pre-workout ingredients — can cause paresthesia, which is a tingling feeling on the skin. While it’s not harmful, some may not like the feeling. And on the other hand, some may also love it, taking the tingles as a sign that the supplement they’re taking is getting to work. It’s really just a personal preference when it comes to having or not having this particular ingredient in your pre-workout. Just note that if you don’t want to take beta-alanine, you may have a harder time finding a pre-workout, as most of these supplements do contain this ingredient.
Dosage
While many pre-workouts will tout their ingredients without providing the proper dosage to receive the potential effect, the products we included on this list all contain the proper doses — which we covered in detail earlier in this article. Before deciding which pre-workout supplement to buy, make sure you’re checking the labels against the dosages we talked about to ensure you’re purchasing an effective supplement.
Women-Centric Blends
Many of the products we featured here have packaging or ingredients lists that are particularly made for women. Whether they include beetroot or just have a subjectively appealing color scheme on their package, many of these pre-workouts on this list are meant for women in particular. However, if you’re looking for a product that is still great for women, but does not necessarily market themselves to women, we’ve also included a few of those options. You’ll want to decide if you want a women-centric blend or a generic blend before scouring the market.
Consult a Physician
Above everything, it’s imperative that you speak with a physician before adding a new supplement to your regimen. Many people have intolerances (like a caffeine intolerance), and consulting a doctor first and foremost can help you discover which ingredients you should and shouldn’t consume in your pre-workout.
Final Word
It’s no secret that many supplements are marketed toward men. We sifted through the market and picked out some of the best pre-workout supplements that can benefit women in particular. Some of these products are made for and marketed specifically to women while others are more generic, but have an ingredients list that can potentially benefit women specifically.
Most women can take generic pre-workouts — after all, they’re made for the general public, not just men. But if you’re looking for branding that’s specifically targeting women or specific ingredients that could potentially benefit women, this list has you covered. Just make sure you’re considering your personal goals, key ingredients, and price range before hitting the market. After that, allow this list to help you through the rest.
FAQs
Do I need a pre-workout that’s made specifically for women?No. Most women can take the same pre-workouts that men take, and there are countless generic pre-workouts across the market. However, if you want something that is specifically made for women for peace of mind, there are plenty of options for you as well.
How much caffeine is too much caffeine in my pre-workout?Everyone has a different tolerance, but the general dosage falls between 80mg and 350mg. Consult a physician before adding more caffeine to your regimen if you are concerned.
How much do pre-workouts cost?The cost of a container of pre-workout varies greatly, but per serving, pre-workouts generally cost between $1.00 and $2.00. The ones that cost closer to $2.00 are generally more robust, while the ones that are closer to $1.00 may just include the classic pre-workout ingredients with no extras.
References
Flanagan SD, Looney DP, Miller MJ, DuPont WH, Pryor L, Creighton BC, Sterczala AJ, Szivak TK, Hooper DR, Maresh CM, Volek JS, Ellis LA, Kraemer WJ. The Effects of Nitrate-Rich Supplementation on Neuromuscular Efficiency during Heavy Resistance Exercise. J Am Coll Nutr. 2016;35(2):100-7. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2015.1081572. Epub 2016 Feb 17. Erratum in: J Am Coll Nutr. 2017 May-Jun;36(4):317. PMID: 26885762.
Morris DM, Shafer RS, Fairbrother KR, Woodall MW. Effects of lactate consumption on blood bicarbonate levels and performance during high-intensity exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011 Aug;21(4):311-7. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.21.4.311. PMID: 21813914.
Gonzalez AM, Trexler ET. Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 May;34(5):1480-1495. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003426. PMID: 31977835.
Bellinger PM. ?-Alanine supplementation for athletic performance: an update. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Jun;28(6):1751-70. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000327. PMID: 24276304.
Gann, J. J., McKinley-Barnard, S. K., Andre, T. L., Schoch, R. D., & Willoughby, D. S. (2015). Effects of a traditionally-dosed creatine supplementation protocol and resistance training on the skeletal muscle uptake and whole-body metabolism and retention of creatine in males. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12(Suppl 1), P2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P2
Cholewa, J. M., Wyszczelska-Rokiel, M., Glowacki, R., Jakubowski, H., Matthews, T., Wood, R., Craig, S. A., & Paolone, V. (2013). Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-39
McLeay Y, Stannard S, Barnes M. The Effect of Taurine on the Recovery from Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Males. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017 Oct 17;6(4):79. doi: 10.3390/antiox6040079. PMID: 29039798; PMCID: PMC5745489.
Jongkees BJ, Hommel B, Kühn S, Colzato LS. Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands–A review. J Psychiatr Res. 2015 Nov;70:50-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014. Epub 2015 Aug 25. PMID: 26424423.
Pre-workouts are notorious for containing an array of performance-enhancing ingredients like citrulline, caffeine, BCAAs, tyrosine, creatine, and many others that can target muscle growth, energy, and even recovery. With so many ingredients and so many products that target male customers, deciphering labels and finding the right ingredients to suit your needs, as a female, can be tedious. Do you want something that may include fat burning ingredients to help with weight loss, as well? Or are you just looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend that can help with blood flow, energy, and focus?
No matter what you need in a pre-workout, it’s no secret that many of your run-of-the-mill pre-workouts are marketed more toward men, which may leave some women with questions like, “Will this product do the same things for me?” or “Should I take a different pre-workout with smaller dosages?” Most of the time actually, a lot of the ingredients and doses stay the same for males and females. However, sometimes women may look for a leaner blend, or a different set of vitamins within their pre-workout. We put together this list of pre-workouts that are specifically great for females to help you find your perfect pre-workout match.
The Best Pre-Workout Supplements
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Pre-Workout for Women Overall
The thing we liked most about this formula is that there’s a mix of classic pre-workout ingredients, as well as some less common compounds that are starting to break through in the industry.
Powher Pre-Workout
Powher Pre-Workout is a blend of the typical big-hitters — like taurine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and tyrosine — as well as some more unique ingredients. You’ll find only 100mg of caffeine, which adds a nice kick, but nothing too overwhelming. And one of the unique ingredients in Powher is RedNite, which is a powerful beet extract that can help with neuromuscular efficiency during strength training. (1)
In addition, Powher includes 500mg of coconut water powder that can help with hydration during exercise. This blend comes in a Pink Lemonade flavor that we found to be a bit heavier on the raspberry taste, and very light on notes of citrus.
Powher
A relatively low caffeine pre-workout that's a good mixture of established, science-backed ingredients and newer, slightly experimental compounds that could help with performance.
Who Should Buy Powher Pre-Workout
- Women who are looking for a more unique formula will like the RedNite in this blend that deviates from more typical pre-workout ingredients.
- Anyone who doesn’t want a ton of caffeine in their pre-workout. Powher only contains 100mg.
- Folks who are looking for an extra boost in hydration will like the coconut water powder here.
- Athletes looking for a bigger hit of caffeine to help with early morning workouts may want to look for a pre-workout with more than 100mg.
- People who don’t like raspberries may want to steer clear. Though the flavor here is Pink Lemonade, we found that it tasted more like raspberry.
- Those who want to stick to the pre-workout basics can find a more straightforward blend.
Best Pre-Workout for Women (Runner Up)
Though this product is not specifically made for or marketed to women like some other products on this list, we still love it for its solid doses and all-natural ingredients.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
Legion Pulse contains six main ingredients — l-citrulline, beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, 350mg of caffeine anhydrous, l-theanine, and Alpha-GPC (which may help with power output). What stands out about this list of ingredients is the high eight gram dose of citrulline and the 16 different flavors to choose from.
The formula is well-rounded and can help boost your performance and endurance both while lifting weights and while HIIT training on an exercise bike. Plus, it’s naturally flavored and sweetened, so if you’re trying to steer clear of artificial ingredients, you can’t go wrong with Legion Pulse.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
- Women who want a pre-workout that contains all natural ingredients.
- Anyone who wants the choice to have caffeine in their pre-workout — this product allows you to order the same formula with or without caffeine.
- People who are looking for a high dose of citrulline will like the eight grams here.
- Those who want a pre-workout with an average dose of caffeine. While you can opt not to have caffeine in this blend, if you opt in, the dose is relatively high at 350mg.
- This pre-workout doesn’t contain creatine, which some women may want to have in their formula.
Best Women’s Pre-Workout for Weight Loss
First and foremost, in order to lose weight, you’ll want to focus on taking in fewer calories than you burn each day. After that, this pre-workout may be able to help you out just a little further.
Disclaimer: Please note that none of these products describe themselves as weight loss supplements and should not be taken as such. Please consult with a medical professional before beginning any weight loss protocol.
Transparent Labs LEAN
Transparent Labs LEAN contains some ingredients you may also see on fat burner labels. One of these is synephrine, which can help increase the number of calories burned throughout your day — and the hordenine in this product may also contribute to this cause.
In addition, the iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper may boost thyroid health. On top of that, you’ll find many pillar pre-workout ingredients like citrulline, beta-alanine, and theanine. It’s worth noting that this supp does contain caffeine and theobromine though, both of which are stimulants.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN
- Women who are looking to burn more calories with the help of their pre-workout can supplement a calorie deficit with this blend.
- This product is free of artificial sweeteners and colors, which may appeal to some.
- If you’re looking for multiple flavors to choose from, this product comes in Green Apple, Sour Grape, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blue Raspberry.
- You can find a higher dose of caffeine in other pre-workouts if that’s what you’re looking for. There’s only 180mg here.
- Women who may be trying to bulk will want to look for a pre-workout that doesn’t contain synephrine or hordenine.
Best Tasting Pre-Workout for Women
If you’re looking for a lot of great-tasting flavors to choose from, we think all seven flavors from Kaged are delicious pre-workout options.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
For those who want an unflavored powder, move right along. But for those who are looking for a wide flavor variety, Kaged pre-workout offers seven delicious flavors — Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb.
On top of the flavor profile, another plus to Pre-Kaged is the above average 6,500mg dose of citrulline, a 274 mg dose of caffeine that can help keep you alert, and additional 2,500mg betaine, which can help with circulation and vascularity. The added benefit of creatine makes this pre-workout not only potentially helpful for endurance and focus, but it may also help you make the most of your workout by utilizing creatine for muscle growth. Plus, this product is naturally flavored and sweetened, which is a plus for those who are trying to avoid artificial ingredients.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
- Women who are looking for multiple tasty flavors to choose from will appreciate that there are seven eclectic options here.
- Anyone who wants a higher dose of citrulline will like the 6,500mg here.
- Women looking for a pre-workout that has no flavors or colors from artificial sources will appreciate this formula.
- Women looking for less caffeine in their pre-workout as this formula has 274 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of almost three cups of coffee.
- Customers who want unflavored options may go with a different pre-workout.
- Those who don’t like the tingles you may get from beta-alanine may want to look elsewhere.
Best Pre-Workout for Women’s Muscle Gain
Some women may be looking for a pre-workout that simply helps boost energy before their workout. However, if you’re also wanting something that can help with performance and muscle gain, Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout has 17 stacked ingredients that can help you on your journey to gaining muscle.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
Huge Supplements Wrecked contains 17 ingredients, including many that can help boost muscle growth. The 3,000mg of beta-alanine especially can help increase strength and power, allowing you to lift heavier weights, potentially gaining more muscle mass in the process.
In addition, this product contains ingredients that can help with energy and blood flow, like citrulline and caffeine. Plus, it comes in four delicious flavors — Raspberry Mojito, Bomb Popsicle, Rainbow Burst, and Peach Rings, giving you creative flavor choices, so you never get bored. The price tag on Wrecked is $49.95 for 20 servings per container making it $2.45 per serving — however, the high dosage of each ingredient may allow for higher potency, and the need for a smaller serving size.
Huge Supplements Wrecked
This product packs 18 ingredients at high doses, including 9,000mg of citrulline malate, 3,200mg of beta alanine, 350mg of caffeine, and 2,000mg of betaine anhydrous. Plus, you’ll find 1,000mg of tyrosine and 100mg of Himalayan pink sea salt, as well.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Wrecked
- Women who want a pre-workout that can specifically help with blood flow, strength, and power to potentially build more muscle — you’ll appreciate the addition of beta-alanine and citrulline in this formula.
- Anyone who wants a good caffeine kick will appreciate the two types of caffeine that amount to 350mg in total.
- Women who want to choose from four unique flavors will appreciate the options Wrecked provides.
- If you’re looking for a pre-workout with creatine, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
- Those who work out later in the day may opt for an option that has less caffeine than this formula.
- Women on a budget may want to look for cheaper options on the market — this comes in at almost $2.50 per serving.
Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout for Women
A stim-free pre-workout can be ideal for women who work out late at night, or those who are just trying to avoid caffeine in general. This Legion product is one of our favorites.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout provides the option to nix the caffeine at checkout — though their blend includes 350mg of caffeine, you can select “With Caffeine” or “Without Caffeine” when you’re checking out.
The blend without the 350mg of caffeine doesn’t change otherwise — you’ll find 8g of citrulline, which can facilitate better pumps, as well as Alpha-GPC, which may help increase power output. Plus, you’ll find a few pre-workout classics like betaine, theanine, and beta-alanine. This supp also comes in 16 flavors, which is one of the widest varieties we’ve seen across the market.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout (No Caffeine)
- Women who work out late at night and may be trying to avoid stimulants in their pre-workout.
- Folks who want to potentially achieve better pumps will like the high 8g dose of citrulline in this product.
- Anyone looking for a reasonably priced pre-workout will appreciate the price tag here.
- Customers who want an average dose of caffeine will want to look elsewhere. While you can include caffeine in this blend if you select “With Caffeine” at checkout, the dose is higher than many others at 350mg.
- Women who want a more extensive ingredients list can find products with more than six primary ingredients.
Best Endurance Pre-Workout for Women
For longer workouts, turn to this pick — it’s designed for ergogenic training, meaning it may help enhance performance, recovery, and stamina, making it a top choice for endurance athletes.
Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
This formula comes equipped with some of the essentials for pre-workout, like beta-alanine, citrulline malate and BCAAs, which can help enhance your workout performance. To take it one step further, Transparent Labs added 180g of caffeine paired with 40mg of Infinergy™, which can help sustain the effects of the caffeine, and provide the tools to workout for a longer period of time.
This can be effective for women athletes who need to boost their cardiovascular endurance. This formula includes betaine, which comes from beetroot and can help improve blood flow — plus, beets are an important nutrient for tissue growth in women. LEAN comes in at $1.66 per serving, and is offered in eight delicious flavor options including some basics and some unique flavors, like Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Lemonade, Green Apple, and Sour Peach.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs LEAN Pre-Workout
- Women who work out for long periods of time and may need ingredients to help extend their endurance — the caffeine and Infinergy™ combined here can do just that.
- Female athletes who would appreciate a beetroot supplement that can help support both tissue growth and blood flow.
- Folks who are looking for more innovative ingredients in their pre-workout, rather than just the basics that you find across the market.
- Women who prefer a stimulant-free pre-workout may want to find a pre-workout without caffeine in it.
- People who want creatine in their formula may want to look elsewhere.
Best Cheap Pre-Workout for Women
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t find a high-quality pre-workout. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout offers great dosages at an affordable price point.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
A cheap pre-workout doesn’t mean cheap ingredients. Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout contains all the important ingredients to support your best lifts including 274 mg of caffeine per scoop. The balance of ingredients in this pre-workout has you covered with caffeine for a potential boost in energy, taurine that can help with endurance, beta-alanine, which may increase blood-flow, and creatine HCL that can help expedite your gains.
Plus, it includes l-tyrosine, which may help the fight or flight response, and promote better mental endurance during tough workouts. This pre-workout comes in Berry Blast, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Orange Krush, and Cherry Bomb for seven varied flavors that make it hard to go wrong.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
This pre-workout supplement comes in a 20-serving tub and provides L-Citrulline, L-Leucine, and L-Valine, to name a few, per 20-calorie scoop. There are seven flavors available including Grape, Fruit Punch, and Krisp Apple.
Who Should Buy Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
- Women who want a decently affordable pre-workout that includes most of the basics of a pre-workout, and a few extra bonus ingredients.
- Women who want a high-quality blend of ingredients that includes creatine.
- Anyone who’s concerned about mental focus will appreciate the l-tyrosine in addition to caffeine that may help you stay concentrated on giving it your all in your workout.
- Athletes looking for a pre-workout that doesn’t contain caffeine may want to opt for a stimulant-free option.
- Anyone who wants their pre-workout unflavored should look at other options on the market.
Best Pre-Workout for Female Runners
Running requires a lot of endurance and stamina, and if you want to maintain your training schedule, a pre-workout that can help provide long-term energy, focus, and performance may help.
Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
For those tacking on those extra miles, Legion’s science-backed ingredient list can help you increase your stamina. Legion includes a solid dose of beta-alanine, which can help increase endurance. You’ll also find betaine and citrulline, which may also be able to help with muscle endurance.
The optional caffeine can boost alertness, and the theanine may help you improve your mood throughout long running workouts. You can buy Legion Pulse in 16 different flavors, all of which are naturally flavored and sweetened.
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Legion Pulse Preworkout
This pre-workout supplement can come with or without caffeine and in 16 different flavors. Each serving provides 350 milligrams of L-theanine and eight grams of citrulline, which may facilitate better pumps.
Who Should Buy Legion Pulse All-Natural Pre-Workout
- Female runners who are trying to increase their endurance will like solid doses of beta-alanine, citrulline, and betaine here.
- If you’re trying to enjoy your longer runs, this product contains theanine, which may be able to improve your mood during workouts.
- Folks who like to go for morning runs may appreciate the 350mg of caffeine in this product.
- If you don’t like the tingles you can get from beta-alanine, know that this product contains 3.6 grams of it.
- If you’re looking for a pre-workout that contains AstraGin, or another ingredient that may help with absorption, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
What’s In Your Pre-Workout?
Since pre-workouts can be so robust, we broke it down a little bit further to eliminate some of the research necessary to choose which ingredients may be right for you.
Caffeine
Caffeine can help with alertness, endurance, power output, strength, and exertion. A typical cup of joe can contain around 180mg of caffeine. Pre-workouts can vary to contain anywhere from 80 to 350mg of caffeine.
Citrulline
Taking about five grams of citrulline (an amino acid commonly found in watermelons) can help with circulation and blood flow, improving power output in the process. This is one of the most common pre-workout ingredients, but you can also take it as a separate supplement and stack it in your regimen. (3)
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine can help improve endurance-based cardio and strength workouts. Since you may be working your muscles for longer, beta-alanine may also help with hypertrophy. A typical dose is about 1.6 to 3.2 grams. (4)
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched pre-workout ingredients. It can help increase power output, up anaerobic capacity, and decrease fatigue. It may also increase muscle size by drawing more water to your muscles. A normal dose is about five to 10 grams per day, and consistency is key, whether you’re taking your creatine in a pre-workout or as a separate supplement altogether. (5)
Betaine Anhydrous
You can find this ingredient in beets and leafy greens, and it’s been linked to power output and muscular endurance. Betaine (from three to six grams daily) can potentially decrease post-exercise cortisol, which may help your body better respond to stress. (6)
Taurine
Taurine can be helpful in improving focus, and it may help with recovery and muscle cramps, too. A typical dose you may find in pre-workouts is one to two grams. (7)
Tyrosine
In addition to potentially helping with focus, tyrosine may also help produce adrenaline and dopamine, which can help the body combat stress (like the kind you endure during intense exercise). While most research has been done with a dose of 5 grams, there isn’t enough information to provide a minimum dosage — we recommend somewhere between 500mg and 5g, but it’s important to talk to your doctor to decipher the right dose for you. (8)
How We Decide Our Picks
We tested a lot of pre-workouts to choose our favorites. In the process, these are the main factors we considered in deciding which ones we thought were the “best.”
Price
Most of the pre-workouts we tried ranged from $1.00 and $2.00 per serving. You can find plenty of pre-workouts closer to the $1.00 range, so the products we considered closer to $2.00 per serving were particularly robust and worth the extra cash.
Dosage
Though most pre-workouts include research-backed ingredients, not all of them provide the proper doses of these ingredients. We not only walked you through the proper doses for each ingredient above, but we also didn’t include products on this list that didn’t match those standard dosages. And for the ingredients (like tyrosine) where the dosage is not clear, we made sure they were within the proper range that had been included in studies.
Ingredients
Pre-workout ingredients lists are longer than a lot of other supplements on the market. You won’t find many pre-workouts with fewer than seven or eight ingredients. Some pre-workouts include the base classic pre-workout ingredients, plus some additional, more innovative ingredients that aren’t as common across the market. Others just stick to the basics. No matter if you’re looking for your typical citrulline, caffeine, and tyrosine blend, or you’re wanting to try something a little different, like Powher, we’ve included a research-backed option for you on this list.
Branding
There’s no denying that many of the products we included on this list have branding and marketing that was designed specifically for women. Some may even include ingredients that are particularly good for women — like beetroot. However, we also included some products that are marketed and branded more generically. If you’re looking for a product that’s made specifically for women, we have plenty for you here — but, we also have options for women who are looking for a non-gender specific pre-workout that may just contain a few solid ingredients that are ideal for female athletes in particular.
What to Consider Before Buying
It’s no secret that the jitters and tingles you may sometimes feel after taking pre-workout can lead to concern for some. However, pre-workouts are legal and the ingredients are all backed by research, so when it comes down to it, you really need to consider what you are personally comfortable with and what your goals are before buying a pre-workout.
Caffeine
Caffeine can cause anxiety, diarrhea, and high blood pressure in some, so it’s important to note your tolerance before buying a pre-workout that contains over 300mg of caffeine. However, caffeine isn’t necessarily bad for you — some people may just tolerate it better than others. For those that exercise late at night, caffeine also may not be ideal since it’s hard to relax after ingesting it. However, if you take caffeine at tolerable...
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