- Fact Checked
Last Updated: October 24, 2017
You can boost your workouts with a high-quality vegan supplement drink — giving yourself that extra energy boost while improving your athletic performance, focus, and results in general.
But please watch out for sneaky marketing tactics, gimmicks, and misleading claims. I checked many pre-workouts on the market, and what surprised me was that several products might be labeled vegan-friendly, but contains traces of gelatin or lanolin! It’s a harsh world out there.
One supplement company got back to me and said that one ingredient in the PWO (that was labeled as vegetarian, by the way) was derived from goose feathers. What?
Allow me to take your hand and guide you through the supplement jungle; this way, you can find the best plant-based pre-workout that will help you reach your fitness goals faster.
Anyways, here are my top recommendations for pre-workouts (see also ‘Vega Sport PreWorkout Energizer Review‘) that are clearly labeled as being 100% vegan that will support any plant-eater with their workouts
Genius Pre Workout Powder, Grape Limeade - All-Natural Nootropic Pre-workout & Caffeine-Free Nitric
Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Energy + Focus Vegan Clean Pre Workout Powder, Sugar & Glut
Naked Energy – Pure Pre Workout Powder for Men and Women, Vegan Friendly, Unflavored, No Added Swe
Last year BULK was on our radar but not on our list, after testing this formula on our staff & trainees it’s moved it’s way to #1!
Transparent Labs doesn’t dissapoint with this new formulation with this pre-workout supplement, the first time I took it I could tell something was different. Talk to every one of our trainers (Don’t ask Jane B. she’s the outlier) :-)…most of our gym goers use BULK as their preferred pre-workout supplement.
The key to of pre-training science, it’s 3x more energy-producing than L-arginine alone. Count on improved strength, aerobic performance, and muscle endurance, as well as mental aquity.
This cutting-edge new supplement is clinically proven to trigger dramatic muscle growth, and it has real-world effects noticed by our test subjects. All while reducing fatigue and replenishing strength between sets and making you feel like you can keep going.
Unlike others, they don’t skimp here or in anyn other ingredient for that matter. Get the fully-recommended dose needed to increase cellular carnosine levels & muscle uptake receptors.
Infinergy™ is not your standard caffeine. Instead, it harnesses an ionic bond between caffeine and malic acid to create a molecule–di-caffeine malate. The result is unmatched synergy for lasting mental and physical performance without jitters or crashing.
If you’ve ever looked at the ingredients of pre-workout supplements, they all seem to have been designed for male bodybuilders who want to build muscle fast.
Not only are the doses very high, but the ingredients themselves will encourage mass gain. But what about women who just want some extra energy at the gym (see also ‘A Beginners Guide to Getting Started At The Gym‘) to work harder and lose more weight without increasing muscle size?
With Powher, you have the solution you’re looking for.
Made with ENXTRA, it provides a powerful alternative to caffeine so you avoid those jitters. However, you still want to avoid this stuff late in the evening to not disturb your sleep. OXYJUN is extracted from the Terminalia Arjuna tree and has been proven to increase VO2 max by 5%.
The flavor is also surprisingly refreshing, so no more pinching your nose to gulp it down.
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4 Gauge is a pre-workout supplement that makes it possible for you to train longer and harder than before.
It helps improve your body’s endurance and focuses your mind so you can enjoy a satisfying workout with no crashes after.
Another great thing that I like about this pre-workout powder is that it doesn’t try to hide behind so-called “proprietary blends.” Instead, it proclaims what its ingredients are loud and proud, and they’re all natural.
Because of that, I’m confident that this product can really deliver what it says, and that it’s safe for people like us who love to hit the gym hard.
If you’ve always wanted to go the extra mile in the gym to achieve your fitness goals faster but are afraid that your body can’t handle it, then I would recommend that you give this pre-workout supplement a shot.
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Next on our list of the best vegan pre-workout supplements is NITROSURGE from Jacked Factory (see also ‘Androsurge Review‘). It is a vegan-friendly pre-workout supplement with a blend of ingredients aiming to give you a surge of energy, focus, enhanced strength, and pumps.
It’s an excellent pre-workout supplement that gives you almost the same effect as taking vegan nootropics to boost mental health.
At first glance, it might seem like this pre-workout is severely underdosed. While this is true, it can easily be fixed by simply doubling the serving and taking 2 scoops (at roughly the same cost as the other products).
This blend shares many similarities with the INFINITY pre-workout.
You’ve got trusty ol’ compounds such as citrulline malate, beta-alanine, betaine and caffeine that will give you good pumps, enhanced physical performance, and sharper focus.
What I like about this particular formula is the inclusion of L-theanine, which works brilliantly in taking the edge off caffeine and promotes improved cognition and attention.
You get 30 underdosed servings per container; my suggestion would be to double the serving size and yield 15 servings.
Genius has designed a rather unique vegan PWO formula here:
It’s a 2-in-1 nootropic pre-workout supplement that will provide you with the usual performance-enhancing effects, along with ingredients that help enhance brain function and mental alertness (nootropics or smart drugs).
So, we’ve got a couple of standard ingredients, such as citrulline malate and beta-alanine, that will induce some good pumps and augment muscle endurance. Thrown into the mix are effective nootropic ingredients such as the Alpha-GPC, rhodiola rosea, L-tyrosine and huperzia serrata that will significantly sharpen mental cognition, alertness, and focus.
Now for the most distinguishing feature (or lack of feature): there’s no caffeine.
As a result, it won’t give you the same adrenal rush as other pre-workouts, but it also makes it suitable for individuals that can’t tolerate stimulants or if you want to use it during evenings.
Users report amazing focus and drive from using this pre-workout (likely due to the array of nootropics included).
One container provides 20 servings and is on the pricier side, but if you’re looking for a powerful stimulant-free, pre-workout with some serious benefits for your brain function (see also ‘TruBrain Review: Is It The Best Nootropic Drink?‘) , this might be for you!
If you like this product, you can also check out the Genius Burn Fat Burner here.
If you’re vegan and prefer organic supplements (see also our review of Flo Vitamin Gummy), then one of the better options out there is Garden Of Life. Made with all natural ingredients that are certified GMO free as well, you’ll be safe to stay within your animal-free lifestyle.
It does provide a good bit of extra energy, but a lot of that comes from the high caffeine content. While there’s nothing wrong with that as such, it’s just annoying that they hide behind a proprietary ingredient mix.
You simply cannot say for sure whether it’s just the ingredients that are giving you a boost.
I have used it and did notice a performance boost, but given the price for the number of servings, there are better options available.
Naked Energy sounds like a Party Cocktail but instead it’s a serious pre workout formula. The Naked brand is growing it’s popular Vegan line of products & we’re sure this sup[plement will grow inpopularity as users get their hands on this newer supplement.
Third Part tested & filled with a max nutrition profile, this pure pre-workout formula would have definitely ranked higher on our list if we would have had more time to get feedback from users.
We test the products ourselves, our staff, our clients all love this cocktail but we need to do more testing before the final tally is in…I have a feeling this will be in the top 3 soon!
As the term pre-workout implies, these supplements (see also ‘How to Take Ibutamoren (MK-677)‘) are meant to be taken before your workout.
The best vegan pre-workout supplements (see also ‘A Guide to Vegan Supplements‘) contain a blend of different ingredients that will provide a boost of energy, strength, stamina, and pumps to give you that extra edge in the gym which includes better:
Be mind-to-muscle connection, an extra rep or two, a couple more pounds on your previous max weight, sharpened focus and an overall more awesome workout experience. It also helps you build more organic muscle while maintaining a lean body mass.
Now, we should point out that this category of supplements is not intended to be used as a substitute for your morning coffee (see our guide to ordering at Starbucks ).
Drinking PWO in the morning and all throughout the day is going to desensitize you to the ingredients, thus reducing the beneficial effects that you want to reserve for the gym.
Bad idea. And you’re not really going to benefit greatly from the pump-inducing effect sitting at your desk job (except for flexing your biceps at unsuspecting colleagues).
Let’s say you just got back from a tiresome day of work. It’s cold and rainy outside, and nothing would be better than to lay down for a nap or watch Netflix. In such a scenario, an intense workout is something you might not be inclined to indulge yourself in.
Trying to brush these distractive thoughts aside, you reach for your pre-workout jar, put a heaping sized spoon into a glass of water, and down it.
After a couple of minutes, you feel the energy starting to rush through your body, and the gym suddenly feels like a much better option than staying at home (see traveling gym).
It’d be great with an iron will at all times that forced you to the gym, but that’s simply not the case 100% of the time.
For those days where one isn’t ‘feeling it,’ a solid pre-workout formula can be really helpful for that jolt of motivation.
If you’ve ever consumed potent vegan pre-workout supplements prior to working out, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
When entering that highly focused mental state where nothing else matters except for crushing the weights and getting those reps in, it’s simply nothing short of amazing.
There’s something special about the feeling you get during a proper workout fueled with the right blend of ingredients. It might sound a bit counterintuitive, but in a way, it’s strangely meditative.
Drinking a pre-workout can actually help you unwind from the stresses and commitments of everyday life by allowing you to enter that extremely focused and single-minded state.
Related Post: Vegan Crossfit Guide for Beginners
Yet, these pre-workout supplements aren’t made with the sole intention of making you feel good (though it is a nice side-effect indeed).
A properly formulated vegan PWO will include ingredients that are scientifically proven to augment athletic performance. For instance, some vegan pre-workouts have essential amino acids that are readily available to your body when you workout. Such supplements have immense benefits.
This includes increased strength output, work capacity, stamina, energy, and pumps which are long lasting and help with considerable muscle gains.
As an example, caffeine is one very popular ingredient commonly used in pre-workouts.
Most people associate the consumption of caffeine with its ability to kick lethargy’s butt, but it has also been shown in studies actually to increase strength levels (1).
Taking too much of any stimulant-based pre-workout can cause negative effects such as making you jittery, irritable or anxious.
Basically, it’s the same as when you drink too many cups of coffee in a row.
So definitely make sure to stick with the recommended dosage, and don’t fall into the trap thinking that more is better.
For someone that metabolizes caffeine slowly or is sensitive to stimulants, it might be more difficult to fall asleep later.
In this case, try and time the intake, so it’s the furthest away from bedtime and perhaps half the dosage/serving so that you can also enjoy your beauty sleep later.
Or simply choose a pre-workout without stimulants. Yes, there are such things, and they can work rather well.
There are a couple of scientifically proven ingredients that you will find in many pre-workout supplements (see also ‘Which are the Best Turkesterone Supplements on Amazon?‘).
Here are some that are a great addition to any pre-workout shake (although this is not an extensive list by any means):
You know that feeling first thing in the morning when your brain is still fogged up, and you find it difficult to think of more than getting dressed and out the door to work.
Within just a few sips of coffee, that mental fog starts to lift because of one simple ingredient: caffeine.
The reason it works so well is that it blocks certain neurological receptors in your brain that would normally react to adenosine and result in a drowsy and sleepy feeling.
When it comes to your workouts, it will provide the mental clarity and confidence to get you through high-intensity sections, as well as a boost in physical performance. Just make sure you drink a bit more water, as caffeine has a dehydrating effect. Other than that, natural caffiene is the perfect options for vegans as pre-workout supplement
This amino acid occurs naturally in your body and turns into carnosine when you ingest it. Your body uses carnosine to protect itself from excess lactic acid, which is produced during intense bouts of exercise (2).
Lactic acid (lactic acid skin care), is what produces that burning effect and causes your muscles to feel sore and tired.
So, when you take beta-alanine as a supplement (see also ‘What Are The Best SARMs to Increase Endurance?‘), you help to boost the carnosine levels in your muscles, which helps to:
You might feel a tingling sensation in your hands (or other places) when you ingest beta-alanine, and this is a totally normal side effect called “paresthesia.” It actually helps you to know that you’ve taken the correct amount!
β-Alanine supplementation was effective at increasing power output when lifting loads equivalent to the individual’s maximal strength or when working at maximum power output”.
Bio Med Central
The more you can increase blood flow to your muscles, the bigger the pumps will be, and the better the results of your workout are.
For some bodybuilders (read this article about vegan bodybuilding), focusing on pumps is how they train their bodies to maximize muscle growth.
The great thing is that there are a few simple supplement ingredients that help to boost blood flow by promoting the levels of nitric oxide in your body.
This results in more dilated blood vessels and more blood and nutrients getting to your muscles.
Here are a few to look out for:
L-Arginine (or AAKG, Agmatine, and other brand names) acts as a precursor to nitric oxide. And in theory, it should help with enhancing levels of nitric oxide, leading to better pumps.
However, while this might sound plausible in theory, preliminary results from studies do not show consistent, enhanced exercise performance or increased nitric oxide production (5) (6).
This lack of effect can be explained due to poor intestinal absorption. But don’t despair vegan pump-seekers! There might be a better option here.
L-arginine is converted in the body into a chemical called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to open wider for improved blood flow. L-arginine also stimulates the release of growth hormone, insulin, and other substances in the body.
WebMD
Citrulline malate is a compound consisting of citrulline, a non-essential amino acid.
This compound stimulates the endogenous production of arginine (see also ‘ How to Prep a High Lysine Low Arginine Meal ‘), and in turn nitric oxide, consequently bringing enhanced pumps and improved nutrient delivery properties. Also, it does so a lot better than L-arginine, as citrulline malate is readily absorbed by the gut (7).
According to research, citrulline-related nitric oxide seems to boost muscle endurance, reduce muscle soreness, and increase aerobic performance. So, for the purposes of getting good pumps, citrulline malate is your best bet (8) (9) (10).
Supplementing L-citrulline also increases ornithine and arginine plasma content. This means L-citrulline supplementation improves the ammonia recycling process and nitric oxide metabolism
Examine.com
You see, beetroots contain large amounts of nitrates which in theory could help boost nitric oxide levels, increase blood flow, and thereby create muscle pumps.
This is why it’s not that uncommon to find beet or beet extract in natural and organic vegan PWOs.
Now, we don’t actually have a ton of studies available examining how effective beets are at achieving these effects.
There might be a slight benefit for cardiorespiratory endurance by drinking beetroot juice. But personally, I’d recommend going for something more reliable, such as citrulline malate (11).
Related Post: Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
Let’s establish a set of criteria that a high-quality vegan pre-workout has to meet for us to consider it.
This way, it’s easier to weed out the crappy ones and find the gems:
It’s no question that a vegan pre-workout can improve your experience in the gym. However, there are a lot of natural alternatives that can help you boost your physical performance if you don’t feel like chugging down a shake on certain days. Here are some of my favorite vegan pre-workout foods:
All of these products have been great in their own unique ways, but if I had to nail it down to one, it would depend if you’re a man or woman and how hard you train.
For women, I’d certainly recommend you choose Powher Pre-workout. A lot of ingredients in pre-workouts are typically geared towards men, so it might be overkill for women, but this isn’t the case for Powher. It’s got the right amount for everything.
For men, I’d recommend you go for 4 Gauge. Its natural ingredients deliver a clean surge of energy and intense focus that allows you to train longer and harder – and without energy crashes.
These are both perfect for anyone who wants to see faster results in the gym, perform better at their sport – or just feel better while exercising (isokinetic exercises).
By far, the best overall Pre-workout for anyone is BULK by TRansparent Labs, This formulas has the best ingredient profiles & is the best buy for the cost.
Thanks for reading & good luck with all your fitness goals!
Best For |
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#1 Best Overall Pre-Workout Formula |
Each scoop of BULK provides an entourage of nitric oxide boosters and ergogenic aids to fortify athletic performance and engorge muscle tissue.
Address: 1300 Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente, CA 92673, United States | Phone Number: +1 (949) 248-0131 | Email: contact@veganliftz.com