The Best Pre-Workout Gummies, According To Dietitians

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For an extra boost to help you push through that last rep, final mile, or extra bit of weight on the bar, a pre-workout supplement may be just what you need. While the best pre-workouts have science-backed ingredients like creatine, caffeine, and certain amino acids, as well as stringent safety testing, they’re not always the most convenient supplements to take. Preworkout gummies have the appeal of convenience and the benefit of precise dosing without measuring, says Nick Lemke, RD Sports Dietitian at Clutch Performance Nutrition.

You can skip the extra water, shaker bottle, and spilling powder all over your car as you try to mix it all together by choosing a pre-workout gummy instead of the traditional powder.

However, just like powdered pre-workout supplements, preworkout gummies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is why transparency in third-party testing for purity and potency and testing for banned substances is so important. “Pre-workout brands often want you to feel the most benefit from taking them, so they may add extra stimulants aside from caffeine to give you that feeling,” says Lemke, who strongly recommends choosing only third-party tested pre-workout supplements. Unfortunately, not many pre-workout gummies are third-party tested, and even fewer are verified banned substance-free by certification programs like NSF or Informed Choice.

We spoke to the experts and reviewed the pre-workout gummies on the market today to find the most effective and safest options to help you power through your workout. Keep reading to see our top picks!

What to Consider

Added Sugars and Sweeteners

As with all gummy supplements, added sugars and other sweeteners can add up. Choose a gummy supplement that has under 10% of the DV for added sugars and avoids any natural or artificial sweeteners that you may be sensitive to or cause digestive upset, which may hinder your workout.

Safety and Testing

“Pre-workout supplements are among the most likely to contain ingredients not on the label,” Lemke Adds. Recent research supports this claim. A 2023 study analyzed 57 sports supplements and found that 89 percent were mislabeled, and 12 percent contained banned substances not on the label. Several of the products tested were pre-workout supplements.

“Even if you are not an athlete, you should still be cautious of substances not listed on the label that could cause harm to your body and health,” says Lemke. By purchasing supplements from reputable companies that utilize third-party testing and receive certifications from NSF, Informed Choice, or USP, you can be sure you’re getting what the bottle says and nothing more.

How We Chose

To create our top picks of gummies to take before your workout, we put a maximum emphasis on safety, as this is an increasingly common concern in the sports supplement industry. All of our top picks are either third-party tested or have the added assurance of an NSF certification. We also spoke with Sports Dietitians and our Men’s Health Editors to find the most effective options for your pre-workout supplement.

When you need an extra boost to help you push through that last rep, one more mile, or lift a little heavier, a pre-workout supplement may be just what you need. While the best pre-workouts have science-backed ingredients like creatine, caffeine, and certain amino acids, as well as stringent safety testing, they’re not always the most convenient supplements to take.

Pre-workout gummies have the appeal of convenience and the benefit of precise dosing without measuring, says Nick Lemke, RD Sports Dietitian at Clutch Performance Nutrition. You can skip the extra water, shaker bottle, and spilling powder all over your car as you try to mix it all together by choosing a pre-workout gummy instead of the traditional powder. However, just like powdered pre-workout supplements, pre-workout gummies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is why transparency in third-party testing for purity and potency and testing for banned substances is so important.

“Pre-workout brands often want you to feel the most benefit from taking them, so they may add extra stimulants aside from caffeine to give you that feeling,” says Lemke, who strongly recommends choosing only third-party tested pre-workout supplements. Unfortunately, not many pre-workout gummies are third-party tested, and even fewer are verified banned substance-free by certification programs like NSF or Informed Choice.

We spoke to the experts and reviewed the pre-workout gummies on the market today to find the most effective and safest options to help you power through your workout. Keep reading to see our top picks!

What to Consider

When choosing a pre-workout gummy supplement, here are the primary factors to look at.

Key Ingredients

While some supplements are marketed as “pre-workouts,” others contain ingredients that can benefit your workout, including your strength and endurance, when taken before a sweat session. These include caffeine, creatine monohydrate, and various ingredients that can increase your body’s nitric oxide production.

Added Sugars and Sweeteners

As with all gummy supplements, added sugars and other sweeteners can add up. Choose a gummy supplement that has under 10% of the DV for added sugars and avoids any natural or artificial sweeteners that you may be sensitive to or cause digestive upset, which may hinder your workout.

Safety and Testing

“Pre-workout supplements are among the most likely to contain ingredients not on the label,” Lemke says. Recent research supports this claim. A 2023 study analyzed 57 sports supplements and found that 89 percent were mislabeled, and 12 percent contained banned substances not on the label. Several of the products tested were pre-workout supplements.

“Even if you are not an athlete, you should still be cautious of substances not listed on the label that could cause harm to your body and health,” says Lemke. By purchasing supplements from reputable companies that utilize third-party testing and receive certifications from NSF, Informed Choice, or USP, you can be sure you’re getting what the bottle says and nothing more.

How We Chose

To create our top picks of gummies to take before your workout, we put a maximum emphasis on safety, as this is an increasingly common concern in the sports supplement industry. All of our top picks are either third-party tested or have the added assurance of an NSF certification. We also spoke with Sports Dietitians and our Men’s Health editors to find the most effective options for your pre-workout supplement.

Creatine Monohydrate Gummies

While creatine is not marketed as an exclusive pre-workout supplement, many of the best powdered pre-workouts contain creatine to help support your workouts and recover, and taking this in gummy form is a convenient option. “Creatine gummies are a convenient way for those trying to build muscle to take creatine without carrying around a bag of creatine powder,” says Lemke.

Create Creatine Monohydrate Gummies have 4.5 grams of creatine monohydrate in each 3-gummy serving.Research has found that doses of 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, when combined with exercise, can help support muscle growth, reduce muscle damage, and lower the risk of injury.

Many creatine supplements lack third-party testing, so we love that this particular brand provides an effective dose and is NSF Certified For Sport, so you know it’s free from any banned substances. It’s also free from any artificial colors, sweeteners, or flavors and is sweetened with just two grams of added sugar and allulose, a natural sweetener with no known GI side effects in doses under 25 grams.

Pre-Game Energize Workout Gummy Rings

Instead of sports supplements and caffeine powering your workout, Olly Pre-Game Energize uses the power of plants in a single-serving NSF-certified gummy. Each gummy has a plant-based blend of ingredients like kale, green tea and coffee extract, broccoli, tart cherry, turmeric, and blueberry to naturally boost your body’s nitric oxide production. Nitric Oxide helps relax the smooth muscle of the vascular walls, which promotes increased blood flow to your muscles, helping to increase strength and performance.

In addition to the plant complex, Olly Pre-Game Energize includes 100% DV of vitamin B6 and 250% DV of vitamin B12, two vitamins that may help reduce fatigue during your workouts. While taking B vitamins is most helpful to your energy levels if you’re not getting enough in your diet, recent research has found that supplementing with B vitamins may help delay fatigue and have a positive effect on athletic performance.

In one small study, healthy non-athletes who took a B-complex vitamin had significant improvements in their endurance, reduced post-exercise fatigue metabolites like blood lactate and ammonia levels, and accelerated recovery compared to those taking the placebo.

Creatine Chews Tablets

Not exactly a gummy, but a chewable tablet, Animal Creatine Chews give you the benefit of five grams of creatine monohydrate along with 25 milligrams of AstraGin®, a compound that helps increase the absorption and other nutrients and increases the amount of nitric oxide in the body. AstraGin® is a patented botanical extract derived from Panax notoginseng and Astragalus membranaceus that’s been well-researched and shown to be safe in doses up to 35 milligrams per day by adults (aside from pregnant women) by the EFSA Working Group on Compendium of Botanicals.

While Animal Creatine Chews are not NSF or Informed Choice certified, they are third-party tested by Underwriters Laboratory, a reputable third-party supplement testing agency. We love that you can choose from three flavors, including grape, lemon ice, and fruit punch, and that each container has 30 servings, minimizing packaging and the amount of times you’ll need to restock.

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