Pre Lab Pro Review (2024)

Choosing a pre-workout that’s right for you can be tough. That’s why we’re here to give an in-depth view into these supplements so you can see what’s right for you. 

Today, we’ll be looking at Pre Lab Pro pre-workout from Performance Lab. We’ll be breaking down its ingredients, weighing out its pros and cons, and comparing it to some other popular options out there. Keep reading to see if Pre Lab is a good fit for you, or if there’s another option out there that fits your needs better.

Performance Lab Pre Lab Pro Review

• Item Form: Powder
• Best For: Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue
• Flavor: Natural Berry
• Caffeine: 80mg
• Special Ingredients: L-Citrulline, Red Beet Powder, Micronutrients
• Package Information: 260g
• Serving: 13g
• Price per Serving: ~$2.95

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Performance Lab is a supplement brand that claims to develop the “world’s cleanest and most effective nutritional supplements.” But, does their pre-workout live up to this goal? Let’s find out.

First, if you’re looking for the strong stimulation associated with many pre-workout supplements, Pre Lab Pro won’t be for you. This supplement only contains 80mg of caffeine per serving, which is two to four times less than many competitors. Instead of giving you an intense jolt of stimulation, it will give you a mild boost at best. 

In terms of active ingredients, Pre Lab also doesn’t contain many ergogenic aids commonly found in pre-workouts. It does contain some L-Citrulline, although in a dose that’s far from effective. Some additional ingredients include L-Theanine, Red Beet Powder, and various micronutrients.

While these ingredients may have their benefits, they’re unlikely to have a direct impact on exercise performance when included in a pre-workout supplement. 

Pre Lab Pro Ingredients Breakdown

Below we’ll be taking a look at the main ingredients that can be found in Pre Lab Pro, including Caffeine, L-Citrulline, Red Beet Extract, L-Theanine, and various micronutrients. We’ll be taking a look at their effects and doses, so you can get a better idea of how Pre Lab Pro actually works. 

1. Caffeine

The most common ingredient found across pre-workout supplements is undeniably caffeine. And this is for good reason. The stimulation from caffeine makes it very effective as a sports supplement, namely for improving endurance and reducing fatigue. 

Caffeine in pre-workout supplements is typically dosed anywhere from 150-300mg per serving, which will provide a major boost of stimulation for most people. Pre Lab Pro, however, contains a much milder 80mg per serving. 

For most people who regularly consume caffeine, this won’t provide a significant amount of stimulation. This is especially true if you’re used to a much stronger pre-workout supplement. Still, for beginners to pre-workout, this mild dose may be enough to provide a noticeable boost in the gym. 

So, while the amount of caffeine found in Pre Lab Pro won’t be for everybody, it may be ideal for those who want a much milder alternative to most pre-workouts. 

It’s worth noting that mild doses of caffeine may still have unwanted side effects. We always recommend taking pre-workout earlier in the day to avoid disrupting your sleep and consulting with your doctor before use if you have any underlying health conditions. 

2. L-Citrulline

Next, another very common pre-workout ingredient found in Pre Lab Pro is L-Citrulline. This is an ingredient that has been shown to produce effects on exercise capacity and recovery. These effects are most potent in doses of 6-10g or even more. 

The issue is that Pre Lab Pro likely does not contain enough L-Citrulline to produce any meaningful effects. It is included as part of a blend with L-Glutathione totalling only 2.2g per serving. It’s worth noting that while L-Glutathione may have some benefits, it does not have enough research surrounding it to support its use as a sports supplement. 

Overall, while L-Citrulline can be beneficial as part of pre-workout, it’s unlikely to make a major difference when dosed as low as it is here. 

3. Red Beet Extract

Next, we have Red Beet Extract, which is a fairly uncommon ingredient to see in pre-workout formulas. Beetroot does appear to be beneficial for exercise performance, as shown by a study on cycling performance. 

The issue here is that in this study, beetroot juice was interesting 2.5 hours before exercise. This makes it difficult to time the use of beet extract with other ingredients like caffeine which is most effective ~30 minutes after ingesting. Pre Lab Pro recommends taking their supplement 15-30 minutes before exercise, which is definitely not enough time for the beet extract to start working. 

As a result, while beet extract does appear to have some benefits to exercise, you would need to take this supplement several hours before working out. This would then mostly negate the benefits you’d get from caffeine, which would also likely be more noticeable. 

4. L-Theanine

For the final “active” ingredient we’ll be looking at in Pre Lab Pro, we have L-Theanine. This is an amino acid found in tea, which has been shown to help reduce stress and sharpen focus when taken alongside caffeine. 

Alongside these benefits, it’s also thought to help reduce the jitters and anxiety caused by caffeine. So, this is a good ingredient to look for in a pre-workout if you tend to get anxious when using caffeine.  

5. Micronutrients (Sodium, Vitamin D, Iron, etc.)

Finally, something that makes Pre Lab Pro stand out from other pre-workout supplements is its micronutrient profile including Sodium, Vitamin D, Iron, and various B Vitamins. 

The sodium found here may be beneficial if you’re an endurance athlete, although you may prefer to use a more dedicated electrolyte supplement.

Most average athletes do not need to supplement with sodium or other electrolytes. It’s worth noting that a lot of people in the US already get more than enough sodium in their diet as well, making extra supplementation unnecessary. So be sure you monitor your sodium intake.

In terms of the other micronutrients found here, if you’re not deficient in them, you don’t need to supplement with them. We recommend consulting with your doctor and getting your bloodwork done to see if you need to supplement with any micronutrients. However, for most people, supplementing with micronutrients through something like pre-workout is likely unnecessary. 

Pros and Cons of Pre Lab Pro Pre-Workout

Now that we’ve looked at the main ingredients, let’s weigh out the pros and cons of Pre Lab Pro. This should help you get a better picture of what to expect when using this supplement. 

1. Pros of Pre Lab Pro

First, let’s look at the pros. These include some of Pre Lab Pro’s ingredients, its third-party certification, as well as the benefits of a low-caffeine pre-workout. 

✅ Contains Some Beneficial Ingredients 

First, one pro Performance Lab’s pre-workout has are the benefits of both L-Theanine and Red Beet Powder. 

L-Theanine is a science-backed ingredient for reducing stress and improving focus – both things that can have a big impact on your performance in the gym. And, although it’s hard to time optimally alongside caffeine, red beet powder has also been shown to meaningfully improve exercise performance. 

It’s worth noting that while L-Citrulline is also a beneficial ingredient, it is not dosed effectively in this supplement, and will likely have no major effect. 

✅ No Artificial Ingredients

Another pro for this supplement is that it doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or sweeteners. If you prefer to buy supplements made from 100% natural ingredients, you can feel confident buying this pre-workout. On top of this, Pre Lab Pro is 100% vegan and non-GMO as well.  

✅ Informed Sport Certified

Next, Pre Lab Pro has a very strong third-party certification from Informed Sport. This is an organization that checks the quality of supplements and ensures there aren’t any potential contaminants or banned substances. 

We always recommend looking for third-party certifications like this if you’re concerned about the quality of your supplements. Informed Sport is an especially good certification if you’re an athlete who’s subject to testing for banned substances. 

✅ May be Good if You’re Caffeine Sensitive

Finally, while Pre Lab Pro’s mild caffeine content won’t appeal to everyone, a low 80mg dose of caffeine may be ideal for some. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, this may be enough to give you a bit of stimulation without causing unwanted side effects like anxiety, nausea, or sleep problems. 

2. Cons of Pre Lab Pro

Next, let’s look at the downsides, which include Pre Lab Pro’s price, its ingredient breakdown, and the negatives of low-caffeine content. 

❌ High Price Point

The main drawback to Pre Lab Pro is its price. While its formula isn’t terrible, it’s very difficult to justify a price point of ~$2.95 per serving for what you’re getting here. There are many other pre-workouts out there that will give you stronger stimulation and more effective active ingredients for a fraction of the price. 

❌ Lack of Effectively Active Ingredients

While we mentioned L-Theanine and Red Beet Powder above, there aren’t any other effectively dosed active ingredients in this supplement. While L-Citrulline is an effective ingredient, it’s not dosed high enough to produce a meaningful effect. Meanwhile, ingredients like L-Tyrosine and L-Glutathione don’t have enough research to support their use as sports pre-workout supplements. 

This pre-workout would benefit from a higher dose of L-Citrulline, as well as doses of other popular ingredients like Beta-Alanine, and Betaine. 

❌ Low Caffeine Content

Finally, another major drawback to this product will be its low caffeine content. While some more sensitive folks will prefer a milder supplement, most people take pre-workout for a strong dose of caffeine. As a result, Pre Lab Pro probably won’t appeal to most people with experience using pre-workout supplements.

Pre Lab Pro Pre-Workout vs. Alternatives

To close out this article, we’ll be comparing Pre Lab Pro to two other popular pre-workouts from Transparent Labs and Kaged. This will give you a better idea of your options so you can decide which pre-workout best suits your needs. 

Pre Lab Pro Pre-Workout vs. Transparent Labs Bulk

First, let’s look at Transparent Labs, which produces some of the highest-quality supplements on the market in our opinion. Their pre-workout Bulk contains 200mg of caffeine, making it over twice as strong as Pre Lab Pro. 

Alternative Pre-workout

Transparent Labs Bulk Pre-Workout

• Serving Size: 1 scoop (21.2 g)
• Servings per Container: 30
• Calories Per Serving: 5
• Betaine Anhydrous Per Serving: 2,500 mg
• Taurine per serving: 1,300 mg
• Recommended by Athletes: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Pat Li, PAULINA

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This supplement also contains science-backed doses of Citrulline Malate, Beta-Alanine, and Betaine. Citrulline Malate is simply L-Citrulline combined with malic acid and will have similar effects on endurance and recovery. Meanwhile, Beta-Alanine and Betaine are both mainly used for fatigue reduction and endurance – just keep in mind both need to be taken daily for optimal effectiveness. 

Overall, we believe Bulk will be a much more effective pre-workout supplement for the vast majority of people. It’s also significantly cheaper than Pre Lab Pro at only ~$1.67 per serving. 

Pre Lab Pro Pre-Workout vs. Pre-Kaged

Next, let’s look at another alternative to Pre Lab Pro from Kaged. At 274mg of caffeine per serving, this would make a great choice if you want an especially strong pre-workout. However, because of this, we also don’t recommend this product to pre-workout beginners. 

It contains a similar ingredient breakdown to Transparent Labs Bulk with L-Citrulline, Betaine, and Beta-Alanine (although its dose of Beta-Alanine could be higher).

Alternative Pre-workout

Pre-Kaged Original

• Serving Size: 1 scoop (28.7 g)
• Servings per Container: about 20
• Calories per Serving: 20
• Total Carbohydrate per Serving: 4g
• Recommended By Athletes: Farren Morgan, Marvin Achi

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Pre-Kaged also contains creatine, although not at an effective dose. If you’re interested in the benefits of creatine, we typically recommend taking it on its own instead of as part of a pre-workout supplement. 

Pre-Kaged would make a great option for anybody looking for a very strong pre-workout, although it certainly won’t be for everybody. Keep in mind this is another fairly pricey option as well at ~$3.15 per serving. 

Conclusion

While Pre Lab Pro does have a few benefits, its high cost, low dose of caffeine, and lack of effectively dosed active ingredients make this supplement difficult to fully recommend. However, if you’re looking for an especially mild pre-workout supplement and budget isn’t a major issue, this may be a good option for you. 

Have you ever tried Pre Lab Pro or any other Performance Lab supplements? Let us know in the comments below!

Also Read:

• Wrecked Pre Workout Review
• Gnarly Nutrition Reviews: Protein, Creatine, & More
• Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout Review
• Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Review
• C4 Ultimate Pre-Workout Review
• Transparent Labs Lean Pre-Workout Review

References:

1. T.E. Graham, “Caffeine and exercise: metabolism, endurance and performance” Sports Med
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2. Gonzalez AM, Trexler ET. “Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature.” J Strength Cond Res. May;34(5) (2020)
3. Lansley KE, et. al. “Acute dietary nitrate supplementation improves cycling time trial performance.” Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jun;43(6)
4. Jessica Chebuske, “L-Theanine: Can This Amino Acid Do It All?” The Well by Northwell, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21471821/ (Accessed Sep. 18, 2024)
5. The Nutrition Source, “Salt and Sodium,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/salt-and-sodium/ (Accessed Sep. 18, 2024)
6. Photos made by Torokhtiy Media Team