6 Best Cheap Pre Workout Options in 2024

Designed to be consumed before exercise, the best cheap pre workout can be hard to choose.

Pre-workout product formulas contain different proportions of few scientifically backed ingredients and claim several beneficial performance effects, both of which affect the price point. Common ingredients include caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, citrulline, and betaine that are included in different combinations.

To help you choose the best value pre workout that contains proven ingredient combinations worth your money, I’ve rounded up my top 6 cheap pre workout supplements available to buy and reviewed them below so you’re able to make a smart choice.

Top 6 Best Cheap Pre Workouts Reviewed

1. Naked Energy Pre-Workout  — Top Pick
2. ProSupps Mr. Hyde Signature Pre Workout — Runner Up
3. Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged Pre Workout Powder 
4. Jacked Factory NITROSURGE Pre Workout 
5. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre Workout
6. Cellucor C4 Original Pre Workout

The table below shows my top 6 best budget pre workout options. I’ve ranked them according to the factors that I believe are most important according to my research.

Product	Total	Stimulation	Taste/Flavor	Nutrition Label Transparency	Value for Money
Naked	39	10	9	10	10
ProSupps	38.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	10
Kaged	38.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	10
Jacked Factory	38	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5
Optimum Nutrition	38	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5
Cellucor C4	37	8.5	10	9.5	9

Naked Nutrition positions itself as a brand with premium quality ingredients, using as few of them as possible. That’s why you won’t find additives or any artificial ingredients in their products. Their slogan: we have nothing to hide! And this pre-workout is no exception.

You won’t find a ton of ingredients in this product that don’t have enough scientific backing behind them. Instead you will find the 3 key ingredients with the most scientific basis. They can be called the “Big Three” – caffeine, creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine.

This product contains the largest amount of caffeine among all pre-workouts in this ranking, so we can count on an excellent stimulating effect. In addition, 200 mg of caffeine is the optimal dose for obtaining a performance effect and improving focus, without exceeding the upper permissible dose for a single intake.

Creatine monohydrate is a great addition to your total daily intake of this most studied and most effective sports supplement in the world. Just count 1 gram of creatine into the rest of your daily needs.

A single dose of beta-alanine is too large, which can cause burning and tingling. However, do not rush to worry, it is harmless. Some even like the feeling. The product is also enriched with a large dose of B vitamins and vitamin C.

As for the taste, this product has 3 options to choose from: unflavored, fruit punch and citrus. If you are ready to sacrifice a little taste for the lack of fillers, sweeteners and any additional ingredients, we recommend the unflavored version.

Connoisseurs of products with a minimum of ingredients will definitely like this pre-workout. If you look at the «Other Ingredients» in supplement facts, you will see eloquent «None».

For this, the product received the highest rating in the “Label transparency” category. And the unflavored version contains as many as 50 servings, each costs just under a dollar!

ProSupps aim to create products of superior quality that are perfect for athletes of all levels looking to push performance to the max. They manufacture a wide range of supplements including pre-workouts, protein powders, and recovery products.

ProSupps have produced pre-workout with an excellent ratio of cost per serving to composition of ingredients. Each serving contains approximately 200 mg of caffeine, 2 g of beta-alanine and 1 g of creatine monohydrate. These are the same trio of key ingredients commonly found in pre-workouts.

Mr. Hyde Signature beat other contenders due to its higher caffeine dose per serving and one of the best value propositions. If you want a pre workout under $30, this is one of the best products on this list. It comes in three flavors including Blue Razz Popsicle, Lollipop Punch, and Watermelon.

Kaged Muscle wants to operate with brand integrity. They manufacture products using ingredients that have been scientifically tested and proven to work. The brand believes you should never have to sacrifice product quality for price.

The Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout Powder from Kaged Muscle is another excellent product to take before the gym. The brand has provided excellent label transparency, with the name and amount of each active ingredient listed. It's also been third-party tested, making it suitable for performance tested athletes.

Pre-Kaged Sport has key ingredients that you should be looking for in a pre-workout. It contains 188 milligrams of Caffeine for energy and stimulation, 1.6 grams of Beta-Alanine for muscular endurance and reducing fatigue, 1.25 grams of Betaine for elevating levels of blood nitric oxide and 3.5 grams of L-Citrulline.

With the exception of citrulline, all the key and additional ingredients are contained in the required dosage. Each serving contains 20 servings. It comes in a fruit flavors at a reasonable price point.

Jacked Factory wants to fuel your fitness journey, viewing it as a never ending process of improvement. Their products are formulated using key scientifically backed ingredients that are tested in the lab and gym.

The NITROSURGE pre-workout from Jacked Factory is one of their more general pre-workout products that's designed to help with muscular strength, endurance, and focus. This product has a huge number of flavors to choose from and is available in 30 and 60-serving tub sizes, with the 60-serving tub providing a great cost-saving option.

It contains solid doses of the main pre-workout ingredients with 180 milligrams of Caffeine and 1.6 grams of Beta-Alanine, plus 1.25 grams of Betaine and 3 grams of L-Citrulline.

Due to the slightly lower dosage of caffeine, this product did not receive the highest score for the overall stimulating effect. It also contains citrulline in a dose that did not demonstrate an effect in trials. However, it contains a relatively low dose of beta-alanine (which is good for reducing the risk of tingling sensation), and also have betaine.

Optimum Nutrition has been setting the standard for over 30 years, manufacturing performance-driven products in every category. They carefully select each ingredient and rigorously test it for purity at their manufacturing facilities before including it in a product.

Optimum Nutrition is one of the most well-known supplement brands, manufacturing products in every category. Their Gold Standard Pre Workout has been around for years and continues to stand out after going through years of customer testing and reviews. It contains 3 grams of Creatine Monohydrate, the best researched form of Creatine for muscle growth and strength.

In addition to caffeine in a dosage of 175 mg, one serving includes 1.5 g of beta-alanine and a significant dose of vitamins. As for citrulline, the dose is very small.

Due to the relatively low dose of caffeine, this product is well suited for people with not very long training experience. After all, you should not think that a larger dose is always better. This is especially true for caffeine.

Each tub has 30 servings, with each 10-gram scoop containing 10 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrates. It comes in four popular flavors including Green Apple, Blueberry Lemonade, Fruit Punch, and Watermelon. It also features the Informed Sport certification.

Cellucor produces every product with the main goal of improving performance. They look to use clinically studied ingredients and include them in their products so that you can be the best version of yourself.

Despite being released in 2011, the C4 Original Pre-workout powder continues to be one of Cellucor’s most popular products and for good reason. Out of all the pre-workouts I've reviewed, it's the best tasting and comes in many exciting flavors, including Fruit Punch and Frozen Bombsicle.

It contains 3 key scientifically backed ingredients to make a nicely balanced pre-workout that gives very good value for money. These include 150 mg of caffeine for relatively mild stimulation and better focus, 1.6 grams of Beta-Alanine for muscular endurance and reducing fatigue, and 1 gram Creatine Nitrate for high-intensity performance.

C4 also contains a large dose of three group B vitamins and vitamin C. It comes in a 30 or 60-serving tub with both serving sizes coming at an affordable price point.

Due to the lowest dose of caffeine, this product has the least stimulating effect in this ranking. However, this can be considered as a disadvantage only for athletes with extensive training experience and experience of taking pre-workouts with a higher dose of caffeine. On the other hand, for beginners, this may be the best product from this list.

What Factors Affect the Price of Pre Workout?

1. Ingredients 

This is the determining factor for the price of most pre-workouts and concerns mainly the type and amount of ingredients used. Different brands use different blends of ingredients that are priced differently, affecting the overall product cost when it goes on the market.

Caffeine is the key pre-workout ingredient. Additional ingredients typically include Beta-alanine, Creatine, L-Citrulline and Betaine.

2. Third Party Testing 

The third party is an independent organization that tests supplements for the presence of prohibited substances, and also the presence and level of heavy metals and other contaminants.

If you have 2 products in front of you with an identical or almost identical composition and dosage of ingredients, but one of them has third-party certification and costs more, we recommend choosing this product. In this way, you increase the burden on your wallet, but minimize the risks to your health.

3. Competitor Pricing 

When setting the price of a pre-workout product, competitor pricing is also taken into account. This is where the brand will look at the pricing of similar products on the market, compare it to their own, and base some of the price decisions on that.

Pre-workout brands want their product to be good value while offering something extra on top of what other brands are already providing.

If a brand submits its pre-workout for testing and certification by an independent organization, the cost of such a product may be higher than that of a competitor who has a similar product, but without third-party certification.

4. Marketing 

Once a pre-workout has been finalized, marketing is done to show the beneficial effects taking the pre-workout can have and increase product exposure. This can include advertisements and athlete endorsements, both of which cost money and can add to the pre-workout price.

How to Find the Best Cheap Pre Workout?

1. Key Ingredients

Common ingredients included in pre-workouts with the most support from scientific research include Caffeine, Beta-Alanine and Creatine. There are also several ingredients that have been shown to be effective in some trials, if they are contained in the right dosage. These include Citrulline and Betaine.

Caffeine is one of the most widely used ingredients in pre-workouts and for good reason. If you need to boost your overall energy level, increase alertness and reduce perception of fatigue, caffeine can help.

The stimulating effect of the entire pre-workout primarily depends on the dose of caffeine per serving. It can be relatively low (up to about 150 mg), medium (150-200 mg), high (200-300 mg) and very high (more than 300 mg). Some pre-workouts are also stimulant free meaning they don't contain any caffeine.

Beta-Alanine converts to Carnosine, a compound that helps to reduce muscle acidity during exercise. This keeps muscles ability to contract and reduces fatigue. Pre-workouts including Beta-Alanine may help you train for longer in the mid to high repetition range.

Creatine is scientifically proven to help build muscle, increase strength, and improve exercise performance. It’s commonly added to pre-workouts in different forms, with Creatine Monohydrate being the most studied and most effective.

Nitric Oxide is a signaling molecule that has been shown to increase blood flow to active muscles, due to which we can count on the maximum pumping effect. L-Citrulline (often combined with malate) is the most common pre-workout ingredient that can increase nitric oxide levels. If it is contained in a dose of 6-8 grams per serving, we can count on the best pumping and additional performance enhancing effect.

Betaine is a derivative of the amino acid glycine. It is also able to increase the level of nitric oxide, increase the process of creatine synthesis and the total volume load, but only if it is used in a dosage of 1.25-2.5 g.

Check the pre-workout label to see which of these ingredients it contains and compare it to your exercise goals.

2. Ingredients Dose 

Different pre-workouts will contain different ingredient dosages depending on their specific product formulation. Most ingredients have already undergone a scientific testing process to see what ingredient dosage is needed to achieve the beneficial effects. Make sure to check the ingredient label and compare the dosages to the current scientific research.

3. Testing Process

As already mentioned, some brands will employ third parties to test their pre-workouts for banned substance purity. These include NSF International, Informed Sport, Informed Choice and others. To minimize potential health risks and pass the test successfully (if you athlete who gets tested), choose a product that has been tested by a third party.

FAQ

Are Pre Workouts Worth It?

Pre-workouts may have benefits depending on the specific ingredient combination and their dosing. Proposed benefits include increased overall athletic performance, reducing perception of fatigue, increasing training capacity, and focus.

If you've been training long enough and you've reached a plateau, pre-workouts can give you a new boost.

Does Pre-Workout Actually Matter?

Pre-workout isn't necessarily needed to ensure good performance whether it's in the gym or for a sport, but the beneficial effects from different pre-workout ingredient combinations can matter to people who are looking for an added boost. Whether a pre-workout matters or not depends on your training experience and specific goals.

Should Pre-Workouts Be Expensive?

Expensive pre-workouts usually contain all the key ingredients with scientifically proven effectiveness (caffeine, beta-alanine and creatine), plus additional ingredients with a potential effect, if they are contained in sufficient quantities (citrulline and betaine).

However, pre-workouts don't have to be expensive. Some of the cheapest pre workout options including the ones I've reviewed above still contain excellent key ingredient breakdown and come at a decent price point.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the best pre workout on a budget, the unflavored version of Naked Energy Pre-workout is my top pick. It’s a well-formulated pre-workout containing 3 scientifically backed ingredients, and also has the optimal caffeine content. If you are looking for a pre-workout that contains absolutely no sweeteners, fillers or flavors, this is the product for you!

Have you used a pre-workout before? What do you think of the choices that I’ve reviewed above? Let me know in the comments.

Also read:

• Pre Workout With High Caffeine
• Pre Workout That Tastes Good
• Best Pre Workout For Beginner
• Pre Workout Supplement for Teenager
• Best Flavor of Total War Pre Workout
• Best Pre Workout For Cardio
• How Much Caffeine in Pre Workout
• Strongest Pre Workout 

References:

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   https://www.verywellfit.com/can-a-pre-workout-product-improve-physical-fitness-4154378
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   https://www.performancelab.com /blogs/pre/taking-pre-workout-on-an-empty-stomach
6. HOW TO FIND THE BEST CHEAP PRE WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT // Energyphobia:
   https://www.energyphobia.com/how-to-find-the-best-cheap-pre-workout-supplement/
7. Why Is Pre Workout Expensive? (How To Get It Cheap!) // Vitalized Future: https://vitalizedfuture.com/why-is-pre-workout-expensive/