The Best Low Caffeine Pre-Workout Supplements on the Market Today

If you’re sensitive to caffeine and other stimulants but still want to enjoy an energy boost before you hit the gym, a low-caffeine pre-workout supplement is ideal.

Ah, caffeine, nature’s perfect pick-me-up. Many people can’t even begin their days without an extra strong cup of their favorite coffee, though it’s not the taste that they’re after.

For a lot of people, it’s the caffeine found in the coffee that makes it so appealing, especially first thing in the morning when they’re feeling so tired and lethargic.

As great as caffeine is for perking us up and making us feel more awake, energized, and alert, there are plenty of downsides to be aware of as well. Caffeine is a very powerful stimulant that can cause all manner of health issues and side effects.

This is why those who need energy for the gym but are sensitive to caffeine look for specific pre-workout supplements instead.

If this applies to you and you are looking to limit the amount of caffeine that you consume here’s a look at several pre-workout supplements on the market today.

What Are Low Caffeine Pre-Workout Supplements?

As the name implies, low-caffeine pre-workout supplements are supplements designed to be consumed before you exercise and workout, they have been created with minimal amounts of caffeine and other powerful stimulants such as DMAA, contained within.

Pre-workout supplements are created to give you more energy when you’re feeling tired and sluggish, or when you simply can’t seem to get mentally invested in working out. The primary ingredient in regular pre-workout supplements is caffeine.

As caffeine is a stimulant it gives your mind and body the energy needed to exercise and wake up and feel alert. The downside is the fact that caffeine is bad for you in large doses.

With such pre-workout supplements, you get the same benefits, but from different ingredients. Because caffeine can be dangerous and harmful (more on that next) it is an ingredient that is not suitable for everybody. If this applies to you, a pre-workout formula that is free from caffeine is the way to go.

What Are The Dangers Of Caffeine?

Despite caffeine providing to be an appealing ingredient, and the main reason why coffee is so popular, the downside is that caffeine can affect people negatively and can result in a wide range of health issues and ailments.

Here’s a look at some of the most common and prominent risks and dangers associated with caffeine.

Insomnia

Without question, one of the most common downsides to caffeine is the fact that it can cause insomnia.

Caffeine is a stimulant that stimulates the mind and body, leaving you full of energy and feeling wide awake while it remains in your system. This can result in you struggling to sleep at night if you have it still in your system before you go to bed.

Caffeine stays in your system for several hours, and if somebody were to exercise in the evening and consume a pre-workout just before training, the high amounts of caffeine would likely remain in their systems for several hours, meaning they wouldn’t be able to sleep.

One reason why pre-workouts with low caffeine are so beneficial is that they provide far less of this stimulant, meaning you get a slight physical and mental energy boost, without feeling wired, energized, and alert for hours afterward.

Addiction

Another reason why people cannot, or will not, consume caffeine, or why they try to limit the amount that they consume, is the fact that caffeine can be addictive.

Caffeine triggers pleasure receptors in your brain when you consume it, which is why people feel good after they consume a product containing it.

The reason why your early morning cup of coffee leaves you feeling so great isn’t just because it tastes so great, it’s because of the caffeine.

The more that people consume caffeine, the more of a tolerance they build up for it, which is why they find themselves craving more and are forced to increase the amount they consume. After a while, the body starts to become dependent on caffeine, leaving people craving it when they have none in their bodies.

When you get to this stage, you’ll begin to suffer mild withdrawal symptoms, like an addict. You’ll feel irritable, you won’t be able to focus, you’ll suffer from headaches, and you might even suffer from tremors, heart palpitations, anxiety, headaches, and nausea.

Anxiety

Perhaps one of the most troubling side effects of consuming too much caffeine is the fact that it can cause anxiety.

Caffeine stimulates the mind and body and triggers not only endorphins but hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These can leave you feeling jittery and anxious.

Cortisol, for example, is a stress hormone that the body secretes in times of stress. It is a part of our ‘fight or flight’ reaction and can lead to all manner of mental health issues and complaints.

People that consume too much caffeine often experience anxiety, which can range from mild, all the way through to crippling. Anxiety is a very serious mental health issue that can affect anybody, at any time, for any reason. It can also serve as a precursor for more serious mental health issues.

Caffeine blocks adenosine in the brain, which causes us to relax, This, coupled with the effects it has on our bodies, minds, and hormone levels, can cause anxiety which can severely hinder our moods and motivational levels as well.

Cardiovascular Issues

Finally, the last reason why people may wish to avoid caffeine is the fact that it affects your cardiovascular system.

Caffeine boosts heart rate and can lead to an erratic heartbeat, a racing pulse, hypertension, and damage to the blood vessels.

Consuming too much caffeine can not only damage your heart, but it could potentially put you at risk of a heart attack, stroke, or another very serious and potentially fatal health issue.

What Are The Benefits Of Moderate Caffeine Consumption?

Even though we’ve looked at the dangers of consuming too much caffeine, it’s only right that we also look at the benefits of moderate caffeine consumption.

Doctors and health experts advocate a maximum caffeine intake of around 400mg for healthy individuals with no adverse health issues and no underlying cardiovascular issues. In basic terms, an average cup of coffee contains between 80mg and 100mg of caffeine, meaning that we shouldn’t exceed more than 4 cups of coffee each day.

Assuming you aren’t sensitive to caffeine, there is an increasing amount of evidence to suggest that moderate caffeine consumption each day can actually be extremely beneficial from a health perspective and standpoint. Even though there is no conclusive reason for why this is, studies have found that individuals who regularly consume moderate amounts of caffeine each day and keep their intakes below 400mg, are less likely to die prematurely than people who don’t drink caffeine, or who consume too much.

If consumed in moderate amounts, caffeine can actually provide a number of health benefits, both physically and mentally, and can result in a number of advantages for those who consume it. Key benefits of moderate caffeine consumption include:

• Reduced risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other degenerate brain diseases
• More energy
• Better mental focus
• Better circulation
• Reduced risk of Type-2 diabetes
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

The Best Low-Caffeine Pre-Workout Supplements Currently Available

As you can see, as beneficial as caffeine can be, there are also plenty of risks associated with this particular compound. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, or if you simply do not wish to consume it, there are plenty of natural alternatives.

Pre-workout supplements are designed to provide energy to get you through a workout. This energy, however, does not necessarily have to come from vast quantities of caffeine or other stimulants.

1. RSP – Pump Boost

For those of you who want a stimulant-free pre-workout that gives insane muscle pumps, and has your veins looking like hosepipes, RSP Pump Boost is the pre-workout supplement you need to purchase.

This is a pre-workout at GNC supp designed to provide impressive muscle pumps and improve hydration, muscle performance, and circulation. One key ingredient is Citrulline, which helps to tackle muscle fatigue, improve muscle contractions and muscle performance, and prevent muscle cramping.

One particularly interesting ingredient is one which a lot of low caffeine, or zero caffeine pre-workout supplements are using, is coconut water powder.

Coconut water powder is packed full of electrolytes that hydrate the body and the muscles, keeping them supplied with fluids, minerals, and other important electrolytes needed to boost muscle performance.

Not only does this product provide insane muscle pumps, but it also promotes optimal levels of hydration and helps to buffer lactic acid production. This creates the perfect anabolic environment for your body, enabling you to perform more sets and reps and lift heavier weights before fatigue begins to set in.

2. BSN NO-Xplode

When BSN NO-Xplode first came onto the scene in the mid-2000s, they’d got guys like reigning Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, and then WWE Heavyweight Champion Triple H promoting the product, so of course it did incredibly well. Some would even argue that NO-Xplode was the reason why pre-workout supplements became so popular, and we’d have a hard time disagreeing with them.

Now, at the time, NO-Xplode was high in caffeine, but since then, BSN has changed the formula and nowadays it has far less than the first version, and certainly far less caffeine than a lot of other pre-workout supplements on the market today.

NO Xplode is enriched with Nitric Oxide (hence the name) which dilates the blood vessels and boosts circulation and vascularity thanks to its vasodilating effects. It also contains beta-alanine to help stimulate the CNS and fuel the muscles, along with taurine to improve mental focus, and of course, caffeine.

There is still caffeine in NO-Xplode, but at a modest 275mg with each serving, which is around the equivalent of 2 large cups of coffee, it is far less than a lot of other products out there. For those who can tolerate caffeine and who don’t mind some caffeine in their systems, without overloading, this fruity delight from BSN is ideal.

3. The Genius Brand – Genius Pre

The Genius Brand has a reputation for making fantastic nootropical supplements that focus primarily on brain health and boosting cognitive health and function. Not only that, but they also have a great reputation in the vegan community, so you can rest assured that their products are vegan-friendly.

For those of you who wish to limit your caffeine consumption but still get a kick-ass workout in at the same time, Genius Pre is the perfect supplement.

Available in a number of delicious sweet and fruity flavors such as sour apple, relies on amino acids that stimulate the brain, rather than caffeine, for its energy-boosting effects. Containing amino acids and ingredients such as L-tyrosine, taurine, L-arginine, and huperzine, it helps to keep the muscles fuelled while you train, fighting off fatigue and cramping.

The most prominent ingredient, however, and the one which replaces caffeine in Genius Pre, is one which is known as Theobromine. Theobromine is a far, far less potent stimulant than caffeine that provides many of the same positive effects of caffeine, but in a far less pronounced fashion. Best of all, however, is that you don’t need to worry about the side effects commonly associated with caffeine, so issues such as headaches, withdrawal, erratic heartbeat, and insomnia, aren’t really problems.

4. Cellucor – C4 Original

Cellucor is another supplement company that has made waves in the fitness community over the last several years, signing some big names and creating some very popular supplements. For those looking for a pre-workout energy boost, C4 Original could be the product for you.

Widely considered one of the best pre-workout supplements on the market today, Cellucor’s C4 Original has everything you could ever want from a pre-workout and more. Best of all, you don’t need to worry about the harmful side effects associated with caffeine.

For people who want the benefits of a pre-workout supplement, without consuming dangerously high amounts of caffeine, C4 Original is ideal. One serving of this supplement provides just 150mg of caffeine, which is roughly the same as one large cup of coffee.

This will be enough to stimulate your CNS and give you a physical and mental energy boost, without flooding your system with dangerously high amounts of caffeine.

To improve athletic performance further, you’ll also find creatine for weight gain, muscle contraction, and performance, and beta-alanine for muscular endurance and muscle pumps.

There are also ingredients found within that will boost your mental focus and concentration levels, though perhaps these are not as prominent as they are in other pre-workout supplements.

Nevertheless, C4 Original has everything you need from a pre-workout supplement and is ideal for anybody trying to keep their caffeine intake low, without cutting it out of their diets entirely.

5. Jacked Factory – Pump Surge Stim-Free Pre Workout

From a company with a name like ‘Jacked Factory,’ you can probably tell that these guys know a thing or two about working out and how to get the most from your workouts.

Pump Surge isn’t low in caffeine, it’s caffeine-free and is a one-of-a-kind, scientifically formulated pre-workout supplement designed to help people get the most from their workouts naturally, without stimulants.

Pump Surge is designed to provide nootropic benefits for the brain, it promotes crazy muscle pumps, and it provides a sustained natural increase in energy levels for the body, without causing any harmful side effects like you’d expect with highly caffeinated products.

Rather than caffeine, Pump Surge Stim-Free contains ingredients such as taurine for mental focus and clarity, along with L-citrulline for muscular endurance, and huperzine, which stimulates receptors in the brain to provide psychological increases in energy and mental focus so you can get mentally prepared to train, as well as physically.

Rather than caffeine, Pump Surge relies on Betaine, which is a potent amino acid that has been found to promote increases in endurance and stamina, whilst also facilitating protein synthesis for muscle growth, performance, and recovery.

6. Six Star Nutrition – Workout Booster

Up next, we have this offering from Six Star Nutrition.

The aptly titled ‘Workout Booster’ is one of many pre-workout supplements from Six Star Nutrition, that is designed to improve energy and focus before and during a workout.

Switching out the caffeine for the amino acid L-Arginine, this supplement helps to provide a gradual increase in energy levels to help you when you’re trying to go that little bit harder when training.

L-arginine functions as a precursor for Nitric Oxide, meaning it helps to dilate the blood vessels and promote better circulation, vascularity, and nutrient transportation. Not only that, but it can also speed up your rates of recovery.

While this supplement may not be as potent as other similar supplements, for people who need a very slight, yet noticeable, increase in energy levels and athletic performance, Workout Booster from Six Star Nutrition is just the thing.

7. ProSupps – Jekyll Nitro X

For anybody out there who is looking for a noticeable increase in energy levels, without risking overdosing on caffeine or suffering from insomnia at night, Jekyll Nitro X from ProSupps will tick all your boxes.

Jekyll Nitro X is not free from caffeine, one serving provides 100mg of caffeine, which is slightly more than an average-sized cup of coffee.

This amount of caffeine will certainly give you a noticeable increase in energy and will help you to become more focused, without being overpowering or too strong.

Of course, it isn’t just the low amounts of caffeine found in this product that make it beneficial, it also contains plenty more ingredients, many of which we’ve covered several times already today.

Creatine, for example, promotes athletic performance as it increases ATP production. ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is a primary source of energy used by the cells in the muscles. The more you produce, the harder your muscles can work.

As well as creatine, you’ll also find very impressive amounts of beta-alanine which enhances exercise capacity and reduces muscular fatigue.

It does this because it is a precursor for carnosine, so it elevates carnosine levels which enhances the amount of work the muscles can carry out at high intensities. In simple terms, it means your muscles can work harder and for longer before they begin to tire and fatigue.

Jekyll Nitro X also helps boost nitric oxide levels and provides substantial benefits for the brain, helping to increase mental focus and help you get motivated before you train. Thanks to ingredients such as Theacrine and choline bitartrate, this is a great supplement from a psychological standpoint.

Why Choose a Low Caffeine Pre-Workout?

As we’ve looked at several products vying on the market today, it’s important for us to understand why this kind of pre-workout supplement can be considered so beneficial.

Exercise is very beneficial and good for you, and whether you lift weights, play sports, do cardio, or anything else, if you have low energy levels and you can’t seem to get motivated, your workouts will suck and you won’t reap the rewards.

Pre-workout supplements consumed before a workout will therefore provide all kinds of different benefits, though they are loaded with caffeine.

A low-caffeine pre-workout, however, gives you the best of both worlds as not only do you get to enjoy more energy and better levels of mental focus and recovery, but you also don’t need to worry about the risks associated with too much caffeine.

Final Thoughts

So, with that, we’ll bring this look at the best pre-workout supplements currently available to a close.

As you can see, too much caffeine can be dangerous, but some caffeine can actually be highly beneficial. If you need a pick-me-up before you hit the gym, but you don’t want to be jittering as if you’ve downed 2 energy drinks, a low-caffeine pre-workout is ideal.