Pre-workout is pretty awesome, but it can get really expensive. One way around this issue is to make your own homemade pre workout.
Making your own cheap pre workout is a great way to save serious cash while knowing everything that goes into your body.
Here’s a quick breakdown of:
- how to make your own pre-workout
- where to buy the necessary ingredients
- a cost comparison of popular supplement brands
Not ready to make your own? Check out the best 5 pre workouts on Amazon Prime or the best pre workouts in a variety of categories.
Table of Contents
How to Make Your Own DIY Pre Workout
The best researched ingredients to make your own homemade pre-workout are:
- Caffeine – 200 mg
- Beta Alanine – 3-4 grams
- L-citrulline – 6-8 grams
- MiO Flavor Drops – 1 squeeze
- Or whatever your preferred flavoring agent is. Kool Aid powder, Gatorade powder, flavor drops, etc. all work fine.
Links point to the cheapest place to get each ingredient, either BulkSupplements.com, Amazon.com or MyProtein.com.
(see the scientific research for each ingredient here)
Creatine, which is sometimes included in PWO, is not included on the list because it is not necessarily useful as a strict pre-workout supplement. Instead, it should be taken whenever is convenient for athletes as a dietary supplement that supports power output and fatigue reduction.
How To Beast has a pretty cool video that shows their process.
Where to Buy Pre Workout Ingredients
Here are the cheapest and most reliable places to buy caffeine, beta alanine, and l-citrulline:
- Caffeine
- BulkSupplements.com: 200mg capsules (300 capsules) – $21.96 (7.3 cents per 200mg)
- Beta Alanine
- BulkSupplements.com – Beta Alanine Powder (500 grams) – $20.96 (4.2 cents per gram)
- L-Citrulline
- MyProtein – 100% Citrulline Malate Powder (500 grams) – $16.00 (3.2 cents per gram)
- Bulk Supplements – L-Citrulline DL-Malate 2:1 (100 grams) – $22.96 (20 cents per gram)
- While most of the cited research only studied L Citrulline without malate supplementation, some claim that the malate addition boosts blood flow, enhancing energy. If you’re confused over which to buy, the truth is that it probably doesn’t make much difference for most athletes. I personally use Citrulline Malate since it is significantly cheaper.
Scientific Research Supporting Recommended Ingredients
I highly recommend using Examine to help understand the published research for a given supplement.
The following snippets are all sourced from that site.
Caffeine Research:
(source)
Beta Alanine Research:
(source)
L-Citrulline Research
(source)
Cost Savings of Homemade Pre Workout vs. Major Brands
Based on a recommended dosage of 200mg of caffeine, 8 grams of L-citrulline, and 4 grams of beta alanine, DIY pre workout costs about $0.49 per dose while almost always providing more of the ingredients that are proven to work!
Compare that to the leading brands:
- Cellucor C4 – $29.99 for 30 doses ($1.00 per dose)
- 62% less beta alanine
- 81% less L-Citrulline equivalent (1.5 g of Arginine AKR, similar to L citrulline)
- ProSupps Dr. Jekyll Intense Pump – $25.82 for 30 doses ($0.86 per dose)
- 50% less caffeine
- 38% less beta alanine
- 81% less L-citrulline
- Jacked Factory NitroSurge – $24.99 for 30 doses ($0.83 per dose)
- 62% less beta alanine
- 25% more caffeine
Not ready to make your own? Buy great pre workout on Amazon.
FAQs about How to Make Your Own Pre Workout
Which ingredients are recommended for making my own pre workout?
To make your own pre workout, you the core ingredients are typically:
- Caffeine (200 mg – 300 mg)
- Citrulline Malate (6 g – 8 g)
- Beta Alanine (3 g – 4 g)
- Flavoring (optional)
What are the advantages of making my own pre workout?
Homemade pre workout is less expensive than store-bought pre workout and lets you customize the ingredient dosages. You can figure out what works for you, try new ingredients, and create a supplement regiment that best meets your needs.
Conclusion
Making your own pre workout is cheapest and most reliable way to get the most out of your workouts.
Try making your own today!
