Between work, school, and everything else life might pile on your plate, reserving energy for burning fat sounds like a sad joke. You barely have enough strength to watch every new episode of your favorite soap, much less tackle the leftover work waiting for you. Yet, you need to work out so that you can lose weight or tone your muscles. For some reason only you know, taking the best pre workout for women is next on the long list of remedies you’re eager to try.
We’re not here to tell you how hard it is to find a good pre workout supplement for women. Finding anything in this world is hard, and you probably know that. However, to make this search a little easier, we’ve handpicked the healthiest pre workouts for women that’ll up your gym game.
- Best pre-workout powder with caffeine: Naked Nutrition Naked Energy
- Best pre-workout powder without caffeine: Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free
- Best bar: 33Fuel Amore Natural Energy Bar
Table of Contents
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout
Gold Standard curates all nutrients that a pre workout should provide in a single scoop. Caffeine, the leading chemical that increases how much exercise the muscles can endure, the total distance covered per workout session, jumping height, and sprinting speed, takes up 175 mg of every serving. This falls 25 mg short of the caffeine limit individuals are advised to consume.
In addition, creatine, which is naturally stored in the muscles to energize them during press-ups, weight-lifting, and activities that put much pressure on them, is waiting for you in Gold Standard as creatine monohydrate. However, we observed that this active compound makes up 3 g of each serving of Gold Standard Pre workout.
As Bodybuilding notes, adults should take about 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day. The problem is the muscles don’t easily absorb creatine when it’s taken as a dietary supplement. Consequently, consider taking pure creatine daily to achieve optimum levels of this chemical compound while dosing on Gold Standard.
Still interested in this pre workout? Let us tell you an open secret. It contains 1.5 g of beta-alanine! Despite this high quantity of beta-alanine in Golf Standard, it triggers no “jittery feelings, no skin itch that can come with beta-alanine.”
Pros
- Available in four delicious flavors.
- Makes working out much more pleasurable.
- Can be taken with electrolyte supplements.
- Gives you enough energy, pump, and creatine.
Cons
- You may not stand it if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
- Won’t produce maximum results unless you’re on a balanced diet.
- Contains artificial flavors.
Review Spotlight
After trying countless pre-workouts and researching different companies/ingredients, I came across Optimum Nutrition products, and I could not be happier! The flavors are delicious, giving me a GREAT energy boost to get my day started and have a successful workout – all before work!
Source: Optimum Nutrition
Naked Nutrition Naked Energy Pure Pre-workout Formula
We’re not asking anyone to go nude while scooping 4.8 g of Naked Energy pre-workout into a cup and mixing it with a sports drink. On second thought, that sounds like a great idea — if you’re alone and don’t mind. That aside, we compared it to the Gold Standard and found it’s even better.
Comprising 200 mg caffeine, 1 g creatine, and 2 g beta-alanine, Naked Energy provides more power to make it through the toughest gym sessions. It also promotes faster recovery between workouts. As a result, you get the whole thing done in no time and head out to work or start your evening earlier.
Also, Naked Energy contains a lot of vitamin C (up to 333 mg) and a little calcium (27 mg) to protect your body from oxidants and strengthen your bones.
Pros
- No artificial sweeteners, colorants, or flavors.
- Free of gluten and soy.
- Made with non-GMO ingredients.
- Contains zero traces of sugar and calories.
- A cheaper substitute for Gold Standard.
- Suitable for vegan and keto diets.
Cons
- Naked Nutrition claims Naked Energy is “third-party tested for heavy metals” but discloses no details about which third-party lab tested the product and the results.
- Has an unpleasant taste.
- Doesn’t suppress the tingles caused by beta-alanine.
Review Spotlight
The taste is fine. A little bitter but barely noticeable. The point is you’re taking a super clean pre-workout. Most importantly, I don’t feel sick after taking it! C4 made me crash and feel sick after my workout. Highly recommended.
Source: Naked Nutrition
Legion Pulse Pre-Workout
Can you stomach large quantities of caffeine and beta-alanine? Legion Pulse will let you know. This pre-workout dishes out 350 mg of caffeine with every serving. Caffeine has been proven to enhance muscular endurance and improve performance in anaerobic exercises.
However, not everyone is okay with taking more caffeine, especially if they drink lots of coffee. If you belong to the caffeine-free club, we recommend the non-caffeine version of Legion Pulse Pre-Workout.
If you’ve been a victim of early workout fatigue, a higher dose of beta-alanine, like the 3.6 g in a scoop of Legion Pulse, might do you good. This chemical regulates lactic acid in the bloodstream during workouts, preventing muscles from slowing down too early.
Instead of creatine, Legion Pulse opts for betaine anhydrous, which is a suitable alternative to creatine. But unlike creatine, which stimulates short-term bursts of energy, betaine delays muscle fatigue for longer.
Pros
- Contains no artificial dyes or flavors.
- Offers a full refund of your payment if you’re unsatisfied with your purchase.
- Gluten-free.
Cons
- More expensive than Naked Energy and Gold Standard.
- Not suitable for vegetarians.
Review Spotlight
I decided to try this pre-workout mainly due to the sale price but also because coffee was becoming too routine in the morning. I really enjoy the switch-up… feel fresh and energized for my morning workout, and the energy lasts much longer than my short coffee buzz.
Source: Legion Pulse
Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free Pre-Workout
For a pre-workout containing zero caffeine, Stim-Free is doing pretty well. However, if you can’t tolerate high levels of beta-alanine, you might want to stay away from Stim-Free because it contains 4 g of this osmolyte, much higher than what other pre-workout supplements offer.
Consequently, while you won’t suffer jitters attributed to caffeine, you might experience occasional bouts of tingles which can become rather uncomfortable.
Asides that, Stim-Free makes up for its lack of vitamins with a healthy dose of black pepper extract to please spicy palates and nootropics that keep you focused on your fitness goals.
One last thing: Transparent Labs initially used creatine in this product but replaced it with elevATP® fruit extract, which is purported to be more effective.
Pros
- No caffeine.
- Vegan.
- Provides an optimal dose of beta-alanine.
Cons
- Manufactured in factories that process products containing nuts.
- No transparency about the number of calories in each serving of Stim-Free.
Review Spotlight
I love this stuff! … It’s non-stim but I still get that burst of energy that helps me get through my workout. The taste is great, I got Cherry Limeade but I intend to also try other flavors. I workout in the evenings so this is why I wanted Stim-Free. I get the energy for my workout and have no issues falling asleep a couple hours later.
Source: Transparent Labs
33Fuel Amore Natural Energy Bar
We thought of sticking to the title of this article and recommending only supplements, but this Amore Natural Energy Bar wouldn’t let us go ahead with the plan. As we sank our teeth into the chewy goodness of caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg, sweetened with coconut sugar, and felt the immediate spike in energy, we knew the Bar belonged here.
Curious about what exactly made Amore better than the best pre-workout for women we’d tried out, we skimmed the list of ingredients and found that Amore contains maca!
In case you weren’t aware, maca is a superfood grown in the mountains of Andea. When consumed by humans, it gives us more iron, iodine, potassium, calcium, and minerals that speed up digestion and metabolism.
Pros
- Suitable for vegans.
- Made of only real natural foods.
- High fiber content.
- Excellent taste.
Cons
- High sugar content.
- A bit expensive.
Review Spotlight
I have to be really careful about what I eat as I have to manage various autoimmune diseases, and I’m intolerant to the usual suspects. Fuelling long runs has been a challenge. Then someone passed me one of these beauties to try, and voila – problem solved.
Source: 33Fuel
Should You Take a Pre-workout Supplement?
You can find nutrients from the best pre-workouts for women in other natural sources. For example, a banana has lots of potassium and carbs. Raisins and dates are said to improve muscle development, while whole wheat bread supplies a lot of fiber and vitamins. Besides being more fun and healthier, these alternatives won’t hurt your wallet as much as the cheapest pre-workout supplement.
Still, if you’ve tried your best to eat healthily but can’t muster the strength to use workout equipment a women’s pre-workout can assist. Please remember that you shouldn’t substitute this article for medical advice. Always consult a certified medical professional before adding any supplement to your diet.