Caffeine Drives Pre-Workout Results; Most Other Ingredients Are Underdosed Filler

Caffeine is the most extensively researched legal performance enhancer in sports science, with meta-analyses confirming consistent improvements in endurance, strength, and cognitive performance at doses of 3–6 mg/kg bodyweight. The International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2021 position stand found caffeine boosts endurance by 2–5% and strength output by 2–7% across trained and untrained populations. Most commercial pre-workout supplements are priced between $30–$50 for 30 servings, yet their primary active ingredient — caffeine — costs as little as $0.08 per dose when purchased as standalone pills. Other common pre-workout ingredients such as beta-alanine, L-citrulline, and creatine are typically included at doses too low to produce their documented effects. Consumers can achieve equivalent ergogenic benefits through caffeine tablets or coffee at a fraction of the cost, unless a specific product verifiably includes all secondary ingredients at clinically effective doses.