So your pre-workout used to make you feel like a machine, but now it flatlines?
You’re not alone.
My pre-workout stopped working many times in the past, and I’ve met countless others who have experienced the same pain.
The good news is that it’s always caused by one of the two issues down below.

Adaptation Can Occur Over Time
Most pre-workouts are built around caffeine.
Your tolerance for caffeine will change over time, and while a pre-workout which contains 150mg might clap your cheeks the first few times you use it, after a few weeks you’ll need a larger dose to acheive the same kind of impact.
In terms of athletic performance, research indicates that a dose of 200-400mg is ideal for unlocking the training-related benefits which are offered by caffeine (mental focus, increased calorie burn, greater power output), so an effective approach would be to start low and then gradually increase your caffeine whenever you need to.
This would ensure you’re always feeling it.
A note of caution, though. It seems there are no more training benefits unlocked beyond a dose of 400mg, but going higher can be dangerous for your heart, so if you’re experiencing caffeine tolerance issues and you’re already near the top end of the scale, I would advise switching to a stim-free pre-workout for a couple of months. When you re-introduce caffeine further down the line, your tolerance will be much lower and you’ll be able to climb the ladder again.
The other pre-workout ingredient we need to discuss here is beta-alanine.
When you first begin taking beta-alanine you’ll feel a tingly, skin-crawling sensation (parasthesia) but this subsides after a few weeks of continued usage. The disappearance of this feeling can make people falsely think that they need more beta-alanine, but that’s not actually the case.
You see, the tingly effects of beta-alanine are nothing more than a superficial side effect.
The training benefits actually require long-term usage in order to be fully unlocked. They include significant improvements to recovery speed and training endurance.
With that in mind, as long as you are getting 3.2g per day it doesn’t really matter whether you feel the tingles or not!

Maybe Your Current Pre-Workout Just Sucks
If you’ve bought one of the countless shitty pre-workouts out there, then several key ingredients will be under-dosed.
Follow these guidelines and you can’t go wrong:
- Caffeine: 200-400mg
We discussed this ingredient in the previous section, so I won’t bore you with the science. You’re looking for a dose between 200-400mg to unlock maximum results. (8)
- Beta-alanine: 3.2g
This ingredient helps shuttle waste products (metabolites) away from your muscle cells, resulting in superior endurance. A clinical dose is 3.2 grams, which can be consumed all at once or in multiple smaller doses throughout the day. (3, 4)
- Citrulline Malate: 6-10g
The real powerhouse of your pre-workout, CitMal covers everything from increased blood flow, faster recovery, and even more reps per set. A clinical dose is 6 grams but benefits have been shown with doses as high as 10 grams if you really want to push it to the max. (1, 2)
- Betaine: 2.5g
A somewhat under-utilized ingredient, betaine is great for increasing explosive strength output and muscle recovery. A clinical dose is 2.5 grams, which can be consumed all at once or in multiple smaller doses throughout the day. (5, 6, 7)

Time To Find A New Pre-Workout
If you’d like to try something new, here’s a handy list of great pre-workout supplements.
I’ve listed them in order of superiority.

Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this blog, then you’ll probably also like reading these.
>> Common Pre-Workout Red Flags
>> Creatine: Your Best Pal For Muscle Growth!
>> Russ’ Guide To Supplements
References:
- Alvares T. S., et al. Acute l-arginine supplementation increases muscle blood volume but not strength performance. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab (2012).
- Pรฉrez-Guisado J., et al. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res (2010).
- Hoffman J., et al. Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exercise. Int J Sports Med (2008).
- Donovan T., et al. Beta-alanine improves punch force and frequency in amateur boxers during a simulated contest. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab (2012).
- Hoffman J. R., et al. Effect of betaine supplementation on power performance and fatigue. J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2009).
- Lee E. C., et al. Ergogenic effects of betaine supplementation on strength and power performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2010).
- Holewa J., et al. Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone. Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies, Coastal Carolina University (2013).
- McCormack W. P., et al. Caffeine, Energy Drinks, and Strength-Power Performance. Str Con J (2012).
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