Best Caffeine Free Pre Workout Supplements

Caffeine powder is widely used as a pre-workout stimulant. It’s taken through energy drinks, coffee, or supplement stacks. There are benefits to using caffeine before a workout. In the very least, it gives your muscles the extra energy to keep going and also helps get your blood pumping faster.

However, there are times when using caffeine may not be the best idea. For example, if you train later in the evening, a high dose of caffeine may interfere with your sleep. Or, for anyone particularly sensitive to caffeine, the effects can be over stimulating and become more of a hindrance in the gym. Regardless of your situation, you shouldn’t feel slighted during your workout. There are several alternatives to caffeine in pre-workout supplements that can help you keep your edge and help you reach your goals faster.

Citrulline Malate Powder

Citrulline Malate is a form of the amino acid citrulline and provides energy to the muscles and promotes endurance for both aerobic and anaerobic athletes. Citrulline malate powder works in two main ways. First, it increases intramuscular ATP energy. This is what you use each time you lift a rep or run a lap. The more ATP in your muscles, the longer they will function at optimal levels.

Citrulline malate takes that a step further by helping you function on an even higher level. In a study performed on athletes using the chest press as a test exercise, participants were given citrulline malate or placebo. Then their work output and recovery times were measured. Users given citrulline malate were able to do 52% more repetitions and had a 40% reduction in soreness, so they were stronger during their workout and recovered faster too. [1]

Beta-Alanine Supplement

Beta-alanine is another great caffeine-free pre-workout supplement that also promotes muscular endurance.  Beta-alanine works a bit differently than citrulline malate. Supplementing with beta-alanine helps increase intramuscular carsonine levels [2].

During exercise, carsonine helps remove lactic acid from muscles, which can cause a burning sensation and muscle fatigue. Without acid buildup and muscular fatigue, beta-alanine helps you get stronger and build muscle mass.

Beta-alanine can help improve your overall body composition too. Research performed on athletes has shown that beta-alanine can increase lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat percentage [2]. Since this is a popular reason for using caffeine pre-workout, you can now work toward your fat-burning goals without stimulant supplements.

L-Arginine Supplement

As the two supplements mentioned above, L-Arginine supplement, also simply known as Arginine, is also an alternative to caffeine for increasing endurance, increasing strength and reducing fatigue. Arginine works differently as well. It’s is responsible for boosting nitric oxide flow into the body after exercise. Higher nitric oxide levels relax blood vessels which allows for more blood flow. The increased blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles more efficiently to prevent muscle fatigue. Arginine also boosts growth hormone production and helps you recover quicker. [3] [4]

Caffeine Free Pre Workout Stacks

You can also try pre-workout stacks which are often available without caffeine. Stacks take the guesswork out of pre-workout supplementation. I found a great pre-workout stack called Muscle Maxx Pro. This pre-workout stack contains L-Arginine, Astragalus, Tongkat Ali (Longjack), Maca, and Tribulus. These ingredients work together synergistically to enhance the body’s muscle building capacity.

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to cut caffeine out of your pre-workout stack, there are alternatives. With muscular endurance and energy being the main benefits, the options for replacement are well represented. A stimulant-free pre-workout stack can help you reach your goals just as fast and without any of the negative side-effects of caffeine use.

Sources

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386132

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-Alanine

[3] https://l-arginineguide.com/facts-about-l-arginine-and-working-out.html

[4] https://www.livestrong.com/article/6135-need-l-arginine-bodybuilding/