Common Ingredient Profiles of Multi-Ingredient Pre-Workout Supplements.

Area of Science:

• Sports Nutrition
• Dietary Supplements
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements are widely used to enhance athletic performance.
• Product formulations vary significantly, complicating efficacy assessments.
• Understanding common ingredients and dosages is crucial for consumers and researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the typical ingredient profile of leading pre-workout supplements.
• To compare the dosages of common ingredients against established effective levels.
• To assess the prevalence of proprietary blends and their impact on transparency.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of ingredient lists and amounts from the top 100 best-selling pre-workout supplements.
• Calculation of ingredient prevalence and average dosages per serving.
• Comparison of average dosages to scientifically recognized efficacious doses.

Main Results:

• Supplements averaged 18.4 ingredients, with 8.1 in proprietary blends.
• Common ingredients included Beta-alanine (87%), Caffeine (86%), Citrulline (71%), Tyrosine (63%), Taurine (51%), and Creatine (49%).
• Average beta-alanine doses were below efficacious levels; caffeine was near the lower effective range.

Conclusions:

• Many popular pre-workout supplements contain a high number of ingredients, often with undisclosed amounts in proprietary blends.
• Commonly included ingredients may not be present in dosages sufficient for optimal performance enhancement.
• Increased transparency in supplement labeling is needed to inform consumer choices and ensure product efficacy.