Here are the GOATED Top Five Rated High-Stimulant Preworkout supplements available on the market today ⬇️

Follow Us ⬇️

What to Look for in a Solid High-Stimulant Preworkout Powder

1. High amounts of caffeine from several sources
   1. 400mg + total caffeine
      1. Disclaimer: The FDA recognizes up to 400mg caffeine a day safe for daily consumption, so consume at your own risk
   2. Longer lasting forms of caffeine such as di-caffeine malate or ZumXR 
      1. These aid in prevention of crash post-workout
2. Combination of ingredients that promote blood flow through several pathways
   1. Citrulline, Nitrosigine, Agmatine, or NooLVL for nitric oxide production
   2. Nitrates
   3. Ingredients to promote hydration, endurance, and overall performance
      1. Betaine, Taurine, Sea Salt, Creatine, and Glycerol
3. Sharp focus complex that promotes cognition in a variety of ways
   1. L-tyrosine for dopamine enhancement
   2. Acetylcholine precursors such as Alpha-GPC, Citicholine, Vitacholine, or DMAE

That being said, let's get into the beauty behind each of these preworkouts, and what sets them apart from the rest!

Ah, our most beloved loaded-to-the-gills preworkout formula here at GOATED, Panda x Black Magic Sinister. There's a lot to like about this formula; it's fully maxed out across the board and will most certainly provide an unforgettable workout. Let's dive in! 🔥

Blood Flow and Performance

Where Sinister really shines is blood flow and performance. This loaded pump complex features 10,000mg of L-citrulline. L-citrulline is an amino acid that indirectly converts to nitric oxide; nitric oxide is essentially the holy grail of ingredients when it comes to enhancing blood flow. Nitric oxide expands blood vessels through a process called vasodilation. This mechanism allows more blood to be delivered to your muscles, and also removes waste products on its way out. As blood is the carrier of oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue, increases in blood flow proves to be especially beneficial for exercise performance.

Sinister also packs in a clinical dose of one of the most popular pump ingredients in the industry, VasoDrive-AP. VasoDrive-AP promotes endothelial (inner lining of blood vessels) relaxation, which allows blood vessels to expand even further. 

For even more blood flow, Sinister provides 2,000mg of Beet Root Extract. Beet root itself poses a plethora of benefits for cardiovascular benefits due to its rich nitrate content and has been shown to reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow. To promote hydration, Sinister manages to pack in an impressive dose of Betaine Anhydrous at 3,000mg. One study showed that 2,500mg betaine supplementation over a two week period increased peak power during bench press . Another study showed that betaine also increased power output in cyclists during a twelve second split.

To round out this stacked pump complex, Sinister also packs Malic Acid, Agmatine, and S7. For more information on those ingredients, visit our Ingredient Page

It's important to note that Sinister's blood flow and performance complex is top-of-the-line and going to be extremely challenging to beat.

Energy

To kick off this energy complex, Sinister packs in a massive dose of PEA at 400mg. PEA is an endogenous amphetamine derivative that increases focus and provides that beloved euphoric feel that you gym rats are constantly chasing. Its effects are relatively short lived, but they are most certainly felt. PEA also increases motivation, cognition, and mood. It may even work synergistically with Alpha-GPC to enhance acetylcholine levels.

Sinister also packs in a solid dose of Halostachine at 25mg; another powerful stimulant. Halostachine is beta adrenergic agonist and metabolite of PEA; it's touted to boost energy, motivation, elevate mood.

For caffeine sources, Sinister packs 350mg of caffeine anhydrous; everyone's favorite central nervous system stimulant that increases energy, focus, and thermogenesis. Plus Sinister also manages to pack in 100mg of ZumXR Extended Release caffeine, which is a longer lasting form of caffeine that provides similar effects to caffeine anhydrous, but also helps to prevent that ever-so-dreaded crash towards the end of your workout.

To round out this loaded energy complex, Sinister added 100mg of the xanthine derivative, Theobromine. It too provides longer-lasting energy and also plays a role in preventing crash.

Focus

While the stimulants alone should provide all the focus you need, Sinister also packs several other ingredients aimed at enhancing focus and cognition. Sinister includes 1,500mg L-tyrosine; an amino acid that increases dopamine and noradrenaline levels within the body. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that aids in focus, cognition, and provides a slight euphoric feel. Tyrosine is one of the most popular nootropic ingredients on the market and is particularly useful when supplemented before bouts of acute stress, like working out. 

Sinister also includes a hefty dose of Alpha-GPC at 600mg. Alpha-GPC is responsible for increasing our neurotransmitter acetylcholine. As acetylcholine plays a role increasing focus, cognition, and muscle contractions, this ingredient proves to be quite beneficial when it comes to performance in the gym. To further enhance acetylcholine levels, DMAE dosed at 750mg is included in this focus complex. Pair those two with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor Huperzine to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, and it will surely have you feeling locked in

In order to reduce stress, anxiety, and elevate mood, Sinister incorporates 250mg of the plant-based ingredient, Kanna. The inclusion of Kanna should help to reduce the side effects of the stimulant complex to a large extent, and its addition within Sinister's formula does exactly that.

To round out this focus complex, Sinister yields 150mg Mucuna Pruriens. This ingredient is rich in L-Dopa, which is the precursor to neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. Like halostachine and PEA, it too provides a slight euphoric feel and will have you feeling pretty good. 

Miscellanous

To round out the formula, Sinister packs a clinical dose of NuLiv Science's patented absorption ingredient, AstraGin. AstraGin has many benefits and works well in almost any formula. It's mechanism is fairly simple; it increases the number of transporter proteins within the gut. These transporter proteins bring nutrients to the wall of your intestine, which are then absorbed into the body to be utilized. 

Studies show that AstraGin significantly increases the absorption of arginine, lysine, glucose, creatine, beta-alanine, choline, citrulline, BCAA's, carnitine, and fatty acids. It essentially makes the ingredients in a product more bioavailable, which allows more of said ingredient to be absorbed and put to use.

Ah, our most beloved loaded-to-the-gills preworkout formula here at V1! Staying as unbiased as we can, this thing most certainly hits in every way. KJ and I spent months reformulating this and improving upon Ultimate V1. While that formula was indeed a doozy, this one is improved in every way; flavor, texture, and overall formula. Let's dive in! 🔥

Blood Flow and Performance

For blood flow and performance, Ultimate 2.0 clocks in with 10,000mg citrulline malate. As previously mentioned, citrulline is a non-essential amino acid and precursor to the holy grail of blood flow enhancing compounds, nitric oxide. Increases in nitric oxide provides benefits in blood flow, endurance, performance, cognition, and recovery. Additionally, Ultimate 2.0 features 1,600mg of Nutrition21's patented ingredient, NooLVL. It too increases nitric oxide levels, but also provides significant benefits in the focus category. In fact, a study conducted specifically on gamers showed that acute supplementation with NooLVL prior to gaming improved focus, processing speed, task switching, and overall cognition. Neat!

Additional blood flow ingredients include VasoDive-AP at 508mg; this ingredient acts as a diuretic and promotes elasticity of the endothelium, or the inner lining of blood vessels. This mechanism allows blood vessels to further expand and thus, make more room for blood to flow! Additionally, the antioxidant epicatechin also further promotes endothelial relaxation.

For performance, the combination of betaine and taurine promote hydration. This duo allows allows you to push yourself to the max during intense bouts of training, and also enhances recovery post-workout.

Additional blood flow and performance ingredients present within this stacked formula include beta-alanine, L-norvaline, and L-ornithine. Just know, this pump complex is gnarly!

Focus

For focus, Ultimate 2.0 includes several acetylcholine precursors in DMAE and Citicholine. These ingredients support memory, attention, cognition, and skeletal muscle contractions. In addition, Ultimate features 300mcg of huperzine to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, which further enhances cognition.

Lastly, Ultimate 2.0 boasts 2,000mg of the amino acid L-tyrosine, which is a precursor to dopamine. Supplementation with L-tyrosine is proven to enhance focus and cognition in times of acute stress, such as working out. For an additional kick, because L-tyrosine enhances dopamine levels, this mechanism can provide a slight euphoric feel.

Energy

Ultimate 2.0 keep things simple, yet highly effective in it's energy complex. It features two caffeine sources in caffeine anhydrous and di-caffeine malate. In addition, Ultimate packs in 100mg theobromine for an additional energizing kick. This trio provides sustainable energy that is sure to last the entireity of your workout.

Miscellaneous

Lastly, Ultimate 2.0 features 50mg of Nuliv Science's most beloved ingredient, AstraGin. AstraGin enhances nutrient absorption and essentially makes many of the ingredients present within this formula more bioavailable.

Godzilla was the first preworkout of its kind and set the standard when it comes to loaded formulas. This thing is absolutely stacked! There's a lot to like about this formula, so let's take a closer look! ⬇️

Blood Flow and Performance

To kick off this doozy of a formula, Godzilla features 9,000mg citrulline paired with 2,000mg citrulline nitrate. As you're probably well aware by now, citrulline increases nitric oxide which leads to a nice and juicy pump. However, the addition of citrulline nitrate brings exogenous nitric oxide to the table and promotes blood flow via a separate pathway. So for those who may not respond quite as well to citrulline, the addition of citrulline nitrate proves to be quite beneficial. 

Furthermore, Godzilla features the osmolyte betaine anhydrous at a supra-clinical 5,000mg dose. That's MASSIVE! Typical dosing ranges from 2,000-3,000mg. Additionally, Godzilla manages to pack in 5,000mg creatine for further promotion of hydration, endurance, and recovery. While creatine poses few benefits in terms of acute supplementation, it works absolute wonders when taken for an extended period of time.

To round out the blood flow and performance complex, Godzilla includes 508mg VasoDive-AP. As previously mentioned, VasoDrive acts as a diuretic and promotes elasticity of the endothelium, or the inner lining of blood vessels. This mechanism allows blood vessels to further expand and thus, make more room for blood to flow! Lastly, Godzilla packs 500mg pink himalayan sea salt for further promotion of hydration.

Clean, efficient, and highly effective. Good stuff from Ryse!

Focus

For focus, Godzilla includes the acetylcholine precursor Citicholine at 500mg... another solid dose! Citicholine is a nootropic ingredient that converts to both choline and cytidine upon consumption. Choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a critical role in brain function by supporting memory, attention, cognition, and skeletal muscle contraction. Cytidine converts to uridine, which maintains the fatty membranes of synaptic cells and also aids in creating connections between neurons. In a study conducted on 75 healthy adolescent males who either consumed 500mg Citicholine or placebo over the course of 28 days, results showed the Citicholine group experienced an increase in psychomotor speed, attention, attention, and reduced impulsivity compared to placebo.

Energy

In the energy category, Godzilla features several forms of caffeine including 350mg caffeine anhydrous and 50mg ZumXR extended release caffeine to prevent crash. 200mg of the caffeine metabolite theobromine further promotes longer lasting energy and stacks on to this formula quite nicely.

V1 Nutra's most beloved baby, V1 4.0, clocks in at the #4 spot in the GOATED Daily Preworkout Rankings. When it comes to low-stimulant preworkout options, V1 4.0 is hard to beat.

Blood Flow and Performance

V1 Nutra 4.0's obvious strong suit is blood flow, and let me tell you, it's loaded! It starts off with 8,000mg L-citrulline; an amino acid and precursor to the holy grail of blood flow enhancing compounds, nitric oxide. Nitric oxide expands blood vessels through a process called vasodilation. This mechanism allows more blood to be delivered to your muscles, and also removes waste products on its way out. As blood is the carrier of oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue, increases in blood flow proves to be especially beneficial for exercise performance.

To stack onto that, 4.0 features a clinical dose of Nutrition21's patented ingredient, NooLVL. It acts similarly to L-citrulline, but also has documented nootropic effects as well. These include increases in selective attention, focus, cognition, processing speed, and accuracy. One of our personal favorites here at Goated!

V1 4.0 also features 250mg of CitraPeak, a plant-based NNB Nutrition ingredient that's been shown increase thermogenesis. This mechanism expands blood vessels and allows more blood to circulate the body. It also is rich in antioxidants, which promotes endothelial relaxation (the inner lining of blood vessels) to once again, increase blood flow. For a further thermogenic effect, 4.0 features 20mg ProGBB which will further dilate vessels.

Other ingredients used to enhance blood flow in V1 4.0 include L-norvaline blocks an enzyme that breaks down arginine, which leads to higher levels of nitric oxide within the body. To round off the blood flow complex, 4.0 features 2500mg betaine anhydrous which acts as an osmolyte to promote hydration.

Focus

V1 4.0 places a heavy emphasis on the focus aspect within this product. To kick off the focus complex, V1 4.0 features 1600mg NooLVL. As previously mentioned, NooLVL is a patented ingredient developed by Nutrition21 that poses significant nootropic effects. NooLVL has been extensively researched in gamers, and the results are astounding!

A study conducted in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study derived of healthy men and women who spent five or more hours playing video games each week showed that supplementation with 1,600mg NooLVL increased energy, focus, selective attention, accuracy, and sped up reaction time. And these effects take place fast; in approximately fifteen minutes!

V1 4.0 also includes 1,500mg L-tyrosine; an amino acid that increases dopamine and noradrenaline levels within the body. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that promotes focus, cognition, and provides a slight euphoric feel. Tyrosine is one of the most popular nootropic ingredients on the market and is particularly useful when supplemented before bouts of acute stress, like working out. This makes it an especially beneficial addition to a pre-workout powder, which is why V1 opted to utilize its benefits in V1 4.0.

It would be challenging to formulate a solid focus complex without mentioning acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that increases focus, cognition, and muscle contractions; because of this, increases in acetylcholine proves to be especially beneficial for performance training. V1 opted to use 750mg DMAE within their 4.0 formula, which indeed is an acetylcholine precursor and poses the previously mentioned benefits of increased acetylcholine. How it does so is not quite understood. It's believed that DMAE crosses the blood-brain barrier, is then methylated into choline, and finally acetylated to form acetylcholine.

V1 4.0 also features a clinical dose of CognatIQ to increase BDNF levels. BDNF serves as a neurotransmitter modulator and plays a role in neuronal plasticity, which is essential for memory and learning. Studies suggest that BDNF enhances neuronal growth and also modulates dendritic growth. To stack on to that, BDNF also plays a role in protecting the heart and vasculature from disease processes along with aiding in prevention of neurological diseases.

To round out the focus complex, V1 4.0 features 200mcg of Huperzine A; an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine. As previously mentioned, acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter thats been shown to increase focus, cognition, and muscle contractions. Huperzine pairs especially well with acetylcholine precursors such as DMAE, which can be found within this formula. 

Energy

To kick off this energy complex, V1 4.0 keeps things simple, yet efficient. The intention of this pre-workout is to provide a well-rounded, lower stimulant pre-workout that's safe for daily use. And boy, does it do exactly that.

V1 4.0 packs 200mg of caffeine anhydrous; everyone's favorite central nervous system stimulant that increases energy, focus, and thermogenesis. For the second and final ingredient in this energy complex, V1 4.0 features 100mg of the xanthine derivative, theobromine. It provides longer-lasting energy and also plays a role in preventing crash.

Miscellaneous

Finally, V1 4.0 features a clinical dose of NuLiv Science's patented absorption ingredients, AstraGin. AstraGin has many benefits and works well in almost any formula. It's mechanism is fairly simple; it increases the number of transporter proteins present in the gut. These transporter proteins are responsible for carrying nutrients to the wall of the intestine, which are then absorbed into the body to be utilized. 

Studies show that AstraGin significantly increases the absorption of arginine, lysine, glucose, creatine, beta-alanine, choline, citrulline, BCAA's, carnitine, and fatty acids. It essentially makes the ingredients in a product more bioavailable, which allows more of said ingredient to be absorbed and put to use.

To round out the Goated Top Five Daily Preworkout List, Axe & Sledge's recently released Intake Preworkout finds itself in the five slot. This formula keeps things simple - yet highly effective. Let's get into it! 🤙🏻

Blood Flow and Performance

For blood flow and performance, Intake comes in with 8,000mg L-citrulline. I think by this point in the article, we are all aware that citrulline increases nitric oxide which leads to blood flow, endurance, and performance benefits. To stack on to that, Intake also features 3,200mg beta-alanine for power output and muscular endurance. In addition, Intake manages to pack 2,500mg betaine anhydrous to promote hydration, which provides that feeling of muscle fullness and leads to further benefits in overall performance.

What I personally love to see in a preworkout formula is Senactiv; a unique ingredient that's proven to enhance endurance and recovery. It acts by removing senescent cells from the body; cells that no longer contribute to cellular reproduction. To make it simple, Senactiv is essentially a garbage disposal that gets rid of the "junk" we don't need.

Lastly, Intake features 150mg ElevATP which enhances our cellular form of energy, ATP. This mechanism provides a feeling of natural energy, which proves to be beneficial in exercise performance.

Focus

For focus, Intake keeps things simple, yet highly effective featuring two designated nootropic ingredients in Citicholine and L-tyrosine. Citicholine converts to both choline and cytidine upon consumption. Choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, while cytidine converts to uridine; both of which provide a plethora of cognitive benefits. As mentioned in Godzilla, a study conducted on 75 healthy adolescent males showed that Citicholine supplementation led to increases in psychomotor speed, attention, attention, and reduced impulsivity compared to placebo.

L-tyrosine increases dopamine production, which is a beta-adrenergic agonist and provides sharp increases in focus. It also provides a slight euphoric feel, which gym rats seemingly adore.

Energy

Intake keep things simple, yet highly effective in it's energy complex. It features two caffeine sources in caffeine anhydrous and ZumXR extended release caffeine. To stack on to that, Intake packs in 100mg theobromine for longer lasting energy and mood elevation. The combination of these three provide energy throughout the entirety of your workout, with little to no crash.