8 Best Vegan Pre Workouts in 2024

Do you want to know which products are suitable for the role of best vegan pre workout? There are dozens of pre-workout powders on the market, but not all manufacturers create formulas that do not contain any products of animal origin. So in this article we want to show you the best plant based pre workout powder rating!

30 vegan pre workouts were tested and compared by our expert team, which consists of professional athletes, certified nutritionists, coaches, and medical professionals.

They carefully examined them, and only 8 were considered to be the best and have made it to this list.

Our experts spent 8 weeks testing most of the products, and in addition to this, they have also analyzed hundreds of online reviews. The powders were evaluated on 5 key criteria to bring you the most straightforward, detailed information. We’re always updating this list, so leave us a comment and let’s chat!

Top 8 Best Vegan Pre-Workouts Reviewed

1. Bulk by Transparent Labs – Top Pick
2. Pre-Kaged by Kaged – Runner-up
3. NITROSURGE by Jacked Factory
4. Pre-Kaged® Sport by Kaged
5. Promix Pre-Workout by Promix
6. Intensive Pre-Train by Crazy Nutrition
7. 4 Gauge Pre-Workout
8. Naked Energy by Naked Nutrition

Product	Total	Stimulation	Ingredients Breakdown	Nutrition Label Transparency	Taste	Value for Money
Transparent Labs	49	9.5	10	9.5	10	10
Pre-Kaged®	49	10	10	10	9.5	9.5
Jaked Factory	47.5	9	9.5	9.5	10	9.5
Pre-Kaged® Sport	47	9	9.5	10	9	9.5
Promix	46	9	9	9.5	9	9.5
Crazy Bulk	46	9.5	10	9.5	8.5	8.5
4 Gauge	45.5	9	9	9.5	9	9
Naked Energy	45	9	9	9.5	8.5	9

The first place was taken by one of the best formulated products on the market — BULK from the Transparent Labs. This pre-workout contains 200 mg of caffeine, which provides a major stimulating effect, improves overall training performance, reduces the perception of fatigue, and improves cognitive functions.

A dosage of 200 mg is enough to get an energy boost and get great stimulation (although the dose of caffeine is very individual).

What’s more, BULK contains L-Theanine, which is the perfect complement to caffeine. Such a combo demonstrated a synergistic effect on cognitive functions, and the addition of theanine is also capable of mitigating anxiety and jitters associated with caffeine.

Please note that one serving of this pre-workout contains a daily loading dose of beta-alanine. However, consider the very high risk of tingling, which will not harm you, but may be very uncomfortable.

Also, the formula contains required dosages of citrulline and betaine, which may help to overcome a larger training volume, as well as increase the pumping effect.

In addition to the key performance-boosting ingredients, it is worth noting the presence of zinc and vitamin B12, since veganism increases the risk of deficiencies of these micronutrients. This especially applies to vitamin B12, which is not a component of plant foods.

Choose one of 12 flavors and get ready to feel a noticeable boost in training performance. However, keep in mind that if you’ve never tried a pre-workout before, it’s best to start with a product that contains less caffeine.

The second place for mixing your vegan pre workout drink is taken by Pre-Kaged with the strongest stimulation in this rating. Like the previous product, Pre-Kaged is a well-designed formula with key and additional components in the required doses.

Among the key advantages of this product: a relatively low single dose of beta-alanine (1.6 g) to improve strength endurance and reduce fatigue, a required dosage of citrulline (6.5 g) to increase training volume and get an enhanced pumping effect, as well as optimal single dose of betaine (2.5g) and 1.5 g of highly soluble creatine HCL for high-intensity training performance.

Another benefit of Pre-Kaged is the certification from Informed Sport, which provides testing of sports supplements for banned substances and thus makes this product suitable for elite athletes undergoing doping control.

Keep in mind that one serving contains a large dosage of caffeine - 274 mg. Therefore, if you have never taken this type of supplement before, this product is not for you.

On the other hand, if you're an experienced athlete who has taken pre-workouts before and feels great with moderate-to-high doses of caffeine, this product may be just what you need to give that new boost to progress.

This product is enriched with a high dose of vitamin B12, what vegans should consider. Also keep in mind 30 mg of niacin (vitamin B3), because such a dosage can cause burning, tingling, and itching sensations.

As for disadvantage, this pre-workout includes only 20 servings per package. It also has the second highest cost per serving in this ranking, but it's fair to say that you'll pay more for a perfectly formulated supplement with certification from a world-renowned third party.

Overall Pre-Kaged is a great product with well formulated dosages of key ingredients and 7 flavors to choose from. However, due to its greatest stimulating effect in this rating, it will only be suitable for experienced athletes who have already taken pre-workouts with a moderate (about 200 mg) dosage of caffeine.

It's not easy to find a better product priced at $1 per serving than Jacked Factory Nitrosurge. It has a well-designed formula that includes 180mg of caffeine, 3g of citrulline, 1.6g of beta-alanine, 1.25g of betaine and 90mg of theanine.

Nitrosurge does not contain a huge number of additional ingredients with questionable benefits, which only adds to its points. With 11 flavors to choose from, you shouldn't have any trouble finding your favorite.

You have 2 packaging options - for 30 or 60 portions, which is very convenient and allows you to save the budget if you buy a large caliber, because the cost of one serving in this case is even less than 1 dollar.

Compared to the top two positions, this supplement does not contain taurine, vitamin B12, and contains 2 times less dosage of betaine. However, overall it is one of the best vegan pre workout in its price range.

Another product from the Kaged brand, which differs from its relative by a much milder stimulating effect and a smaller dosage of additional ingredients. However, the dosages are still the ones needed to get the effects. Therefore, Kaged Sport still deserves its high place.

In fact, this supplement is almost the twin brother of Nitrosurge, because they contain a similar dose of caffeine, an equal dose of betaine and beta-alanine, and a similar dose of citrulline. These are products from the same price category.

However, there are some differences. Nitrosurge has much more flavors to choose from, contains theanine and has 2 packages options with more servings. While Kaged Sport contains taurine and vitamin B12, and is also certified by Informed Sport, making it suitable for pro athletes undergoing doping control.

If I wanted to save a little and stock up on a 60 serving pack, I'd go with the Nitrosurge. On the other hand, if I needed to minimize the risk of failing doping control, I would definitely choose Kaged! However, these products can be more or less equivalent in terms of ergogenic effects.

The fifth place was taken by vegan pre workout powder from the Promix brand, which also has one of the lowest prices per serving in this ranking. The formula is simple and not overloaded with ingredients, as it consists of two key components - an optimal dose of caffeine and beta-alanine.

It is the dose of 200 mg that allows to increase physical performance, but is less likely to cause side effects, such as excessive over-arousal, anxiety or impairments of fine motor control. This product is also available in caffeine-free and beta-alanine-free versions.

Compared to most other products in this ranking, Promix does not contain citrulline and betaine and has few flavors to choose from. It also contains a large single dose of beta-alanine, which can cause an uncomfortable side effect called paresthesia. However, do not rush to worry, because it does not harm our health.

In addition to the key components, one serving contains taurine and a large dose of vitamin B12, which is important for vegans. Please note that the Lemon version is NSF certified. This means that this product has been tested for the presence of prohibited substances and does not contain unsafe levels of contaminants.

The rating of the best vegan pre workout supplement should definitely include Intensive Pre-Train from Crazy Nutrition. First, it contains 200 mg of caffeine, 2.5 g of beta-alanine, and additional ingredients in dosages that have been shown to be effective in trials - citrulline malate and betaine.

Also, this supplement contains taurine, a group of B vitamins (including vitamin B12) and 80 mg of vitamin C. By the way, Intensive Pre-Train also has a caffeine-free version.

The most interesting difference between this product and the rest of the pre-workouts on the market is the presence in the formula of the adaptogen Ashwagandha, which can enhance various aspects of physical performance, has an anti-anxiety effect and may improve the quality of sleep.

However, the most common dosage protocol is 600 mg/day divided into two doses, while a serving of this pre-workout contains 300 mg of ashwagandha. Therefore, if you want to take advantage of the potential effects of ashwagandha, you may need to take an additional 300 mg as an isolated supplement.

​​Also keep in mind that ashwagandha is not a standard component of multi-ingredient pre-workouts that have been studied in trials. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the possible interactions and draw conclusions about the safety of the simultaneous use of ingredients contained in this type of supplement with ashwagandha. This should be taken into account.

Obvious disadvantages of this product include a very limited selection of flavors and possibly the highest price in the pre-workout market at $3 per serving.

Next in this ranking is 4 Gauge pre-workout with its unique packaging design. This product has a good overall formula of ingredients with moderate stimulation due to 150 mg of caffeine.

In addition to the key ingredient, 4 Gauge contains 1 g of creatine, which should be considered in your daily dose, as well as 6 g of citrulline malate, which can enhance the pumping effect. Also, like some products from this rating, this supplement contains theanine, which is an ideal combo for caffeine.

The difference between 4 Gauge and the rest of the products is the presence of the adaptogen Rhodiola Rosea, which helps combat stress and fatigue.

Among the disadvantages compared to many other products - a small selection of flavors, lack of betaine and vitamin B12. Also, this product does not contain beta-alanine, creatine and taurine, which are of particular interest to vegans.

Overall, this product has a good formula with a moderate dose of caffeine. Given the dose of 150 mg, this product may be a good candidate for a 70-75 kg person (at the rate of ~2 mg of caffeine per 1 kg of body weight) choosing their first pre-workout.

Naked Energy was formulated using the "Big Three" ingredients with the most scientific support: caffeine, creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine. And while neither creatine nor beta-alanine need to be taken immediately before training, these 2 ingredients are of particular interest to vegans and should be factored into the total daily dose.

Also, this product is presented with a caffeine-free version, which contains an ingredient called Nitrosigine®.

However, the dosage that showed efficacy in terms of increased muscle pump and decreased biomarkers of muscle damage in one experiment exceeded the dosage by 3 times, so keep that in mind. Also, the stim-free version contains citrulline malate in a very low dosage to count on its effects.

This product only comes in Citrus and Fruit Punch flavors and has an unflavored version that has the second lowest cost per serving of any product in this ranking. Flavored versions are almost twice as expensive.

Overall, the unflavored caffeinated version is a great choice and deserves its place in the ranking of the best vegetarian pre workout powder.

The good stimulation from 200 mg of caffeine, as well as the presence of creatine, beta-alanine and vitamin B12 are solid reasons to buy this product for people who follow a vegan diet. Especially when you're getting all of this for less than $1 per serving.

Why Do Vegans Need Pre-Workout?

Vegans, like any other athletes or fitness enthusiasts following other diets, can use pre-workouts to improve their physical performance and achieve better results in the context of increasing muscular endurance, strength and focus.

However, compared to omnivores and even vegetarians (especially pescetarians who eat fish), vegans are at a less advantageous starting position due to the impoverishment of their diet in several individual components found in most pre-workouts.

✅ Creatine

Since creatine is concentrated in animal muscle, meat, poultry and fish are its key sources. From food, omnivores get about 1 g of creatine daily, but vegetarians (including vegans) have reduced creatine reserves in muscles, because they either do not eat animal products at all (vegans) or eat it in smaller quantities (I mean pescetarians who eat fish).

In fact, vegetarians can expect even greater improvements in gaining muscle mass and increasing strength compared to omnivores!

And although it is not necessary to take creatine as part of a pre-workout, if you do not take it separately at other times of the day, creatine in a pre-workout may contribute to better results.

However, keep in mind that for the best effects, creatine needs to be taken in a total dose of 3-5 grams per day, and larger athletes who train very intensively, may need even up to 10 g / day. That is why you need to consider the specific dosage of creatine from a pre-workout so that you get the needed daily amount.

✅ Beta-Alanine

As with creatine, studies show that vegans have lower stores of carnosine, and this is not surprising, because meat and poultry are the main sources of β-alanine in the diet. Beta-alanine supplementation increases muscle carnosine stores and thus improves muscle endurance and delays the onset of fatigue.

Therefore, if you are not taking beta-alanine, its presence in the pre-workout can also have positive training effects.

Like creatine, beta-alanine is not a mandatory part of pre-workout, but if it is there, it should be taken into account in the total daily dosage.

✅ Taurine

Although the feasibility of taurine intake for vegetarians has not been studied extensively, vegans consume negligible amounts of taurine, so taking it in a supplement form may be appropriate.

And since beta-alanine can theoretically inhibit the absorption of taurine in the muscles, the presence of taurine in the pre-workout looks even more justified. However, all this has not been studied in research and is therefore only speculative in nature.

✅ Vitamin B12

The presence of vitamin B12 in vegan pre workout powder can be considered as a valuable bonus, because even vegetarians (not strict vegans) who consume 1 glass of milk and 1 egg per day only provide about two-thirds of the daily need for this vitamin.

If you were wondering, “Is pre workout vegan supplement”, then most of the products are suitable for vegans. However, some of them are processed in facilities that process fish, eggs and other animal products. Therefore, it is better to study the specific product to make sure that it is suitable for vegans.

How to Find the Best Pre-Workout for Vegans?

Ideally, a vegan pre workout supplement should contain not only a stimulating dose of caffeine (although this dose is individual), but also components such as beta-alanine, creatine and taurine, which are lacking in the vegan diet.

Additional ingredients worth noting (although not problematic for vegans) are citrulline and betaine. However, in order to count on performance and enhanced pumping effect, betaine and citrulline must be contained in minimum effective doses, which are 3 g for citrulline / 6 g for citrulline malate and 1.25 g for betaine.

Pre-Workout Tips for Vegans

In order for the training effects of the ingredients with an acute effect to be revealed in time, pre-workouts should be taken 20-60 minutes before training.

Mix powder with 250-350 ml of water, but it is best to follow the recommendations on the packaging of specific products, since the manufacturer knows what proportion of water is optimal for obtaining the best taste of the drink (different pre-workouts have different servings in grams).

FAQ

Can Vegans Have Pre-workout?

Absolutely! Moreover, performance enhancing effects may be even more pronounced in vegans compared to omnivores due to lower dietary intake of creatine, beta-alanine and taurine.

Is Vegan Pre-workout Better for You?

For an omnivore, it doesn't matter if a pre-workout is vegan because the key and complementary ingredients are the same. However, vegans need to research the product to make sure it is right for them.

In fact, most pre-workout powders on the market are suitable for vegans, but some products are processed in a facility that also processes animal products. Therefore, it is better to study the product label and information on the manufacturer's website before making a choice.

Conclusion

In order to choose a well-formulated vegan pre workout supplement, pay attention to the presence of creatine, beta-alanine, taurine, as well as vitamin B12. Also consider minimum effective dosages of citrulline and betaine.

Choose a product with a dose of caffeine depending on your caffeine sensitivity and how you feel both during training and at rest. Start with a low dose of caffeine.

As the best vegan pre workout, we recommend BULK from Transparent Labs. It is a balanced product in terms of composition and dosage of ingredients, which has a large selection of flavors and a great value for money.

For those who have never taken pre-workouts before, we recommend paying attention to products with a lower dose of caffeine (~100-150 mg, or 1.5-2 mg per 1 kg of body weight) and increasing the dose gradually.

Have you taken at least one product from this ranking? Share your experience in the comments!

Also read:

• Can You Take Pre Workout While Breastfeeding
• Best Keto Pre Workout
• What Is Stim Free Pre Workout
• Pre Workout Side Effects
• Homemade Pre Workout
• Why Does Pre Workout Make You Itch
• Creatine vs Pre Workout
• Pre Workout vs Bcaa
• Healthiest Pre Workout
• Cellucor C4 Pre Workout Review

References:

1. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets // National Library of Medicine: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/
2. Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers // National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5598028/
3. ß-Alanine // The Australian Sports Commission: https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements/group_a#alanine
4. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine // BioMed Central: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
5. Creatine // The Australian Sports Commission: https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements/group_a#creatine
6. The benefits of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate as a workout ingredient // National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4595023/
7. Ashwagandha // Examine: https://examine.com/supplements/ashwagandha/
8. AIS SPORTS SUPPLEMENT FRAMEWORK. CAFFEINE // Australian Institute of Sport: https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1000498/36194_Sport-supplement-fact-sheets-Caffeine-v6.pdf
9. Niacin // NIH: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/
10. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets// National Library of Medicine: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/
11. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine // BioMed Central: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y