While protein supplements still dominate the sports supplement market, pre-workouts aren’t far behind, with sales projected to exceed 20 billion dollars in 2025 alone. There’s no question that pre-workout supplements that are formulated correctly can help boost several aspects of exercise performance. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be so many people buying them.
However, if you’re like many people and looking to save money where you can these days, you might be taking a close look at your supplement stack and wondering if you really need to take a pre-workout supplement or if you should consider attempting to make pre-workout at home.
Going the homemade route can often be more affordable and customizable, but is it really possible to mimic the effects of a well-formulated pre-workout supplement? And if so, where do you even start?
There are several factors that come into play. In this article, we’ll break down a few pros and cons of both pre-workout supplements and homemade pre-workout. This will help you understand any limitations of DIY pre-workouts so you don’t have unrealistic expectations.
Either way, you don’t need to be a chemist or hold a degree in sports nutrition to create your own pre-workout, but you do need a little guidance, which we’ll also provide.
We’ll cover safety considerations, dosing, and timing basics, as well as the most common pre-workout ingredients, their known benefits, and whether you can find them in food or if you’ll need to buy individual supplements. Finally, we’ll give you a few homemade pre-workout recipes to help get you started, should you decide that a homemade workout is right for you!
Why Consider Homemade Pre-Workout?
While some supplements could be considered “necessary” (such as protein supplements if you have issues hitting your daily protein targets, or certain vitamins and minerals if you are deficient or struggle to get enough from food alone), pre-workout certainly falls under the category of not necessary. You can work out without a pre-workout supplement.
A pre-workout isn’t required to train hard or see great results from your training. But if you like the effects and are looking for ways to save money or move toward more natural options, making your own pre-workout might be worth considering.
For those going the DIY route and making a homemade pre-workout, it seems to be because of four main reasons:
1. Cost Savings
If you can’t budget the cost of a pre-workout supplement but still want the performance benefits, a DIY pre-workout can be a smart alternative. Or, if you are looking to streamline your supplement stack to only the necessities, a pre-workout supplement is probably one of the first you’d want to cut.
Buying pre-workout every month adds up. By picking up single ingredients in bulk and creating your own formula or using whole foods, you can potentially cut costs. Although there may be a higher upfront cost initially, you’ll likely spend far less per serving in the long run compared to a commercial formula.
2. Safety and Quality
There are some excellent pre-workouts from reputable brands, but many others have questionable manufacturing practices or use mystery blends, unnecessary fillers, or insufficient dosages to deliver results. With so many options available, it can be hard to know what to choose. While there are safety and quality considerations when making a homemade pre-workout (which we’ll cover a little further down), some people have more peace of mind having complete control over ingredients.
3: Customization
While it might seem like you can just grab any pre-workout and it will work the same, pre-workout isn’t one-size-fits-all. While many pre-workouts are goal-specific, many people want the ability to further customize.
Creating your own pre-workout at home allows you to pick exactly what you want and what you don’t based on everything from your goals and training style to the time of day you train, individual intolerances, and even flavor preferences.
For example, if you only care about endurance, you can leave out ingredients that are known for providing a pump. You can also leave out ingredients that you know don’t sit well with you. Many people don’t want caffeine, while others can’t stand the “tinging” that comes with beta-alanine. However, this is a common duo in many pre-workout supplements. If you are making your own pre-workout at home, you get complete control.
4. Dosage Control
With a homemade pre-workout, you not only get to choose the ingredients you want and know exactly what’s going into your body, but you can also control the exact dose of each one.
Instead of being stuck with a formula where taking less means cutting every ingredient, you can go heavier on what you want and lighter on what you don’t. For example, you could take a full research-backed dose of creatine or EAAs while scaling caffeine down, or bump up pump ingredients while skipping beta-alanine altogether.
Pros and Cons of Pre-Workout Supplements vs. Homemade Pre-Workout
If you currently buy a pre-workout supplement and are considering making the switch to creating your own at home, or you’ve been winging it with random ingredients and are thinking about spending a little more money on a supplement, here are some pros and cons of each to help you decide what makes the most sense for you.
Pros of Pre-Workout Supplements
- Convenience: The biggest advantage of a pre-workout formula is that you don’t have to think about what to put in it or take time to prepare it. Put a scoop in some water or even your pre-workout protein shake, and you’re ready to train. No thinking, no planning, no prep required.
- Proper Dosing: Assuming your pre-workout is formulated by a reputable brand, they’ve done the research and know exactly how much of each ingredient is needed to actually create an effect, which is vital if you want your pre-workout to actually do what you want it to do.
- Safety: On that same note, reputable brands also understand safe limits and avoid adding too much of certain ingredients, which helps reduce the risk of side effects.
- Ingredient Combinations: Many pre-workout formulas include multiple research-backed ingredients. The chemists who design these products understand how certain ingredients can work together to maximize performance, and which ones shouldn’t be combined because they duplicate effects or increase side effect risk.
- Goal Specific: Most supplement brands offer several formulas in both stimulant and non-stimulant versions, and even goal-specific blends. This allows you to choose a formula based on your goals, stimulant tolerance, the time of day you train, and the type of training you’re doing.
- Flavor Options: While many flavor profiles are easy to re-create at home, others are tough to replicate. Supplement brands have the resources to blend flavors and mask the bitterness of raw ingredients.
Cons of Pre-Workout Supplements
- Cost: On the lowest end, a container of pre-workout typically costs around $30, usually more like $40–50, and contains only around 30 servings. That doesn’t last long, especially if you train frequently. Buying every month can really add up.
- Safety and Quality Concerns: Not all pre-workouts are created equal. Some brands hide behind proprietary blends, underdose effective ingredients, or load up on stimulants that don’t do anything other than give you a quick hit of energy. Additionally, not all brands prioritize purity, safe manufacturing practices, and third-party testing for banned substances. It can be challenging to know which brands to trust.
- Side Effects: Some common ingredients in pre-workout supplements have side effects like jitters, crashes, tingling, and disrupted sleep that many people find distracting or uncomfortable. While you can always take less than the recommended serving size in an attempt to reduce these effects, for some people, even a smaller dose is enough to trigger unwanted reactions.
- Additives: Many commercial pre-workout formulas include artificial sweeteners, flavors, dyes, and fillers that don’t contribute to performance. For those looking to avoid unnecessary additives, this can be a major drawback.
Pros of Homemade Pre-Workout
- Cost Savings: Buying single-ingredient supplements in bulk or using whole foods can be cheaper over time, even if there’s some upfront investment to purchase all the individual ingredients needed to make your desired blend(s).
- Safety/Quality Control: Many people choose the DIY route because they assume it’s safer. Making your own pre-workout gives you more control, but it’s important to note that it doesn’t guarantee safety or quality. Even whole foods can bring issues like hidden preservatives, added sugars, or poor sourcing.
Plus, if you’re planning to use single-ingredient supplements, we’ll cover this in detail later, but keep in mind these are still supplements. Whether it’s a pre-workout powder or a single ingredient like creatine or vitamin B, they all fall under the same category of dietary supplements, which are not regulated by the FDA and require you to do some research before choosing a brand.
- Dosing Control: With pre-workout blends, you can only take half a serving, but that is half of every ingredient in the formula. When making your own pre-workout, you get to decide exactly how much of each ingredient you use. Want a full dose of EAAs but only a little caffeine? Or maybe more pump and less beta-alanine tingles? You can adjust each one on your terms.
- Complete Customization: Not only can you control the dose of each ingredient, but you can also tailor your mix to your training style and goals. You could make a formula of only fast-acting carbs, EAAs, and electrolytes for endurance. Or just protein powder, creatine, and citrulline for strength. Don’t want a supplement at all? You can create a whole-food-based pre-workout that still provides the fuel you need. You can even pick your flavor based on your taste buds that particular day.
- Flexibility: With a homemade pre-workout, you aren’t forced to spend hundreds of dollars to have a different formula for each training style or time of day. You can create a blend on the fly that best matches the type of workout you’re doing and the time you’re training, whether that’s a heavy lift at noon or a late session where you want to skip stimulants. You also have the choice to go the supplement-only route, use only whole foods, or a mix of both, depending on your goals and your budget.
Cons of Homemade Pre-Workout
- Knowledge Required for Safety and Effectiveness: Without an understanding of what ingredients you need to include to get your desired effect, and what dosages are effective and safe, it’s easy to underdose, overdose, or even unknowingly duplicate ingredients with the same or similar effects. This could result in a homemade pre-workout that doesn’t work at all, or worse, one that raises safety risks.
- Time and Effort: It will take some initial research to come up with your ideal homemade pre-workout recipe. Beyond that, you’ll also need to measure, prep, and sometimes test different combinations before you find what works best for you.
- Upfront Cost: While buying single-ingredient pills and powders in bulk can be less expensive long term, there is often a higher initial investment to get all the core ingredients you want on hand.
- Less Convenient: Measuring ingredients or prepping food takes more time than scooping from a supplement container. Plus, if you’re sticking to a food-based pre-workout that isn’t something you can grab and go (like a smoothie), you may have to make time to sit down and eat rather than mixing something up and drinking it on the way to the gym.
- Less Powerful: You might notice the effects aren’t as strong, or possibly even totally absent. Many of the ingredients in pre-workout formulas (like creatine, beta-alanine, and citrulline) aren’t available from food sources in high enough amounts to support the processes that boost performance. Additionally, adaptogens like KSM-66® Ashwagandha, which are included for focus and stress support, aren’t naturally present in everyday foods.
Pre-Workout Supplement or Homemade Pre-Workout: Which Is Better?
Better is relative. First, it depends on what you’re looking to get out of your pre-workout. For example, if you only care about a quick hit of energy, coffee or a caffeine pill may be all you need. However, if you have multiple desired effects, or very specific needs such as stimulant-free energy, want crazy pumps, or desire enhanced focus, a more structured pre-workout supplement might be better.
Both options can work. Supplements win on convenience and consistency, while homemade pre-workouts give you control, flexibility, and better long-term value. The right choice comes down to your goals, desired effect, budget, and how much effort you’re willing to put into what fuels your training.
Common Ingredients in Pre-Workout Supplements and How To Include Them in Homemade Pre-Workout
Depending on the formula, pre-workout supplements can give you more energy, strength, power, or crazy pumps. Many also have cognitive effects, helping with focus and alertness. Some even include electrolytes, essential amino acids, or specific types of carbs in proper ratios to help you have sustained energy, improve endurance, and delay fatigue.
Here are some of the most common ingredients you’ll see in pre-workout supplements, along with what they do, why they matter, and whether you can duplicate them at home.
Caffeine
Caffeine gives you energy and focus, and reduces perceived exertion so workouts feel easier. It is also believed to potentially aid in fat burning and weight loss by boosting metabolism and increasing fat oxidation during exercise.
How to include caffeine in a homemade pre-workout: You can get caffeine from coffee, tea, or caffeine pills. However, it might not feel the same as the type of energy you get from a pre-workout. Many supplement companies use green coffee bean extract, which has a milder, less jittery effect. Many also use blends that combine fast-acting and sustained-release caffeine for both an immediate and more extended effect.
Creatine
Creatine (specifically creatine monohydrate) is one of the most researched and scientifically backed supplements in sports nutrition. It helps generate ATP, the primary energy source for muscle contraction, translating to increased power and strength. It also helps muscle growth and recovery. Recently, studies have even shown it may have cognitive benefits.
How to include creatine in a homemade pre-workout: It’s easy to buy creatine monohydrate powder as a stand-alone supplement to add to your homemade pre-workout. However, if you are hoping to only use whole foods in your DIY pre-workout, it’s going to be difficult to get the amounts needed to experience its benefits. While you can get small amounts of creatine from foods like red meat, you’d need substantial amounts to match the single 5 g scoop of creatine in supplement form.
Beta-alanine
If you ever take a pre-workout and feel a tingling sensation, it likely has beta-alanine. Commonly used in both stimulant and non-stimulant pre-workouts, beta-alanine is well known to help support muscular endurance by buffering acid buildup in the muscles, which can delay fatigue and improve endurance.
How to include beta-alanine in a homemade pre-workout: If you are making your own pre-workout and want the effects of beta-alanine, you’ll need to purchase a stand-alone beta-alanine powder. While meat, poultry, and fish contain some beta-alanine, the concentration is low. For athletic benefits, you probably won’t be able to achieve the same performance-enhancing effects of beta-alanine supplements through food alone.
Betaine
This compound is best known for supporting increased strength and power, while also reducing fatigue. It’s common in both stimulant and non-stimulant pre-workouts, especially those geared toward endurance.
How to include betaine in a homemade pre-workout: Betaine is naturally found in plants and animals. Whole grains, spinach, and beets are rich in betaine. But similar to beta-alanine and creatine, food sources aren’t at the concentrated levels used in most pre-workouts, and cooking can also reduce the content. Using a betaine supplement is the best way to hit research-backed amounts and feel its known effects.
Inositol-stabilized arginine
If a pre-workout supplement claims to give you “pumps,” it might also have some type of arginine. Inositol-stabilized arginine is a form that supports nitric oxide production and blood flow (aka “the pump”). Enhanced blood flow can potentially delay fatigue during exercise and aid in better muscle recovery.
How to include arginine in a homemade pre-workout: Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of arginine. Meat, poultry, dairy, and some legumes also contain it, but they won’t match the concentrated effect of supplemental forms, so you are unlikely to “feel” much of an effect.
Agmatine
Agmatine (as agmatine sulfate) is another common pump ingredient in pre-workout supplements. It helps in nitric oxide synthesis and may play a role in regulating cellular energy, with possible effects on pumps and even mental clarity.
How to include agmatine in a homemade pre-workout: The human body can produce agmatine. Fermented foods are a great source. But if you want the same effect as pre-workout products, you’ll need to buy agmatine sulfate as a stand-alone supplement. Amatine sulfate is the stable salt form used in supplements and is not something you’ll get from food.
Citrulline
Citrulline is one of the most popular pump ingredients in pre-workout supplements. It converts to arginine in the body and boosts nitric oxide, which improves blood flow, resulting in more endurance and reduced muscle soreness.
How to include citrulline in a homemade pre-workout: Watermelon is a natural source of citrulline. Cucumbers and other melons contain some as well, but not in amounts close to the 6–8 grams typically used in pre-workout supplements.
Taurine
This amino acid supports hydration and cellular function, and may also increase oxygen uptake by the body. Taurine is often added to pre-workouts for endurance and recovery benefits.
How to include taurine in a homemade pre-workout: Most animal products contain taurine, especially shellfish, dark turkey meat, and chicken. But to match the amounts found in supplements, a taurine powder is a better option.
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids)
EAAs supply all the amino acids your body can’t make on its own. They support muscle protein synthesis and help reduce breakdown during training. Unlike BCAAs, EAAs are complete, meaning they can stimulate muscle building.
How to include EAAs in a homemade pre-workout: EAA supplements are easy to purchase and mix into your homemade pre-workout. Or you can just eat any complete protein source, like meat, eggs, or dairy. A protein shake made from whey can also cover this. Supplemental EAA powders just deliver those amino acids directly, without the extra calories that come with food.
Fast-acting carbs
Carbs are the body’s primary energy source. If you’re strength training or doing exercise that depletes glycogen quickly, fast-acting carbs before or during training can keep energy levels up and delay fatigue.
How to include fast-acting carbs in a homemade pre-workout: Fruit, honey, or white bread are all good options and easy to digest. What sets supplement carbs apart is that many formulas use specific glucose-to-fructose ratios designed to maximize absorption and reduce stomach upset during long sessions.
Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid that helps with focus, mental clarity, and stress response by supporting neurotransmitter production. It’s often included in pre-workouts for a mental edge.
How to include tyrosine in a homemade pre-workout: Tyrosine is found in protein-rich foods like chicken, turkey, and dairy, but supplemental L-tyrosine in higher doses is usually needed for noticeable effects.
B-Vitamins
B-vitamins, especially B12, play an important role in energy metabolism and red blood cell production. Many pre-workout formulas include them to support overall energy and performance.
How to include it at home: B-vitamins are easy to get from food like meat, eggs, leafy greens, and fortified grains. A multivitamin or B-complex can also cover your bases if you want to add them to your pre-workout stack.
Electrolytes (chloride, sodium, potassium)
Electrolytes are essential for hydration, nerve signaling, and muscle contraction. When you’re training hard, especially in the heat or for long durations, plain water isn’t always enough to replace what you lose through sweat. Without electrolytes, your body can struggle to stay hydrated, and your performance can drop.
How to include electrolytes in a homemade pre-workout: Electrolytes naturally come from foods like bananas (potassium), leafy greens (magnesium, potassium), avocados (potassium), table salt or sea salt (sodium and chloride), and dairy (calcium, potassium). Drinks like coconut water are also rich in electrolytes. Another simple homemade option is mixing water with a pinch of mineral salt and lemon. Supplement hydration blends just take it a step further by balancing these minerals in specific ratios to maximize hydration and absorption.
Adaptogens/Nootropics
Some pre-workouts now include ingredients like KSM-66 ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Lion’s Mane, or Alpha-GPC to support focus, stress tolerance, and mental clarity.
How to include adaptogens/nootropics in a homemade pre-workout: These aren’t available from typical foods. If you want them in a homemade pre-workout, you’ll need to add them as stand-alone supplements sourced from plants, roots, or concentrated extracts.
How to Make a Homemade Pre-Workout
First, decide if you want your homemade pre-workout to be all supplements, only food, or a combination of both. Then you need to make a shopping list.
Some of the most common pre-workout ingredients above, like creatine and beta-alanine, are easy to get as stand-alone powders. Caffeine, EAAs, B-vitamins, and electrolytes are also simple to find and can even be mimicked with whole food choices. However, other common ingredients mentioned, such as adaptogens or concentrated nitric oxide boosters, are pretty much impossible to replicate with food alone. That’s where supplements have an edge.
Next, building a homemade pre-workout is similar to picking one that’s pre-formulated. You need to know your goals, what ingredients actually support them, what time of day you’ll be training, and any sensitivities you have.
From there, you can start stacking ingredients in a way that makes sense. For example, if energy and focus are your priority, caffeine plus tyrosine is a smart pairing. If you’re chasing strength and power, creatine and betaine make a strong base. For endurance, think beta-alanine, taurine, EAAs, carbs, and electrolytes. For pump and blood flow, citrulline or beet juice is a good start. This framework shows how the ingredients above actually fit together in practice.
We suggest keeping it simple: match ingredients to your goals, only pick one ingredient per goal, and stick toward the low end for dosing until you know your tolerance. If you train later in the day or are sensitive to stimulants, don’t add caffeine. Instead, look to fast-acting carbs or B-vitamins for energy, and tyrosine for focus.
Still not sure where to start? Here are a few examples. Again, you’ll want to use the common ingredient list above to match your goals. Think of these as inspiration. The best stack for you depends on your training style, your goals, and how your body responds.
Supplement-Only Homemade Pre-Workout Recipe
If you are looking to stick to ingredients found in pre-workout supplements, here’s an example of a supplement-only formula that mirrors what you’d get in a standard multi-goal pre-workout.
Some of these ingredients are sold as powders you can mix into water or a shake. Others might only be available in capsule or pill form, so you’ll need to take them with your shake.
Ingredients:
- 100+ mg caffeine (energy and focus)
- 5 g creatine monohydrate (strength and power)
- 2 g tyrosine (mental clarity and focus)
- 1 g taurine (endurance and hydration support)
- 4 g citrulline (blood flow and pump)
- 2 g beta-alanine (muscular endurance)
- Scoop of whey isolate or 6–10 g EAAs (muscle support and recovery)
- 200–300 mg sodium, pink Himalayan salt (hydration and muscle contraction)
Timing: Take caffeine about an hour before training, and everything else 30–45 minutes before you lift.
Whole Food-Only Homemade Pre-Workout Recipe
If you’d rather skip supplements altogether and stick with whole foods, your best option is a meal or shake that covers three basics: protein for muscle support, fast carbs for quick energy, and hydration for performance and recovery.
Pre-Workout Meal Example
- Lean protein (muscle support and recovery): chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or eggs
- Fast carbs (quick energy): banana, white rice, white bread with honey, or rice cakes with honey
- Hydration (fluid balance and muscle contraction): water plus a pinch of mineral salt
From there, you can add in foods for specific effects. Examples include:
- Beets or watermelon (blood flow and pump)
- Nuts or seeds (provide arginine, magnesium, and healthy fats that support circulation, muscle function, and recovery)
- Leafy greens or fortified grains (B-vitamins for energy metabolism)
- Coffee, tea, or an energy drink (stimulant effect to boost alertness and reduce perceived effort)
Timing: Whole food needs a little time to digest. We suggest eating about 60–90 minutes before training.
Pre-Workout Smoothie Example
If you don’t want to sit down for a meal and prefer the convenience of drinking something on your way to the gym, a shake or smoothie can hit the same mark. The options for a well‑rounded shake or smoothie are endless, but here is a simple idea:
- 12–16 oz coconut water (hydration and electrolytes)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt or liquid egg whites (protein for muscle support)
- 1 frozen banana + 1 tbsp honey (fast carbs for quick energy)
- Pinch of mineral salt (sodium for hydration and muscle function)
From there, throw in some optional add‑ins based on your goals. Examples include:
- Frozen watermelon or beets (blood flow and pump via natural citrulline or nitrates)
- Berries (antioxidants for recovery support)
- Nuts or seeds (arginine and magnesium for circulation and muscle function; keep the portion small so fat does not slow digestion)
- Spinach (nitrates for blood flow, plus betaine and B‑vitamins for energy metabolism)
- Coffee or an espresso shot (extra caffeine for focus and energy)
Timing: Drink the shake 30 to 45 minutes before training. If you add more whole foods or fat, give yourself a little more time to digest.
Supplement + Whole Food Homemade Pre-Workout Recipe
If you’re making your own pre-workout, using both stand-alone supplements and whole foods is often the most effective approach. You get the targeted effect of supplements that food alone can’t easily provide, while still covering your nutritional bases with real food.
Ingredients:
- Whey isolate protein or EAAs (muscle support and reduced breakdown)
- 5 g creatine monohydrate (strength, power, and muscle saturation)
- 6 g citrulline malate (blood flow and pump through nitric oxide production)
- 2 g tyrosine (mental focus and stress resilience)
- 1 g taurine (endurance, hydration, and cellular function)
- 2 g beta-alanine (muscular endurance and delayed fatigue)
- Pinch of mineral salt (hydration and electrolyte balance)
Mix all of the above into a shake. Unless the supplement doesn’t come in powder form. For those, you’ll just need to take them separately. Then pair it with:
- Rice cakes, white bread, or white rice topped with fruit and honey (fast carbs for quick energy)
- Optional coffee, tea, or a caffeine pill (stimulant energy and alertness)
- Optional adaptogen like KSM-66 Ashwagandha or a mushroom complex (stress resilience, focus, recovery support)
Timing: Take caffeine about an hour before training, and everything else 30–45 minutes before you lift. If you include heavier carbs, allow a little more time for digestion.
How to Take Homemade Pre-Workout
If your homemade pre-workout is supplement-based, take it the same way you would a store-bought formula: about 30-45 minutes before training. For some, the effects kick in sooner, for others, it takes a little longer.
If your homemade pre-workout is primarily whole-food based, you’ll want to give yourself a little more time for digestion. Everyone’s different, but most people do best with a meal about 60–90 minutes before training, or a shake with only faster-digesting carbs about 30–60 minutes out.
Additionally, don’t forget that if you include caffeine in your homemade pre-workout, timing matters for your sleep. Try to avoid taking it within six hours of bedtime, since caffeine can linger in your system and make it harder to fall asleep.
Is It Safe to Make Pre-Workout at Home?
First and most important, if you have medical conditions, take prescription medications, or are pregnant, talk with your doctor before adding any supplement. From there, the safety of a homemade pre-workout comes down to how you build it, dose it, food quality, and if you are using supplements, the brand you choose.
When it comes to food, whole foods are obviously the most natural choice. However, even food comes with safety concerns. You still have to make smart choices.
As for supplements, if you are buying individual ingredients to make your formula, quality and manufacturing processes still need to be considered. All dietary supplements, regardless of whether they are pre-workout blends or single ingredients, are not regulated by the FDA. This means you’ll need to do your research to ensure the supplements you purchase come from a reputable brand that prioritizes purity, follows good manufacturing practices, and uses third-party testing.
The next important consideration in whether your homemade pre-workout is safe is dosing. Always stay within research-backed ranges and never exceed recommended amounts. Caffeine deserves extra caution. Keeping your total daily caffeine intake under 400 milligrams is generally advised.
You’ll also want to watch for overlapping effects. For example, combining multiple stimulant sources can quickly push you past safe levels. The same goes for ingredients that act on the same pathways. Doubling up doesn’t always mean double the benefit, but it can raise the risk of side effects.
Bottom Line: Homemade pre-workout can be safe if you stick to whole foods, check with your doctor if you have a health condition or take medicines that could interact, purchase from trusted supplement brands, and use safe dosages and ingredient combinations.
However, if you aren’t confident in how to dose or combine ingredients safely, it may be smarter to stick with a well-formulated product from a transparent and trusted brand. Reputable companies work with formulators and chemists who understand dosing, ingredient interactions, and safety. If safety is your primary concern, look for brands that third-party test their products and follow good manufacturing practices so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Final Thoughts: To DIY or Not DIY Pre-Workout
Pre-workout can be one of the most effective supplements if you want to get the most out of your training sessions and potentially see better results faster. If you’re trying to cut costs or minimize how much you spend on supplements, making your own at home can be more budget-friendly. It also gives you complete control over which ingredients you use.
With the right combination, you can build a formula that matches your exact goals and preferences. Just remember, for a homemade pre-workout to actually work, you need to know your goals and then match them with the whole foods or supplement ingredients that directly support those outcomes. With supplements, you’ll also need to be cautious about amounts and combinations so you stay within safe and effective ranges.
If you’d rather not overthink it, you’ve got options:
- RAW Athletic Smoothie Bar: Stop by the smoothie bar before your workout. Just tell us your goals and we’ll mix up the perfect pre-workout smoothie you can sip during your warm-up.
- Personal Trainer Guidance: If you work with one of our personal trainers, they can offer suggestions for safe, goal-based pre-workout recipes you can make at home.
- Pre-Workout Supplement: If you’d rather skip the DIY entirely, check out Raw Nutrition. It’s the brand we trust and use in-house. They have numerous pre-workouts, intra-workouts, and hydration products tailored to different training goals.
If you want to learn more about workout supplements or pre- and post-workout nutrition in general, check out these resources:
Your Guide to Workout Supplements: Protein, Creatine, Pre-Workout & More
The Role of Protein: Myths and Facts About Dietary Protein
Best Practices for Staying Hydrated During Workouts
The Post-Workout Recovery Routine You Need
Nutrition for Muscle Gain: What to Eat Before and After Workouts
New Smoothie Recipes to Boost Your Performance and Recovery
Does Creatine Make a Difference?
Best Pre-workout Supplements For Your Goals
