Pre-workout supplements can be helpful tools for training, given their potential to delay muscle fatigue, prolong endurance, and improve focus. Bucked Up Pre-Workout is marketed as a great introduction to the supplement category, thanks to a robust flavor roster and beginner-friendly levels of caffeine and beta-alanine. However, more seasoned athletes may find the lack of research-backed dosages questionable, and caffeine-tolerant individuals may prefer a powder with some added spark.
Understanding the Bucked Up Pre-Workout Formula
Bucked Up Pre-Workout's formulation is designed to help boost energy levels and improve athletic performance. The makeup contains common compounds such as citrulline malate (6,000 milligrams), beta-alanine (2,000 milligrams), and alpha-GPC (100 milligrams), among others. What establishes this formulation as one of the best pre-workouts for beginners, though, is the approachable 200-milligram serving of caffeine anhydrous.
As a stimulant, caffeine can help increase alertness, reduce fatigue, improve mood, and boost focus and concentration. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends keeping daily caffeine consumption at or below 400 milligrams, meaning you can take this pre-workout and still be within your recommended upper limit (with room for a morning coffee).
While the caffeine count is appreciated, some compounds are relatively underdosed when compared to clinical studies. Current research suggests optimal beta-alanine dosages hover closer to four or six grams, while the performance benefits of citrulline malate are better seen in eight-gram servings. That said, though, a lower beta-alanine dosage can be beneficial for athletes looking to avoid paresthesia - the "skin-tingling" sensation brought on by beta-alanine consumption.
Another noteworthy ingredient in this makeup is the 50-milligram serving of deer antler velvet extract. As one of the calling cards of the Bucked Up brand, this compound can potentially help prevent muscle atrophy during training and may promote muscle differentiation, according to studies.
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Key Ingredients and Their Roles
Caffeine Anhydrous
Bucked Up Pre-Workout contains 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving - roughly half of the FDA’s recommended daily intake of 400 milligrams. Caffeine can lead to improved performance and energy when taken before a workout, but it’s important to choose a supplement with adequate dosages in relation to your normal intake and personal sensitivities to avoid any unwanted jitters or overstimulation.
Citrulline Malate
Citrulline is the champion of boosting blood flow, the essential amino acid Citrulline is the precursor to Arginine. And, as you know, improved blood flow is critical for achieving the glorious pump.
Beta-Alanine
You know this amino acid. It’s the amino acid responsible for the tingles, or to use more technical jargon, paresthesia. Paresthesia is a reaction that can occur from several different things, beta-alanine being one of them. No, it’s not remotely harmful to experience the tingles. Think of it as your call to arms. The clinically studied dose for attaining beta-alanine’s whole host of benefits is 6g. Obviously you won’t find 6g worth of beta-alanine in any pre-workout. The reason should go without saying, but…ever see one of those movies where Hollywood (inaccurately, not that I’d know) depicts a person having a bad “trip” on mushrooms or LSD? The actor melodramatically conveys how they feel like a legion of bugs are under their skin (I say inaccurate because that’s some PCP bath salt stuff, which no one in their right mind would ingest, unless of course they felt like zombie-mode eating someone’s face). The intensity of paresthesia experienced from 6g of beta-alanine in one sitting is, for most people, like that. In order to experience the benefits of beta-alanine to their fullest without coming in contact with perceived insanity, you must split the doses.
Alpha-GPC
Alpha-GPC for cognitive function, and caffeine for energy.
Deer Antler Velvet Extract
As one of the calling cards of the Bucked Up brand, this compound can potentially help prevent muscle atrophy during training and may promote muscle differentiation, according to studies.
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Taste and Sweeteners
Flavor-wise Bucked Up Pre-Workout is available in 16 different taste ranging from your classic Grape and Watermelon profiles to branded blends like BKFC Punch and Rocket Pop. We appreciate the robust flavor roster as it can bring more options to the table for a range of different athletes and can prevent flavor fatigue over extended use. However, Bucked Up Pre-Workout is sweetened with sucralose, which may be a red flag for those steering clear of artificial sweeteners.
Cost and Availability
You can purchase Bucked Up Pre-Workout in 30-serving containers at roughly $1.67 per single-scoop serving. Bucked Up Pre-Workout can be purchased online directly from the brand’s retail site. While the brand’s lineup of pre-workouts is well-recognized within the supplement community, Bucked Up also produces some of the best creatine supplements, protein powders, BCAAs, and multivitamins on the market.
Third-Party Testing
While we appreciate that Bucked Up Pre-Workout is manufactured in a GMP-compliant facility, the brand does not expose this supplement to third-party testing. This extra level of quality control can ensure athletes that the product is labeled accurately and there are no banned substances within the formulation - an absolute must for competitive strength athletes needing to abide by their sport’s respective governing agency.
Bucked Up Pre-Workout Vs. Other Options
As you can imagine, Bucked Up Pre-Workout is not the only pre-workout supplement on the market. There are countless options to choose from, which can make deciding on a particular powder a bit of a challenge, especially for novices.
Woke AF Pre-Workout
As the high-stim version of Bucked Up’s original formula, Woke AF Pre-Workout contains a higher caffeine count of 333 milligrams in addition to more beta-alanine per serving (3,200 milligrams). This makeup can be a viable option for athletes with a higher caffeine tolerance as well as those that don’t mind the skin-tingling sensation of beta-alanine.
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Transparent Labs BULK
Transparent Labs BULK is one of our favorite pre-workout supplements thanks to its third-party tested formulation and approachable $1.67 cost per serving. Like Bucked Up Pre-Workout, you also get 200 milligrams of caffeine per scoop, which can be a great introductory dosage for those just getting into pre-workouts.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Pre-Workout
Whether searching for one of the best pre-workouts for muscle gain or just a tasty, effective powder for some extra energy, there are some factors worth thinking through along your purchasing journey.
Ingredients and Formulation
Your pre-workout’s formulation should be performance driven with a nutrient profile consistent with your wants and needs. Be sure to look through the supplement facts and ensure that the dosages of each pre-workout ingredient are in accordance with research-backed serving sizes. It can also be wise to avoid supplements containing proprietary blends or artificial additives.
Caffeine Per Serving
One of the first things I look for in a high-quality pre-workout is its caffeine content. Caffeine can lead to improved performance and energy when taken before a workout, but it’s important to choose a supplement with adequate dosages in relation to your normal intake and personal sensitivities to avoid any unwanted jitters or overstimulation. The FDA recommends up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, but be sure to consider your personal experience with high-stim beverages and shop accordingly.
Available Flavors
Similar to the best BCAA supplements, protein powders, and more, you’ll want to select a pre-workout featuring an enjoyable flavor profile. We also recommend seeking out a pre-workout with multiple tastes that appeal to your palate.
Price Per Serving
OK, so everyone’s budget is different, but you can generally find some high-quality pre-workouts between $1 and $2 per serving depending on their formulation and any available third-party testing.
Potential Side Effects
Like many similar products, the pre-workout side effects here will come from the caffeine and beta-alanine. Caffeine may cause jitters, headaches, and insomnia, while beta-alanine may cause skin tingles - a sensation known as paresthesia.
Stacking with Bucked Up RAW
If you want to learn how to put together your own supplement stack, then this article is for you. Do you fancy yourself an alchemist? Transmute these essential ingredients into a supplement stack catering to your desires. You can concoct an epic, totally clean pre-workout using ingredients you (and we) trust, or a post-workout recovery drink, or even a daily function overall well-being stack. With essential ingredients, the possibilities are nearly endless. The reason is because these are all powerful single-ingredient supplements, allowing you to choose which benefits you want for your goals.
Creatine
Creatine is actually something that we all have in our bodies. Due to its massive role in ATP function, this stunning compound is majorly beneficial for mitochondrial function (mitochondria are considered the powerhouse of the cell).
Collagen
Once marketed as something to improve hair, skin, and nails, Collagen is getting some well-deserved notoriety in the health industry, and for good reason. Helps promote quality sleep: when in a high Glutamate state,* our bodies pull energy from tomorrow, eventually creating an energy debt that piles up until, next thing you know, you have an energy debt as vast as the National Debt (as of this writing, $22.023 trillion).
Exogenous Ketones (EK)
This ingredient can prove a powerful addition to your arsenal, even if you’re not adhering to a ketogenic diet. Exogenous Ketones (EK) are somewhat like cheat codes, as they can deliver some of the same benefits of a ketogenic diet. This is, of course, within reason; nothing can offset a nightly “serving” of Little Caesars pizza.
Aspartic Acid
Aspartic Acid is not a pre-workout or Arginine. It truly shines in its ability to elevate testosterone levels,* though. It can help raise testosterone levels by up to 42%.* READ THAT AGAIN. A potential 42% increase in testosterone…* that’s insane!
Phosphatidic Acid
By now, most everyone knows about Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) and Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPB). The interplay between the two is the determining factor in muscle gain (or loss); in order to build muscle the rate of MPB must be greater than the rate of MPB.
Fish Oil
You should already know how beneficial fish oil is.
MCT Oil
Made by extracting medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) either from coconut or palm oil, MCT oil is one of the quickest sources of clean energy.
CLA
Commonly referred to as Conjugated Linoleic Acid, CLA is sneakily one of the best fat loss supplements around. Inhibits the genes responsible for fat storage and fat cell production. Studies have shown it increases satiety.* In other words, CLA can help you avoid binge eating junk food.
Leucine
Leucine is an essential amino acid; an essential amino acid is one that cannot be produced by the body and must be ingested by food or supplementation. It belongs to the famous workout-musical group, Branched Chain Amino Acids.
Glutamine
Excluding whey protein, Glutamine was the first supplement to catch my eye for muscle recovery.