Applied Nutrition Brings Sour Patch Kids Back to GNC in ABE Energy and Pre-Workout

Sour Patch Kids is back in the supplement aisle, and Applied Nutrition holds the license now. ABE Pre-Workout, ABE Performance Energy Drink, and Creatine + Peptides all get SPK Blue Raspberry, Redberry, and Watermelon.

Applied Nutrition's USA-based ABE lineup is bringing one of the category's most requested flavor collaborations back to shelves. Sour Patch Kids is returning across ABE Performance Energy Drink and ABE Pre-Workout, with Creatine + Peptides joining the collection too. The whole lineup lands at GNC, available September 1.

Sour Patch Kids Returns to Supplements Thanks to AN Labz

The Sour Patch Kids license spent nearly eight years with GHOST, one of the more recognizable and groundbreaking ingredient partnerships in the energy drink space. That partnership wound down after GHOST's acquisition by Keurig Dr Pepper, and Applied Nutrition's AN Labz wisely picked up the license for ABE, and they're not dancing around the comparison. The brand has been upfront that they weren't first, and its read on the situation is simple: people missed these flavors, and there's no reason to pretend otherwise now that they're back.

With that said, what AN Labz is doing with them is excellent for sports nutrition aficionados: ABE Energy is more like a pre-workout in a can, ABE Pre-Workout is a rock solid formula, and Creatine + Peptides is simple yet powerful.

SPK Comes to GNC by way of ABE

GNC is also a fitting home for the relaunch. GNC's customers have surely been missing their Sour Patch Kids and have been asking for a comeback, and the retailer has leaned into new energy and pre-workout drops all year. This collection gives GNC a colorful new reason to feature the ABE lineup up front. Expect these tubs and cans to stand out once they hit the shelf.

One more thing before the flavors: both ABE Pre-Workout and ABE Performance Energy Drink have gone through some formula tweaks since the original 2023 lineup. This is a sports oriented energy drink, as you'll see!

What's Arriving

Here's the lineup at a glance before we get into it:

• ABE Pre-Workout carries the full flagship formula and gets the deepest breakdown below,
• ABE Performance Energy Drink shares much of that same core lineup at can-friendly doses, and
• Creatine + Peptides brings a simple, two-ingredient recovery angle to the collection.

There's also much more to come, such as a new Hydration Drink, new protein and collagen SKUs, muscle builders, and far more, including the growth of the ICEE collab. These guys have been busy!

We'll start with Pre-Workout, since it's carrying the fullest formula of the three.

ABE Pre-Workout: Sour Patch Kids Flavors

ABE Pre-Workout is the flagship product that introduced Americans to the brand in the first place, and it's getting the three-flavor treatment: Sour Patch Kids Blue Raspberry, Sour Patch Kids Redberry, and Watermelon, available in 20-serving (260g) and 30-serving (390g) tubs.

It's positioned as ABE's full-strength option, the one built for lifters who want a complete stack rather than a light sip-and-go can.

Each 13g scoop provides the following:

• Citrulline Malate 2:1 – 6000mg

  Citrulline malate splits into roughly 4 grams of L-citrulline and 2 grams of malic acid. Unlike arginine, which the liver and gut break down before much of it reaches circulation, L-citrulline skips that first pass and converts to arginine mainly in the kidneys, raising blood arginine more effectively than taking arginine directly.^[1] That larger arginine pool feeds nitric oxide synthase, supporting the vasodilation behind a pre-workout pump.

  A crossover trial using a matched 6 gram dose found citrulline, unlike arginine, lowered blood pressure and increased time to exhaustion during high-intensity cycling.^[2] At 6 grams total, this sits well within the studied acute doses.

• Beta-Alanine – 3200mg

  Beta-alanine is the rate-limiting building block for carnosine, a dipeptide that buffers hydrogen ions inside muscle during hard, glycolytic efforts. As lactic acid accumulates during high-intensity training, muscle pH drops and contractile function suffers, and carnosine helps blunt that drop.^[3] A meta-analysis of 40 studies found a small but reliable benefit that peaked for efforts lasting 30 seconds to 10 minutes, the range covering most sets in a hard session.^[4]

  At 3200mg, this lands within the standard range used across a lot of supporting research. The one well-documented side effect is a harmless tingling at higher doses.

• Sodium Bicarbonate – 400mg

  Sodium Bicarbonate primarily contributes a modest amount of sodium while also supplying bicarbonate, one of the body's major extracellular buffering compounds that synergizes well with beta-alanine. At 400mg total, it's unlikely to provide the performance-enhancing buffering effects seen in clinical research, which typically uses doses measured in grams, but it's still beneficial to see.

  Sodium supports fluid balance, nerve signaling, and muscle contraction, which are all important during exercise and sweating. Meanwhile, bicarbonate helps maintain acid-base balance by buffering hydrogen ions produced during metabolism, a mechanism that becomes particularly important during high-intensity exercise. Pre-workouts often have plenty of acids (especially when you have malic acid from sour flavors and citrulline malate), so the added base to the mix is a welcome addition.

• Caffeine Anhydrous – 350mg

  

  Caffeine works primarily by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, the receptors that normally signal fatigue as the day goes on, which is why blocking them keeps you feeling more alert and energized.^[5] It's one of the most well-evidenced ergogenic aids in sports nutrition, with the strongest effects showing up in endurance exercise lasting more than about five minutes, plus smaller but real benefits for strength and power output.^[5] Research generally supports doses of 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, which puts 350mg in a reasonable range for most adults.

  It's a much stronger dose than the 200mg found in ABE's canned energy drink, FYI.

• VitaCholine (Choline Bitartrate) – 250mg

  VitaCholine (choline bitartrate) is dosed at 250mg here, contributing 83mg of elemental choline (15% DV). Choline is the direct building block for acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that governs communication at both the neuromuscular junction and in brain circuits tied to attention and motor control.^[6] A placebo-controlled study using a much larger 2 gram dose found improved visuomotor accuracy alongside pupil constriction, a marker of central cholinergic activity, about 70 minutes after ingestion.^[7]

• L-Tyrosine – 200mg

  L-tyrosine is the direct precursor to the catecholamines dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, and the enzyme that converts it isn't fully saturated under normal conditions.^[8] That means under real physical or cognitive stress, catecholamine synthesis can become limited by how much tyrosine is available, and topping it up can help sustain output.

  A review of the evidence found tyrosine's cognitive benefits show up specifically under stress or heavy demand rather than at rest, which lines up with why it shows up in pre-workout formulas rather than everyday nootropics.^[9] Note, however, that most of the supporting research uses considerably larger, body-weight-scaled doses than the 200mg here.

• L-Theanine – 200mg

  L-Theanine is an amino acid from tea leaves best known for taking the edge off caffeine without adding sedation. On its own it has a mixed track record for cognitive effects, but paired with caffeine, the combination consistently outperforms either ingredient alone. A crossover trial testing theanine, caffeine, and the combination found the pairing uniquely improved reaction time, sustained attention, and reported alertness, with less of the jitteriness that caffeine can bring on its own.^[10]

  

  At 200mg alongside 350mg of caffeine, this formula sits close to the ratios used in a lot of research.

• Taurine – 200mg

  Taurine is an amino acid concentrated in muscle, brain, and heart tissue, where it helps regulate cell hydration and calcium handling inside contracting muscle fibers.^[11] A meta-analysis on taurine and endurance performance found benefits from doses in the 1 to 6 gram range, whether taken chronically or as a single dose before training.^[12]

  The 200mg here is well under that studied range, so it's more of a supporting mitochondrial ingredient in this formula than a dose calibrated to match the endurance literature directly.

• Senactiv® – 50mg

  NuLiv Science's Senactiv combines Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii extracts, standardized around the ginsenoside Rg1. Research on this ingredient centers on senescent cell clearance in exercised muscle, essentially helping the body clear out worn-down cells faster during recovery. In a randomized crossover trial using this same 50mg blend, time to exhaustion at 80% VO2 max increased by about 20%, citrate synthase activity (a marker of mitochondrial function) rose 47% within 3 hours post-exercise, and glycogen replenishment was nearly 3 times faster than placebo.^[13]

  This is an ingredient we find highly underrated, and are always excited to see in sports nutrition supplements. It's often paired with the next one, too:

• AstraGin® – 50mg

  AstraGin is an absorption-support blend of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng, also from NuLiv Science, but it isn't meant to deliver its own primary effect so much as help the other ingredients in the formula get absorbed more completely.

  In a crossover trial pairing this same ingredient with a 5 gram arginine dose, arginine absorption (AUC) rose 17.3%, and the arginine-to-ADMA ratio, a marker tied to nitric oxide availability, rose 167%.^[14] The tie-in for this formula is with citrulline malate, thanks to its own arginine → nitric oxide pathway.

• Huperzine A – 90mcg

  

  Huperzine A is a plant alkaloid that inhibits acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, which raises acetylcholine availability in the brain.^[15] Acetylcholine plays a central role in learning, memory, and focus, which is why Huperzine A shows up as a small nootropic accent in pre-workout and focus-oriented formulas, typically alongside other cognitive-support ingredients like tyrosine and choline.

  This is great stacking with the VitaCholine dose.

• Niacin – 40mg

  Niacin (vitamin B3) converts into NAD+, a coenzyme central to energy metabolism across nearly every cell in the body.^[16] At 40mg (250% DV), this is a standard B-vitamin support dose, well below the gram-level amounts used in niacin's lipid-management research, so it's here for general energy metabolism support rather than any of niacin's higher-dose cardiovascular applications.

  Note, however, that this is the real deal niacin -- nicotinic acid. It may add to the flush you feel from beta alanine, but it's quite honestly vastly superior to the "flush-free" niacinamide you see in most other supplements, which rely more on a recycling pathway that don't do nearly as good of a job.

• Vitamin B12 – 100mcg

  Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin) is essential for red blood cell formation and energy metabolism, working alongside folate in reactions tied to DNA synthesis and nerve function.^[17] At 100mcg (4167% DV), it's a solid yet well-tolerated dose, since B12 has no established upper intake limit and is water-soluble.

You can see all flavors available in various stores below, but Sour Patch Kids are the ones we're excited for:

Now what if you want your SPK back in beverage form? AN's got you covered:

ABE Performance Energy Drink: Sour Patch Kids Flavors

ABE Performance Energy Drink is shaping up as the hero of this collaboration, arriving in SPK Blue Raspberry, SPK Redberry, and SPK Watermelon, all in 12 fl oz cans with zero sugar and zero calories. Watermelon is a genuine first for this flavor license in the energy drink space, since it wasn't part of the earlier Sour Patch Kids run.

Most of this can's formula overlaps with ABE Pre-Workout above, just at lighter, can-friendly doses:

• Citrulline malate comes in at 2000mg here versus 6000mg in the powder,
• Beta-alanine at 2000mg versus 3200mg, and
• VitaCholine at 200mg versus 250mg.
• Taurine (200mg) and L-theanine (200mg) land at the same dose in both products.
• Caffeine is considerably lighter at 200mg against the powder's 350mg
• Finally, niacin (32mg) and vitamin B12 (10mcg) both come in lower than the pre-workout's vitamin doses as well.

This means it's meant for a slightly less aggressive pick-me-up, but still strong enough to get used as a pre-workout... or pre-anything, really. We covered the science behind all of those actives above under ABE Pre-Workout, so we won't repeat those here.

What's new to this can is betaine anhydrous:

• Betaine Anhydrous – 1000mg

  Betaine (trimethylglycine) does two things worth knowing: it acts as a cellular osmolyte that helps cells hold onto water under stress, and it donates a methyl group that supports the same pathway creatine synthesis runs through.^[18] A 2024 meta-analysis of 17 studies found a real (yet modest) benefit for maximal strength, driven mostly by lower-body movements, though typical protocols use 2.5 grams a day for at least a week rather than a single dose.^[19] At 1000mg in a single can, taken once rather than daily, this falls short of that research protocol, but there is research showing it reduces homocysteine levels. Good for hydration, good for the heart, good for performance. And not a bad-tasting ingredient either!

See all ABE Energy flavors below, but

Creatine + Peptides: Sour Patch Kids Flavors

Creatine + Peptides is a slightly newer member of the ABE lineup, and it's a product with a bit of PricePlow history behind it. The idea for pairing a straightforward creatine dose with a plant-based recovery peptide came from our own founder Mike Roberto during strategy conversations between our own teams back in 2024, and it's turned into one of the most popular SKUs in the AN Labz portfolio.

It's now getting its own Sour Patch Kids treatment in SPK Blue Raspberry and SPK Redberry, at 390g and 30 servings per tub. Each scoop provides the following:

• Creatine Monohydrate – 5g

  Creatine monohydrate is the most heavily studied ingredient in sports nutrition, with decades of research behind its safety and effectiveness across every stage of life.^[20] It works by topping off the muscle's phosphocreatine stores, which the body draws on to regenerate ATP during short, intense efforts, and no other form of creatine has been shown to outperform monohydrate despite plenty of marketed alternatives trying.^[21] At 5g, this lines up with the standard daily amount used across the vast majority of creatine research.

• PeptiStrong – 2.4g

  PeptiStrong is a fava bean (Vicia faba) peptide from NuLiv Science, identified through machine-learning screening for its effects on muscle protein pathways. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using this exact 2.4 gram dose, healthy men who took PeptiStrong showed significantly improved strength recovery over the 72 hours following a muscle-damaging resistance workout, along with reduced muscle fatigue, compared to placebo.^[22] That's a rare case of a label dose matching a study dose exactly, which makes this pairing with creatine a fairly logical one: one ingredient for the work itself, one aimed at the recovery afterward. This is the first time we've covered PeptiStrong on PricePlow, so consider this section the reference for now, with a fuller dedicated breakdown likely once Creatine + Peptides gets its own catalog listing.

You can learn more about both ingredients in our article, "AN Performance Creatine + Peptide: Leveling Up Muscle Growth and Recovery".

Also Worth Knowing

ABE Performance Energy Drink has been growing another collaboration alongside all this. They teamed up with ICEE in Cola, Cherry, and Blue Raspberry, a different license from Sour Patch Kids entirely. The ICEE Cola is the latest version of that collab - we're not sure if they'll be at GNC (they should be if they're not), but they're available online.

The Full Sour Patch Kids Lineup

Here's every product in the collection at a glance:

The Sour Patch Kids collection will also extends to AN's Hydration+ electrolyte stick packs, in Blue Raspberry and Redberry, for the days that call for hydration instead of a pre-workout or energy drink kick. Full ingredient details for that one are still pending, so look for a closer look once the label is available.

Conclusion: Sour Patch Kids Is Back Where It Belongs

Between ABE Performance Energy Drink, ABE Pre-Workout, and Creatine + Peptides, Applied Nutrition is giving the Sour Patch Kids license a proper return to the supplement aisle, and GNC is the right place for it to land. The retailer is making a ready home for ABE, and its shoppers are about to get a shelf full of Blue Raspberry, Redberry, and Watermelon to pick through.

Everything in this collection is available September 1 at GNC. Sign up for our Applied Nutrition USA alerts below to catch the exact drop, and check PricePlow for pricing once it's live.