Myprotein THE Pre-Workout: A Boost When You Need it Most!

The Pro range: for those who want it most.

Last time Myprotein was on the PricePlow blog, we covered their stimulant free pump and performance pre workout — THE Pump. This pre workout is designed to increase blood flow, muscular endurance, boost performance, all without the addition of caffeine. It featured key ingredients we all know and love, such as L-citrulline, beta-alanine, betaine, taurine, and AstraGin just to name a few. At the time, THE Pump was the most recent addition to Myprotein’s more advanced product line, The Pro Range.

Within the U.S, The Pro Range is quickly becoming a top-selling line for Myprotein, which is why they’re continuing to add new products and revamp old formulas to stay up to date with the latest research and industry trends. When this series was first introduced to the States, one of the flagship products was THE Pre-Workout, which featured several trademarked ingredients at clinically studied dosages for a very affordable price. However, Myprotein decided it was time to revamp the formula to make it even better.

THE Pre Workout: Reformulated For More Gains

The new version of THE Pre-Workout has not completely changed, but it has dramatically improved. For example, they swapped out the citrulline malate for pure L-citrulline, increased the dose of betaine anhydrous and beta alanine, removed the Capsimax, which is more suitable for fat burners, and kept the creatine monohydrate, TeaCrine, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, caffeine, AstraGin, and BioPerine. Overall, we’re happy with the changes they made to THE Pre-Workout and if you’re looking for even bigger pumps, then you could always stack it with THE Pump!

Fuel your workouts with THE Pre Workout from Myprotein!

It’s exciting to see that Myprotein is continuing to expand and improve their line of products as they gain more popularity in the states. So far, they’ve been absolutely crushing it with new functional foods, unique protein powders, clothing, and now they’re focusing more on sports performance with The Pro Range. If you’re looking to take your training to the next level by using high quality supplements, but don’t want to break the bank, then Myprotein is one of the top brands to use.

Not only do they have a large selection of products that suit almost everyone’s needs, Myprotein is known for having ridiculous sales and deals. Since day one their goal is to “fuel your ambition” regardless of what that may be. Using a comprehensive pre workout is definitely a great supplement to start with if you want to get more out of your workouts.

Keep reading to learn more about what THE Pre-Workout has to offer and sign up for Myprotein news and deal alerts so you stay up to date with everything they have planned for the future! If you want to try out THE Pre-Workout, use PLOW40 for 30-40% off!

THE Pre-Workout Ingredients

THE Pre-Workout has a well rounded formula — it’s created to boost energy, enhance performance, increase blood flow, and it even has a few ingredients added to improve overall absorption. At only 150mg of caffeine, THE Pre-Workout won’t leave you feeling stimmed out, however with the addition of TeaCrine, you should get a nice rise in energy that’s sustained throughout the entire workout.

Furthermore, based on the dosages of each ingredient and if you can handle between 225mg-300mg of caffeine, then adding in an extra half to full scoop may suit you well. Either way, we always recommend starting with the suggested serving size to assess your tolerance first.

Here’s what one serving (15g) of THE Pre-Workout provides:

• L-Citrulline – 4g

  

  New and improved formula!

  The first ingredient included in THE Pre-Workout is one of our favorites for boosting blood flow — L-citrulline. As we mentioned in the intro the old version contained citrulline DL-malate opposed to pure L-citrulline. This means that the dosage you see listed on the label is a mixture of citrulline and malate, thus you’re getting less L-citrulline per serving, which is what we’re mainly after with this ingredient. Switching out the citrulline malate for an even greater dose of pure L-citrulline gives you better bang for your buck.

  L-citrulline is classified as a non-essential amino acid and is naturally found in watermelon. Once ingested, L-citrulline is primarily used as a precursor to L-arginine production, studies even show that oral L-citrulline supplementation is superior to L-arginine due to better bioavailability and absorption.^[1] This is the main reason why the majority of companies have ditched the L-arginine for L-citrulline. After the L-citrulline gets converted to L-arginine, an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase acts upon it to produce nitric oxide (NO).^[1]

  NO is a gas that serves as a signal for your epithelial cells, which reside in the blood vessels, and instructs them to relax.^[1] This results in a wider blood vessel diameter and allows blood flow to move throughout the body much more efficiently. In the context of exercise and maximizing performance, blood flow is absolutely crucial. The more blood flow shuttled to the working muscles — the more nutrients and oxygen that can be delivered. Not only will you get better pumps (swelling inside the muscle), you’ll also have superior performance.^[1] We typically like to see L-citrulline dosed between 3-6g, so 4g is definitely going to provide you with all the benefits L-citrulline has to offer!

• Betaine Anhydrous – 2.5g

  To complement the 4g of L-citrulline, Myprotein added the clinically studied dose of betaine anhydrous — an ingredient that’s well known for improving power output, strength, muscular endurance, and body composition.^[2-4]

  Betaine is a naturally occurring compound found in beets, hence the name. Within the scientific literature, you’ll also see betaine referred to as trimethylglycine, which represents its chemical structure and function inside the body. Studies show that betaine carries out its performance boosting effects primarily by serving as a methyl donor.^[2] Most notably, betaine donates a methyl group to a non-proteinogenic amino acid called homocysteine.

  

  Asked and answered! When Myprotein began their collab with Mike and Ike candy, we said that they had to get it in their pre workouts. Half a year later… here we are!

  Homocysteine gets endogenously produced via the metabolism of an essential amino acid called methionine. Unfortunately, abnormally high levels of homocysteine can result in some serious health issues and in regards to performance, it blunts muscle protein synthesis and insulin signaling.^[2]

  This is where betaine comes in to save the day — it donates one of its methyl groups to homocysteine and converts it back into methionine.^[2] Not only does betaine lower homocysteine levels, it also may increase creatine production since methionine is a precursor to creatine! It’s well established that creatine has a profound effect on performance and muscle growth and that’s what we’re covering in the next section!

  One last note on betaine is that it’s also an organic osmolyte — meaning it helps balance fluid volume between the outside and inside of cells, making them more resilient to stress.^[2] Recently a few studies have found that betaine is capable of stimulating insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), enhancing lipolysis in fat cells, decreases lipogenesis (fat accumulation) and assists in the browning of white adipose tissue.^[3,4] If those benefits alone don’t sell you on betaine, we don’t know what else will!

• Creatine Monohydrate – 2g

  Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied compounds in the sports supplement industry, with the other being caffeine. The primary reason why creatine supplementation is so effective as boosting physical performance, is due to the role it plays in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production.

  The body has multiple energy systems that all contribute to supplying enough ATP to fuel exercise. The very first energy system that kicks on once you begin exercising is known as the creatine phosphate system, which is capable of regenerating ATP quickly by donating a phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate in order to convert it back into ATP. This energy system is primarily used during high intensity and short bursts of exercise, such as sprinting, explosive jumps, or even lifting maximal loads.

  Although the body can endogenously produce creatine by using glycine, arginine, and methionine, supplementing with an exogenous source will top off your creatine stores, thus giving you more available creatine to utilize in order to replenish ATP.^[5-7] Several studies have concluded that creatine supplementation is effective at enhancing lean muscle mass, lower and upper body strength, and muscular endurance.^[5-7]

  However, it’s important to note that in order to get the most out of creatine, it’s highly recommended to consume 3-5g daily.^[5-7] Thus, with THE Pre-Workout you’re already getting roughly half of the amount you need, so adding in another 2-3g post workout would be an excellent addition to your supplement stack.

• Beta Alanine – 2g

  Another well studied ingredient in sports performance is beta alanine — the ingredient that gives you a tingling/itching sensation, but dramatically boosts your muscular endurance!

  

  Myprotein’s Clear Whey Isolate is a refreshing way to recover!

  Beta alanine is a non-essential amino acid that serves as a building block for carnosine — a dipeptide molecule made from L-histidine and beta alanine.^[8] Research shows that supplementing with beta alanine results in improved performance by increasing carnosine levels within the skeletal muscle.^[8,9]

  Carnosine is most well known for its ability to buffer lactic acid, meaning that it decreases the amount of lactic acid build-up in the muscles during exercise. Lactic acid is a metabolic by-product of the glycolytic energy system, and excessive amounts of it result in a more acidic environment by lowering the pH level. Lactic acid is one of the reasons why you feel a burning sensation when approaching complete exhaustion.

  The acidic environment has a negative effect on several enzymes involved in producing ATP, thus it’s one of the factors that cause fatigue. Fortunately, if your carnosine levels are topped off by supplementing with beta alanine, then your body will be more efficient at buffering lactic acid for a longer period of time, allowing you to get out a few extra reps!^[8,9]

  Several clinical trials have found that beta alanine significantly enhances performance, with the most profound effects seen in activities lasting between 1-4 min.^[8,9] They also report that beta alanine can benefit a wide variety of exercise modalities — both anaerobic and aerobic.^[8,9] Overall, beta alanine is a great ingredient for increasing performance, but similarly to creatine — the research suggests that daily supplementation is ideal in order to reach a saturation point.^[8,9]

• N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine – 750mg

  At this point, we’ve covered ingredients that increase blood flow, power output, muscular strength, endurance, and pump, but what about focus… that’s where N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) comes into picture!

  There are two main supplemental forms of tyrosine in the sports supplement industry — L-Tyrosine and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine. Although they have a slightly different chemical structure, both are used to enhance endogenous levels of tyrosine within the brain. The research does suggest that L-Tyrosine is superior to NALT,^[10] but we know several companies that still prefer to use NALT, since it works better in water and provides a helpful acetyl group.

  Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that can be synthesized by the body using phenylalanine — an essential amino acid derived from the diet.^[11,12] Tyrosine takes on many roles, but in the context of performance, we’re mostly concerned with its ability to serve as a precursor to various neurotransmitters. In order to carry out muscle contractions and relay signals from the central nervous system (CNS) to the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the body must utilize chemical neurotransmitters.

  Some neurotransmitters can also be classified as hormones and are collectively called catecholamine neurotransmitters. Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine, which is commonly referred to as your “feel-good” neurotransmitter.^[11,12] It plays a key role in feelings of pleasure, reward, motivation, and movement. Studies show that improved levels of dopamine help you tolerate more intense and prolonged bouts of exercise.^[11,12] Furthermore, tyrosine is capable of improving cognitive function and mood in the context of acute stress, such as exercise.^[11,12]

  If you want to learn more about tyrosine check out this article: L-Tyrosine vs. N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: A Tale of Two Tyrosines.

• Caffeine Anhydrous – 150mg

  In order to boost mental and physical energy, Myprotein added in 150mg of the fast-acting caffeine anhydrous. 150mg may seem low for a pre workout, but if you’re sensitive to stimulants, it will be the perfect amount to get you going. Furthermore, a large majority of people don’t solely take pre workouts — they may drink coffee, energy drinks, or anything else that contains caffeine.

  

  Myprotien also offers a well formulated plant based protein as part of the Pro Range!

  Thus, instead of overstimulating your CNS, Myprotein decided to take it easy on the stims. They also added in TeaCrine to complement the caffeine and boost energy even further, which we will discuss next. 150mg of caffeine allows you to use “flexible dosing” meaning for those days you need an extra shot of energy, go with 1.5 scoops, but if not then stick with the suggested serving size. Either way, you’re still getting great dosages of the other ingredients.

  As we mentioned in the creatine section, caffeine has to be the most researched ingredient in the sports supplement industry. Caffeine’s performancing enhancing benefits have been shown multiple times across a wide range of activities.^[13] Caffeine, also known as trimethylxanthine, is a molecule that’s capable of crossing the blood brain barrier, modulating pain receptors, and most notably, inhibits adenosine and phosphodiesterase from carrying out their effects.^[13]

  Although caffeine boosts energy in several ways, the most researched mechanism of action is its interaction with adenosine.^[13] This nucleoside is responsible for down regulating neural activity, leading to feelings of fatigue.^[13] Caffeine prevents adenosine from binding to its receptors, which results in improved energy levels!^[13] It’s safe to say that caffeine will always be a flagship ingredient for pre workouts.

• Theacrine (as TeaCrine 40%) – 50mg

  In order to give you an extra boost in mood, focus, and energy, THE Pre-Workout includes 50mg of theacrine, in the trademarked form of TeaCrine from Compound Solutions.

  

  Long lasting energy without the crash!

  TeaCrine’s since research shows that it’s capable of enhancing energy levels, mood, physical performance, and cognitive function.^[14,15] Some studies also report that caffeine and TeaCrine have a synergistic effect, meaning they work better together than alone.^[14,15]

  One major benefit of combining caffeine and TeaCrine is that it reduces the risk of experiencing adverse cardiovascular effects. Unlike caffeine, TeaCrine doesn’t affect the cardiovascular system, whereas excessive amounts of caffeine can result in high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, palpitations, and increased respiration.^[14,15]

  The best way to avoid this, but still provide the consumer with a great shot of energy, is by using a lower caffeine dose and adding in other stimulatory ingredients, such as TeaCrine or Dynamine, which is exactly what Myprotein did with THE Pre-Workout. TeaCrine carries out its effects by blocking adenosine receptors, modulating neurotransmitters, and activating dopamine receptors.^[14,15] Thus, you should get a nice steady increase in energy and mood with TeaCrine.

• AstraGin (Panax Notoginseng & Astragalus Membranaceus (Root) Extracts) – 25mg

  In order to make sure that you fully utilize each ingredient included in THE Pre-Workout, Myprotein added in two absorption boosting compounds — AstraGin from NuLiv Science and BioPerine from Sabinsa Corporation. Both ingredients are becoming staples in the sports supplement industry and for a good reason! If your body cannot properly absorb a specific compound included in a supplement, then it will just be excreted. Thus, it ends up being a waste of money.

  

  AstraGin is a combination of Astragalus and Panax Notoginseng that’s been shown to increase ingredient absorption, especially of amino acids!

  It’s well known that certain ingredients aren’t absorbed very well within the small intestine, but fortunately, there are new compounds that can solve this issue, with the most well known ones being AstraGin and BioPerine. Typically, you’ll see a company only use one or the other, thus it’s pretty rare to see both in one product. However, they do have different mechanisms of actions, so it does make sense to use them in combination for optimal results.

  AstraGin is a proprietary blend of two plant extracts — panax notoginseng and astragalus membranaceus.^[16] Preliminary research shows that AstraGin works by activating a variety of transporters that reside in the small intestine, resulting in improved absorption of several nutrients.^[16] Some evidence suggests that AstraGin also enhances gut health by improving the structural integrity of the intestinal lining and reducing inflammation.^[16]

• BioPerine (Black Pepper Fruit Extract) – 2.5mg

  

  Bioperine is the trusted, trademarked form of black pepper extract that promises 95% or greater piperine, the part of black pepper with all the activity!

  BioPerine is a potent black pepper fruit extract that’s standardized to contain 95% of the primary bioactive constituent — piperine.^[17] Although BioPerine also significantly enhances absorption and bioavailability like AstraGin, its mechanism of action is completely different.

  Preliminary studies suggest that piperine works by enhancing thermogenesis, modulating efflux mechanisms, and inhibiting specific metabolic enzymes, most notably — P-Glycoprotein.^[17,18] BioPerine is most well known for enhancing the bioavailability of curcumin, but it also works on vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and amino acids.^[17,18]

  Myprotein must be a major proponent of combining BioPerine and AstraGin in the one formula, because they did the same thing for THE Pump. Since THE Pro Range is all about taking things to the next level, these two ingredients are great additions to a solid pre workout.

THE Pre-Workout Flavor Variations

THE Pre-Workout comes in several unique flavors, such as Guava Pear, Black Cherry Vanilla, and Pineapple Mango — three flavor variations you don’t see very often! If you want to stick to more traditional flavors, they also offer THE Pre-Workout in the classic Blue Raspberry. No matter which one you choose — expect to get a nice refreshing and tasty drink that you can enjoy before a hard training session!. Knowing Myprotein, more flavors are likely on the way so stay tuned!

Here’s a list of all available flavors for THE Pre-Workout:

More To Come From Myprotein!

Myprotein has been on a roll lately with several product launches, reformulations, and new flavors! We’re excited to announce that this is really just the beginning of what Myprotein has in store for the U.S. Myprotein has some big plans moving forward and it’s great to be a part of it. Not only are they expanding their line of supplements, they’re going to sponsor more U.S-based athletes, increase their apparel options, and place a big emphasis on functional foods.

Athlete’s from all over the world choose Myprotein.

So far, Myprotein has shown us why they’re a dominating force overseas, with high quality products at unbeatable prices. Whether you’re a college kid on a budget, a soccer mom looking to get in shape, or a competitive athlete who wants an extra edge — Myprotein has something for everyone, which is exactly why they’ve created different product series, such as The Pro Range, Core Range, and MyVegan.

Myprotein may be known for having a wide selection of protein powders, but they also offer functional foods, commodities, and a great lineup of sports performance supplements. If you haven’t tried them yet, we highly recommend giving them a shot!

As Myprotein continues to expand their offerings, PricePlow will continue to make sure you stay updated on all the latest deals, reviews, and news from this powerful brand. Trust us, you won’t want to miss what’s to come from Myprotein! Subscribe down below and if you want to pick up THE Pre-Workout or THE Pump, use code PLOW40 for 40% off!