Pre-workouts are the staple of the fitness world, right alongside protein, and the best companies understand that means more than just throwing some caffeine in a brightly coloured powder. Let's take a look at two of the biggest names in the pre-workout world, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout and Cellucor C4, to see which one should be sitting on your shelf.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout
Where can I buy it?
- Click here to buy Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout.
Pros of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout
Optimum Nutrition rarely disappoints and their Gold Standard Pre-Workout is no exception. Gold Standard is a perfect blend of energy boosters and nootropics to help get you in the zone before a workout.
Sure, it contains caffeine but it doesn't overdo it like some of those over-the-top pre-workouts. At 175 mg per serving, that's a nice and steady kick that's backed up by a number of other ingredients including Beta Alanine, Gingseng, and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine. Gold Standard is free of controversial stimulants like Yohimbe and instead focuses on a level-headed way to boost your energy levels. (1)
Cons of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout
Gold Standard's pros may be its cons, depending on who you are. For the supplement newbie or those sensitive to energy boosters, Gold Standard is going to be the perfect pre-workout. For those who have taxed and maxed out their adrenal systems, Gold Standard may not even get you to baseline.
Cellucor C4
Where can I buy it?
- Click here to buy Cellucor C4.
Pros of Cellucor C4
Cellucor C4: Is there anyone who doesn't know the name of this pre-workout? C4 has been around the block time and again. In fact, Cellucor has released a series of C4 spin-off products including C4 Ripped and C4 Extreme. Today, let's focus on the classic formula.
As far as energy goes, C4 can't be beat. We love the combination of Velvet Bean with Caffeine and Theacrine. Studies show that when you mix Caffeine with Theacrine, you can avoid the classic jitters and instead focus on the energy boosting. What's a workout without a pump? C4 has long been one of the best nitric oxide blends featuring Creatine Nitrate and AAK (Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate), which are two of the most used N.O. boosters on the market. (1-3)
Cons of Cellucor C4
We love C4; however, what we don't like is mystery. That's what you get with C4's proprietary blend, which makes it impossible to know exactly how much of each ingredient you are getting in the energy blend. With that said, seeing as how C4 is still a fan favourite, it's a safe bet that you are getting a high enough dose of the energy boosting formula to crush your workout.
Conclusion
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout and Cellucor C4 are both amazing products and they are giants in the industry for a reason. Both offers formulas that kickstart energy levels, support performance, and enhance any workout. The deal breaker is going to be how much of a caffeine tolerance you have. If you need several cups of coffee just to get you started in the morning, we would recommend C4. If you've never experimented with pre-workouts before, go with Gold Standard.
References
- Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM. Body weight loss and weight maintenance in relation to habitual caffeine intake and green tea supplementation. Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1195-204.
- Daniel J. Kuhman, Keanan J. Joyner, and Richard J. Bloomer. Cognitive Performance and Mood Following Ingestion of a Theacrine-Containing Dietary Supplement, Caffeine, or Placebo by Young Men and Women. Nutrients. 2015 Nov; 7(11): 9618–9632.
- Elfego Galvan, Dillon K. Walker, Sunday Y. Smbo, Ryan Dalton, Kyle Levers, Abigail O'Connor, Chelsea Goodenough, Nicholas D. Barringer, Mike Greenwood, Christopher Rasmussen, Stephen B. Smith, Steven E. Riechman, James D. Fluckey, Peter S. Murano, Conrad P. Earnest and Richard B. Kreider. Acute and chronic safety and efficacy of dose dependent creatine nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition201613:12. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-016-0124-0.
