The 5 Best Beta-Alanine Free Pre-Workouts In 2023: Our Tested Reviews
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Our product testing team uses the full 30 day serving amount in container before reviewing. Learn more about our review process here.
It’s safe to say that the vast majority of lifters love pre-workouts. While many love the simple energy out of them, others tend to really enjoy the boost in pumps they get out of them.
With that said, what are the some of the most common ingredients in pre-workouts? First two that come to mind are Citrulline and Caffeine. After that, the answer is easy... BETA-ALANINE! Now Beta-Alanine is a great ingredient, and you will commonly find it at 3.2 grams in the majority of pre-workouts these days. It's almost expected.
Beta-Alanine does more for you than just give you the "tingles" (paresthesia), which many people enjoy (and many do not). To put it simply, it buffers lactic acid, which can help with endurance. While it has its benefits, it is a saturation ingredient, meaning it must be taken every day. While it can be convenient to have in a pre-workout to get your daily 3.2 gram dose, some argue it would be better to simply take it as a standalone everyday.
Of course, you also have the people that can't stand the tingly feeling you get from Beta-Alanine, so this list is also for them. We have to admit, it can be nice to have a pre-workout that isn't going to make use feel like walking TV static.
The following products on our top pre-workout for pump ranking list were used by the author of this article.
He used each of these pre-workout supplements through the duration of a full container. Sample packs were not used in determining the rankings.
Stop relying on faulty information that is influenced by outside writers and money. This best pre-workout supplements with no Beta-Alanine is the real deal.
Here at Fitness Informant, we don’t steer you wrong. If you're looking for the best pre-workout supplement with no Beta-Alanine option that you can trust, look no further than our top 5 picks below.
A Comparison of the Beta-Alanine Free Pre-Workout Supplements
Here's the top 5 picks for the best pre-workout supplements with no beta-alanine that money can buy:
Product Name | Highlights | Rating |
|---|---|---|
#1 Core Nutritionals Fury Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 20% | Best Overall Pre-Workout without Beta-Alanine Highlights: | Our #1 Rated  9.0 out of 10 in the Pre-Workout Category |
#2 Hosstile Supplements Hosstility Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 10% | Best for Performance Highlights:
| Our #2 Rated in the Pre-Workout Category |
#3 Morphogen Nutrition Volugen Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 10% | Best for Pumps Highlights:
| Our #3 Rated 8.9 out of 10 in the Pre-Workout Category |
#4 MPA Supps CelluVol Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 15% | Best for Flavor Highlights:
| Our #4 Rated 9.0 out of 10 in the Pre-Workout Category |
#5 Cutler Nutrition Prevail Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 11% | Best for No Overlapping Ingredients Highlights:
| Our #5 Rated 8.4 out of 10 in the Pre-Workout Category |
There are hundreds of different brands and variations of pre-workout supplements out there.
How did these 5 make Fitness Informant's top 5 list? Read on and we'll tell you:
#1 Core Nutritionals Fury
- Rating: 9.0 out of 10
- Servings: 20 Servings
- Best For: Top Overall Product
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Pros
Cons
Core Nutritionals Fury really hit the market hard this year. Not only did Core Nutritionals do some awesome rebranding, they made their already impressive product line even better. Core Fury is a great example of this, and is certainly in the talk for Pre-Workout of the Year for 2020.
Fury has some of your standard pre-workout ingredients, such as 6 grams of L-Citrulline for pumps, 2.5 grams of Betaine Anhydrous for increased power output, and 2 grams of GlycerSize™ to aid in cellular hydration. Fury also contains VasoDrive-AP™ at 254mg, which is a very underutilized ingredient which may aid in pumps.
It doesn't stop there, it also contains some impressive energy and focus ingredients as well. Of course Caffeine Anhydrous is the first one we have to note, which is at 375mg, putting Fury close to our preferred limit for Caffeine. However it also come with a great dose of Tyrosine. You get 2 grams of Tyrosine, which is a precursor to Dopamine. This is a great dose of Tyrosine and it should certainly aid in focus and mood.
They also include Citicholine, which is a source of Choline with a high bioavailability. Core also includes Halostachine, which provides PEAs, which will elevate your mood and increase energy/focus. Now the most interesting ingredient in here is the Pregnenolone. This is a "neurosteroid" that has been shown in some animal studies to aid in focus. To date, this is the first pre-workout that we know of to use this ingredient, and it's really cool to see Core use something different.
Overall it's a great pre-workout, and as far as overall top pre-workout, this could very well be #1. The taste is great, the focus is great, the profile is great... there is essentially nothing we can complain about when it comes to this pre-workout.
Who Makes It?
Core Nutritionals is a brand from Doug Miller. It has been around for a long time now, and has certainly stood the test of time. They are known for making some of the best formulas on the market and never seem to disappoint when it comes to new product or flavor launches.
What's in it?
One serving contains:
- 6g L-Citrulline - Converts to arginine to aid in nitric oxide production
- 5g Creatine Monohydrate - A popular ingredient used to aid in overall power output
- 2.5g Betaine Anhydrous - May increase power output
- 2g GlycerSize™ - glycerol powder that allows muscles to absorb fluids
- 2,000mg L-Tyrosine - a well-researched amino acid with many benefits. May be good for fat loss, focus, and stress
- 375mg Caffeine Anhydrous - Good for energy
- 254mg VasoDrive-AP® - a derivative of Casein that may aid in pumps
- 250mg Citicholine - Cognitive enhancing stimulant
- 100mg Halostachine - Source of PEA
- 20mg Huperzine A (1%) - May help with focus
- 10mg Pregnenolone - a "neurosteroid" that may aid in focus
Bottom Line:
Core Nutritionals has certainly set a new standard here with the new Fury. Not only does the rebrand look cool, but the profile is simply top notch and we can't complain about anything. The addition of Pregnenolone makes it interesting, and the inclusion of high quality ingredients such as Citicholine and VasoDrive-AP make it well worth the money. This is a pre-workout that is staple worthy, and easily worth trying at least once.
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#2 Hosstile Supplements Hosstility
- Rating: 8.5 out of 10
- Servings: 20
- Best For: Performance
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Pros
Cons
Hosstility is a somewhat new product on the market, and is really quite impressive. Usually when brands just start out, they start off with a mediocre pre-workout. Well Hosstility brings something else to the table. It is simply a LOADED formula, and it contains NO Beta-Alanine, something that is actually quite rare these days.
The profile gives you Citrulline and Arginine Nitrate, both of which are awesome ingredients for pumps and performance. Both are dosed well in here, and they take different pathways. You also get some nice performance boosting ingredients such as Creatine Monohydrate, Betaine Anhydrous, and PeakO2. PeakO2 is a blend of mushrooms from Compound Solutions which may be beneficial for increasing your VO2 Max, which can aid with endurance.
You also get a powerful focus blend here, as Hosstility contains clinical doses of Tyrosine, Alpha GPC, and Huperzine A. Tyrosine is great as it helps with focus under stressful situations, while Alpha GPC is a high quality source of choline and has great bioavailability.
It is always nice to see a brand not simply throw in 300mg of Caffeine and call it a day. Hosstility actually provides has just 200mg of Caffeine, as well as TeaCrine and Di-Caffeine Malate. These two ingredients help with long-lasting energy and prevent a crash.
Overall Hosstility is simply a loaded pre-workout with proven ingredients all at clinical doses. Seriously impressive and we highly recommend it.
Who Makes It?
Hosstility Supplements is a somewhat newer brand, however in such a short amount of time, they have been able to impress us all. Not only do they make some loaded products, they also were the winner of the "New Brand of the Year" here on Fitness Informant for 2020.
What's In It?
One serving (one-scoop) contains:
- 6g L-Citrulline- clinically dosed Citrulline to help move blood into the muscles
- 3g Creatine Monohydrate - aids strength and power output
- 2.5g Betaine Anhydrous - good for power output
- 2g NO3-T® Arginine Nitrate - increases nitric oxide in the body - great pumps
- 2g Taurine – regulates water and electrolytes producing better pump and more endurance and strength
- 2g PeakO2 - helps with endurance
- 1g L-Tyrosine - aids in focus and alertness
- 600mg AlphaSize Alpha-GPC – nootropic that improves focus
- 250mg TeaCrine (40%) - helps with long last energy and prevents a crash
- 200mg Caffeine Anhydrous - Good for energy
- 135mg Di-Caffeine Malate - prolonged energy and crash prevention
- 10mg Huperzine A (1%) - May help with focus
Bottom Line:
Hossility is one of the most well-rounded loaded formulas out there. There is virtually no overlap in the ingredients, and they were able to make it effective without the addition of Beta-Alanine. With such a loaded formula, it is surely to make many list on Fitness Informant.
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#3 Morphogen Nutrition Alphagen
- Rating: 8.9 out of 10
- Servings: 20
- Best For: Pumps
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Pros
Cons
Morphogen is a brand that really makes some of us supplement nerds giddy. With some of the most loaded formulas on the market, there is no way we couldn’t get our hands on at least one of their products. Well, after finally trying Volugen, there was no way we couldn’t add this to our list.
Volugen is a loaded stim-free pre-workout, that simply delivers. The profile starts off with 8 grams of L-Citrulline and 3 grams of GlycerSize™. Both can help with pumps but work through different pathways, and both are dosed great. Following this you get a clinical dose of Betaine Anhydrous at 2.5g, which can help with power output.
Morphogen decided to add some mushrooms to Volugen, in the form of PeakO2®, an ingredient from Compound Solutions. This blend of mushrooms can help with performance by increasing your VO2 Max, and at 2 grams, is at the clinical dose. Nitrosigine® is the next ingredient in Volugen, and it is a powerhouse. It is arginine-silicate with inositol, and has been shown to be more effective gram per gram at aiding with pumps than Citrulline. Of course, it is at the clinical dose.
Next up comes our favorite form of Carnitine, which is Acetyl-L-Carnitine. ALCAR is a solid nootropic and can help with focus. At one gram, it is dosed well. Rhodiola is the next ingredient in Volugen, and is a popular adaptogen. It can help with focus under times of stress, and not only does Volugen use a solid dose, but they also have a great standardization of the actives in Rhodiola.
VasoDrive™ is the next ingredient, and it is known for being expensive. It is derived from Casein, and has solid research backing it. It can help with pumps and gets better the longer you use it. To our knowledge, Volugen is currently the only product that contains 508mg, which is the dose you really want, and you mostly see this at 254mg. Have to give credit where it’s due.
The last two ingredients are L-Norvaline and Vaso6™. Norvaline is an amino acid that prevents Arginine from being broken down. At 250mg, it is dosed well. As for the Vaso6™, it is a specific extract derived from Green Tea which has been shown to increase nitric oxide and act as a vasorelaxant.
Overall, there is no way we cannot love this product, and although we have stated that the flavor could use some work, we can easily overlook that for the profile and effectiveness of the product. If you want a loaded product, this is the one you really want to go out of your way to try. Well worth trying at least once in your life.
Who Makes It?
Morphogen is a brand that is known for their loaded products with impressive profiles. While not widely available, this gives them the option to make some of the best formulated products on the market. With the owner being an industry veteran with plenty of experience and qualifications when it comes to formulations, Morphogen knows how to deliver loaded, yet fun products that are almost too goo for their own good sometimes. There is no Morphogen product that disappoints as far as we know.
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 8g Citrulline – clinically dosed Citrulline to help move blood into the muscles
- 3g Hydromax - a newer form of Glycerol, allows muscle to retain water for repair and growth. Helps with pumps
- 2.5g Betaine Anhydrous - good for power output
- PeakO2™ – blend of mushrooms that helps with endurance.
- 1,500mg Nitrosigine – enhances body's NO production
- 1g Acetyl-L-Carnitine – helps with focus
- 680mg Rhodiola Resea – an adaptogen that can help with focus in times under stress
- 508mg VasoDrive™ - a derivative of Casein that helps with pumps
- 2g Taurine – regulates water and electrolytes producing better pump and more endurance and strength
- 1,500mg GlycerPump – a newer form of Glycerol, allows muscles to retain water for repair and growth
- 300mg Norvaline – inhibits the body from reaching a max NO production
- 200mg Pine Bark Extract – improves blood flow
- 50mg AstraGin - helps ingredient absorption in the body
- 300mg Vaso6™ - an extract from Green Tea that acts as a vasorelaxant and aids with nitric oxide production
- 250mg Norvaline – inhibits the body from reaching a max NO production
Bottom Line:
Morphogen Volugen is certainly a pump product to be reckoned with. In our review (linked below), we had to ask ourselves, even with more pump ingredients... would anyone notice a better pump at the gym than this? Either way, Volugen deserves the spot on this list due to the loaded profile, insane pumps, and awesome performance benefits, and affordability. Seriously if you like pump products, Volugen is one you have to try for yourself.
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#4 MPA Supps CelluVol
- Rating: 9.0 out of 10
- Servings: 30 servings
- Best For: Flavor
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Pros
Cons
CelluVol is known as one of the kings of pump supplements these days. By one glance of the profile, it’s easy to see why. This product is LOADED with high doses. So much so, that many have called it “too much”. Those people have a point, so let’s break down the ingredient profile and see why this product is so good.
To start, we have 7 grams of L-Citrulline, this is preferable when compared to Citrulline Malate. Citrulline Malate is simply L-Citrulline blended with Malic Acid powder, as there are very few brands on the market with bonded Citrulline Malate. After that, CelluVol has the clinical dose of Nitrosigine™, which is 1.5 grams. Nitrosigine™ is an ingredient with some solid human studies behind it, so it’s nice to know Matt Porter looks into ingredients before he simply adds them to his products.
Next we have HydroMax™, at 5 grams. This is a form of Glycerol Monostearate, which may aid in cellular hydration. It must also be noted that this form of Glycerol Monostearate that yields 65% or Glycerol, while many other forms on the market have much less than that. Anyway, 5 grams is pretty much more than double of what many other companies use in their products. 5 grams is great, and there is no way you’re not to notice it working.
Now what makes this a pre-workout as opposed to a simple pump product, is the addition of Alpha GPC and ElevATP™. Alpha GPC is a form of Choline that has a high bioavailability. We love it here at FI, and it’s a great addition. Sometimes, getting away from the usual 300mg+ of Caffeine you see these days. Next we have an ingredient that is very underrated, ElevATP™. This patented ingredients is derived from apple extract and ancient peat extract. ElevATP™ can increase ATP production in the body and provide trace minerals. It’s at the clinical dose as well.
So overall, CelluVol is loaded with high doses, and you’d probably get great pumps and performance/focus at a half-dose. This is a great option for those who want an actual pre-workout, that is more than just a pump product, that will still give you a powerful pump.
Who Makes It?
MPA Supps is a smaller supplement company owned by Matt Porter. Matt was an active bodybuilder and coach, that was well respected in the industry. The entire line of MPA Supps products use high quality, expensive ingredients. You can expect to pay more for the supplements, but the price is justified by the quality of work.
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 7g Citrulline – transports blood into the muscles
- 5g HydroMax – more stable form of Glycerol that holds blood and water within the muscle
- 1.5g Nitrosigine – enhances body's NO production
- 600mg AlphaSize Alpha-GPC – nootropic that improves focus
- 300mg ElevATP – helps with ATP production aka energy
Bottom Line:
MPA Supps CelluVol is an amazing product. You will find this #1 on many people's list of best pump products because it is really that good. Matt Porter puts time and research into developing his products. Yes, it is a bit more expensive than others on this list, but that's because it goes above and beyond your typical pump product.
If you're looking for something that is high quality and consistent, that will give you more than just a pump, this should be your go-to pump/pre-workout product.
Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 15%
#5 Cutler Nutrition Prevail
- Rating: 8.4 out of 10
- Servings: 40/20
- Best For: Value
Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 11%
Pros
Cons
Prevail from Cutler Nutrition is a pre-workout that surprised us in a good way. Jay Cutler, 4x Mr. Olympia champion did not have to give us a good formula, but he did. Prevail is the best inexpensive pre-workout supplement for focus.
Prevail uses some of the most proven ingredients for the best focus. You get 750mg Alpha-GPC, one of the most effective nootropics on the market today. Cutler combined that with 100mg Neurofactor, a unique ingredient that can improve memory, and 500mcg Huperzine A, a massive dosage of a fan favorite ingredient for improved cognitive function. Let's not forget about 750mg N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine. They even added 50mg of Theanine for anti-stress. This is 5 total ingredinets for focus enhancement.
Yes, we get energy too. Two forms of caffeine are used, Caffeine Anhydrous at 250mg and Di-Caffeine Malate at 150mg. This gives us about 362.5mg total caffeine for a sustained energy. The use of Di-Caffeine Malate ensures that you don't hit a wall and crash, but have a two-stage caffeine process. Cocoa Seed Extract at 20mg also aids in energy.
Lastly, for pumps you get 4g Citrulline and 2g Taurine. Citrulline aids in moving blood into the muscles. Taurine regulates electrolytes which may lead to fuller pumps and endurance.
Who Makes It?
Cutler Nutrition owned by Jay Cutler, is a brand that re-launched in 2019 with solid products. As mentioned earlier, Cutler did not have to give consumers full dosages and a fully transparent label, but he did because it was the right thing to do. Not all big name athletes take advantage of the consumer, Jay Cutler is living proof of that..
What's In It?
One serving (2 scoops) contains:
- 4g L-Citrulline – improves blood flow for pumps
- 2g Taurine – helps regulate your body's electrolytes providing longer-lasting workouts (endurance)
- 750mg N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine - version of Tyrosine that may improve focus
- 250mg Caffeine Anhydrous – increased energy
- 150mg Di-Caffeine Malate - prolonged energy and crash prevention
- 100mg Neurofactor - may improve memory and learning
- 60mg Theobromine - similar to caffeine, can aid in energy production, may smooth blood vessels for more blood flow
- 50mg L-Theanine - reduces stress and anxiety
- 20mg Cocoa Seed Extract - may increase energy
- 500mcg Huperzine A - improves focus
Bottom Line:
You won't find a better value on a pre-workout supplement that will provide focus on Prevail. Prevail retails for under $40 for 20-servings. On paper this is $2 per serving. However, with our code you will save 11% bringing this down to $1.56 per serving, a helluva value for the kind of focus enhancement you are going to get with this inexpensive pre-workout supplement.
Use coupon code INFORMANT to save 20%
When Should I Use A Pre-Workout Without Beta-Alanine
For the most part, there is no reason to not take Beta-Alanine in a pre-workout. It is a great ingredient and is backed by plenty of studies. However, if you are relying on your pre-workout to deliver you your daily dose of Beta-Alanine, you are doing it wrong.
To start, Beta-Alanine is a saturation ingredient, which means that you should be taking it every day. Now of course, if you get your clinical 3.2 gram dose of it in a pre-workout that is fine, however taking a stim-laden pre-workout every day is not the way to go. So sometimes, it simply makes more sense to take it as a standalone, as many do with Creatine.
Another reason for not taking Beta-Alanine in a pre-workout is because you may not like the paresthesia that comes along with it... or the "tingles" as some like to call it. If you are someone who would like to avoid that, then it is a good idea to search for a pre-workout without any Beta-Alanine.
Our Pre-Workout Supplement Testing Process
We examined five different areas of each pre-workout supplement when we compiled our rankings:
- Ingredients Profile
- Effectiveness
- Taste
- Mixability
- Value
Ingredients Profile
When we review each pump activating supplement on their ingredient profile, we look at the active ingredients being used and their dosages.
Many pre-workout supplements include a variety of beneficial ingredients, but under dose them proving to be non-effective.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness is an extension of ingredient profile. If the product uses proven ingredients at clinically suggested dosages, the product should be effective.
Everyone is different. Everyone takes to different ingredients differently at varying dosages. We have tried and tested each of these products throughout the full duration of their container to ensure these products are effective over their life.
Taste
We review taste on two different components. First, how close does the muscle pump supplement taste to the actual name printed on the label. For example, does Blue Raz actually taste like blue raspberry. Second, we review it on overall taste (in our opinion) versus others in the same flavor category.
Mixability
Mixability refers to how well does the product mix in 8-12oz of water. The testing process for a pump activating drink we use here is a generic Blender Bottle with the chrome spiral ball. We use regular tap water with no ice.
Value
Value is a combination of ingredient profile, effectiveness, taste, mixability and cost. We do not just look at the price tag like a lot of others do. If a product is priced at a premium, we inform you if it is worth the premium price or not based on all the categories. We look at the overall picture of the pre-workout supplement, and how it compares to other pre-workout supplements on the market.
Please Note: Many of the “top 10” lists you find online are written by content writers with no in-gym or supplement experience who are paid by the word count to write an article for a website trying to generate money.
These lists are influenced by brands who pay for placement. These lists contain pump activating supplements that are, for the lack of a better word, garbage.
The following products on our best of list were used by the author of this article. He used the pump activating supplements through the duration of a full container. Sample packs were not used in determining the rankings of the best pump producing supplements.
Stop relying on faulty information that is influenced by outside writers and money. This list is the real deal. Here at Fitness Informant, we don’t steer you wrong. Be Informed. Live Fit.
