Pre, Intra & Post Workout

The names describe when a product's directions for use say it is taken: before, during or after a training session. Pre-workout products are mostly flavoured powders and shots, intra-workout products mostly carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks, gels and tablets, and post-workout products drink mixes. Compare the amounts per serving printed on each label.

Pre-workout products are multi-ingredient powders and shots, and many contain caffeine. Pump formulas are blends built around citrulline, often without caffeine, and Citrulline & Arginine also lists single-ingredient citrulline, arginine and AAKG (arginine alpha-ketoglutarate) products. The ingredient list and the amounts per serving show which type a product is, so compare those rather than the category name.

A complex or blend lists several ingredients under one name, often with a single combined weight. The ingredient list runs from the largest amount to the smallest, so the order hints at the proportions, but only a label that prints the amount of each ingredient allows a like-for-like comparison. Check whether the amounts you want to compare are printed per ingredient.