There are multiple vegan pre-workout powders on the market but how do you choose the right one? Whether you are looking for low-stimulation options, pre-workouts packed with superfoods, or want the purest supplement you can get, it can become difficult to narrow your search down.
To help you guys out, we have curated an in-depth list, with each vegan pre-workout being made from quality ingredients, some of them being USDA organic.
We have researched and formed a list of the 7 best vegan pre-workout supplements on the market. We'll also go over some common ingredients in most pre-workout supplements then cover the benefits and potential side effects they might have.
SFS Pick
Transparent Bulk Pre
#2nd Pick
Pre Kaged
#3rd Pick
Vedge Pre-Workout
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7 Best Vegan Pre-Workout Supplements
- Overall Best Vegan Pre-Workout: Transparent Bulk
- Runner Up Best Vegan Pre-Workout: Pre-Kaged
- Best Vegan Pre-Workout On Amazon: Vedge Pre-Workout
- Best Budget Vegan Pre-Workout: Vega Sport
- Best Vegan Pre-Workout For Beginners: Naked Pre-Workout
- Best High Stim Vegan Pre-Workout: Nitrosurge
- Best Organic Vegan Pre-Workout: MRM Nutrition
1. Overall Best Vegan Pre-Workout: Transparent Bulk
Transparent Bulk is a solid vegan pre-workout powder designed to help individuals looking to dominate their workout and promote lean muscle growth.
Transparent Labs is a fantastic supplement company based in Utah, and they have risen in popularity by really investing in creating premium products with transparent ingredient labels. This means that they don't use proprietary blends, so you know the exact amount of every ingredient that goes into each serving of Transparent Bulk.
While many companies in the supplement space do third-party testing for their products, Transparent Labs takes it a step further and offers certificates of analysis and composition on their site for everyone to look at.
This is an excellent example of a supplement company that truly cares about its products and customers' goals. It has an in-depth list of premium ingredients so you can expect better endurance, power, alertness, thermogenesis, and focus.
It also contains many effective ingredients that are designed to help enhance strength and muscle pumps. Transparent Bulk is well-dosed, third-party tested and has no artificial ingredients or flavors.
This combination makes Bulk a vegan pre-workout that few others can compare to, it's definitely worth trying out.
Pros
- Great reviews
- Transparent label
- No fillers
- No artificial ingredients and flavors
Cons
- Doesn't have organic ingredients
As one of the industry's top-selling pre-workout powders, BULK has separated itself from the competition thanks to a comprehensive, evidence-based lineup of time-tested ingredients, fully transparent labeling...
2. Runner Up Best Vegan Pre-Workout: Pre-Kaged
Pre-Kaged is a fantastic vegan pre-workout supplement that contains most of the ingredients we're accustomed to seeing in premium products but at a more reasonable price point.
Pre-Kaged is not only third party tested but also banned substance free. Perfect for athletes or competitive lifters looking for a pre-workout supplement. It also contains no artificial flavors or colors, has a gram of sugar per serving, is gluten-free, and is considered non-GMO.
The BCAAs and creatine should help with muscle retention, while the coconut water powder and SPECTRA blend will help keep you hydrated during your workout. There's also Taurine and tyrosine added, which will help with mental focus and clarity.
With such a wide variety of delicious flavors, it shouldn't be hard to find one you will enjoy.
Pros
- Seven great flavor options
- Great for muscle building
- Banned substance free
- Informed Choice Certified
Cons
- Doesn't have organic ingredients
Pre-Kaged is the Ultimate Pre-Workout to provide the best focus, pump, and stamina in the gym. Full label disclosure combined with premium, patented ingredients...
3. Best Vegan Pre-Workout On Amazon: Vedge Nutrition
Vedge Nutrition is one of the best vegan, non-GMO, and dairy-free pre-workouts for athletes. It is made from 100% plant-based ingredients scientifically engineered to increase your athletic performance.
Vedge Nutrition's clinically dosed formula is capable of providing clean energy and focuses without having to worry about crashing during intense workouts and exercise. It also has no artificial flavors and sugars, perfect for individuals looking for more natural supplements.
Vedge Nutrition's pre-workout contains an uncommon ingredient, Infinergy (Di-Caffeine Malate). Which is a patented ingredient and, in comparison to caffeine anhydrous, is a milder form of caffeine that has a longer-lasting stimulatory effect without the excessive "jitters" side effects that many users experience with caffeine anhydrous.
If you're someone looking to work harder and keep energy levels high, Vedge Nutrition's pre-workout is an excellent choice.
Pros
- 100% plant-based ingredients
- Cruelty-free
- No artificial flavors or sugars
- Label breaks down one and two-scoop servings
Cons
- Only three flavors to choose from
- If you like stims, then this product may not have enough for you
Vedge offers a pre-workout for vegans that provides sustained energy without the crash. Enhance your workouts with...
4. Best Vegan Pre-Workout For Athletes: Vega Sport
Have you been looking for a vegan pre-workout that is sugar-free and perfect for someone on who competes in sports? Vega Sport's Sugar-Free Energizer may be the best option for you.
Each scoop is packed to the brim with functional, high-quality ingredients that work. All the ingredients are sourced from the highest-quality farms on the planet and tirelessly tested for safety, taste & texture.
Vega Sport's Sugar-Free Energizer has only one carbohydrate per serving, with no added sugar (it's sweetened with stevia), so people on keto won't have to worry when taking this product. It can help to restore your electrolyte balance with a sports-focused ratio of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
To help you get ready for your workout, each serving offers Rhodiola, Eleuthero Root extract, and 100 mg of caffeine from coffeeberry and green tea.
Vega Sport's Sugar-Free Energizer is less than thirty dollars for a container and contains 35 servings, making it an excellent value for people who want a vegan pre-workout without spending too much money.
Pros
- Includes vitamin C to support immune health
- NSF certified for Sports
- Dairy and soy free
- Vega focused on green products
Cons
- Only offers two flavors
Vega Sport helps you fire up your workout with clean, plant-based ingredients you can recognize. Vega Sport Recovery is an excellent source...
5. Best Vegan Pre-Workout For Beginners: Naked Pre-Workout
Naked pre-workout is a vegan supplement that uses only ten simple organic ingredients without any artificial additives, colors, sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. At Naked Nutrition, their vision is to support your health and fitness goals by sourcing high-quality ingredients and using as few of them as possible.
All ten of these ingredients are backed by science to improve physical performance and give you that extra edge at the gym. Naked pre-workout gives decent doses of beta-alanine, creatine monohydrate, arginine, natural caffeine from coffee beans, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin C, and some other necessary micronutrients.
Naked has its products third-party tested for heavy metals to ensure quality standards. Unlike most pre-workout brands, Naked offers its pure pre-workout formula unflavored and flavored.
The unflavored option is excellent because you can mix it into any drink. It also comes in fruit punch, citrus, and a non-stimulant option.
Pros
- A great choice for beginners
- Great reviews
- Keto-friendly & GMO-free
Cons
- Low stimulants may not be enough for advanced lifters
- Underdosed
Naked Energy is a clean pre-workout powder that has been formulated with only Non-GMO ingredients. Our premium vegan pre-workout...
6. Best High Stim Vegan Pre-Workout: Nitrosurge
Nitrosurge Pre-Workout is an all-inclusive vegan supplement that provides various benefits, especially before, during, and after your workout session. It comes in 30 and 60-serving containers and is available in three flavors delicious flavors: arctic white, blue raspberry, and cherry limeade.
Nitrosurge is a creatine-free pre-workout for lifters, formulated with evidence-based ingredients that boost nitric oxide, energy levels, and strength. It can do all of this without the side effects of banned ingredients.
Nitrosurge is manufactured in the USA in a cGMP-Certified Facility. This vegan supplement contains L-Citrulline, which helps to promote a strong heart and ensure ample blood flow during your intense workouts. It also has Beta-Alanine to reduce fatigue, caffeine and ginseng root extract to provide an energy boost, and Astragin to increase absorption of vital nutrients.
While Nitrosurge has a reasonably comprehensive ingredient list although slightly underdosed. It also contains 180 mg of caffeine per scoop. If you choose to take two scoops at once, you'll be drinking 360 mg of caffeine, which can lead to having jitters and difficulty sleeping at night.
However, if you're a stim junkie and you're looking for a new pre-workout, then this may be the perfect choice for you.
Pros
- Manufactured in the U.S.A
- Zero fillers or dyes
- cGMP certified
- Delicious flavors
Cons
- Expensive considering the formulation
Pre Workout Powder for Energy, Strength, & Blood Flow: Nitrosurge is a creatine-free pre-workout for men and women, formulated with evidence-based ingredients that boost nitric oxide...
7. Best Organic Vegan Pre-Workout: MRM Nutrition
If you are a vegan that prefers organic ingredients in your supplements, then you should consider this pre-workout from MRM Nutrition. It was designed for highly active athletes who need a workout boost.
MRM Nutrition combines matcha green tea, guayusa tea leaves, schizandra berries, and whole coffee extracts to help lifters get energized and focused without getting jittery. They also use red beet and cordyceps militaris to support healthy blood flow, shuttle nutrients into your muscles, and transport waste away.
MRM Nutrition's Organic pre-workout contains several superfoods and adaptogens, such as organic maca root and Rhodiola Rosea, that can help with stress and fatigue. That's a lot of unique ingredients that can aid your workout and health performance.
This product is more than a pre-workout; it contains many ingredients that can be beneficial to your health.
Overall, MRM Nutrition's pre-workout looks like a solid organic option that does more than provide energy to improve your endurance and stamina while working out.
Pros
- Contains ashwagandha and other adaptogens
- USDA Organic ingredients
- Great price point
- Both flavors are fantastic
Cons
- Only twenty servings per container
We combine matcha green tea, guayusa tea leaves, schizandra berries and whole coffee extracts to help you focus during your workout without feeling jittery...
What is Vegan Pre-Workout?
A vegan pre-workout supplement is a plant-based product you take before an intense workout session. Vegan pre-workout powders, capsules, and other supplements can give you a much-needed boost of energy and focus on finishing your workouts.
They are entirely made of plant-based ingredients. This results in supplements that are typically more environmentally friendly and bioavailable to your body.
The use of pre-workout supplements continues to be a popular choice, even within the vegan crowd. Green tea extract, brown rice syrup, natural caffeine, vitamin C, green coffee extract, and coconut water are just a handful of the organic and plant-based ingredients commonly found in vegan pre-workouts. Plus you're likely to find an organic nitric oxide blend of some sort that might include beetroot extract to help with the pumps.
Benefits Of Vegan Pre-Workouts
People use pre-workout supplements because they enhance your performance and vegan pre-workout are no different. Below we cover some of the benefits you can expect from quality vegan pre-workout supplements.
1. Increased Energy
There will be times when you don't feel like you need to work out, whether you had an extremely long day at work or just aren't feeling motivated to hit the gym. Life may be stressing you out and making you feel down, yet you know that you still need to get a workout in.
Vegan pre-workout is a fantastic supplement option to use on these rough days to give you a much-needed energy boost, improve your overall mood, motivate you to get your butt off the couch and get the most out of your workouts. Not only can you see a much-needed boost in motivation from pre-workout, but you will also enjoy better pumps and muscle-building potential during your workouts.
2. Better Pumps
A vegan pre-workout can help to improve blood circulation throughout your body. Better circulation means a more significant supply of oxygen, as well as nutrients, to your muscles during exercise. This is the biggest reason why so many pre-workouts contain ingredients that improve nitric oxide production.
By increasing the delivery of vital nutrients and amino acids to your muscles as you work out, you will see a significant increase in your pumps.
3. Performance Enhancer
Typically there is an assortment of ingredients that are in pre-workouts that can be beneficial in increasing blood flow, as well as delivering significantly more oxygen and nutrients to your body while exercising. The benefits you receive from this better circulation are an increase in power, strength, endurance, and a reduction in the lactic acid buildup.
These factors allow you to see enhancements in performance and will enable you to push through difficult sets, move more weight for more reps, and maintain proper form while you work out. All of these endurance benefits can help you see results faster, work out for more extended periods of time, and reduce the risks of plateauing.
It is making vegan pre-workouts a perfect supplement for athletes, lifters, and for individuals that are wanting to enhance performance.
5. Improved Endurance
Are you an endurance athlete or someone who trains for long periods of time? Well, vegan pre-workout can help reduce the effects of prolonged training. To see the most significant benefit of pre-workout, you want to time taking it around 30 minutes before exercise.
Pre-workout, especially products that have caffeine included can reduce your perceived effort, increase alertness, and help reduce your perception of pain—resulting in better endurance and performance during exercise.
Side Effects of Vegan Pre-Workout:
After covering the good side of pre-workouts we should also mention a few downsides to pay attention to. Below are some common side effects that some people may experience. And as always you should consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new supplementation.
1. Jitteriness
Depending on how packed your vegan pre-workouts are with stimulants and on your tolerance, you may have some feelings of jitteriness. While caffeine can aid in sharpening your focus, improving your reaction time, and increasing the efficiency of your metabolism, it can also affect people differently.
Some people are able to chug pre-workout in the evenings and fall immediately to sleep at night, while some individuals can have a small scoop before a early workout and feel wired and jittery all day.
If you're overly sensitive to caffeine and other stimulants, you can find that your vegan pre-workout dose is leaving you jittery and anxious.
We recommend starting with a small dose and seeing what your tolerances are or you could opt for a stim-free vegan pre-workout.
2. Headaches
Another side effect that is possible with vegan pre-workout is that they may cause headaches in a couple of ways. Some ingredients that are typically included in vegan pre-workouts can pull water from the muscles, increase thermogenesis, and eventually lead to a lack of hydration.
When your body becomes dehydrated, it can lead to suffering from headaches. Another way that vegan pre-workouts can cause headaches is through the ingredients that help with vasodilation. When vasodilation occurs, the blood vessels in your body expand, which also includes the blood vessels inside of your head.
This vasodilation in your head can also lead to unwanted headaches.
3. Upset stomach
A side effect that you should look out for while taking vegan pre-workout is an upset stomach. The ingredients that have the highest chance of causing stomach issues to include sodium bicarbonate, magnesium, creatine, and caffeine anhydrous.
While sodium bicarbonate can cause stomach problems when consumed at 90–230 mg per pound of body weight, most pre-workouts don't contain this high of an amount. However, you may have a sensitive stomach to sodium bicarbonate, so be careful while taking a vegan pre-workout.
Magnesium may have laxative effects, thus resulting in an upset stomach and a high risk of diarrhea.
Common Ingredients In Vegan Pre-Workouts
To be better educated on what's in your pre-workout we cover some common ingredients that you might see on the label of both regular and vegan pre-workouts. We tried to place the ingredients in certain categories of the effects they will produce but there will be overlapping in some cases.
Focus ingredients
L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid that helps the body in synthesizing proteins. It plays an essential role in the body's metabolic process and in keeping a healthier weight. L-Tyrosine can also lead to improvements in your mood and support mental functions.
Alpha GPC
Alpha GPC is a choline compound and phospholipid that is held in high regard for its ability to improve an lifters strength and elevate ketone bodies. It can also help to support brain functions, mental acuity, and improves memory.
Pump Ingredients
L-Citrulline
L-Citrulline is one of the most common supplements for supporting athletic endurance. It helps with the cardiovascular system and immune system to work at proper levels. It also helps boost nitric oxide production in the body and is a perfect addition to any pre-workout if you're looking for the big pumps.
Agmatine Sulfate
Agmatine Sulfate is a chemical compound that is normally found in certain plants and bacteria. It is known for its ability to increase muscle growth and is a great Nitric Oxide booster.
Agmatine Sulfate stimulates the production of luteinizing hormones, which can positively impact testosterone levels. It also aids the enzymes needed for nitric oxide production and in delivering nutrients to the muscle tissue.
Energy Ingredients
Caffeine
Virtually every vegan pre-workout supplement will most likely contain caffeine as one of its primary ingredients. This is due to numerous studies being able to prove that caffeine increases metabolism, provides reliable energy, and burns fat.
It also causes your body to release stored fat while maintaining your current muscle mass. You do have to keep track of your caffeine intake because too much caffeine for long periods can negatively affect your nervous system.
It can cause you to have feelings of being jittery and nauseous. So you must be actually working out to burn off the caffeine and make sure you can get a good sleep at night.
Green tea extract
Green tea is one of the best beverages you can drink whenever it is concentrated in supplements; the benefits become even better. It is loaded with helpful antioxidants and other compounds that can benefit you.
One of those compounds is caffeine, which is a stimulant that has been found to improve fat-burning and exercise performance.
Green tea also contains numerous antioxidants. Epigallocatechin gallate is one of these antioxidants and can help boost metabolism. Polyphenol antioxidants in green tea have also been shown to increase thermogenesis and support nervous system health.
Hydration Ingredients
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are important because they are vital chemicals that are responsible for forming ions in the body's fluids to ensure that certain functions are performed at the correct levels. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help your cells retain healthy water levels and fight off dehydration while you work out.
Recovery Ingredients
BCAA
A BCAA is a group of amino acids that are essentially the building blocks of protein. They are normally used in pre-workout supplements to boost the production of lean muscle mass, increase muscle recovery, and reduce the effects of muscle soreness and fatigue.
Some vegan pre-workouts will also include EEAs (Essential Amino Acids) that are considered essential due to the body's being unable to make them, so you must get them through supplementation or a proper diet.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is an organic compound that helps the body facilitate the recycling of ATP in muscle and brain tissue. It is one of the most well-researched and effective supplements for athletes and lifters. Creatine helps boost anaerobic strength, support brain and cognitive function, improve recovery, and increase energy.
Endurance Ingredients
Betaine
Betaine is another amino acid and is one of the required building blocks of protein, it is a naturally occurring compound that is found in numerous grains and vegetables. Betaine has been proven to increase power, support liver and heart health, and promote endurance.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that is essential to pre-workout as it is used to interact with beta-alanine. So if you see a pre-workout with beta-alanine, that doesn't have Taurine, it can result in a taurine deficiency.
Taurine has natural anti-inflammatory properties and can help support muscle recovery, organ health, healthy moods and aid in improved sleep cycles. Combine these aspects together, and you will see a significant improvement in endurance as well.
What To Look For When Buying Vegan Pre-Workout:
When shopping for a vegan pre-workout supplement there are a few factors you should consider before you make a purchase. Below we highlighted some important aspects to pay attention to.
1. Ingredients
Vegan pre-workout supplements can take your workouts to the next level, as they can energize you, boost overall health, and increase sports endurance so that you can go hard the entire workout. They are also less likely to cause allergies and side effects as they're derived from natural sources and are free from preservatives, GMOs, artificial sugars, and synthetic chemicals.
However, using a poorly formulated vegan supplement can be frustrating, resulting in no results, and can be unsafe, as it can potentially have unwanted fillers that have negative effects on your body. The vegan pre-workouts that you need be looking at are the brands that are made with clinically tested ingredients, and no fillers.
We also recommend finding options that are made with no coloring and natural sweeteners.
2. Label Transparency
As a consumer, you deserve to know what is in every product that you buy, especially if you are trying to avoid meat and other animal products. That's why we prefer brands and manufacturers who don't hide the dosage of the individual ingredients behind proprietary blends.
3. Testing
New supplement companies are constantly emerging, trying to make a quick buck in the multi-billion dollar fitness industry. Often times they produce low-quality supplements.
When it comes to researching vegan supplements, it is imperative to research the company before buying anything. We recommend focusing on brands that have been around for quite a while, as they typically have their products third-party tested and verified for authenticity.
The testing and certifications of a company's supplements should be the most important factors when choosing a pre-workout. These third-party tests and certifications indicate that the products are high quality and guarantee their actual dosages, and are safe for vegan consumption.
At the very least the products should be made in a GMP certified factory. And, if you're an athlete then you should look for NSF certified options.
4. Reviews
When you are looking for a vegan pre-workout, it is essential to check out the business's reviews.
You should also check out the product reviews on other sites; for example, Reddit, YouTube, social media, and Google are great options to check out. However, the best feedback is first hand word of mouth, so ask around and see if people you know have any recommendations.
Vegan Pre-Workout FAQ
Can Vegans have pre-workout?
Absolutely! In fact, the majority of pre-workout ingredients are technically vegan friendly. It is still worth checking the label for animal-based additives, regardless of where the primary ingredients come from.
We also recommend that you look for a certification that states that the pre-workout has been tested and has been cleared as a vegan product. When in doubt, contact the company with any of your questions.
Is vegan pre-workout good for you?
Yes, if you have been considering giving up meat and animal products in your supplements, then a vegan pre-workout is a good option.
Dietary supplements come in various compositions to meet a wide range of demands. Some people utilize specific powders, drinks, and capsules to help them gain muscle, lose weight, and improve their physical and mental performance.
As veganism continues to grow, you may have wondered whether you would be able to continue taking supplements. Luckily, the vegan pre-workout supplement market has been growing exponentially in recent years as there are numerous benefits that vegan pre-workout supplements can offer the body.
What is the cleanest, healthiest pre-workout?
If you want to get the most out of your vegan pre-workout supplements without having to worry about any unwanted side effects, then you need to go for the best high-quality option on our list. The Transparent Bulk vegan pre-workout supplement is a fantastic option that has some of the best premium ingredients, solid dosages, natural flavors, and value compared to most other vegan pre-workouts.
It contains evidence-based ingredients and a fully transparent label that doesn't have any low-quality fillers. It doesn't use artificial colors or sweeteners, so you can dominate your workout and grow strong knowing you're putting a great product in your body.
SUMMARY
Many of the plant-based pre-workout supplements on this list use high-quality ingredients to increase workout performance. These same pre-workouts can also help to raise your natural energy that results in more effective workouts. These pre-workouts for vegans can also improve your mental & physical performance and give you a slight calorie-burning boost. These benefits allow you to push your workouts to higher levels and achieve your fitness goals even faster.
Every one of the pre-workouts that are on our list are unique in its own way but keep in mind that taking any vegan pre-workout supplements is not a magic product that can make up for a poor exercise program or nutrition plan.
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