A pre-workout that features a more selective list of active ingredients than most, and with guarana for a slow-release caffeine boost.

Foodspring’s Energy Aminos pre-workout contains 2.7g carbohydrates to help fuel your workout sessions and 8.8g protein alongside nine other active ingredients. See how it compares to the other best pre-workouts.

Men’s Fitness verdict

Bolstered by BCAAs and slow-release caffeine, Foodspring’s pre-workout is a good choice, and ideal for morning sessions. The flavor might be too sweet for some tastes though.
Pros
  • Simple but effective list of active ingredients
  • Four flavors
  • 6g BCAAs
Cons
  • Tastes quite sweet
  • Slight aftertaste
  • Only available online

How we test the best pre-workouts

This list of the best pre-workouts was compiled by Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENr). There are lots of different pre-workouts on the market and the number of active ingredients differs substantially between brands. (However, the research to support their effectiveness in terms of performance is not always solid.) While Rob was testing, he judged each pre-workout on how well they tasted and mixed, as well as their nutritional effectiveness. He also considered the cost and availability of each.

This supplement contains branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) which include a significant percentage of leucine, the amino acid that helps to trigger muscle protein synthesis. Taking this before and during exercise should help to decrease exercise-induced muscle damage, as well as promote repair and growth. The recommended dose is 5-10g, and Foodspring’s pre-workout has a decent 6g per serving.

Foodspring Energy Aminos benefits

The supplement also includes caffeine, an important component of a good pre-workout. The dose is 170mg, but more is added in the form of guarana, which releases its caffeine more slowly. The total caffeine content is just above the recommended 200mg, so that’s enough to boost performance. For that reason, though, it’s best to avoid using this for evening workout sessions.

The pre-workout contains vitamin C and a couple of B vitamins. These are not indirectly linked to performance but will help support a healthy immune system and promote energy metabolism (converting food into energy). Whether these are needed in a pre-workout is questionable, given what pre-workout is designed for, but they can’t hurt. Piperine is a good addition as it can help make another nutrients more bioavailable, but again we don’t think it’s needed here to help performance.

Energy Aminos also contain L-citrulline and L-arginine, which are converted into nitric oxide. This vasodilator helps improve blood flow and oxygen to the muscles, making this an ideal supplement for muscle growth. Research suggests improvements in performance when L-citrulline is provided in regular doses of between 6-8g per day – the amount in a serving here provides 4g, which is less than recommended. Still, the effects are enhanced by the addition of L-arginine.

Foodspring Energy Aminos flavours

You can only buy Foodspring’s pre-workout online but it’s available in four flavours – apple, lemon, passionfruit, and blackberry and blackcurrant. We tested the blackberry and blackcurrant flavour, which tasted decent enough, although we found it a little sweet but with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Though that slight bitterness is common when using stevia as a sweetener.

At £1.50 per serving, its price is on a par with the best pre-workout supplements. Foodspring recommends using a dose of one 20g scoop to 400ml water, which mixes fairly well. Overall, this is a solid pre-workout choice, which contains the essentials to support your workout rather than chucking everything at it like some pre-workouts.