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Complete Guide to Pre-Workout: What It Does, When to Take It and Who Should Use It

By Tom Coughlin

Published: Tuesday, July 28th, 2026

A scoop of MOVE Pre-workout being poured into a shaker bottle.

Quick answer

Pre-workout helps you feel physically and mentally ready to train. A well-formulated product can improve focus, alertness, strength, power and endurance, reduce perceived effort, and support blood flow and oxygen delivery.

The best pre-workout depends on the session. MOVE Strength is designed for strength, power and high-intensity training. MOVE Endurance supports sustained performance, hydration and fatigue resistance. MOVE Decaf provides caffeine-free cognitive and blood-flow support when stimulants aren’t needed.

Pre-workout works best alongside adequate sleep, sensible fuelling and a well-structured training plan. It’s a useful performance tool, but it doesn’t replace the foundations.

What is a pre-workout?

A pre-workout is a supplement designed to support physical or mental performance before exercise.

Most people associate pre-workout with caffeine and a sudden surge of energy. Caffeine is certainly an important performance ingredient, but that definition is too narrow. Depending on the formula, a pre-workout can also target focus, blood flow, oxygen delivery, muscular endurance, hydration, electrolyte balance and fatigue resistance.

The key phrase here is depending on the formula.

Two products can both be called pre-workouts while containing completely different ingredients, doses and intended uses. One might contain a very high caffeine dose and little else. Another might combine a more controlled amount of caffeine with ingredients selected for a specific type of training.

That’s why reading beyond the front of the tub matters. A long ingredient list doesn’t automatically mean a better product, particularly when the individual doses are hidden inside a proprietary blend.

When I formulate or recommend a supplement, I want to know three things:

1. What problem is the ingredient trying to solve?

2. Is there a scientifically relevant mechanism?

3. Is enough of the ingredient included to make that mechanism meaningful?

MOVE was built around that approach. The range isn’t designed to contain the greatest number of ingredients or create the most aggressive stimulant effect. Each formula is designed around the demands of a particular training situation.

MOVE Science Page

What does pre-workout actually do?

The main job of a pre-workout is to improve your readiness to perform.

That can mean feeling more alert before an early session, maintaining concentration during difficult sets, reducing how hard an effort feels or sustaining your output as fatigue develops.

This distinction matters because feeling energised and performing better aren’t always the same thing.

A product can make you feel intensely stimulated without meaningfully supporting the session. Equally, a well-designed formula can improve performance without leaving you feeling shaky, restless or completely overstimulated.

In practical terms, a good pre-workout helps you get more from the training that was already planned. It supports the quality of the work, rather than becoming the main event itself.

I’ve trained for around 15 years across traditional strength training, powerlifting-style work, marathon preparation and ultra-endurance running. The performance demands couldn’t be more different.

Before a heavy bench or lower-body session, I want to feel switched on and ready to produce force. Before a long run, I’m thinking about sustained focus, hydration, carbohydrate availability and how I’ll manage caffeine across several hours.

The idea that the same maximum-stimulant formula is automatically right for both sessions doesn’t make much sense.

STRENGTH Formula

ENDURANCE Formula

How does caffeine improve exercise performance?

Caffeine is the most established acute performance ingredient found in pre-workout supplements.

It primarily works by blocking adenosine receptors in the central nervous system. Adenosine contributes to feelings of tiredness and reduced arousal, so blocking its action increases alertness and changes how effort and fatigue are perceived [1].

This doesn’t mean caffeine magically removes fatigue. It changes your response to it.

That matters during exercise because performance is partly determined by how difficult the work feels and how willing or able you are to maintain it. When caffeine reduces perceived effort, a hard pace, heavy set or repeated sprint becomes easier to sustain.

Scientific reviews consistently show that caffeine improves endurance performance, muscular endurance, movement velocity, strength, sprinting, jumping and power-based exercise.[1, 2, 3, 4]

How does caffeine help strength training?

During strength training, caffeine supports alertness, force production, muscular endurance and movement velocity.

That doesn’t mean caffeine suddenly adds 20 kg to your squat. The effect is more useful and realistic than that. It helps you approach demanding work with greater readiness, maintain intent during repeated efforts and sustain the quality of the session as fatigue builds.

This can be particularly valuable during sessions involving heavy compound movements, explosive work or multiple challenging sets.

MOVE Strength contains 228 mg of caffeine per serving. That is a meaningful amount for most users while avoiding the excessive doses found in some products.

More caffeine isn’t automatically better. Very high intakes increase the likelihood of anxiety, gastrointestinal discomfort, shakiness, elevated heart rate and subsequent sleep disruption. These effects can quickly outweigh the small performance benefit someone was chasing.

After years of strength training, I’d much rather feel focused and in control than completely wired. A productive session still requires good technique, sensible exercise selection and appropriate loading. You shouldn’t feel as though you’re hanging on to the bar for dear life because the pre-workout has taken over.

STRENGTH Formula

How does caffeine help endurance training?

Caffeine also improves endurance by reducing perceived effort, supporting alertness and helping athletes maintain output for longer [1,4].

That has obvious applications to running, cycling, rowing, triathlon and prolonged conditioning. When an athlete reaches the stage where pace begins to feel uncomfortable, caffeine helps make that effort more manageable.

MOVE Endurance contains 150 mg of caffeine per serving. The lower dose is deliberate.

Endurance athletes frequently consume caffeine from more than one source. A runner might start with a pre-workout and then use caffeinated gels, chews, drinks or cola later in the session or race.

Using a controlled amount at the start leaves room to use caffeine strategically when fatigue becomes more significant.

I’ve found this especially useful in ultra training. If I’m running for several hours, I don’t need to use my largest caffeine dose before the first few kilometres. I’d rather start alert and controlled, then introduce more caffeine later when the session becomes physically and mentally harder.

That is a more effective strategy than treating caffeine as a one-off hit before the session begins.

ENDURANCE Formula

Does more caffeine mean a better pre-workout?

No. The goal is to use enough caffeine to support performance without creating unnecessary side effects.

Caffeine response differs substantially between individuals. Body mass plays a role, but so do genetics, habitual intake, anxiety levels, sleep status and personal sensitivity.

Someone who rarely drinks coffee can respond strongly to a relatively modest dose. Someone who consumes caffeine several times per day might barely notice the same amount.

This is why chasing the strongest possible pre-workout is rarely a sensible goal. The product should help you train, not make you feel as though you’ve entered a different dimension.

There’s also a wider issue with continually escalating caffeine intake. If you regularly rely on very large doses, they can become less noticeable over time, while the impact on sleep and recovery remains.

In my applied work with athletes, I’m generally more interested in the minimum effective dose than the maximum amount they can tolerate. We want enough to support the session while preserving flexibility for competition, avoiding unnecessary side effects and protecting sleep.

MOVE’s 228 mg Strength and 150 mg Endurance doses reflect that balance. They provide purposeful caffeine support while recognising that different sessions require different approaches.

MOVE Science page

Title

A birds eye view of a open MOVE Pre-workout tub.

How does pre-workout improve focus and motivation?

Training performance isn’t purely physical.
A large proportion of people train around full-time work, family commitments, study or travel. Elite athletes also arrive at sessions carrying fatigue from previous training, meetings, treatment, analysis and the general demands of professional sport.
Sometimes the biggest challenge is simply switching into training mode.
You might physically be standing in the gym, but mentally you’re still thinking about an email, a deadline or the six other things you need to do that evening.
This is where ingredients targeting cognitive readiness become valuable.

What does L-tyrosine do?

L-tyrosine is an amino acid used to produce catecholamines, including dopamine and noradrenaline. These neurotransmitters play important roles in attention, motivation, alertness and the response to stress.

During demanding conditions, catecholamine production and availability can become more important. Scientific reviews show that tyrosine supports cognitive performance when people are exposed to acute stress, sleep restriction, cold, fatigue or mentally demanding tasks.[5,6]

MOVE Strength combines 2 g of L-tyrosine with caffeine.

The ingredients work through complementary pathways. Caffeine increases arousal and reduces perceived effort, while tyrosine supports the neurotransmitters involved in focus, motivation and cognitive resilience.

This pairing is particularly relevant before difficult strength sessions, high-intensity workouts or training performed after a mentally demanding day.

It’s the difference between simply feeling awake and feeling properly engaged with what you’re doing.

MOVE Strength

Can pre-workout work without caffeine?

Yes. Caffeine is highly effective, but it isn’t essential to every pre-workout.

There are several situations where using caffeine doesn’t make sense. You might train late in the day, already have a high caffeine intake, be particularly sensitive to stimulants or simply want to reduce your reliance on them.

That doesn’t mean you have to train without any pre-workout support.

MOVE Decaf was designed as a dedicated caffeine-free formula rather than a weaker version of MOVE Strength. It targets focus, attention, controlled mental energy, nitric-oxide production and oxygen delivery through non-caffeine pathways.

The formula contains:

- 1.5 g L-tyrosine

- 500 mg CDP choline

- 400 mg L-theanine

- 400 mg Panax ginseng extract

- 495 mg Mucuna pruriens extract, providing 105 mg levodopa

- 2 g L-arginine

- 650 mg vitamin C

Each ingredient has a specific role within the formula.

DECAF Formula

How does CDP choline support focus?

CDP choline, also known as citicoline, provides choline for the production of acetylcholine and supports neuronal membrane phospholipid metabolism.

Acetylcholine is involved in attention, memory, learning and neuromuscular signalling. Human research shows that citicoline improves vigilance, attentional performance and aspects of working memory.[7]

MOVE Decaf provides 500 mg of CDP choline, creating a targeted cognitive component within the formula.

This is relevant to training because concentration affects execution. Whether you’re controlling a heavy lift, following a complex conditioning session or maintaining technique as fatigue builds, being mentally present matters.

How does L-theanine support calm energy?

L-theanine supports calm alertness and cognitive control without acting as a sedative.

Research shows that L-theanine improves attention and reaction-time responses while supporting stress regulation.[8]

This creates a very different experience from simply increasing stimulation. The goal is to feel focused and composed rather than edgy or over-aroused.

That matters because more arousal doesn’t always mean better performance. Strength, skill and endurance all require control. Feeling excessively stimulated can interfere with pacing, decision-making and technical execution.

The 400 mg L-theanine dose in MOVE Decaf helps create that controlled focus, making the formula particularly useful before evening sessions or for athletes who don’t respond well to caffeine.

Why are Panax ginseng and Mucuna pruriens included?

Panax ginseng is an adaptogenic botanical that supports working memory, calmness, mental energy and the physiological response to stress. Human research has demonstrated improvements in working-memory performance and subjective calmness following supplementation.[9]

Mucuna pruriens provides L-DOPA, the direct precursor to dopamine. Dopamine plays a central role in motivation, reward processing, drive and movement.

This is one of the more innovative areas within the MOVE range.

The sports-performance literature around dopamine-supporting ingredients is still developing, but the biological pathway is highly relevant. MOVE is at the forefront of applying this emerging area to a practical caffeine-free formulation.

Rather than relying on another stimulant, the formula supports the neurotransmitter systems that influence readiness, motivation and cognitive drive.

For athletes training after a demanding day, or anyone who wants the ritual and focus of a pre-workout without caffeine, that gives MOVE Decaf a clear purpose.

How does pre-workout support blood flow and oxygen delivery?

Blood flow and oxygen delivery matter across almost every form of exercise.

Working muscle needs oxygen and nutrients, while metabolic by-products must be transported away. Supporting vascular function helps create an environment in which muscles can continue producing high-quality work.

Nitric oxide is a signalling molecule that promotes vasodilation, widening blood vessels and supporting circulation.

L-arginine is a direct precursor used in nitric-oxide production. Scientific reviews show that L-arginine supplementation supports aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance through its effects on nitric-oxide availability, blood flow and energy metabolism.[10]

MOVE Strength, Endurance and Decaf each contain 2 g of L-arginine.

This means nitric-oxide support sits across the range rather than being limited to one type of training. The same central mechanism is relevant, but the practical application changes with the session.

During endurance exercise, increased blood flow supports oxygen delivery and the maintenance of sustained output. During strength and high-intensity exercise, oxygen delivery supports repeated muscular efforts and recovery between bouts of work.

Why combine L-arginine with vitamin C?

MOVE pairs L-arginine with vitamin C to create a complementary nitric-oxide support system.

Providing the precursor is only one part of the process. Nitric-oxide availability is also influenced by endothelial function, oxidative stress and the activity of enzymes that compete for arginine.

Vitamin C supports endothelial function and protects nitric-oxide bioavailability. Meta-analyses show that vitamin C supplementation improves endothelial function, while research combining L-arginine and vitamin C demonstrates improvements in arginine metabolism, vascular function and physical performance.[11, 12, 13]

This is why vitamin C isn’t included simply because it’s a familiar vitamin. It has a clear role within the formulation.

The combination supports the production and availability of nitric oxide, which in turn supports vasodilation, blood flow and oxygen delivery.

It’s a good example of how the MOVE formulas are put together. Ingredients aren’t viewed in isolation. They’re combined around connected mechanisms that make sense for exercise performance.

Title

What makes an endurance pre-workout different?

A strength-focused pre-workout mainly needs to support high force production, repeated intense efforts and the concentration required to execute demanding work.

Endurance training brings a wider set of demands.

A long run, ride, conditioning session or hybrid workout can involve several hours of sustained movement. Performance depends not only on alertness, but also on muscular endurance, hydration, electrolyte balance, oxygen delivery, carbohydrate availability and the ability to keep working as fatigue builds.

That is why MOVE Endurance isn’t simply MOVE Strength with less caffeine.

It contains:

- 150 mg caffeine

- 1.5 g taurine

- 900 mg blackcurrant extract

- 2 g L-arginine

- 500 mg vitamin C

- 495 mg sodium

- 726 mg chloride

- 118 mg potassium

Each serving combines central nervous system support, muscular endurance ingredients, vascular support and a meaningful electrolyte profile.

ENDURANCE Formula

How does taurine support endurance performance?

Taurine is an amino acid involved in several processes that matter during prolonged exercise.

It contributes to calcium handling within muscle cells, muscle contraction, antioxidant defence and osmoregulation. These mechanisms support muscular function and help athletes sustain exercise as fatigue develops.

Meta-analyses and systematic reviews show that taurine improves endurance performance, time to exhaustion and high-intensity exercise tolerance.[14,15]

MOVE Endurance contains 1.5 g of taurine, which sits within the acute dosing range used successfully in sports-performance research.

Taurine also complements caffeine well.

Caffeine works largely through the central nervous system, increasing alertness and reducing perceived effort. Taurine supports more peripheral processes within the muscle itself, including contractile function and fatigue resistance.

The combination therefore approaches endurance performance from two directions. Caffeine helps the athlete stay mentally engaged and tolerate the effort, while taurine supports the muscle’s ability to keep producing work.

That is particularly useful in sessions where the challenge isn’t one maximal effort, but repeating a demanding output for a long period.

What does blackcurrant extract do?

Blackcurrant extract is one of the most distinctive ingredients in MOVE Endurance.

It provides anthocyanins and other polyphenols that support vascular function, nitric-oxide signalling, oxygen delivery and fat oxidation. These mechanisms are directly relevant to prolonged exercise, where the athlete needs to deliver oxygen efficiently and preserve carbohydrate stores as the session progresses.

Research using 900 mg of New Zealand blackcurrant extract improved 5 km running performance.[16] Other studies have shown improvements in cycling performance, fat oxidation and endurance-related physiological responses.[17, 18, 19]

MOVE Endurance provides the same 900 mg dose used in acute performance research.

This is an area I’m particularly interested in from both a scientific and personal perspective. During ultra-endurance exercise, small improvements in oxygen delivery, metabolic efficiency and fatigue resistance can become increasingly meaningful as the hours accumulate.

You don’t necessarily notice one ingredient producing a dramatic moment. Instead, the value comes from supporting the systems that help you maintain pace, concentration and movement quality for longer.

Blackcurrant extract also fits the wider MOVE formulation philosophy. It isn’t included because it is a common pre-workout ingredient. It has been selected because its vascular and metabolic effects are specifically relevant to endurance performance.

Why do electrolytes matter in a pre-workout?

Electrolytes are minerals that support fluid balance, nerve signalling and muscle function.

During exercise, sodium and chloride are lost through sweat, while potassium also contributes to normal neuromuscular function and fluid regulation.

MOVE Endurance provides:

- 495 mg sodium

- 726 mg chloride

- 118 mg potassium

This gives the product a genuine hydration role rather than simply adding a token amount of electrolytes to the label.

Sodium is the main electrolyte lost through sweat. Replacing it supports fluid retention and helps athletes maintain hydration during longer sessions, particularly in warm conditions or when sweat losses are high.[20]

Chloride works alongside sodium in fluid and acid-base balance, while potassium contributes to normal muscle function and membrane potential.

The practical value depends on the athlete and the session.

A 40-minute easy run in cool weather is unlikely to create the same electrolyte demands as a two-hour summer run, a long indoor bike session or a hard conditioning workout in a hot gym.

That is why hydration should always be matched to the context.

In my work with athletes, I often look at session duration, sweat rate, environmental conditions and the athlete’s individual sweat losses. Some athletes finish sessions with very little visible sweat. Others can leave salt marks across their kit after less than an hour.

A meaningful electrolyte dose gives athletes a useful starting point, but the full hydration strategy should still reflect their individual requirements.

Can MOVE Endurance be used during exercise?

Yes.

MOVE Endurance can be taken before training, but it can also be mixed into a bottle or soft flask and consumed during longer exercise.

That flexibility is particularly useful for runners, cyclists, triathletes and hybrid athletes who don’t want to drink the full serving immediately before starting.

For example, an athlete could mix one serving into approximately 500 ml of water and sip it throughout the first hour of a long session. Alternatively, it can be mixed into a more concentrated 250–400 ml serving when carrying fluid volume is limited.

This provides caffeine, taurine, blackcurrant extract and electrolytes while the athlete is exercising, rather than relying on everything being consumed before the start.

I often use this type of approach during long runs. Drinking gradually can be more comfortable than taking a large volume immediately beforehand, particularly when the first section of the route involves hills or faster running.

The most important thing is to practise the strategy in training.

A product can have an excellent formulation, but athletes still need to learn how much fluid feels comfortable, how concentrated they like the drink and how it fits alongside gels, food or other carbohydrate sources.

Does pre-workout provide enough carbohydrate for endurance exercise?

A pre-workout isn’t automatically a fuelling product.

MOVE Endurance supports alertness, fatigue resistance, hydration and oxygen delivery, but prolonged exercise can also require carbohydrate.

Carbohydrate is one of the main fuels used during moderate-to-high-intensity endurance exercise. As sessions become longer, maintaining carbohydrate availability helps preserve performance, supports blood glucose and delays fatigue.[21]

That is where MOVE Carb Booster fits into the range.

Each serving provides 30 g of highly branched cyclic dextrin, an advanced carbohydrate selected for its high molecular weight, low osmolality and practical gastrointestinal profile.

CARB BOOSTER

What is highly branched cyclic dextrin?

Highly branched cyclic dextrin is a carbohydrate produced from starch through an enzymatic process.

Its structure gives it a high molecular weight while allowing it to create a relatively low-osmolality drink.

Osmolality refers to the concentration of dissolved particles within a fluid. Drinks with a very high concentration of particles can sit heavily in the stomach and slow gastric emptying.

Because highly branched cyclic dextrin has a high molecular weight, it can deliver a useful amount of carbohydrate without creating the same concentration of small particles as some simpler carbohydrate sources.

Research shows that highly branched cyclic dextrin empties from the stomach quickly and produces fewer gastrointestinal issues during exercise than some traditional glucose- or maltodextrin-based drinks.[22,23]

It has also been associated with reduced perceived effort and favourable endurance responses.[24,25]

In practical terms, it provides carbohydrate without making the drink excessively sweet or heavy.

That matters during long sessions. Sweetness fatigue is real, particularly during ultras, long rides and multi-hour events. A drink that tastes fine in the first 30 minutes can become difficult to tolerate several hours later.

MOVE Carb Booster is unflavoured and unsweetened, so it can be added to MOVE Endurance without overwhelming the flavour.

CARB BOOSTER

How much carbohydrate do you need during exercise?

The answer depends on the duration, intensity and type of session.

Shorter or easier sessions may not need any additional carbohydrate.

As exercise extends beyond approximately 60–90 minutes, carbohydrate becomes increasingly useful. Many endurance athletes work towards intakes of around 30–60 g per hour, while well-trained athletes competing in longer or more demanding events can use higher intakes when their gut has been trained to tolerate them.[21]

MOVE Carb Booster provides a simple 30 g unit.

That makes it easy to build a fuelling plan:

- One serving provides 30 g carbohydrate.

- Two servings provide 60 g carbohydrate.

- Carb Booster can also be combined with gels, chews or food to reach a higher hourly target.

The separate format is important.

A short session doesn’t require the same carbohydrate intake as a four-hour long run. Keeping Carb Booster separate allows the athlete to scale carbohydrate to the actual demands of the session rather than receiving the same fixed amount every time they use a pre-workout.

This is how I approach fuelling in practice. The formula provides the tools, but the amount should reflect the work.

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Where does creatine fit into a pre-workout routine?

MOVE CREATINE

Creatine is often included inside pre-workout products, but it works differently from acute ingredients such as caffeine.

Creatine monohydrate increases creatine and phosphocreatine stores within muscle. This improves the ability to regenerate ATP during short, high-intensity efforts such as heavy lifting, sprinting and repeated explosive exercise.[26]

Scientific reviews and meta-analyses show that creatine improves:

- Maximal strength

- Power output

- Repeated high-intensity performance

- Resistance-training volume

- Lean mass development

- Long-term training adaptation[26, 27, 28, 29, 30]

The important point is that creatine works through consistent daily intake.

You don’t need to take it 30 minutes before training for it to work. You need to take it regularly enough to keep muscle creatine stores elevated.

MOVE Creatine Booster provides 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving.

It can be mixed with MOVE Strength, Endurance or Decaf, but it can also be taken at breakfast, after training or at another convenient time.

I’ve used creatine consistently across both strength and endurance training. Its obvious applications are strength, power and gym performance, but it also makes sense for hybrid athletes who need to preserve strength and repeated high-intensity output alongside high endurance workloads.

The most important thing is consistency. There is little benefit in worrying about the perfect five-minute timing window while forgetting to take it on half the days of the week.

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When should you take pre-workout?

For most powdered pre-workouts, 30–60 minutes before exercise is a useful starting point.

That allows time for the ingredients to be consumed, absorbed and begin taking effect.

However, the exact timing should reflect the product and the session.

MOVE Strength

Take MOVE Strength approximately 30–60 minutes before resistance training, power sessions or high-intensity workouts.

If you have a long warm-up or commute to the gym, consuming it before leaving home can work well.

STRENGTH Formula

MOVE Endurance

MOVE Endurance can be consumed 30–60 minutes before training or sipped during prolonged exercise.

For longer sessions, mixing it into a bottle can spread fluid and ingredient intake across the early stages of the workout.

ENDURANCE Formula

MOVE Decaf

Take MOVE Decaf approximately 30–45 minutes before exercise.

It is particularly useful before afternoon or evening training, or when you want to avoid adding more caffeine to the day.

DECAF Formula

Carb Booster

Carb Booster can be consumed before exercise or during sessions lasting 60 minutes or longer.

It can be mixed with MOVE Endurance or added to another drink as part of a wider carbohydrate plan.

CARB BOOSTER

Creatine Booster

Creatine Booster can be taken at any convenient time.

The priority is daily consistency rather than exact timing.

CREATINE BOOSTER

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How does pre-workout timing affect sleep?

Caffeine can improve performance, but it can also interfere with sleep.

Research shows that caffeine reduces total sleep time and sleep efficiency, particularly when higher doses are consumed close to bedtime.[31,32]

This creates a common problem for athletes who train in the evening.

They want enough energy to train well, but taking caffeine at 6 or 7 pm can leave them struggling to sleep later that night.

That trade-off is rarely worthwhile.

Sleep is one of the most important recovery tools available to an athlete. It supports physical recovery, cognitive function, hormone regulation and the ability to train effectively again.

There’s no point squeezing slightly more output from one evening session if it compromises the next day.

MOVE Decaf solves that practical problem by supporting focus, attention, motivation, blood flow and oxygen delivery without caffeine.

That gives athletes a way to maintain the routine and psychological preparation of taking a pre-workout without adding a stimulant late in the day.

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Who should use pre-workout?

Pre-workout is most useful for healthy adults who want targeted support for a specific training demand.