Remember that annoying, prickly tingle you get after a pre-workout? The one that makes you feel like you're covered in ants? That’s beta-alanine at work.
We know many gym-goers in the UK have come to expect that “tingle” as a pre-workout rite of passage. But we weren’t convinced it was necessary for a great workout. In fact, when formulating our own version of pre-workout, we made a bold choice: no beta-alanine.
Instead, we packed our pre-workout with clean ingredients to give you a powerful boost without the unwanted side effects or fluff.
Here, we'll explain what beta-alanine is, why most other pre-workouts use it, and the reasons we purposely left it out. We’ll also show you what we use instead to fuel your workouts naturally and effectively.
Why Other Pre-Workouts Use Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is one of the most common ingredients in pre-workout supplements.
- Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that helps your muscles fight off fatigue.
- Beta-alanine combines with another amino acid like histidine to form carnosine, a compound that gets stored in muscles to buffer acid buildup during intense workouts.
- Beta-alanine triggers a process that delays that acidic feeling you get in your muscles.
In theory, this helps you perform for a bit longer before feeling fatigued. However, what a lot of lifters don't realise is that:
- No Immediate Benefit: Beta-alanine offers zero performance boost in a single workout. It only works after weeks of consistent, daily supplementation to build up carnosine stores.
- No Instant Results: That one scoop of pre-workout isn't going to magically let you smash out five extra reps today.
This is exactly why many athletes (especially in the UK and beyond) started searching for pre-workout alternatives without beta-alanine. And that’s exactly the path we chose with MOVE Pre-Workout.
Introducing MOVE: UK's First Beta-Alanine-Free Pre-Workout
We’re proud to say that when we launched, it was tough to find a pre-workout that wasn’t loaded with beta-alanine or unnecessary fillers. We set out to create UK's first truly clean pre-workout, and that approach has earned us a loyal following.
MOVE Pre-Workout is a clean formula that focuses on effective, science-backed ingredients. It's even been recognised with the Women’s Fitness Nutrition Awards 2024 and is Informed Sport certified for quality.
Whether you try our Original formula or the Endurance version, you can look forward to clean energy and focus without the itch or the crash.
Why Our Pre-Workout Has No Beta-Alanine
We didn’t forget to include beta-alanine. We left it out on purpose. Here’s why:
1. Real Boost, Real Time
We designed MOVE for athletes who want to feel results today. Not after weeks of loading. You should feel a noticeable difference from the very first scoop.
2. No Tingles, No Distractions
That tingling sensation (called paresthesia) is often used by brands as proof their formula is “working.” But in reality, it is just a side effect. It does not enhance performance. We think you should be focused on your lifts, not your itchy face. No beta-alanine means no tingles. Simple.
3. Real Performance, No Placebo
Some pre-workouts rely on tingles to convince you they are effective. We do not do that. Every ingredient in MOVE has a clear purpose and a proven benefit you can actually feel.
4. More Flexibility
Since beta-alanine needs to be taken every day to work, it assumes you will use pre-workout religiously. But not everyone trains daily or wants to take pre every session. With MOVE, you can use it when you need it, with no performance penalty.
In short, we left out beta-alanine because it doesn’t align with our mission of providing clean, effective, and immediate workout fuel. We’re about real performance, not the illusion of it.
Our Clean Ingredients for Performance
“So, if you took beta-alanine out, what did you put in?”
Don’t worry, we didn’t strip down the formula; we improved it. MOVE Pre-Workout is packed with clean, science-backed ingredients that give you a boost you can feel right away, without any unnecessary additives.
A beta-alanine-free pre-workout can still fully deliver on energy, focus, and performance, without the long loading phase or side effects.
Essentially, instead of buffering muscle acid with carnosine (beta-alanine’s role), you can improve performance by increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles and by stimulating focus and energy. Our formula takes that route.
Here are the core ingredients of our pre-workout and why they matter
Caffeine (228 mg per serving)
The main role of caffeine in pre-workouts is to stimulate energy and alertness.
- Caffeine fires you up by stimulating your central nervous system, helping increase alertness, drive, and even output during workouts.
- Caffeine serving in MOVE is equivalent to two strong cups of coffee which is just right to deliver sustained energy without jitters or a crash.
- 3 mg of caffeine per kg body weight is often cited as optimal for performance and 228 mg hits that sweet spot for many people.
L-Tyrosine (1500 mg)
An amino acid that helps your brain focus better.
- L-Tyrosine produces important neurotransmitters like dopamine and noradrenaline that can get depleted under stress (such as heavy workouts).
- Supplementing with L-Tyrosine supports better mental focus and cognitive function during tough training sessions.
- It enhances focus and mind-muscle connection.
- It works synergetically with caffeine to give you focused energy.
L-Arginine (2000 mg)
Helps boost blood flow during training.
- L-Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide, which means it helps boost blood flow where you need it.
- Better blood flow equals a better muscle pump, improved nutrient delivery, and more oxygen to your working muscles.
- L-arginine helps you train longer before fatigue sets in by reducing the buildup of exercise-induced waste products.
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L-arginine makes your post-workout flex that much more impressive.
Vitamins B12 & D3
Vital micronutrients for a truly clean and comprehensive pre-workout to support your overall wellness.
- Vitamin B12 helps your body’s energy metabolism by turning the food you eat into usable energy.
- Vitamin D3 supports muscle function, bone health, and immunity.
In addition to the above, MOVE Pre-Workout does not use any artificial flavours, colours, or unnecessary additives in our tub and sachets.
A lot of pre-workouts on the market rely on synthetic flavours and dyes, which might make for a neon-coloured drink, but can leave a chemical aftertaste or cause digestive issues. We said no thanks to that.
Our product is flavoured with real ingredients. For example, beetroot provides the rich colour in our Move Original Formula Evergreen Lime flavour, and stevia leaf provides sweetness. The result is a smooth, refreshing taste without the artificial aftertaste or upset stomach risk.
Give MOVE Endurance or MOVE Original a go and see the results for yourself!
Knowing What You’re Putting in Your Body
Transparency is a huge part of our “clean ingredients” ethos. We don’t hide behind proprietary blends. Every ingredient and its exact dosage is listed clearly on our label. This means you know precisely what you’re putting in your body, and that each active ingredient is dosed at a level that actually works.
Many big-name pre-workouts use proprietary blends to mask underdosed formulas or to slip in fillers. Not us. With MOVE, what you see is what you get: clinically effective doses and full disclosure.
We believe you deserve to know how much of each ingredient you’re paying for, and how it’s going to help you. This honesty, along with rigorous quality control, is what makes us confident to say we have a truly effective and clean pre-workout.
In the end, leaving beta-alanine out of our pre-workout formula wasn’t about taking something away, but about making room for better things.
By skipping an ingredient that doesn’t pull its weight in the short term (and can annoy you with side effects), we’ve been able to double down on ingredients that hit hard when it counts.
The result is a clean pre-workout that delivers energised, focused, and powerful workouts without any gimmicks.
If you’re tired of itchy, jittery sessions from heavy stimulants, beta-alanine-laden powders, know that there’s a better way. We’ve tried it, we loved it, and we think you will too. Here’s to crushing your fitness goals with clarity and clean fuel.
FAQs on Pre-Workouts Without Beta-Alanine
Isn’t beta-alanine a proven performance booster? Am I missing out by not having it in my pre-workout?
Beta-alanine can improve muscular endurance, but only if you take it consistently (every day) for weeks. If you’re not taking beta-alanine daily, you’re not losing much by skipping it in your pre-workout.
What do you use to replace beta-alanine’s effects?
To support muscular endurance and fight fatigue, we focus on nitric oxide boosters and other performance enhancers. In MOVE Pre-Workout, for example, we include L-arginine to improve blood flow and delay fatigue, which covers a similar territory of helping you go harder for longer.
Will a pre-workout without beta-alanine still give me a good “pump” and energy rush?
Absolutely, yes! The muscle pump mostly comes from increased blood flow to muscles, which is more about nitric oxide and volumising ingredients than beta-alanine.
Our pre-workout has you covered there with L-arginine (and many other brands use citrulline for the same reason). As for the energy rush, that mainly comes from stimulants like caffeine and supporting nootropics like tyrosine, not from beta-alanine.
Who benefits most from a beta-alanine-free pre-workout?
Anyone who finds the tingles distracting or unpleasant, and those who don’t consistently take pre-workout every single day.
A BA-free formula is perfect for casual gym-goers, and those looking at pre-workout for beginners. It gives you all the upsides (energy, focus, endurance, pump) without the downsides.
Is MOVE Pre-Workout really the first of its kind in the UK?
We’re proud to say yes. MOVE is a trailblazer in the UK market. When we launched, it was hard to find a pre-workout that wasn’t loaded with beta-alanine or unnecessary additives. We set out to create the UK’s first pre-workout with all clean ingredients: no beta-alanine as a filler, no artificial sweeteners, and no hidden blends. That approach has earned us a loyal following among UK gym-goers who care about what they put in their bodies.