Myprotein Pre-Workout, also called THE Pre-Workout, is a popular and relatively affordable pre-workout supplement. The company describes their supplement as “turbocharged…delivering an explosive boost when you need it most.”

But does THE Pre-Workout contain research-backed ingredients for supporting energy and performance at the gym, or are these just marketing claims? Does the supplement contain any questionable additive ingredients? How do real users rate and describe its effects? And does the supplement cause side effects?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Myprotein’s pre-workout based on medical studies to give our take on whether or not it’s likely to be effective for boosting energy and performance.

We’ll feature unsponsored customer reviews, and discuss the potential for side effects.

Ingredient Analysis

The active ingredients in Myprotein Pre-Workout are shown above.

Niacin, folic acid and vitamin B12 are all B-vitamins, and while these are commonly included in pre-workout formulations, we haven’t come across any clinical evidence that they increase energy levels or improve gym performance.

Folic acid supplementation is associated with increased prostate cancer risk according to a medical review published in the Current Nutrition Reports journal.

L-citrulline is an amino acid that increased athletic endurance in trained cyclists at a dose somewhat similar to that in Myprotein’s pre-workout, in a 2020 clinical trial.

Betaine was shown to increase athletic power at the same dose as exists in this supplement, in a 2010 clinical trial. Bench press, vertical jump and squat performance all increased in the group supplementing with betaine.

Creatine is clinically shown to improve muscle performance, as we documented in our review of Ryse Pre-Workout.

Beta-alanine can reduce fatigue while exercising according to a 2012 medical review.

Caffeine is one of the most well-studied ergogenic (exercise enhancing) compounds, and the 150 milligram (mg) dose in Myprotein Pre-Workout should improve both strength and endurance according to a 2021 meta-study.

Clearly, there are a number of research-backed and likely effective compounds in this pre-workout. 

However, there are also some potentially questionable additives.

The inactive ingredients in the Grape flavor of this supplement are shown below:

Artificial flavors is a broad categorical term that fails to describe the specific flavoring agents used. Some synthetic flavoring additives have been clinically shown to be toxic to animals.

Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer that can cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals, as we documented in our Ghost Pre Workout reviews article.

Acesulfame potassium and sucralose are artificial sweeteners, the former of which was shown to have negative effects on body weight and gut function in an animal study.

Overall, we consider Myprotein THE Pre-Workout very likely to enhance gym performance including energy levels, power and endurance. From an efficacy standpoint, this is one of the more impressive pre-workout formulations we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.

We don’t currently recommend this supplement overall due to the inactive ingredients highlighted above, and folic acid.

But how do real users rate and describe the effects of this supplement? We’ll feature some unsponsored customer reviews in the next section of this article.

Real People Review Myprotein Pre-Workout

A YouTube creator named “NoFate247” reviewed Myprotein’s pre-workout and even included a workout after consuming the supplement:

A TikTok creator named “Sam_Goatlifters” reviewed both the taste and performance effects of Myprotein’s pre-workout:

@sam_goatlifters Reviewing “the pre workout” @myprotein (honest review) #gymtok #fyp ♬ original sound - Sam_Goatlifters

Will it Cause Side Effects?

THE Pre-Workout doesn’t appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it more challenging to assess the potential for side effects.

However, we can make an educated guess based on the ingredients.

Caffeine can cause anxiety and jitters, but the dose in Myprotein Pre-Workout is equivalent to around 1.5 cups of coffee, and unlikely to cause these effects in otherwise healthy adults.

Beta-alanine is clinically shown to cause tingling throughout the body in some individuals, as we discussed in our Total War Preworkout reviews article. 

Overall, we do not consider Myprotein Pre-Workout likely to cause side effects in otherwise healthy adults, however we consider pre-workout supplements as a category to be more likely than other categories of supplements to cause side effects given that one of their primary functions is as a stimulant.

There is no mention of potential side effects on the product page on the brand’s website at the time of publishing this article.

Our Clean Pre-Workout Picks

Naked Energy by Naked Nutrition is our top pre-workout powder pick.

It provides an effective dose of beta alanine and caffeine for power and stamina improvements.

Pique Breakfast Black Tea Sticks is our top whole food energy pick.

Black tea consumption is "associated with rapid increases in alertness and information processing capacity" according to a clinical trial, and Pique's tea is organic and comes in convenient stick packs that can be mixed into water, so a teapot or kettle are not needed.

Both of the products mentioned in this section are entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

What are the Worst Pre-Workouts?

One of the most popular YouTube videos on the topic of pre-workouts is published by fitness influencer Sean Nalewanyj, who shares his thoughts on the worst pre-workouts on the market in a video with over 800,000 views:

Pros and Cons of Myprotein Pre-Workout

Here are the pros and cons of Myprotein Pre-Workout in our opinion:

Pros:

• Highly potent formulation
• Should increase energy
• Should increase power
• Should increase endurance
• Moderate caffeine dose
• Affordable compared to competitors

Cons:

• Contains folic acid
• Contains artificial sweeteners
• Contains artificial flavors
• Contains citric acid
• Doesn’t appear to be clinically tested
• Brand website charges for shipping

Conclusion

Myprotein THE Pre-Workout is one of the most potent pre-workout supplements that we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.

This supplement contains a wide array of research-backed active ingredients that should improve gym performance and enhance energy. 

We don’t currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of folic acid, and several inactive ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective.

At the time of publishing this article, the brand’s website (linked here), appears to be the only official retailer of this supplement.

We don’t consider THE Pre-Workout likely to cause side effects in the average healthy adult, although some of its ingredients have been clinically shown to cause side effects in some individuals.

Most of the customer reviews of this supplement that we came across while researching this article were favorable, but it’s hard to assess aggregate consumer sentiment when a supplement isn’t available on Amazon.