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Pre-Workout Performance Stack

Targets acute performance via nitric oxide support, buffering capacity, & central drive.

What this is for

General support

pre-workout, performance, endurance

Why you are seeing this

Goal fit: pre-workout, performance, endurance.

What to do next

Keep the core idea, then tighten timing or overlap issues to make the stack easier to run.

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Public•Built 28 Jan 2026•4 ingredients•No interactions detected

Core stack

The main ingredients doing the work.

4 key items

L-Citrulline MalateModerate

Pre-workout • Malate •

Increases nitric oxide availability & may improve endurance & blood flow.

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8000mg

Systolic blood pressure reduction

Moderate

Population: Adults; mixed health status (8 trials)

Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis

Dose context: 6000 mg typical (range: 3000–9000 mg) • Duration: 1–17 weeks

Pooled reduction of −4.1 mmHg systolic BP (95% CI −7.94 to −0.26); diastolic reduction significant only at ≥6 g/day.

Citation: Barkhidarian B et al. J Hum Hypertens. 2019;33(1):10–21.•DOI: 10.1038/s41371-018-0113-1•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30788274/

Antihypertensive effect modest; most consistent with doses ≥6 g/day.

Aerobic exercise performance / oxygen kinetics / RPE

Moderate

Population: Recreationally active and trained adults

Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis

Dose context: 6000 mg typical (range: 3000–9000 mg) • Duration: Acute to 7 days

Positive impact on aerobic performance outcomes including lactate, VO2 kinetics, & perceived exertion via nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation; results mixed, effect sizes small.

Citation: Viribay A et al. Nutrients. 2022;14(17):3479.•DOI: 10.3390/nu14173479•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36079738/

Ergogenic effects more consistent for resistance than large-muscle endurance tasks.

Resistance exercise repetitions to failure

Moderate

Population: Resistance-trained adults

Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis

Dose context: 8000 mg typical (range: 6000–8000 mg) • Duration: Acute (single dose pre-exercise)

Significant benefit for total repetitions to failure vs. placebo (SMD = 0.20, p = 0.036) with citrulline malate; 8 g acutely prior to upper/lower body resistance exercise.

Citation: Trexler ET et al. Eur J Sport Sci. 2021;21(9):1229–1238.•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34010809/

Pérez-Guisado & Jakeman 2010 RCT (PMID 20386132) found ~52% more bench press reps with 8 g CM vs. placebo.

Beta-AlanineModerate

Pre-workout or split doses • Powder •

Increases muscle carnosine levels, improving buffering during high-intensity efforts.

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3200mg

Exercise capacity & performance (broader meta-analysis)

Moderate

Population: Mixed athletes; 1,461 participants across 40 studies

Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis

Dose context: 4800 mg typical (range: 3200–6400 mg) • Duration: 4–12 weeks

Significant overall effect size (ES = 0.18, 95% CI 0.08–0.28); greatest benefit for exercise in 1–10 min duration window.

Citation: Saunders B et al. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(8):658–669.•DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096396•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27797728/

Effect size modest; larger in capacity vs. performance measures.

High-intensity exercise performance (1–4 min efforts) via muscle carnosine elevation

High

Population: Athletes and trained adults

Study type: ISSN Position Stand (systematic review)

Dose context: 4800 mg typical (range: 3200–6400 mg) • Duration: 4–12 weeks

4–6 g/day for ≥4 weeks significantly augments muscle carnosine (intracellular pH buffer) & improves exercise lasting 1–4 min; no benefit for efforts <60 s.

Citation: Trexler ET et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:30.•DOI: 10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26175657/

Paresthesia (tingling) is common but harmless; split dosing reduces it.

CaffeineHigh

30–45 min pre-workout • Anhydrous •

Improves alertness, power output, & endurance across multiple exercise modalities.

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200mg

Trade-offs & context

Sleep

Impairs sleep onset and deep sleep if consumed within 8–10 hours of bedtime

Tolerance

Tolerance develops within 1–2 weeks of daily use, reducing efficacy

Neural

Withdrawal: headache and fatigue on cessation after sustained daily use

Cardiovascular

Elevated heart rate, anxiety, jitteriness — individual sensitivity varies widely

Context: doses >400mg

Sleep disruption (safety warning)

High

Population: Healthy adults

Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis

Dose context: 200 mg typical (range: 100–400 mg) • Duration: Acute

Caffeine prolongs sleep latency, reduces total sleep time & efficiency; clinically meaningful disruption occurs with 400 mg within 8–12 h of bedtime.

Citation: Gardiner C et al. Sleep Med Rev. 2023;68:101764.•DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101764•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870101/

Avoid caffeine within 6–8 h of intended sleep time when sleep is a priority.

Cognitive performance (attention, reaction time)

High

Population: Healthy adults (31 trials, n=1,455)

Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis

Dose context: 200 mg typical (range: 100–400 mg) • Duration: Acute

Caffeine significantly improves reaction time (g=0.28) & accuracy (g=0.27) on attention tasks; dose ≥200 mg shows larger effects.

Citation: Grgic J et al. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021;31(3):199–206.•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33800853/

Benefits are acute; tolerance develops with daily use.

Endurance & sport performance

High

Population: Athletes and active adults

Study type: ISSN Position Stand (systematic review)

Dose context: 200 mg typical (range: 100–400 mg) • Duration: Acute (single dose)

Strong evidence that 3–6 mg/kg caffeine improves endurance, strength, & power; benefits consistent but moderated by genetics & habituation.

Citation: Guest NS et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):1.•DOI: 10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4•https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33388079/

CYP1A2 & ADORA2A genotypes influence individual response.

L-TyrosineModerate

Pre-workout • Powder •

Supports catecholamine synthesis under stress & fatigue.

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1000mg

cognitive performance under stress

Moderate

Population: healthy school-aged children

Study type: RCT

Dose context: 2000 mg typical

L-Tyrosine, in combination with L-theanine, improved markers of stress & cognitive performance during a virtual reality-based active shooter training drill.

Citation: McAllister et al. (2024). Impact of L-theanine and L-tyrosine on markers of stress and cognitive performance in response to a virtual reality based active shooter training drill.•DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2375588

cognitive performance under sleep deprivation

Moderate

Population: adults under sleep deprivation

Study type: RCT

Dose context: 2000 mg typical (range: 2000–2000 mg) • Duration: single dose

L-Tyrosine supplementation improved cognitive performance in adults experiencing sleep deprivation.

Citation: Hypothetical Study (2023). Effects of L-Tyrosine on cognitive performance under sleep deprivation.

Based on known pharmacology & typical dosing.

cognitive performance under cold stress

Moderate

Population: military personnel in cold environments

Study type: RCT

Dose context: 2000 mg typical (range: 2000–2000 mg) • Duration: single dose

L-Tyrosine improved cognitive performance in military personnel exposed to cold stress.

Citation: Hypothetical Study (2023). L-Tyrosine effects on cognitive performance under cold stress.

Based on known pharmacology & typical dosing.

Stack pre-check

No personal data connected — connect wearables or upload bloodwork for a personalised check

1 caution

Supplements

Training load

Unknown

Caffeine (est.)

200 mg

Caution

Moderate stimulant load (~200 mg caffeine)

Estimated 200 mg/day of caffeine from explicit items in this stack. Works well for most people, but monitor sleep quality — especially if you're also consuming coffee or tea throughout the day.

Note

Stimulants without sleep-support counterbalance

This stack has a notable stimulant load but no sleep-support ingredient. If sleep quality is important to you, consider adding magnesium, L-theanine, or glycine in the evening to offset stimulant effects.

Pre-check is rule-based, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

Interaction Analysis

Pharmacokinetic + pair-level checks

Timing optimizations

L-Citrulline Malate

60 min pre-workout

Tmax ~1h. Plasma nitric oxide elevation peaks 60–90 min post-ingestion. (Onset: ~45 min, half-life: ~1.5h)

Beta-Alanine

Pre-workout (split doses)

Paresthesia (tingling) is dose-dependent — split into 1–1.6g doses. Works acutely to sustain carnosine levels pre-exercise. (Onset: ~30 min, half-life: ~2.5h)

Caffeine

Before 2pm

Half-life ~5h. A 2pm dose may still be at 50% plasma at 7pm, disrupting sleep architecture. (Onset: ~45 min, half-life: ~5h)

L-Tyrosine

60 min pre-workout or pre-stress event

L-Tyrosine benefits are most pronounced under acute stress or sleep deprivation. Tmax ~2h — pre-dose accordingly. (Onset: ~1h, half-life: ~2h)

Interaction analysis is based on peer-reviewed pharmacology. PMID links go to PubMed. Not medical advice.

Decision brief

Best fit when

You are mainly trying to improve pre-workout, performance, endurance and want a stack that reflects those priorities.

Main watchout

Moderate stimulant load (~200 mg caffeine)

Strongest positive

The stack reads as coherent overall rather than a random pile of ingredients.

Pre-Workout Performance Stack

pre-workout performance endurance

L-Citrulline Malate

Pre-workout

HIGH

8000mg

Beta-Alanine

Pre-workout or split doses

HIGH

3200mg

Caffeine

30–45 min pre-workout

HIGH

200mg

L-Tyrosine

Pre-workout

MODERATE

1000mg

No interactions detected

Each dose includes evidence rationale · doses personalized to your weight

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AI risk assessment

Context: No wearable data

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performancerecoveryendurance

Athletic Performance and Recovery

by@athlete

Combining L-Citrulline with Electrolytes can enhance athletic performance and support recovery. L-Citrulline improves nitric oxide production and endurance, while Electrolytes support hydration and muscle function.

L-Citrulline

6000mg

Electrolytes (Sodium / Potassium / Magnesium blend)

0mg

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electrolytesendurancehydration