Walk into any supplement aisle and the pre-workout shelf is the loudest one there. Neon tubs, names in all caps, ingredient lists that read like a chemistry final. Most of it is noise designed to make you feel something within ten minutes, whether or not that feeling translates into a better session.
We built our pre-workout lineup around a different question: what do you actually need before you train, and in what format will you actually take it? That produced three distinct answers, not one hero product. A powder for people who train at home or at a gym with a water bottle. A dissolvable strip for people who train away from a kitchen. And a stimulant-free option for people who train at night or just don't want caffeine in the equation.
Here's the honest breakdown of all three, including who should skip each one.
The quick comparison
| Product | Format | Stimulant? | Best for | Price (1-pack) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Powder | Mixable powder, 3 flavors | Yes — caffeine + L-theanine | Gym and home training, gaming, long work blocks | $34.99 |
| Energy Strips | Dissolvable oral strip | Yes — green tea caffeine + L-theanine | Travel, commutes, trail runs, no-water situations | $36.50 |
| Beetroot | Capsule | No | Evening training, endurance work, caffeine-sensitive people | $16.77 |
Power Powder: the default pick
If you only take one thing from this post, it's that Power Powder is the pre-workout most people should start with. It's built on the caffeine and L-theanine pairing — caffeine for the lift, L-theanine to take the edge off it. It's sugar-free, and it includes electrolytes, which matters more than people expect if you sweat heavily or train in heat.
Caffeine is one of the few supplements with genuinely strong evidence behind it as a performance aid, and it consistently lands in the top tier of ingredients reviewed by sports nutrition researchers[1,2]. It is not a marketing gimmick. The gimmick is the dose escalation arms race — the tubs promising ever-larger stimulant hits, which mostly buys you jitters and a worse afternoon.
Three flavors, all the same formula:
- Power Powder (Fruit Punch) — the classic. If you're unsure, start here.
- Power Powder (Guava Berry) — lighter and more tart, good if fruit punch reads too sweet to you.
- Power Powder (Melon Creamsicle) — the creamier one. Divisive in the best way.
Skip it if: you train within about six hours of bed, or caffeine reliably wrecks your sleep. Move to Beetroot instead.
Energy Strips: the one that fits in a pocket
Powder assumes you have water, a shaker, and thirty seconds. That assumption breaks constantly — on a plane, in a car, mid-hike, twenty minutes into a workday that went sideways.
Energy Strips dissolve on your tongue. No water, no mixing, no bottle rattling around your bag. The formula pairs green tea caffeine with L-theanine, plus vitamin B12, which plays a role in normal energy metabolism.
The tradeoff is honest: you're paying a small premium per serving for a format that works where powder doesn't. If you train in the same place every day with a water bottle in hand, that premium buys you nothing. If you travel, it buys you consistency — and consistency is the whole game with supplements.
Skip it if: you train at home or at one gym and always have water. Get the powder and save the difference.
Beetroot: the stimulant-free option
Not every pre-workout needs to be a stimulant. Beetroot is naturally rich in dietary nitrates, which the body uses in the pathway that produces nitric oxide — the mechanism behind beetroot's reputation for supporting blood flow and oxygen delivery to working muscle. Dietary nitrate, like caffeine, shows up among the better-supported ergogenic ingredients in sports nutrition reviews[2].
The practical case for it is simple. You can take it at 8pm and still sleep. You can stack it with caffeine on days you want both. And it's the cheapest product in the lineup by a wide margin.
Skip it if: what you actually want is alertness and focus rather than endurance support. Nitrates won't wake you up.
How to choose in thirty seconds
- Train in the morning or midday, at home or a gym? Power Powder. Pick a flavor and move on.
- Train on the road, or away from water? Energy Strips.
- Train in the evening, or caffeine-sensitive? Beetroot.
- Endurance-focused and want both? Beetroot plus either caffeinated option, on the days you want the lift.
One note on timing that applies across the board: pre-workout ingredients have different optimal windows, and stimulants generally want a lead time rather than being taken as you walk onto the floor[1]. Give yourself a buffer and you'll get more out of the same serving.
Frequently asked questions
How much caffeine is in Power Powder and Energy Strips?
Exact amounts are printed on each product's Supplement Facts panel, which you can see on the product page. We publish per-ingredient doses rather than hiding them in a proprietary blend — that's a standing policy, not a feature of one product.
Can I take Power Powder and Energy Strips together?
We wouldn't. Both are caffeinated, and stacking them means doubling your stimulant load for no added benefit. Pick the one that fits the day.
Can I stack Beetroot with a caffeinated pre-workout?
Yes. Beetroot contains no stimulants, so it layers cleanly with either caffeinated product. This is a common approach for endurance sessions.
Do I need a pre-workout at all?
No. Sleep, food, and consistent training do far more than any pre-workout will. These are a small edge on top of the fundamentals, not a substitute for them.
Which flavor of Power Powder should I get first?
Fruit Punch. It's the most broadly liked of the three, and the formula is identical across flavors — so if you like the effect but not the taste, you can switch without starting over.
The bottom line
Three products, three genuinely different jobs. Most people want Power Powder, travelers want Energy Strips, and evening trainers want Beetroot. If you're still torn, start with the powder — it's the most versatile, and you'll learn a lot about what you actually need from one month of using it.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to a healthcare professional before starting a new supplement, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a health condition.
References
- Naderi, A., de Oliveira, E.P., Ziegenfuss, T.N., & Willems, M.E.T. (2016). Timing, Optimal Dose and Intake Duration of Dietary Supplements with Evidence-Based Use in Sports Nutrition. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, 20(4), 1–12. View source
- Kerksick, C.M., Wilborn, C.D., Roberts, M.D., et al. (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(38). View source
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