Pre-Workout Cognitive
Mind-muscle connection and training focus
Enhanced reaction time, focus during training, and reduced perceived exertion
Estimated Monthly Cost
$45
Ingredients
4
Why These Combine
A training-day stack, and the evidence behind it is sports-science evidence: small trials in young men measuring force, time to exhaustion and perceived effort. Creatine is the anchor, with the largest safety and performance literature of any supplement on this site — the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand records no safety signal at up to 30 g a day for five years in healthy adults (Kreider 2017) — and because it works by saturating muscle and brain phosphocreatine over weeks, when you take it relative to the session matters far less than taking it every day. Alpha-GPC is the contested piece. Thirteen college-aged men who took 600 mg a day for six days increased isometric mid-thigh-pull peak force against placebo (Bellar 2015), but a larger trial of 48 men given 250 or 500 mg a day for seven days found no difference in isometric strength or psychomotor vigilance, group differences in jump velocity and power with the best result at the lower dose, and a significant fall in thyroid-stimulating hormone at 500 mg (Marcus 2017). Note also that both trials dosed daily for about a week; neither tested a single dose 30 minutes before training, which is how this stack schedules it. Rhodiola's acute data are more consistent: 200 mg an hour before exercise extended time to exhaustion from 16.8 to 17.2 minutes and raised VO2peak in 24 young adults, while four weeks of daily intake added nothing further (De Bock 2004), and 3 mg/kg an hour before a six-mile cycling time trial produced a 25.4- versus 25.8-minute finish with lower perceived exertion in 18 subjects (Noreen 2013). Real, but measured in seconds. L-theanine at 100 mg is a guess: its anti-stress data are a 12-person acute crossover (Kimura 2007), with no training study behind it. Compared with Clean Energy this keeps the creatine and rhodiola and adds acute alpha-GPC; if the goal is concentration at a desk rather than in a gym, Focus & Flow is the better fit. Verdict: creatine daily, rhodiola before hard sessions if you want to test it, alpha-GPC as a cautious experiment — and start at 300 mg as the disclaimer says, both for blood pressure and for the thyroid finding.
Full Ingredient Protocol
600 mg/day for 6 days raised isometric mid-thigh-pull force in 13 men (Bellar 2015); a 48-man trial found no strength or vigilance gain and lower TSH at 500 mg (Marcus 2017)
Phosphocreatine for ATP regeneration in muscle and brain; the best-studied supplement here, safe at up to 30 g/day for 5 years in healthy adults (Kreider 2017)
Acute 200 mg one hour before exercise extended time to exhaustion by 24 seconds and raised VO2peak in 24 young adults (De Bock 2004); 3 mg/kg cut a 6-mile time trial by 0.4 min and lowered perceived exertion (Noreen 2013)
Reduced heart-rate and salivary IgA responses to an acute stressor in a 12-person crossover (Kimura 2007); there is no training-specific trial
Disclaimer
Alpha-GPC at high doses may lower blood pressure. Start with 300 mg to assess tolerance. Not a replacement for proper warm-up and nutrition. Informational only — not medical advice. Alpha-GPC at 500 mg/day lowered thyroid-stimulating hormone in a 7-day trial — ask a doctor first if you have any thyroid condition. Creatine raises serum creatinine on routine blood tests and is not for diagnosed kidney disease. Alpha-GPC is not for anyone with a history of stroke or significant cardiovascular disease without a doctor's involvement — see the alpha-GPC page. Rhodiola carries a theoretical interaction with SSRIs, SNRIs and MAO inhibitors and may add to other stimulants. Not for pregnancy or breastfeeding without medical advice.
Partner offers
Paid placements. We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you — it does not change what we write. These are the seller’s own products and claims, not ours, and nothing here is medical advice. Speak to a clinician before starting any supplement.
References
- 1.Bellar 2015, J Int Soc Sports Nutr — 13 college-aged males, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover: alpha-GPC 600 mg/day for 6 days produced a greater change in isometric mid-thigh-pull peak force than placebo (+98.8 N vs −39.0 N, p=0.044); the upper-body isometric change was not significant. (n=13)
- 2.Marcus 2017, J Int Soc Sports Nutr — 48 healthy college-aged males randomised to alpha-GPC 500 mg, 250 mg, caffeine 200 mg or placebo daily for 7 days: no group differences in isometric mid-thigh pull, upper-body isometric strength or psychomotor vigilance; serum TSH significantly depressed in the 500 mg group (p<0.04); countermovement-jump velocity and power differed between groups with 250 mg best. (the TSH finding is the reason for the thyroid caution in the disclaimer)
- 3.De Bock 2004, Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab — 24 young healthy volunteers, double-blind crossover: a single 200 mg Rhodiola rosea extract dose (3% rosavin, 1% salidroside) one hour before testing increased time to exhaustion from 16.8 to 17.2 min and raised VO2peak; 4 weeks of daily 200 mg intake did not alter any measured variable.
- 4.Noreen 2013, J Strength Cond Res — 18 subjects, double-blind randomised crossover: 3 mg/kg Rhodiola rosea one hour before a 6-mile cycling time trial lowered warm-up heart rate (136 vs 140 bpm), shortened the time trial (25.4 vs 25.8 min, p=0.037) and lowered perceived exertion (6.0 vs 6.6).
- 5.Kreider 2017, J Int Soc Sports Nutr — International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: short- and long-term creatine supplementation (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) is safe and well tolerated in healthy individuals and in a range of patient populations. (position stand / evidence review)
- 6.Kimura 2007, Biol Psychol — 12 participants, double-blind crossover: L-theanine before a mental-arithmetic stressor reduced heart-rate and salivary IgA responses relative to placebo. (acute laboratory stress, not exercise)
