Calculate a personalized pre-workout stack: caffeine + L-theanine + creatine + beta-alanine + citrulline. Each component has strong evidence individually. Scales caffeine to body weight, applies the 1:2 caffeine:theanine smoothing ratio, and warns about beta-alanine paresthesia. Math, not medical advice.
Your situation
| Component | Pre-workout dose | Timing | Notes |
|---|
Why these 5 components
- Caffeine: the king of pre-workout. Improves strength, endurance, focus, perceived exertion. Dose 3-6 mg/kg body weight 30-60 min pre.
- L-theanine: smooths caffeine — reduces jitters, supports focus, slightly extends effect duration. 1:2 caffeine:theanine ratio is the classic smoothing combination.
- Creatine: always 3-5g/day (timing flexible). Including in pre-workout is convenient, not magical. Effects come from daily saturation, not acute pre-workout dose.
- Beta-alanine: raises muscle carnosine over weeks → buffers intramuscular pH → more reps in 60-240s efforts. Loading dose 4.8-6.4g/day split.
- Citrulline: raises arginine → NO → vasodilation → pump + endurance. 6-8g L-citrulline (or 8g citrulline malate 2:1) 30-60 min pre.
Timing and mixing
- 30-60 min pre: caffeine, theanine, citrulline all peak around 45-60 min after ingestion.
- Mix in 16 oz water: high-volume liquid helps absorption + hydration. Optional carbs (15-30g for longer/intense sessions).
- With food vs fasted: small carbs OK; large meal slows caffeine peak.
- Pre-bed sessions: use caffeine-free stack — citrulline + creatine + beta-alanine only.
- Beta-alanine timing: split throughout day, NOT all pre-workout (single doses over 1g cause strong paresthesia).
What to add if your goal needs more
- Electrolytes (sodium 500-1000 mg + potassium 200-400 mg): hot weather, long sessions, sweat-heavy training.
- Tyrosine (1-2g): mental-focus emphasis, fatigued training day.
- Sodium bicarbonate (0.2 g/kg): extracellular buffer for sustained high-intensity. GI upset risk — careful introduction.
- Beetroot juice (0.5L) / nitrate: additional NO pathway. Don’t combine with PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil).
- Pre-workout carbs (30-60g): if training under 60 min post-meal or doing endurance.
Safety
- Caffeine ceiling: stay under 400 mg/day total (FDA recommendation). Pregnancy: under 200 mg/day.
- Beta-alanine paresthesia: harmless tingling but uncomfortable. Split doses or use sustained-release form.
- Citrulline + nitrates / PDE5 inhibitors: dangerous BP drop. Avoid combination.
- Caffeine + arrhythmia: avoid high-dose stim pre-workout if history of arrhythmia.
- Evening sessions: caffeine half-life ~5 hours. 200 mg at 6 PM = ~100 mg still active at 11 PM.
