Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout Review (2024)
Kaged
The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here.
Pre-workout powders are sports supplements designed to enhance athletic performance by providing energy, focus and endurance during exercise. They typically contain a blend of ingredients like caffeine, citrulline and beta-alanine that work together to improve strength and power throughout your training session. While pre-workouts are typically marketed to serious athletes and bodybuilders, they can be useful for anyone looking to get more out of their daily workouts.
As a personal trainer and certified sports nutrition coach, I’ve tried an enormous variety of pre-workout supplements on the market, and can heartily recommend Kaged Pre-Kaged. Not only is it clinically dosed to effectively boost your strength and endurance during workouts, but it also tastes good and mixes easily. In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout to help you determine if this product can help you hit your strength and fitness goals.
Kaged Pre-Kaged In-Depth Review
Kaged
Key features & specs
- Key ingredients: L-Citrulline (6.5 grams); Fermented BCAA matrix—L-Leucine (4,750 milligrams), L-Isoleucine (875 milligrams), L-Valine (875 milligrams); Betaine Anhydrous (2.5 grams); Carnosyn Beta-Alanine (1.6 grams); Creatine Hydrochloride (1.5 grams); Coconut Water Powder (500 milligrams); Spectra Total ORAC Blend (100 milligrams); Taurine (two grams); N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (one gram); L-Tyrosine (850 milligrams): PurCaf Organic Caffeine from Green Coffee Beans (274 milligrams)
- Flavors: Pink Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Grape, Orange Krush, Cherry Bomb, Berry Blast
- Sweeteners: Stevia and sucralose
- Servings per container: 20 servings
- Subscription: Monthly subscription, 10% savings
- Price per serving: $2.25, ($2.02 with subscribe and save discount)
- Best for: Individuals who want a highly caffeinated pre-workout, individuals who want an all-inclusive pre-workout powder with BCAAs and creatine
- How to use: Drink one scoop of Pre-Kaged pre-workout mixed with 16 to 20 ounces of cold water 30 minutes before your workout
Pre-Kaged is Kaged’s flagship pre-workout powder. It’s a premium pre-workout supplement that’s formulated to increase your energy, endurance and mental focus during workouts. It also has an incredibly comprehensive ingredients list, including 13 different clinically dosed active ingredients, such as L-citrulline, beta-alanine and betaine. Another major benefit of this product is that it’s Informed Sport verified, which means that it's banned substance free. This is great news for athletes who compete in drug-tested sports who still want a high powered pre-workout supplement. Pre-Kaged is also known for being one of the better tasting pre-workout powders, and comes in seven natural flavors, including Pink Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Grape, Orange Krush, Cherry Bomb and Berry Blast.
Related Post: The 12 Best Pre-Workouts Supplements on the Market
Kaged Pre-Kaged Pros:
- Well rounded pre-workout formulation with a massive 28 gram serving size
- 274 milligrams of caffeine per serving
- Seven flavor options to choose from
- No artificial flavors or colors
- Informed Choice Certified and banned substance free
- Mixes easily in a conventional shaker bottle
Kaged Pre-Kaged Cons:
- Includes artificial sweeteners (sucralose)
- Has a premium price point for a 20-serving size container ($44.99)
Kaged Pre-Kaged Formulation
Pre-Kaged’s formulation is designed for serious athletes or bodybuilders looking to maximize the benefits of a well-dosed pre-workout. This supplement contains 274 milligrams of caffeine, 6.5 grams of L-citrulline, 6.5 grams of BCAAs, 2.5 grams of betaine anhydrous, two grams of taurine, 1.6 grams of beta-alanine, 1.5 grams of creatine HCl, one gram of acetyl-L-tyrosine and 850 milligrams of L-tyrosine. This supplement also contains 600 milligrams of coconut water powder and SPECTRA Total ORAC blend for hydration and antioxidant support. Kaged notes that these antioxidants are beneficial to counteract the free radicals generated from intense exercise programs. This ingredient list may seem like a mouthful, and that’s because it is one of the most well-formulated pre-workout supplements on the market. It has everything you need to enhance your performance, increase your power output and reduce muscle fatigue.
Related Post: The Best Supplements for Muscle Recovery
Quality of Ingredients
Kaged
Pre-workouts are a unique class of supplements because they can contain so many different active ingredients. For these products, having clinically effective dosage levels is necessary for the product to have any performance enhancing benefits. This is very different from, say, a protein powder that’s underdosed and contains only 10 grams of protein. While it’s less than the usual 20 to 25 grams, the 10 grams of protein will still have some benefit. However, if a pre-workout powder is underdosed and only contains one gram of beta-alanine or one gram of L-citrulline, then the product will not provide any real benefit.
Pre-Kaged’s formula is so impressive because almost every ingredient is included in a clinically effective dosage level. The only ingredient I’d like to see more of is the beta-alanine, which is included at only 1.6 grams per serving (four to six grams would be better). However, beta alanine generates mixed reviews from customers, and I don’t blame Kaged for using a slight lower dose. This is because beta-alanine supplementation, while effective for increasing muscular endurance, does cause a side effect of prickly or tingly skin called paresthesia, which people typically either love or hate.
Kaged also verifies the quality of their ingredients by submitting all of their products to rigorous evaluation by independent third-party labs. This helps to ensure the product has the strength, purity and nutritional composition that it claims on the nutrition label. Kaged’s supplements are also Informed Sport certified, meaning that every batch of their products are tested for banned substances. Athletes who see the Informed Sport logo on a product can be assured that they’ll pass any drug tests from sanctioned organizations like WADA, the NCAA and even the IOC.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Taste
Pre-Kaged comes in seven flavor options: Pink Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Krisp Apple, Grape, Orange Krush, Cherry Bomb and Berry Blast. I’ve personally tried the Pink Lemonade and Fruit Punch flavors, and think they taste great. The Pink Lemonade in particular tastes identical to the classic summer drink I loved as a kid. It’s worth noting that Kaged uses sucralose in the formula to sweeten the product. I don’t think this supplement is overly sweet in a way that other products sweetened with sucralose sometimes are. Other consumers seem to agree with my assessment, and rank Pre-Kaged at 4.8/5 stars with over 1,400 reviews (at the time of writing), rating the taste as “amazing.”
Kaged Pre-Kaged Price
Pre-Kaged is a premium supplement that comes with a premium price point. While the $44.99 container cost seems in line with the industry average of between $40 to $50, Pre-Kaged only has 20 servings compared to the usual 30. This puts each scoop of Pre-Kaged at over $2 per serving. This is more expensive than other pre-workout powders on the market, but Kaged does offer some ways to decrease the price. The first is taking advantage of their subscribe and save discount, which brings the cost down to $40.49. Kaged is also known to offer deals on specific flavors of their products. For example, at the time of writing, Kaged’s Berry Blast flavor is available at a 20% discount (for $35.99), and with the additional 10% off from the subscriber discount, the price drops to $32.39, which is a fantastic deal for this pre-workout supplement.
Kaged Pre-Kaged Side Effects
Pre-workout supplements like Pre-Kaged can have a range of potential side effects, depending on their specific ingredients, dosage levels and an individual's sensitivity levels to these products. The main side effects come from the 274 milligram dose of caffeine. At this dosage level, the user may experience jitters, anxiety, headaches or even an increased heart rate. However, this mostly depends on your body weight and sensitivity to caffeine. For example, a 200-pound male and 120-pound female would likely experience this supplement differently. This is why Kaged advises that if you’re new to this pre-workout, you should start with a half scoop to assess your tolerance, and then graduate to a full scoop if you need a stronger dose.
Some consumers may also have a sensitivity to the artificial ingredient sucralose, and may experience some digestive issues when using this product. If you do have any bloating, nausea or diarrhea when using this product, then you may want to find a pre-workout powder without this sweetener.
Related Post: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Women to Try
Who Kaged Pre-Kaged Is Best For
Kaged states that they designed their pre-workout powder for serious athletes and bodybuilders who take their health and performance seriously. They say that this formula is optimized for weight training, high intensity interval training and CrossFit style workouts. For other workouts, such as cardio or endurance based sports like swimming or track, you should consider using their Pre-Kaged Sport instead. The ingredients in Pre-Kaged are included to enhance performance in the gym—increasing your ability to lift more weight and perform a few extra reps each set.
Who Kaged Pre-Kaged Is NOT Best For
In general, Pre-Kaged is a high-quality pre-workout powder that will work well for most people. However, as stated by Kaged, this pre-workout is intended for athletes performing resistance training exercises. If you’re someone who prefers cardio based exercise, such as running, swimming or cycling, then the amount of L-citrulline and caffeine in this product probably won’t be beneficial, and could even be detrimental since you want to keep your heart rate as steady as possible during these workouts. If this is the case, Kaged suggests checking out their lower stim Pre-Kaged Sport pre-workout that has less caffeine and L-citrulline, the same amount of beta-alanine and taurine, and some additional electrolytes in the formulation. They also have a caffeine-free pre-workout called Pre-Kaged Stim-Free.
Related Post: Fight Fatigue with the Best Vitamins for Energy
About Kaged
Kaged
Kaged (formerly known as Kaged Muscle) is a dietary supplement company founded by Kris Gethin, a professional bodybuilder, fitness expert and author. He felt that there was an industry need for premium, health-focused products that actually work, and thus Kaged was born.
The company focuses on creating premium sports supplements that contain rigorously studied ingredients and clinically effective dosage levels that are backed by third-party testing facilities. Kaged offers a wide range of supplements, including pre-workouts, protein powders, creatine and hydration supplements, to name a few.
In addition to their supplement line, Kaged also offers an extensive list of high-quality, free workout programs on their website. Offering four-week, eight-week and 12-week plans, this is a great resource for both new and experienced gym goers to maximize their potential in the gym.
Kaged Pre-Kaged vs Kaged Pre-Kaged Elite
Pre-Kaged Elite is an even stronger version of Pre-Kaged. While there are a few additional ingredients, such as added vitamins, electrolytes, L-carnitine, elevATP, alpha-GPC and Huperzine A, the biggest difference is the strength of the major active ingredients. Pre-Kaged Elite bumps up their L-citrulline from 6,500 to 10,000 milligrams, the beta-alanine from 1,600 to 3,200 milligrams, their patented creatine HCl from 1,500 milligrams to five grams and the caffeine from 274 up to a tremendous 388 milligrams per serving. This formula is truly meant for the elite athlete or bodybuilder who needs these high doses and a variety of ingredients to boost their performance at the gym. This is definitely not meant for a new gym goer, and as Kaged puts it, “Not for the faint of heart, this is for those who demand the absolute best.” Pre-Kaged Elite also comes in some new flavor options compared to Pre-Kaged, including Glacier Grape, Caribbean Sunrise, Orange Mango, Strawberry Lemonade and Fruit Punch.
Related Post: The 11 Strongest Pre-Workouts
Kaged Pre-Kaged vs Transparent Labs BULK Black
Transparent Labs BULK Black is Transparent Labs' version of Pre-Kaged Elite, and an upgraded version of their BULK pre-workout formula. This product has a similar ingredients list to Pre-Kaged with a few key differences. Pre-Kaged includes a number of ingredients that aren’t essential in a pre-workout powder, such as the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and creatine, but do provide additional benefits and make it a well rounded product. Transparent Labs BULK Black is formulated purely for performance, and doesn’t have the BCAAs or creatine, but does include a higher dose of beta-alanine and additional ingredients like alpha-GPC, L-theanine, Astragin and Infinergy. Overall, these are both high-quality pre-workout powders, and you can’t go wrong with either.
Kaged Pre-Kaged FAQs
How much caffeine is in a serving of Pre-Kaged?
Pre-Kaged contains 274 milligrams of caffeine per serving. This is a significant dosage level, and if you're using this product, then you should assess your caffeine intake through other sources like coffee, tea and soda to ensure you are not going over the recommended 400 milligrams per day.
Can I double scoop pre-workout?
You can take a double scoop of certain pre-workout powders from other supplement companies that don’t dose their products as effectively as Kaged. However, I would avoid double scooping Kaged’s Pre-Kaged pre-workout because it’s already extremely potent, and a two-scoop serving size would likely not increase performance; instead, it may detract from it. This would also be a 548 milligram acute dose of caffeine, which is potentially dangerous, and could cause life-threatening problems, like cardiac arrest.
Is it safe to use pre-workout every day?
It’s generally not recommended to take pre-workout supplements every day in order to give your body a break from the high caffeine dosage levels and prevent building up a tolerance. This is where your body becomes used to the effects of the supplement and requires higher doses to achieve the same level of performance enhancement. It’s also important to remember that you shouldn’t be performing heavy resistance training exercises on a daily basis. Rest days are just as important as your training days to build muscle.
Can I take pre-workout on an empty stomach?
Yes, pre-workout powder will work best and absorb the fastest on an empty stomach. If you have trouble with digestive discomfort after using a pre-workout, then you can have a small snack before your training session and see if that helps.
How long does it take for pre-workout to kick in?
Kaged advises taking Pre-Kaged 20 to 30 minutes before your training session to allow the effects to kick in.
Takeaway: Is Kaged Pre-Kaged Worth It?
Kaged’s Pre-Kaged is a top tier pre-workout supplement. If you’re an experienced athlete or bodybuilder and want to prioritize building high-quality muscle mass through resistance training, then this product can help you achieve your goals. While it’s more expensive than other pre-workout supplements on the market, if it fits within your budget, then I doubt you’ll regret the purchase of this premium pre-workout powder.
