Pre-workouts are one of the most popular supplements in sports nutrition. Nearly every brand in the supplement industry has one. In the past few years, it’s become popular for an individual brand to offer more than one type of pre-workout to cater to a larger audience.
Although this is a common trend nowadays, consumers often wonder which pre-workout is right for them. Beyond the tasty flavors, eye-catching labels, and creative names, it’s important to look at the supplement facts panel when determining what pre-workout will best suit your goals and/or preferences.
With that said, if you don’t know how to break down a supplement facts panel, deciphering what makes one pre-workout different from another can be a bit overwhelming. To help out, below you will find an in-depth comparison of our three newest pre-workouts, including Hydraulic V2, Intake, and HWMF.
All three of these products are available at GNC!
Servings & Cost Comparison
A big determining factor for most consumers is cost and number of servings. Everyone is trying to find the product that will give them the best bang for their buck.
In regards to this category, here’s a quick cost comparison of our three main pre-workouts:
- HWMF - $49.99 MSRP // 20/40 servings ($2.49/$1.25)
- Intake - $49.99 MSRP // 20/40 servings ($2.49/$1.25)
- Hydraulic V2 - $54.99 MSRP // 20/40 servings ($2.75/$1.37)
As you can see, the price points are very similar across the board and the number of servings is exactly the same.
You may be wondering why there are 20/40 servings listed above. The reason for this is that the pre-workouts are formulated so that one scoop is sufficiently dosed for some people. If you’re a 120lb female, one scoop of Hydraulic V2 is likely plenty. However, if you’re a 225lb male, 2 scoops will likely be more effective.
Long story short, we use flexible dosing to make it easier for our consumers to determine what’s best for them. Not to mention, it’s popular for our consumers to mix our stimulant-free pre-workouts with our stimulant-based pre-workouts by combining one scoop of each. (ie. 1 scoop of Hydraulic V2 and 1 scoop of Intake).
Whenever trying a new pre-workout, especially one that has 20/40 servings, it’s a good idea to start with 1 scoop to assess tolerance before using the full amount. If you get great results with half of the recommended serving size you save money by getting more servings! So it’s a win-win situation.
Caffeine Content
The biggest difference between HWMF, Intake, and Hydraulic V2 is their caffeine content. This is what most consumers are concerned about when determining which pre-workout is best for them.
Here’s an overview of the caffeine content in our three most popular pre-workouts:
- HWMF - 400 milligrams of caffeine per two scoops
- Intake - 300 milligrams of caffeine per two scoops
- Hydraulic V2 - stimulant-free
Whether or not you take caffeine pre-workout will largely depend on what time of day you train, your caffeine tolerance, and whether you prefer to get caffeine from elsewhere. The two most common times to train is before or after work. For those who train after work, using a stimulant-free pre-workout, such as Hydraulic V2, is recommended so it does not interfere with sleep.
Caffeine has a long half-life, so even if it’s no longer expressing its sensory effects, it will still negatively impact your sleep. Since quality sleep is a crucial aspect of overall health and athletic performance, it seems counterintuitive to compromise in that area by taking a stimulant-based pre-workout too late in the day.
If you train in the morning or early afternoon, then you may be the ideal candidate to utilize a stimulant-based pre-workout, such as HWMF or Intake. Depending on your caffeine tolerance, 300mg-400mg may be too much which is why we gave consumers the option to half the dose by simply taking one scoop of Intake or HWMF instead of the full serving.
Along the same lines, it’s quite popular for people to stack HWMF or Intake with Hydraulic V2 so that you’re still getting the ideal amount of the other active ingredients but half the caffeine content. We never recommend stacking two stimulant-based pre-workouts together. Also, if you have any medical condition conditions and/or are taking any medications, we highly suggest speaking with a healthcare professional before taking any pre-workouts.
Lastly, if you like to drink coffee or energy drinks, then you can still get all of the benefits of a pre-workout using a non-stimulant option without overdoing it on the caffeine.
Beta Alanine Content
If you’ve ever felt an itching/tingling sensation from taking a pre-workout, it’s likely due to beta alanine. Next to caffeine, this ingredient is one of the most common substances included in pre-workouts, mainly due to its sensory properties. In other words, you feel it kicking in 20-30 minutes after consumption.
However, beta alanine supplementation has numerous benefits such as improved muscular endurance, body composition, recovery, and focus.
Despite is performance-enhancing properties, some people react to beta alanine more than others and they can’t stand the way it feels. So it can be a turn-off for some consumers.
For the first time in Axe’s history, we’ve created a pre-workout that’s beta alanine free for those who would rather not feel the tingles! HWMF is the only powder-based pre-workout we offer at this time that does not contain any beta alanine.
Pump Factor
If you’ve been following Seth Feroce for any period, you know he is all about the pump! Since stimulants, such as caffeine, cause some level of vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels), more often than not, he opts for a stimulant-free pre-workout. If he does use a stimulant-based pre-workout, he will only do one scoop and stack it with Hydraulic V2.
To get the biggest pump possible, your best bet is to consume 2-scoops of Hydraulic V2 with 12 ounces of water 20-30 minutes before resistance training. When it comes to pump-enhancing ingredients, Hydraulic V2 is stacked with 150 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of L-Citrulline, 3 grams HydroPrime® glycerol, 508 milligrams of VasoDrive-AP®, and 200 milligrams of CitraPeak®. All of these ingredients are designed to promote better blood flow, nutrient delivery, and vasodilation.
With that said, Intake and HWMF both have a significant amount of pump-enhancing ingredients. So if you’re not a complete pump junkie, then they will be just fine in that category!
Focus Factor
Focus is one of the most underrated elements when it comes to pre-workouts. The more dialed-in you are within a training session, the more you’re going to get out of every set. Several ingredients can improve your ability to focus, alertness, and concentration. Every pre-workout we offer has some type of nootropic, but some may work better for you than others.
Here’s an overview of what nootropics each one contains:
- Hydraulic V2: CognatiQ® and L-Tyrosine
- Intake: L-tyrosine and CDP-Choline
- HWMF: CognatiQ® & Alpha-GPC
Each of these ingredients has its own unique mechanism of action and benefits. The choline donors, CDP-choline and Alpha-GPC, are intended to help raise acetylcholine levels in the body and brain. Acetylcholine is a key neurotransmitter for signaling muscular contractions. Therefore, having more acetylcholine available is beneficial for improving mind-muscle connection.
L-tyrosine is a molecule that serves as a precursor to dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. All three of these neurotransmitters get depleted as you fatigue, yet are important for optimal performance. Having sufficient levels of L-tyrosine can help mitigate this decline.
Lastly, CognatiQ® is a patented coffee fruit extract that’s been shown to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the blood. This key neuroprotein is crucial for the development, maintenance, connection, and protection of brain neurons. Furthermore, acutely, it’s been shown to improve attention & focus, processing speed, and working memory.
You may be wondering why each pre-workout features different nootropics. Well, we understand that everyone’s brain chemistry is different so some may work better than others. The best thing you can do is experiment with each one to see what feels best.
Allergen Considerations
When it comes to allergens, it’s important to look at the allergen warning to see which major allergens are present. It’s important to note that all of our supplements are manufactured in a facility that processes/handles milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. If you do have a specific allergy to any of these food categories, we recommend speaking with your healthcare provider prior to using any supplements.
In regards to HWMF, Intake, and Hydraulic V2, the only one that contains a major allergen is Hydraulic V2. Since it features VasoDrive-AP®, a patented complex of two casein peptides, it has milk listed on the allergen warning. However, it does not contain any lactose, which is why most people avoid dairy. So the only people that need to be concerned here are those with a milk allergy or sensitivity.
Flavors
You may be more or less attracted to a specific pre-workout depending on its available flavors. There is some crossover between pre-workout flavors, but each one has a flavor that’s not available in the others.
For example, HWMF comes in Blue Colada, Melon Pop, and Sour Citrus Punch. Whereas, Intake is available in Fruit Kaboom, Melon Pop, Island Breeze, and Sour Citrus Punch. As you can see, if you’re a fan of Blue Colada its only available in HWMF. In vice versa, if you want Fruit Kaboom, you can only get that flavor in Intake.
We’ve made sure to include a lot of the same flavors for Hydraulic V2 as Intake and HWMF because people stack those together. However, creating your unique flavor combination is something that everyone seems to love! Thankfully, most of the flavors go well together, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
Final Thoughts
The pre-workout category is rather saturated but for a good reason! When dosed properly, pre-workouts are one of the most effective supplements for improving workout performance. What’s more, everyone is different! Having a wide range of options to choose from is a nice perk, but can be overwhelming.
Now that you know the main categories to assess when looking for a pre-workout, you will be better equipped to find the one that’s right for you! A big thing to steer clear of is proprietary blends, which is where companies don’t disclose the exact amounts of the active ingredients. More often than not, this is a way to underdose a pre-workout without the consumer being aware. At Axe & Sledge, we always utilize a transparent panel, so you know exactly what you’re getting in every scoop.