Research-Based

Best Pre-Workout With Creatine

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By Jack Cincotta, MS

Reviewed by Juliana Tamayo, MS, RDN - Last Updated

best pre workout with creatine

Creatine is one of the most widely-studied and well-supported ingredients in the fitness world. It can help boost strength, energy, and high-intensity performance.

This is why many people combine creatine with pre-workouts in order to get an even better boost in workout performance and results. 

Of course, buying multiple supplements can be a pain sometimes. But luckily, there are now many pre-workout supplements out there that actually have creatine in them so you can get the best of both worlds in just one formula!

And in this article, we’re covering the top pre-workout supplements with creatine so you know exactly which ones to buy for maximal strength, energy, and performance.

The Best Pre-Workouts With Creatine

There’s no shortage of pre-workouts with creatine in them. But only a handful are truly top notch. And the four best pre-workouts with creatine that we found are:

  • 4 Gauge
  • BlackWolf Pre-Workout
  • Naked Energy
  • C4 Dynasty

4 Gauge

Best Overall

4 Gauge is a great all-around pre-workout formula. They include a synergistic combo of caffeine and theanine for energy and focus, without the jitters. 

Plus, there’s a high dose of citrulline along with beet root for improved endurance and muscle pumps. The creatine dose is a little low at 1,000mg but it fits in nicely with all of the other ingredients for total workout performance. 

4 Gause is free from artificial sweeteners and additives. And it’s made in a cGMP, FDA-registered facility and third-party tested.

4 Gauge Pre-Workout

Blackwolf Pre-Workout

Best Caffeine-Free

BlackWolf Pre-Workout is one of the highest-dosed formulas out there. It packs a strong punch with solid doses of citrulline, creatine (3,000mg), beta alanine, and betaine. These provide benefits for energy, strength, endurance, and overall performance.

While two of their formulas also have 200mg of caffeine, BlackWolf also has a caffeine-free option that instead uses tyrosine and dynamine for energy enhancement. 

BlackWolf is made in the USA in a cGMP, FDA-registered facility and is also suitable for vegans.

BlackWolf Pre-Workout

Naked Energy

Best for Simplicity

Naked Energy is a basic, yet effective pre-workout for when you just want the essentials. It contains 200mg of caffeine along with beta-alanine, arginine, creatine monohydrate, and various vitamins and minerals. Together, this formula is designed for clean energy, strength and power.

Naked Energy is also vegan, non-GMO, cGMP, third-party tested, and free from all artificial ingredients. And they also have a stim-free option for those who don’t want caffeine.

naked energy

C4 Dynasty

Best for Serious Lifters

C4 Dynasty is a high-powered pre-workout formula not for the faint of heart. It packs 350mg of caffeine per serving. And it has 5g of creatine from their Dynasty Triple Creatine Complex, over 6g of beta-alanine, and a whopping 10g of citrulline from their Dynasty Triple Citrulline Complex.

But that’s not all as C4 Dynasty has several other powerhouse ingredients like tyrosine, taurine, and alpha-GPC. Altogether, C4 Dynasty is truly a monster for any serious lifter who wants a surge in energy, pumps, strength, muscle endurance, and big-time results.

c4 dynasty

What are Pre-Workouts With Creatine?

Pre-workouts with creatine are pretty much what they sound like. That is, these supplements have creatine along with classic pre-workout ingredients, such as caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, and betaine. 

They are used by lifters, bodybuilders, and other fitness enthusiasts who want to get creatine and pre-workout ingredients all wrapped into one. This can be a nice way to not have to purchase multiple supplements.

Additionally, including creatine may lead to more benefits compared to some pre-workouts without creatine, simply because it’s another effective ingredient added to the table. 

The people who can mainly benefit from these supplements are those who engage in high-intensity workouts, such as heavy weightlifting, powerlifting, olympic lifting, and sprinting. This is because creatine is particularly useful for supplying the muscles with energy during these types of intense bouts.

Benefits of Pre-Workouts With Creatine

Pre-workouts with creatine can offer many possible benefits for workout performance. These include:

  • Increased Energy
  • Better High-Intensity Performance
  • More Strength & Power
  • Improved Endurance
  • Boosted Pumps
  • Improved Recovery 

Increased Energy

Pre-workout with creatine may be able to boost energy. This is due to creatine itself, which can enhance muscular energy, along with other common energizers such as caffeine and tyrosine.

Better High-Intensity Performance

If a pre-workout contains enough creatine, it can also lead to better high-intensity performance, such as when doing sprints, jumps, or heavy/explosive lifts.

This is because creatine provides the muscles with quick-acting energy and decreases muscle fatigue during these high-intensity bouts.

More Strength & Power

Related to the above point, creatine can improve strength and power by providing your muscles with more energy and fuel.

Additionally, these pre-workouts often contain a number of other ingredients that can enhance strength and power, such as caffeine and betaine.

Improved Endurance

Pre-workouts with creatine may also improve endurance, especially muscular endurance. The combination of creatine with other ingredients such as citrulline and beta-alanine can be very effective for reducing muscular fatigue and helping you crank out more reps or do more sets. 

Boosted Pumps

Another potential benefit is enhanced muscle pumps. Creatine doesn’t have a huge role in this although it may help with muscle cell hydration, which could lead to better pumps.

But mainly, other ingredients in these pre-workouts such as citrulline, beet root, and arginine can increase nitric oxide, which enhances blood flow and leads to boosted pumps. 

Improved Recovery

Creatine is important for performance, but it can also minimize muscle damage, which can aid recovery.

Additionally, other pre-workout compounds such as citrulline are effective for bringing nutrients to the muscles, even after your workouts, which can improve recovery too. 

Pre-Workout With Creatine Benefits

How to Choose the Right Pre-Workout With Creatine

There are more and more pre-workouts with creatine becoming available today than ever before. That’s why it’s important to know how to pick the right one. 

First, consider your goals. Are you looking for total workout performance improvement or just one or two select benefits, such as better pumps, increased energy, or more strength?

In general, there are many quality pre-workout ingredients. While you obviously want to look for one that has creatine, here are some other great ingredients that are well-researched:

  • Beta-alanine
  • Citrulline
  • Arginine
  • Betaine
  • Caffeine
  • Theanine
  • Tyrosine
  • Beet root
  • Taurine

The dosage is always important too. It doesn’t always have to be super high, but you still want a product that’s in line with your needs. In terms of creatine supplementation, 1g per serving is the minimum. For people who want more benefits of creatine specifically, 3 to 5g seems to be ideal.

Also, when choosing a pre-workout with creatine, it’s important that the formula is:

  • Made in a cGMP, FDA-registered facility
  • Third-party tested
  • Free of artificial ingredients (especially if this is important to you)
  • Fully transparent with ingredients and doses
  • Not over-hyped

Steer clear of formulas that have low doses, proprietary blends, a lot of artificial ingredients, or from companies that don’t have a proven track record and/or have outlandish claims. 

As always, you also want to make sure that the supplement you get fits in line with your dietary restrictions and individual values. That’s why it’s important to check for allergens, organic info, and whether or not a product is vegan, keto, paleo, gluten-free, etc.

Additional Information (FAQ)

Do pre-workouts with creatine really work?

Individual results always vary. But pre-workouts with creatine can definitely improve workout performance, especially if they include well-researched ingredients and optimal doses. All the products we’ve listed in this review meet these criteria and have a good chance of increasing strength, power, energy, endurance, and pumps. 

But as we mentioned, not everyone gets the same results. 

Are pre-workouts with creatine safe?

Generally, most pre-workouts with creatine are safe. Creatine itself is one of the most well-studied compounds and is proven to be safe with very few side effects.

However, there are possible side effects of pre-workouts in general, especially if they contain a lot of stimulants. Some of the potential side effects are:

  • Jitters
  • Anxiety
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Headache
  • Increased heart rate & blood pressure
  • Upset stomach or other digestive problems
  • Skin tingling

Always talk with your doctor or other healthcare practitioner before taking any supplement, especially if you have medical conditions and/or take prescription medications.

How much creatine do I need?

This depends on several factors, such as your desired effects, age, weight, and activity level. In general, 1 to 5g of creatine covers most individual’s needs. The lower end of this range is more of a supportive dose while the higher end has a better chance of leading to more noticeable benefits in strength, power, etc.

Are pre-workouts with creatine worth the money?

This depends on the benefits you get from them and other individual factors. In general, pre-workouts with creatine can potentially save you money as they combine multiple supplements into one formula.

Ultimately, it’s up to you after trying a product to decide whether it’s worth it or not. And this is truly an individual decision. There isn’t one product out there where we would say is ALWAYS worth the money. Sure, there are definitely a lot of products that are effective, but it’s up to you to judge if the benefits are worth it.

Who should use pre-workouts with creatine?

Pre-workouts with creatine can be used by pretty much any lifter or gym-goer who wants to get better results in the gym. Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements and proven to enhance strength and muscle. And when combined with common pre-workout ingredients, it may lead to other workout performance benefits, such as more energy and endurance.

So, it’s good for anyone who wants an all-around pre-workout formula. 

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Jack Cincotta, MS

Jack Cincotta is a certified holistic health coach through AFPA and a board-certified holistic health practitioner through AADP. He has written hundreds of articles on nutrition and supplementation. Jack has a M.S. degree in Psychology and is passionate about researching the science behind nutrition. He often uses research-backed supplementation protocols for many of his clients to optimize results.