Research-Based

Bucked Up Pre-Workout Review – How Does It Compare?

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By Jack Cincotta, MS

Reviewed by Juliana Tamayo, MS, RDN - Last Updated

bucked up pre workout

Hundreds of pre-workouts are out there to help bodybuilders, athletes, and other fitness fanatics get the most out of their workouts.

So we found it very interesting when a product called Bucked Up Pre-Workout claimed to be the best of them all. 

Is it really true? You’ll want to keep reading our full Bucked Up Pre-Workout review to see what’s all in this supplement and if it’s truly the top pre-workout out there.

About Bucked Up Pre-Workout

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is advertised as the best possible pre-workout on the market to take your workouts to the next level. 

bucked up pre workout benefit

This supplement is made by DAS Labs/Bucked Up, the same makers as Woke AF and Bucked Up Creatine Monohydrate. They say that this product doesn’t have any proprietary blends, ineffective doses, or unsupported ingredients. What you get from Bucked Up Pre-Workout is a mix of clinically supported ingredients (which they say are at optimal doses) to provide premier benefits for any serious athlete, bodybuilder, or other individual looking for maximal workout performance.

Bucks Up Pre-Workout is featured by several high-class pre-workout ingredients, such as citrulline malate, beta-alanine, AlphaSize, and taurine. 

Oh, and if you have trouble finding a pre-workout that tastes good; Bucked Up may likely have an option for you as it comes in 23 flavors (yes, 23!).

Bucked Up Pre-Workout Benefits

The main claimed benefits of Bucked Up Pre-Workout are:

  • Enhanced Energy
  • Greater Endurance
  • Huge Pumps
  • Improved Focus
  • Maximized Strength & Power
bucked up pre workout

Enhanced Energy

Some days it can be hard to find enough energy to really crush your workouts.

Bucked Up Pre-Workout claims to rev up your energy like never before with vitamin B12, caffeine, and other energizers.

Greater Endurance

It can be a tough punch to the gut when you fail to get as many reps as you wanted to coming into the workout. Or maybe you needed to stop your workout short altogether because of fatigue.

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is promoted to give you greater endurance, especially muscle endurance, with ingredients like beta-alanine and citrulline.

Huge Pumps

Flat, soft muscles can be a big disappointment. Especially if you thought you were truly crushing it in your workout.

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is advertised to give you huge pumps, mainly with citrulline malate, which they say ramps up nitric oxide and blood flow.

Improved Focus

Brain fog can really mess up your gym performance and overall workout quality.

Bucked Up Pre-Workout claims to dial in your focus with Alpha-GPC and other compounds, so you can make the most of every set.

Maximized Strength & Power

There’s nothing like the feeling of hitting a PR. On the other hand, constant strength plateaus can be really deflating. 

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is promoted to maximize strength and power so you can continue to progress in the gym. Their formula has many ingredients to offer a performance boost, such as beta-alanine and taurine. 

We mentioned at the beginning that Bucked Up Pre-Workout truly claims to be the best pre-workout out there. But is it actually? Or where does it stand amidst the many other supplements?

Read on to find out!

Bucked Up Pre-Workout Ingredients

Bucked Up Pre-Workout has 10 main ingredients:

  • Vitamin B12
  • Citrulline Malate 2:1
  • Beta-Alanine
  • Caffeine Anhydrous
  • AlphaSize Alpha-GPC
  • Taurine
  • Himalayan Rock Salt
  • Deer Antler Velvet Extract
  • AstraGin
  • ActiGin

There is sodium listed too, but this is just a byproduct from Himalayan rock salt.

Bucked Up Pre-Workout Supplement Facts

Vitamin B12 (100mcg)

There is a whopping 100mcg of vitamin B12, in the form of methylcobalamin, which we like to see since that’s the most bioavailable form. 

Vitamin B12 is important for energy levels and red blood cell formation, which also may benefit endurance. You definitely need to get enough B12 for optimal endurance performance, but supplementing isn’t always beneficial.

Citrulline Malate (6,000mg)

Citrulline malate is a combination of citrulline and malic acid. 

The citrulline component boosts nitric oxide, which may increase blood flow and give you better pumps. It also may reduce metabolic byproduct build-up.

And then there’s malic acid, which assists in energy production.

Altogether, citrulline malate may be particularly effective for muscular endurance, meaning you can get more reps before failing. 

You’l also find 6,000mg of citrulline malate in the BlackWolf Pre-Workout supplement.

Caffeine Anhydrous (200mg)

Ah, good ol’ caffeine anhydrous. This powdered form of caffeine is ubiquitous in pre-workouts. And for good reason (if you like stimulants).

It drives up energy production and may boost endurance and strength while cutting down on fatigue. You may even get a mood boost too if you don’t consume it very often. 

Beta-Alanine (2,000mg)

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that can increase carnosine production in the muscles. This is important since carnosine is used a lot during exercise.

Also, beta-alanine may act as an acid buffer, which basically can decrease fatigue build-up during exercise.

Research shows that beta-alanine can likely improve muscular endurance and exercise capacity, especially in things like long sprints or very high-rep lifting workouts. 

There’s an even higher dose of this ingredient in Ryse Project Blackout Pre-Workout.

Alpha-Size (200mg)

Alpha-Size is a trademarked form of Alpha-GPC, which is a bioavailable choline compound.

Choline has possible benefits for brain function and muscle function. Some research shows that Alpha-Size can increase power and force, but not all studies show benefits. 

Taurine (100mg)

Taurine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in the muscles, brain, and other areas. It may improve energy metabolism and decrease fatigue build-up. Plus it offers anti-inflammatory effects.

There is evidence that taurine supplementation improves endurance, strength, power, and even recovery. So it has many possible benefits for gym-goers!

Himalayan Rock Salt (100mg)

Himalayan rock salt is an unprocessed salt that contains sodium as well as trace amounts of other minerals.

It may support hydration. However, the trace minerals in Himalayan salt are so low that they probably don’t have any unique benefits.

Deer Antler Velvet Extract (50mg)

Deer antler velvet extract is touted as a way to improve testosterone and enhance exercise performance and recovery.

However, there isn’t any good evidence for these claims.

AstraGin (25mg)

AstraGin is a trademarked form of astragalus root and Panax ginseng root. It is designed to improve the digestion and absorption of amino acids and other ingredients, which may make the other compounds in Bucked Up more beneficial.

ActiGin (25g)

ActiGin is a trademarked form of Panax ginseng and chestnut rose (Rosa roxburghii). This compound may be able to reduce inflammation and promote the use of glycogen for muscle energy. 

Small amounts of evidence show that it may increase endurance performance

Bucked UP also uses this ingredient in their Woke AF pre-workout supplement. 

Does Bucked Up Pre-Workout Work?

Overall, it is likely that Bucked Up Pre-Workout will work.

It uses several research-backed ingredients to possibly improve muscle endurance, exercise capacity, pumps, and strength/power.

However, some ingredients are a bit underdosed, such as beta-alanine and taurine. And they also use deer antler velvet, which isn’t scientifically supported.

Claims vs. Reality

In general, the basic claims regarding workout performance are backed up by evidence. However, the claim that Bucked Up Pre-Workout is the best pre-workout out there isn’t true. 

It can certainly work. But to the THE BEST it would have to have a very clear-cut edge over other supplements in terms of ingredient quality and dosing.

But this just isn’t the case.

Yes, there are many good ingredients in Bucked Up Pre-Workout. But none that are really unique. 

And we’ve also mentioned that some ingredients are underdosed, which certainly doesn’t qualify this supplement as the best one out there.

It’s still good, but clearly not the end-all-be-all for pre-workouts.

How Does Bucked Up Pre-Workout Compare?

As we said, Bucked Up Pre-Workout is a good pre-workout overall with a good mix of effective ingredients that are, for the most part, dosed pretty well.

We also like that they have a fully transparent label which makes it superior to other products that use proprietary blends. Plus, it’ll be hard to find a pre-workout that comes with as many flavors as Bucked Up Pre-Workout.

One supplement that’s similar to Bucked Up Pre-Workout is Wrecked Pre-Workout. This supplement seems more potent overall, though, because it has more citrulline, caffeine, and beta-alanine than Bucke Up. Plus, Wrecked uses other ingredients, such as betaine, agmatine, tyrosine, and lion’s mane mushroom. It’s truly meant for maximal energy, strength, endurance, and pumps…the whole nine yards. And it’s even slightly less expensive at $44.95 for 30 servings compared to $49.95 for Bucked Up. 

That option is more for people who like high stimulants. But a lower-stim comparison to Bucked Up is something like Swolverine Pre-Workout. This supplement has a higher dose of beta-alanine and taurine compared to Bucked Up. Although there’s no caffeine and a little bit less citrulline malate. It’s designed mainly for clean energy, pumps, and endurance. Other compounds in it that are somewhat unique are Siberian ginseng and pomegranate. The overall quality and formulation for both Bucked Up and Swolverine Pre are solid. But Swolverine Pre is a bit more expensive at $52.99 for 25 servings.

Who is Bucked Up Pre-Workout Best For?

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is best for people who want an all-around high-quality pre-workout to get more energy, better pumps, improved focus, increase muscular endurance, and greater power and strength. 

How to Take Bucked Up Pre-Workout

Bucked Up Pre-Workout comes in powdered form. Take one serving (one scoop) 15 to 30 minutes before your workout.

Is Bucked Up Pre-Workout Safe?

Possible side effects of Bucked Up Pre-Workout are:

  • Anxiety, jitters
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Headache
  • Skin tingling
  • Dizziness
  • Mood changes

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is made in a FDA-approved, cGMP facility. It is keto and paleo-friendly, zero-sugar, and creatine-free. They only use natural flavors and colors.

Where to Buy Bucked Up Pre-Workout

You can buy Bucked Up Pre-Workout right on the main Bucked Up website here.

bucked up pre workout website

There are 30 servings (30 scoops) per container. It comes in 23 flavors, which you can view on their website

Just some examples of the flavors they offer are:

  • Koala Freak- Aussie Fruit (Peach/Mango)
  • Cherry Hard Candy
  • Blue Raz
  • Pina Colada
  • Caramel Apple
  • Watermelon Lemonade

It’s priced at $49.95 per container ($1.67/serving), which is a bit on the higher end, but still within the reasonable range for pre-workouts, especially since it has many different ingredients and pretty solid doses overall. 

They also offer a 45-Day Money-Back Guarantee. And free shipping for US orders over $75. 

Verdict: Bucked Up Pre-Workout Review

Bucked Up Pre-Workout is a high-quality pre-workout supplement. 

It’s not the best pre-workout ever as they claim it to be! However, it still is filled with many effective ingredients that can boost your energy, pumps, endurance, and overall workout performance. And the many different flavors makes it likely that you can actually find one you enjoy. 

Overall Rating:
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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.

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