Not all supplements are made equal. Some sports demand more intensity from you than others, so your body needs the right supplements to perform well.
Boxing, for example, quickly depletes your body’s amino acids, energy stores, oxygen supply, and electrolytes. To find a supplement that’d help boxers perform at their peak given these demands, we conducted an experiment here at TotalShape.
We selected a number of premium supplements to test on clients who took up boxing. We had them try different brands, observed the results, and narrowed down the best pre-workouts.
Here are the ones that made the cut.
10 Best Pre-Workouts for Boxing (September 2023)
1 - Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout (Editor's Choice)
Our testing data shows that boxers in our test group who tried Gorilla Mode reported the most positive results with speed, strength, muscular endurance, and energy levels.
More importantly, it leveled up their mental performance during spars and boxing drills, allowing them to better focus on their training.
We tested Gorilla Mode on several of our clients for heavy-weight training days. In the majority of cases, one dose was enough for them to experience a heightened workout session and significant muscle pump while also reducing fatigue.
The reason why Gorilla Mode delivers these results is that it contains high doses of L-citrulline and nootropics (L-tyrosine, kanna, and huperzine).
L-citrulline is known to increase the flow of nitric oxide in your blood vessels, which gives you that workout pump, and nootropics sharpen your mental focus [1] [2].
Being the favorite on our list, I use it myself for the heaviest training sessions during the week.
Quick Facts:
- Pure L-Citrulline : 9000 mg
- L-Tyrosine : 1500 mg
- Huperzine : 400 mcg
- Contains a heavy dosage of pure L-citrulline, which enhances nitric oxide flow for an intense workout pump
- Contains a powerful dose of nootropics that enhance mental focus during tough workouts
- Rehydrates muscles after a heavy workout, allowing for better post-workout recovery
- Comes in a variety of delicious and refreshing flavors
- Slightly pricier than the other supplements on this list
2 - Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK Pre-Workout
BULK was created by the Utah-based company, Transparent Labs, known for its strictly science-backed products.
The company boasts non-GMO and gluten-free products that contain no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.
BULK contains a potent mix of testosterone boosters like vitamin D, zinc, and boron [3].
Having read this on the label before our experiment, we gave Transparent Labs BULK pre-workout to beginner boxers who suffered from low T-levels.
We noticed improvements in the workout intensity within a week.
A unique characteristic of this pre-workout supplement is that it contains four grams of BCAA (branch-chain amino acids, which are known to alleviate muscle soreness) [4].
While it’s on the pricier side, you can save money by subscribing to their monthly or bimonthly deliveries.
Quick Facts:
- Citrulline Malate : 6000 mg
- Beta-Alanine : 4000 mg
- Branched-chain amino acids : 4000 mg
- Contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives
- Uses a clinically dosed formula backed by scientific research
- Delivers key nootropics to enhance mental acuity, drive, and energy that boxing demands
- Some users report it has a medicinal flavor
3 - Pre Lab Pro®
While some of the so-called best pre-workouts take a “high-caffeine” approach, Pre Lab Pro went another route: premium quality nootropics.
Branding itself a brain supplement, this brand reimagined how it would help athletes reach their fitness goals.
The company claims that the L-theanine content of the supplement creates a fight-or-flight stress response that releases cortisol, enabling athletes to give their training an animal-like enhancement [5] [6].
For this reason, we gave Pre Lab Pro to beginner boxers, who showed significant athletic improvements on the fourth week of training.
This supplement also contains a powerful amino acids and nitric oxide (NO) stack that boosts blood flow to your muscles, improving post-workout recovery [7].
Pre-Lab is known for offering discounts from time to time, so take advantage of lower prices when they’re out.
Quick Facts:
- Beta Vulgaris L-Root : 1500 mg
- L-Tyrosine : 400 mg
- L-Theanine : 160 mg
- One of the best options for beginner boxers looking to significantly enhance their endurance
- Powerful NO stack to enhance blood flow and improve post-workout recovery
- Company offers a 30-day full money-back guarantee if you don’t see noticeable results
- Only available for sale on the official website
4 - BSN N.O.-XPLODE Pre-Workout
Our next pre-workout supplement is a creation of Bio-Engineered Supplements and Nutrition, Inc. — a heavyweight in the sports nutrition industry.
The company claims that the supplement’s proprietary blend has been formulated to maximize exercise performance and endurance.
While the dosages of its ingredients are obscure, we observed how the main ingredients deliver what they’re made for: giving boxers an extra edge for an explosive workout.
Compared to most boxers using other products on this list, we observed users of N.O.-XPLODE seemed to have a slightly more explosive intensity in their movements.
With a caffeine content that’s higher than the average pre-workout supplement, N.O.-XPLODE is the recipe for explosive boxing.
Quick Facts:
- Myogenic Matrix Blend : 5100 mg
- Endura Shot Blend : 2900 mg
- Thermic Energy Blend : 1300 mg
- One of the better pre-workouts for boxers looking to increase short-term explosive power
- Brand has over 15 years of experience in the supplement market
- Supports high focus, maximum explosiveness, and extreme pumps
- Might leave a slightly unpleasant aftertaste for more sensitive palates
5 - C4 Original by Cellucor®
C4 is manufactured by Cellucor — a company with 20 years of experience in sports nutrition.
After its launch in 2004, C4 pre-workout became a favorite in the fitness community.
What makes C4 a favorite among boxers who train every day of the week is the effect of huperzine: a nootropic that’s known to heighten mental focus when training [8].
It also contains 280% of your daily vitamin C content, allowing for faster muscle recovery [9].
Given its potent ingredient blend, our boxers found it surprising that taking C4 didn’t lead to a caffeine crash after their workouts.
However, the ingredients seem to have the same potency as the other products on our list.
On rare occasions, clients would need to take two scoops to feel the effects of the pre-workout supplement.
Quick Facts:
- Beta-Alanine : 1600 mg
- Creatine Nitrate : 1000 mg
- Citrulline Malate : 1000 mg
- Comes from a highly reputable brand of nutritional supplements
- Contains a huperzine that gives boxers enhanced mental focus
- High vitamin C content for faster muscle recovery.
- Contains sucralose, an artificial sweetener
6 - Old School Vintage Blast Pre-Workout
Compared to many on this list, Old School is a fairly new company. According to their website, they’re “dedicated to turning back the clock to the Golden Era principles of bodybuilding and supplementation”.
What makes Old School Vintage Blast especially perfect for boxers is the fact that it combines fast and slow-digesting ingredients.
The latter allowed our boxers to train for a longer period of time.
This supplement has two sets of ingredients:
- Stage I: L-citrulline malate, beta-alanine, L-arginine, L-carnitine tartrate, and caffeine.
- Stage II: D-aspartic acid, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, and microencapsulated caffeine.
The Stage I ingredients (especially L-citrulline and beta-alanine) are known for increasing blood flow, enhancing muscle endurance, and significantly lowering fatigue [10].
The microencapsulated caffeine breaks down slower than regular caffeine, allowing boxers to feel stimulated for a longer time [11].
Quick Facts:
- L-Citrulline Malate : 5000 mg
- D-Aspartic Acid : 2000 mg
- Beta-Alanine : 1000 mg
- Especially helpful for boxers who aim for endurance
- Contains amino acids and slow-digesting caffeine for prolonged stimulation
- Stage I ingredients enhance NO pump and blood flow while significantly lowering fatigue
- It’s a little more expensive than most supplements.
7 - Pre-Kaged by Kaged
Kaged is a company that prides itself on producing supplements with label transparency.
They go as far as giving their product for third-party testing to ensure it’s free from any banned substances.
Only second to Gorilla, Pre-Kaged delivered a whopping 6,500 g of L-citrulline.
First-time boxers using this supplement were genuinely impressed with the workout pump (a result of the nitric oxide flow from the L-citrulline).
With 188 mg of caffeine, Kages is among the best pre-workouts for moderate-intensity boxing.
Quick Facts:
- L-Citrulline : 6500 mg
- L-Isoleucine : 875 mg
- L-Valine : 875 mg
- One of the best options for boxers looking to increase the size
- Higher caffeine content for enhanced athletic performance
- Goes through third-party testing to ensure the absence of banned substances
- Not many flavor options
8 - Pulse Pre-Workout by Legion
Legion Athletics was founded out of frustration because of so many poor pre-workouts on the market.
The founder, Mike Matthews, basically put together all the ingredients that worked and increased the dosage.
It’s not for the faint of heart, as it contains 350 mg of caffeine per serving.
Intermediate to elite boxers can really benefit from the high caffeine dosage and crank out highly-intense workouts.
Based on our observation, Legion Pulse pre-workout seemed to work best with clients on days they had to lift heavy.
Pulse’s combination of citrulline malate, betaine, beta-alanine, and alpha-GP allowed boxers to push heavier weights by increasing their overall muscle endurance [12] [13].
And even with such a high caffeine dose, the majority of our clients reported not experiencing a significant caffeine crash after.
Quick Facts:
- L-Citrulline : 8000 mg
- Beta-Alanine : 3600 mg
- Beta Anhydrous : 2500 mg
- Combination of betaine, beta-alanine, and alpha-GP helps boxers tackle heavier weights for strength gains
- Contains 8 g of citrulline for enhanced muscle pump
- Most users reported no major caffeine crash
- May give first-timers a very jittery feeling
9 - ENGN Shred Pre-Workout by EVL
ENGN pre-workout supplement takes boxing to the next level.
This pre-workout is manufactured by Evlution Nutrition, a Florida-based supplement company whose products go far beyond cookie-cutter protein powders and creatine.
With a combination of metabolism boosters (like CLA, capsimax, green coffee, and coleus) and several branch-chained amino acids, this product chains strength-building and fat burning into one supplement [14] [15].
Boxers especially looking to cut weight before a fight and get lean will find results with this fat-burning pre-workout supplement.
Most clients who took this supplement during the four-week training seemed to experience the highest fat loss among their peers.
Quick Facts:
- Beta-Alanine : 1600 mg
- L-Carnitine : 500 mg
- Conjugated Linoleic Acid Power : 500 mg
- Contains a unique formula of metabolism boosters and branched-chain amino acids for building strength and muscle mass
- Worked best for boxers looking to cut and lower their weight class
- Contains antioxidants and vitamins for enhanced performance and processing of carbs and protein
- Contains a proprietary blend, so some of the ingredient quantities are unknown
10 - ProSupps Mr. Hyde Xtreme Pre-Workout
The best way we can describe this product is a “kick in the teeth.”
Mr. Hyde Extreme lives up to its moniker; the energy levels you experience with this pre-workout supplement are quite powerful. But experienced boxers can really benefit from this crash-free, high-energy supplement.
We gave Mr. Hyde to our intermediate and elite boxers and noticed a pretty significant rise in their energy levels during their workouts (compared to days they didn’t take the supplement).
In addition to a whopping 300 g of caffeine, this supplement contains other energy-enhancing ingredients like Yohimbe and theacrine [16] [17].
This potent combination of high caffeine and energy boosters is why we don’t recommend this supplement for beginners.
Quick Facts:
- Arginine Silicate Inositol : 500 mg
- L-Citrulline Aspartate : 500 mg
- Caffeine Anhydrous : 300 mg
- Works well for moderate boxing-cardio training sessions
- Contains a powerful combination of caffeine, amino acids, and energy-boosting ingredients
- Comes in seven tasty and refreshing flavors
- Quite potent, so it’s not the best option for beginner boxers
Buyer’s Guide
If you’re into boxing or planning to get into it, we’ve put together a buyer’s guide to help you choose a good pre-workout supplement to fuel your training.
What Should Boxers Look For In a Good Pre-Workout Supplement?
Boxers should look for pre-workout supplements that contain the right blend of stimulants that’ll help them increase muscle mass, strength and endurance.
Additionally, it shouldn’t contain any ingredients that cause side effects like caffeine crashes, stomach aches, or headaches.
Here’s what boxers should look for in a quality pre-workout supplement.
Ingredient Profile
The right pre-workout supplement contains the following ingredient profile:
The right blend of stimulants for focus, endurance, and strength:
- Branch chain amino acids (BCAAs): for increasing muscle mass [18].
- Caffeine: to stimulate the mind, increase energy levels, and create laser focus [19].
- Creatine and beta-alanine: for reducing muscle fatigue [20].
- Agmatine: to dull the pain [21].
- Electrolytes: to keep boxers hydrated [22].
Good taste – good-tasting nutritional supplements can encourage boxers to take them regularly.
Physical Effects
Boxers should go for a pre-workout supplement that maximizes the following physical effects and minimize the side effects:
- Increased muscle mass and strength: Stronger muscles mean harder punches and more endurance in the ring.
- Increased stamina: With their arms up most of the time during a fight, boxers’ stamina demands are quite high, and the right nutritional supplements need to meet these demands.
- Muscle endurance: Quickly fatigued muscles can stop you from giving your workout your best. This fatigue occurs when you don’t have enough blood flow and oxygen in your muscles.
Who Should Take Pre-Workout?
Athletes and beginners on their fitness journey who want to give their workout an enhanced boost should take pre-workout.
It can help them push past certain temporary physical limitations.
Boxers who also want to heighten their mental focus for a strenuous workout can take a supplement before their workout session.
Related Articles:
- Best Pre-Workout Supplements For Crossfit
- Best Pre-Workout Supplements For Running
- Best Keto Pre-Workout Supplements
- Strongest Pre-Workout Supplements
Who Shouldn't Take Pre-Workout?
People who suffer from severe allergic reactions to any of the pre-workout ingredients shouldn’t take it.
In such cases, one should take natural energy-boosting foods like peanut butter, assorted nuts, bananas, whole-grain bread, etc., before their workouts.
If you’re looking to take pre-workout but suffer from the aforementioned conditions, speak to your physician to decide on a brand that suits your fitness goals.
FAQs
How Often Should Boxers Take Pre-Workout?
Boxers should take pre-workout between three to four times a week or whenever they have low energy levels before a workout. However, boxers should be aware of developing a caffeine tolerance and plan out weeks where they won’t need supplements.
Should Boxers Take Anything in Addition to a Pre-Workout Supplement?
In addition to a pre-workout supplement, boxers should also supplement their workout with a healthy meal at least two hours before exercising. This will provide them with calories to expend, giving their workout an added boost.
What’s the Best Pre-Workout Supplement For Boxers?
When it came to being an all-rounder for our boxers, nothing seemed to match Gorilla Mode.
This pre-workout supplement checked all the boxes for what our fighters looked for.
While Gorilla Mode was slightly pricier than all the other pre-workout supplements on our list, that didn’t seem to be a major pain point because it delivered effective results.
Boxers found that it helped them push through the most grueling workouts by enhancing their speed, mental focus, muscle growth, and overall energy levels. Plus, the flavors made them all the more enjoyable.
Check out Gorilla Mode today, and take advantage of their three-tub discount.
Our #1 Recommendation
Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout
- Contains a heavy dosage of pure L-citrulline, which enhances nitric oxide flow for an intense workout pump
- Contains a powerful dose of nootropics that enhance mental focus during tough workouts
- Rehydrates muscles after a heavy workout, allowing for better post-workout recovery
- Comes in a variety of delicious and refreshing flavors
- Get the BEST PRICE until the end of September
- Slightly pricier than the other supplements on this list
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