JOE Reviews: Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Pre-Workout

I've never been a huge fan of pre-workout supplements.

It probably harks back to the days when they first hit the market - cheap, dirty and full of caffeine. They made you feel like the guy who overdid it at a 90s rave - not good. But I'm pleased to say my mind has somewhat been changed. Optimum Nutrition is about as far away from that unpleasant vision of pre-workouts as you could get. It's certainly rocket fuel, but the packaging says the caffeine is from natural sources such as green tea and green coffee - and it shows. There's 175mg of caffeine in every serving - equal to a double espresso - but it's clean and doesn't leave you feeling jittery and wired. Instead, I found the supplement left me focused and energised, which is exactly what you want after a solid slog in the office. The product has 3g of creatine per serving, which is designed to give you more energy and increase performance, and 1.5g of amino acid beta-alanine - another supposed performance enhancer. It may just be psychological, but that extra zeal does make you feel stronger - at least initially. But a word of warning: Don't take this before bed - you'll be up all night putting your record collection in alphabetical order.