Musculation, HYROX, running or combat sports: a well-formulated pre-workout can help you maintain greater intensity, power, and focus. But to understand what really sets a good formula apart, you have to look at the ingredients… and especially their dosages.
You’re probably familiar with this feeling: the training program is the same, but your energy level isn’t. Some days, the weights feel heavier, the pace becomes difficult to maintain, and those last few reps disappear much faster. Other days, you feel capable of pushing harder, staying focused, and keeping your intensity up until the end.
That is precisely where the pre-workout comes in.
But what exactly is a pre-workout? Is it just caffeine? Can it really improve performance? Is it only useful for bodybuilding, or also for running, HYROX, and combat sports? And why can two products both labeled "pre-workout" offer such completely different formulas?
What is a pre-workout? The answer in 30 seconds
A pre-workout is a formula consumed before exercise to support several dimensions that directly influence the quality of a session: energy, focus, power, muscular endurance, fatigue resistance, and the ability to sustain effort.
Caffeine is generally the central stimulant. However, a complete formula can also combine citrulline malate, beta-alanine, creatine, taurine, tyrosine, choline, L-theanine, and other active ingredients, each with a different function.
The principle is simple: the pre-workout doesn’t do the training for you. It seeks to enable you to express more of your capacity during that training.
If, during the same session, you are able to produce more power, maintain a higher pace, perform a few extra reps, or stay focused when fatigue starts to set in, the quality of your training stimulus increases. And repeated week after week, this extra work can help accelerate the progress you are looking for.
Can more energy really produce a better workout?
This is probably the most important question.
Caffeine currently has one of the most robust scientific records among ingredients used to improve athletic performance. The International Society of Sports Nutrition, in its position stand led by Nanci Guest with contributors including Lawrence Spriet, Louise Burke, Jose Antonio, and Brad Schoenfeld, concludes that caffeine can improve several aspects of performance, including muscular endurance, speed, power, certain strength parameters, sprints, and endurance performance. Ergogenic effects are particularly well-documented around 3 to 6 mg/kg, even if lower doses can already be effective. PubMed
With 300 mg of caffeine per serving, Explosive Power represents approximately 4.3 mg/kg for a 70 kg person, 3.75 mg/kg for 80 kg, and 3.3 mg/kg for 90 kg: an amount that falls directly within the range commonly studied for performance.
A meta-analysis published in 2025 covering 12 studies and 230 participants observed that caffeine significantly increased the average movement velocity of repetitions and the mean power produced during resistance exercises. PubMed
And the effect doesn't stop at bodybuilding. An umbrella review combining 21 meta-analyses found ergogenic effects of caffeine on aerobic endurance, strength, muscular endurance, power, jumps, and exercise speed. PubMed
This is where the logic becomes interesting: a pre-workout does not grow your muscles directly. It can increase what you are capable of producing during the workout that stimulates them.
More reps, more power… and potentially more results
Let's look at two days for the same person, with the same program.
Without sufficient energy, they complete four sets with 10, 8, 7, and 6 reps. With a better ability to maintain their effort level, they perform 10, 10, 9, and 8 reps with the same weight.
In isolation, the difference seems small. But repeated over several exercises and several weeks, it can represent hundreds of additional quality repetitions and more total work.
Citrulline malate provides a second interesting lever here. A meta-analysis specifically focused on repetitions to failure found that consuming 6 to 8 g of citrulline malate approximately 40 to 60 minutes before exercise was associated with an average of 3 additional repetitions, representing an increase of approximately 6.4% in the total number of repetitions in the pooled studies. PubMed
Explosive Power provides exactly 6 g of citrulline malate per serving in its current formula.
It is this combination logic that is important: rather than asking a single ingredient to do everything, a complete formula seeks to act on several factors that determine the quality of your session.
Is a pre-workout thermogenic?
Yes, caffeine really does have a thermogenic effect in the physiological sense of the term.
Thermogenesis is an increase in energy expenditure in the form of heat. In a randomized, double-blind human study comparing a placebo and different amounts of caffeine, doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg increased energy expenditure in a dose-dependent manner. PubMed
This is particularly interesting when comparing the same person with and without caffeine, rather than two different people.
In a randomized crossover study, the same participants performed an hour of self-regulated cycling after consuming either 3 mg/kg of caffeine or a placebo. With caffeine, they spontaneously chose a higher average power output: 117 W versus 105 W. This resulted in more total work — 422 versus 377 kJ — and higher energy expenditure during the session: 587 versus 543 kcal. PubMed
This is precisely the comparison that interests us.
Same person. Same protocol. Caffeine versus placebo.
Caffeine therefore acts through two pathways that are particularly interesting for someone looking to modify their body composition: it has a measurable thermogenic effect and can allow for more work to be produced during exercise.
If we now imagine the same person, with the same diet, but capable of maintaining more intensity and therefore expending more energy during their workouts, this extra expenditure naturally contributes to the energy balance.
For someone looking to lose fat, this can complement a tailored diet. For someone looking to build muscle, that same extra capacity can be used to produce more volume, load, or power.
The mechanism is therefore more interesting than the simple term "fat burner":
more capacity to work + increased energy expenditure + a real thermogenic effect from caffeine.
A pre-workout isn't just for bodybuilding
This is an essential point.
The name "pre-workout" simply means before training. It does not mean "before a bodybuilding session."
Caffeine has favorable data in numerous disciplines. A meta-analysis focused on endurance running concludes that it improves performance and time to exhaustion. PubMed Another meta-analysis on intermittent sports observed more sprints, accelerations, decelerations, and high-intensity actions after caffeine consumption. PubMed
In combat sports, a meta-analysis of 25 studies observed improvements in reaction time, certain explosive performances, and the number or duration of offensive actions. PubMed
And for high-intensity training that closely approximates the demands of a HYROX, a meta-analysis published in 2026 covering 20 studies found a significant positive effect of caffeine on high-intensity intermittent exercises, including in trained athletes. PubMed
This explains why the same logic applies to:
bodybuilding, HYROX, CrossFit, running, cycling, team sports, boxing, judo, MMA, and other high-intensity sports.
The desired benefit changes according to the sport. In bodybuilding, you might be looking for more power and muscular endurance. In running or HYROX, the ability to maintain effort becomes central. In combat sports, focus, reaction, power, and repetitive intense efforts become more important.
But the idea remains the same:
being able to maintain a higher level of performance when fatigue starts to appear.
Why you need to look at dosages — not just the ingredient list
This is probably one of the biggest problems in the pre-workout market.
Two tubs can both claim:
caffeine + citrulline + beta-alanine + creatine
but provide completely different amounts.
The presence of an ingredient on the label does not mean its quantity is relevant.
This is why we prefer to compare formulas by the actual serving consumed.
According to the current label you provided for Explosive Power, one serving notably provides 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 3,000 mg of beta-alanine, 2,000 mg of creatine monohydrate, 300 mg of caffeine, 1,000 mg of taurine, 500 mg of L-tyrosine, 200 mg of choline, and 50 mg of L-theanine. CMYK v3 320x80mm - Pre Workout …
This combination is important because the ingredients do not all perform the same role.
The caffeine acts primarily on stimulation, alertness, and performance. The citrulline malate is used regarding blood flow and effort endurance; 6 to 8 g is precisely the range used in several studies on repetitions. PubMed The beta-alanine acts more through the accumulation of muscle carnosine with regular use; a 2024 meta-analysis observed a significant benefit for maximal efforts, particularly after several weeks of supplementation. PubMed The creatine contributes to energy availability during repeated efforts and works primarily through regular use. Finally, a meta-analysis published in 2025 on taurine observed small to moderate effects on overall performance in studies commonly using between 1 and 6 g. PubMed
And the mental dimension also counts: a 2025 meta-analysis pooling 31 randomized trials and 1,455 participants concludes that caffeine significantly improves both reaction speed and accuracy in attention-based tasks. PubMed
This is why a good pre-workout should be viewed as a formula architecture, not just a list of ingredients.
How does Explosive Power compare to other pre-workouts?
Your comparison between OVRL Explosive Power, BioTechUSA SuperNova, Decathlon Energy Pre-Workout, and MyProtein The Pre-Workout illustrates this problem perfectly.
Some references may offer a high amount of a single isolated ingredient. But when we simultaneously look at the eight main active ingredients compared — citrulline, beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine, taurine, L-tyrosine, choline, and L-theanine — Explosive Power is the only one of the four formulas compared to bring all eight together in a single serving.
This is the notion that counts.
A caffeine-only oriented pre-workout can give a strong sensation of stimulation. A product highly concentrated in citrulline can be interesting for that specific active ingredient. But a truly complete formula seeks to cover several dimensions simultaneously:
energy + power + endurance + resistance to effort + focus.
This is why we can reasonably present Explosive Power as one of the most complete formulas on the market and the most complete formula among the four references analyzed in our comparison, rather than judging quality solely by the number of ingredients displayed on the front of the tub.
How long does the effect of a pre-workout last?
Here, you have to understand caffeine correctly.
It is not absorbed slowly over six hours. It is almost the opposite: about 99% of caffeine is absorbed within 45 minutes, with a blood peak generally observed between 15 and 120 minutes.
What explains the duration of the effect is its half-life.
In a healthy adult, it is on average about 5 hours, although metabolism varies from one person to another. PubMed Central (PMC)
This means that a pre-workout consumed early in the morning can continue to influence wakefulness and alertness several hours after the end of the session. Research on cognitive functions also shows that low to moderate doses of caffeine can improve alertness, attention, reaction time, and the sensation of energy. PubMed
This is exactly what explains why some people feel the benefit of their pre-workout well beyond the workout itself.
What if you train in the evening?
With a formula providing 300 mg of caffeine, the timing becomes particularly interesting.
If you train early, taking Explosive Power approximately 30 to 60 minutes before the session allows you to synchronize the workout with the rise of caffeine in the blood.
Si vous vous entraînez en soirée mais prévoyez de dormir vers 22 h, prendre 300 mg à 18 h ou 19 h laisserait encore une grande quantité de caféine circulante au moment du coucher.
Dans ce cas, utiliser la dose beaucoup plus tôt, autour de 14 h–15 h, peut constituer un compromis plus intelligent : vous profitez de la stimulation pendant l’après-midi et une partie de la soirée tout en laissant environ 7 à 8 heures à l'organisme pour diminuer progressivement la concentration de caféine avant 22 h.
Avec une demi-vie moyenne proche de cinq heures, une dose prise à 14–15 h sera en effet beaucoup plus diminuée à 22 h qu'une dose prise immédiatement avant un entraînement de 19 h. PubMed Central (PMC)
L’objectif n’est donc pas simplement de demander :
« À quelle heure commence mon entraînement ? »
mais aussi :
« À quelle heure veux-je terminer ma journée ? »
Pourquoi Henrique utilise Explosive Power lors de ses journées les plus exigeantes
« Mes journées sont très chargées. Je commence tous les jours vers 5 h du matin, je m’entraîne environ 1 h 20, puis je dépose les enfants à l’école avant d’aller travailler. Ma journée ne se termine réellement que vers 21 h, lorsque les enfants sont couchés. Les jours où je ne prends pas mon pre-workout, je remarque souvent que mon énergie chute fortement vers 13 h, juste après le déjeuner, et le reste de la journée devient beaucoup plus lourd.
Les jours où j’utilise mon pre-workout, j’arrive à 21 h avec beaucoup plus de disposition et sans cette impression d’avoir complètement épuisé mon énergie. Je l’utilise surtout lorsque je sais que l’entraînement sera exigeant. Je ne le prends généralement pas le samedi, lorsque je me lève plus tard, ni le dimanche, lorsque je ne m’entraîne pas et peux dormir davantage. »
— Henrique C., cofondateur OVRL Athletica
Cette expérience correspond bien à ce que l’on sait de la pharmacocinétique de la caféine : une absorption rapide suivie d’une élimination progressive pendant plusieurs heures. Elle illustre également une utilisation que nous trouvons particulièrement intéressante : le pre-workout comme outil stratégique, et non comme simple rituel automatique.
Cette logique se retrouve aussi chez des professionnels connus du fitness. Dans les contenus publiés sur le site officiel de Renato Cariani, les stimulants comme la caféine sont présentés comme pouvant améliorer la performance lorsqu'ils sont utilisés de manière adaptée. Renato Cariani
Alors, qu’est-ce qu’un bon pre-workout ?
Ce n’est pas nécessairement celui qui vous donne le plus de picotements.
Ce n’est pas celui dont l’étiquette affiche le plus grand nombre d’ingrédients.
Et ce n’est pas simplement celui qui contient le plus de caféine.
Un bon pre-workout doit répondre à une question beaucoup plus intéressante :
qu’est-ce que cette formule peut m’aider à produire pendant mon entraînement ?
Énergie pour commencer fort. Concentration pour rester dans votre séance. Puissance pour maintenir l’intensité. Endurance pour continuer lorsque la fatigue monte. Et des quantités suffisamment transparentes pour savoir ce que vous consommez réellement.
C’est précisément l’approche utilisée pour Explosive Power OVRL : réunir dans une même formule plusieurs ingrédients ayant des fonctions complémentaires, avec des quantités clairement déclarées.
Découvrir Explosive Power Pre Workout Mojito-Fraise
Questions fréquentes sur le pre-workout
À quoi sert un pre-workout ?
Un pre-workout est conçu pour soutenir la qualité de l’entraînement en agissant, selon sa formule, sur l’énergie, la concentration, la puissance, l’endurance musculaire et la résistance à la fatigue.
Combien de temps avant l’entraînement faut-il prendre son pre-workout ?
Pour une formule contenant de la caféine, 30 à 60 minutes avant l'entraînement est une stratégie pratique, car la caféine est rapidement absorbée et atteint généralement des concentrations élevées dans la première heure suivant l’ingestion. PubMed Central (PMC)
Le pre-workout est-il seulement utile pour la musculation ?
Non. La caféine possède des données positives en musculation, running, endurance, sports intermittents, entraînement de haute intensité et sports de combat. PubMed
Peut-on utiliser un pre-workout pour le HYROX ?
Oui. HYROX combine course, efforts fonctionnels, puissance, endurance et répétition d’efforts à haute intensité. Plusieurs composants couramment utilisés dans les pre-workouts, notamment la caféine, présentent des données favorables dans ces types d’efforts. PubMed
Un pre-workout aide-t-il à faire plus de répétitions ?
Certains ingrédients le peuvent. Une méta-analyse sur la citrulline malate a trouvé environ 3 répétitions supplémentaires en moyenne avec 6–8 g avant des exercices de résistance, et la caféine possède également des données positives sur l’endurance musculaire et la performance. PubMed
Le pre-workout est-il thermogénique ?
La caféine possède un effet thermogénique documenté et peut augmenter temporairement la dépense énergétique. Elle peut également permettre à certaines personnes de produire davantage de travail pendant leur séance, ce qui augmente encore la dépense énergétique associée à l'exercice. PubMed
Le pre-workout peut-il aider à perdre de la graisse ?
À alimentation identique, une augmentation de la dépense énergétique contribue au déficit énergétique. Un pre-workout peut agir à travers la thermogenèse liée à la caféine et, surtout, en permettant de maintenir davantage d'intensité et de travail pendant la séance. Il vient donc soutenir l’entraînement et la stratégie nutritionnelle, et non les remplacer.
Peut-on prendre un pre-workout l’après-midi si l’on s’entraîne le soir ?
Oui. Avec Explosive Power et ses 300 mg de caféine, une prise vers 14–15 h est plus cohérente pour quelqu’un qui prévoit de dormir vers 22 h qu’une prise immédiatement avant un entraînement tardif, car elle laisse plusieurs heures supplémentaires pour que la concentration de caféine diminue progressivement. PubMed Central (PMC)
Les études scientifiques citées dans cet article
Guest NS et al. — International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise Performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Voir sur PubMed
Wang Z, Qiu B, Gao J, Del Coso J. — Effects of Caffeine Intake on Endurance Running Performance and Time to Exhaustion. Nutrients.
Voir sur PubMed
Delleli S et al. — Acute Effects of Caffeine Supplementation in Combat Sports. Nutrients.
Voir sur PubMed
Vårvik FT, Bjørnsen T, Gonzalez AM. — Acute Effect of Citrulline Malate on Repetition Performance During Strength Training. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.
Voir sur PubMed
Peng Y et al. — Does acute caffeine ingestion improve high-intensity interval exercise performance? Frontiers in Physiology, 2026.
Voir sur PubMed
Deng H et al. — Does One Shot Work? The Acute Impact of a Single Taurine Dose on Exercise Performance. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2025.
Voir sur PubMed
Kløve K, Petersen A. — A systematic review and meta-analysis of the acute effect of caffeine on attention. Psychopharmacology, 2025.
Voir sur PubMed