Nutricost Pre-X is a high-caffeine, full-feature pre-workout with a lot of ingredients and a lot of servings. We went through every ingredient and dose to work out what it will actually do for you, not just what the label promises.

Nutricost Pre-X Review: The Quick Verdict

Overall score: 8.1/10

Nutricost Pre-X is a strong pre-workout. Its citrulline, Nitrosigine and huperzine A are dosed at the levels the research uses, and 300mg of caffeine gives you a real kick. The gaps are beta-alanine at under half a full dose, no creatine and almost no electrolytes.

Honest take: you'll like it if you want strong energy and a real pump. Skip it if you're sensitive to caffeine, train late at night, or want creatine and electrolytes in the same scoop.

Nutricost Pre-X at a Glance

What Is Nutricost Pre-X?

Nutricost Pre-X is a stimulant pre-workout powder with a 17g scoop and 60 servings per tub. Every ingredient is listed with its amount, with no proprietary blends. This review covers the 60-serving label. Some older Nutricost listings show a smaller 15g scoop.

Nutricost Pre-X Energy: Will It Actually Wake You Up?

Energy score: 7.6/10

Yes. Nearly all of the energy comes from caffeine:

• Caffeine (300mg): roughly three cups of coffee in one scoop. That's a strong dose, and it hits fast on an empty stomach.
• Theobromine (100mg): a milder stimulant that adds a small, smoother lift on top of the caffeine.
• DMAE (150mg): weak evidence at any dose, so it adds nothing to the score.

Honest take: a strong wake-up call. It's the 300mg doing the work, and that's too much for beginners.

Nutricost Pre-X Focus: Will You Feel Locked In?

Focus score: 10.0/10

This is the top of our scale, and it comes from several ingredients working together:

• Caffeine (300mg): the biggest single contributor to alertness.
• Huperzine A (200mcg): the clinical dose, which supports attention and memory.
• Nitrosigine (1500mg): the full dose, which also contributes to focus on top of its blood-flow effects.
• Taurine (2000mg): the dose used in mood and focus research.
• CDP-choline (100mg) and alpha-GPC (100mg): both below the research doses, so they add a little.
• N-acetyl L-tyrosine (250mg): about a quarter of the 1000mg used in studies, so it's a minor extra.

Honest take: focus is Pre-X's strongest category, driven by caffeine, huperzine A and Nitrosigine.

Nutricost Pre-X Pumps: Will You Look and Feel Bigger?

Pumps score: 7.1/10

• L-citrulline (4000mg): the full dose used in pump research and the main reason the score is good.
• Nitrosigine (1500mg): a full dose of a more stable form of arginine, adding to the blood-flow effect.
• Taurine (2000mg): a small supporting boost.

There are no nitrates and no creatine, so the pump stops short of the top scores.

Honest take: a good, noticeable pump, not an extreme one.

Nutricost Pre-X Strength and Performance: Will You Lift More?

Strength and performance score: 7.5/10

• L-citrulline (4000mg): the biggest contributor, helping endurance in higher-rep sets.
• Caffeine (300mg): reliably improves strength and endurance.
• Beta-alanine (2000mg): a modest dose, well below the 3.2-4.5 g range used in research, so you'll feel the tingles before you get the full benefit.
• Betaine (1500mg): a useful amount, a little under the 2,500mg that research favors.
• Taurine (2000mg): a small endurance boost.

There's no creatine, which is the one big performance ingredient missing.

Honest take: good for endurance and high-rep work. Add creatine separately if strength is the goal.

What Do Customers Say About Nutricost Pre-X?

Nutricost Pre-X gets strong feedback for its energy and its value. Reviewers call it "good pre workout for the price" and the "best preworkout for the money," and iHerb buyers report strong energy and focus. At 300mg a scoop, it's a strong dose.

However, customer feedback highlights three trade-offs worth knowing.

First, flavor splits opinion. Many iHerb reviewers love it, but several call taste the weak point, with one saying taste is the only bad thing and another that it could be better.

Second, the tingles and pump get mixed marks. One iHerb reviewer called the beta-alanine tingle fairly strong and the pump a little weak. That fits the label: the tingles are real at 2000mg, and the pump is good rather than extreme.

Third, the caffeine can wreck sleep. One iHerb reviewer warned it may delay sleep after night training.

One more thing worth knowing: the reviews on Nutricost's own site are short and generic, like "good stuff." The detailed reviews on iHerb are where the complaints are.

Honest take: Nutricost Pre-X delivers the strong energy most customers want. The complaints are about flavor, strong tingles and training late, not about whether it works. If you're new to 300mg, start with half a scoop.

Customer feedback is subjective and may cover different flavors or formulations. Retailer reviews are separate from our ingredient-based formula score.

Nutricost Pre-X Side Effects

Tingles and pins and needles. Nutricost Pre-X contains 2000mg of beta-alanine, enough that most people will feel tingling across the face, neck and hands, starting around 15 minutes in and fading within the hour. It's harmless and isn't a sign the product is working harder. Taking it with food or using less than a full scoop takes the edge off.

Jitters and a racing heart. At 300mg of caffeine, jitteriness and restlessness are the most common complaints, especially if you don't drink caffeine regularly or take it on an empty stomach. Start with half a scoop the first time.

Sleep. Give yourself at least 8 to 10 hours before bed. The 300mg of caffeine plus theobromine stays in your system for a long time.

Vitamins. Pre-X includes 60mg of vitamin B6 and 200mcg of vitamin B12. That's far above daily needs and below the adult upper limit for B6 of 100mg, but it adds up if you also take a multivitamin or B-complex.

Who should skip it. Anyone sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or breastfeeding, with a heart condition or high blood pressure, or taking medication that interacts with stimulants.

Should You Buy Nutricost Pre-X?

Choose Nutricost Pre-X if:

• You're used to caffeine and want a strong energy hit.
• You want a real pump, with citrulline and Nitrosigine both at full doses.
• You want strong focus ingredients, including a clinical dose of huperzine A.
• You want a lot of servings per tub (60).

Don't choose Nutricost Pre-X if:

• You're new to pre-workouts or sensitive to caffeine. 300mg is a lot.
• You train in the evening or late at night.
• You want electrolytes. There's only 40mg of sodium and no potassium or magnesium.
• You want creatine in your pre-workout. There isn't any.

Beginners: start with half a scoop. Need creatine? Take it separately. Tested athlete? Nutricost Pre-X isn't NSF Certified for Sport, so look at C4 Sport instead.

Pre-Workouts Similar to Nutricost Pre-X

• Want the same 300mg of caffeine? C4 Ultimate scores 7.6/10 at $2.00 a serving. Read our C4 Ultimate review.
• Want even more caffeine? Redcon1 Total War has 320mg, scores 7.0/10 and costs $0.93 a serving. Read our Redcon1 Total War review.
• Want less caffeine? RYSE Godzilla has 200mg and scores 7.7/10 at $1.42 a serving. Read our RYSE Godzilla review.

Nutricost Pre-X Quick Answers

Is Nutricost Pre-X a good pre-workout? Nutricost Pre-X is a strong pre-workout that scores 8.1/10 on our scale. Its citrulline, Nitrosigine and huperzine A are at research doses, and it has 300mg of caffeine. Its beta-alanine is under half a full dose, and it has no creatine.

How much caffeine is in Nutricost Pre-X? Nutricost Pre-X contains 300mg of caffeine per scoop, roughly three cups of coffee.

Does Nutricost Pre-X have creatine? Nutricost Pre-X has no creatine. You'd need to take it separately.

Does Nutricost Pre-X have beta-alanine, and why do I tingle? Nutricost Pre-X contains 2000mg of beta-alanine per scoop, short of the 3.2-4.5 g range used in research. The tingling is a harmless pins-and-needles feeling caused by beta-alanine, and it usually fades within the hour.

Is Nutricost Pre-X a high-stim pre-workout? Nutricost Pre-X is a High-stimulant pre-workout. It contains 300mg of caffeine plus 100mg of theobromine.

Does Nutricost Pre-X have citrulline? Nutricost Pre-X contains 4000mg of L-citrulline per scoop, which is the full dose research points to for the pump effect.

Does Nutricost Pre-X have electrolytes? Nutricost Pre-X contains only 40mg of sodium and no potassium or magnesium, so it isn't a hydration formula.

Is Nutricost Pre-X good for beginners? Nutricost Pre-X isn't ideal for beginners because 300mg of caffeine is a lot. Start with half a scoop and build up.

Does Nutricost Pre-X taste good? Nutricost Pre-X tastes good to most reviewers, though flavor is subjective. Several iHerb reviewers call the taste its weak point, and one says it's strong.

Is Nutricost Pre-X NSF certified? Nutricost Pre-X is not NSF Certified for Sport, so tested athletes should look at C4 Sport instead.