A few years ago, when fully dosed and transparent labels were a rare find, Pre-Kaged was released. 

Featuring a complete and packed formula, it was an instant hit.

Now with Pre Kaged Elite, the ingredients are dosed even better and is catered towards to the serious athletes. 

With over 35g of ingredients, including 10g pure l-citrulline, creatine nitrate and more, it's one of the best pre workouts we've seen. 

It's up there with Apollon Nutrition's Hooligan and Transparent Labs Bulk as it's one of the few pre workouts with such an enormous serving. 

When it comes to generously dosed pre workouts, there are a very few to choose from. 

Pre Kaged Elite is the next pre workout out of Kaged Muscle. 

It features a label that is well dosed beyond anything we've seen before. 

With over 20 ingredients, and 36g scoops, this pre workout has set higher standards for what a pre workout for serious athletes should look like. 

Although this isn't a perfect pre workout, as you'll learn in this post, but Kaged Muscle couldn't have made a better pre workout for this price. 

This long list of ingredients would likely make Pre Kaged Elite worth the price. 

Anyone who knows their pre-workout labels wouldn't hesitate on grabbing a bottle of this. 

Apart from the vitamins and minerals, there are also ergogenic aids like 10g citrulline, creatine nitrate, betaine anhydrous, and much more. 

The ingredients used here will help enhance performance, reduce fatigue, and induce intense pumps. 

Although the stimulants here only add up to 388mg of caffeine, they come from two sources. 

There's also huperzia serrata, tyrosine, and electrolytes to help optimize mental functions. 

Our review video is below...

Citrulline is one of the most popular ingredients to use in a pre workout. 

It's one of the best nitric oxide boosters and it has a magnitude of benefits.

Without citrulline, it wouldn't be a complete pre workout. 

With extensive research and evidence proving its benefits on increasing power, enhancing vasodilation and reducing fatigue, it's one of the best ingredients that you can use. 

Typically this ingredient is dosed at 4-8g when it's in it's pure form (l-citrulline).

However, Pre Kaged Elite has a massive 10g dose. 

This is likely one of the only pre workouts as of today with that much pure citrulline. 

You might be asking, why 10 grams?

The dose here isn't a random number. 

An article published in 2018 that referenced a study that tested various doses of citrulline, including 2, 5, 10 and 15.

The study concluded that up to 15g of l-citrulline was safe and when compared to l-arginine, 13g can cause gastrointestinal complications [1, 2, 3]. 

The authors suggested using 10g l-citrulline for clinical use. 

Doses as low as 3g can be effective for increasing l-arginine levels, so the minimal amount of citrulline is 3g per day [4], and the highest and most effective may go as high as 10g per day. [5]

So the 2008 study that they cite makes it clear that 10g of citrulline is far more effective than 5g but hits the law of diminishing returns after that point. [1]

The amount of arginine that increases with citrulline will not increase further with higher doses than 10g. 

So Kaged is maximizing the circulating arginine in athletes and doesn't dose beyond that as it wouldn't make sense.  

And pure arginine is something that has been concluded to be far less effective than arginine itself.

Since arginine needs to go through the digestion process before reaching the kidneys, it is usually broken down far too much and citrulline passes through the digestion the system and is able to convert to arginine more effectively. [6, 7, 10]

Citrulline is going to help improve blood flow, which will lead to better nutrient delivery, intense muscle pumps and reduces blood pressure. 

Beta alanine is similar to citrulline, as it can increase endurance and reduce fatigue. 

Although beta alanine is superior in terms of enhancing endurance, combining both is a sure way to take performance to the next level. 

When consumed, beta alanine can increase the production of carnosine [10], which can delay the lactic acid build up from exercise.

By buffering lactic acid, you can grind out more reps before feeling fatigue. 

The tingles associated with beta alanine has a bit of a hate/love relationship with pre workout users. 

But if you take beta alanine on a regular basis, like creatine, you'll be less likely to feel the tingles. 

The reason for this is because your body becomes saturated with it. 

The tingling sensation is known as paresthesia, and it's been proven to be completely harmless by this. [11]

You're probably asking, does beta alanine really work?

Like creatine, beta alanine has plenty studies proving it's effectiveness. 

There are two large meta analysis that have summarized the data on beta alanine. 

Beta alanine shows it works best when exercises last between 1-4 minutes based on 15 studies that involved 360 participants. [12]

In 2016 there was another meta analysis on 1461 participants from 40 different studies that found beta alanine to increase endurance for exercises that range from 30 seconds up to 10 minutes. [13]

It works well with creatine which is fully dosed in Pre Kaged Elite, as you'll see covered in the next two ingredients...

Creatine is a must if you're looking to pack on size and strength. 

There are two forms of creatine in Pre Kaged Elite, and this is the first one, and it's listed as CreaClear. 

CreaClear is a patented form of creatine by Kaged Muscle. [14]

It's a creatine monohydrate supplement encapsulated by a milk protein for better bioavailability and to reduce early breakdown which would otherwise breakdown to creatinine. 

Prior to CreaClear, Kaged Muscle would use creatine hydrochloride because the founder Kris Gethin always had issues with regular creatine monohydrate, although it's backed by hundreds of studies that prove it's efficiency. 

CreaClear can stay stable in water for up to a month, while creatine monohydrate can't.

And it has a protective coating that allow it to pass to the digestive tract before being broken down by the stomach. [14]

What can creatine do?

Creatine can increase ATP production, allowing for more cellular energy which has benefits for the entire body. 

And it's also one of the most studied supplements in bodybuilding, with many studies available and have been replicated through many studies. 

There couldn't be more evidence that it works and it's benefits includes:

• Enhanced power [15, 16]
• Increased anaerobic capacity [17, 18]
• Lean muscle gains [19, 20]
• Decreased fatigue [21, 22]
• Better hydration [23]
• Improved mental functions [24]
• Improves overall well-being [25, 26]
• Improves bone mineral density [27]

There isn't any doubt that creatine works and the evidence is there. 

Without any side effects or safety concerns, creatine remains one of the best supplements to use for muscle and strength. 

Consuming 5g will generally be enough, and there's more creatine in the next ingredient...

In 2g of creatine nitrate, there is 1.35g creatine and 650mg nitrate. 

This will add onto the creatine dosage above, and it'll help with pumps as it synergizes with citrulline.

Creatine nitrate has been shown to increase bench press power, as well as strength and endurance on leg press. 

It's also very safe but this doesn't come to a surprise since nitrates are harmless and creatine will increase ATP production. 

Benefits of nitrates include:

• Improved blood flow [28]
• Enhanced plasma nitric oxide [29]
• Increased strength, power and force production [30]
• Improved athletic endurance [31]
• Reduces recovery time [32, 33]
• Decreases oxygen needs for training [34]

There's still more ergogenic aids that have benefits for performance.

Betaine anhydrous, or trimethylglycine, is an osmolytic ingredient, which not only helps with strength but it can also maintain and fluid levels. 

Athletes supplementing with betaine have shown improved strength and performance.

Betaine really picked up popularity when a study showed 5.3lbs of lean mass gained and 6.4lb fat loss combined with a intense training program with a 2.5g dose. [35, 36]

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate is a version of L-carnitine, and it's also known as LCLT.

It's carnitine bounded to tartaric acid. 

Dieters are typically deficient in this amino acid and supplementation becomes vital to ensure you're getting enough.

Using carnitine will help get fatty acids transported to mitochondria, which  are the powerhouses of cells and this is where fat is used and converted into energy. [37]

Not getting enough carnitine will slow down fat loss as fatty acid utilization slows down. 

Carnitine is found in meat, which is why vegans are typically deficient in this amino acid. [38]

Using carnitine can also help recovery and the dose here is enough if you're already consuming meat and eggs at 1.5g. 

Another osmolyte in Pre Kaged Elite is taurine and it's dosed at a big 2 grams. 

Taurine helps with water retention in the body and will help muscles contract due to it's ability to improve calcium signaling. [39]

And it also helps reduce oxidative stress while improving fat digestion. [40]

One study showed near instant endurance gains by using anywhere from 1 to 6 grams. [40]

Taurine also has benefits for nitric oxide production, improving mental functions and more. 

Similar to taurine, coconut fruit water powder can help with water balance and hydration. 

Coconut fruit water powder contains loads of electrolytes but the dosing is a little on the light side of dosing. 

But still it's combined with other electrolytes and minerals to help maximize performance. 

Dosed at 150mg is elevATP, a proprietary blend consisting of ancient peat and apple extract that works similar to creatine.

It works by increasing ATP production, helping maximizing power output. 

Some research indicated some potential for elevATP but it wasn't until this study that showed it's performance benefits which showed increases in 1 rep maxes in trained men. 

Tyrosine was a big part of the original formula of Pre Kaged but it's even a bigger part in Elite. 

Here it's dosed at 2.5 grams, which is the biggest yet. 

This dose will help with neurotransmitter production like dopamine and norepinephrine. [41]

When you're taking stimulants like caffeine, the production of these neurotransmitter will be important to help maximize energy as they get fired up in the "fight or flight" modes. 

Tyrosine also has benefits for improved cognitive function especially under periods of high stress. 

The dosage here is very high, and it would've been fine if it was dosed much lower at 500mg but at 2.5g you're getting a serious amount. 

This is where the fun starts. 

At 388mg total caffeine from two sources, you'll be getting one source from green coffee beans (PurCaf) and the other from Ilex guayusa (AmaTea). 

The original Pre Kaged had 274mg but this is the highest they said they'll go.

With the help of increased nitric oxide production, you'll have normal blood pressure levels thanks to the high content of nitrates and citrulline. 

Another upside to these caffeine types is that they are natural and have less of a crash compared to pure caffeine. 

This grandfather of stimulants works by inhibiting the sleep inducing chemical adenosine. [42]

It also helps free up fatty acids to use as energy for training and there's also carnitine here to help with that. [43]

Caffeine also helps with strength especially when it's dosed between 5-6mg per kilogram of bodyweight but you'll get better strength improvements from creatine and betaine. [44]

Alpha GPC is our favorite choline based source. 

It's not only useful for increasing acetylcholine levels but it also helps with strength training. [45]

This is one of the best sources of choline as it's highly bioavailable. 

Deficiency in choline is associated with lower mental functions and it puts you at risk for cognitive issues. [46, 47]

Huperzine will help protect the levels of increased choline while alpha GPC will increase the production of choline. 

Kaged has gone with the patented form of alpha GPC, Alpha Size.

Alpha Size is the only form that is backed with studies and doesn't have any impurities. 

Pre Kaged is one of the few pre workouts using this form of caffeine. 

AmaTea, or Ilex Guayusa, is a unique stimulant that's found in Central America where it's consumed as a morning stimulant. 

It's packed with xanthine's like caffeine and theobromine. 

Not to mention the flavonoids and chlorogenic acids that is beneficial for health. 

Illex also has ursolic acid, a rare attribute for a caffeinated plant.

Ursolic acid has benefits for reducing body fat and improving insulin sensitivity. [48]

There's about 20mg caffeine provided by Ilex and 80mg coming from other components of AmaTea. 

Huperzine paired with a choline source is one of the best combinations.

The reason for this is because huperzine defends acetylcholine from breaking down. 

With the 100mcg dose, you're getting a full clinical dose here. 

Huperzine inhibits the action that breaks down acetylcholine. [49]

Without these b vitamins, there wouldn't be a solid foundation for energy, both mentally and physically. 

Vitamin B3 here is the same as the original Pre Kaged, which has NAD+ production support and will help with ATP production. [50]

And the form of vitamin B6 has been switched over to Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate, the best form possible as it's highly bioavailable and has the best support for energy conversion, neurotransmission and metabolism. [51]

Another change is the vitamin B12 is now doubled in Elite with 1000mcg (or 41667% of the recommended daily value).

There's also added minerals, including magnesium, sodium and potassium. 

These minerals and vitamins will ensure the best performance. 

Kaged have one of the best pre workouts on the market with Pre Kaged Elite.  

It's packed with 10g citrulline, creatine nitrates, and then some.

Although it only uses caffeine as a stimulant, it combines it with 2.5g tyrosine, making it more effective.

Try out Pre Kaged Elite if you're looking for something that packs everything needed for an intense workout.