The 4 Best Kratom Pre-Workout Products And Whether You Should Take Kratom Pre-Workout

Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by Team Spinfuel

In 2021 the dietary supplement market in the United States was valued at over 150 billion dollars, and is expected to keep growing. In this article we’ll discuss how the best kratom products should be used in your workouts.

One of the most popular product categories is pre-workout supplements.

Understandably, around training time is when people reach for supplements the most. It’s when we need a boost of energy, dialed in focus, increased blood flow, and pain-free, fluid movement more than any other time.

If you’re a fan of kratom, you may recognize these benefits as exactly what kratom brings you.

Which begs the question: is kratom an effective pre-workout?

Or rather, is kratom a more effective pre-workout than, well, pre-workout itself.

As with almost anything, there isn’t a simple answer here. And as is usual with kratom, we don’t have a ton of really good research to back up our claims, so we’re going off of a lot of mechanistic science and the anecdotes from the millions of kratom users.

The Case For Kratom as a Pre-Workout

Before comparing it to traditional pre-workouts, let’s look at kratom alone, and the case for using it as a pre-workout.

Increase Energy

Traditionally in southeast Asian cultures, where kratom naturally grows, people would chew on kratom leaves for an energy boost during the day.

This is the clearest and one of the most well-understood benefits of kratom, especially at small to moderate doses.

From that perspective, kratom makes a ton of sense to give you a stimulating boost for your workout.

Alleviate Nagging Pain

Any recreational kratom user should be aware of kratom’s effects on pain relief. In fact, this is probably kratom’s most potent effect.

And, its pathway, the same pathway as opioids, explains why many people have used kratom to successfully withdraw from opioid addiction.

In the context of working out, this is a benefit that few pre-workout ingredients can claim to accomplish. Oftentimes, nagging injuries can hamper us from training hard and having our best workouts.

Logically, a little bit of kratom as a pre-workout ingredient can help us train hard. However, don’t use it as a crutch. While kratom will alleviate the pain in the short term, if you have nagging pain, you should also address the root cause.

Boost Blood Flow and Possibly Increase Pumps

Mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid in kratom, has been observed in some studies, like this study on the chemistry of mitragynine, to have “vasodilation” effects. Vasodilation is when our blood vessels widen, increasing blood flow.

For training, this translates to increased blood flow and increased “pumps,” and this increase in muscle pumps has been backed by countless anecdotes from kratom users.

Is Kratom More Effective Than Traditional Pre-Workout?

Traditional pre-workouts have ingredients that do a lot of the same things.

For energy, pre-workouts contain caffeine. The kratom tree and coffee plant are actually cousins, but the active compounds that are responsible for their energy boost are different.

Obviously, caffeine and its effects on energy, focus, and performance are very well-established. But it’s hard to say which one’s better for an energy boost. They will both do the job.

One potential strategy is to cycle them as pre-workout energy boosts. It’s well-known that we build a tolerance to caffeine. If we take it daily, we lose out on the bulk of the enhanced alertness benefits, which is why many performance protocols involve cycling caffeine in different ways.

If you want to restore your caffeine tolerance but still need an energy boost, you can use a few grams of kratom for a few days to give you a boost.

The inverse is also true. If you’re reliant on kratom to give you a boost, and you’re continually upping your dose, caffeine can provide the same energy boost.

Another strategy is to take them together and get the best of both.

You can choose simple capsule options (see our list) and take them with your pre-workout.

Hush Kratom Energy contains 80mg of caffeine, which is about two-thirds of the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee. You can get the benefits of kratom with an extra energy kick to help you power through your workouts.

Other Ingredients That Increase Muscle Pumps

As for increasing muscle pumps, there are lots of other proven ingredients. Amino acids like citrulline and arginine are safe, effective examples, as well as their chemical cousin agmatine.

(Agmatine and kratom interact in complex and interesting ways that extend beyond their roles as potential pre-workout boosts.)

All of these ingredients have much stronger research for muscle pumps behind them, and I wouldn’t advise kratom as a replacement if you’re looking for maximum muscle pumps. However, combining kratom with an ingredient like citrulline could be an interesting experiment if your goal is shirt-busting muscle pumps. Start with smaller doses.

Where Kratom Separates Itself

Kratom reduces pain, unlike typical pre-workout ingredients. If you need a pre-workout to fade away the nagging pains while you train, then kratom is your go-to.

The fact that it then also increases energy and muscle pumps, is almost a bonus.

Dehydration Concerns

It’s well-known that kratom will dehydrate you. It’s also well-known that exercise does too, which means if you use kratom before your workout, pay extra attention to your hydration and continually consume fluids as you train. Consider taking an electrolyte supplement during your workout.

The Best Kratom Strains and Products Pre-Workout

As for strains, we know that white kratom strains are the most stimulating, with green in the middle, and red having the least stimulating (perhaps even sedative) effect. There are also extract options. Kratom extracts that are mitragynine-based will be more stimulating than those that have more balance.

There are also extracts that include caffeine, which seem like the most appealing choices for pre-workout. With that said, here are some of the best kratom products on the market before your workout.

Every product on our list is 3rd-party tested and from an American Kratom Association-approved vendor.

1) Hush Kratom Energy Full Spectrum Extract

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Hush Kratom Energy Full-Spectrum Shot is perfect for those looking for energy and focus, to finish your workout as strong as you started. It includes 65mg of mitragynine alongside 80mg of caffeine.

Pros:

• Convenient shot. No toss and wash necessary.
• 65mg of mitragynine per bottle for a modest kick
• 80mg of all-natural caffeine to improve your energy. Great for working or working out.
• Smooth orange flavor
• Full-spectrum balance of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.
• Proven company with a long track record
• GMP-certified and third-party-tested
• Good value

Cons

• Caffeine + Kratom is not for everyone
• Lower mitragynine content than many other extracts

The dose of caffeine is about two-thirds of the caffeine content in an average cup of coffee. This is enough to boost your energy levels, but you won’t be jumping off the walls. Unlike the stronger extracts, which are a bit sludgy and bitter, this one comes in a delicious orange flavor that goes down smoothly. It uses Hush’s cold extraction process to get the most out of the alkaloids.

2) Viable White Maeng Da Powder

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When it comes to plain leaf kratom powder, white strains tend to have more mitragynine and less 7-HMG. This may be why it has more of a stimulating effect that’s best suited for working out.

Pros:

High-quality pure powder

A white strain, so it gives more of an energy kick

Maeng Da is a reliable, balanced strain

Proven company with a long track record

GMP-certified and third-party-tested

Great value

You can experiment mixing with traditional pre-workout

Cons

Plain leaf kratom doesn’t taste great and isn’t easy to digest.

The annoying part of the plain leaf options is that they don’t taste good at all, and they often cause more GI discomfort. To make it easier to consume, you can also buy this extract strain in capsules.

Viable stands out because of its strict quality standards. Every Viable Kratom product comes with a QR code you can scan to view the lab results.

3) Viable Green Maeng Da

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Green strains of kratom give less of an energy kick than white kratom, so this is a good pre-workout option if you want the benefits of kratom during your workout with a smooth, modest energy boost.

Pros:

High-quality pure powder

A green strain, so it gives a modest, smooth energy kick

Maeng Da is a reliable, balanced strain

Proven company with a long track record

GMP-certified and third-party-tested

Great value

You can experiment mixing with traditional pre-workout

Cons

• Plain leaf kratom doesn’t taste great and isn’t easy to digest.

As mentioned above, many don’t love plain leaf because of it’s earthy taste, and they often cause more GI discomfort. To make it easier to consume, you can also buy this extract strain in capsules.

Viable stands out because of its strict quality standards. Every Viable Kratom product comes with a QR code you can scan to view the lab results.

4) Hush Kratom Ultra Shot (great for beginners)

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Hush Kratom Ultra is a mitragynine-based extract with a great taste and simple, quality formula. That’s why it’s a great option for beginner kratom users.

Pros:

• Convenient Shot
• 90mg of mitragynine per bottle for a solid kick that’s great for beginners.
• Mitragynine-based, so it will give you a pick-me-up.
• Smooth lemon-lime flavor
• Proven company with a long track record
• GMP-certified and third-party-tested

Cons

• More expensive than plain leaf options

We recommend this extract to beginners because it has a more modest strength and is much better tasting than the stronger products on the market. It’s a lemon-lime flavored shot that, as one of the best kratom products, tastes pretty decent and is easy to get down.

If You’re Interested, It’s Worth a Try

As is usual with the discussions on the best kratom products, we don’t have the research to solidly back up our claims (for a host of political reasons), which means we rely on the experience of the millions of kratom users and their self-experimentation.

Using kratom as a pre-workout, especially at modest doses, won’t cause significant adverse effects. Be smart, track how you feel and any side effects, and then move forward, making appropriate decisions for yourself.

Best Kratom Pre-Workout Products in Conclusion

In conclusion, as the dietary supplement market continues to expand, the use of kratom as a pre-workout supplement is a topic of interest.

Kratom offers potential benefits such as increased energy, pain relief, and improved blood flow, making it a plausible choice for pre-workout use. However, comparing kratom to traditional pre-workout supplements reveals that both have their merits, with caffeine providing a well-established energy boost.

Additionally, other ingredients like citrulline and arginine are well-researched for enhancing muscle pumps, but kratom’s pain-relieving properties set it apart.

Several kratom products, including Hush Kratom Energy Full Spectrum Extract and Viable White Maeng Da Powder, offer options for users considering kratom as a pre-workout supplement, with each product catering to specific preferences and needs.

Ultimately, the decision to use kratom in your pre-workout routine should be made carefully, considering individual goals and tolerances.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Kratom Pre-Workout Products

Q: What Dose of Kratom Should I Take Pre-Workout?

A: As for doses, we also know that kratom is more stimulating at small doses, and at higher doses becomes stimulating. 1-2 grams is a great place to start, especially if you’re new. From there, you can go up to 5-6 grams.

Extracts are designed to be taken all at once. However, if you’re new, you can start with half or even a third of the extract.

Q: Can You Combine Kratom with Traditional Pre-Workout?

Kratom and coffee have become an increasingly popular combination. Hush even sells a coffee-infused kratom product.

There’s no doubt this combo will give you an extra energy boost. However, if you don’t need the extra energy boost, you can also go with a non-stim pre-workout option, which will give you the anabolic and muscle pump benefits of all of those ingredients, without the extra stimulation.

Because some pre-workouts and kratom can lower blood pressure, this combo probably isn’t best if you suffer from low blood pressure. The last thing you want is to pass out while you’re at the gym and make the front desk guy take you to the hospital.

Q: I See Some Kratom Products Are Marketing as a Pre-Workout. Does This Mean They’re Better For My Workouts?

Not necessarily. Look at the ingredients. If all you see in kratom, then just know there’s nothing special about it.

A true kratom pre-workout, if we’re comparing it to traditional pre-workouts, doesn’t exist yet. These products lack many effective pre-workout ingredients like beta-alanine, l-citrulline, and more.

Q: Doesn’t Kratom Help With Sleep?

Kratom is paradoxical in this way. Depending on the strain and dose, it can improve energy and help sleep. For more on this, check out this article on kratom for sleep.

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