OCD Gates of Hell - High Stim Pre Workout

This is a training day product with a serious dose of stimulant, so these are the questions our naturopaths ask in store to make sure you pick the right one.

A good fit if

• You train early or want a strong lift before a short, hard session
• You do HIIT, strength training or circuits, which is where the evidence for beta-alanine fits
• You don't already drink much coffee or other caffeine on training days
• You'd rather have everything in one tub than take creatine, caffeine and beta-alanine separately

Check with us first if

• You take any prescription medicine, especially one that interacts with CYP1A2, because caffeine is processed by the same liver enzyme
• You already have coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks on training days, because the totals add up quickly with a formula like this
• The product also contains Citrus aurantium or another stimulant alongside the caffeine. It's worth checking rather than assuming it's fine.
• Your skin tingles after taking it. It's usually harmless beta-alanine tingling, but it's worth confirming.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before starting.

• High stim (this family). Best known for: About 300 to 400 mg of caffeine a serve, plus a full stack: beta-alanine, citrulline, creatine and taurine. Absorption: Caffeine is well absorbed by mouth, and you'll usually feel it 30 to 60 minutes after taking it. Typical use: Short, high-intensity sessions, HIIT, and strength and power work, where alertness and repeated hard efforts both matter.
• Moderate or low stim. Best known for: Roughly half the caffeine of a high stim serve, around 150 to 200 mg, with similar supporting actives. Absorption: Not covered in the evidence we hold. Typical use: People sensitive to caffeine, or afternoon and evening training where you don't want a full high stim dose.
• Stim-free. Best known for: No added caffeine at all; it's built on citrulline, beta-alanine, creatine and nitrate sources instead. Absorption: Not covered in the evidence we hold. Typical use: Evening training, or when you've already reached your daily caffeine limit from coffee or tea.
• Single ingredient equivalents. Best known for: Buying creatine, caffeine and beta-alanine separately instead of in one pre-blended tub. Absorption: The same evidence as the blend, just not combined. Typical use: Anyone who wants an exact trial dose, like 3 to 6 mg/kg of caffeine or 4 to 6 g of beta-alanine, rather than whatever a blend happens to contain.

Reference values. There aren't any. Caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, taurine and citrulline aren't essential nutrients, so the NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values don't cover them.

Typical supplemental range. A high stim serve usually contains 300 to 400 mg of caffeine, 3 to 5 g of creatine, 1.6 to 3.2 g of beta-alanine and 6 to 8 g of citrulline malate, but formulas vary a lot from brand to brand. There's no standard recipe, so always check the label.

Upper level. The TGA caps a single caffeine ingredient at 100 mg, and no more than 100 mg within any 3 hour period, although a blend that combines caffeine with guarana or green tea can add up to more than that in total. Citrulline is capped at 6 g a day as an active ingredient, and theanine, if it's included, at 450 mg a day. There's no cap for creatine, beta-alanine or taurine.

Worth knowing. Trial doses are often higher than one capped caffeine ingredient allows on its own, so compare the label's total caffeine, not just one ingredient line, with the evidence. What you need depends on your age, training and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Caffeine above 200 mg a day isn't recommended, and theanine, if it's in the product, isn't recommended at all.
• Under 18. Every product containing caffeine or theanine must carry an adults-only warning.
• If you take a medicine broken down by the liver enzyme CYP1A2. Above 80 mg of caffeine, a required warning advises checking with a health professional first.
• If you already drink coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks on training days. Caffeine from every source in a formula adds up.
• Beta-alanine if you're prone to tingling. It's harmless, but splitting the dose usually reduces it.
• Products that also contain Citrus aurantium or another stimulant. The combination with high-dose caffeine hasn't been independently verified in the evidence we hold.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or one of our naturopaths before you start.