Almost every pre-workout on the market relies on caffeine, often in high doses. It works short term, but brings jitters, an energy crash once it wears off and, above all, poor sleep after evening training. Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours, so a dose taken at 7 pm is still active at midnight.

Nutripure went the other way: no caffeine at all, and a formula built on amino acids and two patented ingredients. It is a product for people who train in the evening, or who gave up classic pre-workouts because of their side effects.

Most sports formulas stop at BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine. These are three of the nine amino acids the body cannot make and must get from food. Yet muscle protein synthesis needs all nine: supplying only three is like delivering three bricks for a wall that needs nine.

Pure Workout contains all nine (EAAs), which makes it useful even outside training, for example to top up a low protein intake. See also our selection of amino acids.

CarnoSyn® beta-alanine is the precursor of muscle carnosine. It is of most interest for repeated efforts of medium duration, such as sets in weight training or interval work. Worth knowing: a few minutes after taking it, many people feel a tingling in the face or hands. This is called paraesthesia; it is harmless and passes on its own.

Kyowa® L-citrulline is converted in the body into arginine, itself a precursor of nitric oxide, which is involved in vasodilation. The formula also contains L-tyrosine.

Blueberry flavour, with natural flavouring and sweetened with stevia: no colourings, no synthetic flavourings, no sucralose, GMO-free, no excipients, made in France. Stevia leaves a slight liquorice aftertaste that not everyone likes. The 315 g bag holds 15 servings.

Mix one serving in a large glass of water about 30 minutes before training. With no caffeine there is no time limit: an 8 pm session will not cost you your night, and the EAAs still make sense on rest days. If you also take whey, Pure Workout goes before the session and whey after. To be honest, a pre-workout replaces neither sleep nor food: that is what we say in our Paris 12th shop when people ask whether it “gives you strength”.

Nutripure was founded in 2017 by Christophe Carrio, five-time world champion in artistic karate and a qualified dietitian, and his brother Florent, an engineer. The company is based in Haute-Garonne, near Toulouse, and manufactures in France.

Herba Barona has been a food supplement shop since 2006, at 10 rue Théophile Roussel, Paris 12th. We are open Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30 am to 6.30 pm, near Ledru-Rollin (line 8) and Bastille (lines 1, 5, 8) metro stations. More products in our sport and endurance section.