Getting the most from yourself when working out is challenging. Pushing the limits each day, whether that’s in the gym, on the field, or on a cardio machine, is demanding.
Among the vast arsenal of supplements designed to help you push things even further are intra-workout supplements.
Intra-workouts give you a boost of energy, focus, and recovery while you are in the throes of a challenging workout, allowing you to push faster and harder than ever.
In this guide to the best intra-workout supplements, join a group of sports nutritionists and dietitians as we look at the best options on the market.
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By the end, you will be able to make an informed choice on choosing the best intra-workout supplements for dominating your workouts.
Let’s jump right in.
Intra-Workout Supplements – Top Pick
The best intra-workout supplement for better workouts is the Transparent Labs Intra.
It is manufactured to the highest standard possible, third-party tested for purity, and is full of clinically-studied ingredients for improved workout performance.
Key things we like about the Transparent Labs Intra:
· Research-backed ingredients
· Loaded with amino acids for muscle synthesis and recovery
· Electrolyes to reduce the effects of dehydration
· Made with industry-leading manufacturing standards
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· Zero additives or artificial sweeteners
· Multiple flavors
· Save 10% by subscribing and get free shipping
Later, we will further evaluate the Transparent Labs Intra-Workout and also list some of our other favorites.
But first, let’s take a quick look at what intra-workouts do and how they can help you improve your workouts.
Understanding the Benefits of Intra-Workout Supplements
Intra-workout supplements, also referred to as “during workout” supplements, offer a huge range of benefits for all types of gymgoers.
✅ Sustained energy levels – Intra-workouts typically contain a small amount of carbohydrates to maintain energy levels. This is obviously helpful, especially during longer and more intense training sessions.
✅ Increased endurance – One of the key ingredients in a quality intra-workout are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). They’ve been shown to significantly increase endurance and reduce muscle fatigue, helping you push harder and longer during difficult workouts.
✅ Hydration – Athletes and gymgoers, myself included, sweat a lot when exercising. Intra-workouts often contain electrolytes potassium and sodium to reduce dehydration and its performance-draining effects.
✅ Faster recovery – The nutrients provided by intra-workout supplements can support the recovery process, helping your muscles repair and rebuild more efficiently after exercise. This can lead to less post-workout soreness and faster overall recovery.
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✅ Sharpened Focus – Intras include BCAAs and caffeine to give a boost to focus and alertness. Fatigue makes cowards of us all, and a quality intra-workout can help strengthen us for the task at hand.
✅ Reduced muscle catabolism – Extended exercise has been shown to eventually waste away muscle tissue as the body uses muscle fiber for energy. Intra-workout supplements can help prevent this catabolic process by providing a readily available source of energy and nutrients.
Ultimately, the best intra-workout supplement is going to be the one that matches your workout goals.
The Best Intra-Workout Supplements for Better Workouts
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Transparent Labs Intra
⭐ Best overall intra-workout supplement
The Transparent Labs Intra-Workout takes our number one spot when it comes to the best intra-workout supplements thanks to industry-leading manufacturing, third-party testing for purity, clean ingredient profile, and clinically-backed ingredients for longer, better workouts.
The Intra is designed specifically to help you power through challenging workouts, reducing muscle damage, increasing focus, cranking up energy, reducing dehydration, and reducing muscle catabolism during particularly long training sessions.
Each serving of the Transparent Labs Intra-Workout includes:
· BCAAs – 5,000mg
· L-Lysine HCL (1,065mg)
· L-Theoronine (500mg)
· L-Citrulline Malate (2,000mg)
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· Taurine (2,000mg)
· Betaine anhydrous (1,250mg)
The Intra also includes a ton of electrolytes, with potassium (75mg) and sodium (100mg). Electrolytes reduce the effects of dehydration, which, according to the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, can crater athletic performance at just a 2% reduction in hydration levels (Barr, 1999).
Beyond the raw power of these all-natural ingredients is the fact that Transparent Labs sweetens the Intra using only naturally-sourced sweeteners like Stevia extract.
See also: Transparent Labs Pre-Workouts Compared
This means it’s not jammed with artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, which taste great but have a lot of negative side-effects for many gymgoers and athletes.
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Transparent Labs is the best in the game when it comes to making clean supplements that flat-out work.
Its supplements are made in GMP-compliant facilities and are third-party tested for purity (including by Informed Choice, making it athlete-approved).
For the fact that it’s packed with workout-boosting ingredients in the cleanest manner possible, the Transparent Labs Intra takes the throne in our guide to the best intra-workouts.
Kaged In-Kaged
⭐ Best intra-workout with caffeine
Intra-workouts primarily rely on BCAAs for enhanced exercise performance. But for athletes and gymgoers who prefer a little shot of caffeine mid-workout, the Kaged In-Kaged Intra is the perfect supplement for added energy and focus.
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Research with athletes published in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that ingesting caffeine during breaks between strenuous cycling time trials increased time to exhaustion, helping participants push harder and longer (Pederson et al., 1985).
In other words, taking caffeine mid-workout can help you finish strong each time you hit the gym, pool, or track.
The Kaged In-Kaged Intra features 124mg of organically sourced caffeine anhydrous (to give you context, a “standard” pre-workout scoop has 150-200mg of caffeine) per scoop to power the back half of your workouts.
Other key ingredients include:
· L-Leucine – 2,500mg
· L-Isoleucine – 1,250mg
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· L-Valine – 1,250mg
· L-Citrulline – 3,000mg
· Beta-alanine – 1,600mg
The Kaged In-Kaged also has 40mg of sodium to help ward off the effects of dehydration.
For athletes and gymgoers who prefer caffeine with their intra-workout supplementation, the Kaged In-Kage is perfect for more strength, endurance, and energy when it matters most.
Available in two flavors and exclusively at Kaged’s website, the In Kage retails for $29 per container, but you can save 10% by subscribing.
Nutricost Intra-Workout
⭐ Best budget-friendly intra-workout
Supplements can be quite expensive, especially as you compound the monthly cost of a new container of your favorite protein, pre-workout, and so on.
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Fortunately, you don’t need to break the bank to get add a decent intra-workout to your supplement stack. The Nutricost Intra-Workout Supplement checks the “budget-friendly” box while not sacrificing on clinically-backed ingredients that will bolster your workouts.
Each serving of Nutricost Intra-Workout includes several key performance-boosting ingredients:
· BCAAs – 5,000mg
· L-Citrulline – 3,500mg
· Beta-alanine – 1,200mg
· L-glutamine – 1,000mg
The Nutricost Intra-Workout also includes electrolytes (chloride, sodium and potassium) to ward off the effects of dehydration during those long, sweaty workouts.
The main thing I don’t love about the Nutricost Intra-Workout is that is uses the artificial sweetener sucralose to flavor the supplement.
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Sucralose, while marked as safe for consumption by the FDA, can cause some users gut issues, headaches, and interfere with appetite regulation.
That said, the Nutricost Intra-Workout is an excellent intra-workout supplement at a bargain price, at less than a dollar per serving.
Allmax Nutrition Carbion+ Intra-Workout
⭐ Best intra-workout for endurance athletes
Endurance athletes, or athletes and gymgoers who do longer workouts in the gym with lots of cardio will benefit most from an intra-workout that has carbohydrates in it.
The best intra-workout with carbs for athletes who exercise for a long time is the Allmax Nutrition Carbion+ Intra-Workout.
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The Carbion+ powers the performance in several different ways:
· 25g of carbohydrates for glycogen replenishment, giving you more energy to exercise for longer
· 1,200mg of branched-chain amino acids and Dextrin for muscle repair and extra endurance
· 380mg of electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, to reduce the performance-crashing effects of dehydration
Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that elite male cyclists ingesting carbohydrates during extended cycling workouts and time trials longer than 90 minutes exerted more power and increased speed (Pochmuller et al., 2016).
The Almmax Carbion+ Intra-Workout comes in lemon-lime flavor, which is surprisingly palatable. I relied on this exact supplement during my competitive swimming days, where I’d be in the pool for up to 2.5 hours.
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While it has zero sugar, the Allmax Cabrion+ does use sucralose to sweeten the powder mix and make it easier to drink.
I’m not a huge fan of artificial sweeteners, and there is a growing body of research that shows artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose to impair gut health, interfere with appetite regulation, and even cause insomnia (Schiffman and Rother, 2013).
Allmax is one of the best supplement brands on the planet, and this intra-workout is the perfect companion for those long workouts when you need some help closing it out.
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How to Choose the Right Intra-Workout Supplement
Choosing the right intra-workout supplement is crucial to optimize your performance, endurance and recovery during intense workouts. With all of the options available, it can be overwhelming trying to make the right choice.
Here are the key things to look for when shopping for the right intra-workout supplement for you:
✅ Workout Goals -- The first step in choosing the right intra-workout supplement is to define your fitness goals. Are you looking to build muscle, improve endurance, or enhance overall performance? Different supplements cater to specific objectives, so knowing your goal will narrow down your options.
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✅ Ingredient profile – Evaluate the ingredients in each intra-workout supplement you consider. Look for key components like branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), electrolytes, carbohydrates, and caffeine.
✅ Avoid proprietary blends – Steer clear of supplements that hide ingredient quantities behind proprietary blends. Transparent labeling is crucial to ensure you are getting the right quantity of each ingredient for maximum effectiveness.
✅ Sweeteners – Intra-workout supplements use artificial and natural sweeteners for better taste. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame can cause digestive issues for some users. Naturally sourced sweeteners like Stevia are an excellent option.
See also: Best Pre-Workouts without Sucralose
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✅ Third-party testing – Choose a supplement brand that third-party tests its intra-workout supplements to ensure purity. Third-party testing by organizations like Informed Choice and NSF means what’s on the ingredient label is in your shaker cup.
✅ Consult your healthcare professional – If you have specific health concerns or are unsure about which intra-workout supplement is best for you, consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian. They can provide personalized guidance based on your unique needs.
Intra-Workout Supplements -- FAQs
Here are some of the more common questions people have when it comes to supplementing with intra-workouts:
When is the best time to take an intra-workout supplement?
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The best time to take an intra-workout supplement varies by user, exercise intensity, and duration of your workout.
In my experience as a national-level athlete, ingesting BCAAs at around the 50-60 minute mark of a long workout was effective. When working with clients and athletes, I recommend BCAAs halfway through a 1.5-2hr workout.
Ultimately, an intra-workout supplement should be paired with proper nutrition prior to your workouts, recovery-oriented supplements and food after your workouts, and adequate hydration during your workouts.
Who are intra-workout supplements good for?
Intra-workout supplements are most used by athletes, endurance athletes, bodybuilders, and those looking to maximize muscle growth and reduce fatigue during prolonged exercise sessions.
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People who exercise for less than an hour don’t need an intra-workout, as you can begin the recovery process after your workout with a quality whey isolate protein and creatine monohydrate to repair muscle tissue and help you bounce back faster.
Is BCAA good for intra-workout?
Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are an essential part of a quality intra-workout. BCAAs can be metabolized directly within the muscles during exercise for added energy.
Additionally, the prime muscle synthesis amino acid in BCAAs, leucine, is highly effective at protecting muscle tissue from catabolism and promoting muscle growth and repair.
Should I take creatine for intra-workout?
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Creatine is not typically used as an intra-workout because it is not a quick-acting substance, thereby not matching the immediate requirements of an effective intra-workout supplement.
Creatine works by increasing the availability of phosphocreatine in muscle tissue, which in turn replenishes ATP (energy), making it more effective as a pre-workout supplement to “load” the muscles for maximum power (Rawson & Valek, 2003).
Should weightlifters use a carbohydrate intra-workout?
The research on carbohydrate supplementation during workouts is a mixed bag of results.
One study published in the Journal of Strength Conditioning Research found that carbohydrate supplementation taken intra-workout did not enhance 1RM performance for squats (Kulik et al., 2008).
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A separate study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness showed that an intra-workout carbohydrate supplement allowed participants to increase the number of reps when tested on a leg extension machine (Haff et al., 2001).
Finally, a third paper tested a group of elite weightlifters, supplementing them with carbohydrates before and during single-leg muscle contractions. Total force output increased compared to the placebo condition.
The research on intra-workouts with carbohydrates points to benefits for weightlifters who do high-volume resistance training at the gym.
Conclusion
Ultimately, an intra-workout supplement is yet another part of the puzzle when it comes to awesome workouts.
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When paired with a consistent routine, both in the kitchen and in the gym, an intra-workout can help you to squeeze the most from those long workouts.
To recap our top pick for the best intra-workout supplement, it’s the Transparent Labs Intra-Workout because:
· Backed by research, every ingredient is chosen for longer, better workouts
· Loaded with amino acids to foster muscle synthesis and increase recovery rate
· Electrolytes to counteract the adverse performance effects of dehydration
· Made with the industry’s leading manufacturing standards and third-party tested, ensuring purity
· Zero artificial sweeteners or additives
· Save 10% by subscribing and get free shipping
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Pick up a container of the Transparent Labs Intro Pre-Workout Supplement and take your workouts to the next level.
Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
