Optimum Nutrition Amped Pre-Workout

Optimum Nutrition Amped Pre-Workout — 6g Citrulline, 3.5g Beta-Alanine, High Stim

Amped is the heavy end of Optimum Nutrition's pre-workout range. 6g of L-citrulline for pump, 3.5g of beta-alanine for endurance, a high caffeine dose paired with nootropics for focus, plus electrolytes to cover sweat losses. Sugar-free. 360g, 20 serves. In stock at TopDog Nutrition.

Amped or Gold Standard? Read This First

These are not the same product at different price points. They're built for different sessions.

Gold Standard Pre-Workout runs 175mg caffeine, 1.5g citrulline malate and 1.5g beta-alanine. It's the everyday formula — moderate enough to use several times a week for months without tolerance running away from you.

Amped runs four times the citrulline (6g), more than double the beta-alanine (3.5g), and a high stimulant load with nootropics on top. It's built for the sessions that matter — heavy days, PR attempts, competition prep.

The honest advice: don't use Amped as your daily pre-workout. High-stim formulas build tolerance fast, and if you're taking it five days a week you'll be back to feeling nothing within a month and reaching for more. Use Gold Standard as the default and save Amped for when you actually need it.

6g L-Citrulline — The Serious Pump Dose

Citrulline is the nitric oxide ingredient. It converts to arginine in the kidneys, which raises nitric oxide production and dilates blood vessels — more blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients into working muscle and better clearance of metabolic waste.

Dose matters enormously here, and most pre-workouts underdose it. The research generally uses 6–8g of citrulline malate or 3–6g of pure L-citrulline. At 6g, Amped sits at the top of that range. This is the difference between a formula that produces a visible, felt pump and one that just lists the ingredient.

3.5g Beta-Alanine — Above the Standard Dose

Beta-alanine raises intramuscular carnosine, which buffers the hydrogen ion build-up responsible for the burn that ends a set. The practical result is more reps in the 60–240 second effort range — the zone where most hypertrophy work lives.

The typical clinical dose is 3.2g daily. At 3.5g, Amped clears it in a single serve. Expect a strong tingle — that's paraesthesia, it's harmless, it fades within half an hour, and at this dose it's unmistakable.

High Caffeine and Nootropics

The stimulant load is the reason Amped is a session tool rather than a daily habit. Combined with nootropic ingredients for focus, it's built for the training you need to be locked in for.

Two practical warnings. First, don't stack it with other caffeine sources — check your coffee intake and anything else in your stack before dosing. Second, don't train late on it. Caffeine's half-life is roughly 5–6 hours, and a high-stim pre-workout at 6pm will still be in your system at midnight. Sleep is where training adaptation happens; losing it costs more than the session gains.

Electrolytes

Sodium, potassium and magnesium are lost through sweat, and hydration status directly affects strength output, endurance and cramping. Including electrolytes in a formula designed for high-intensity sessions is a sensible addition rather than a marketing one — hard training in heat is exactly when those losses matter.

Directions

Mix one serve with cold water 20–30 minutes before training.

Start with half a serve. This is a high-stimulant, high-beta-alanine formula, and assessing tolerance first is genuinely worth doing. Half gives you a real sense of how you respond.

Don't exceed one serve in 24 hours. Don't take it within 6–8 hours of bed. Not suitable if you're caffeine-sensitive, pregnant or breastfeeding, or under 18.

Frequently Asked Questions

How strong is it really?

High-stim. If your current pre-workout is a moderate 150–200mg caffeine formula, this is a significant step up. Half a serve first.

Why does it make me itch?

3.5g of beta-alanine. Paraesthesia at that dose is pronounced — face, neck, hands, sometimes the scalp. Harmless, temporary, and it reduces as you use it more often.

Can I use it every session?

You can, but tolerance will build fast and you'll get less from it. Better used two or three times a week at most, with Gold Standard for everything else.

Does it contain creatine?

Amped is built around pump, endurance and focus rather than creatine. If creatine is part of your programme, take it separately — micronised creatine daily is the simplest way to stay saturated.

How many serves per tub?

20 serves in 360g — an 18g scoop, which tells you how heavily dosed it is.