Crafting the Perfect No-Added Sugar Pre-Workout Formula for Performance and Palate
Summary
Today’s pre-workout market is flooded with formulas that promise energy, endurance, and focus, but too many taste like punishment. Stacked & Jacked lays out the blueprint for building a pre-workout that fires on all cylinders: performance, sensory appeal, and consumer trust. Thom King breaks down the ultimate performance stack — caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, citrulline, BCAAs, adaptogens, and beet root extract — and then shows how Icon Foods’ sweetener and fiber systems transform functional blends into crave-worthy experiences. SteviaSweet™ RM95D, MonkSweet™ V40/V50, and ThauSweet™ DRM/VRM modulators harmonize to tame bitterness and mimic sugar’s full sweetness curve, while FibRefine™ and PreBiotica™ fibers build mouthfeel, satiety, and clean-label credibility. The result? A no-added-sugar pre-workout that performs like a lab-grade formula but drinks like a treat. Whether you’re formulating for powerlifters or weekend warriors, Stacked & Jacked proves that science and flavor don’t have to be a trade-off — they can be your competitive edge.
Authored by:
Thom King, Icon Foods
Chief Innovations Officer/Certified Food Scientist
Formulating the perfect pre-workout isn’t just about slamming a bunch of ergogenics together and hoping the shaker bottle gods bless you. It’s about creating a science-backed synergy that fires up energy, sharpens focus, sustains endurance, and tastes good enough that people look forward to drinking it. Too often, formulators nail the performance side but forget the sensory experience, resulting in a product that works but tastes like gym socks soaked in battery acid.
That’s where smart sweetening systems and fibers come in. Masking bitter alkaloids, rounding jagged notes, and adding body are every bit as important as the actives themselves. Let’s break down the ideal pre-workout stack, then layer in the flavor and mouthfeel technologies that make it commercially viable.
The Core Stack of Actives
- Caffeine (150–300 mg) The classic stim. Elevates focus, increases endurance, and reduces perceived effort. Pairs best with L-theanine to smooth the ride.
- Beta-Alanine (2–5 g) The tingle-maker. Buffers lactic acid with elevated carnosine levels, letting athletes push past fatigue.
- Creatine Monohydrate (3–5 g) The OG of muscle performance. Recharges ATP for explosive power and strength gains.
- Citrulline Malate (6–8 g) The pump agent. Converts to nitric oxide, opening up vascular highways for blood flow and nutrient delivery.
- BCAAs (5–10 g) Muscle insurance. Reduces breakdown, supports recovery, and keeps protein synthesis humming.
- L-Theanine (100–200 mg) Caffeine’s yin. Calms the jitters while sharpening mental focus.
- Electrolytes (Na, K, Mg) Hydration is half the battle. Prevents cramping, maintains nerve firing, and keeps muscles contracting efficiently.
- Adaptogens (Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, 200–500 mg) The resilience factor. Helps athletes adapt to stress and push through fatigue without frying their CNS.
- Beet Root Extract (500–1,000 mg) The endurance ace. Rich in dietary nitrates, beet root extract turbocharges nitric oxide pathways, improving VO₂ max (the gold standard for aerobic performance). Higher VO₂ max means muscles consume oxygen more efficiently, translating to better endurance, faster recovery, and sustained power output.
The Flavor and Texture Stack
This is where most pre-workout powders crash and burn. You can have the perfect science-backed profile, but if your formula tastes like dirt with a side of cough syrup, you’re done. Enter the sweetness and fiber stack:
- Sweetener Systems for Off-Note Masking
- SteviaSweet™ RM95D – clean Reb M backbone with longer sweetness onset, great for rounding bitter alkaloids.
- MonkSweet™ V40 or V50 – high-purity monk fruit extracts add depth and sugar-like linger.
- Thaumatin (ThauSweet™ VRM/DRM modulators) – smooths jagged caffeine edges, covers up sour citrulline, and adds a lingering fullness.
- Allulose + Rare Sugar Synergy – small additions provide bulk and temper the notes of high-intensity sweeteners.
The above graph illustrates sweetness synergy—showing how Reb M alone is clean but narrow, Reb M + Monk fruit broadens the curve, and Reb M + Monk fruit + Thaumatin delivers the fullest, most sugar-like profile with lingering sweetness that masks caffeine/citrulline bitterness.
- Fiber Systems for Mouthfeel and Satiety
- FibRefine™ P90 Soluble Tapioca Fiber – excellent solubility, adds body without grit.
- FibRefine™ HG (PHGG) – smooth viscosity, doubles as a prebiotic to play into gut-friendly claims.
- PreBiotica™ Agave Inulin – mild sweetness lift, creamy texture, and label-friendly fiber claims.
Together, these fibers mimic sucrose’s body and mouthfeel, preventing the dreaded “thin water” effect in powdered pre-workouts while supporting digestive health.
Timing & Personalization
- When to Take: 30–45 minutes pre-training, depending on tolerance and digestion.
- Dialing Dosage: Athletes vary. Some thrive on the high end of caffeine, others on the low end. Always start lower, titrate up.
- Hydration Reminder: No stack is complete without enough water. Even the best pump agent won’t save you from dehydration.
The Takeaway
The modern pre-workout must be functional and palatable. Caffeine, beta-alanine, creatine, and BCAAs form the foundation. Citrulline and beet root extract take vascularity and VO₂ max into new territory. Adaptogens keep the system balanced. And Icon Foods’ sweetener + fiber stacks ensure the consumer experience is clean, smooth, and crave-worthy.
Delivering power, pump, endurance, and taste in one scoop? That’s the difference between just another pre-workout—and the one people reorder.
Since 1999, Icon Foods has been your reliable supply-chain partner for sweeteners, fibers, sweetening systems, inclusions, and sweetness modulators.
Reach out to your Icon Foods representative for a beverage formulating toolkit with samples, documentation, and formulation guidance for: SteviaSweet™ RM95D, MonkSweet™ V40 or V50 –ThauSweet™ VRM/DRM modulators, KetoSweet Allulose, FibRefine™ P90 Soluble Tapioca Fiber – FibRefine™ HG (PHGG) – and PreBiotica™ Agave Inulin
Taste the Icon difference.
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