Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout Review
ON Gold Standard Pre-Workout BCAA Blend
The Highlights
- Great clean energy
- No banned substances
- Great taste
- Mixable with creatine
- Mid-Range Price
A lot of pre-workout supplements contain a whackload of ingredients you really don’t need. Gold Standard is great in this aspect since it has everything you want, and a lot of things you don’t.
You’ll have more focus thanks to the caffeine, a slight rush from the beta-alanine, strength from the Creatine and the benefit of the herb blend: AstraGIN Proprietary Blend. We also have to high-five ON for the fact that this supplement contains no dodgy (banned) substances!
It’s easy to mix and get down, plus it tastes great!
Gold Standard tastes pretty good and it mixes surprisingly well for a supplement that contains Creatine. So that’s a solid score on mixability and a definitely thumbs up for the great taste, which is something that’s hard to come by in the world of pre-workout supplements.
Aside from the fact that this drink is easy to get down and tastes great, it also comes available in a range of flavors: Blueberry Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Green Apple, Pineapple, Strawberry Lime and Watermelon.
If you’re looking for some clean, jitter free energy with just a hint of tingle, Gold Standard delivers! The two-scoop serving provides you with enough energy to tackle a workout head-on, but you’ll have to steer clear of caffeine from sources other than your supplement. Newbies might experience slight jitters and those adverse to caffeine might need some adjustment time.
The dosing can be misleading.
The dosage can be seriously confusing at times. The container describes a 1-scoop serving and a 2-scoop serving, which is something that’ll get newbies totally confused. To get the best results though, you’ll have to do two scoops instead of just one. On the flip side, that also means that one container will only provide you with 15 servings instead of the 30 that ON states one the label.
It has a questionable price-to-value ratio
Unless you’re taking just one scoop per serving, Gold Standard isn’t doesn’t offer a lot of value compared to the price you’ll pay. A one-scoop serving will basically come down to roughly $1 per serving, which isn’t bad at all. Cut the servings per container in half and you’re left with much less value.
The Verdict
Gold Standard Pre-Workout from Optimum Nutrition is solid and will give you the energy you need without putting you in overdrive. It’s not the most powerful pre-workout supplement out there, but for newbies or those of you looking for a worthy boost, it’s a great product.