This is Jeff with Supplement Warehouse. Today, I decided to put together a list of the banned pre-workout supplements from the past 20 years. Since I have worked in the industry for almost 18 years, I feel like I might have some good knowledge that pertains to this.
Now this list isn't specific to WADA rules. This list is all about those killer pre-workout supplements we used to love, but now are banned and no longer sold, unfortunately. Hey, I know...I miss them too, but to help you out, I have also listed some good alternatives to them.
#1 The Original USP Labs Jack3d with DMAA
This is probably the one that people miss the most. This was the first true pre-workout supplement with DMAA, a banned ingredient people miss quite a bit. DMAA was awesome. Amazing focus and just incredible workouts. You can still find DMAA in some supplements from some shady companies, though I wouldn't trust buying them.
Alternative: The new Jack3d from USPLabs. While this doesn't have DMAA, it has the closest thing, DMHA. Still an amazing ingredient for focus, but not as extreme as DMAA.
#2 Ultimate Orange Original
This was the one in the tin. I personally had it when I was like 16 years ago. It was crazy! My mother used to say it would make me really angry lol. Why is this one banned? Due to the ephedra that was part of the ingredient list. Wow did this stuff hit.
Alternative: The new Ultimate Orange. Almost the exact same formula, except the additional of DMHA and Ephedra Extract (the legal kind). Not as strong as the original, but pretty damn close.
#3 DS Sports Craze
Not a lot of people remember this one. I believe it was voted the best pre-workout of 2016. This stuff was absolutely wild. It would give you incredible focus and make you really, really happy. Why? Well, I believe, they found it had a type of methamphetamines in them. So this is why it worked so well! Unfortunately once it was found out, it was taken off the market, and replaced with a new version not nearly as good. I don't believe it is even around anymore.
Alternative: Nothing I could come up with. This stuff was so insane that I haven't come across a product close in the last decade.
4 Gaspari Nutrition Detonate
This is a lesser known product from Gaspari Nutrition. I believe this one was also caught up in the methamphetamine scandal. My dad and I used to call this our happy pill. It was a capsule formula more targeted towards fat burning, due to some of the other ingredients, but if you used it pre-workout along with a non-stim, it was amazing.
Alternative: Again, due to the methamphetamines, nothing comes close.
5 CTD Labs Noxipro (With Amp Citrate)
Now, this product is itself wasn't banned, and I don't actually believe the ingredient, Amp Citrate, was even banned, but the FDA was heavily against it, so CTD Sports stopped using it. I remember a rep giving me a sample of this, which I took during a late night workout. I didn't sleep all night long. Stuff was strong! Like DMAA strong. I think this was the first alternative to the loss of DMAA.
Alternative: I would try anything with DMHA. One of the strongest formulas DMHA-wise is Condemned Labz Convict.
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There it is! My top 5 list of banned pre-workout supplements. This list isn't exhaustive, but includes my favorites from the past. Check out our current top pre-workout supplements here.
