Reddit mentions of BulkSupplements.com L-Citrulline DL-Malate 2:1 (1 Kilogram)

5g beta alanine

5g citrulline malate

200mg caffeine (I'm sure a powder would be cheaper, but these capsules break apart easily and are 200mg)

some kind of sweetener like Crystal Light powder

alright here goes my exhaustive list of stuff that goes into my preworkout! i love to research the stuff that works, and then experiment to see how effectively they work for me, especially on keto.

1. 1 scoop of pre jym from bodybuilding.com - just because i don't want to add all those ingredients (good compared to most) on my own and it tastes pretty good (raspberry lemonade). it does, however, have 4g carbs per scoop - https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/jym/pre-jym.html
   
   
   
2. 1/2 scoop of optimum nutrition hydrowhey protein powder (about 15g protein) - fast digesting preworkout protein seems more logical than just bcaas. keeps me satiated during my workout and seems to boost recovery times because i have the full gamut of proper amino acids in my bloodstream as exercise-induced insulin rises. turbo chocolate and chocolate peanut butter are my favorites. vanilla surprisingly sucks and gets very foamy - https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/platinum_hydrowhey.html
   
   
   
3. 1 tsp curcumin powder from bulk supplements - expensive but 1kg lasts a long time - go to examine.com to see the dozens of benefits it has across the board. i use this to help alleviate my disc issues, but it feels great for workouts because it reduces inflammation everywhere, especially joints. you can get pills instead, but they're not as cost effective and i like to blend it into my shakes. MAKE SURE YOU PAIR IT WITH BIOPERINE (already in pre jym but super cheap anyway) OR GET THE BIO AVAILABLE TYPES. otherwise, only your gut will get the benefits -
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GHY364A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
   
   
   
4. 1 digestive enzyme pill - research has shown that such enzymes not only help with what you'd expect, digestion, but also boost muscle synthesis, immune system, reduce soreness, etc. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RH5K26I/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   
   
5. 1 tbsp extra citrulline malate - because 1 scoop of pre-jym doesn't have the clinical dose of around 8g. research has shown that it reduces soreness and speeds up muscle repair. i believe it helps performance as well - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EYDJU50/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
   
   
   
6. EDIT: 1/2 tsp (not 2 tsp) extra beta alanine - because 1 scoop of pre-jym doesn't have enough. this stuff kinda acts like creatine, boosting the number of reps you can do. especially helpful on my high rep/speed days. great for crossfit types of workouts if you're into those. i like the tingly feeling as well - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EIO4I8E/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
   
   
   
7. 1/2 tsp potassium citrate - i take electrolytes before and during my workouts -
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENSA93S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
   
   
   
8. 1/16 tsp magnesium glycinate - one of the most bioavailable forms of mg and doesn't mess up your digestion -
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F7OZJR8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
   
   
   
9. 1/2 tsp calcium citrate - Ca and Mg go well together in the body. also, multivitamins rarely hit the RDA for calcium -
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8I5XPG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
   
   
   
10. 1/2 tsp pink salt - sodium! need lots of it because i sweat a lot - https://www.samsclub.com/sams/himalayan-pink-salt-5-lb-fine-grain/prod20131268.ip
    
    
    
11. 1/4 tsp vitamin c - i take a lot of vit C to help with disc healing. collagen synthesis requires vit C. of course, great anti-oxidant, great for skin, etc. -
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AYIM9Y8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
    
12. 1/2 tsp ALCAR - i supplement this mostly for the nootropic effect (boosts the brain and concentration), but it supposedly helps with fat breakdown and energy a little bit. i feel razor sharp concentrated during my workouts with this. also, it's just plain old good for the brain. -
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7H96DY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
    
    
    
13. 200 mg L-theanine - smooths out the jittery feeling from caffeine to provide more stable energy. also good before bed to get higher quality of sleep. -
    https://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Pure-L-Theanine-Powder-grams/dp/B00E7GESLA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492089341&sr=8-1&keywords=bulk%2Bl-theanine&th=1
    
    
    
14. 100mg pill RALA - good for the nervous system and energy - https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Stabilized-R-Lipoic-BioEnhanced/dp/B000I4C19G/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492089382&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor%27s+best+rala
    
    
    
15. 200mg coq10 - good for the heart, boosts energy a bit - https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Bioperine-Supplement/dp/B00HRGN36S/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492089466&sr=8-2&keywords=doctor%27s%2Bbest%2Bcoenzyme%2Bq10&th=1
    
    
    
16. 320mg saw palmetto extract pill - good for men's prostate health, keeps good testosterone high (instead of DHT), and for me, prevents the hairloss that creatine (i think) has induced. not just bs bro science, go to examine.com for research. i personally have regrown a lot of hair by taking 2-3 three of these a day for the last three months! - https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Palmetto-Softgels-Count/dp/B006RQ6TAG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492092375&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor%27s+best+saw+palmetto
    
    
    
17. 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder - keeps my digestion on track, prevents the indigestion i tend to get from MCT oil - https://www.amazon.com/Bulksupplements-Pure-Psyllium-Powder-grams/dp/B0100QRXOO/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1492092483&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=psyllium%2Bhusk%2Bpowder&th=1
    
    
    
18. 10g MCT oil - i either use brain octane or miCkey T Eight because they are pure C-8 caprylic acid instead of blends of the crappier acids. definitely boosts energy during long workouts. careful, it tends to mess with your stomach if you don't ease into it. if you're good with coconut oil, you're probably good with this. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RUCHISS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
    
19. 100mg hyaluronic acid - helps with joints and skin. i have noticed my knee and elbow pain going away while taking this. skin complexion also improved. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00663G8WO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
    currently experimenting with:
    
    
    
20. clear muscle - i usually supplement HMB, but this is the newer liquid variant. its pricey, and i haven't noticed anything bad about it, but it's hard to say if it's working better than the much cheaper powdered HMB. studies are probably very biased, so i can't really trust them - https://www.amazon.com/MuscleTech-Advanced-Strength-Building-Capsules/dp/B00JQ3WXS4/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492094034&sr=8-1&keywords=clear+muscle
    
    
    
21. phospha muscle - phosphatidic acid has shown some promise in studies, but again, probably biased research. also cannot tell yet, but i have seen some decent strength gains pairing this with clear muscle. we'll see! - https://www.amazon.com/MuscleTech-Phospha-Clinically-Phosphatidic-SoftGels/dp/B00UVAG1PM/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492094155&sr=8-1&keywords=phospha+muscle
    
    
    phew! making this list made me realize how much time and effort i put into the trial and error of my preworkout. of course, i supplement a lot of this stuff with my other meals as well. as you can see, i'm very big on supplements, biohacking, and nootropics. i read up a lot on research in my spare time.

BulkSupplements from Amazon

BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate 1kg - $0.09 per 5g serving

BulkSupplements Beta Alanine 500g - $0.15 per 4g serving

BulkSupplements Citrulline Malate 1kg - $0.27 per 8g serving.

Total in bulk - $0.51 per serving
Total with pre-made - $0.83 per serving

I'd say overall it's not bad, but it'll certainly be cheaper per serving to buy in bulk. And while it's refreshing to see more supplement companies not using proprietary blends and using effective doses I find it odd they decided to include creatine and beta alanine in a product marketed as a pre-workout, given these supplements are not timing dependent.

Also, unless you're doing a large volume of high rep work (15+ rep sets) you might not be getting much benefit from beta-alanine.