15/09/2026
A common question we see from people around raw amino acids like beta-alanine and citrulline is usually: Why should I take them instead of a pre-workout formula that contains them? and if I do take them, when? 👀
So here is an overview to help with the whens and whys...
🧐Citrulline malate is the acute player; this is best around training time.
Taken around 45-60 minutes before training, it may support blood flow, muscular endurance, and your ability to maintain output across repeated sets.
🧐Beta-alanine plays the long game, and this is often its most misunderstood asset. It works by gradually increasing muscle carnosine, which helps buffer the acidity associated with hard, high-intensity training. It needs to be taken consistently, much like creatine, not just when you want a pre-workout hit. Having it saturated prior to training, rather than trying to use it in a short-term, acute setting alone, is where you are going to get your heavy lifting from this amino acid.
Why would you take them individually rather than in a pre-workout formula alone, like we usually see? Well, a few reasons:
🍋 A stimulant-free pre-workout
🍋 More control over your individual dosage amounts and timing.
🍋 Support for high-volume hypertrophy sessions
🍋 Something suitable for late-night training
🍋 Performance ingredients without the extras you may not need or want.
They are flavourless, so they can easily fit into a daily routine across your liquid intake throughout the day and prior to training.
Have a question about the range? Send us a DM; otherwise, visit our website via the link in our bio. 🦍
