Is Bucked Up Pre-Workout underdosed?

• Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)Per scoop 100 mcgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Not graded: a vitamin or mineral. We grade a pre-workout’s ingredients against exercise studies; vitamins and minerals are graded only on their own supplement pages.

• SodiumPer scoop 36 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Contains 36 mg. Not graded: on its own the sodium in a serving says little, because what counts is the drink it makes. Electrolyte products are judged on the sodium per litre once mixed as the label directs (0.5–0.7 g per litre, AIS).

• L-CitrullineLabel: Citrulline Malate [2:1]Per scoop 4 gStudies 4–5.33 gEffective doseEvidence: Weak

  Contains 4 g; studies use 4–5.33 g.

  ASSUMPTION: "2:1" is read as a weight ratio (2 parts L-citrulline to 1 part malic acid), so 2/3 of the stated weight is counted as L-citrulline. Applied only when the label does not state the citrulline amount itself. If 2:1 were a molar ratio the share would be about 72% (2 x 175.19 / (2 x 175.19 + 134.09)); the weight reading gives the lower citrulline figure.

• Beta-AlaninePer scoop 2 gStudies 3.2–6.4 g/dayBelow research doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 2 g; studies use 3.2–6.4 g/day. Beta-Alanine works through daily use over weeks; a lower amount still builds up, just more slowly.

• CaffeineLabel: Caffeine AnhydrousPer scoop 200 mgStudies 3–6 mg/kgBelow research doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 200 mg (2.7 mg/kg at 75 kg); studies use 3–6 mg/kg.

• Alpha-GPCLabel: AlphaSize (Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine)Per scoop 200 mgStudies 250–600 mg/dayBelow research doseEvidence: Weak

  Contains 200 mg; studies use 250–600 mg/day. Trials gave it daily, for weeks.

• TaurinePer scoop 100 mgStudies 1–6 gBelow research doseEvidence: Moderate

  Contains 100 mg; studies use 1–6 g.

• Himalayan Rock Salt (Trace Minerals)Per scoop 100 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Not graded: we have no research dose for it from exercise studies.

• Deer Antler Velvet ExtractPer scoop 50 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Not graded: we have no research dose for it from exercise studies.

• AstraGinLabel: AstraGin (Astragalus, Panax notoginseng)Per scoop 25 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Contains 25 mg. Not graded: added to help the body absorb other ingredients; it has no dose of its own to judge.

• ActiGin (Panax notoginseng, Rosa roxburghii)Per scoop 25 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Not graded: we have no research dose for it from exercise studies.

Use “Check it for your dose” to see this table for your own scoops and bodyweight. Only caffeine is dosed per kilogram in the studies we cite; the other research doses are fixed amounts, so your weight doesn't change them.

How many scoops would it take?

To reach the low end of the research dose for each underdosed ingredient.

Taking more doesn't fix this product. Reaching those doses means more than 400 mg of caffeine from the scoops alone, above the FDA's 400 mg daily reference for most adults, before any coffee.

Where the reference doses come from

1. Alpha-GPC, 250–600 mg/day: Bellar et al., 2015Marcus et al., 2017.
2. Beta-Alanine, 3.2–6.4 g/day: Harris et al., 2006Hobson et al., 2012Trexler et al., 2015.
3. Caffeine, 3–6 mg/kg: Guest et al., 2021.
4. L-Citrulline, 4–5.33 g: Gough et al., 2021Vårvik et al., 2021.
5. Taurine, 1–6 g: Deng et al., 2025Waldron et al., 2018.
6. Daily caffeine reference, 400 mg: US FDA, Spilling the Beans.
7. Label data: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2026. https://dsld.od.nih.gov/. Label 328424.

Assumptions used on this page: ASSUMPTION: "2:1" is read as a weight ratio (2 parts L-citrulline to 1 part malic acid), so 2/3 of the stated weight is counted as L-citrulline. Applied only when the label does not state the citrulline amount itself. If 2:1 were a molar ratio the share would be about 72% (2 x 175.19 / (2 x 175.19 + 134.09)); the weight reading gives the lower citrulline figure.

Methodology 1.11. Read the full methodology or the corrections log.