Is RAW Nutrition Essential Performance underdosed?

• MagnesiumLabel: Magnesium (from Magnesium Citrate)Per scoop 50 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Contains 50 mg. 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.

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

• SodiumLabel: Sodium (from Sodium Citrate)Per scoop 70 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Contains 70 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).

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

• L-CitrullinePer scoop 6 gStudies 4–5.33 gEffective doseEvidence: Weak

  Contains 6 g; studies use 4–5.33 g.

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

• Creatine MonohydratePer scoop 5 gStudies 3–5 g/dayEffective doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 5 g; studies use 3–5 g/day.

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

• Beta-AlanineLabel: Beta AlaninePer scoop 3.2 gStudies 3.2–6.4 g/dayEffective doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 3.2 g; studies use 3.2–6.4 g/day.

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

• Betaine AnhydrousPer scoop 2.5 gStudies 2.5 g/dayEffective doseEvidence: Moderate

  Contains 2.5 g; studies use 2.5 g/day.

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

• L-TyrosinePer scoop 2 gStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Contains 2 g. Not graded: a 2023 meta-analysis found no effect on endurance; its evidence is for focus under stress, at about 150 mg per kg of bodyweight.

  We're checking this amount against the label: the source prints it in an unusual unit.

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. Beta-Alanine, 3.2–6.4 g/day: Harris et al., 2006Hobson et al., 2012Trexler et al., 2015.
2. Betaine Anhydrous, 2.5 g/day: Cholewa et al., 2013Hoffman et al., 2009Zawieja et al., 2024.
3. Creatine Monohydrate, 3–5 g/day: Kreider et al., 2017.
4. L-Citrulline, 4–5.33 g: Gough et al., 2021Vårvik et al., 2021.
5. Magnesium, 300–350 mg/day: Zhang et al., 2016.
6. Daily caffeine reference, 400 mg: US FDA, Spilling the Beans.

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