Is Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion underdosed?

• Vitamin CPer scoop 250 mgStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Contains 250 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.

• Niacin (Niacinamide)Per scoop 30 mgStudies 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.

• Beta-AlaninePer scoop 1.5 gStudies 3.2–6.4 g/dayBelow research doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 1.5 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.

• Creatine MonohydratePer scoop 1.5 gStudies 3–5 g/dayBelow research doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 1.5 g; studies use 3–5 g/day. Creatine Monohydrate works through daily use over weeks; a lower amount still builds up, just more slowly.

• L-Arginine Alpha-KetoglutaratePer scoop 1.1 gStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Not graded: the label gives it in a form or blend we can't turn into a dose (no stated ratio or amount), so it isn't counted. See the methodology.

• TaurinePer scoop In a blendStudies 1–6 gHidden in a blendEvidence: Moderate

  Amount not disclosed. As the 1st of 4 ingredients in the 500 mg Advanced Pump Complex, it contains 125–500 mg. Even that maximum is below the 1–6 g studies use.

• L-CitrullineLabel: L-Citrulline; L-Citrulline MalatePer scoop In a blendStudies 4–5.33 gHidden in a blendEvidence: Weak

  Amount not disclosed. As the 2nd and 3rd of 4 ingredients in the 500 mg Advanced Pump Complex, its 2 forms together contain ≤333 mg. Even that maximum is below the 4–5.33 g studies use.

• L-Arginine HClPer scoop In a blendStudies Not setNot gradedEvidence: Not graded

  Not graded: the label gives it in a form or blend we can't turn into a dose (no stated ratio or amount), so it isn't counted. See the methodology.

• CaffeineLabel: Caffeine Anhydrous [delivering 135 mg caffeine]Per scoop 135 mgStudies 3–6 mg/kgBelow research doseEvidence: Strong

  Contains 135 mg (1.8 mg/kg at 75 kg); studies use 3–6 mg/kg.

• CholineLabel: Choline BitartratePer scoop In a blendStudies Not setHidden in a blendEvidence: Not graded

  Amount not disclosed. As the 2nd of 3 ingredients in the 255 mg Pre-Workout Explosion Blend, it contains ≤128 mg.

• L-TyrosinePer scoop In a blendStudies Not setHidden in a blendEvidence: Not graded

  Amount not disclosed. As the 3rd of 3 ingredients in the 255 mg Pre-Workout Explosion Blend, it contains ≤85 mg.

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. Caffeine, 3–6 mg/kg: Guest et al., 2021.
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. Taurine, 1–6 g: Deng et al., 2025Waldron et al., 2018.
6. Vitamin C, 200–1000 mg/day: Frei et al., 2012Gonzalez et al., 2026Levine et al., 1996.
7. Daily caffeine reference, 400 mg: US FDA, Spilling the Beans.
8. Blend order rule: 21 CFR 101.36.
9. Label data: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2026. https://dsld.od.nih.gov/. Label 284035.

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