- Hydroxycut can be taken as a pre workout, although it will provide some different benefits to pre workout.
- Both Hydroxycut and pre workout contain caffeine, which gives you the buzz and energy boost associated with pre workout supplements.
- Hydroxycut lacks some ingredients that are often found in pre workout, like beta alanine, which gives you the infamous itchy feeling.

Hydroxycut vs Pre Workout
Let’s compare the ingredients of Hydroxycut and pre workout to see which benefits these products share.
Ingredients Found In Both Hydroxycut And Pre Workout
Caffeine
Arguably the most important (or at least noticeable) ingredient in pre workout is caffeine.
Caffeine has been proven to increase mental performance so it’s great for improving the quality of your workouts.
Hydroxycut also contains caffeine (a respectable 200mg per serving) in the form of coffee extract, so if you take pre workout to boost your mental function, then Hydroxycut would make a great alternative.
B-Vitamins
Both Hydroxycut and pre workout contain various B-vitamins.
Research suggests that B-Vitamins can increase energy, so taking Hydroxycut instead of pre workout makes sense if you want a boost of energy before hitting the gym.
Ingredients Only Found In Hydroxycut
Vitamin D
Interestingly, Hydroxycut contains vitamin D – an ingredient that’s rarely included in pre workout.
Vitamin D has been shown to improve bone health, making it a great substance to take before putting your joints and bones under stress.
Baobab Extract
Another ingredient included in Hydroxycut is Baobab extract.
Some research suggests that Baobab extract can help with weight loss by making you feel fuller for longer.
Since pre workout isn’t designed for weight loss, you’ll rarely find this ingredient in pre workout.
Ingredients Only Found In Pre Workout
Creatine
Creatine is an awesome substance as it’s safe and effective.
It’s been proven to help increase muscle strength and size so most people should be taking it if they’re serious about gaining muscle mass.
While creatine is often included in pre workout, it isn’t in Hydroxycut, so you won’t reap the benefits of creatine by taking Hydroxycut instead of pre workout.
L-Theanine
Another ingredient often found in pre workout is l-theanine.
Studies show that l-theanine can help improve your focus, which makes it an excellent compound to take before hitting the weight room.
Hydroxycut doesn’t contain l-theanine though, so you likely won’t be as focused taking Hydroxycut as a pre workout.
AstraGin
AstraGin is a natural compound comprised of Astragalus and Ginseng.
Research suggests that AstraGin improves the absorption of nutrients, which is vital when working out.
(Your muscles need these nutrients to facilitate muscle growth and repair!)
That’s not to say that your muscles won’t absorb nutrients without AstraGin – it’s just that absorption is improved, so you get better results.
AstraGin isn’t an ingredient of Hydroxycut, so you won’t be absorbing as many nutrients by taking Hydroxycut instead of pre workout.
Should You Take Hydroxycut As A Pre Workout?
Having compared the ingredients of Hydroxycut and pre workout, it’s clear that you’ll get some of the benefits of pre workout, but not all.
That being said, if you don’t have pre workout, taking Hydroxycut before the gym will definitely improve your results so in my eyes, you should take it as a pre workout.
However, if you can afford both, you can take pre workout as normal and take your Hydroxycut at a different time of the day.
(Try to avoid taking it after 3pm though, as you don’t want the caffeine to interfere with your sleep!)
How To Take Hydroxycut As A Pre Workout
So, you’ve decided to take Hydroxycut as a pre workout – but how should you take it?
Well, I’d recommend taking pre workout 30 minutes before hitting the gym to allow some time for your body to digest the ingredients.
And similarly, I’d recommend taking Hydroxycut half an hour before working out so that you get the most benefits from your workout.
As for the amount of Hydroxycut you should take?
Two capsules will do the job.
Closing Thoughts
To recap:
- Hydroxycut provides many of the same benefits of pre workout, making it a great alternative to pre workout.
- There are some ingredients in pre workout which aren’t included in Hydroxycut, so you won’t get all the benefits of pre workout by taking Hydroxycut.
- Hydroxycut includes some ingredients which aren’t included in pre workout, like Vitamin D, which helps with bone health.
That’s all for Hydroxycut, but is Celsius a good pre workout? Or is Bang a pre workout?
Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this article – I hope it’s helped you make your decision!
Sources
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306445
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.