I have a confession to make.
I LOVE energy drinks, and I actually sometimes really enjoy the wirey, jittery feeling you get from drinking a Red Bull or Monster energy drink.
BUT… as I learned the hard way, wired, jumpy, and jittery is not exactly what I want to feel in the gym.
Most pre-workout supplements that I’ve tried have fallen into that trap. Too much jittery, surface-level energy and not enough of a boost to gym performance.
Recently I decided to try C4 sport pre-workout in my never-ending quest for the perfect pre workout drink.
Without further ado, here’s my full C4 Sport Pre Workout review
Overall, C4 Sport is one of my all-time favorite pre-workouts. The caffeine levels are perfect; plenty of smooth energy without any of the jitters. The tiny bit of creatine in it is great for getting a nice pump after your workouts, and the flavor is great.
You can grab C4 Sport from Amazon right here, or read on for more details, pros, cons, and my results using this pre-workout.
C4 Sport Pre Workout Ingredients
Let’s start with what’s inside this bad boy.
You’ll find a lot of the same kinds of ingredients and blends as many similar pre workouts, but with a couple of key differences that make C4 unique.
Caffeine – 135mg:
Caffeine is the primary energy driver in the C4 pre workout supplement. 150mg of caffeine is a nice boost of alertness, but is on the lower end compared to some of its pre workout brethren — some preworkouts easily have double this amount.
For reference, a standard cup of coffee has somewhere around 100mg of caffeine.
(If you’re looking for a slightly bigger caffeine kick, check out my C4 Original review.)
Creatine Monohydrate – 2.5g:
Creatine is an extremely popular workout supplement. It sounds scary, but is actually a naturally occurring element inside your body. Supplementing it for enhanced performance has a number of benefits.
Essentially creatine helps your muscles quickly replenish ATP, or your body’s main source of energy.
This can help you lift heavier and experience better endurance in the gym. Typically, though, creatine is “loaded” in slightly heavier doses than what appears in C4 sport pre workout for maximum results.
Just consider this small amount of creatine as a minor performance bonus in the gym and nothing more.
Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate – 1g:
According to Men’s Fitness, Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate (or AAKG) is a “nonessential amino acid that’s necessary what it comes to making nitric oxide in the liver.”
That’s a fancy way of saying that AAKG may help you workout harder and longer without getting stiff or sore.
There’s also some evidence that AAKG can boost protein synthesis, though typically only in much larger doses than the 1g found in C4 Pre Workout.
Much like the presence of creatine, the AAKG in C4 Preworkout is there to help you get a better workout and not act as a significant change agent to the way your body recovers from training.
CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine – 1.6g:
Whew. That one’s a mouthful, huh?
Bodybuilding.com says Beta-Alinine is a naturally occuring amino acid in our bodies, often coming from eating beef and poultry.
It helps our body form a compound called carnosine. To simplify an extremely long and scientific explanation… you know how your muscles burn during intense workouts or high reps? Carnosine helps prevent or delay that buildup of lactic acid, the burning feeling, and ultimately the “burnout” of muscles during a workout.
1.6 grams, as found in C4 Pre Workout, is considered near the minimum dose of this supplement.
There are also a number of other ingredients in C4 Pre Workout, including high doses of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Folic Acid.
See the latest price & read more reviews of C4 Sport (Amazon)
My experience using C4 Sport Pre Workout for lifting weights
I’ll keep this brief as it can be a little difficult to quantify my subjective experience with this pre workout supplement and how to attribute success I’ve had in the gym.
But I’ve been using this stuff for a few weeks now, and here’s what I’ve found:
Consistency/Ease of Use
Other pre workouts I’ve used have had MAJOR, MAJOR clumping problems…
As in, you stir a scoop of pre workout in with your water, and by the time you get to the bottom, you’re practically drinking straight powder. It’s disgusting and an awful experience.
C4 is by far the best I’ve seen in this area. At the bottom of your drink, the water will certainly be a little powdery, but it’s very minimal and you can usually drink the dregs pretty easily.
The powder in the tub is smooth and clump free. It’s easy to scoop, mix, and drink without any major issues.
Flavor
I tried the Blue Raspberry flavor and found it super enjoyable and easy to drink. There’s hardly a hint of any “diet” tasting artificial sweeteners, but the drink itself remains sweet and delicious. (You may want to water it down a little bit to avoid an overwhelming taste.)
As I wrote above, the powder mixes quite well and the drink doesn’t taste at all chalky or powdery. It goes down smooth and easy.
Energy
This is where C4 sport pre workout really shines.
The energy and alertness from this powdered drink are smooth, subtle, and very effective.
As I wrote in the Ingredients section, the caffeine in this blend is not overwhelming — just a little more than a cup of coffee. The creatine, AAKG, and other vitamins and supplements are doing most of the work here, rather than pumping you full of artificial, jittery energy.
I love drinking this before I go to the gym to lift weights. I’d love to tell you for certain whether it has improved my performance or helped me lift heavier, but it’s a little hard to separate what benefits I’m getting from the drink vs being in a calorie surplus during my current lean bulk.
But I’ll say this: I feel great in the gym after drinking C4 sports… Alert, energetic, and focused.
I highly recommend you give it a try.
C4 Sport Side Effects
There are a lot of chemicals, compounds, and individual supplements inside any pre workout, including C4 Sport. Everyone’s body is going to react differently being exposed to these new elements, especially before you’re used to them.
Common side effects of pre workout drinks are:
- Headache
- Jitters
- Cramps
- Tingles or numbness
- Trouble sleeping
- Anxiety
If you’re concerned about any of these side effects from drinking C4 sport, definitely consult your doctor or a qualified personal trainer before you give it a try.
That said, I personally have never experienced any of these with C4 sport pre workout.
C4 Sport Pre Workout – Nutrition Facts
There’s really not much to see here, unless you’re curious about the breakdown of various vitamins and minor supplements included in the pre workout.
The whole drink has about 5 calories and about 1 gram of carbohydrates.
That’s pretty much it!
See the latest price & read more reviews of C4 Sport (Amazon)
The final word
C4 Sport has quickly cemented itself as one of my favorite pre workout drinks. I’ve been using it for several weeks while lifting 3 times per week and find that it gives a smooth and excessive energy and focus.
I look forward to drinking it, actually, because it wakes me up a bit without giving me the jitters.
I’d highly recommend casual weightlifters and gym-goers to give this supplement a try.
For my money, it makes the most sense to buy C4 Sport from Amazon — subscribe and get a discount each month!
C4 Sport pre workout FAQ
What’s the different between C4 Sport and C4?
These two energy drinks are pretty similar, but C4 Sport has a little less caffeine and a little more creatine for a better pump in the gym.
C4 Sport also uses creatine monohydrate vs creatine nitrate (which is used in the original version). Monohydrate is usually considered the better and preferable version of the compound.
What’s the C4 Sport caffeine amount?
This drink when mixed properly has about 135mg of caffeine. That’s a little more than a standard cup of coffee and, provided you’re used to some level of stimulants, shouldn’t be enough to give you the jitters or a major headache.
Is C4 Sport good for bodybuilding?
Sure! There’s nothing in it that’s necessarily going to help you build massive amounts of muscle. There’s a small amount of creatine overall, way less than you would normally take during a creatine loading phase. But generally C4 Sport and other pre workouts like it are just designed to help you have great workouts in the gym, hit new PRs, and build muscle that way.
It’ll work, for sure, but your training and nutrition are going to give you 99% of your results.
What’s the right dosage for this drink?
It’s meant to be mixed like this: 1 scoop of powder (level scoop) and around 6-8 ounces of water, to be taken about 20 to 30 minutes before you workout.
Use 6 ounces of water for a sweeter, more concentrated drink. Use 8 for a little more mild flavor.
This is a pretty sweet drink to begin with so using the higher amount of water might be better if you’re sensitive to the sweeteners contained here.
Is C4 Sport good for running?
Yes, for sure! The energy contained in this drink should really help you on long or intense runs.
I’d be careful drinking it too close to the beginning of your run, as you won’t want all that liquid splashing around in your stomach (it could cause cramping).
Follow the directions as written on the label and drink the preworkout about 20-30 minutes before your run.
Is it good for weight loss?
There’s nothing specific about C4 Sport that will help you lose weight, but again, it should give you awesome energy to work your hardest in the gym.
If you train properly and maintain a consistent calorie deficit, you should lose weight regardless of what pre workout supplement you’re taking.
(Beware of any drink that promises it will burn fat on its own, as it’s likely a scam!)
Does C4 Sport have creatine?
Yes. It has a little bit more than you find in your typical pre workout supplement, but not enough to make a noticeable difference in your training most likely.
When loading creatine on its own, you need quite a bit more than the 2.5 grams contained in one serving of C4 Sport
The creatine monohydrate in this drink might help you get a nice pump in the gym, or give you a 1% boost in muscle building, but I wouldn’t expect dramatic results. If you’re serious about getting the benefits of creatine, you should consider it as a separate supplement.
Get your bottle of C4 Sport Pre Workout from Amazon.