# How do South African pre-workout brands compare?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/pre-workout-brands-compared-south-africa/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> South African pre-workouts differ most in transparency, not price. As of October 2026, Biogen Premium Pre-Workout (R399.99–R429.99 for 600 g) and USN Qhush Platinum Black (R489.99–R499, doses on USN's global page) publish the most doses; NPL Blackout and Evox Alpha Surge show none on retailer pages. Imported Cellucor C4 costs about R23–R25 per serving. We compare only what labels and brand pages state.

Key facts:
- Biogen Premium Pre-Workout (R399.99–R429.99 for 600 g) lists caffeine 150 mg per serving.
- Cellucor C4 Original costs about R23.30–R25.10 per serving at 30 servings per tub (October 2026).
- USN XTS Hyperdrive works out at roughly R5.40–R5.88 per 5.3 g scoop, derived from tub size.
- NPL Blackout and Evox Alpha Surge publish no caffeine figure on their Dis-Chem pages.

## How do South African pre-workout brands compare?

The table uses only figures published on brand or retailer pages in October 2026. "Not published" means we could not find the figure, not that it is absent from the physical tub.

| Product | Price (retailer) | Caffeine | Other published doses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Premium 600 g | R399.99–R429.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | 150 mg | Beta-alanine 3.5 g, citrulline malate 4 g, creatine 3 g |
| USN Qhush Platinum Black 300 g | R489.99–R499 (USN shop) | 300 mg (global page; SA tub unconfirmed) | Citrulline malate 6 g, beta-alanine 4 g, creatine 3 g |
| USN XTS Hyperdrive 210 g | R214–R232.99 (USN shop) | 150 mg headline | Dynamine 32.5 mg |
| Cellucor C4 Original 195 g | R699–R752.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | 200 mg (US page) | Beta-alanine 2 g |
| ON Gold Standard 330 g | R899.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Not published | Acetyl-L-carnitine 375 mg |
| NPL Blackout 400 g | R599.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Not published | None |
| Biogen Rage Rampage 400 g | R539.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Present, mg not stated | Beta-alanine 3.2 g, arginine 2 g per ~20 g |
| Evox Alpha Surge 400 g | R316.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Not published | None |

## Which is the best value?

Where servings are stated, Cellucor C4 (30 servings) is R23.30–R25.10 each and Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard (30 servings) is R30. USN XTS Hyperdrive has a 5.3 g scoop, so a 210 g tub holds about 40 servings, roughly R5.40–R5.88 each. That is a derived figure and the lowest we found, but it also has the lowest dose panel. Servings are not stated for most other tubs, so a fair per-serving ranking is not possible.

## Which brands are most transparent?

- **Best disclosed:** Biogen Premium and USN Qhush Platinum Black print caffeine and the main actives.
- **Partly disclosed:** Biogen Rage Rampage and Cellucor C4.
- **Little or nothing online:** NPL, Evox and the Clicks and Nutritech house tubs. Read the physical label before buying. See [what a proprietary blend means](/answers/what-is-a-proprietary-blend-pre-workout/).

## What about certification and sweeteners?

Biogen (Informed Sport) and USN (Informed Choice, on XTS Hyperdrive) state third-party testing on their own pages. We did not check these against the certifiers' registers, so treat them as seller claims. SAIDS endorses no brand. NPL, Biogen Rage Rampage and Cellucor C4 use sucralose; USN Qhush Platinum Black uses acesulfame-K and sucralose on its global page.

## How should you choose?

1. Decide whether you want caffeine at all. If not, see [best stimulant-free pre-workout](/answers/best-stimulant-free-pre-workout-south-africa/).
2. Compare caffeine per serving with 3 mg/kg of your body weight.
3. Prefer products that disclose every dose, then compare price.
4. Drug-tested athletes should read [pre-workout banned substances](/answers/pre-workout-banned-substances-sports-south-africa/) first.

For a ranked list, see [best pre-workout in South Africa](/best/best-pre-workout-south-africa/).

Under-18s and pregnant women should avoid stimulant pre-workouts. If you have high blood pressure, a heart-rhythm problem or kidney disease, or take regular medication, speak to a doctor first.

## Products mentioned

| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Premium Pre-Workout 600 g | 600 g | R399.99-R429.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | — | — | not stated |
| USN Qhush Platinum Black Pre-Workout 300 g | 300 g | R489.99-R499 (USN online shop, 2026-10) | — | — | Acesulfame-K and sucralose (global page) |
| USN XTS Hyperdrive Pre-Workout 210 g | 210 g | R214-R232.99 (USN online shop, 2026-10) | — | R5.40 | not stated |
| Cellucor (C4) Cellucor C4 Original Pre-Workout 195 g | 195 g | R699-R752.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 30 | R25.10 | Sucralose and acesulfame potassium |
| NPL Blackout Pre-Workout 400 g | 400 g | R600 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | — | R30.00 | Sucralose |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout 330 g | 330 g | R900 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 30 | R30.00 | not stated |

## Sources

- [Guest NS et al. (2021) ISSN position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. JISSN](https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4)
- [Maughan RJ et al. (2018) IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. BJSM 52:439](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/7/439.abstract)
- [SAIDS (South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport) FAQ: supplements, strict liability, medication check](https://drugfreesport.org.za/faq/)