The short version: You don't need a "fat burner" pre workout. You need a clean one that supports training intensity without undermining your deficit. PurePump® has only 25 calories per serving, zero sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, and includes ingredients like L-Carnitine (500mg Carnipure) and green tea caffeine (200mg) that directly support fat metabolism — with 15 active ingredients packed into just 7.6g where every gram is active ingredient, zero filler.
The Myth of the "Fat Burner" Pre Workout
Walk through the weight loss supplement aisle and you'll see pre workouts promising to "torch fat," "ignite your metabolism," and "melt belly fat while you train." The labels are aggressive. The claims are loud. And the ingredient lists tell a very different story.
Here's what's actually inside most "fat burner" pre workouts:
- Proprietary blends that hide how much (or how little) of each ingredient you're getting
- Maltodextrin and sugar — cheap fillers that spike blood sugar and add empty calories to a product that's supposed to help you lose weight
- Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame-K) — zero calories, but growing research links them to increased appetite, insulin response, and disrupted gut bacteria
- Mega-dose caffeine (300-400mg+) from synthetic sources that cause crashes and cortisol spikes
- Pixie-dusted thermogenics — ingredients like cayenne pepper or green coffee bean listed at doses too low to do anything, just there for the label
The truth is simpler and less marketable: no supplement burns fat for you. A caloric deficit does. What a good pre workout can do is help you train harder, preserve muscle, and support the metabolic processes that make your deficit more effective.
How a Clean Pre Workout Actually Supports Fat Loss
Fat loss comes from a sustained caloric deficit combined with training that preserves lean muscle. A well-formulated pre workout supports this in three specific ways:
1. Training Intensity in a Deficit
When you're eating fewer calories, your energy drops. Workouts suffer. You cut sessions short, reduce weight, skip sets. Over time, this means less muscle stimulus, which leads to muscle loss — the opposite of what you want during a cut.
A pre workout that provides clean energy (caffeine from green tea), endurance support (beta-alanine, citrulline), and strength maintenance (creatine) keeps your training quality high even when calories are low.
2. Metabolic Support
Certain ingredients have direct, research-backed roles in fat metabolism:
- L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (500mg Carnipure per serving): Transports fatty acids into the mitochondria where they're burned for energy. Research shows it supports fat oxidation during exercise and improves recovery.
- Caffeine from green tea (200mg per serving): Increases metabolic rate and fat oxidation. Green tea extract specifically has been studied for its thermogenic properties beyond caffeine alone, partly due to catechins like EGCG.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid (100mg AliPure per serving): An antioxidant that plays a role in glucose metabolism and has been studied for its effects on body composition.
3. Not Undermining Your Deficit
This is the part most people miss. If your pre workout contains sugar, maltodextrin, or caloric fillers, you're adding unnecessary calories to a product that should be a training tool — not a snack. And if it contains artificial sweeteners, emerging research suggests these may increase appetite and cravings, making it harder to stick to your deficit.
A truly clean pre workout adds minimal calories and zero metabolic noise. PurePump has just 25 calories per serving — negligible in any deficit.
Ingredients That Matter for Weight Loss
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (Carnipure™) — 500mg per serving
The workhorse of fat metabolism. L-Carnitine shuttles long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for oxidation. Without adequate carnitine, your body can't efficiently use fat for fuel — even during exercise. Carnipure is the branded, research-backed form.
Caffeine (from Green Tea) — 200mg per serving
Green tea caffeine does double duty: it increases energy for harder training and directly supports thermogenesis. Unlike synthetic caffeine anhydrous, green tea caffeine provides smoother, more sustained energy with naturally occurring L-theanine that reduces jitters and crashes. This matters during a cut when you're already running on lower fuel.
L-Citrulline (Kyowa Hakko) — 2,000mg per serving
Increases nitric oxide production, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to working muscles. Better blood flow means better performance, which means more calories burned per session. Combined with 500mg L-Arginine (AjiPure), PurePump delivers 2,500mg of nitric oxide precursors per serving. Research supports 3-6g of citrulline daily.
Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn®) — 2,000mg per serving
Buffers lactic acid, allowing you to push through more reps before fatigue sets in. When you're in a deficit and fatigue comes faster, beta-alanine helps you maintain training volume — and volume is what preserves muscle during a cut.
Creatine Monohydrate — 1,000mg per serving
Critical during a deficit. Creatine maintains strength and power output when calories are low, protecting lean muscle. Research consistently shows creatine supports lean body mass even during caloric restriction. Ignore the myth about "water weight" — any initial water retention is intracellular (inside the muscle) and is part of the performance mechanism. PurePump's 1,000mg is a contributing dose, but below the clinical 3-5g daily range. For a full daily creatine dose, supplement with standalone creatine monohydrate alongside PurePump.
BCAAs (AjiPure®) — 1,000mg per serving (2:1:1 ratio)
Leucine (500mg), isoleucine (250mg), and valine (250mg) support muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown during training — especially important when you're in a caloric deficit and the body is more prone to catabolism.
What to Avoid in a Weight Loss Pre Workout
| Ingredient | Why It Hurts Fat Loss Goals |
|---|---|
| Sugar / Maltodextrin | Adds empty calories. Spikes insulin. Directly works against your deficit |
| Sucralose / Acesulfame-K | Zero calories but may increase appetite, cravings, and insulin response |
| Artificial colors (Red 40, Blue 1) | No performance benefit. Just synthetic chemicals your body has to process |
| Proprietary blends | Can't verify if thermogenic or performance ingredients are dosed effectively |
| Mega-dose caffeine (350mg+) | Spikes cortisol, which promotes fat storage — especially around the midsection |
| "Fat burner" matrices | Usually underdosed thermogenics in a proprietary blend. Marketing, not science |
Our Pick: PurePump®
PurePump® is what a weight loss pre workout should actually look like — performance ingredients that support your training and metabolism, with absolutely nothing that works against your deficit.
What makes it ideal for fat loss (per 2-scoop serving / 7.6g): - Only 25 calories, zero sugar, zero carbs — negligible impact on your daily intake - Zero artificial sweeteners — no sucralose, aspartame, or acesulfame-K triggering appetite or insulin - L-Carnitine (Carnipure): 500mg — supports fat oxidation during exercise - Caffeine (Green Tea): 200mg — clean thermogenic support with smooth energy - Alpha Lipoic Acid (AliPure): 100mg — supports glucose metabolism and body composition - Creatine : 1,000mg — protects lean muscle during a caloric deficit - L-Citrulline (Kyowa Hakko): 2,000mg + L-Arginine (AjiPure): 500mg — 2,500mg combined nitric oxide support for better blood flow and performance - Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn): 2,000mg — maintains training volume when energy is low - BCAAs (AjiPure): 1,000mg (2:1:1 ratio) — protects against muscle breakdown in a deficit - B Vitamins: Niacin 20mg, B6 10mg, Folate 400mcg DFE, B12 50mcg — supports energy metabolism - Vitamin C (Quali-C): 60mg - 15 active ingredients, fully disclosed — no proprietary blends, no guessing. Every gram of the 7.6g serving is active ingredient — zero filler.
What's NOT in it: No sugar, maltodextrin, fillers, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, proprietary blends, or banned substances.
Third-party tested: Every batch is tested by the Banned Substance Control Group (BSCG) — the same certification used by professional and Olympic athletes.
Certifications: Vegan, Keto Certified, Certified Paleo, GMP Certified, Non-GMO
Honest disclaimer: PurePump is unflavored and tastes bitter. There are no flavorings or sweeteners to mask the raw ingredients. If taste is your priority, this isn't for you. If you want a clean tool that supports your fat loss without adding junk, you'll appreciate what's not in it as much as what is. Pro tip: mix it as a shot (2-3 oz of water) with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Price: $42.95 for 60 scoops (30 servings at recommended 2-scoop dose = $1.43/serving)
How to Use Pre Workout During a Cut
Timing
Take 1-2 scoops 15-30 minutes before training. On a cut, morning or early afternoon training is ideal — it allows you to train in a fasted or lightly-fed state when fat oxidation is higher.
Dosing
Start with 1 scoop (100mg caffeine). If you're deep into a deficit and energy is low, 2 scoops (200mg caffeine) provides the full clinical dose of each ingredient. Don't exceed 2 scoops — more caffeine isn't better for fat loss, and excessive stimulant use raises cortisol.
Fasted Training
PurePump has only 25 calories per serving — negligible for fat loss purposes and well within what most fasting protocols allow. If you train fasted for fat loss purposes, PurePump is one of the few pre workouts that genuinely qualifies — most others contain sugar, maltodextrin, or enough artificial sweetener to potentially trigger an insulin response.
Creatine Supplementation
PurePump provides 1,000mg of creatine monohydrate per serving — a contributing dose, but below the 3-5g clinical range. For a full daily creatine dose during a cut, add standalone creatine monohydrate post-workout. Taking 2-4g of creatine monohydrate after training alongside PurePump before training gets you into the clinically studied range — critical for preserving lean muscle during a deficit.
What Real Customers Say
"I use both the Pre and Post workout products. They are clean and really work. No crashes, just increased energy and great recovery." — Olivia D., Verified Buyer
"This is the best, hands down. Perfect balance of ingredients." — Brian H., Verified Buyer
"Mixes extremely well, gives a great boost of energy with no jitters." — Pano Z., Verified Buyer
FAQ
Do I need a "fat burner" pre workout to lose weight?
No. Fat loss comes from a caloric deficit, not a supplement. What a good pre workout does is help you train harder (burning more calories), preserve muscle (so the weight you lose is fat, not muscle), and provide metabolic support through ingredients like L-Carnitine and green tea caffeine. Skip the "fat burner" label and look at the actual ingredients.
Will pre workout break my fast?
PurePump has only 25 calories per serving, zero sugar, and zero sweeteners. At 25 calories, most intermittent fasting protocols consider this negligible and unlikely to meaningfully break a fast. Most other pre workouts contain sugar, maltodextrin, or artificial sweeteners that are far more likely to trigger an insulin response and disrupt your deficit.
Does creatine cause water weight during a cut?
Creatine may cause a small amount of intracellular water retention (water inside the muscle, not under the skin). This is part of how it works and is not the same as bloating. The strength and muscle-preserving benefits of creatine during a caloric deficit far outweigh any minor scale fluctuation. Most research supports creatine for improving body composition during a cut.
How much caffeine is in PurePump?
100mg per scoop (from green tea extract), 200mg per 2-scoop serving. For reference, a typical cup of coffee has 80-100mg. Green tea caffeine provides smoother, more sustained energy than synthetic caffeine and has additional thermogenic benefits from naturally occurring catechins.
Can I take PurePump every day while cutting?
Take it on training days, 15-30 minutes before your workout. On rest days, you don't need it. Keeping it to training days also prevents caffeine tolerance buildup, which means it stays effective longer throughout your cut.
Is PurePump safe for drug-tested athletes on a cut?
Yes. Every batch is certified by the Banned Substance Control Group (BSCG), an international leader in supplement testing used by professional and Olympic athletes. This doesn't change based on whether you're cutting or bulking.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
