Do you like getting LIT before you hit the gym? Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout by GNC contains caffeine, creatine, and other stacked ingredients to boost performance. These are common features, so we need to know how this one stacks up against the best pre-workout supplements on the market.
As a certified nutrition coach, I like it when pre-workout includes creatine, one of the most research-backed supplements. Our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, let us know how this one feels in their strenuous workouts. At BarBend, we use a supplement testing methodology to provide real ratings, and we’ve tested over 100 pre-workouts over the years. Overall, we think that this is a fantastic-tasting pre-workout with excellent ingredients but sometimes disappointing dosages. With our combined expertise from an RDN and our expert tester, let’s head into our Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout review.
Medical disclaimer: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.
Sporting beta-alanine, creatine monohydrate, and 250 milligrams of caffeine anhydrous, this 10-calorie pre-workout also has 3,000 milligrams of L-citrulline to enhance your pump. Choose from an array of fruity flavors (including Gummy Worm) with Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout.
Main Takeaways
- Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout, a supplement made by GNC, isn’t your average pre-workout. Containing creatine monohydrate, this pre-workout with creatine can help improve your training intensity and muscle-building potential.
- Our expert tester says that this is the best-tasting pre-workout they’ve ever tried (and they’ve tried a whole lot). It achieves that with artificial sweeteners, though.
- This pre-workout comes at a moderate price from a reputable company but does not do third-party testing.
LIT Pre-Workout Specs
| Price Per Serving | $1.33 |
| Caffeine | 250mg |
| Key Ingredients | L-citrulline, creatine monohydrate, CarnoSyn® beta-alanine, Nitrosigine® (arginine silicate inositol complex), caffeine anhydrous, elevATP® (ancient peat and apple fruit extract), NeuroFactor™ (coffee fruit extract), natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, malic acid, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, soy oil and lecithin blend, calcium silicate, potassium sorbate, magnesium silicate |
| Flavors | Sassy Unicorn, Fruit Punch, Gummy Worm, Strawberry Lemonade, Spiced Cider, Orange Mango, Jolly Rancher Green Apple, Jolly Rancher Watermelon, Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry, Jolly Rancher Cherry (10) |
| Sweeteners | Sucralose, acesulfame potassium, sorbitol |
| Third-Party Tested | No |
| Price Per Serving | $1.33 |
Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout comes from GNC, a well-known brand that sells other products and has its own line of sports nutrition supplements. Beyond Raw has been around since 2010, which can be a nice feature in an industry that is always chasing what is new and hot. This one has a decent amount of caffeine and ingredients designed to power up intense workouts.
Our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, tried it out for us. They say, “Every workout for three weeks, I used Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout. My training during that month was a combination of weightlifting and general strength conditioning sessions.” These are exactly the type of workouts something like this could work for; beyond the typical ingredients, it contains creatine (not a huge quantity but more on that later). Here’s why that’s such a big deal:
Creatine is excellent for high-intensity, short-duration exercise like weightlifting because it increases your stored energy (ATP), which your body uses for that type of training. It differs from the instant energy boost you get from the 250 milligrams of caffeine, but it increases your muscular endurance and power output so that you can crank out an extra rep or two. It can also help with muscle growth (when combined with adequate training and nutrition). (1)
According to Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, a registered dietitian and one of our expert reviewers, LIT may not be the best match for everyone — even if the addition of creatine is a great choice. “LIT Pre-Workout seems like a great pre-workout at first glance, and it may be for some athletes. However, digging a little deeper reveals the doses of each compound may leave you feeling underwhelmed. Some of the components’ doses fall short of what the most current research indicates to be most effective.”
Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout lists its ingredients in categories — “energy and mental intensity” has your beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine anhydrous, elevATP®, and NeuroFactor™ for an energy boost, slower muscle fatigue, and cognitive enhancement from nootropics. Their second category is “pump & N.O. support,” which has L-citrulline and Nitrosigine®, both for increasing nitric oxide levels, which expand blood vessels for more blood flow and muscle pumps. (2)(3)
While those ingredients have potentially fabulous effects, Bourgeois is underwhelmed by their dosages (including the dosage of creatine) — and as a nutrition coach, I’ve got to agree. Still, their inclusion is worthy of rendering this a potentially solid pre-workout.
Li Pre-Workout comes in 10 flavors, and at 10 to 15 calories and 2 to 4 carbohydrates per scoop, it’s a contender for one of the best pre-workouts for weight loss. Though it contains artificial sweeteners, many seem to love the taste — including our tester, who says they could drink the Blue Raspberry flavor every day (and did for three weeks’ worth of workouts!). It is a lower price at $1.33 per serving and has no information on third-party testing.
Who Should Use / Who Shouldn’t Use LIT Pre-Workout
Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout is not one of the strongest pre-workouts on the market. Still, it has a decent amount of caffeine with no other stims and focuses on a hefty ingredient profile to boost cognitive and athletic performance. If you want something stronger, GNC also makes Beyond Raw LIT AF, which has more of everything, including caffeine. Here are a few other groups who may or may not like it.
Recommended for:
- People with a moderate caffeine tolerance who don’t want other stims
- People who want a pump from their pre-workout, the formula focuses a lot on nitric oxide
- Those who like a trusted, long-standing brand like GNC
Not Recommended for:
- Those who want one supp for pre-workout and creatine — there’s not enough creatine here
- Competitive athletes who get tested — no NSF Certified for Sport verification
- Anyone avoiding stimulants or artificial sweeteners, check out the best non-stim pre-workouts and look for natural sweeteners
Our Experience Using LIT Pre-Workout
Before you try Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout, rest assured that we tried it first and will tell you exactly what it’s like. Our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, weighs in on the taste, solubility, and effects of their workout — a personal experience with an expert rating that goes deeper than marketing statements. Everything will be rated on a scale from 1 (boo) to 5 (hooray), and we’ll explain it all with the help of a registered dietitian.
Ingredients and Formulation
As a nerd for ingredients and a certified nutrition coach, I like how GNC groups its ingredient list into two different categories so you know what they’re for — even if you don’t already know what each amino acid or substance does. Let’s break them down to investigate the claims the company makes.
Energy and Mental Intensity
You get 3.2 grams of CarnoSyn® beta-alanine. Beta-alanine is a precursor to the amino acid carnosine, which speeds up lactic acid removal from your muscle cells, helping to delay muscle fatigue. This formula just puts it all together. The recommended range beta-alanine dosage is 4 to 6, so it is a little under. According to RDN Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, “the beta-alanine is slightly low” in this formulation — but also may be less likely to trigger side effects. (4)(5)
Next up is 1.5 grams of micronized creatine, or creatine monohydrate. It is the best type of creatine for effectiveness, but Bourgeois points out that there’s not a lot of it. “While I like that this pre-workout includes creatine monohydrate, its dose isn’t close to the 3 to 5 grams daily as recommended by the International Society of Sports Nutrition,” she explains.
This dose could be OK for beginners, but it may not be enough to truly experience the benefits. For regular creatine users, this is a considerable downside — you’ll still need to buy a separate creatine supplement to get the full gains. (1)
Still, including any creatine at all is still good and could make this one of the best pre-workouts for women, since cis women have 70 to 80% lower natural creatine stores than cis men. (6)
The rest is 250 milligrams of caffeine anhydrous, 150 milligrams of elevATP® (Ancient Peat and Apple Extract) for power output and more ATP, and 100 milligrams of NeuroFactor™ (coffee fruit extract), a nootropic for cognitive enhancement. The recommended dosage for caffeine as an exercise aid is 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, so you can plug in your weight to see if 250 milligrams works. (7)
Pump & N.O. Support
This group of ingredients includes L-citrulline and Nitrosigine® (arginine silicate inositol). L-citrulline is a precursor to L-arginine, and both are nitric oxide boosters. Including both in this formula is nice. You get 3 grams of L-citrulline plus 1.5 grams of L-arginine (the recommended range is 1.5 to 2 grams daily). (8)(9)
That’s pretty sweet on the surface, but RDN Chelsea Rae Bourgeois doesn’t love the total amount of citrulline here. “The citrulline falls significantly short of what research indicates to be the ideal dose before a workout,” she explains. You might want to opt for a pre-workout with a higher dosage.
Overall, Bourgeois rates LIT’s formula a 3 out of 5. “I like that LIT Pre-Workout includes components like elevATP and creatine monohydrate,” she explains. “However, I wish the pre-workout components were clinically dosed.”
Taste
With 10 flavors to choose from and those pesky artificial sweeteners sneaking in, what is the flavor really like? Amazing. Our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, says,“I tried the Blue Raspberry flavor, and it was honestly the best pre-workout flavor I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot). It was true to the name — actually tasted like raspberries — and I liked drinking it from beginning to end. The flavor is a full 5 out of 5, because it was a great balance of sweet and sour. It was even better when I used extra cold water.”
A 5 out of 5 — I love to see a perfect score, and I know we don’t give them out lightly. For a Blue Raspberry flavor to taste like an actual raspberry is a real feat in flavor science. Take note of the cold water tip; maybe even add some ice.
Solubility
The good taste is nice, but how does it feel in your mouth as you chug it down before your session? Our expert tester says it goes down pretty well — even if there are some hiccups.
“Mixability is a 3 out of 5, because even though it mixes well with water (it’ll change the water’s color), it got cloudy and settled at the bottom pretty quickly,” they explain. “Even with shaking, a few large particles just wouldn’t dissolve. It also needed a rinse to get everything out of the shaker bottle after the first drink, which means you’ll probably need more liquid than called for to get everything you’re supposed to out of each scoop.”
It doesn’t feel great to try and chug down even more water 30 minutes before you hit the gym, so I definitely don’t love needing to drink more of it. Then again, the re-swish is a pretty common feature of most pre-workouts. Alas.
Effects
The rating we’ve all been waiting for is how Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout translates into athletic performance during a workout.
Our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, tells us: “The effects of LIT are good. I definitely had more energy, and it was easier to push through my workouts even when I wasn’t in the mood. I didn’t really get a big focus boost, but then again, I wasn’t easily distracted, either — so that was good. Best of all, I didn’t get any crash or headaches post-workout.”
On pumps, they add: “While this isn’t the best pump pre-workout out there, I still got a good pump from it, and it was consistent, which is nice.”
It is interesting that the brand, again, hypes up its pump formula, but our tester was left a bit underwhelmed. As Bourgeois explains, “Some of the components’ doses fall short of what the most current research indicates to be most effective,” which includes the “pump” ingredients L-citrulline and L-arginine. (8)(9)
Overall, this one gets a 3.5 out of 5 on effects, docking an extra half point because the smaller dosages don’t necessarily match the big claims on the label.
Price Per Serving
One tub costs $39.99 for 30 servings, so it’s $1.33 per serving. They also offer a tub of 60 servings for $69.99, at $1.17 per serving. When you compare these prices to other brands, it’s definitely on the lower end, which is excellent for people on a budget who like to take it consistently. It’s a 5 out of 5 on price.
Third-Party Testing
The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements, including pre-workouts, which means that they do not need to be considered safe or effective to be sold. For competitive athletes, it also means there is no guarantee that the supplements don’t contain banned substances.
No third-party testing information is available for this pre-workout, which is not our favorite thing to report. On the flip, it might matter to you that GNC is a more reputable, long-standing brand and this supp itself has been around for quite a while, too. We’ll call it a 2 out of 5.
What to Consider Before Buying LIT Pre-Workout
Before deciding to buy Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout, think about some high-level specs. Do you want a stim pre-work? If yes, what kind of stimulant and what range works for you? If you take creatine, would you prefer to get both in one? Price, sweeteners, and safety also make a difference. Let’s not neglect the all-to-familiar pre-workout side effects, like caffeine jitters and beta-alanine tingles.
On that topic, our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, reports, “I got the tingles, for sure, but more when I took it in the afternoon. I didn’t get them as much when I took this in the morning without food.”
- Stimulants: Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout contains 250 milligrams of caffeine anhydrous. This gave our tester a good amount of anti-distraction, but not the most pro-active focus in the world.
- Creatine: Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout contains 1.5 grams of creatine monohydrate. As RDN and our expert reviewer Chelsea Rae Bourgeois explains, this is well under the studied effective dose of 3 to 5 grams per day.
- Price: One tub costs $39.99 for 30 servings, so it’s $1.33 per serving. They also offer a tub of 60 servings for $69.99, at $1.17 per serving. That’s a pretty solid offering.
- Sweeteners: Our tester absolutely loves the taste here. To achieve this 5 out of 5 feat, Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout uses artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and sugar alcohol sorbitol.
- Third-Party Testing: Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout is not third-party tested, which is not the greatest news for people who like to know exactly what’s in their products (and what’s not).
LIT Pre-Workout Vs. Competitors
In the age of endless choices and resources for research, it’s no simple task to pick the absolute best supplement for you. We like including this table so you can put some high-level considerations about this product against some of its top competitors.
| Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout | Legion Pulse | Jacked Factory Nitrosurge | |
| Price Per Serving | $1.33 | $2.25 | $1.00 |
| Caffeine Per Serving | 250mg | 350mg, or a caffeine-free option for 0 mg | 180mg |
| Key Ingredients | L-citrulline, creatine monohydrate, Nitrosigine® (arginine silicate inositol complex), caffeine anhydrous, elevATP (ancient peat and apple fruit extract), NeuroFactor™ (coffee fruit extract), natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, malic acid, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, soy oil and lecithin blend, calcium silicate, potassium sorbate, magnesium silicate | L-citrulline dl-malate, beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, caffeine anhydrous, l-theanine, alpha-glyceryl phosphorylcholine (GPC), erythritol, natural flavors, silica, stevia leaf extract, fruit and vegetable (color) | L-citrulline, beta-alanine, betaine anhydrous, caffeine anhydrous, l-theanine, theobromineAstraGin® |
| Flavors | Sassy Unicorn, Fruit Punch, Gummy Worm, Strawberry Lemonade, Spiced Cider, Orange Mango, Jolly Rancher Green Apple, Jolly Rancher Watermelon, Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry, Jolly Rancher Cherry (10) | Fruit Punch, Blue Raspberry, Peach Ring, Pink Lemonade, Blood Orange, Piña Colada, Rainbow Sherbet, Blueberry Lemonade, Strawberry Kiwi, Cherry Limeade, Sour Candy, Watermelon, Grape, Arctic Blast, Green Apple, Strawberry Margarita, Tropical Punch, Frosted Cranberry, Mojito (19) | Blue Raspberry, Grape, Green Apple, Strawberry Margarita, Watermelon, Pineapple, Arctic White, Sour Peach Rings, Cotton Candy, Blueberry Lemonade, Black Cherry, Cherry Limeade, and Fruit Punch |
| Sweeteners | Sucralose, acesulfame potassium, sorbitol | Erythritol and stevia leaf extract | Sucralose |
Read our full Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Review.
Places to Buy LIT Pre-Workout
- GNC.com
- Amazon
- CVS
- Walmart
Customer Experience and Brand Reputation
Other customers have tried Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout; here’s a little about what they have experienced.
- Shipping and Delivery:
- Time: Orders are shipped on business days after processing.
- Price: Shipping costs depend on the delivery speed you choose and your location; they will be calculated at checkout.
- Trial Period: GNC offers a great 30-day satisfaction policy. If you purchase Beyond Raw LIT Pre-Workout from GNC or an authorized retailer, you can return it within 30 days if you are not satisfied — even if you already tried it. You just need to return what is left of it for a full refund, minus shipping cost.
- Customer Reviews:
- GNC Site: There are 1,586 reviews on the GNC site and an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
- Amazon: There are 16,816 reviews on Amazon and an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.
- Customer Thoughts: Customers generally like the taste and quality and report good pumps. They say that the higher energy levels and focus last throughout their workout, and they have more endurance. Some say the jitters side effect is too strong and uncomfortable.
Our Final Verdict on LIT Pre-Workout
We test a lot of pre-workouts here (over 100) at BarBend, and this one is pretty solid. It comes from a longstanding brand and gets rave reviews from our tester, especially when it comes to taste — but, it doesn’t have the optimal amounts of several key ingredients, like creatine and citrulline. If the doses are too low for you, GNC also has an excellent satisfaction guarantee, so you can try it and return it.
Our expert tester, a USAW-L1 coach and competitive weightlifter, leaves us with this insight: “Overall, this is definitely the Goldilocks of pre-workouts. It balances great stimulants with an amazing taste — it’s similar to C4 products, but it tastes a whole lot better.”
LIT Pre-Workout FAQs
Is LIT Pre-Workout good for you?
LIT Pre-Workout is not third-party tested. This doesn’t mean it’s not good for you, but as supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA and this isn’t third-party tested, we’re unable to 100% say that it contains all safe ingredients. It does contain a generally safe amount of caffeine and other ingredients, with no other stimulants. It also has artificial sweeteners, dyes, and colors, which some folks deem “not good for you,” but that’s a personal choice.
What are the side effects of LIT Pre-Workout?
LIT Pre-Workout may cause jitters from caffeine and tingles from beta-alanine. Our tester does report tingles, but says they weren’t strong enough to interfere with their training.
Does LIT Pre-Workout have creatine?
Yes, LIT Pre-Workout has creatine, but only 1.5 grams, under the recommended amount. It’s not necessarily one of the best pre-workouts with creatine since you’ll have to get a separate creatine supplement to reach the minimum recommendation.
References
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- Gonzalez, Adam M.1; Trexler, Eric T.2. Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current LITerature. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34(5):p 1480-1495, May 2020. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003426
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- Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi: 10.3390/nu13030877. PMID: 33800439; PMCID: PMC7998865.
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- Gonzalez AM, Yang Y, Mangine GT, Pinzone AG, Ghigiarelli JJ, Sell KM. Acute Effect of L-Citrulline Supplementation on Resistance Exercise Performance and Muscle Oxygenation in Recreationally Resistance Trained Men and Women. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2023 Jun 22;8(3):88. doi: 10.3390/jfmk8030088. PMID: 37489301; PMCID: PMC10366749.
- Viribay A, Burgos J, Fernández-Landa J, Seco-Calvo J, Mielgo-Ayuso J. Effects of Arginine Supplementation on Athletic Performance Based on Energy Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2020 May 2;12(5):1300. doi: 10.3390/nu12051300. PMID: 32370176; PMCID: PMC7282262.
