CBUM Pre Workout: 7 Honest Facts About Thavage
CBUM Pre Workout: 7 Honest Facts About Thavage
The CBUM pre workout is Thavage, made by RAW Nutrition with Chris Bumstead. The label claims about 307 mg of caffeine, 6 g of L-citrulline and 3.2 g of beta alanine in a full two scoop serving, and every dose is printed, with no proprietary blend. If those figures are accurate, the Thavage pre workout is properly dosed at two scoops and half dosed at one, which is how many people actually take it. This review of the CBUM Thavage pre workout checks each line against published research. We did not lab test the product, so every product figure below is a label claim by the manufacturer.
Educational content only. This page reads the manufacturer label against published research. It is not medical advice. If you have high blood pressure, a heart condition, are pregnant, or take stimulant or blood pressure medication, talk to your clinician before using any high caffeine pre workout.
Supplements Editor · Updated September 2026
Three numbers that decide it
The panel lists 260 mg of caffeine anhydrous plus 64 mg of dicaffeine malate at 74 percent caffeine. That adds up to about 307 mg for a full serving and 154 mg for one scoop.
Two scoops of the CBUM pre workout list 6 g of pure L-citrulline, the top of the range used in performance studies. One scoop lists 3 g, the bottom of that range.
At the list price of $49.99 the tub holds 40 scoops. Used as designed, that is 20 workouts at $2.50 each. Used at one scoop it is 40 workouts at $1.25, with half the actives.
Label figures for the CBUM pre workout were read from the manufacturer Supplement Facts panel for the Dragon Fruit flavour in September 2026. Formulas change between production runs, so check your own tub.
What this review covers
The full label. All fifteen actives in the CBUM pre workout at one scoop and two scoops, each set against the dose used in human research.
Caffeine in context. The real total per scoop, how it compares with other drinks, and a calculator for your own day.
Thuper Thavage. What changes in the stronger version and who it is meant for.
A conditional verdict. Who the product suits, who should skip it, and how it compares with C4 on label figures.
Thavage pre workout label, line by line
The CBUM pre workout panel gives two columns, one scoop of 13.3 g and two scoops of 26.6 g, and the tub is labelled as 40 or 20 servings accordingly. The manufacturer directions say to assess tolerance with one scoop and work up to two. The table shows both columns next to the dose used in the research we could verify.
| Ingredient | 1 scoop | 2 scoops | Research reference | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-citrulline | 3 g | 6 g | Meta analysis by Trexler and colleagues: small benefit for strength and power work | ● in range |
| Beta alanine | 1.6 g | 3.2 g | ISSN position stand: 4 to 6 g daily for weeks to raise muscle carnosine | ● partial |
| Betaine anhydrous | 1.25 g | 2.5 g | Cholewa and colleagues: 2.5 g a day for six weeks | ● in range |
| L-tyrosine | 1 g | 2 g | No performance threshold we could verify | ● partial |
| Taurine | 1 g | 2 g | Meta analysis by Waldron and colleagues: small endurance benefit | ● in range |
| Nitrosigine | 750 mg | 1.5 g | Kalman and colleagues: 1.5 g a day, safety and blood flow markers | ● partial |
| Agmatine sulfate | 500 mg | 1 g | No human performance trials | ● unproven |
| Alpha-GPC 50 percent | 200 mg | 400 mg | Bellar and colleagues used 600 mg a day for six days | ● partial |
| Total caffeine | About 154 mg | About 307 mg | ISSN position stand: 3 to 6 mg per kg of body mass | ● in range |
| L-theanine | 75 mg | 150 mg | Owen and colleagues: 100 mg with 50 mg of caffeine | ● partial |
The remaining lines on the CBUM pre workout label are small: 500 mg of coconut water powder, 50 mg of theobromine, 25 mg of AstraGin and 100 mcg of huperzine A per two scoops, plus vitamin C, B6 and B12 and 200 mg of sodium from pink salt. The other ingredients list names sucralose and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners, and the allergen line reads tree nuts, from the coconut. If panels like this are new to you, our guide on how to read supplement labels explains the two column trick.
How much caffeine is in the CBUM pre workout
The CBUM pre workout label does not print a single caffeine total, so it has to be added up. Caffeine anhydrous is listed at 130 mg per scoop. Dicaffeine malate is listed at 32 mg per scoop and the panel states it is 74 percent caffeine, which is about 24 mg. One scoop of the CBUM pre workout therefore carries roughly 154 mg of caffeine and two scoops roughly 307 mg, with 50 mg of theobromine on top.
That puts the CBUM pre workout in a sensible place. Guest and colleagues, writing the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand, concluded that caffeine improves exercise performance at 3 to 6 mg per kg of body mass, that the minimum effective dose may be as low as 2 mg per kg, and that very high doses such as 9 mg per kg bring more side effects without more benefit. For an 80 kg lifter one scoop of the CBUM pre workout is 1.9 mg per kg and two scoops is 3.8 mg per kg.
The risk with the CBUM pre workout is stacking and timing, not the scoop itself. Two scoops plus two coffees is about 500 mg. Drake and colleagues gave 400 mg of caffeine six hours before bedtime and still measured important disruption of sleep, so an evening session on a full serving is a poor trade. For reference points across the can aisle, see our breakdown of caffeine in Monster Energy.
Your caffeine day with Thavage in it
Uses about 154 mg per scoop from the label arithmetic above and 95 mg per cup of coffee. The marker sits at 400 mg a day, the amount commonly cited as the upper level for healthy adults. An educational estimate, not medical advice.
Every active dose against the research
The CBUM pre workout has a fully disclosed label, and that is only useful if someone checks it. Here is what the evidence says about the lines that carry most of the effect in the Thavage pre workout.
L-citrulline, 6 g. Trexler and colleagues pooled 12 studies with 198 participants and found a significant but small benefit of citrulline for high intensity strength and power, with a pooled effect size of 0.20. The best known single trial, by Perez-Guisado and Jakeman, used 8 g of citrulline malate and reported 52.92 percent more bench press repetitions in the final set and 40 percent less soreness. The 6 g of pure L-citrulline in the CBUM pre workout is a fair match for that.
Beta alanine, 3.2 g. This one does not work per workout. The ISSN position stand describes 4 to 6 g daily for several weeks to raise muscle carnosine, and Hobson and colleagues found a median 2.85 percent improvement after a median total of 179 g. At two scoops on four training days a week, the CBUM pre workout would take about 14 weeks to supply 179 g. The tingling is immediate. The benefit is slow and depends on daily intake.
Betaine, 2.5 g. The betaine in the CBUM pre workout matches the 2.5 g a day Cholewa and colleagues gave for six weeks, which improved body composition and bench press work capacity but not strength. Again it is a daily dose, so training day only use supplies less than the trial did.
Alpha-GPC, Nitrosigine, agmatine. The CBUM pre workout panel lists 400 mg of a 50 percent alpha-GPC material, which is about 200 mg of the active against the 600 mg Bellar and colleagues used. Nitrosigine at 1.5 g matches the dose Kalman and colleagues tested, although that study measured safety and blood markers, not lifting. Agmatine has no human performance trials we could find.
One scoop as a share of the dose used in the cited research
The pattern is clear. On label figures the CBUM pre workout is a two scoop product, and a one scoop user is buying a moderate caffeine drink with half doses of everything else.
Thuper Thavage vs the regular CBUM Thavage pre workout
RAW Nutrition also sells Thuper Thavage, a separate and stronger formula. The product page lists 400 mg of caffeine, 6.4 g of beta alanine, 6 g of L-citrulline and 5 g of creatine in a single scoop, and the directions say not to exceed one scoop in 24 hours.
Thavage
Label figures. Caffeine total is our arithmetic from two listed sources.
Thuper Thavage
Figures from the manufacturer product page, September 2026.
Thuper Thavage uses the whole 400 mg daily caffeine allowance in one drink, which leaves no room for coffee. Its 6.4 g of beta alanine in a single dose is also the amount most likely to cause strong tingling, since studies usually split it. The 5 g of creatine is a full research dose, as the ISSN stand by Kreider and colleagues describes, although creatine works through daily intake rather than timing, a point we cover in creatine before or after a workout. For most lifters the regular CBUM pre workout is the easier product to live with.
Is the CBUM pre workout better than C4
This is one of the most common questions about the CBUM pre workout, and label against label it is not close. The figures for C4 come from our own C4 pre workout review, which reads the current 8.9 g scoop.
| Line | Thavage, 2 scoops | Thavage, 1 scoop | C4 Original, 1 scoop | Status for Thavage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | About 307 mg | About 154 mg | 200 mg | ● higher at 2 scoops |
| L-citrulline | 6 g | 3 g | 1.2 g | ● higher |
| Beta alanine | 3.2 g | 1.6 g | 2 g | ● higher at 2 scoops |
| Betaine | 2.5 g | 1.25 g | None | ● higher |
| Creatine | None | None | 1 g creatine nitrate | ● similar, both below 3 g |
| Scoop weight | 26.6 g | 13.3 g | 8.9 g | ● more material |
On label figures a full serving of the CBUM pre workout carries five times the citrulline of C4 and adds betaine, taurine, tyrosine and Nitrosigine that C4 does not list. C4 answers with a smaller scoop and a gentler caffeine dose. For other reference points, our reviews of Mother Bucker and Jack3d read those labels the same way.
Thavage flavors, price and what else is on the tub
The manufacturer page listed 18 flavors of the CBUM pre workout in September 2026, including Dragon Fruit, Rocket Candy, Peach Bum, Lychee, Rainbow Sherbet, Raspberry Lemonade, Sour Watermelon, Lion's Blood and the numbered 5PEAT and 6PEAT editions that mark Bumstead's Classic Physique Olympia titles. We did not taste test them, so we will not rank them. Flavor is the one part of a review that a label cannot settle.
Sweeteners. The Dragon Fruit panel lists sucralose and acesulfame potassium. There is no sugar and the serving is 10 calories.
Allergen. Contains tree nuts, from coconut water powder.
Proposition 65. The product page carries the California warning about lead exposure that appears on many powdered supplements.
Sodium. Two scoops list 200 mg of sodium from pink salt, 9 percent of the daily value, which is useful for sweaty sessions and trivial otherwise.
The price of the CBUM pre workout follows the two scoop logic. At $49.99 for 40 scoops, a full serving is $2.50, which puts the CBUM pre workout at the premium end. The same brand takes a similar line with its protein, which we covered in the CBUM protein review: open labels, full doses and a price to match.
Seven honest facts about the Thavage pre workout
No proprietary blend
15 activesEvery active in the CBUM pre workout is listed with its own dose at one and two scoops. That is what makes a review like this possible, and it is still not universal in the category.
The caffeine total is not printed
307 mgThe CBUM pre workout lists two caffeine sources separately. Added together they give about 154 mg per scoop and 307 mg per full serving. Know the number before you add coffee.
It is a two scoop product
20 servingsThe studied doses of citrulline and betaine only appear in the two scoop column. The CBUM pre workout tub says 40 servings, but at the doses the research used it holds 20.
Citrulline is the strongest line
6 gThe 6 g of pure L-citrulline in the CBUM pre workout sits at the top of the studied range. The pooled effect on strength and power is small, 0.20 in the Trexler meta analysis, but it is one of the better supported pump ingredients.
Beta alanine needs daily use
3.2 gThe tingle is not the benefit. Muscle carnosine rises over weeks of daily intake, and the median total in the Hobson analysis was 179 g. Training day only use gets there slowly.
Some lines are lighter than they look
200 mgThe 400 mg of alpha-GPC is a 50 percent material, so the active is about 200 mg against 600 mg in the Bellar study. Agmatine has no human performance data at any dose.
Late sessions will cost sleep
6 hoursDrake and colleagues found that 400 mg of caffeine six hours before bed still disrupted sleep. A full serving of the CBUM pre workout at 6 pm is close to that scenario. Use one scoop or a stimulant free option in the evening.
For how pre workouts sit among other ergogenic aids, see our overview of performance supplements.
So, is the CBUM pre workout worth it
If the label is accurate, the CBUM pre workout is worth it for the lifter it was designed for: someone who trains hard, tolerates caffeine, and will actually use two scoops. At that serving the main lines match the doses used in research, which is more than most pre workouts can claim. At one scoop the case is much weaker, because you pay a premium price for half doses.
- You want every dose printed and no proprietary blend
- You train early or midday and handle 300 mg of caffeine well
- You value a full 6 g of citrulline over a low price
- You take it on most training days, so beta alanine and betaine add up
- You have high blood pressure, a heart condition or are pregnant
- You train in the evening and care about sleep
- You already drink several coffees a day
- You plan to use one scoop and want the best value per dose
The research caveat applies to the whole category. No trial has tested the CBUM pre workout itself. The evidence is for single ingredients, mostly taken daily for weeks, and the effects are small to moderate. A pre workout stacks several small effects and one large one, caffeine, and most of what you feel in the first hour is the caffeine.
Common questions
How much caffeine is in Thavage?
About 154 mg per scoop and about 307 mg per two scoop serving. The label lists 130 mg of caffeine anhydrous and 32 mg of dicaffeine malate at 74 percent caffeine per scoop, so the total has to be added up. Thuper Thavage lists 400 mg in one scoop.
Is CBUM pre workout worth it?
At two scoops, the CBUM pre workout label matches research doses for citrulline, betaine and caffeine, and every dose is disclosed, so it is a fair buy for regular lifters who tolerate caffeine. At one scoop you get half doses at a premium price. A full serving costs about $2.50 at list price.
Is CBUM pre workout better than C4?
On label figures it is more heavily dosed. Two scoops list 6 g of citrulline against 1.2 g in C4 Original, 3.2 g of beta alanine against 2 g, and add betaine and taurine. C4 has 200 mg of caffeine in a much smaller scoop, which suits people who want a lighter product.
What is Thuper Thavage?
It is a separate, stronger formula from the same brand. The product page lists 400 mg of caffeine, 6.4 g of beta alanine, 6 g of citrulline and 5 g of creatine in one scoop, with a one scoop daily maximum. It is aimed at experienced users with a high caffeine tolerance.
How long does CBUM pre workout take to kick in?
Most of what you feel from the CBUM pre workout is caffeine, which is usually taken 30 to 60 minutes before training so that blood levels are high during the session. The beta alanine tingle can start within 15 to 20 minutes. Citrulline, betaine and beta alanine work better with consistent use than in a single dose.
What is the best Thavage flavor?
We did not taste test the range, so we will not name one. The manufacturer listed 18 flavors in September 2026, including Dragon Fruit, Rocket Candy, Peach Bum and the 5PEAT and 6PEAT editions. All use sucralose and acesulfame potassium, so sweetness will be similar across them.
Can I take one scoop of the CBUM pre workout?
Yes, and the CBUM pre workout label suggests starting there to assess tolerance. One scoop supplies about 154 mg of caffeine, 3 g of citrulline and 1.6 g of beta alanine. That is a moderate stimulant dose with roughly half the amounts used in the research on the other ingredients.
Is Thavage safe to take every day?
For healthy adults the main question with the CBUM pre workout is total caffeine, which should be counted across the whole day. Two scoops plus coffee can pass 400 mg quickly. People with high blood pressure, heart conditions or who are pregnant should speak to a clinician first, and nobody should use it within six hours of bedtime.
References
More pre workout reviews
Final Educational Note
This article is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Caffeine tolerance varies widely with body weight, genetics, medication and sleep, and product formulas change without notice. Do not start a high caffeine supplement or combine stimulants based solely on general guidance from any website, including this one. If you have high blood pressure, a heart rhythm problem, anxiety, are pregnant or take prescription stimulants, a clinician should make the call.
MuscleScience does not sell pre workouts, supplements or medical services. We have no financial relationship with RAW Nutrition, Chris Bumstead or any other manufacturer. The goal of this article is to give you the label claims and the research so you can decide for yourself. For more product breakdowns, see the supplements hub.
