BigDaddy vs ABE Pre Workout: The Full Formula Comparison (2026)

ABE by Applied Nutrition is the best selling pre workout in the UK. It is in every supplement shop. It is on every shelf. It has been the default recommendation for years. And there is a reason for that. The branding is clean, the flavours are wide ranging and the price is accessible. Applied Nutrition built a machine.

But best selling does not mean best formulated. And when you actually pull the labels apart and compare what is inside ABE against what is inside BigDaddy, the gap is not small. It is enormous.

I took ABE before training on multiple occasions before I built BigDaddy. The experience was one of the reasons I started formulating in the first place. The energy arrived fast and left faster. The crash was rough. The pump was forgettable. And the focus that the label promised never really showed up because the ingredients responsible for focus were either missing or underdosed.

Here is the full comparison. Every ingredient. Every dose. Nothing hidden.

 

The Quick Answer

ABE is a mid range pre workout built for the mass market. BigDaddy is a high performance pre workoutbuilt for people who actually train hard and one of the best pre workouts in the UK for serious athletes. ABE contains 350mg of single source caffeine with no sustained release component, 6,000mg of citrulline malate (which yields roughly 3,600mg of actual L-Citrulline), 3,000mg of beta alanine, 200mg of L-Theanine, and no CDP Choline, no beetroot extract and no AstraGin. BigDaddy contains 450mg of dual source caffeine, 8,000mg of pure L-Citrulline, 3,500mg of beta alanine, 350mg of L-Theanine, 800mg of CDP Choline, 2,000mg of RedNite Beetroot Extract and AstraGin for absorption. BigDaddy is more in every single performance category and costs less per serving.

 

Full Formula Comparison Table

 

Read that table slowly. The citrulline line alone should stop you. BigDaddy uses 8,000mg of pure L-Citrulline. ABE uses 6,000mg of citrulline malate. Those sound comparable until you understand that citrulline malate is roughly 60% citrulline and 40% malic acid by weight. That means ABE delivers approximately 3,600mg of actual citrulline per serving. BigDaddy delivers more than double that amount. The clinical dose for meaningful blood flow and pump improvement is 6,000 to 8,000mg of pure citrulline. [2] ABE is not even close.

This is the pump problem. If you have taken ABE and felt underwhelmed by the pump, it is not your body. It is the dose.

The Caffeine Problem

ABE contains 350mg of caffeine anhydrous. Single source. No di-caffeine malate. No sustained release component of any kind.

That means all 350mg hits at once. It peaks within 45 to 60 minutes and then declines. For a short, intense 30 minute session, this might be fine. For anything longer than 45 minutes, you are training on borrowed time. The caffeine that made your first three sets feel powerful is actively leaving your system while you are still working.

BigDaddy contains 250mg of caffeine anhydrous and 200mg of di-caffeine malate. Total: 450mg (one of the strongest, yet smoothest pre workouts in the UK). The anhydrous provides the same fast acting hit. The di-caffeine malate absorbs gradually, sustaining elevated caffeine levels across the entire session. Research found that sustained release caffeine maintained performance benefits for significantly longer without the crash. [8]

This is not a subtle difference. This is the difference between a pre workout that works for 30 minutes and one that works for 90. When I took ABE before boxing, the energy was there for two or three rounds and then it dropped away hard. The crash was not gradual. It was like someone dimmed the lights. With BigDaddy, round eight feels like round three. The dual caffeine system is the reason.

And then there is the L-Theanine ratio. ABE has 200mg of L-Theanine against 350mg of caffeine. That is not enough to fully smooth out the stimulation. BigDaddy has 350mg of L-Theanine against 450mg of total caffeine. The result is calmer, more focused energy with noticeably less jitteriness even though the total caffeine dose is 100mg higher. [6]

 

The Focus Problem

This is where the comparison becomes difficult to ignore.

CDP Choline is the most effective nootropic ingredient in sports supplementation for producing genuine cognitive clarity and mind to muscle connection. It is a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter responsible for attention, focus and motor control. Research found that CDP Choline supplementation significantly improved attention and psychomotor speed. [3]

BigDaddy contains 800mg of CDP Choline.

ABE contains zero CDP Choline. It uses 250mg of choline bitartrate (branded as VitaCholine), which is a less bioavailable form of choline at a lower dose. The difference in the quality of focus these two produce is night and day.

When I took ABE, the "focus" it delivered was really just elevated heart rate and caffeine stimulation. My eyes were open but my mind was scattered. When I take BigDaddy, the focus is genuine. The gym goes quiet. The distractions disappear. The mind to muscle connection sharpens. That is CDP Choline at the right dose. ABE simply does not have it.

 

The Pump Problem

Pumps come from nitric oxide production, which widens blood vessels and increases blood flow to working muscles. The two main pathways for increasing nitric oxide through supplementation are L-Citrulline (which converts to arginine) and dietary nitrate from beetroot.

ABE has approximately 3,600mg of actual citrulline and no beetroot. One pathway. Underdosed.

BigDaddy has 8,000mg of pure L-Citrulline and 2,000mg of RedNite concentrated beetroot extract. Two pathways. Both at clinical doses.

Research found that L-Citrulline at 6,000 to 8,000mg significantly improved blood flow and reduced muscle soreness. [2] Separate research found that beetroot nitrate supplementation improved exercise efficiency and extended time to exhaustion. [5] Running both pathways simultaneously produces a compounding effect that neither achieves alone.

This is why ABE's pump feels flat. It is running one pathway at half the required dose. BigDaddy is running two pathways, both fully loaded. The difference is visible in the mirror and measurable in the weights.

 

Advantages of ABE

ABE includes a few ingredients that BigDaddy does not.

Creatine Monohydrate

The UK version of ABE includes 3,000mg of creatine monohydrate. BigDaddy does not include creatine. Creatine is one of the most well researched performance supplements in existence. It increases phosphocreatine stores in muscle, supporting ATP regeneration during short, high intensity efforts. However, 3,000mg per serving is below the standard daily maintenance dose of 5,000mg, and most serious lifters already supplement creatine separately because the dose in a pre workout is never enough on its own. If you are already taking creatine daily, this inclusion adds nothing. If you are not, 3,000mg is better than nothing but not optimal.

Dynamine and Zynamite

ABE includes 100mg of Dynamine (methylliberine) and Zynamite (mango leaf extract). Dynamine is a stimulant compound that enhances mood and alertness without significantly increasing heart rate. Zynamite supports reaction time and cognitive performance. These are interesting patented ingredients that add to ABE's stimulant profile. BigDaddy does not include either.

Flavour Range

ABE is available in over a dozen flavours. BigDaddy currently offers mango. If variety matters to you and you get bored of the same flavour, ABE has a wider selection. That said, BigDaddy's single mango flavour consistently receives praise as one of the best tasting pre workouts in the UK, so the limitation has not been a problem for most people.

Availability

ABE is stocked in virtually every supplement retailer in the UK, both online and in store. BigDaddy is currently available through bigdaddypre.com and TikTok Shop. If you prefer buying from a physical shop, ABE is more accessible.

 

What They Feel Like in the Gym

I have used both extensively. Here is the honest difference.

ABE feels like a caffeine hit with some supporting ingredients around it. The energy comes on fast, it is noticeable, and for the first 20 to 30 minutes you feel alert and ready. But it is a narrow experience. The pump is mild. The focus is surface level. And then between 30 and 45 minutes the caffeine starts to drop and you can feel the session slipping away from you. The crash afterwards is not subtle. There is a definite period of feeling flat and depleted that lasts well past the end of training.

BigDaddy feels like a completely different category of product. The energy builds smoothly rather than spiking. The focus deepens rather than buzzing. The pump starts in the first few working sets and compounds throughout the session until it is visibly fuller than anything ABE produces. And the session does not have a hard stop. The energy tapers gradually, you leave the gym feeling accomplished rather than drained, and the crash simply does not arrive.

The difference is not marginal. It is the difference between a product designed to sell at scale and a product designed to perform.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is BigDaddy better than ABE? On formula alone, yes. BigDaddy contains more than double the actual citrulline, 100mg more caffeine through a dual delivery system, 150mg more L-Theanine, 800mg of CDP Choline which ABE does not have, 2,000mg of RedNite Beetroot Extract which ABE does not have, provides 6 more servings per tub, and costs approximately £6 less. ABE includes creatine, Dynamine and Zynamite which BigDaddy does not. But the core performance ingredients that determine energy, focus, pumps and endurance are significantly stronger in BigDaddy.

Why is ABE so popular if BigDaddy is better? Distribution and marketing. Applied Nutrition is a large, established supplement company with shelf space in every major retailer in the UK. BigDaddy is a founder led brand that launched 8 months ago and grew organically through TikTok Shop. Popularity is a function of availability and marketing budget, not formula quality. The best selling car in the world is not the best engineered car in the world. The same applies here.

Does ABE have a dual caffeine system? No. ABE uses 350mg of caffeine anhydrous only. It does not contain di-caffeine malate or any sustained release caffeine component. This is why ABE is more likely to produce a crash compared to BigDaddy's dual caffeine system.

Does ABE have CDP Choline? No. ABE contains 250mg of choline bitartrate (VitaCholine), which is a less bioavailable form of choline at a lower dose. BigDaddy contains 800mg of CDP Choline, which is a superior form that more effectively supports acetylcholine production for genuine cognitive performance.

How much actual citrulline is in ABE? ABE contains 6,000mg of citrulline malate. Citrulline malate is approximately 60% citrulline and 40% malic acid by weight. That means ABE delivers roughly 3,600mg of actual L-Citrulline per serving. BigDaddy contains 8,000mg of pure L-Citrulline. The clinical dose for meaningful performance benefits is 6,000 to 8,000mg.

Is ABE good for beginners? ABE is a reasonable entry level pre workout for people who have never tried one before. The lower caffeine dose (350mg vs 450mg) and milder formula make it less intense. However, the underdosed citrulline and lack of CDP Choline mean that beginners trying ABE as their first pre workout may conclude that pre workouts do not really work, when in reality they just have not tried a properly dosed one.

 

The Research

[1] Caffeine and exercise performance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19088794/ [2] L-Citrulline at clinical doses: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10366749/ [3] CDP Choline and cognitive performance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33978188/ [4] Beta Alanine and exercise capacity: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27797728/ [5] Beetroot nitrates and endurance: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5295087/ [6] L-Theanine and caffeine combination: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4480845/ [7] AstraGin and nutrient absorption: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29614961/ [8] Sustained caffeine delivery: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29876876/

 

Why BigDaddy is better overall:

ABE became the best selling pre workout in the UK by being everywhere. BigDaddy is becoming the fastest growing by being better. One of those things is a distribution strategy. The other is a formula.

36 servings. £29. 450mg dual caffeine. 8,000mg pure L-Citrulline. 800mg CDP Choline. 2,000mg RedNite. 350mg L-Theanine. Every dose on the label. Nothing hidden.

The best selling does not always mean the best. Sometimes it just means the most available.

Click here to check the best pre workout in the UK (BigDaddy)

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