The Kaged Elite Series includes 11 innovative supplements to help you build more muscle, lift more weight, and feel your best.*
We enhanced our already award-winning formulas, grounded in the latest research, to give you a new standard for elite performance nutrition.
It’s the most ambitious and innovative product launch in Kaged history. You can get the Elite Series right now in GNC stores and on Kaged.com.
Our slogan is “Never Stop Evolving” because we believe that in life we should always be growing and never settling. That means releasing better products, improving our formulas, and sticking to our mission to help you become the strongest version of yourself.
However, we understand that with all of these new products, there’s confusion about what exactly makes these products different from our original line of supplements.
This article will address what makes The Elite Series different, down to every ingredient and flavor.
Kaged Pre-Workout Elite vs The Pre-Kaged Line
SHOP PRE-WORKOUT ELITE
In this article, we outline the differences between all Kaged pre-workouts. With the launch of The Elite Series, we now have six. They all have unique use cases and different formulas.
For this article, we’ll compare Pre-Workout Elite to our original, award-winning pre-workout: Pre-Kaged.
In general, Pre-Workout Elite has more: more caffeine, more ingredients for muscle pumps, and more for sharper mental focus.
It’s not for the faint of heart, nor is it for a quick 30-minute workout. This is to help you train longer and harder, and for those pushing the boundaries of their training.
What Ingredients Are Different?
Caffeine: Pre-Workout Elite: 388mg | Pre-Kaged: 274mg
Pre-Workout Elite contains a total of 388mg of caffeine from two different sources. The main source is PurCaf® organic caffeine. The other caffeine source comes from AmaTea® Guayusa Leaf Extract. Extracted from an herb in the upper Amazon basin, the herb highlights the naturally occurring antioxidants and caffeine from Guayusa for a cognitive uplift, without excessive jitters.*
Classic Pre-Kaged contains 274mg from PurCaf® organic caffeine.
L- Citrulline: Pre-Workout Elite: 10g | Pre-Kaged: 6.5g
L-Citrulline boosts nitric oxide production, which leads to enhanced blood flow and powerful muscle pumps.* In all of our pre-workouts, we use a plant-based, fermented form.
Carnosyn® Beta-alanine: Pre-Workout Elite: 3.2g | Pre-Kaged: 1.6g
Carnosyn® Beta-alanine directly improves performance by fighting muscle fatigue and increasing muscle endurance.* Pre-Workout Elite contains twice the dose.
elevATP®: 150mg in Pre-Workout Elite
elevATP® is a natural combination of ancient pear and apple polyphenols that support increased lean muscle, strength, and power output in connection with resistance training. It does this by increasing endogenous ATP, the currency of energy in our body.* This ingredient is unique to our Elite pre-workouts.
Creatine: 5 grams from two sources versus 1.5 grams of creatine HCl.
Pre-Workout Elite contains 3 grams of creatine monohydrate, and 2 grams of creatine nitrate. Creatine Nitrate (NO3-T®) works as a 2-in-1 supplement, providing the performance benefits of creatine while helping amplify your muscle pumps.
Pre-Kaged contains 1.5 grams of creatine HCl.
Overall, you’re getting more creatine from Pre-Workout.
MAXCatalyst™: 5mg only in Pre-Workout Elite
MAXCatalyst™ is a patented ingredient from black pepper extract that has been shown to help improve the absorption of the key ingredients L-citrulline, Beta-alanine, and creatine. This means, you can get more of the benefits of these ingredients, from improved pumps to reduced fatigue and increased strength. Research has shown…
Citrulline + MAX = 64% improvement in plasma amino acid concentration*
Beta-Alanine + MAX = 116.23% improvement in plasma amino acid concentration*
Creatine + MAX = 40.15% improvement in plasma concentration*
This ingredient is unique to the Kaged Elite Series line. We include it in several of our new products. MAXCatalyst™ represents one of the key innovations across these products. It’s a true team player ingredient, helping improve the absorption of others.
Focus Ingredients:
Tyrosine: 2500mg versus 1850mg
Alpha-GPC: 300mg, only in Pre-Workout Elite
Huperzine: 10mg in Pre-Workout Elite only. (Note: Pre-Workout Elite Stimulant-Free doesn’t have Huperzine.)
While both Pre-Kaged and Pre-Workout Elite have ingredients to help you improve your focus while you train, Pre-Workout Elite includes more. It has a more tyrosine overall, and two other ingredients that support sharper mental focus.*
BCAA Content: 6.5g for Pre-Kaged
Pre-Workout Elite is packed with so much, we left the BCAAs out. If you want BCAAs in your Pre-Workout Elite, just add some of our unflavored plant-based BCAA powder.
Pre-Kaged contains 6.5g of BCAAs, including 3g of leucine.
Available without caffeine
Both are available in a stimulant-free version.
Flavors
For now, Pre-Workout is available in fewer flavors than Pre-Kaged.
Pre-Kaged Flavors:
Grape
Fruit Punch
Pink Lemonade
Krisp Apple
Orange Krush
Berry Blast
Cherry Bomb
Pre-Workout Elite Flavors:
Fruit Punch
Cherry Limeade
Strawberry Lemonade
Pre-Workout Elite Stimulant-Free is available in Orange Mango and Cherry Limeade.
Available in travel packs: Pre-Workout Elite only
Pre-Workout Elite is also available in a few single-serving travel pack options. You can buy a 7-serving pack of Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Lemonade, or a 7-serving variety pack.
Who Is Pre-Workout Elite For?
With more of nearly all the key ingredients, plus additional ingredients for focus and performance that the original Pre-Kaged doesn’t have, this makes Pre-Workout Elite for those who need more, demand more.
We designed this with athletes and high performers in mind. It’s for those with a few years of training under their belt.
Is Pre-Workout Elite the same as Pre-Kaged Elite?
In 2021, we launched Pre-Kaged Elite. For Pre-Workout Elite, we kept that formula, with a few key differences. The biggest is the addition of MAXCatalyst™. As mentioned, this ingredient has been shown to increase the absorption of other key ingredients.
Second, Pre-Workout Elite, unlike Pre-Kaged Elite, is available in a stimulant-free version.
Third, they each have different flavors.
Kaged Hydration Elite vs Hydra-Charge
SHOP HYDRATION ELITE
Kaged Hydration Elite is an electrolyte and high-performance drink mix designed for high-intensity workouts. It offers hydration support, enhanced performance, and vital trace minerals to fuel your most intense training sessions.*
What Ingredients Are Different?
Electrolytes: 498mg vs 351mg
Both Hydra-Charge and Hydration Elite contain 5 key electrolytes: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. Hydration Elite contains higher quantities of electrolytes overall.
Trace Minerals: Only in Hydration Elite
Hydration Elite includes Ioniplex®, a trace mineral complex unique to Hydration Elite, with as many as 65 major, minor, and essential minerals It may help improve the bioavailability of other ingredients.
This ingredient is unique to Hydration Elite.
elevATP®: Only in Hydration Elite
We already talked about elevATP® for Pre-Workout Elite. It supports increased lean muscle, strength, and power output in connection with resistance training. It does this by increasing endogenous ATP, the currency of energy in our body.* With elevATP®, Hydration Elite supports your overall performance making it a great intra-workout option during intense training.
Both Hydra-Charge and Hydration Elite have taurine, which also supports endurance and stamina.*
PureWayC® Vitamin C: Only in Hydration Elite
We’ve also added PureWay C® to Hydration Elite for antioxidant support.* Both Hydra-Charge and Hydration Elite contain Spectra™, a premium antioxidant blend of 29 fruit, vegetable, and herb extracts that stimulates antioxidant activity.
B vitamins: Only in Hydration Elite
B vitamins like niacin, B6, and B12 play a crucial role in energy production. They help other enzymes in our body and ingredients do their job. Their downstream effects include supporting energy, focus, and brain function.* Again, this helps make Hydration Elite about more than Hydration.
Organic Cane Sugar: Only in Hydration Elite
Hydra-Charge contains less than 1g of sugar. You already know about the impacts of excess sugar.
However, during intense training, a little bit of sugar can provide quick fuel. In Hydration Elite we added 2g of organic cane sugar.
Who is Hydration Elite for?
With its added ingredients for performance, we designed Hydration Elite to be used around intense training. When you’re sweating a lot, you may require more electrolytes. When you’re training hard in the gym, you can benefit from elevATP®, which supports ATP production.
Who Is Hydra-Charge for?
Hydra-Charge is a great everyday hydration drink. With 5 key electrolytes, less than 1g of sugar, and antioxidant support, you can take it anytime you need to support hydration. It’s a great intra-workout drink, but if you’re training hard, you may benefit from the additional ingredients in Hydration Elite.
What Flavors Do They Come In?
Hydra-Charge has way more flavor options.
Hydra-Charge:
Fruit Punch
Grape
Strawberry Yuzu
Hibiscus Pear
Lemon Lime
Pink Lemonade
Orange Mango
Apple Limeade
Hydration Elite:
Lemon Lime
Strawberry Yuzu
Hydration Elite is available in travel packs. You can buy a single serving or 14 travel packs of each flavors.
Kaged Protein Isolate Elite vs Whey Protein Isolate
SHOP PROTEIN ISOLATE ELITE
What Ingredients Are Different?
The protein source in Whey Protein Isolate is 100% whey protein isolate. This is a fast-digesting protein, that’s great to take post-workout because it’ll get to your muscles fast.
Protein Isolate Elite, in contrast, contains three sources of protein in a precise ratio. Each scoop contains 15g of ioWhey™ Protein Isolate, 5g of micellar casein isolate, and 5g of milk protein isolate.
The blend of three types of protein ensures a steady flow of amino acids over several hours. The ioWhey™ protein isolate digests quickly, while micellar casein isolate and milk protein isolate digest at slow and medium speeds, respectively.
The Addition of MAXCatalyst™
Another key difference is that Protein Isolate Elite contains 5mg of MAXCatalyst™. This ingredient supports absorption, ensuring more of the amino acids make it to your muscles.* To further support absorption, we use ioWhey, a patented form of whey protein isolate that has shown to increase the absorption of essential amino acids.
In summary, Protein Isolate Elite differs in two main ways: it contains a blend of three types of protein and includes added ingredients to enhance absorption."
Flavors:
Protein Isolate Elite comes in Chocolate, Vanilla, and Cookies N’ Cream.
Whey Protein Isolate comes in Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Smores.
When Should You Take Whey Protein Isolate?
WPI is great when you only want fast-digesting protein. For example, post-workout is a great time to focus on fast-digesting proteins to provide your muscles with amino acids as quickly as possible.
However, the idea of a “post-workout window” has come into question in the last few years, so it’s unclear if just whey is more beneficial over a blend of proteins post-workout.
When Should You Take Protein Isolate Elite?
Protein Isolate Elite is great to take anytime, thanks to its blend of proteins. You can take it pre-workout, as it has 15g of ioWhey Protein Isolate. It’s also great to start your day as, or as a midday snack to give your body the protein to help you stay satiated in between meals.
Kaged Creatine Elite vs Creatine Monohydrate
SHOP CREATINE MONOHYDRATE ELITE
Creatine Elite is different from any other creatine currently on the market.
What Ingredients Are Different?
Creatine Elite uses creatine monohydrate as its base. The difference is the addition of MAXCatalsyt™. This combination has been shown to increase absorption by around 40% compared to standard creatine.*
The key difference, then, is absorption. If you haven’t responded to creatine in the past, or you regularly take creatine but are looking to try a high-absorption option, Creatine Elite is for you. We designed this for athletes who need to get the absolute most out of their supplement routine.
Both come in unflavored powder. Creatine Elite you can also get in convenient vegetable capsules.
How Does Creatine Elite Compare to Creatine HCl?
These use different forms as creatine as their base, and we cover the differences between them in this article on creatine monohydrate vs creatine HCl
Kaged Clean Burn Powder Elite vs Clean Burn Powder
SHOP CLEAN BURN ELITE
Clean Burn Powder Elite is a similar product with one key difference.
What Ingredients Are Different?
Clean Burn Powder Elite contains an innovative, patented ingredient called InnoSlim®.
InnoSlim® has been shown to promote the burning of sugar and fats as fuel. It does this by activating two pathways in the body: the AMPK and adiponectin pathways.*
AMPK is like a 'metabolic master switch.' When activated, it initiates processes to use sugars and fats to generate ATP, the body's energy currency.*
Adiponectin is a hormone that plays an integral role in the breakdown of fat. High levels of adiponectin promote the oxidation of fatty acids. In doing so, it promotes healthy fat and cholesterol levels.*
Who Is Clean Burn Elite for?
Think of Clean Burn Elite as the 2.0 version of the original Clean Burn Powder. It’s still great to use before cardio or as a replacement for your morning coffee. Like the other Elite Series products we designed it with serious athletes in mind. If you’re a physique competitor in your contest prep, Clean Burn Elite could be the latest addition to your cutting-phase arsenal.
Flavors:
The original Clean Burn Powder comes in Orange Mango. Clean Burn Elite comes in Lemon Drop and Strawberry Lemonade.
Kaged Organic Greens Elite vs Outlive 100
SHOP ORGANICS GREENS ELITE
A greens drink can be a convenient way to get the whole food nutrition you need when you don’t have ample whole foods available.
Organic Greens Elite builds on Outlive 100, one of our most popular supplements. They’re both delicious greens drinks you’ll look forward to drinking in the morning, with effective doses of true superfoods. From adaptogens to stress, to prebiotics for digestion and gut support, these greens drinks serve as an all-in-one nutritional supplement.
What Ingredients Are Different?
Both Outlive 100 and Organic Greens Elite start with 26 organic fruits, vegetables, and herbals. Both include prebiotics for digestive support and adaptogens to help manage stress.*
The difference is that Organic Greens Elite contains 50% of your recommended daily value of 21 essential vitamins and minerals.
The vitamins range from A to K and include everything you need to cover your nutritional bases.
Every vitamin and mineral in Organic Greens comes from whole food sources.
Just look at the label and see where each ingredient comes from and its dose. From superfoods like spinach, kale, and sweet potato, to specialty fruits and veggies like red marine algae and shiitake mushrooms, every vitamin and mineral comes from some of the highest quality sources in the world.
Flavors:
Both come in Berry and Lemon flavors. Outlive 100 you can grab in Apple Cinnamon.
For both products, we pride ourselves in making one the best-testing greens products out there, and that you’ll look forward to drinking it as part of your morning routine.
Kaged Mindset Elite vs Kaged Mindset
SHOP MINDSET
At Kaged, we know that performance is about more than the gym. We know you’re training hard in order to feel your best and perform in other areas of life. With Kaged Mindset, we entered the nootropic space, and brought a delicious nootropic drink that supports focus, productivity, and working memory.*
With Kaged Mindset Elite, we’ve added to our formula to create a nootropic designed for your most intense working sessions.
What Ingredients Are Different?
RhodioLife® Rhodiola Extract
RhodioLife® Rhodiola Rosea is an adaptogen herb. It has been studied for its stress-fighting properties. While cortisol is beneficial in short bursts, chronic elevated levels can lead to impaired cognitive performance and recovery. The right adaptogens help you not just cope with stress, but thrive in it.
Imagine your most intense work days, when you’re working through creative blocks, have long work sessions, or back-to-back stressful meetings. This is when adaptogens like RhodioLife® can make the extra difference.
Added Electrolytes
Hydration is a critical factor in both physical and cognitive performance. That's why Kaged Mindset Elite includes 4 key electrolytes. When you're optimally hydrated, your brain can function at its best. Hydration supports focus, memory, and alertness.*
Electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, and magnesium, help regulate the balance of fluids in your body, supporting optimal hydration. They also play a crucial role in nerve function, allowing neurons in your brain to communicate effectively. This efficient neuronal communication is essential for cognitive tasks, from problem-solving to memory recall.*
Whether you're facing a challenging work project or a demanding workout, Kaged Mindset™ Elite supports your mental resilience, helping you perform at your best.*
PureWay C®
You know about vitamin C, but you may not realize that it’s an important cofactor in dopamine production. Since it's a powerful antioxidant PureWayC® Vitamin C is research-tested, allergen-free version with a lipid delivery system for enhanced absorption.*
You can get both in a stimulant-free and caffeine version.
Flavors:
Kaged Mindset Elite comes in Strawberry Lemonade. Kaged Mindset comes in Orange Mango.
When Should You Take Kaged Mindset Elite?
Because of its extra ingredients, Kaged Mindset Elite is designed for more intense, stressful work sessions. It’s great when you need to lock in and get your work done.
When Should You Take Kaged Mindset
Kaged Mindset also supports focus and cognition. It’s a great nootropic to help you get your best work done.
Kaged TEST Elite vs Ferodrox
SHOP TEST ELITE
These two products both provide hormone support for men. However, they have very different formulas.
What Ingredients Are Different?
MR-10™
MR-10™ is a blend of botanical bioactive compounds extracted from Korean dandelion and rooibos. By helping to protect Leydig Cells from age-related stress, it supports free and total testosterone, prostate health, and age-related stress.* MR-10™ accomplishes this through the ERK and Akt signaling pathways.*
S7™
S7 ™is a patented combination of seven plant-based, nitric oxide-boosting ingredients. By boosting nitric oxide, S7™ supports healthy blood flow, allowing crucial nutrients to get to our muscles.*
Boron
Boron is a trace mineral that is emerging as a potentially potent contributor to men's health and vitality. Research has shown it may help support the body's natural ability to maintain and regulate healthy levels of testosterone and estrogen. Research suggests that boron can help optimize the body's use of testosterone by reducing the binding to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), making more free testosterone available in the bloodstream. Its influence extends to bone health, cognition support, and overall health support, making boron a multi-faceted addition to the Kaged TEST Elite formula.*
Who Should Take Kaged TEST Elite?
With these key ingredients Kaged TEST Elite is designed to increase both free and total testosterone, as well as support blood flow. It’s designed for men who may have lost a step.
When Should You Take Ferodrox?
Ferodrox takes a less aggressive approach, but still supports healthy testosterone levels and total hormone support. We might recommend Ferodrox to any guy who wants to feel better and perform better.
Buy on Kaged.com or Head to Your Nearest GNC Store
As a part of The Elite Series launch, we’ve formed the biggest brand partnership in GNC store history. They are the exclusive distributor for the initial launch, and they’re the first place to get the Elite Series.
You can also get Elite Series products right here on Kaged.com.
As you’ve learned, some of the products are entirely new formulas, others have slight adjustments in the form of one or a few additional ingredients.
We also take pride in the incredible flavors that both our new and existing products offer. Now’s a great time to try a new flavor or a new product for yourself as you figure out the best supplement stack to reach your goals, in and out of the gym.
Questions? We’re Here to Answer Them.
In this article we covered a lot. There are many nuances and research that we used to decide what ingredients go in what doses. Communicating all of these nuances could probably take up an entire book.
With that said, if you have any questions about why we use the ingredients we use and in what doses, we’re here to answer them. Kaged was founded on transparency, and we’re willing to go into the scientific weeds if you have any questions.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
