RAW Nutrition Pump Review (2024): No Jitters, Just Pumps

For this RAW Nutrition Pump review, we had the non-stim pre-workout tested by GGR senior staff writer and certified personal trainer Lauren Strong. We are no strangers to supplements from Chris Bumstead, who holds several Mr. Olympia titles, as we’ve tested some of his products already. 

RELATED: Best Stim-Free Pre-Workout

However, we wanted to see what kind of pump we could get from his non-stim pre-workout supplement. So, we had Lauren (and her hubby!) try it out and report back what she thought of another official CBum product. 

Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. GGR also recommends choosing a product that has been third-party tested for quality.

Giving You the Raw Facts About Pre-Workout

Our supplement reviews are thorough and personal, as we order, open, and test the products ourselves. It is our privilege to be a team of athletes, fitness trainers, and nutritionists who can provide you with the right combination of knowledge and honesty to make an informed decision on supplements.

For fitness supplements, we use our GGR Supplement Testing Methodology to give products a 1 to 5 rating based on:

• Formulation
• Taste
• Solubility
• Side Effects
• Third-Party Testing
• Price per Serving
• Customer Reviews
• Customer Service

RAW Nutrition Pump

Raw Nutrition Pump

GGR Score: 3.69

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Product Highlights

• Stimulant-free pre-workout powder
• Designed to increase blood flow to your muscles
• Claimed to deliver improved endurance
• Added sodium to support hydration
• Comes in 5 flavors
• Third-party tested

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Taste is popular
• Includes Lion's Mane extract
• Reportedly effective
• Supports hydration
• Affordable

Cons

• Contains sucralose
• Artificial flavors

Bottom Line

Raw Nutrition’s Pump is a stimulant-free pre-workout formula designed to enhance your next workout with ingredients like l-citrulline and Lion's Mane extract.

A Quick Look at RAW Nutrition Pump

Chris Bumstead, or CBum, is a Canadian IFBB Pro League competitor and the founder of Raw Nutrition. The company also sells whey protein powder and creatine monohydrate powder, both of which are third-party tested by Informed Sport. 

What we’re looking at today is not to be confused with Pump2, the glycerol supplement meant to promote hydration and muscle fullness. RAW Nutrition Pump more closely resembles what you would expect to find in a non-stim pre-workout. 

RELATED: Stim vs Non-Stim Pre Workout

Before You Buy

• There is no live chat or phone number if you need customer service
• You’re likely to get the full effect taking 2 scoops due to the dosing

Is RAW Nutrition Pump Worth It?

This pre-workout may be good if you want something with nitric oxide boosters without the caffeine. That said, it’s dual labeled to feature details for both 1 and 2 scoops, likely because they are aware the 1-scoop formulation isn’t sufficient. 

RELATED: Does Pre-Workout Break a Fast?

This is disappointing because, when you do the math, you can probably find another non-stim pre-workout for the same price with more active ingredients. 

RAW Nutrition Pump Specs

Experience Using RAW Nutrition Pump

GGR Senior Staff Writer Lauren Strong, CPT, tested this supplement for us and didn’t necessarily have a negative experience, but she noticed some downsides to using the product given her specific workout regimen. 

Price Per Serving

We awarded it a 5 out of 5 for price as $0.90 per serving is pretty doable, especially if you plan to take it daily as it can add up quickly in the cost. There are also a decent number of ingredients that can give you a great pump.

RELATED: Best Cheap Pre-Workout 

Formulation

We gave a rating of 3 out of 5 for the formulation of Raw Nutrition’s pre-workout. For the most part, the ingredients do have some evidence-based benefits, such as nitric oxide boosters and electrolytes to enhance cellular hydration, but some are dosed too low to have the desired effects.

Also, there are no branched-chain amino acids or creatine monohydrate which would give more value. Here is the breakdown of the active ingredients:

• Sodium Chloride from Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (500 mg): Likely added to help with cellular hydration in the form of electrolytes, Raw contains sodium chloride. You may know sodium chloride more closely as salt and Himalayan pink salt is used here. The calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron in Himalayan pink salt give it a better nutrient content than conventional salt. There is, however, no evidence that Himalayan salt is better for hydration or performance. 
• Betaine Anhydrous (2.5 g): Studies have shown that supplementing with betaine anhydrous for 15 days straight is capable of boosting the power output, strength, and endurance as well as enhancing the quality of the reps¹ during a training session.
• L-Citrulline (2.5 g) and Nitrosigine (750 mg): Studies indicate l-citrulline, when combined with Nitrosigine, increases nitric oxide production which helps to improve blood flow for a better pump². However, studies used 3 to 5 grams of l-citrulline to achieve this. 
• Beta Alanine (1 g): Taken daily, beta alanine helps to delay fatigue, potentially allowing working muscle to go harder for longer³. However, these results are only seen with a daily dosage of 3 to 6 grams of beta alanine. 
• L-Tyrosine (1 g): Research indicates that taking L-tyrosine can improve cognitive functionality in athletes, especially during hot weather training⁴. Unfortunately, the lowest doses of l-tyrosine used in humans to get cognitive benefits is 2 grams⁵, and Raw Nutrition falls short. 
• Agmatine Sulfate (750 mg): The most common use is to burn fat before exercising, but studies show agmatine sulfate must be used long-term⁶ to be effective.
• L-Taurine (750 mg): Commonly found in energy drinks, l-taurine may also improve brain function⁸.
• Lion’s Mane Extract (150 mg): Lions Mane Extract is derived from a fungus that grows on oak trees which some studies suggest may help reduce mental stress and improve speed⁹. These findings, however, are weakened due to the small sample size and lack of supporting evidence. More research is needed. 

There are artificial sweeteners and flavors, so beware if you prefer natural pre workout supplements. Although some active ingredients are technically underdosed, you may opt to take 2 scoops if you’d like to get a little closer, but the price per serving will double.

Taste and Solubility 

We rated Pump 3 out of 5 for taste. Lauren liked it, but didn’t really love it, saying, “It’s okay! Pretty fruity, sweet, but also not so sweet. I appreciate that it’s not ultra fake-tasting or made-up flavors like unicorn dust.” She also appreciated that it didn’t have an artificial aftertaste like some other pre workout supplements. 

All in all, you won’t feel like you have to gag it down, according to Lauren. She also notes that it totally dissolves and doesn’t have any problems mixing with water.

Side Effects

A 4 out of 5 is what we settled on as a rating for the effects. Despite the inclusion of beta alanine, Lauren was happy to experience no tingles and a great pump. However, she doesn’t get a lot out of it given she does morning workouts while fasting, but her husband who lifts after work has found good use for it. 

“No tingles (yay)!” she says. “I got a good pump, but I don’t like this for my fasted morning workouts, so my husband has been using it mostly.”

Lauren says it’s rather unpleasant on an empty stomach when she takes it during a fasted training session, so we knocked a point off.

Third-Party Testing 

We gave it a 3-out-of-5 rating here. While some other Raw Nutrition supplements are tested by Informed Choice, Raw Nutrition Pump isn’t one of them. Like Thavage pre-workout, the product page lists data for third-party testing, but not the type we are looking for. 

It cites results from Vertex Analytical Labs that tests the supplement for potency, but that level of testing doesn’t detect harmful contaminants or banned substances. Thus, drug-tested athletes should still be wary of this pre-workout. 

RAW Nutrition Pump vs Transparent Labs Stim-Free Pre-Workout

Transparent Labs Stim-Free Pre-Workout

Transparent Labs Stim Booster

GGR Score: 4.08

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Product Highlights

• Pre-workout
• 100 mg caffeine per serving
• Gluten-free and non-GMO
• Informed Choice tested

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Inexpensive per serving
• No artificial coloring or ingredients
• Subscribe and save options

Cons

• May not be enough caffeine for some folks
• One flavor option

Bottom Line

Transparent Labs Stim Booster is pre-workout featuring 100 milligrams of caffeine, which may sound like not enough to some people, but for others it will be just right. There are no artificial ingredients and it’s Informed CHoice tested. It’s also priced under $1 per serving.

Transparent Labs Stim-Free pre-workout is an essential pre-workout for anyone looking for a third-party tested, totally transparent supplement. Both Transparent Labs and Raw Nutrition include Himalayan Pink Salt and some of the same nitric oxide boosters. However, Transparent Labs costs almost twice as much and also lacks creatine monohydrate or amino acids. 

That said, Transparent Labs is third-party tested by Informed Sport and has efficacious doses of both beta-alanine and l-citrulline along with having a more robust formulation in general. 

Check out our full Transparent Labs Stim-Free Pre-Workout review to learn more.

Customer Experience 

To request a return or refund, you can email info@getrawnutrition.com within 15 days of purchase. Unfortunately, there’s no other way to contact Raw Nutrition for assistance outside of email. 

Ordering RAW Nutrition Pump

Amazon does not accept returns or refunds for dietary supplements. If ordering from the official website, the cost of shipping varies depending on location, but you can also save 10% at checkout by enrolling in Subscribe & Save and shipping is free for checkout subtotals over $200. As a final, interesting note, you get an alert about potentially being exposed to lead when you add this supplement to your cart.  

Customer Reviews

Pump has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on customer reviews. On the GetRawNutrition official website, Raw Nutrition Pump is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars based on 378 reviews. Most users love the pump, but some report they wish there was an unflavored option.

On Amazon, the pre-workout is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars based on 383 ratings with many reviews saying they love the pump and energy it gives despite the lack of stimulants with some even calling it an essential pre-workout. However, not everyone loves the taste or its effects on the tummy. 

Final Verdict of Our RAW Nutrition Pump Review

We think Pump is a decent pre-workout supplement, but the formulation is just too weak in dosage unless you take 2 scoops—the consequence of that being an increase in cost. That said, if a crazy rush isn’t what you’re chasing and you just need something to give you a nice pump after a late-night workout, it’s an adequate option. 

• Reviews are mostly in agreement about its effectiveness for giving a pump
• It has a good amount of electrolytes for hydration
• May cause GI discomfort if you take pre-workout on an empty stomach

Full Rating

RAW Nutrition Pump

Raw Nutrition’s Pump is a stimulant-free pre-workout formula designed to enhance your next workout with ingredients like l-citrulline and Lion's Mane extract.

Product Brand: Raw Nutrition

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 35.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.9

RAW Nutrition Pump: FAQs

What does RAW Pump do?

Raw Pump has ingredients to help boost nitric oxide production to help with blood flow and muscle pump. 

Is RAW Pump Stim free?

Yes, Raw Pump does not contain stimulants. 

How long does it take for pump supplements to kick in?

Though time to effectiveness varies depending on your individual metabolism, it’s typically recommended to take a pump pre-workout 20-30 minutes before beginning activity. 

Can you mix RAW Pump with pre-workout?

If you want to add the benefits of Raw Pump with a stimulant-containing supplement, it may be able to mix, but this is not recommended. 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

References

1. Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA, Kang J, Rashti SL, Faigenbaum AD. Effect of betaine supplementation on power performance and fatigue. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:7. Published 2009 Feb 27. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-6-7
2. Rogers JM, Gills J, Gray M. Acute effects of Nitrosigine® and citrulline malate on vasodilation in young adults. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020;17(1):12. Published 2020 Feb 24. doi:10.1186/s12970-020-00343-y
3. Hoffman J, Ratamess NA, Ross R, et al. Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exercise. Int J Sports Med. 2008;29(12):952-958. doi:10.1055/s-2008-1038678
4. Coull NA, Watkins SL, Aldous JW, et al. Effect of tyrosine ingestion on cognitive and physical performance utilising an intermittent soccer performance test (iSPT) in a warm environment. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015;115(2):373-386. doi:10.1007/s00421-014-3022-7
5. Young SN. L-tyrosine to alleviate the effects of stress?. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2007;32(3):224.
6. Nissim I, Horyn O, Daikhin Y, et al. The molecular and metabolic influence of long term agmatine consumption. J Biol Chem. 2014;289(14):9710-9729. doi:10.1074/jbc.M113.544726
7. Nissim I, Horyn O, Daikhin Y, et al. The molecular and metabolic influence of long term agmatine consumption. J Biol Chem. 2014;289(14):9710-9729. doi:10.1074/jbc.M113.544726
8. Jakaria M, Azam S, Haque ME, et al. Taurine and its analogs in neurological disorders: Focus on therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms. Redox Biol. 2019;24:101223. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2019.101223
9. Docherty S, Doughty FL, Smith EF. The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion’s Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2023;15(22):4842. Published 2023 Nov 20. doi:10.3390/nu15224842

Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LD

Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LD is a sports dietitian and the head of performance nutrition for the NBA G League Ignite. In addition to working with pro athletes, Destini has ghostwritten four weight loss and wellness cookbooks. She also authors online content covering fitness and nutrition topics.

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