A soldier asked me if they can take pre work out before a PT test. Can you do that?

It's a PT test, not the damn Olympics. GTFOH

If a Soldier is so concerned about simply passing an APFT that they actually think some pre-workout concoction is going to be what helps them make it, they need to find a new line of work.

A banana and 1 cup of black coffee is good enough for me.

The only times I've ran into places prohibiting supplements would be TRADOC environments and schools. Airbourne and Air Assault explicitly said no suppliments. They checked all our things to make sure nobody had any. Anyone who had any after the amnesty period was sent home.

They can but I would be very careful. I was at Fort Bliss and there was a 22 year old soldier who took a lot of preworkout before the test, had a massive heart attack and died on the run. He wasn't in bad shape just wanted to get an edge. I won't do it for myself so I couldn't recommended it for one of my soldiers.

In my experience with pretty workout I always took a half dose before a PT test. But be very cautious about taking pre-work out when preforming the test because pre-work out is designed to last for a few hours of constant exercise not for a short period of large bursts of energy.

Should only be done with extreme caution. We had an airmen take a double dose of pre-workout chased by two 20 ounce monsters. 23 yrs old. Basically had a heart attack and died during the fitness assessment. Statement made by medical personnel later explained that had they had an ambulance waiting at the exact spot that he collapsed they still would have lost him.

The greater more relevant question is whether they should?
Every persons body is different. Humans have chemicals that limit miacle growth. You have to overcome that chemical to gain mass.
If you do too much, you get injured.
You do too little, you get nothing.
So before asking if you can, ask kf you should.
Whats the soldiers diet?
Whats do the soldiers MOS duties entail?
How much workout/pt does the soldier already do?
How long does the specific soldiers body take for wormout recovery?
Whats their mentality bs pt?
Whats the specific soldiers metabolic rate?

It boils down to what a specific soldiers body can handle and recover from.

You can do whatever you want as an adult, but I highly recommend against it. You should never take pre before you do cardio, pre workout elevates your heart rate. It'd be like drinking a couple redbull and going for a run

I figure just go out and do the exercises, the run etc. only have water. I'll eat something only after its over. I've never had a problem with the run or any exercises including even maintaining those standards on an Armed Federal Contract after USAF retirement into My 60s with a Military unit. I get My vitamins from My food, I do not use energy drinks, I don't take anything else ever other that Gatoraide. My height and weight hasn't changed in over 40 years, still 6'2" usually 190, 195 at max. in My lifetime.