How Can A Pre-Workout Supplement Improve Performance?
Naturally, every athlete or bodybuilder wants to get the most out of the time spent working out. However, lots of people find it difficult to get active and stay active. That’s one of many reasons pre-workout supplements have become so popular nowadays. It’s very tempting to take a supplement before heading out for a run or hitting the gym to improve your muscle power, endurance during exercise, and energy levels. Pre-workout supplements promise to increase your heart rate and blood flow and give you a slight tingle.
But do these pills or drinks work? How do they work? Are they safe? To answer your questions, we’ve teamed up with physicians and professional athletes to create this post. This is your pre-workout supplement guide! Read on!
What Is A Pre-workout Supplement?
According to HealthCanal, a pre-workout supplement is a multi-ingredient dietary formula created to boost energy and athletic performance. It is a powdered substance that must be dissolved in water and drunk before a sweat session.
The market offers countless options. Formula components usually differ; we never find a set list of ingredients. If you have any medical conditions or limitations, you’ll be able to find a proper solution for you. A good example is the best caffeine-free pre-workout for heart problems. However, some ingredients are often included in different formulas: B vitamins, amino acids, sweeteners, creatine, etc. The quantities of elements widely vary depending on the brand.
Benefits Of The Pre-workout Supplements
Pre-workout supplements for muscle building have been shown to improve performance in the gym, mainly if they include such ingredients as
caffeine, carbohydrates, beetroot juice, and creatine monohydrate.
How can these components help during exercise?
- Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that boosts energy levels and, therefore, enhances sports performance. This ingredient can increase the speed of reactions, muscle strength, and aerobic endurance. However, experts admit that more studies must be done on older people and women to ensure that such a conclusion can be generalized.
- Carbohydrates, or so-called carbs, are the body’s source of energy. Experts recommend consuming them before intensive exercise to fuel your body correctly. Carbs increase stamina, energy availability, and overall performance. A pre-workout supplement that contains enough carbs is hyper-relevant if you are involved in boot camps, sprint events, indoor cycling classes, lifting sessions, and other high-intensive activities. During such activities, your body utilizes blood glucose and glycogen – stored carbs- as its primary energy source.
- Beetroot juice intensifies the body’s levels of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a natural vasodilator that dilates blood vessels and improves blood circulation and cardiovascular performance.
Although the research on beetroot juice is relatively young, and most studies are small, they all show good, promising results.
- Creatine monohydrate is a mix of 3 amino acids naturally generated in the body and stored in the muscles as a source of energy. Creatine-containing pre-workout supplements for gym sessions help to build muscles and enhance strength over time. Besides, such a supplement can work well as a post-workout formula since the natural stores of creatine are at their lowest point in your body after intensive sweat sessions. Creatine monohydrate is the best-researched sports supplement over the past twenty years. This ingredient is linked to a decreased risk of depression, improved cognition, and a lower risk of heart disease.
However, it may not be a good idea to take pre-workout supplements for diabetes, kidney issues, or any other health condition. In such a case, consult your doctor before you decide on regular supplementing.
Are There Any Drawbacks In Taking Pre-workout Supplement?
Pre-workout formulas are generally safe, but they aren’t completely risk-free. Let’s discuss potential downsides and harmful components.
- Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners—although these additives improve supplement taste without adding calories, they may cause discomfort and intestinal distress in some people and trigger symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating, and gas. So, you’d better avoid formulas that contain large quantities of these additives. You can also try starting with a small amount of such a supplement to see how you tolerate it.
- Excess caffeine—As we touched on above, caffeine is the major stimulant and energy-boosting component in pre-workout supplements. Excessive consumption can lead to negative side effects like anxiety, insomnia, impaired sleep, increased blood pressure, and more. Pay attention to how much coffee you drink and the dosage of caffeine in your supplement to avoid excessive consumption.
How To Make Supplementing Risk-Free?
Supplements are not strictly regulated in many countries, including the U.S. Unfortunately, product labels can be misleading or inaccurate. The only tip here is to buy from reputable and trusted brands and a natural pre-workout supplement. Also, it’s excellent if a third party, such as NSF International or USP, tests the formula.
If you are unsure about the supplement’s quality and safety, don’t buy it; otherwise, you may consume dangerous or banned compounds.
Again, consult your doctor before taking any formulas to ensure the benefits outweigh the risks.
Conclusion
We hope our post has been helpful and you’ll find the right formula for yourself. However, you should remember that adequate diet, hydration, and sleep are vital for any person, especially if they have regular, intensive sweat sessions. Those simple things will help repair your muscles and optimize your energy levels. Besides, a pre-workout supplement may be quite expensive. So, don’t forget about such simple, accessible, and healthy pre-workout solutions as, for example, a cup of coffee and a banana. Alternatives may be very effective, too!
If you have any valuable and interesting information on this topic, please share it with us and our readers in the comment section below!
