Spending time in the gym is a great way to build strength and muscle, improve your stamina and gain confidence. However, if you’ve ever felt sluggish before a workout or tired quickly during a workout, you may be wondering if a pre-workout supplement can help. Need a workout? What does a pre-workout have to offer and how do you choose the right one for you?
What is Pre-Workout?
Pre-workouts are supplement products designed to help you build muscle and improve athletic performance. Using a pre-workout could help increase your focus and energy right before and during a workout to help you get the most out of it.
While the term “pre-workout” can refer to many things, these are generally products made by mixing ingredients seems to be improving sports performance. Since their primary intent is to boost energy, focus, and blood flow, they’re made to be taken right before your workout.
Other options for pre-workout energy and focus
Should you use a pre-workout? It depends. While some people find pre-workout supplements helpful for energy, focus, and stamina, that doesn’t mean they’re ideal for everyone or that you can’t get a good workout without it.
Instead of a pre-workout supplement, you can find many energy-boosting ingredients found naturally in foods. The main difference is that they may not be found in such concentrated amounts as in supplements.
Some pre-workout snacks to try include:
A smoothie made with energy-boosting ingredients like berries, banana, leafy greens, nut butter and a scoop of protein powder.
Apple or pear slices with almond or peanut butter.
Whole grain crackers or a tortilla spread with hummus.
Whole grain toast with a boiled or fried egg.
Berries with cottage cheese.
For more ideas to fuel your workouts, check out my new book Nourish your body.
What to look for in a pre-workout
If you choose to use a pre-workout supplement, there are a few ingredients to look for when comparing options. Ingredients that can be very effective for focus and energy during exercise, as well as recovery, include:
Caffeine
Caffeine, found naturally in coffee, tea and cocoa, is an ergogenic aid known to enhance athletic performance. It works by stimulating the central nervous system. In other words, caffeine helps wake you up and get you through a tough workout. Caffeine levels in your blood peak 45-60 minutes after consumption, so for best results plan ahead and take it 45-60 minutes before your workout. Doses approx 3 mg/kg body mass proves effective. I cover the research and benefits of caffeine in depth in our guide to supplements you can order here.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is an amino acid. It is non-essential, meaning your body produces it and you don’t need to get it from your diet. However, it is the rate-limiting amino acid in the carnosine synthesis process. This means that supplementing with it, such as pre-workout, can then boost carnosine stores in your skeletal muscles. More carnosine helps us endure intense exercise for longer periods. While some studies show that beta-alanine is beneficial for anaerobic exercise, it is important to note that they relate to activities ranging from 2-4 minutes, and some studies also showed inconclusive results. More research is needed to determine the effects on strength and endurance performance beyond 25 minutes in duration. In addition to supplements, beta-alanine can also be found in fish, poultry, and meat. The recommended daily dose is 2-5 g, for 8-12 weeks.
Electrolytes
When you sweat, you lose electrolytes – minerals like sodium, potassium, chloride, and even some calcium. If you’ve ever noticed dizziness or fatigue, or headaches or muscle cramps during your workout, it could be due to an electrolyte imbalance. Replacing them before and during a workout is important for prevention. This can come in the form of whole food sources such as potatoes with salt on top or coconut water with salt, or in the form of a sports drink or powder. Learn more about electrolytes and their performance benefits in our supplementary guide here.
Amino acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and skeletal muscle and help your body recover from workouts. Taking them before a workout can help slow down the start of muscle pain. Many pre-workout supplements contain the BCAAs leucine, valine and isoleucine. There is little evidence that BCAA supplementation provides any additional benefit to performance in individuals who already consume adequate protein in their diet. BCAAs are found in any complete protein such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, soy products and quinoa.
Creatine
Creatine is a compound formed through protein metabolism, occurs naturally in your body and plays a key role in providing energy to muscles. It’s a common ingredient in pre-workouts because it can improve focus, strength and muscle mass, as well as improving muscle recovery. The recommended daily dose is 5 g/day in the form of creatine monohydrate. For more guidance on who needs creatine, how to use it, and some common myths about creatine for athletes, see Athlete’s Guide to Creatine.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates – specifically glucose – are your body and brain’s preferred energy source. Glucose is often included in pre-workouts because it can help prevent muscle fatigue. Consuming carbohydrates before exercise helps optimize how well your body can tap into muscle glycogen stores for energy, particularly for lower or higher intensity activities. “Carb loading” is the practice of consuming high quality carbohydrates more deliberately during the 1-7 days before a hard workout to replenish your glycogen stores for later use. Simpler, more refined carbohydrates can also be used immediately before – or during – a workout to provide more instant fuel for your body.
L-Citrulline
L-citrulline is an amino acid and the precursor to L-arginine, which is to a great extent in nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide helps dilate blood vessels and improve circulation and oxygen availability to the muscles. Research is mixed on the benefits of citrulline on athletic performance, however current evidence suggests that citrulline malate is beneficial in reducing muscle soreness at 24 and 48 hours post-exercise. Performance benefits have also been observed in healthy adult men performing high-intensity anaerobic exercise. If supplementation is recommended, typical doses range between 4-8 grams of citrulline malate ~ 30-60 minutes before training. Some foods naturally contain citrulline, such as watermelon, cucumber and squash.
Need a workout?
Not necessarily. Pre-workouts are combinations of ingredients that help improve energy and focus, but be careful as the majority on the market are filled with fillers and junk you don’t need. Having a pre-workout isn’t a prerequisite for a successful trip to the gym—as you can also use whole-grain snacks for similar benefits—but choosing one with key ingredients can be beneficial, especially for longer, more intense workouts. It’s also imperative that you choose one that has been third-party tested for safety, quality and sports banned substances — such as those that carry NSF Certified for Sport® or Updated Sports stamp.
Finally, keep in mind that taking a pre-workout supplement isn’t going to do much for your performance if you don’t do other things to support it, like getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, prioritizing muscle recovery, and eat enough calories overall.
