From the past few years, the gym-goers use and have equal importance to the pre-workout supplements as they have for protein. Pre-workout supplements help in making the body ready for the exercise and make their body fully active and immuned.
The pre-workout products include all such ingredients that most gym-goers use to achieve the one goal that their workout will become more effective. The name simply defines some supplements that people take before their workout or any physical activities like sports.
However, like most of the protein supplements, not all pre-workout supplements are suitable for everyone. Each product has different types of ingredients as per the different doses that have different effects on the body and may be appropriate for different shapes with different goals.
So, we have come along by taking the different types of pre-workout supplements and what their benefits are. In this following guide, you will learn about the uses of the different pre-workout supplements and how they are benefited for you.
Get Your Pre-Workout Supplement Guide
- Caffeine: It is a type of natural molecule found in beverages like tea and coffee and some other drinks. Caffeine helps in stimulating certain parts of the cerebral system and increases alertness and makes people active and tireless. Caffeine is used as the popular pre-workout supplement by the many gym-goers. It is an effective ingredient to improve the performance at the workout. It helps in increasing energy levels and makes you able to produce the force quickly. According to the researched studies, the dose or amounts of caffeine that is recommended for effective workout performance is up to 3 to 6mg per kilogram of your body weight. For instance, for those who have 68kg weight, they can take up to 200mg to 400mg caffeine.
- Beta-Alanine: It is a type of amino acid that assists in fighting against muscle fatigue. It helps to combat the effects of acid that was produced during the massive exercise. If you take this supplement before a workout, it increases the concentration and ultimately improves the workout performance. This type of supplement is best for those exercises that last for 1 to 4 minutes. It is not much beneficial for such exercises that only last less than one minute, like single set exercise during a weight-training workout. So it is better to take this supplement for long endurance workouts, not for short duration exercises. The recommended dose of this pre-workout supplement is 4 grams to 6 grams per day.
- Creatine: It is a molecule found in our body cells. It is one of the most recommended and popular workout supplements suggested by the sports scientist as the number pre-workout supplement that helps in increasing power and strength. It is considered a popular supplement for dietary purposes too. Studies show that creatine helps in increasing muscle strength, mass, and workout performance. Creatine is a crucial part of the energy production mechanism inside cells. It is said that if our body has enough energy during exercise, we can perform the workout effectively and gradually improve it by the time. The recommended dose of this supplement is about 20 grams split into several small servings during the initial phase per day. After this phase, one can maintain a daily dose of about 3 grams to 5 grams per day.
- Sodium Bicarbonate: You may be shocked to hear this, but yes, this household kitchen product is a great pre-workout supplement. Sodium Bicarbonate works as the buffering agent, which means it helps in controlling the production acid that builds up during the exercise in the body. It also helps in lowering the fatigued face during the training, characterized by burning sensation in the muscles. This feeling of burning in the muscles is an indication of increased acid production due to the heavy exercise. The recommended dose of sodium bicarbonate is 300 mg per kilogram of body weight. For instance, a person who weighs 68 kg can intake 20 grams of sodium bicarbonate. If you wish, you can take the recommended dose from the regular baking soda available in the kitchen or take it as the supplement form. One side effect of taking this supplement is an upset stomach. You can take the supplement by splitting it into multiple doses and slowly consume the supplement.
- Nitric Oxide: It is a pre-workout supplement that helps in boosting the blood flow in the muscles and helps to get the apt pump while performing the high-rep weight lifting. This molecule can be found in vegetables like spinach, beetroot, and turnips. Some small amount of nitrate also forms naturally inside the body. Nitrate is recommended as the sports supplement that is obtained from vegetables like beetroot juice. Research studies showed that beetroot juice helps in increasing the running time before the athlete gets exhausted and also helps in boosting speed during a 5 km run. This supplement is best for those physical activities that involve endurance exercises like cycling or running. The recommended dose of Nitrate is 6mg to 13mg per kg of human body weight. For instance, if a person weighs 68 kg, he can take 400mg to 900mg of the supplement for better performance.
- EAAs or BCAAs: This full supplement form is Branched Chain Amino Acids that consists of three crucial molecules, namely valine, leucine, and isoleucine. These types of amino acids are mostly found in large quantities in protein foods like animals derived food products. Animal-derived products like meat, dairy, and eggs contain enough amounts of BCAAs that help in supporting the growth of muscles and also provide all the essential amino acids required by the human body. However, the intake of this supplement has potential benefits to health. Research studies show that BCAA supplements boost energy levels and improve endurance during the running performance. Some other studies have also shown that this supplement helps in lowering both physical and mental fatigue in the athlete. Thus, the recommended dose of the BCAA supplement is about 5 grams to 20 grams per day for gym-goers or athletes.
Other Effective Pre-Workout Supplements Are:
- L-theanine: Use for increasing the concentration and combat jitters that may accompany caffeine
- Nitrosigine: Used to boost blood flow, concentration, and reduce muscle damages
- Betaine: Helps in giving long-term strength, and boost recovery duration
- L-tyrosine: Help in lowering fatigue and increase energy levels
- Huperzine-A: Boost mental energy and strengthen the cerebral system during the workout
- Yohimbine: Help in increasing the energy levels and mental strength
- Beetroot Extracts: For increasing the running endurance and blood flow
Do Pre-Workout Supplements Really Work?
To be honest, it all depends on what type of food and other dietary products you are taking in your body. It totally depends on the workout goals you have made. It also depends upon the body type, health, and weight of your body.
Many people consume pre-workout supplements for increasing efficiency in workout performance, making their muscles bigger and stronger. The main purpose of pre-workout supplements is to assist the athletes during their workout and keep them energetic and strong all through their workout performance. Keep in mind that the use of the workout supplement is not to directly build up the muscles or improve the physique, it is recommended to maintain and boost energy levels, provide strength, and concentration levels during the workout. They are taken to assist in achieving the specific workout goals and protecting the body from damages.
When Should One Take The Pre-Workout Supplement?
You may have noticed that the people usually take their pre-workout supplements while walking into the gym or in the locker room just before their match. However, this is the worst habit, and if you also stop doing the same if you want your workout duration to be useful as much as it can.
Krissy Kendall, the Ph.D. holder, writes in the article “3 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Pre-Workout” that, “Most of the active ingredients in your pre-workout drink take 30-60 minutes to reach peak levels in your blood. If you wait until you reach the gym to take it, you’ll be well into your second or third exercise before the full effects kick in.”
The recommended time one should take their pre-workout supplement is 30 minutes before going to the gym or any workout place. If you have taken them even before 60 to 90 minutes, then also it is okay, they will still give you enough energy before your workout. Most of the pre-workout supplement contains caffeine, and the effects of caffeine last for 3-5 hours. Thus. It is said that you can take your pre-workout supplements as early as you can before a workout. Never intake them just a few minutes before a workout; they may cause health and stomach issues. May also leads to a stomach ache, or sometimes one may vomit too.
However, if you only go to the gym for a simple workout just for light sweat, then it is not necessary to take the pre-workout supplements. Those who do heavy workouts and play sports, pre-workout supplements work best for them.
