Best pre-workout supplements: A complete guide
Research published in The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that ‘pre-workout supplementation for an extended period of time in combination with exercise is safe and can lead to beneficial changes in strength and body composition.’
Experts advise sticking to recommended dosages and steering clear of products that have a huge list of ingredients and blends.
You can also use sites such as examine.com or labdoor.com to check out the ingredients used in pre-workout supplements and whether they will be useful for you.
You’ll also want to make sure you don’t overdo it. If it’s your first time taking a pre-workout, it’s probably not wise to take one every single day for a five-day workout streak. Instead, take one and give yourself a few days to see how your body reacts. If all is well, you can consider taking another the next time you work out.
What ingredients are in a pre-workout supplement?
The best pre-workout supplements are typically formulated with very specific ingredients. These include B vitamins such as niacin and vitamin B12, both of which are used during energy production.
Other pre-workout blends may also contain beta-alanine and L-citrulline. Here’s a closer look at some of the most common pre-workout ingredients and their benefits.
BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids)
According to MyProtein’s registered nutritionist Jennifer Blow, a BCAA pre-workout supplement can help prevent fatigue and muscle damage.
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids)
An EAA pre-workout supplement can help kickstart muscle protein synthesis (muscle building) and provide amino acids that support muscle repair.
BCAA vs. EAA pre-workout supplements – what is the difference?
‘The biggest difference between BCAA and EAA is that BCAA contains a 4:1:1 ratio of three essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine), whereas EAAs deliver a blend of all nine essential amino acids (leucine, lysine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, methionine and histidine) that your body can’t make itself,’ Blow explains.
Carbohydrates
Carbs in a pre-workout can help you retain energy levels. ‘Your body relies on its carbohydrate stores (glycogen) for fuel during a workout so, along with a regular eating pattern and balanced diet, consuming a carbohydrates pre-workout would be a good way to ensure energy levels remain topped up,’ Blow says. She recommends consuming 15g of carbohydrate at least 30 minutes before your workout.
Caffeine
Caffeine in a pre-workout can help prevent fatigue, boost energy, improve muscular endurance, and increase power output. Caffeine is in almost all pre-workout supplements, and there’s a reason.
‘Caffeine is a stimulant that’s been shown in research to support maintaining high-intensity exercise of 20-60 minutes for longer, with reduced feelings of fatigue,’ Blow explains. ‘Doses as low as 1.5mg/kg (around an 85-100mg cup) have been shown to be effective.’
Whether in a pre-workout or not, have caffeine 15 – 60 minutes before you start exercising for a boost, preferably before 4-5 pm. Caffeine later in the day could affect how you sleep that night.
Creatine
Creatine in a pre-workout can help support ATP production – the energy source used during high-intensity exercise – as well as increasing power output, energy levels and endurance. When it’s not in pre-workout form, creatine is a substance that occurs naturally in our bodies and can be found in foods such as red meat and fish.
Despite its pros, creatine often gets a bad rep amid claims that it’s ‘only for bodybuilders’. In reality, after an analysis of the growing body of research into the ingredient, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) declared that ‘creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.’
You can buy supplements such as creatine and BCAAs individually in the same forms as most pre-workout blends: pills or powder.
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