Are you a new gym-goer? If so, you may have noticed how most gym-goers use pre-workout supplements, which is no surprise due to its many benefits! Whenever you feel tired and doing your reps feel more challenging than usual, drinking your pre-workout supplement can give you the energy you need, especially if you search for supplements with caffeine!
A pre-workout supplement is packed full of everything you’ll need to maximize your workout in the gym. You can get a jump start on your workout, have enough endurance to finish your workout with extra intensity and energy, and many more! Are you still on the fence about pre-workout supplements? Then continue reading to get to know more about this energy boost!
What Is a Pre-Workout Supplement?
The Ultimate Pre-Workout Guide explains what a pre-workout supplement is, what ingredients you should look for, and the benefits and risks of these supplements. Let’s first talk about what exactly is a pre-workout supplement.
When we work out our muscles and bones, it’s natural for people to get tired and sore, primarily if one hasn’t worked out for a long time. A pre-workout supplement is designed to help enhance athletic performance. It gives you that extra boost of energy and enhances your endurance. You would also get an increase in strength; all you have to do is drink it before a sport or workout.
These pre-workout supplements come in various forms: pills, liquids, and powder. When choosing what pre-workout supplements to purchase, you must decide what would suit you best.
What Ingredients Should I Look For?
When choosing a pre-workout supplement, you should ensure it genuinely helps you at the gym. We all have different goals when working out, so you should take supplements that cater to your goals, needs, and preferences.
As such, the following are the common ingredients in pre-workout supplements that can help you prepare for your exercise. Let’s talk about them!
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is an essential ingredient in a pre-workout formula; it’s a non-essential amino acid that can increase your strength and improve performance and endurance. It would help if you took it daily to ensure its effectiveness.
How does beta-alanine do these? It helps regulate the acid in your muscles to prevent fatigue and encourage endurance. If you’re looking for a pre-workout supplement that can increase the time you can do high-intensity exercises, opt for supplements with beta-alanine! You can work out for a more extended period before getting exhausted.
Caffeine
When you look in the market for pre-workout supplements, you may notice that the primary ingredient for these items is caffeine. As mentioned above, the pre-workout supplements aim to give you energy. We all know that caffeine can make you alert and sharpen your focus. It gives you that energy boost (and improved reaction time) needed in pre-workout supplements by stimulating the body’s central nervous system (CNS).
Pre-workout supplements with caffeine should be taken one or two hours before a workout – for maximum performance.
Creatine
What is creatine? It’s a natural supplement that’s used to improve athletic performance. Creatine has many benefits, making it an essential ingredient in supplements. It can help the muscle cells in your body produce more energy that you can use when exerting your body at the gym. It’s also commonly known as an effective supplement for increasing muscle mass by altering cellular pathways that increase muscle growth.
Creatine has a direct role in ATP production, resulting in improved performance when doing high-intensity exercises and heavy lifting. It encourages muscle endurance, recovery, ballistic power, and many more. You can reduce the chances of fatigue when you look for a supplement with this ingredient.
What Are the Benefits of Pre-Workout Supplements?
There’s a reason why pre-workout supplements are so popular, and it’s because of the following:
- Promotes muscle growth: As mentioned, creatine comes to play when promoting muscle growth.
- Increases strength: You can pair these supplements with resistance training since it improves your strength and endurance.
- Increases lean-body mass: Combining pre-workout supplements with high-intensity interval training can reduce your body fat percentage while increasing your muscle mass.
- Increases training volume: Properly combining the supplements with HIIT can improve your total training volume.
What Are the Risks to Pre-Workout Supplements?
Sadly, no matter how popular pre-workout supplements are, there are risks to taking them.
- Dehydration: Since it’s a stimulant, you may experience nausea, lightheadedness, and dizziness from dehydration.
- Diarrhea: There are certain ingredients, like sodium bicarbonate, argon, magnesium, etc., that have a laxative effect.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the vital information about pre-workout supplements, you can go to the market and purchase your powder, pills, or liquid! Thankfully, you have numerous options with varying flavors and recommended use.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a scoop and raise your glass to leaner muscles, stronger bones and muscles, and improve your endurance! Pre-workout supplements are a must when it comes to exercising and for athletes!
