Pre-workouts! One of the most famous supplement in the fitness industry. A significant amount of people take them before their workouts, with the expectation that they will have a serious energy boost as well as decreased muscle fatigue. But what does research say about this?

Today, in this quick article, let’s evaluate these claims and arrive at an informed conclusion. Before we can do that, we need to understand what pre-workout powder comprises of and study its main chemical components.

What are the main ingredients in a pre-workout?

1. Caffeine- 

I’ve previously written an article on caffeine, which you can read here, but in summary, it enhances muscle endurance and resistance to fatigue. It also increases heart rate and energy levels leading to the energy boost you feel 30-45 mins after taking your pre-workout. Caffeine has been proven to be safe for consumption in the short term as well as in the long run.

2. Creatine-

Creatine is the world’s most tested supplement. It increases muscle strength, exercise performance as well as helps you build muscle faster. It has no potential downsides and has an outstanding safety profile.

3. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s)-

BCAA’s are unique as they are not absorbed by the liver but instead go straight into the muscles. This causes an increase in energy levels as well as reduced muscle fatigue. This is done through manipulating levels of certain hormones in a safe manner. I will be writing an entire article on BCAA’s in the near future so stay tuned for that.

4. L-citrulline-

This substance is known as a non-essential amino acid. When ingested, it increases your nitric oxide levels, which in turn relaxes your blood vessels, hence allows more blood to be sent to and from the muscles around the body. This leads to a better workout due to increased oxygen and glucose levels.

Downsides:

1. Limited research-

Sure, all the above effects of those substances sound impressive but what do research studies conclude? Majority of them explain that pre-workouts do improve muscle endurance to a small extent but have a limited effect when it comes to power, strength and explosiveness.

2. Too much caffeine-

Since majority of people have a morning cup of coffee, a pre-workout adds to the total amount of caffeine consumed which could bring about issues like disrupted sleep and anxiety due to the large amounts of caffeine in the body. This would also increase your tolerance to the substance which eventually leads to insurmountable tolerance meaning your body no longer responds to caffeine hence you don’t experience the positive effects anymore.

3. Not FDA approved-

Due to the immense number of pre-workout supplement companies out there, majority of them are not tested for safety as well as consistency. This means that the ingredients listed on the back of your supplement container may not represent the true ingredients in the powder you consume.

Conclusion:

If you always feel genuinely tired and lethargic before workouts, make sure you are consuming enough water and carbohydrates throughout the day. You should also have a regular sleep schedule which entails at least 6-7 hours every night.

Implement these habits for a month and if you still suffer from fatigue and tiredness during your workouts, then consider trying pre-workouts.

The reason I remain skeptical of their so called positive effects is that the research is extremely limited.

After reading the available research studies, we can come to the informed conclusion that pre-workouts supplements do not fulfill what they promise. They will help you feel more energetic but they do not have a significant effect on muscle strength, power and endurance. The long term effects of taking pre-workouts have also not been studied so a safety profile cannot be fully determined yet.