Globally, the pre-workout supplements market size was valued at $12.6 billion in 2019. The growing need for pre-workout supplements can be attributed to the growing interest in fitness, health, and nutrition. The problem with pre-workouts, though, is like other supplements, they are not regulated for safety by the FDA. This leads to a lot of propaganda about different pre-workout supplements on the market and questions the very legitimacy of the ingredients included in the pre-workout formula. These products can be sold until there is a reason for the FDA to pull them from stores.
On Instagram alone, you can find over 4.6 million posts with “#preworkout,” according to Self. Photos with this hashtag can vary in terms of medium. Some posts show someone hitting the gym with supplements, chews, drinks, and powders – all of them promising to help achieve a better workout.
What is a Pre-Workout?
Pre-workouts are any supplement that claims to boost workout performance when consumed prior to working out. These supplements usually come in a powdered drink mix but may also include chews or pills. Every health and workout brand that has a pre-workout offers a proprietary blend – meaning that you will likely never find two pre-workout formulas that are the same.
Though all pre-workouts are different, there are a couple of common ingredients most of them share:
- Caffeine – If your pre-workout boasts the ability to keep you focused, gives you energy, and can improve your overall performance, caffeine is likely the main ingredient. Some of these may have as much as 500 mg or even a staggering 600 mg of caffeine PER 1 SERVING, which is equivalent to 6 cups of coffee. The famous words ‘Not for the faint hearted’ take on a whole new meaning in this case as this amount of caffeine isn’t good for your body, and if you are caffeine sensitive, it can be straight-up dangerous for your heart.
- Beta-Alanine – This ingredient is meant for high-intensity exercises, which may help buffer the body and muscles during workouts. This has been shown to combat fatigue and enhance recovery in sprinters.
- Amino Acids – more importantly, Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA), which are used to help increase lean body mass. It has also been shown to promote muscle growth and reduce the damage to your muscles during an intense workout.
- Creatine – When combined with exercise, it helps you gain strength, helping you replenish your ATP stores. Creatine can also help to increase the levels of lean body mass.
Other ingredients you might find in a pre-workout are B-vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, etc.), Taurine, and NO2 Boosters like Arginine and Citrulline. There is not a definitive recipe for creating a pre-workout. Each person has to find the one that works the best for them. But how do you know if there is something important missing from your pre-workout supplement?
The Importance of Nutrition
No matter if you are using a premium pre-workout or a shady cheap one, it won’t make any difference to your workout goals without the right diet.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two of the leading global risks to health are the lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet. Practicing a healthy diet can help protect us from malnutrition in all forms and protect against non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
There are specific nutrients, vitamins, and minerals our bodies need when being physically active. The key is to eat a balanced diet, offers variety, and is eaten in moderation.
| Balance | Eating balanced meals means that you are getting the recommended number of servings for each of the food groups on most days. |
| Variety | When you eat a variety of foods, you aren’t limiting yourself to just one thing from each food group. It means that different foods are being consumed in your diet. |
| Moderation | Moderation is when you eat a little of everything without going overboard. The idea is to eat what is necessary and not overfill yourself – you are defeating the purpose of healthy eating if you overeat. |
Before even considering the purchase of a pre-workout, you need to make sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. When being physically active, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and water are essential for your body. Protein, found in meats, eggs, beans, and in supplemental forms, is needed to build and rebuild the body’s tissues. Carbohydrates are given a bad reputation, but they are actually useful – fueling the body. Fats also provide energy to the body. Water is a life source for the body, even when you aren’t working out. You need to make sure you are replenishing your liquids and staying fully hydrated.
A pre-workout is designed to push you and your body to the limits during your workout, giving you the energy and supplements to do that extra set, add that extra pound, and run that extra mile on a treadmill. For these kinds of specialized activities, it might be necessary for certain nutrients to be increased in a diet. People who are extremely active and even athletes often require specialized diets to sustain their levels of physical activities. So when using a pre-workout, it may become necessary to supplement some of the nutrients further if the product they use does not contain it.
What You Need To Know Before Taking a Pre-Workout Supplement
Every body is different. While we are all different human beings, the structure and composition of our bodies are different. Short of identical twins, it is almost impossible for two bodily compositions to be the same. With that said, different bodies need different levels of supplementation, especially if there is physical activity involved.
There is no shortage of pre-workout supplements on the market. You can find them by going to Amazon, GNC, and other retailers that specialize in nutrients. Even grocery stores are stocking some of them in their health and wellness sections. The problem is that some people will be more tolerable to ingredients and others less tolerable – for example, caffeine.
Caffeine is one of those stimulants that some people can tolerate and others are sensitive to. Determining the right amount of pre-workout supplement to use can be a process, especially in those who cannot tolerate it like others. It is always best to speak to a medical professional before starting any type of supplement. Some products, like Gym Molly, use a Pure Energy Complex (natural caffeine), which people with a caffeine sensitivity may find less stimulating than those with synthetic forms.
Finding The Right Pre-Workout
Sometimes finding the right pre-workout is like finding the right pair of shoes. You have to try them on before you can make a final decision. Pre-workout supplements can work in the same way. Sometimes you just have to try them to see which one works the best for your situation. The best advice for someone looking for the right pre-workout supplement is to start small. Begin with pre-workout brands with a milder formula (with 0 or low amounts of caffeine), for example, Gym Molly, Alani Nu, EHP Labs, C4, Ryse Fitness. Try talking to a medical provider, personal trainer, or nutritionist to determine what you need to increase your workout potential.
