Many people find it difficult to get active and stay active. A lack of energy is a common reason why. To get an extra boost of energy for exercise, many people take a pre-workout supplement. However, a multitude of supplements is available, each containing many ingredients. Because of this, it can be confusing to know what to look for in a pre-workout supplement.
When considering a pre-workout supplement, it is important to think about your goals and the type of exercise you normally take part in. Some ingredients may increase strength or power, while others may boost your endurance.
Here are the 7 most important ingredients to look for in pre-workout supplements.
Creatine is a molecule found in your cells. It is also a very popular dietary supplement.
Caffeine is a natural molecule found in coffee, tea and other foods and beverages. It stimulates certain parts of the brain to increase alertness and make you feel less tired
Beta-alanine is an amino acid that helps fight muscle fatigue.
Citrulline is an amino acid produced naturally in your body.
Also known as baking soda, it acts as a buffering agent, meaning that it helps fight against acid build-up in the body.
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) consist of three important molecules: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Nitrate is a molecule found in vegetables such as spinach, turnips and beetroot
What Does Pre-workout Do?
If you don’t fuel yourself properly before exercises or hard workouts, you will be less energised, weaker and will fatigue faster than normal.
Pre-workout is designed to help fight this, to help you keep going harder and for longer. While the supplement can be taken in a variety of formats — from meals, to shakes to pills and more — they are all designed to boost energy levels and increase focus.
How Long Does Pre-Workout Take to Kick in?
When you start your workout, you want to hit the ground running. You don’t want to be waiting around for your pre-workout to kick in, so it pays to find the sweet spot to take it. For most people, the ideal time to take you pre-workout is around 30 minutes to one hour before your workout — this should give the supplement enough time to hit your bloodstream and amp your up ahead of your session.
Should I Take Pre-Workout Every Day?
If you continue to take pre-workout on a regular basis, your body can build up a tolerance to its effects however it is advisable to give your body the occasional break.
Can I Use Coffee as a Pre-Workout?
Coffee and pre-workout share a common primary ingredient — caffeine. Found to have an effect on improving athletic performance, coffee also doesn’t contain the additives and additional ingredients that other pre-workout supplements may have.
The Best Pre-workouts to Buy in 2021
My Protein THE Pre-Workout
Blending creatine and caffeine, My Protein’s signature pre-workout is specifically to designed to energise you during workouts while giving you an edge on your strength and fitness gains. It also contains Vitamin B6 to reduce tiredness.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout
Per scoop: 33kcal, 175mg caffeine
Optimum Nutrition’s pre-workout contains creatine monohydrate, beta alanine, caffeine and vitamin B complex. Helping you grind through a particularly tough workout, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard pre-workout contains 165mg of caffeine from natural sources to help increase alertness and focus.
My Protein THE Pump™ Pre-Workout
Not a fan of the pre-workout jitters? We’ve got you covered. It contains ero added caffeine — making it ideal for workouts in the evening — and comes with 3.2g of beta-alanine to ward off muscle fatigue.
Cellucor C4 Original Pre-workout
Per scoop: 5kcal, 150mg caffeine
Backed by man-mountain and three-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser, Cellucor’s C4 pre-workout is America’s #1 pre-workout. Cellucor uses an in-house product development team alongside athlete feedback to create its C4 pre-workout.
Bulk Complete Pre-workout, Caffeine-free
Per serving: 56kcal, 0g caffeine
If you are concerned about the caffeine content of your pre-workout, Bulk’s caffeine-free pre-workout is a safer bet. Offering similar benefits to conventional pre-workout supplements, this contains 5g BCAAs and 3g of creatine monohydrate.
Grenade 50 Calibre Pre-workout
Per serving: 25kcal, 125mg caffeine
Grenade’s 50 Calibre Pre-workout, with its battle-hardened style, is another favourite among lifters. With a goal to include every possible natural component that aids performance — including Theobroma and beet extract — it comes in berry, cola and lemon flavour.
