Power Up Your Workouts With A Pre-Workout Supplement
Wherever you are in your fitness journey, there are always ways to level up your workouts and prevent your progress from stalling. Supplements are one convenient option. But when it comes to supplements you can take to up your game, most of them are designed to help you recover after you’ve hit the gym.
However, many Australians have recently been discovering pre-workout supplements. These are designed to help you truly push your body to its limits during your workout. The idea is that the extra bit of effort will help you progress faster than you would otherwise.
This quick introduction explains what pre-workout supplements do, what they contain, and how to use them effectively.
What do pre-workout supplements do?
Pre-workouts can come in the form of powder or pills, and they have one basic goal. That is to give you energy so that you can exercise harder. They can also result in you feeling less fatigued after a hard session, and they may contain a mixture of ingredients that are designed to help you recover.
They do not only benefit those who are interested in building muscle. In fact, pre-workouts are appropriate for a wide range of fitness goals, from losing fat to increasing endurance and strength. Everyone can benefit from being more focused during their workouts and feeling less sore afterwards.
What goes into pre-workout supplements?
Some common ingredients found in pre-workout supplements are:
- Caffeine: Pretty much everyone, from the best pre workout in Australia to the worst, contains caffeine as a central ingredient. The dosage is usually somewhere between 150mg to 300mg per serving, with the higher end of that range being equivalent to around three cups of coffee. This is what provides the jolt of energy that many people who take a pre-workout perceive.
That is quite a lot of caffeine, especially if you have already been consuming tea, coffee, energy drinks or sodas before your workout too. In that case, you should take a smaller amount of pre-workout. Alternatively, you can look for one without caffeine. These are commonly labelled “non-stim” on the packaging.
Pregnant women should take special precautions when consuming a pre workout drink mix. The recommended caffeine intake during pregnancy is 200mg. Since so many pre workouts commonly found on the market exceed this limit Mamasupps created a pregnancy pre workout with only 100mg, making it safe for those who are pregnant to consume.
- Creatine: Creatine is arguably the second-most popular exercise supplement after protein, and it is also the most clinically studied. Numerous studies have shown that it is safe and that it is very effective at boosting energy during exercise.
This makes it a popular ingredient in pre-workouts. There are different types, but all have similar effects of increasing energy and lean body mass. It is worth noting, however, that creatine requires a dose larger than that found in most pre-workouts to have much of an effect. It may be more effective when taken as a supplement on its own.
- Beta-Alanine: This is an amino acid which boosts your body’s production of carnosine, an anti-fatigue chemical that stops lactic acid from building up in the muscles during intense exercise. This makes it good for endurance but be warned that it can cause a harmless tingling sensation.
It is best to talk to a doctor before taking a pre-workout, but they are generally very safe. You should take it around 20 minutes before your workout so you have time to digest it. Stick to the recommended dosage or a smaller one that suits you.
