What Is the Purpose of a Pre-Workout?
While it might sound like it, a pre-workout isn't a workout before your workout -- it's a supplement that you take before your workout to optimize your workout. Nowadays, pre-workouts are trendy and popular, and you just might find people guzzling pre-workout drinks prior to kicking off their workout.
But do they work? And should you utilize a pre-workout?
Advocates for pre-workouts believe that pre-workout supplements and drinks can increase your energy and give you fuel to get through that tough workout, while skeptics think they're a novelty at best, and maybe dangerous at worst.
It all depends on what's inside.
What Is a Pre-Workout Supplement?
Simply put, a pre-workout supplement is basically a drink additive that contains ingredients and substances that are designed to boost athletic performance and energy. They commonly come in a powdery form and are intended to be mixed with water and consumed prior to exercise.
Unfortunately, that's where the generalities end. While the purpose of a pre-workout is to supercharge your next workout, there's no real consensus as to what constitutes a good pre-workout or what ingredients are best when it comes to the use of pre-workouts.
Some pre-workouts contain amino acids, B vitamins, caffeine, creatine and various sweeteners to help you get the concoction down, but that says nothing of the amounts of each ingredient and whether it's beneficial to consume before an upcoming workout. In fact, some pre-workouts could be perfectly optimized so that you may be able to get the most out of your workout while others may be not much more than flavored water.
What Pre-Workout Ingredients To Look For
As a relatively new product category, the research on pre-workout supplements is limited. That said, there are certain studies that point to athletic benefits for pre-workouts. If you're interested in augmenting your pre-workout regimen, here are the ingredients that you should look for.
Nitric Oxide Precursors
Created by the body naturally to improve blood flow and relax blood vessels, nitric oxide is a useful compound for pre-workout supplements. These ingredients include L-arginine, L-citrulline and other dietary nitrates like beetroot juice.
According to some studies, feeding your body these ingredients can increase oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, which can enhance athletic performance. However, these studies only focus on the benefits of pre-workouts for young men, which means that the full benefit and purpose of pre-workouts is still being investigated.
Caffeine
While the purpose of a pre-workout is to help you get through your next workout, the ingredient that is probably doing most of the heavy lifting here is caffeine. Just like a cup of coffee or a caffeine supplement, caffeine can help you increase your energy and focus when you need it most -- such as when you first start your workout.
In addition to its stimulating properties, caffeine can also improve memory, alertness and overall performance during exercise. It can also help you burn more fat.
Creatine
As a chemical compound produced naturally by the body, creatine is mostly stored in skeletal muscle, helping you regulate your energy production as well as muscular strength. While it's common to consume creatine as a separate, standalone supplement, creatine is often found in pre-workouts and is ideal for athletes, weightlifters and bodybuilders -- basically anyone that wants to build and maintain muscle mass.
But the purpose of a pre-workout is to give you outsized benefits before working out, which makes creatine a popular ingredient in pre-workout products. Indeed, creatine can help optimize exercise performance, increase strength and muscle mass, as well as helping to reduce recovery time in between workouts.
Ingredients You Don't Want in a Pre-Workout
While the purpose of a pre-workout is to help you get through that workout, there are certain ingredients that you don't want in a pre-workout if you're looking for optimization of your pre-workout regimen. You can still consume pre-workouts with these ingredients, but it's important to know that some supplements are better than others.
An Excess of Caffeine
As we mentioned, some caffeine can be good when it comes to pre-workouts that increase focus, energy and alertness. But when there's too much caffeine, your pre-workout may no longer be healthy for you. After your workout, you may also experience restlessness, an increase in blood pressure, problems sleeping and general anxiety, particularly if you consume your pre-workout after a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverages throughout the day.
That said, most pre-workouts contain about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee or two, though if you're not used to drinking coffee or consuming caffeine on a regular basis a pre-workout could leave you feeling somewhat out of sorts after your workout is done.
Ingredient Under Dosing
While an abundance of ingredients may look nice on a label, each ingredient should serve a specific purpose. Each ingredient should have been studied and the effective amount should be employed. There is no use adding 0.5g of Creatine to a pre-workout when the studies indicate that subjects needed 3-5g of Creatine to elicit strength benefits. This is known as "pixie-dusting" in the industry and does nothing to empower your workout. Keep an eye out for "kitchen sink" formulas as they only serve to make a label look impressive while depleting your wallet.
Don't Forget About Supplement Quality
While many supplement makers promise lots of benefits, it's true that some pre-workouts are better than others. That's why it's important to really look at the labels and determine that what it says on the box is what you want to consume. After all, the purpose of a pre-workout is to get more out of your workouts, but if the products you're using are filled with artificial sugars and too much caffeine, it could actually make your workouts -- or at least the rest of your day -- worse.
Ideally, you'll want a pre-workout with the right ingredients in the right quantities to meet your fitness goals and needs. If you consume too much your body is going to flush it out anyway, and it might actually have negative side effects if you're consuming a pre-workout several times or everyday during the week.