Pre Workout
The supplement industry, in particular, the pre-workout market, is as popular as ever. It’s not hard to see why – the notion that a tablet or drink can improve your performance or provide a shortcut to your goal is very appealing, especially when compared to the reality of consistent good eating and hard training over a long period of time.
Pre-workout is something many of my clients ask for my advice on and I’m more than happy to come out and say right now that in a world where Fitness Professionals can make a killing on supplementation partnerships, it isn’t a product that I recommend. Why? Hold on to your pants, as I’m about to tell you, but let’s learn a little more about what pre-workout is, the manufacturers claims in terms of what it does and then (the important bit) what the research indicates and therefore what guides my practices.
What are pre-workout supplements?
Pre-workout supplements are formulas that are intended as an addition to your normal diet, usually consisting of many ingredients (sometimes these are a mystery to the average person), and are designed to be taken prior to a training session with a view to boosting energy and performance.
Historically, pre-workout has been provided in a powder form, like a protein shake, but more and more retailers are bringing out a tablet or even chewing gum versions.
Ingredients differ between brands but generally will include one or more of the following – amino acids, B vitamins, taurine, caffeine, nitric oxide, creatine, as well as different artificial sweeteners.
They can be purchased from a multitude of online supplement stores and even from your local supermarket or budget store, like Home Bargains.
Prices differ, but you can expect to pay anywhere between £5 - £30 for 30 - 50 servings…so, putting quality and efficacy aside, there is a price tag to suit most budgets. But what about quality and efficacy?
What Does Pre Workout Do?
There are many claims made pertaining to what a pre-workout supplement can provide, the most well known is that they provide a sudden boost of energy and increased focus during physical activity, helping you to nail that final rep or last that extra mile.
These claims are made on the back of the ingredients within the pre-workout. Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
Caffeine
I don’t need to tell you all that caffeine temporarily raises energy levels, we all know that, right? But did you know that it’s also been shown to improve mental alertness, memory and help with fat burning? Caffeine is the main ingredient in most pre-workout mixes, for that very reason.
A 2010 Study by Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism found that caffeine supplementation in a sports capacity enhances performance, through the central nervous system and direct muscle effects. In short, caffeine is a very good pre-workout booster.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements out there and one of the very few supplements that I recommend to clients and also take myself, religiously. Creatine is an endogenous amino acid found naturally in the body, predominately in muscle cells; it helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifts and high-intensity training. It is very popular among athletes, as it helps develop strength, performance and muscle mass.
The aforementioned study by Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism also found that Creatine supplementation appears to significantly enhance high-intensity sports performance and the muscle mass and possibly strength gains made during resistance training. So, another thumbs up for creatine.
Nitric Oxide Precursors
Nitric oxide is a compound naturally produced by the body in order to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow.
Additives like L-arginine, L-citrulline are added to pre-workout as they produce nitric acid and a few small studies have suggested that supplementing with these compounds boosts oxygen and nutrient flow to your muscles, which can potentially enhance athletic performance.
There are, however, many studies that show otherwise. A 2016 study found that there is insufficient evidence to show that these supplements increase nitric oxide production or improve exercise performance. This was echoed by a more recent study conducted by The International Journal of Exercise Science in 2020, which found that pre-workout compounds that contained these two additives were ineffective at improving blood flow or upper-body resistance exercise performance. The latter study also cast doubt on the efficacy of caffeine, although this is at odds with the body of research in this area.
Taurine
It’s claimed that Taurine (a conditionally essential amino acid) boosts performance by reducing muscular fatigue, therefore allowing an athlete to hold a given intensity for a longer period of time.
A 2018 study by The Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition found that acute ingestion of 1.5 g taurine as part of a multi-ingredient pre-workout has been shown to improve muscular endurance during resistance exercise.
Amino Acids
It’s been shown in some studies that ingesting Amino Acids before your workout can increase your body's muscle-building response to exercise.
It’s worth noting here that research into how some of these ingredients work together as a multi-ingredient compound vs how they work in isolation is very much in its infancy. As is how these ingredients react when mixed together (sometimes in large doses) and then used alongside prescription drugs. There is very little in the way of long term studies too, so although there are some promising short term observations, long term studies are needed to understand the implications and efficacy of a mixed pre-workout compound.
Pre Workout Side Effects
There are some unpleasant side effects that can be experienced as a result of taking pre-workout.
Artificial Sweeteners
In order to enhance the flavour of pre-workout powders whilst keeping calories low, artificial sweetener is generally added – some sweeteners may cause intestinal discomfort in some people.
You may want to avoid pre-workouts that contain large quantities of sweeteners that you know you don’t tolerate well, or try a small amount and cease using if you have any gastric responses.
High Dose Caffeine
Excessive caffeine intake, be that in a coffee or another form, can lead to increased blood pressure, problems getting to sleep and anxiety. Most pre-workouts contain the equivalent of 1–2 cups of coffee, but if you’re also consuming coffee throughout the day, it might be easy to consume too high a dose.
Should You Take Pre Workout?
So, this is where we cut to the chase. I don’t recommend pre-workout to my clients, nor do I take it to fuel my own training. Why? For these reasons…
The main stimulant in the majority of pre-workouts is caffeine, and as I stated above, most pre-workout compounds contain caffeine levels equivalent to 1-2 cups of coffee. For me, it’s better to have two cups of coffee without the artificial sweetener and the inflated price tag of a pre-workout formula
Training should be performed alongside a nutritious, balanced diet, which, when containing sufficient calories, should provide you with all the energy you need to be able to train hard – ensure you eat 1-2 hours before training and you should have all the energy you need. If you don’t have the energy to train hard, then your diet needs sorting rather than resorting to taking a pill
Creatine is the only other thoroughly researched additive, alongside caffeine, this can be picked up cheaply in micronised form and used as a standalone supplement – you then have control over the dosage and can ensure you are having a sufficient amounts, you have no control over the dosage in pre workout
Most serious gym bods or athletes will already be supplementing their protein and amino acid intake via a good quality protein shake, you’re likely already getting enough amino acid in your protein shake to keep this at an optimal level. If you are thinking about taking pre workout and you don’t consume good quality protein shakes, then stop immediately and go buy some protein!
If you don’t want to drink coffee, or take creatine, nor do you want to heed my very good advice and invest in a good protein powder, then by all means, take pre workout, the long term effects haven’t been fully researched, but the short term studies suggest it’s safe – so from a safety perspective, the signs look positive
Guidance on supplements is included in my Online Personal Training service and, just like my training and nutrition plans, I always provide practical and research based advice. Let me do the research and leg work for you, by signing up today.