What's in a Pre-Workout?

Posted on December 14, 2020

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For many, a first pre-workout experience is the result of an enthusiastic friend or gym buddy telling them all about their favourite product and why it's so spectacular.

And that's fair enough. After all, when you discover a pre-workout that resonates with you, it's like all the lights get switch on inside. You've got the focus, motivation and energy to train like an absolute champion until the barbells and dumbells moan at the sight of you charging toward them.

At Sporty's Health one of the main customer queries we get on a daily basis, is "what's the best pre-workout?" And of course this depends on your goals and how much caffeine, if any, you prefer.

For instance, a high caffeine content thermogenic pre-workout is not be for you if your goal is to gain size and your favourite training time is late in the evening.

Pre-workouts can target quite a range of biological effects, with some companies doing their homework and putting together much more effective products than others.

To check out some of the best on the market, take a look at our comprehensive review of the seven best pre-workouts.

You might have noticed that many pre-workout supplements have similar ingredients. Beta-Alanine, Creatine, Citrulline and Caffeine seem to be popular, right?

But just because an ingredient is on the label, doesn’t mean that there’s enough in there to make a difference to your training or body composition.

And just because an ingredient is ‘fashionable’ doesn’t necessarily mean that is appropriate for your goals, or backed by an meaningful level of scientific research.

How do Pre-Workouts Work?

Depending on the product, pre-trainers may target any number of body systems, such as nitric oxide, phosphocreatine, neurotransmitters, beta-oxidation and much more.

Each ingredient is specifically included to promote a certain biological effect.

For instance, Citrulline malate elevates blood arginine levels and promotes nitric oxide synthesis. This gas dilates blood vessels, allowing more blood and nutrients to find their way to working muscles.

As a result, we get greater muscle pumps and increased training capacity.

Other pre-workouts focus more on nootropics, boosting focus and concentration. Such ingredients include, Alpha-GPC, Acetyl L-Carnitine, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine, Glycine and more.

Some pre-workouts target fat-burning and appetite suppression with ingredients such as Green Tea, Guarana, Green Coffee, Cayenne and Caffeine.

Each pre-workout differs at least slightly in their approach to human performance enhancement …

How do Pre-Workout Supplements make you feel?

This is a very open ended question. Everybody is different, so everybody will have different effects from taking a Pre Workout Supplement.

But if we were to generalise here and also cover every Pre Workout Supplement we have in store here is a list of potential benefits. So having a Pre Workout Supplement may help you with these below and more.

• Strength

• Energy

• Endurance

• Focus

• Stamina

• Muscle Building

• Recovery

• Power

• Motivation

• Mood

• Weight Management

Having a Pre Workout Supplement can help make you feel on top of the world—energized and bulletproof, ready to train like a champion.

What ingredients are in Pre Workout Supplements?

There are many different types with many different goals and ways to help you. The ingredients in the weight management Pre Workout Supplements are specifically designed to help you achieve your goals in that area. And they include specific ingredients designed to help you manage your weight over time. The ingredients in this category may include these below.

• L-Carnitine

• Guarana

• Acetyl L-Carnitine

• Chromium Picolinate

• Tyrosine

• Caffeine

• Hydroxycitric Acid

• CLA

• African Mango Extract

• Green Coffee Bean

• Raspberry Keytones

• Green Tea Extract

• Taurine

• Ginkgo Biloba

• Citrus Aurantium

As you can see there can be many different variations of the above ingredients and more to help you train and also to help you throughout your day. These type of Pre Workout Supplements will have different ingredients compared to the full on, stimulant base, help you get out of any hole type of supplement.

The ingredient list in the main Pre Workout Supplements is vast and we probably haven’t got enough room on the page to cover them all. There are also new ingredients being added in with every release in the current Pre Workout Supplements. So here is a few for you that appear across most of the best selling Pre Workout Supplements.

• Creatine

• Beta Alanine

• Arginine

• Caffeine

• Vitamin B

• Taurine

• L-Carnitine

• Citrulline Malate

• L-Leucine

• Agmatine

• Tyrosine

• Glycerol

• Green Tea Extract

There are many different variations for the products above. For instance, the different creatine and caffeine types are huge currently. So we have just listed them above as Creatine and Caffeine to keep it simple. So there you have a brief list of the ingredients you may see in most of the Pre Workout Supplements we have.

Are there any side effects of Pre Workout Supplements?

Side effects can be limited and also vary from person to person. That’s why the supplement companies and we suggest taking a small dosage the first time you try a Pre Workout Supplement or try a new one. You have to remember that most of the Pre Workout Supplements contain caffeine or a similar ingredient to caffeine. It is generally the caffeine and high stimulant Pre Workout Supplements that cause the most problems.

The can give you jitters, make you anxious, keep you awake at night or through the day (if you take naps) and also can make you feel nauseous sometimes.

So our advice to you, be prepared. But seriously, start off with small doses and build up to a full strength serve over time. Then you will be able to monitor any side effects your Pre Workout Supplement has on you.

How long do Pre Workout Supplements last?

Most of the Pre Workout Supplements we have in store and online tell you to take them 20 minute to 30 minutes before you start training. This gives your body time to start using the nutrients before you start. How long a Pre Workout Supplement lasts can depend on the person and also the type of training you are doing.

It can depend on so many factors really. The buzz can last for hours, it may last only for the hour you train or it may last the whole day and night. You can’t tell until you try the supplement. Also a thing to consider is the longer you take a certain Pre Workout Supplement your body adapts and gets used to it. So you will find some of the affects start to wear off over time.

Where can I get pre workout supplements?

You can get your next favourite Pre Workout Supplement from us here at Sporty’s Health, either Online or come in and see us. You can have a look at our full range of Pre Workout Supplements online here, Pre Workout Supplements For You or just click on the Pre-Workouts or Weight Loss buttons in the menu above.

Remember to be safe when using Pre Workout Supplements, try a small dosage first. If in doubt you can always contact us to ask advice, better to be safe than sorry.