Pre Workout Supplements

Pre workout is quite possibly the most spoken about and most used supplement today. One of the main ingredients in pre workout is CAFFEINE. The amount of caffeine in most of the popular pre workouts are anywhere from 150mg to 300mg per scoop or per dose, that’s quite high. 

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First let’s chat about what caffeine itself is, irrespective of exercise, and what it does to the body. Caffeine’s main effect is on the central nervous system- YOUR BRAIN. It stimulates the brain by blocking the effects of the neurotransmitter adenosine- a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and makes you feel tired and instead you feel noticeably alert. 

Questions I get:
“Will pre workout help me get stronger?”
“Will I burn more Calories?”
“Will I have more endurance?”

Answer-Pre-workout supplements heighten your exercise performance simply by exposing you to high levels of caffeine, which makes your exercise feel less taxing and makes you feel more peppy. There is no evidence that the combined use of the ingredients will increase performance in ways that improve your physical or health outcomes. Get what I am saying!? No it is not going to cause you to burn more calories but it may help you go harder or longer which will increase your caloric expenditure. 

  • Positives
    Focus and Alertness
    Improves stamina
    Improves motivation
    Boots energy
    Mood Enhancement 

  • Drawbacks
    Over stimulating
    Dehydration
    Increased blood pressure
    Anxiety, jittery, and irritability
    Insomnia
    Adrenal Fatigue
    Energy Crash
    Interfere with absorption and metabolism of calcium 

Pre workout can be a good tool to use, if used as a tool and not something to rely on. You should not rely upon pre-workout to get you to the gym every day or to get you through training. It is not a necessity. When over used your body will adapted to really high amounts of caffeine, building up a dependence to caffeine. 

What to look out for?

Read the label, often times workout supplements say ‘proprietary blend’ under ingredients than the amount of the blend must be listed, but not the amount of caffeine in the blend. Typically, these supplements aren’t regulated by a government agency and don’t need to meet strict guidelines for what goes into the product. RED FLAG!

Be especially cautious with drinks that add a second stimulant to the caffeine, like guarana. 

Alternatives:
Black coffee
Green Tea or Matcha
Creatine has also been shown to boost the performance of endurance athlete. It helps you reach peak power output by potentially delaying fatigue. 
Pre workouts without caffeine

The Verdict on Caffeine or Pre workouts 

With potential negative and positive health consequences, caffeine can be your friend, as long as you consume it in controlled doses.

  • Don’t take too much: Withdrawal symptoms can include cravings, headache, fatigue and muscle pain.

  • Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. :Sleep is important to proper physical functioning, and caffeine can stay in your system for eight hours or longer

  • Enjoy caffeine with physical activity if you’d like to and don’t if you wouldn’t. Caffeine isn’t a great choice for everyone

SupplementsAnne Craig