Using Pre Workout Supplements: Does it Help?

Instagram alone has 4.3 million posts with the “preworkout” hashtag. That is enough to show how much people care about pre-workout staples. The term carries a variety of chews, drinks, capsules, colorful liquids in shakers, powders, and many more things, all promising a great shape through the workout. But how true are all these claims of boosting your workout performance? We are here to clear all the diets you may have about pre-workout supplements. Let’s roll through the truth about what type of pre workout supplements work and what not but before that, let’s quickly define pre-workout.

What is Pre-Workout?

Any kind of supplement found in the forms mentioned above and claiming to improve your workout performance, if consumed before the workout are called pre-workout supplements. A lot of studies have been conducted to check the authenticity of these supplements. Since the markets are flooded with every brand selling its own pre-workout formulas, consumers often find it hard to determine what’s good for them. 

In reality, all these ‘unique’ formulas have similar ingredients, except a few that offer natural and pure ingredients. A study from 2019 revealed that half of all the ingredients in the top 100 commercially popular pre-workout supplements are labeled under a “proprietary blend”, which means the amounts used of each ingredient is unrevealed. 

What used to be a piece of toast or banana before has now converted into a lot of things. The primary purpose of a pre workout meal should be to boost energy levels. Generally, a combination of carbs, antioxidants, and B vitamins can elevate your energy levels. However, it is not necessary to use all of them together since a number of pre-workout supplements are carbs and calorie free. There are a wide variety of ingredients used in these supplements starting from caffeine, amino acids, beetroot juice, and many more. Most of these dilate your blood vessels to boost blood flow in your muscles. Some even have esoteric ingredients such as deer antler velvet to elevate insulin growth factor-1 levels that’s naturally produced in response to strength and resistance training. It helps in tissue growth and increases muscle size. 

How Pre-Workout Supplements Help

Most of the pre workout supplements contain common ingredients such as creatine monohydrate, caffeine, carbs, and beetroot juice. These effectively improve your exercise performance. As you know, carbohydrates are recommended by experts before workout since they act as a fuel for your physique. Some of the best pre workout drinks are solely based on carbohydrates. 

Caffeine is backed up by numerous studies and research for boosting alertness and energy. There are over 20 published meta-analyses proving Caffeine’s ability to enhance workout performance. The stimulant is found in some of the best pre workout drinks and improves muscle strength, aerobic endurance, muscle endurance, speed, and jumping performance.

A lot of natural ingredients such as beetroot have consistently been responsible for increasing nitric oxide in our body. This natural vasodilator increases blood flow across our body by expanding or dilating blood vessels.

The last, but certainly not the least, creatine monohydrate is one of the most common ingredients in a variety of pre workout supplements. Derived from three different amino acids that are naturally produced inside our body and found in muscles, creatine works as a quick energy source. 

Conclusion

A lot of popular supplements sometimes fail to fulfill the physical demands for strength and endurance. These pre-workout supplements not only fail but also leave adverse effects on health. Explore some premium and well-researched pre-workout supplements from IronProNutrition to prevent major health issues.