Should You Be Taking A Pre-Workout Supplement?

Exercise plays an important part in keeping the body healthy and to reduce the risk of obesity, which has a number of complications that can lead to a shortened lifespan. While some people are able to walk into the gym and perform well without any help, others may find it difficult to give it their all. Muscle fatigue may set in quickly after the workout session has started, leading to poorer performance. The result is usually a person being unable to gain the maximum benefit from the workout that they participate in.

People who need a boost in the gym, as well as those who wish to achieve specific results, often turn to supplements to help them reach their goals. While post-workout supplements have become popular to help with muscle synthesis and recovery, many are also turning to pre-workout supplements. Several claims have been made about these products that are taken before working out. In this post, we take a look at whether or not pre-workout supplements are truly as helpful as some claim they are. We also consider what pre-workout ingredients seem to be the most effective.

What Are Pre-Workout Supplements?

The term “pre-workout” really explains what this type of supplement is. A pre-workout supplement is a special formulation, which can be available as a capsule or a powder, which is usually mixed into a smoothie or simply mixed with some liquid. These supplements contain various ingredients that focuses on providing an enhancement in the user’s performance during a physically challenging workout protocol.

When it comes to considering the use of a pre-workout supplement, it is important to understand that there are different types of these supplements on the market. While most of these products do focus on providing an enhancement in both physical and mental performance, some contain special ingredients added to their formula for more targeted results.

Some supplements provide a boost in energy alone, allowing the user to work out for longer without experiencing fatigue so quickly. Others included ingredients that could yield an improvement in physical strength, allowing for more challenging exercises to become "explosive." There are also a number of pre-workout supplements that contain vasodilator ingredients, which boosts blood flow to muscle tissue during physical activity. This, in turn, helps to reduce muscle fatigue further and can help to speed up recovery after the workout.

What Are The Benefits Of Pre-Workout Supplements?

The benefits of pre-workout supplements really depend on the specific product that a person decides to use. Some of these products are designed only to help the user last a little longer during a workout session, prolonging the onset of lactase, which is known to lead to muscle fatigue. Other pre-workout supplements, however, have a more significant number of benefits to offer.

Some of the potential benefits that a user may experience when they use a pre-workout supplement, based on the inclusion of popular ingredients, include:

• The inclusion of caffeine or other types of stimulants helps to improve overall performance and provides a boost in cognitive function. This makes the user more alert and also gives an increase in endurance. Fatigue can also be reduced with the inclusion of caffeine, and the metabolic rate is increased, which means excess fat can be shed faster.
   
• When creatine is used in a pre-workout supplement, it will usually lead to a considerable increase in energy during a workout session, which is great for both strength training and cardio exercises. Creatine has also been shown to provide beneficial effects for increasing muscle growth, and it may also aid in providing a boost in physical strength.
   
• L-Arginine is an amino acid that is sometimes included in pre-workout supplements to increase blood flow during workouts. This amino acid is converted to nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator. Blood vessels expand due to the presence of nitric oxide. This helps to deliver more blood, nutrients, and oxygen to muscle tissue during a workout. This may help to reduce muscle fatigue and improve physical performance. The increase in blood flow to the muscles may also aid in the post-workout recovery process.

Other ingredients to look for as well include B-alanine, Taurine, and Betaine. These are, however, not all of the pre-workout supplements and compounds that may help a person experience a boost in their performance.

Should You Take A Pre-Workout Supplement?

With pre-workout supplements becoming more-and-more popular, a lot of people are starting to look into adding one of these products to their workout routine. Even though research does support the effectiveness of these supplements, some claims have been made that they could not be as effective as some of the other options that a person can use.

This leads to the question of whether or not a person should take a pre-workout supplement before they start to train.

The fact that needs to be considered here is that not everyone may truly benefit from pre-workout supplements - and without some thorough research, a person may end up buying the wrong product. For example, a person who is sensitive to caffeine might buy a pre-workout that contains this ingredient as a stimulant. In turn, adverse effects may be experienced.

When a person sits down and carefully thinks about their goals and why they would like to turn to a pre-workout supplement, and they do some research, then it is possible to get a product that will yield effective results.

Generally, a person can usually benefit from this type of supplement if they find that their performance is lacking while they are working out. A pre-workout may also be good for those who want to maximize strength in the gym, as well as people who need a way to speed up muscle recovery.

Conclusion

The use of pre-workout supplements is relatively common. These products are no longer only used by bodybuilders, but the general population who wants to maximize their performance during workout sessions have also started to take advantage of such supplements. Understanding what pre-workout supplements are, how they work, and when they are appropriate is important for a person looking to possibly at this to their training program.

References

https://primevallabs.com/blogs/news/best-pre-workout-ingredients

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-complete-guide-to-pre-workout-supplements.html#what-is-a-pre-workout-supplement

https://www.verywellfit.com/can-a-pre-workout-product-improve-physical-fitness-4154378

This is a guest blog entry.