The supplement industry is booming, and you might be wondering how you can incorporate them to pump up your workout. The short answer is yes! But in this article, we’ll show you how athletes, professional competitors, and eager gym-goers are all utilizing the high impact of supplements.
Pre-workout supplements are nutrients and vitamins, usually, in the form of a powder to drink, that are used to heighten your performance in sports and at the gym. To help improve your energy and performance, you can consume your drink about 30 to 60 minutes prior to working out. This time provides the optimal period for a metabolism and energy boost!
With various supplements on the market today, products are improving constantly. In general, most pre-workout supplements will contain creatine, protein, Beta-Alanine, and branched-chain amino acids. They are all focused on muscle gain and energy-boosting. Here are some of the most common ingredients and how they help you in the gym.
Some higher-market products contain vitamin B12, an essential nutrient involved in physiological energy stores. Many people are unaware that they are deficient in this nutrient, so this addition is excellent for your health. Vitamin B12 stores allow you to ward off depression, fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness.
Highly discussed in the nutrition and fitness industry, protein is an essential nutrient that is made up of molecules that assist most of your body processes in some way. Key for bone development, optimal skin, and nail growth, and giving your organ tissues nutrients to function, protein is one of the building blocks of your body’s basic structure.
Protein is used in pre-workouts primarily for muscle gain and metabolism boost. Additionally, protein reduces your appetite and in the form of whey, it is absorbed very quickly.
A supplement that is potent and improves numerous aspects of athletic performance is creatine. Increasing strength, resistance to muscle fatigue, and even brain recovery, creatine is actually a substance that is naturally produced in the body during high-intensity exercise. Popular especially among bodybuilders, creatine supplies energy to cells and in the process, increases lean muscle mass.
This naturally occurring beta-amino acid is another basic building block of your cells. Isolated and added to a pre-workout supplement, beta-alanine reduces your muscle fatigue and also improves your body’s capacity to exercise. This non-essential amino acid also has some other amazing health benefits, including being an antioxidant and enhancing the immune system.
For most of these ingredients, especially beta-alanine and B12, optimal health calls for these to be consumed every day. In this way, muscle endurance can build up more naturally, and your body is able to adjust to a higher intake of protein.
Caffeine is commonly used in pre-workouts, given the obvious energy jolt everyone is familiar with! Pre-workout supplements containing caffeine usually measure from 100g to 300g, which is roughly 1-3 cups of coffee. This is one of the reasons that it is advised against taking pre-workout supplements in the evening. With the strong chance that your ability to sleep will be disturbed if you consume supplements too late in the afternoon, it is a good idea at first to take these supplements as recommended.
Pre-workout supplements might err on the more costly side of your fitness regime and expenses, but those who use it regularly will tell you what difference it makes to their workout.
It is best to consult a doctor before using pre-workouts if you are sensitive to certain ingredients, especially the higher caffeine content and creatine. Crucially, if you have a weaker heart or a kidney condition, it is important to take your health seriously and to prioritize your wellbeing first. Do thorough research before and start taking smaller amounts of supplements at the beginning to monitor how your body responds to the ingredients.
Some examples of the milder side effects that can occur in some people are diarrhea, insomnia, dehydration, headaches, high blood pressure, and it depends on which ingredients are contained in the supplement. This is why it is important to invest in a high-quality product that has been certified and is regulated by health boards.
Overall, if you want to get more from your workout sessions and challenge yourself in various areas of training strength, pre-workouts should definitely be looked into to introduce into your training ritual.
Once you are comfortable with a great brand and your body enjoys a certain product, you can also experiment with different ways of consuming the supplement. Some people are now making slushies and even jelly shots. Give it a try and see how you love it!