Many athletes or those with a standing workout routine often take pre-workout supplements before they begin their exercise. But how many of them know the science behind how these pre-workout supplements truly work?
Fitness enthusiasts, athletes, or anyone who works out regularly may be curious about what these supplements do and if they can boost your performance. Maybe you’re new to fitness and are looking to incorporate a workout plan to help build lean muscle. Adding a pre-workout supplement may also be something to consider when taking on this new routine.
You can find numerous pre-workout supplements on the market and buy over-the-counter at your local grocer. Are there differences between these supplements, and do some work better than others?
This article will explain all you need to know regarding the science behind pre-workout supplements. You should be able to make a well-informed decision based on your exercise regimen and dietary needs.
1. Pre-Workout Supplements
Pre-workout supplements come in powders, drinks, packets you add to your water, pills, and gummies. Their primary design is to help enhance athletic performance by working in different ways. Many claim to provide steady energy to get you through your workouts, while others work to help repair your muscles and help with recovery after your workout.
The key ingredients may have little effect on boosting performance by themselves, but together, they work very well. All reliable and scientifically validated pre-workout supplements will have many of the same ingredients. Some of these common ingredients include creatine, caffeine, beta-alanine, and taurine.
2. How Pre-Workout Supplements Work
The combination of the ingredients in pre-workouts are specifically made to provide your body with its energy needs to get through an intense workout. There are other things that people can do to help maintain energy and keep blood flow during their exercise, such as elderly workout socks, which work to reduce inflammation.
However, having a pre-workout forces you to eat or drink something before working out. Studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before your exercise will help you do better, so it’s more beneficial for your workout to look into a boost in performance with pre-workout to help you feel stronger and increase your stamina.
3. Pre-Workout Ingredients
Many of the main ingredients you’ll see in many pre-workout supplements include the following:
- Caffeine - a stimulant that increases alertness and focus, which will definitely give your workout a boost of adrenaline. Caffeine pre-workout supplements help play a role in lowering exertion and muscle fatigue during exercise. It also helps to facilitate recovery and delay the soreness in your muscles while increasing intensity and providing enhanced gains.
- Creatine—Your body produces this amino acid naturally, and it gets stored in the muscles. It plays a role in producing energy levels and increasing strength to enhance your workout performance. This is the most important part of your pre-workout supplement and is often sold separately on its own.
- Beta-alanine - this scientifically backed ingredient helps reduce the feeling of tired muscles by regulating acid throughout them. The action of beta-alanine helps you to push yourself harder and work out for longer, allowing you to get the most out of your workout and maximize your strength.
- Taurine—Taurine is used naturally within the body, and you’ll find it in many protein-rich foods like meat or fish. The body uses it to increase the production of energy, which helps decrease inflammation in the muscles so you can perform better and go high-intensity for your workouts.
4. Understanding Risks with Pre-Workout
Our pre-workout supplements are safe, but it’s necessary to understand that they are not risk-free regarding side effects. Depending on your own health needs or limitations, pre-workout supplements might not be for you.
Talking to your doctor or healthcare professional about your dietary needs and whether pre-workout is a good idea for your workout routine is most helpful to ensure your safety and health.
Some other risks you may want to consider include the following:
Caffeine Consumption
You should be aware of your caffeine consumption and how much is safe for your body, as too much can cause health problems. Long-term effects include sleep problems, thinning of bones, anxiety, and a buildup of stomach acid.
Quality Ingredients Might be More Expensive
Not all pre-workouts are made the same, so you must pay attention to the ingredients and look for labels that contain the primary ingredients mentioned above. Some supplements may contain a lot of sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, which can be more disruptive to your digestive system. It is also worth considering how these ingredients might impact important body processes, such as autophagy body process, which involves the removal of damaged cells to promote cellular health and efficiency
Though you may be tempted to go on the cheaper end of the spectrum when trying out a pre-workout for the first time, some of the less expensive supplements could be made with more toxic substances. These will hinder your workouts rather than help them. iSatori is a leading brand in sports nutrition, with a full line of supplements to help your body produce more energy, get more out of your exercise, and recover more efficiently.
For more information about MORPH® x5 by iSatori and other industry-leading pre-workout supplements and post-workout fuel, visit iSatori.com. iSatori is part of the FitLife Brands family of brands. FitLife Brands features the world’s most innovative nutrition and fitness enhancement products. It is unwaveringly committed to producing leading-edge proprietary nutritional supplements and next-generation products for weight loss, performance enhancement, or simply better overall health. Always consult your healthcare professional before starting a new fitness or nutrition program.
Author: Nicole McCray
