What are Pre-Workout Supplements – Is It Good or Bad?

Pre-workout supplements have become a part of people’s workout regime. Some people claim that they can improve fitness and provide the required energy for challenging workouts whereas few say that they can be dangerous and unnecessary. Read on to know about pre-workout supplements including whether you should be taking them or not.

What are Pre-Workout Supplements?

Pre-workout supplements are dietary formulas that are specially formulated to boost your athletic performance. Usually, they come in powder form that you can mix in water or your preferred drink and can have it before exercise. Pre-workout supplements contain ingredients like vitamins, caffeine, Amino acids, creatine and artificial sweeteners are the basic ingredients and quantities can vary as per the brand.

Ingredients in Pre-workout supplement that may improve athletic performance:

1) Creatine

This chemical compound plays a major role in muscular strength and energy production. It is included in pre-workout formulas and is particularly famous among bodybuilders, weightlifters and other power athletes. According to a study, supplementing with creatine can improve muscle mass, recovery time, exercise, performance and strength.

2) Nitric Oxide

One of the main pre-workout benefits is that pump in the muscle. It is possible because of the Nitric oxide. It is included in pre-workout supplements to boost oxygen, improve blood flow and transport nutrients to muscles, enhancing athletic performance.

3) Caffeine

Caffeine frequently used in the pre-workout supplements to boost focus and energy. It may improve memory, mental alertness, fat burning, and exercise performance.

Precautions To Take When Buying Pre-Workout Supplements:

Planning to add pre-workout supplements to your workout regimen? Pre-workout supplements are safe to use only if you take the following things into account. 

• Most of the pre-workout supplements contain artificial sweeteners sugar alcohols. without adding calories, their hand’s flavour but some sweeteners can cause intestinal distress and discomfort. Sugar alcohols can trigger uncomfortable symptoms like bloating gas and diarrhoea in some people. So try to avoid a pre-workout formula that contains these artificial sweeteners or try a small amount first to see how it reacts. 
• Caffeine is the main energy-boosting element that most pre-workout supplements contain. excessive intake of caffeine can cause negative side effects such as impaired sleep, increased blood pressure and anxiety. The pre-workout formula contains caffeine that you could get from 1-2 cups of coffee. If you are getting caffeine from other sources for the day then you might accidentally consume too much. 
• Go for the supplement brand that doesn’t compromise supplement quality and safety and don’t have any inaccurate or misleading product labels.

Pre-Workout Side Effects & Safety Measures

Pre-workout supplements are formulated to boost energy level and performance during exercise. But some people experience side effects after taking. Here are some of the common pre-workout side effects and some tips to avoid them.

1) Feeling Jittery

Caffeine is the main ingredient in pre-workout supplements and it has various potential side effects only if you consume too much. These include nausea, insomnia, increased heart rate,  headaches, drowsiness, anxiety, and jitteriness. 

What To Do

Some people can tolerate caffeine dose better and some can’t. the ideal way to reduce its side effects to start with a small dose of the pre-workout supplement and slowly increases and see how much you can tolerate. Or you can opt for a pre-workout supplement without caffeine.

2) Increase in Water Retention

Another famous ingredient in pre-workout supplements is creatine. The main side effects associated with it are miles but include weight gain, digestive issues, bloating and water retention.

What To Do

You can reduce these symptoms by ensuring proper dosing, you can ask your doctor or nutritionist for proper dosing.

3) Digestive Upset

Few ingredients in pre-workout formulas can cause digestive upset. These include magnesium, caffeine, creatine, and sodium bicarbonate. When mixing a pre-workout supplement using too little water can upset your digestion.

What To Do 

Mixing your pre-workout supplement with 240-350ml of water can minimise the side effects. As it is hard to figure out which ingredient is causing digestive issues, until you find the one you can tolerate, you may want to try different pre-workout formulas.

4) Headaches

Citrulline used in some pre-workout supplements is used to increase the blood flow to the muscles during exercise which results in enhanced muscle building. However, the increase in blood flow can affect the brain and muscles, leading to headaches and migraines in some people.

What To Do 

The best way to reduce headaches from citrulline is by decreasing the dosage.

Can Everyone Take Pre-workout Supplements?

Pre-workout supplements are not for everyone. Everyone’s body reacts differently. People with any medical history or if taking any medication should avoid pre-workout supplements. If you are a healthy individual and you find that pre-workout supplement works for you then make sure you keep a check of their ingredients and your total intake.