If you have ever been interested in weight lifting and gym training, you may have heard of workout supplements. After all, they are part of many conversations during training sessions among gym-goers.
Still, most pre-workout supplements, like nitric oxide (NO) for example, are not so popular. So get ready to learn a lot about gym supplementation!
What Does Pre-workout Do?
Pre-workout supplements are nutritional complexes or food substances that are taken before sports practice. So, what does pre-workout do?
Their purpose is to enhance the athlete’s ability before undergoing intense workout routines, to enable them to achieve higher levels of workout performance than they would normally achieve without supplementation. They can give that extra energy boost needed to lift heavier weights and increase the growth of muscle mass.
In the case of nitric oxide, its main function is to dilate the blood vessels, so that waste substances are eliminated and oxygen and nutrients are supplied, which is very beneficial to health, as well as to improve blood flow and blood pressure. Nitric oxide also releases hormones like human growth hormone and insulin.
Some pre-workout formulas have L-Arginine, one of the essential amino acids (or protein building), and one of the main nitric oxide precursors. The body is unable to synthesize L-Arginine so it must be ingested through food like dairy, red meat, and poultry.
Pre-Workout Ingredients and Safety
Pre-workout supplements contain a mixture of mainly caffeine, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids, nitrates, creatine, arginine, citrulline, B vitamins, and other ingredients that could improve exercise performance.
Caffeine
Caffeine is the main ingredient in many pre-workouts as it is responsible for their acute ergogenic effects. Furthermore, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, caffeine acutely improves performance during both strength and endurance exercise.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid. One study found that beta-alanine can help both endurance and strength athletes. The recommended dose is 3 to 7 mg grams before training. Its main positive effects on performance are several: it increases muscle power, muscle mass, and physical endurance, and reduces muscle cramps.
The consumption of pre-workouts may carry some risks. The following are the main contraindications, and pre-workout side effects:
- The use of a pre-workout supplement is not recommended in those with heart or central nervous system problems due to their high content of stimulant substances.
- Caffeine and other stimulants can cause insomnia, depending on your tolerance. An alternative is to take caffeine-free pre-workout.
- Pre-workout supplements can cause dehydration. The usual need to drink while exercising is increased because creatine requires extra fluid to be absorbed.
- Some of the most frequent side effects of taking pre-workouts are feelings of nervousness, tremors, alterations in blood pressure or heart rate, excess energy, headache, and nausea. Therefore, Health Canal recommends consulting a doctor specialized in sports nutrition or sports medicine before starting to take them, especially if you have a disease, or any food allergy or intolerance.
What Are The Benefits of Pre-workout?
- They improve athletic performance and delay fatigue. This is due to the stimulants incorporated in their composition, such as ginseng or caffeine, which enhance energy. In addition, they have the ability to reduce the effects associated with the lactic acid buildup in the body, which reduces muscle soreness.
- They increase fat burning for energy production. Many of the pre-workout supplements have added metabolism accelerators, which help to lose weight and build more skeletal muscle tissue.
- They increase muscular endurance and strength. Other substances used as supplementation are vasodilators, which contribute to more effective blood circulation and promote greater oxygenation, which better reaches the muscles being exercised.
- They build muscle. Taking pre-workout supplements accelerates the muscle-building process by stimulating muscle protein synthesis, which is key to increasing muscle fibers.
When Should I Take Pre-workout?
The first thing to understand is that their consumption of pre-workout products must be prior to a training session, so they should only be taken on training days, and not at rest. This does not mean that it is necessary to take them every day of your workout regimen, since there is a risk that the body gets used to their consumption and stops producing the desired effects, or the doses must be constantly increased in order to achieve the objectives.
Therefore, it is advisable to use them only when training is more demanding, or at specific times when, due to external factors, our physical performance decreases (for example, during exam periods, or when there is a lot of work and the body suffers).
Final Thoughts – Is Pre-workout Necessary?
Pre-workouts are not strictly necessary to complete a training regimen. However, they are a great help. As well as giving you extra energy, they also reduce fatigue and muscle soreness. However, if pre-workout supplements are not taken correctly, they can lead to health problems. In order to prevent any side effects, it is necessary to see a specialist.
However, if you are not a high-performance athlete or don’t go to the gym that often, you can get some of the benefits of organic components of green powders. It’s known for not only containing many of the essential nutrients but also being capable of increasing cellular energy and maintaining good health conditions.
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