Do you believe in pre-workout supplements? You might believe after reading this article. These are supplements one takes before exercise. There are potential benefits associated with having them.
Gym and pre-workout supplements
Gym training and workouts are for improving the lean body mass and burning out excess fats. They improve performance and agility. But often, when we hit the gym we may not be in our 100% form. There may be tiredness and no motivation to do workout. Lethargy may seize us and all this will affect our training and practice session. It will ruin our exercise regime and the exercise might not fully help us the way they should.
This is where the role of pre-workout supplements comes in. These supplements are of great benefits to the gym goer. A study in Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition states that when we combine pre-workout supplements (also called just pre-workouts) with the high intensity interval training or HIIT, the results are wonderful. There is a significant rise in VO2 max, training volume and also in lean body mass. It also burns the fats faster.
Functions of pre-workout
The pre-workout fights the tiredness, lack of energy and weakness that follows an intense training session in the gym. It makes the person doing the workout go on and not get tired soon. The amount of time the person can go on with the routine increases. These pre-workouts boost energy and raise focus.
These can be in various forms: pills, shakes or meals. Normally these supplements come as a powder that are added to drinks. This is consumed by the gym goer 30 minutes before start of the exercise routine. These are usually carbs.
They raise blood sugar and provides instant energy to bear the brunt of the high intensity exercises. In short, they are a preparation for the body to face the challenge of an exercise without suffering much or falling out of it soon. It sustains the person throughout the exercise regime. Their capacity to energize is more than that of a banana or black coffee or espresso.
Content and safety
These pre-workouts usually have sugar, carbs, caffeine, energy stimulants or boosters, and protein. But the concentration of these in different brands of pre-workouts differ greatly. Caffeine might be low to high. High content of caffeine may cause tremors, palpitations, insomnia etc. Avoid such supplements which have high caffeine content.
It might also have creatine monohydrate that improves muscle power and performance, branched chain amino acids or BCAAs for endurance, taurine for fat metabolism and as an antioxidant, B vitamins, and NO2 boosters for better circulation.
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These are generally safe for athletes. Personal trainers usually advise starting with half the dose and increasing gradually if you tolerate the half dose. Avoid high dose caffeine supplements. Have pre-workout free interval of 6 to 8 weeks to overcome tolerance that develops with prolonged use. Plain tyrosine is a budget pre-workout that one can use with beneficial effects.