Should I Be Taking Pre-Workout?

What’s the deal with Pre-workout?

Let’s start off by talking about what pre-workout really is. Pre-workout is a general term for a supplement taken before exercise. There are many different brands of pre-workout and they all contain different ingredients and portions of ingredients. Some of the common ingredients that you will see in pre-workout are caffeine, beta-alanine, green tea extract, chromium, citrulline malate, and betaine anhydrous. Each of these ingredients offers different ergogenic effects which I will review.

Caffeine

Caffeine is the most common pre-workout supplement and also the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the USA. Many people utilize caffeine to enhance their cognitive abilities such as attention and vigilance especially when one is experiencing sleep deprivation. In addition to improved cognitive function, it can help improve your athletic performance. Caffeine has been shown to naturally enhance exercise performance in various studies in terms of muscular endurance, movement speed, muscular strength, and aerobic endurance (Guest et al., 2021). Caffeine can be supplemented in different ways but a common source is green tea extract. Green tea extract has been proven, in a triple blind study, to decrease muscular damage and improve oxidative stress when compared to a group who received a placebo. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance of production and accumulation of oxygen reactive species in cells and tissues (Machado, da Silva, Souza, & Carpes, 2018). This effects our body’s ability to detoxify. It can also damage cells, proteins, and DNA which contributes to aging. Green tea extract can also enhance fat metabolism and improve athletic performance (Kim, Park, & Lim, 2016). What is meant by “fat metabolism” is not burning adipose tissue on the body. It means that it helps our body more efficiently metabolize fat consumed in our diet to use it as energy for our workouts. Additionally, a sports supplement that contained green tea extract (among other ingredients such as Yeba Meta, Guarna Seed Extract, Anhydrous caffeine, saw palmetto, Fo-To, Eleuthero root, Cayenne pepper, and Yohimbine HCI) found that fatty acid oxidation increased in the experimental group significantly more than the group who received a placebo. Another benefit observed was that the group taking the sports supplement reported lower rates of perceived exertion, meaning they perceived their work out to be easier (Alkhatib, Seijo, Larumbe, & Naclerio, 2015).

When utilizing caffeine for its ergogenic effects, there are a few factors to consider. First is dosage. The benefits that were discussed previously can be seen when 3-6 mg of caffeine are consumed per every kilogram of bodyweight. For example, a person who weighs 145 lbs would weigh 65.9 kg. So the recommended caffeine intake for this person would be between 197.7-395.5 mg of caffeine (Guest et al., 2021). A person consuming doses higher than this (9mg/kg bodyweight) will no longer see ergogenic benefits, and start to experience negative side effects such as anxiety, tremors, and insomnia. Finally, we must time our caffeine appropriately. The greatest degree of benefits are seen when the caffeine has been consumed 60 minutes before the start of exercise. This is due to caffeine having a half-life of 4-6 hours and after 60 minutes the caffeine is able to be absorbed and utilized in the body. Some forms of caffeine may be absorbed faster such as gummies or capsules (Guest et al., 2021).

Chromium

Chromium is another common additive to pre-workout, but it is also a trace mineral that can be consumed in our diet. Chromium has been found to help regulate glucose, lipids and protein metabolism. Additionally it has been linked with an increase in muscle mass and decrease in body fat. While there are some data to support that chromium can provide some benefits in body composition, you will not see these benefits if you are already consuming the daily recommended value. The daily value for chromium is 35 mcg. It can be found in meats, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, brewer’s yeast, beer and wine. Some of the highest sources are grape juice, ham, whole wheat flour, orange juice, and beef (Health, 2022). If you are consuming a balanced and varied diet, you likely do not need to supplement with chromium.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid, which means it can be consumed in the diet, but it can also be produced by our body. Supplementing with beta-alanine has proven to increase muscle carnosine and in turn improve exercise. It is best at improving exercise that lasts 1-4 minutes. Exercise that is shorter than 30 seconds, or longer than 10 minutes will not be improved. Types of exercise that are expected to improve would be strength training and sprinting activities. It has the ability to improve exercise capacity and performance (Saunders et al., 2017). Additionally, supplementing can improve intramuscular buffering capacity which assists in decreasing muscle fatiguing. Because of this athletes and gym goers would be able to increase repetitions or the weight that are utilizing while lifting, which will increase the intensity of their workouts, and lead to more gains in the gym. Strength and power are also expected to improve from this decrease in muscular fatiguing. When athletes were provided with a beta-alanine supplement and others with a placebo, the participants taking the supplement significantly increased their training volume and had lower rates of perceived exertion. Finally, body composition improvements are also a benefit for those who supplement with beta-alanine. It can significantly increase fat loss and increase lean body mass and compared to participants only taking creatine or only taking a placebo. It allowed participants to increase muscular hypertrophy, meaning they increased their muscle size (Hoffman, Emerson, & Stout, 2012).

Citrulline Malate

Citrulline Malate is another ergogenic aid that can be found in many pre-workout supplements. It can improve resistance training and high intensity exercise because it enhances blood flow to our muscles and can increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production (Gough et al., 2021). ATP is the fuel that our muscles use to contract. During exercise carbohydrates are oxidized to produce ATP and phosphocreatine assists the body to regenerate ADP to ATP (Hultman & Greenhaff, 1991). With more ATP available, muscular endurance will improve, and athletes will be able to complete more repetitions during resistance training. Similar to caffeine, the greatest effects are seen when it is consumed 60 minutes before exercise (Gough et al., 2021).

Betaine Anhydrous

Betaine anhydrous is another ergogenic aid, but is also a chemical that naturally occurs in our body. It can be found as a supplement but also in foods like beets, spinach, cereals, seafood and wine. When athletes were provided with a supplement or a placebo, there was no significant difference in repetitions performed for a single leg press or lactate changes. Changes in lactate are an indirect biomarker for muscular fatiguing. Human growth hormone was also not significant different among groups, however insulin-like growth hormone was significantly higher(Machek et al., 2022). Insulin-like growth hormone is valuable for building muscle and improving one’s body composition. Additional studies have discovered chronic supplementation of betaine at 1.25-2.5 g a day to decrease muscle fatiguing, increase volume load, and improve power and force. Betaine can also increase creatine synthesis, levels of blood nitric oxide and promote fluid and thermal regulation (Harty et al., 2018).

Additives to Avoid

While pre-workout supplements can provide us with great benefits in the gym, there are some additives that we must be precautious of.  Some pre-workouts utilize sucralose and aspartame to provide a tasteful flavor while keeping the caloric content low. Consumption of sucralose in rat studies have proved a decrease in the “good” bacteria in our gut and decrease fecal pH (Abou-Donia, El-Masry, Abdel-Rahman, McLendon, & Schiffman, 2008). A decrease in fecal pH can contribute to poor absorption of carbohydrates and fats. This disruption can also cause dysbiosis (imbalance) and can cause stomach pain. Additionally, consumption of sucralose and aspartame likely decreases our insulin sensitivity (Ahmad, Friel, & Mackay, 2020). This means that a person with a lower insulin sensitivity needs more insulin to lower their blood glucose levels back to normal. Human studies have yet to prove similar results, but many people do report stomach pain after consumption of sucralose. Some brands utilize stevia leaf to sweeten their supplement which does not impair gut bacteria (Jiang).

Overview

Pre-workout has more benefits than just getting you hyped up for the gym. Many of the ingredients in pre-workout can significantly improve your performance. When you are looking to purchase a pre-workout, ingredients you should look for are caffeine (or green tea extract), beta-alanine, and citrulline malate. These ingredients have been proven to decrease muscular fatiguing, improve body composition, increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity, and increase work load. Chromium may have some benefits but only if your diet is deficient in it. You will likely see similar benefits if you eat a balanced and varied diet. If you’ve experienced stomach pains after consuming sucralose you would benefit from finding a pre-workout that utilizes stevia leaf instead. Finally, you should consider the timing of your pre-workout. Citrulline malate and caffeine benefits are both optimized when consumed 60 minutes prior to exercise. Many gym goers consume their pre-workout on the way to the gym or right before their workout. These athletes are likely missing out on some benefits due to poor timing. Finally, if you are a person who workouts out at night, you may experience insomnia or difficulty falling asleep if you are to consume pre-workout or caffeine too late in the day (after 6 pm). If this becomes an issue for you, you may benefit from changing the time of your workouts to be in the morning or afternoon, or chose a caffeine-free pre-workout. So what do you think, are you hopping on the pre-workout train?

Vedge Nutrition is my favorite Pre-Workout. It contains all of the important additives you need for a great workout and none of the pointless additives.

Keep scrolling for a link to see where you can buy it!

References 

Abou-Donia, M. B., El-Masry, E. M., Abdel-Rahman, A. A., McLendon, R. E., & Schiffman, S. S. (2008). Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats. J Toxicol Environ Health A, 71(21), 1415-1429. doi:10.1080/15287390802328630

Ahmad, S. Y., Friel, J. K., & Mackay, D. S. (2020). Effect of sucralose and aspartame on glucose metabolism and gut hormones. Nutr Rev, 78(9), 725-746. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuz099

Alkhatib, A., Seijo, M., Larumbe, E., & Naclerio, F. (2015). Acute effectiveness of a "fat-loss" product on substrate utilization, perception of hunger, mood state and rate of perceived exertion at rest and during exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 12, 44. doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0105-8

Gough, L. A., Sparks, S. A., McNaughton, L. R., Higgins, M. F., Newbury, J. W., Trexler, E., . . . Bridge, C. A. (2021). A critical review of citrulline malate supplementation and exercise performance. Eur J Appl Physiol, 121(12), 3283-3295. doi:10.1007/s00421-021-04774-6

Guest, N. S., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Nelson, M. T., Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Jenkins, N. D. M., . . . Campbell, B. I. (2021). International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 18(1), 1. doi:10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4

Harty, P. S., Zabriskie, H. A., Erickson, J. L., Molling, P. E., Kerksick, C. M., & Jagim, A. R. (2018). Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 15(1), 41. doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0247-6

Health, N. I. o. (2022). Strengthening Knowledge and Understanding of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Sources%20of%20Chromium,-Food&text=Chromium%20is%20present%20in%20many,yeast%2C%20beer%2C%20and%20wine.

Hoffman, J. R., Emerson, N. S., & Stout, J. R. (2012). beta-Alanine supplementation. Curr Sports Med Rep, 11(4), 189-195. doi:10.1249/JSR.0b013e3182604983

Hultman, E., & Greenhaff, P. L. (1991). Skeletal muscle energy metabolism and fatigue during intense exercise in man. Sci Prog, 75(298 Pt 3-4), 361-370. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1842855

Jiang, G. Natural Sweetener Stevia Makes a Gutsy Comeback. Retrieved from https://tellus.ars.usda.gov/stories/articles/natural-sweetener-stevia-makes-a-gutsy-comeback/

Kim, J., Park, J., & Lim, K. (2016). Nutrition Supplements to Stimulate Lipolysis: A Review in Relation to Endurance Exercise Capacity. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 62(3), 141-161. doi:10.3177/jnsv.62.141

Machado, A. S., da Silva, W., Souza, M. A., & Carpes, F. P. (2018). Green Tea Extract Preserves Neuromuscular Activation and Muscle Damage Markers in Athletes Under Cumulative Fatigue. Front Physiol, 9, 1137. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.01137

Machek, S. B., Harris, D. R., Zawieja, E. E., Heileson, J. L., Wilburn, D. T., Radziejewska, A., . . . Willoughby, D. S. (2022). The Impacts of Combined Blood Flow Restriction Training and Betaine Supplementation on One-Leg Press Muscular Endurance, Exercise-Associated Lactate Concentrations, Serum Metabolic Biomarkers, and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1alpha Gene Expression. Nutrients, 14(23). doi:10.3390/nu14235040

Saunders, B., Elliott-Sale, K., Artioli, G. G., Swinton, P. A., Dolan, E., Roschel, H., . . . Gualano, B. (2017). beta-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med, 51(8), 658-669. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096396

My favorite pre-workout - Contains Caffeine, Beta-Alanine, Citrulline Malate, and Betaine Anhydrous plus its sweetened with stevia, and not sucralose!!!