PRE-WORKOUTS – THE THREE BIG INGREDIENTS

By  Brandon Pieterse

Anyone who has ever been through a training session will know how much it takes it out of you; low energy, fatigue, a loss of concentration… Luckily, there are many supplements available to us to boost our energy, fight our fatigue and give us laser-like focus. These supplements are called “pre-workouts”. As the name suggests, they are taken before a training session to help us get through the workout that lies ahead, whereas the post workout supplement is usually a whey protein shake. This is to help deliver quick protein into our system to begin the recovery process.

The trouble lies with knowing which ingredients to look out for, in what dosages, and what these ingredients do.

This post is going to highlight a few main ingredients to look out for, in their correct dosages, to ensure that when purchasing a pre-workout supplement you know what you are getting.

Energy – Caffeine

Everyone loves a good boost of energy to help get us through the full workout (to push us through those last few reps) but more importantly to give us the energy to get our workout going. The most common and effective source of energy found in pre-workouts is caffeine.

Caffeine affects our central nervous system (CNS) to give us physical as well as mental energy. This means more energy and drive in the gym, which results in a more effective workout. Caffeine works by drastically slowing down the production of adenosine, the chemical associated with sleep. The most effective dose of caffeine in a pre-workout is anywhere between 150mg-300mg. However, caffeine does have a tolerance build up, meaning you will need to take more and more each time to get the same results.

Mental Focus – L-Tyrosine

L-Tyrosine is a natural non-essential amino acid that aids in the production of dopamine and epinephrine; these are two chemicals in the brain that improve mood and reduce stress. In the presence of an acute stressor, such as exercise, L-Tyrosine has been shown to improve brain function and mental focus. The most effective does of L-Tyrosine is very broad: it ranges anywhere between 500mg-2000mg.

Fatigue Fighter – Citrulline

Citrulline has been proven to fight fatigue during training. Citrulline will synthesis protein and nitrogen in the body; this will relax the body’s blood vessels and promote circulation. This will increase nitric oxide levels, reducing fatigue while maintaining your power output. Citrulline is most effective in dosages between 3g-6g. When you see Citrulline Malate, it is Citrulline bonded with Malic Acid in the 2:1 ratio. This is more common in pre-workouts but is more effective at around 6g per serving rather than 3-6g.

As shown above, pre-workouts are nothing to be afraid of – they can be extremely beneficial. They do more than just boost your physical energy: they also help to fight fatigue, increase mental focus, and boost your mental energy too.