Designed to be taken 30 to 60 minutes before a fitness session, pre-workout supplements are known for providing the strength, energy, and focus needed to power through any workout. Whether your goal is to beat lethargy and lack of motivation before exercising, or you simply wish to improve and optimize your overall fitness results, pre-workouts might be a great choice for you.
To that end, here is a detailed guide that will allow you to learn more about pre-workout supplements, and help you choose the best option for your personal needs:
As their name suggests, pre-workout supplements are taken prior to a fitness session, with the goal of improving performance and making any workout more efficient. As these supplements tend to provide additional focus and energy needed for any physical activity, they are taken by anyone who wishes to optimize their body and mind in order to maximize their workouts. However, pre-workouts can also contain other beneficial ingredients that aim to increase blood flow, build muscle mass, and boost endurance and recovery, for instance.
Most of the pre-workout supplements that are currently available can be divided into two different groups, those that contain stimulants and those that don’t. The stimulant supplements usually contain caffeine, along with other stimulating ingredients, and are best for those who need a boost of energy and motivation before a workout. For those sensitive to caffeine, or those who simply aren’t looking for additional energy, there are many non-stimulant supplements available that can be just as beneficial for improving physical performance.
As already mentioned, pre-workout supplements are ideal for increasing focus and concentration, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in your exercise routine, while also optimizing your performance and allowing you to achieve better results after an average gym session. As the main goal of pre-workouts is to provide energy and endurance, these supplements are ideal for anyone who needs an extra kick that will allow them to crush important workouts.
However, as there are a wide variety of supplements available on the market today, some of them might be beneficial for other health and physical aspects as well. For example, a pre-workout that helps to stimulate the human growth hormone might allow you to boost HGH naturally by speeding up the metabolism and aiding in weight loss, while ingredients such as BCAAs or EAAs can increase protein production and help in building muscle mass.
When selecting the right pre-workout for you, it’s important to take your personal needs and goals into consideration. For instance, if you are a woman trying to improve her fitness journey, the average supplement that’s mostly made with men in mind might not be the right choice for you. This is mostly due to body weight, as the dosages and the concentration of ingredients might end up being too overpowering. Instead, it’s recommended to choose the best pre-workout for women made only with high-quality ingredients, which have been properly tested and researched as well, in order to ensure optimal compatibility.
Similarly, if you have specific fitness goals in mind, it would be best to select a pre-workout supplement that will allow you to reach your targets. If you’re currently in a cutting cycle, for example, it would be best to avoid supplements filled with unnecessary sugars and carbohydrates, while pre-workouts packed with protein might help muscle-building goals.
The ingredients are arguably the most important aspect of any supplement, and knowing the purpose and benefits of each can help you select the most suitable pre-workout for your personal needs. Caffeine, of course, is known as being the most common focus- and energy-boosting ingredient, but amino acids like L-theanine can help you achieve the same effect. Creatine is another popular ingredient, being quite beneficial when it comes to increasing power, strength, muscle mass, and overall performance.
On the other hand, nitric oxide boosters such as L-arginine and citrulline can help to increase blood flow around the body, aiding in better nutrient delivery and an additional energy “pump”. Similarly, ingredients like taurine can boost the metabolism and aid in fat loss, while B-vitamins are quite beneficial when it comes to blood production, energy, and strength, as well as overall physical efficiency.
Although selecting pre-workout supplements might often seem like a difficult task, due to the wide variety of choices, the helpful guide mentioned above will have hopefully allowed you to learn more about ingredients and different types of supplements, allowing you to make the best, most informed choice.
