What Pre-Workout Supplements Should I Take?

What Pre-Workout Supplements Should I Take?

There is no ideal pre-workout supplement out there for everyone because everybody’s workout is different. Your best pre-workout might be a black coffee, while others may need something more or nothing at all. Every pre-workout comes with different supplements inside it and finding the best for you is best by breaking down what you need to fuel your workout. 

Caffeine

Caffeine has to be #1 on this list. Ingesting this supplement before exercise has proven to improve performance, increase strength and power, reduce fatigue, and stimulate fat burning. Caffeine is in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and in pill/powder form. Regardless, of the method this is a great supplement to enhance your workouts. Ideally, this would want to be consumed 15-30 minutes before exercise and the effects begin to decrease about 90 minutes after consumption.

‍The amount recommended is 3-6 mg per kg of body weight or 1-3 mg per lb. This should be based on your tolerance and you may be good with an even smaller amount than the recommended. 

You should avoid caffeine if you have stomach sensitivity due to caffeine or cardiovascular risks such as high blood pressure.

Creatine

Creatine is #1b on the list if caffeine is #1a. Creatine is very commonly used and something the body does produce naturally. This supplement has been shown to increase muscle mass, muscle fiber size, muscle strength, and power, as well as delay fatigue. This is done as creatine is used for the most explosive movements of your workouts, therefore the more you have the more explosive energy you will have.

If you had to choose you would take this after your workout but both will work even better. The recommended creatine dosage amount is about 5 grams of Creatine Monohydrate per day. 

You should avoid creatine if you have kidney issues or your stomach gets upset when taking it. If you have stomach difficulties you may want to try Buffered Creatine of Kre-Alkalyn. The recommended dose is less which is about 1 g per day.

Branched Chained Amino Acids (BCAAs)

BCAAs are three essential amino acids your body does not produce, Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine. Leucine is a key amino acid for building muscle. Isoleucine and Valine produce energy and regulate blood sugar levels.

Together BCAAs help increase muscle growth, decrease soreness after a workout, and reduce fatigue. The recommended dose is about 15g of BCAAs per day.

L-Carnitine

This is a valuable chemical that protects your muscle from damage while assisting in the process of turning fat into energy. It may also help in reduce muscle degradation while allowing for a quicker recovery after working out. Some studies have shown a increase in muscle mass, decrease in body fat, and reducing mental fatigue.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that is a building block of carnosine, a molecule that helps buffer lactic acid in muscles. This amino acid is ideal for high-performance short-interval exercise in preventing lactic acid in your muscles. This would be ideal for very intense short bursts and delaying muscle soreness. The recommended dose is about 4-6g taken daily.

Arginine

This is a non-essential amino acid produced in the body but supplementing could be beneficial to you. This is used for blood circulation. L-arginine is converted in the body to a chemical called nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide causes blood vessels to open wider for improved blood flow. This also stimulates the release of growth hormones, insulin, and other substances. The recommended dose is about 5g per day.

Because of the increased blood in the body, arginine can cause increased effects on multiple things inside the body. It can worsen conditions like allergies and asthma. This has also been known to treat erectile dysfunction due to the enhanced blood flow.

B Vitamins

B Vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 all play a role in converting food that you eat into cellular energy, they also support the breakdown and transport of nutrients. This would be helpful to bring that pre-workout meal’s nutrients where they are needed.

Pre-workout mixes 

There are powder mixes that provide all these supplements in one convenient drink. Every pre-workout mix does come with different ingredients and the quantity of the ingredients is what determines the price. One basic level mix that gives you everything except the Creatine and BCAAs (generally the most expensive ingredient) is Cellucor C4 Ripped. If you wanted to add in creatine it is very cheap to purchase on its own. The BCAAs are the more expensive option, but if you wanted an all-encompassing mix you could try Cellucor C4 Ultimate which has creatine and BCAAs. 

Buy C4 Products:

In the US? Get it now on Amazon!

In Canada? Get it now on Amazon!

Buy Additional Creatine Monohydrate or Kre-Alkalyn Products:

In the US? Get it now on Amazon!

In Canada? Get it now on Amazon!

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In the US? Get it now on Amazon!

In Canada? Get it now on Amazon!

These are the main pre-workout supplements taken to enhance your workout. You have the option to take these or not, they do come with some proven benefits but many may already be present in your diet. Supplementation is the act of getting the nutrients your diet is missing. Pre-workout supplementation may be what you need to take your workout to the next level.

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