What Are Pre-Workouts??
How Do Pre Workouts Work?
Pre-workout supplements are more popular today than they ever were. That’s because they’re formulated with ingredients that work together to ramp up your energy and endurance, increase strength, crank up muscle growth, and burn off body fat. The following pages break down the common pre-workout nutrients and list the industry’s top products:Pre workouts are a class of sports supplements taken before athletic activity to increase performance.Generally, pre workout supplements can affect some or all of the following things: strength, energy, stamina, and muscle building potential.
The typical introduction is one of these classic scenarios: 1.) your buddies tell you about some ‘pre workout’ they took that gave them the best workout ever. 2.) Some guy at a sports supplements store essentially told you that it’s not worth going to the gym without taking a pre workout. 3.) You’ve started looking around for ways to have more energy in the gym and came across pre workout supplementation.
How do Pre Workouts increase Strength?
One of the major perks that pre workout supplements promote is an increase in strength, aka the amount of weight you can lift. This is achieved through a few common mechanisms that can be activated by a few different ingredients outlined below list style.
Creatine – Creatine is the most well-known strength enhancer in pre workout supplements. Strength increases from creatine result from the excess of energy molecules available, now that you have creatine and ATP in your cells. This increases endurance by the same respect, especially when muscle cells are depleted of oxygen slowing the natural production of ATP. Creatine is often taken on a separate basis as well.
Caffeine – Yes, caffeine does increase strength! While you already know that caffeine increases mental clarity, energy, and endurance; caffeine has been clinically proven to reduce the feeling of ‘effort’ when performing strength training. Therefore, with the right amount of caffeine in your system, you are able to push harder and lift heavier weights with less strain.
Nitric Oxide – If you look on the back of a pre workout supplement, you can often find a ‘nitric oxide matrix’ or a ‘pump matrix’. These ingredients promote the production of nitric oxide which is a vascular dilator. By dilating blood vessels during exercise, circulation of nutrient and oxygen rich blood increases, allowing all of your muscles to be nourished and ready to rock. The end result is increased strength, endurance, and recovery.
Beta-Alanine – If you have ever taken a pre workout, and felt tingly, itchy, warm sensations then you have taken beta-alanine. Beta-alanine promotes strength increase by acting as a buffer in muscle tissue. Your muscles perform at their peak at a specific pH, though upon exercise lactic acid production decreases the pH out of the optimal range. Beta-alanine combats this acidity, maintaining optimal conditions for a longer period of time giving you greater strength.
How Do Pre Workouts Build Muscle?
A large portion of how pre workout supplements traditionally increase the amount of muscle you build is by increasing the amount of work that you do. If you have increased strength, you are lifting heavier weights which builds muscle. If you have more energy in the gym, then you are working out for longer and harder, which equates to a greater volume of weights being lifted which once again results in muscle growth.A natural amino acid, Citrulline Malate is produced in the body from other amino acids you consume. This means, you likely have small amounts as you walk around every single day. But this level simply isn’t sufficient for the benefits it could provide. This is where supplementation comes into play.
Amino Acids – Amino acids are the most integral part of muscle tissue,. But beyond acting as simple building components, a few amino acids have all-star roles in building muscle. Primarily, L-leucine is an effective muscle growth ‘trigger’. Additional amino acids have additional muscle building properties, but all-in-all, if your pre workout has amino acids then it is promoting muscle growth when you work out..
How Do Pre Workouts Increase Energy?
Pre workout supplements first arose with the purpose of giving bodybuilders more energy in the gym. It began as guys drinking coffee before the gym, which switched gears when energy diet supplements hit the scene. From there on, diet pills were a major source of pre-gym energy. Luckily, science progressed and true pre workout formulas were developed offering more performance than coffee, and more safe and muscle building focused than fat burner energy sources. Below are some of the heavy hitter energy components of pre workout supplements.
Caffeine – Yes, caffeine is in nearly every pre workout that is not stimulant free. There’s nothing quite like good old caffeine, and many supplements go ahead and stack caffeine with other energy ingredients to offer up a stronger, longer lasting power boost.
Synephrine – Synephrine is a common stimulant found in many pre workout products.
Synephrine produces energizing effects similar to caffeine, but without as many jitters.
Synephrine, as well as caffeine also promote fat metabolism during the workout.
