Fitness freaks do every possible thing to stimulate their body strength and efficiency and to achieve their final goal of a toned and muscular body. In this race, people often come across pre-workout supplements that promise to do wonders by raising your physical efficiency dramatically so that you can easily cross your limits and all barriers that come in the way of your fitness goal.
However, before you start using these supplements it is essential to understand all expected pros and cons of pre-workout supplements so, that you won’t mislead or expect something extraordinary that becomes the reason for your disheartenment in the future.
Pre-Workout Supplements Ingredients
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Before you get to know about the all associated pros and cons of these bodybuilding supplements it is vital to understand first that what you actually get in these supplements. This is because based on the specific ingredients that these supplements are made up of we can determine the level of efficiency that it will offer after their regular intake.
Below is the list of the components or ingredients that you get in general all pre-workout supplements products and their specific feature and benefit for your fitness goal.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most commonly found ingredients in the pre-workout supplements products apart from different exotic ingredients. You will get it in doses of around 100 to 300 mg per serving. The primary thing that this ingredient does in your body is by keeping you awake and energetic for a longer duration even though you have not had enough sleep in the last night.
It also eliminates the feeling or sensation of fatigue which is very common to occur when you workout at your optimal level. By curbing the fatigue feeling, it ensures that you cross your usual physical potential without any barrier, which paves your way of getting a toned and muscular body very easily.
This associated feature of caffeine makes it effective for those planning to work on high endurance or speed endurance activities such as weight lifting etc. These activities last over a minute time and you need to give a flawless performance without getting injured or interrupted.
L-Carnitine
Carnitine is a popular amino acid that is mostly marketed in the form of acetyl-L-carnitine. It can be found at the doses of half a gram to many grams in any pre-workout supplement.
When enters inside your body it aids in stimulating your muscular power or efficiency so that you can easily lift up heavyweight without getting injured with improved endurance level. It also helps in reducing workout associated fatigue issue and prevents muscle or tissue damage risk.
L-Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an essential amino acid and a primary producer of dopamine and noradrenaline. Hence, when you consume a pre-workout supplement drink containing, this ingredient, automatically you started feeling stress-free and a high level of energy fills your mind and body in no time.
As a result of it, you get ready to give your highest possible performance without getting stressed or tired of a longer duration. Also, it stimulates the effects of caffeine and other ingredients that work as stimulants. It is found in the range of 500mg to 3 grams in any pre-workout supplement in general.
Citrulline Malate
Citrulline is another amino acid that you will get generally in a pre-workout supplement. A supplement labeled with Citrulline malate in its ingredients lists remains mixed with malate in the ratio of 2:1. If a person consumes certain grams of it, at least one hour before the workout performance then he will experience very minor level fatigue or no fatigue at all during or after the workout session.
β-alanine
It is one of the modified versions of the amino acid called alanine. Taking several grams of beta-alanine in a day can stimulate the level of muscular endurance and reduces fatigue problems even if you workout for a longer duration.
Its doses in a pre-workout supplement are not very important as one can grab its associated benefits only with its regular supplementation. That means to grab its benefits one needs to have a supplement rich in this ingredient on daily basis.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine Monohydrate is another type of modified amino acid that is generally found in a pre-workout supplement. Taking at least 5 to 10 grams of creatine in a day is effective for improving your body’s strength, muscle mass, and power. However, just like other modified versions of amino acids even this modified amino acid doesn’t need to be taken particularly before your workout practice.
To grab its associated benefits for your fitness goal you need to be consistent with its doses then and only you can expect something out of it.
Taurine
Taurine is another popular ingredient in many pre-workout supplement products. However, it is important to understand here that this amino acid is not a stimulant. Instead of that, it helps in reducing or managing cramps caused by a high dose of stimulant intake.
However, if anyone facing this issue then its simple solution will be to reduce the doses of that particular stimulant to avoid its associated cramping problem.
B Vitamins
B groups of vitamins include b6, b12, and niacin. These are different kinds of vitamins however they all are effective for stimulating your energy level, metabolism, and alertness level.
Generally, B vitamins have a very little direct physical impact, but its supportive energy boost and motivation work as a vital stimulant factor. This ensures that you workout consistently for a longer duration ensuring speedy muscle mass and strength buildup.
Pros of Pre-Workout Supplements
Below is the list of pros or benefits associated with pre-workout supplements-
Strengthens Immunity System
In order to be regular in your fitness class, it is very crucial that you stay fit and healthy which is only possible when you have a strong immunity system. A person with a healthy body in all respect can only be a good athlete. So, this particular requirement of immunity system strengthening is well fulfilled with the pre-workout health drinks.
Pre-workout supplements containing amino acid-like arginine, or pre-workout pills that are formulated with antioxidants such as zinc, lycopene aids in reducing and preventing cell damages caused by free radicals attack. These free radicals are usually produced in the body during the intense workout performance, making vital damages that can weaken your cell and make you ill.
By strengthening your immunity system it gives you protection against common infectious diseases which otherwise can interpret your performance by making you irregular.
Boost Up Energy Level
The ingredients like amino acids in pre-workout supplement products work as an energy stimulant such as L-carnitine, L-arginine, etc. Its regular doses boost up your muscle’s energy that strengthens it to pick heavy weights easily and effortlessly.
The amino acid-like L-arginine aids in raising the level of blood supply by dilating the blood vessels. Hence, this increases the supply of nutrients and oxygen into muscle tissue that is necessary for quick energy boost up and for an improved level of workout performance.
Improves Alertness
For an athlete or bodybuilder, it is very much essential that their alertness and focus level remain quick and on time in order to give their best performance with the optimum level of efficiency. So, this vital necessity is well fulfilled with the help of healthy pre-workout supplements.
These pre-workout drinks are very beneficial for improving your focus and alertness level in no time which is the basic requirement for any common physical game such as football, cricket, marathons, cycling, etc.
Thus, it raises your chances of winning in such highly competitive games. Also, by preventing common hurdles such as fatigue issue, it removes the chances of exhaustion that otherwise hinders in your way of smooth workout performance.
Stimulate Anaerobic Energy
Pre-workout supplements improve your physical performance by stimulating anaerobic energy. While practicing an intense form of any physical activity your body started utilizing the anaerobic energy system, which is a kind of energy that your body generates even in the absence of oxygen through the stored nutrients.
When you get this added level of energy supply, automatically you become capable of performing an intense form of workout effortlessly with an increased level of strength and endurance. This not only boosts up your performance level but also prevents the risk of injuries that may happen in the lack of sufficient stamina and endurance level.
Speed Up Muscle Recovery Rate
After a rigorous workout session, it is natural to get muscle soreness and fatigue-related issues which not only impacts your mood and health on that particular day but also impact your performance on the next day. This also slows down your recovery rate and time causing unusual intervals or break from your regular fitness class.
However, this issue can be well dealt with the help of pre-workout supplement drink regular intake. The essential ingredients existing in these supplements stimulate your muscle recovery speed and time ensuring that with the same level of strength and power you attain your next fitness class. Ingredients such as caffeine, creatine, and beta-alanine make your muscle recovery rate very fast and effective.
Cons of Pre-Workout Supplements
Along with many important benefits or advantages, the intake of the pre-workout supplements is also associated with some cons as well which one must remain aware of before starting this drink intake. The list of some common cons that may or may not happen with the regular intake of pre-workout supplements are enlisted below-
Raises Blood Pressure Level
The ingredients in the pre-workout supplements are basically stimulants that can elevate your blood pressure level. Especially, caffeine is known for this negative health impact. This risk gets bigger in the cases where a user is already a hypertension patient. In such cases, one needs to have a consultation with the doctor before starting the doses of these pre-workout supplement products.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a very common side effect associated with pre-workout supplements intake. Some of the ingredients existing in pre-workout supplements can pull water from your body and eliminate or excrete it which results in excess dehydration. Along with dehydration, other issues that come along is a headache problem. So to avoid this concern it is essential to drink plenty of water while taking supplements drink.
Tingly Sensation
You can feel a tingly or prickly sensation after having these pre-workout drinks throughout your body. However, this is not a very worrisome concern. This kind of unusual sensation may disappear with time and you will start feeling normal even after these pre-supplements intake.
Side Effects Associated with Overconsumption
The overdoses of a pre-workout supplement with the assumption that it will keep you energized throughout the day can prove harmful for your health. These supplements must be consumed in limited doses just for the energy boost before your workout performance. However, when you start consuming it continuously with the aim that it will keep you active all day around then it may prove harmful.
Over-consumption of supplements like arginine, L-carnitine, etc can lead to hyperactivity that results in unusual quick exhaustion. Also, it can cause insomnia health issue resulting in your body doesn’t get enough rest in the lack of sleep.
Side Effects Caused by Inaccurate Formulation
Though most of the pre-workout supplements are labeled with safe formulation, but in some cases, these supplements contain inaccurate formulations that have the potential to impact your health negatively. Some supplements products contain artificial ingredients as stimulants and energy boosters.
These artificial ingredients are not scientifically recommended and can generate numerous side effects such as exhaustion, allergies, and gastric disorders. The risk remains high if it is consumed in high doses and on regular basis.
Side Effects Caused by Banned Substance
Supplements containing low-quality ingredients especially the ones that are banned substances can cause a negative impact on your health. It happens many times that we forget to check the quality assurance on the supplement products with the assumption that its composition will be the best.
However, if this kind of mistake happens then the possibility exists that you bring banned substance-free supplements at home. Choosing this kind of pre-workout supplement can lead you a victim of some adverse side effects. This is the reason why you should check all the ingredients label carefully while purchasing these pre-workout supplements.
Insomnia
As most of the pre-workout supplements contain caffeine as its primary ingredient so its associated impact is likely to occur in the form of insomnia health issues. Caffeine drink is primarily consumed to keep you energize and for wakefulness.
However, the regular and excess intake of a supplement containing this ingredient may cause insomnia issues that are lack of sleep even during nights. This is the reason why one should avoid excessive doses of these supplement products to stay normal and healthy.
After analyzing all the expected pros and cons of pre-workout supplements we can say that these supplement products are effective for its goal but it is not completely risk-free. So, to eliminate the associated risk it must be consumed on necessary doses, backed by necessary nutrient-rich diet intake, proper exercise plan, and continuity for achieving the expected fitness goal. Please