Pre-training supplements are designed to improve our sports results during training sessions and to ensure achieving much greater intensity.
Why is it worth using pre-workout supplements?
One of the primary goals of training is to improve muscle development. By reaching for pre-workout supplements, we will be able to increase performance. It will be a response to a greater stimulus that will contribute to even faster development, taking into account muscle growth factors. Pre-workout supplements are designed to enable your body to achieve maximum performance during a training designed to maximize performance.
It is worth noting that most pre-workout supplements contain stimulants. If you suspect that these types of substances may cause an allergic reaction or you are intolerant of them, remember that there are many versions of supplements on the market and you will surely find those that will be equally effective but do not contain potential allergens.
When is the best time to do pre-workouts?
The pre-workout should be taken 25 to 30 minutes before exercise. This is an important recommendation, especially for people who are particularly sensitive to stimulants. You should not take pre-workouts 4 hours before going to bed and choose one type of supplement and stick to it according to the producer’s restrictions and your preferences.
A pre-workout or any other supplement is recommended to be taken on an empty stomach, 30 to 60 minutes after the last meal.
Pre-workouts can also be combined with other sports supplements, but it is worth remembering what goals we want to achieve. Let’s also use common sense and moderation in taking supplements.
The benefits of using pre-workout supplements
If you are serious about training and your goal is to achieve specific results, taking pre-workouts can have many benefits. These include, among others:
- improvement of concentration and focus during activity,
- energy shot,
- fatigue delay,
- improvement of regeneration.
Some of these types of substances have an anti-catabolic effect.
What kind of pre-workout should I take?
It is very important to remember that not all supplements are the same, so we have to choose pre-workouts depending on our immediate goal, depending on the sport we do, taking into account the fact that the needs of a boxer, bodybuilder or cyclist are different.
The basic types of pre-workout supplements include:
- BCAA or branched-chain amino acids (in the form of tablets). BCAAs are essential amino acids of great importance for the muscles that our body is unable to synthesize, and which are essential for its functioning. For this very reason, they must be obtained through food or sports supplements. However, they are essential for the body, because without them it is not able to carry out normal protein synthesis. BCAAs are the most widely used supplements in the field of sports nutrition and bodybuilding due to their known positive effects on muscle gain. They make up 35% of muscle mass and are indispensable for the maintenance and growth of muscles.
- Caffeine or guarana. Stimulants will help you reduce the perception of physical exertion and give you the energy to deal with moments of fatigue and active rest between training sessions.
- L-Arginine, an amino acid that provides better oxygenation and vasodilation.
- Electrolytes, important supplements that keep the body hydrated and prevent dehydration.
- Vitamins and minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins). They contribute to the well-being and health of your body, whether you train or not.
Not only the muscles
If you train not to “do” muscles but want to lose a few or a dozen kilos, supplements are an option for you. Of course, it goes without saying that there is no such thing as a magic weight loss pill. Losing weight is a matter of energy balance, i.e. you have to spend more energy than you gain – this is achieved through exercise and a balanced diet. However, stimulants such as caffeine increase the use of body fat as an energy substrate during exercise, especially for endurance activities such as running and cycling.
