What is a Pre-workout supplement?
The pre-workout supplement also called just “Pre-workout” is among the most popular ergogenic supplements available in the market today. Among enthusiasts, it is a popular way to enhance your energy levels in order to conquer the grilling and challenging workout routine. While certain sections of the enthusiasts along find it a waste of money or worthless. They are actually nothing but the formulated version of amino acids (beta-alanine and BCAA) mixed with caffeine and also containing certain vitamins and minerals.
As of today, there exists a huge variety of formulations in the market in terms of the quantum of ingredients they provide, so the brand you chose will play a huge role in terms of the efficacy of the supplement. Further, it is also important to check for tests done on quality and level of adulteration.
Efficacy of the Preworkout ?
The efficacy of pre-workout is a function of their individual ingredients or a group of ingredients
| Ingredients | Purpose | Research if any |
|---|---|---|
| Nitric Oxide Precursor | Nitric oxide is a compound that helps in the relaxation of blood vessels and enhances the blood circulationIngredients like L-citrulline, L-arginine, and beetroot juice helps the body in forming nitric oxideDirect exercise performance benefits may be questionable due to limited research | Ashley, J., et al, 2018, Meirelles, C.M. et al, 2016,Baião, D.D.S., et al, 2016Ashley, J., Kim, et al, 2018Meirelles, C.M., et al, 2016 |
| Caffeine | Often used as a pre-workout compound, it is very popularly used for improving energy , awareness and cognitive performance | Pickering, C. et al, 2019Tabrizi, R., et al, 2019 |
| Creatine | Creatine is a naturally occurring compound produced in your body. It helps in energy production (ATP’s) and improves muscular strength | Kreider, R.B., et al, 2017 |
| Beta-alanine | It is an amino acid responsible for avoiding acidic built-up, thereby making muscles work harder and longerConsumption produced the tingling session, it is harmless but can be uncomfortable | Trexler, E.T., et al, 2015Saunders, B., et al, 2017 |
| BCAA | Sold as a supplement that can help improve muscle mass and decrease sorenessBCAA are already found widely in natural sources, so you may be consuming adequate amount already | Fouré, A. et al, 2017Jackman, S.R. et al, 2017 |
Recommendation
To sum it up, pre-workout supplements are essentially targetted towards experiences acute performance benefits but the empirical evidence for the same is limited. Having said that pre-workout supplements are extremely safe hence there is no downside to them. While, creatine, caffeine, and beta-alanine may have been effective in their own responsibilities because there are no standardized or unanimous formulas, one may make an informed decision before investing their money into a pre-workout supplement.
References
- Ashley, J., Kim, Y. and Gonzales, J.U., 2018. Impact of L-citrulline supplementation on oxygen uptake kinetics during walking. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 43 (6), pp.631-637.
- Meirelles, C.M. and Matsuura, C., 2016. Acute supplementation of L-arginine affects neither strength performance nor nitric oxide production. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 58 (3), pp.216-220.
- Baião, D.D.S., Conte-Junior, C.A., Paschoalin, V.M.F. and Alvares, T.S., 2016. Beetroot juice increase nitric oxide metabolites in both men and women regardless of body mass. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 67 (1), pp.40-46.
- Ashley, J., Kim, Y. and Gonzales, J.U., 2018. Impact of L-citrulline supplementation on oxygen uptake kinetics during walking. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 43 (6), pp.631-637.
- Meirelles, C.M. and Matsuura, C., 2016. Acute supplementation of L-arginine affects neither strength performance nor nitric oxide production. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 58 (3), pp.216-220.
- Pickering, C. and Grgic, J., 2019. Caffeine and exercise: what next?. Sports Medicine, 49 (7), pp.1007-1030.
- Tabrizi, R., Saneei, P., Lankarani, K.B., Akbari, M., Kolahdooz, F., Esmaillzadeh, A., Nadi-Ravandi, S., Mazoochi, M. and Asemi, Z., 2019. The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dos-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 59 (16), pp.2688-2696.
- Kreider, R.B., Kalman, D.S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T.N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., Candow, D.G., Kleiner, S.M., Almada, A.L. and Lopez, H.L., 2017. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14 (1), pp.1-18.
- Trexler, E.T., Smith-Ryan, A.E., Stout, J.R., Hoffman, J.R., Wilborn, C.D., Sale, C., Kreider, R.B., Jäger, R., Earnest, C.P., Bannock, L. and Campbell, B., 2015. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12 (1), pp.1-14.
- Saunders, B., Elliott-Sale, K., Artioli, G.G., Swinton, P.A., Dolan, E., Roschel, H., Sale, C. and Gualano, B., 2017. β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 51(8), pp.658-669.
- Fouré, A. and Bendahan, D., 2017. Is branched-chain amino acids supplementation an efficient nutritional strategy to alleviate skeletal muscle damage? A systematic review. Nutrients, 9(10), p.1047.
- Jackman, S.R., Witard, O.C., Philp, A., Wallis, G.A., Baar, K. and Tipton, K.D., 2017. Branched-chain amino acid ingestion stimulates muscle myofibrillar protein synthesis following resistance exercise in humans. Frontiers in physiology, 8, p.390.
