Pre-Workout Supplementation

You may of come across pre-workout supplements and wondered what they are, how the ingredients work, and why so many people are using them. This quick article gives you the basics of what you can expect to find in many pre-workout supplements, and how pre-workouts may improve your performance.

What is in a Pre-Workout Supplement?

Pre-workouts are blends of vasodilators, stimulants, nootropics, and/or muscular endurance ingredients. They serve the purpose to enhance your body’s capability to perform better while increasing energy levels! A lot of this comes from stimulating the central nervous system via stimulants, however now there are transition to more nootropic herbal ingredients that use adaptive mechanisms to improve memory, increase focus and even stimulant learning. Every product on the shelf is designed/formulated differently, yet there are also a lot of similarities!

The best way to pick which pre-workout is the best for you is to ask the question, “What pre-workout offers the best ingredients that will improve my performance or limitations?” This can be sport specific, however we are also seeing others use them as pick me ups during the day, or even for gaming. The main use should be to support the challenges or limitations you may be having.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself before choosing a pre-workout:

Are you physically fatiguing quickly?

Do you have a lack of energy?

Are you looking for increased blood flow and pumps while training?

Do you suffer from mental fatigue?

Do you need to be more articulate, reactive and responsive?

Don’t stress, there’s PLENTY of options!

What are Vasodilators?

Vasodilators are ingredients that open/dilate our blood vessels, preventing our muscular system from tightening, thus allowing proper blood flow. Most Common ingredients found in pre-workout supplements are L-Citrulline/Citrulline Malate (3-8grams), Glycerol (1-3grams) and L-Arginine (2-5grams). All of these ingredients contribute to nitric oxide production (No3), hence the “pump” you would feel during intensive training. However may also add to enhanced recovery, increased lean mass, and supporting endurance.

What Stimulants are in Pre-workouts

Stimulants such as caffeine, theobromine, teacrine, synephrine (bitter orange extract), and to some extent green tea extract are common ingredients that act as central nervous system stimulants, which provide energy sources. Caffeine, and other stimulants in pre-workouts may benefit athletic performance by pro-longing training sessions, and by hindering physical and mental fatigue. However it is important to realize stimulants will give you a quick blast of energy, overtime they can lead to adrenal fatigue after pro-longed use, and your body may build a tolerance over time. Every person is unique, therefor some people may be less effected by the negative impacts of stimulants than others.

What Nootropics are in Pre-workouts?

Nootropics, or sometimes called “smart supplements”, are herbs and extracts that tend to benefit the brains over-all health and performance. Normally you feel more alert, are more able to deal with stressful situations, and your memory and learning capacity can increase. Common nootropics added to pre-workouts are:

Lions mane

Alpha GPC

Huperzine A

DMAE

L-Tyrosine

Teacrine

Beta-PEA

Acetyl L-Carnitine

Theobromine

Bacopa

Lions mane medicinal mushroom, and choline based ingredients (acetyl choline/DMAE/Alpha GPC) can provide similar benefits such as uplifted mood, alertness, concentration, reduced anxiety, and mental endurance! Many people suffering from mental health issues also report improved ability to deal with daily life situations.

Can pre-workouts help with muscular endurance?

The ingredient that reigns supreme, and is found in the majority of pre-workouts would be beta-alanine. How beta-alanine benefits muscular endurance is by assisting your body in buffering lactic acid, which reduces the “burning sensation” allowing you to train harder and for longer periods of time. This can help you push a few more reps, or push through the “burn” when doing endurance sports.

Furthermore since most athletes use creatine monohydrate to improve there strength and power in the gym, beta-alanine works synergistically along with creatine to improve performance. Most people see they last longer, increase there strength/power and increase lean body mass with consistent use.

For a great selection of pre-workouts available in Canada, and great prices visit www.optimizenutition.ca and go to our pre-workouts section. We make it easier by breaking down pre-workouts into naturally flavoured "https://optimizenutrition.ca/all-natural-2/"pre-workouts or artificially flavoured options. We also separate into stimulant based vs non- stimulant based pre-workout formulas. As always we appreciate your support and business!

Written by Nick and Dave