Posted on May 07, 2018 by Jenny Cromack
There appears to be a big rise in the popularity of pre-workout powders, pills, and concoctions within the gym. You can walk into any gym and be blinded the luminescent glow of someone’s pre-workout-filled shaker. The question is though, “pre-workouts, what are they all about?” The luminous colour in itself would set alarms bells ringing in my head! Whilst these potions do have some proposed benefits, how much do we actually NEED these? This article offers a little education into what these pre-workout formulas include and how they may work.
So, What’s In Them, and Do They Work?
All pre-workouts have slightly different blends of ingredients. The common features, however, tend to be caffeine, nitric oxide (NO), and creatine. These supplements also may contain a variety of additives for taste and are sometimes quite high in sugar; so if your goal is fat loss then you may want to check that label!
More importantly a word of caution to those fitness enthusiasts who also take part in regulated sport. Many of these substances can contain substances that are actually banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), such as 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA) which is an amphetamine precursor, strong stimulant, and illegal in sport. So it is worth checking the following site and check your supplement: http://www.informed-sport.com/.
Caffeine
As expected by putting caffeine into the body we will usually get a boost in energy. Existing research offers evidence for caffeine’s beneficial effect on a variety of exercises performances, which may leave your taste buds and gym performances longing for these powders. These supplements, however, often contain much larger doses than we would be recommend to ingest. In these regular high doses we could be putting ourselves at risk of a variety of cardiovascular conditions, such as heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), which in itself can relate to cardiac arrests (heart attacks).
Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide is a substance that causes our blood vessels to dilate, become wider, and create an increased blood flow. Pre-workout supplements often contain a substance called citrulline malate, which stimulates the production of nitric oxide. This is great news for our working muscles because the dilation of our vessels means as we can deliver them more oxygen, nutrients, and ultimately energy via an increased blood flow.
Nitric oxide production has been suggested to help regulate blood pressure and also boost exercise performance. The increased supply of blood to the muscles will also give us the full “pumped” feeling in our muscles. Great, right? So does this mean it is a perfect supplement to be adding to our daily routines? There are, of course, some potential side effects of overuse, which is likely in gym users who take regular and often increasing doses of these supplements. Some extreme side effects include respiratory collapse, low blood pressure (a problem if you already suffer from hypotension), nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, skin irritations, and kidney function issues. If you are seeking to naturally elevate your nitric oxide you can save money and simply drink down a nice cup of beetroot juice or munch on some spinach (like Popeye) which contains nitrates that aid nitric oxide production.
Creatine
Creatine is a popular supplement that plays a crucial role in energy production. Additionally, it tends to draw water and nutrients into the muscles giving them a fuller feeling but also potentially aiding muscle production. Creating more energy and bringing in the necessities for muscle function and synthesis would have obvious benefits on our muscle production and strength and general exercise performance. Its popularity and accessibility may reflect these benefits. Creatine, however, also isn’t without its side effects. Some side effects of creatine use/overuse include breathing difficulties, anxiety, diarrhoea, nausea, headaches, and kidney function issues.
Should I Take These Supplements?
The choice is completely yours! There is limited evidence for its effectiveness and the variability in blends and individual physiological responses makes it hard to conclusively say yes or no. You can gain just as much benefit from a natural balanced diet. Often these pre-workouts will give us the impression of “gains” and harder workouts simply because the dilation of blood vessels and increased heart rates which makes us feel more “pumped”, sweaty, and itchy. This does not necessarily mean we are working harder, so consider this before forking out your hard earned wages.