How long does pre-workout take to kick in?

Introduction

Take things slowly. How many times in your life have you heard this phrase? It is a universal principle that you can do serious damage if you make haste. Exercise, workouts, gym training are no different. One has to let the body warm up nicely before they can hit the gym hard. Warm-ups are cool!

However, are they as cool as pre-workout supplements? The magical stuff that can warm and wake up your body fully? Of course not. Pre-workouts cut above everything else! Some of us expect the magic to happen in a matter of moments. That is not going to happen. In today’s discussion, we aim to focus on the time in which these pre-workouts can kick in once you have gulped them down your throat.

Energy drinks Vs. Pre Workouts

This comparison will be most helpful to those of us who are addicted to energy drinks, especially fitness geeks. While some of the energy drinks help the body feel a surge of energy, it usually is short-lived. For workouts and heavy gym training, you must look for something that can keep you alert for a longer period. Pre-workouts are designed with a purpose to increase the physical activity output. Hence, they are likely to help you better than other energy drinks. The same goes for coffee too. It simply does not qualify as a pre-workout drink!

Should you be taking a pre-workout?

Now, we know that you are eager to gulp down a glassful of the pre-workout stimulant you have your eyes on. However, before you do that, ask yourself if you meet the eligibility criterion for this drink or not. To help you in this, let us have a look at people who should be taking a pre-workout. These are ideal for people who:

1- Want to be more focused mentally before they hit the gym

2- Want to upgrade their existing physical training program

3- Want to lose a bit of weight

4- Want to achieve a leaner muscular profile

5- Want to train for some particular sport

Common mistakes made with a pre-workout supplement

Nice that you met the criterion; otherwise, you would have missed a lot of valuable information that we are about to share with you. In modern-day training sessions at any gym, pre-workout supplements have become as much important as let us say, protein shakes. However, because people want to achieve more all the time, sometimes there are serious errors made on their part. You must not be doing these things when you are on a pre-workout supplement.

The first thing that many people get wrong is the time when they get to gulp down a pre-workout. You must have seen it yourself; some people gulp it just as they are entering the gym. No, folks. That is not going to help you. The ingredients in your pre-workout supplement need more time than you think to kick in. We discuss this later in upcoming passages.

Another mistake many people make is that they take these supplements without having a grub. This is a rather dangerous habit, which can result in feelings of nausea or light-headedness. Not suggesting that you should have a full meal, but taking it with a small meal is what you should do.

How long does pre-workout take to kick in?

Now, for the question around which this whole debate revolves—the time. To be honest, it is quite subjective. The time a pre-workout takes before it kicks in varies from person to person. There are many factors involved that we will discuss a bit later in this discussion—for example, a person’s sensitivity to ingredients of a pre-workout supplement e.g., caffeine. However, the average time needed for any standard pre-workout supplement is around 45 minutes. Any decent drink of this nature needs around 30-60 minutes before it kicks in. Certain indicators will let you know if your pre-workout is working or not—for example, a skin-tingling sensation. Do not be alarmed; it is perfectly normal! 

How long does pre-workout last?

30-60 minutes is a decent time for any standard pre-workout to kick in. But what about the after-effects? You must be curious about how long a pre-workout is going to be effective. Most of the pre-workouts are stimulant by nature. That naturally means that a major ingredient is a caffeine. Caffeine does not go away anywhere in your body for a good 3, 4 hours. If we factor in other ingredients and do some quick maths, we come up with a number of 5 to 6 hours. There, a pre-workout will last in your system for that time!

What can affect the effect?

It will kick-in, but what is more important are the factors, which can influence pre-workout efficiency. These can affect the overall efficiency of the pre-workout stimulant or enhancer you are taking. Some of these factors include:

1- A person’s overall statistics. These include age, height, weight, and certain other physical indicators.

2- Quality of the pre-workout you are taking. Inferior quality products can do more damage than good.

3- Quantity of the dose you are taking also matters a lot. Over-dosing or under-dosing will not do much good to your cause.

4- Your body’s response to the ingredients of a pre-workout stimulant also matters a lot. For example, some of us are more caffeine sensitive as compared to others.

Conclusion

We conclude hoping this discussion gave you an insight into the world of pre-workout supplements. You must be careful when you purchase a pre-workout supplement. The market is flooded with many shadowy products of inferior quality. It is always best to seek a recommendation from an expert, in this case, your gym trainer. Once you have the best pre-workout supplement at your kitchen shelf, your intake must not be more than standard doses. You must follow these guidelines for preparing your body properly before a workout, with the help of a pre-workout supplement!