Introduction
Warm-ups are old, welcome to the world of pre-workouts. Over the last few years, these supplements have become quite popular among fitness freaks and gym geeks. They have become as much important as, let us say, protein shakes, for example. The core function of any decent pre-workout supplement is to wake you up properly and alert your body before you hit the gym. Pre-workouts can be either of stimulatory or performance-enhancing nature.
If you are a fitness freak who has not tried pre-workouts before, this is just the page you should be on. In this discussion, we are concerned with the experience of taking pre-workouts. Have you ever wondered what does pre-workout feels like? Well, that curiosity is about to be satisfied!
The pre-workout also referred to as the pre-workout supplement, is essentially a supplement for bodybuilding. The pre-workout supplement is made up of ingredients that are supposed to provide an instant energy boost. These supplements or the pre-workout ingredients are available for sale over the counter, and these supplements are consumed by a lot of athletes, which helps them in their performance as well as recovery. Some of the common ingredients that are contained in the pre-workout supplements contain beta-alanine, amino acids, L-Citrulline, and creatine, amongst other ingredients. These ingredients assist in the recovery of muscles post strenuous workout. Caffeine is one of the primary sources that provide the necessary energy boost.
Here it is important to note that there are many pre-workout supplement brands and companies that are advertised widely, but the fact is these products have been found out to be unsafe. There are others where you get minimal benefits, and they also lead to potential side-effects. So when you are purchasing a pre-workout supplement, it is essential to do your research properly so that you can compare the different pre-workout products, look at their ingredients and benefits, any potential side-effects, the track record of the manufacturer, pricing and then eventually make an informed decision based on your requirements. You must also look at the reviews as well as feedback that has been provided by the customers who have already used that specific product which you are interested in. This helps you in getting a better idea regarding the effectiveness or efficiency of those products, and you can also be aware of any potential health risks or side effects.
Is it tasty?
That is the first innocent question asked by many curious novices. Folks, if you are looking for something tasty, why do not you visit the nearest bakery? If you want your pre-workout to taste like muffins, better buy muffins! The standard pre-workouts are high on amino acids, which do not taste good at all. Therefore, if someone recommended you a pre-workout that tastes nice, you need to get off that immediately. Some companies have rendered their products sweet with the help of artificial sweeteners. By the way, all that sugar is the reason you had to hit the gym; do you want to try those pre-workouts?
The ingredient analysis
You are done with the taste, now for effect. To find out what taking pre-workout does to your body, one needs to have a closer look at the necessary ingredients of a pre-workout supplement. These ingredients are found in every good quality pre-workout supplement and contribute to the overall effects of taking a pre-workout.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a key ingredient of many drinks you consume every day, the most popular one being coffee. If you are a coffee addict, you must already be familiar with caffeine’s doings. The prime function of this wonder element is to improve your focus. It helps one in focusing physically as well as mentally, a cup of coffee does that to you in the early morning, does not it? Its function is the same in a pre-workout. It is most helpful in alerting the body that it needs to be prepared for fatigue-fight mode.
BETA-ALANINE
As we said before, your pre-workout supplement is loaded with amino acids. One of the amino acids is Beta-alanine. The main function of this amino acid is to prepare your body muscles for a long exhausting session at the gym. Your arm and shoulder muscles must be prepared for a great number of contractions and relaxations. Hence, you will be able to put in an extended effort at the gym. This amino acid is also the reason why you feel skin tingling after taking a pre-workout. It is necessary that you feel tickled. Oh, and it is wonderful.
Creatine nitrate
Creatine is deemed vital in building core body strength. Many studies show us that creatine is most helpful in adding more power to the upper body muscles. This is the reason why it is a significant element of any standard pre-workout supplement. In a pre-workout supplement, it is usually added in its nitrous form i.e., creatine nitrate. The reason behind this modification is two-folds. One, it is simply a more soluble form of the creatine. For another, it helps you achieve leaner body muscles.
Velvet beans
Dopamine is a crucial element of any pre-workout. It has a crucial role to play in the mental wellness of any individual in normal circumstances. Your cognitive capacities are highly dependent on dopamine. Velvet beans are rich in L-dopa. L-dopa, once consumed, crosses the blood-brain barrier. There, it is converted to the active form, i.e., dopamine.
N-acetyl-L-tyrosine
Tyrosine, again, an amino acid, which is extremely important in helping you focus better. It is also involved in the production of noradrenaline. However, in supplements, the amino acid is used in its more soluble form i.e., N-acetyl-L-tyrosine.
The cumulative effect you feel.
As mentioned before, the idea behind taking a pre-workout is to feel euphoria and power surging through your veins. That is what you are bound to feel after 40 minutes of taking the first sip of your drink. The effects of taking a pre-workout can last in the body for 5-6 hours.
The impact of pre-workout on the body
In terms of the direct impact or effect of the pre-workout on the body, there is a detailed outlier that underlines the effect the pre-workout has on your body. Let us have a look at some of the effects or the impact the pre-workout supplements have on your body and how it affects you. Good pre-workout stimulates the nervous system, thus helping the brain to work at an optimum level, thus matching the physical exertions of the workout that is done later. The pre-workout supplements also have a morphological as well as the systemic impact on the muscular as well as the vascular system, thus helping you to improve the flow of blood and assisting in getting the right nutrients to their correct muscles. These supplements also provide a sort of jumpstart or kick so that the entire body is geared for the following workout program.
There are many people out there who might be wondering who exactly should take pre-workout supplements and who it is meant for. Well, let us try and answer this question. It is a common notion that pre-workout supplements are only intended for hardcore gym-goers and athletes. However, this is not exactly true. Anyone who wants to achieve optimum fitness levels can choose to go with the pre-workout supplements. The pre-workout is beneficial to you if you’re going to achieve focused energy for the workout. It is also helpful if you are beginning a new program and want to take it to the next level. These pre-workouts also help in building muscles as well as core strength, and they help lose excess weight.
Besides these, there are some advantages to taking a pre-workout supplement. Let us have a look at some of these advantages and benefits in more detail. The pre-workout provides a significant amount of energy and thus helps in improving the time to failure as well as work capacity. The pre-workout also helps in drawing fluid to the muscles,blood pressure which helps in the bulging of the muscles. The pre-workout supplements also help in boosting the adrenaline that helps in the breakdown of fat cells quicker. The pre-workout enhances physical performance and gives a boost in power that allows for a harder and longer workout. It is also known to improve mood, attention, and focus. It also promotes lipid oxidation and then used the energy for burning the fat rather than the carbohydrates. It also protects the loss of muscle when you are doing fast training.
Side effects
Talked so much about the pros, now for a bit of con side of affairs. You might encounter many side effects after taking your pre-workout. Let us bullet point some of these for a better understanding.Let us have a look at some of these side-effects or disadvantages caused by the consumption of pre-workout supplements. The pre-workout supplements might cause increased heart-rate, over-stimulation as well as jitteriness, over-exertion, acute liver toxicity, the strain on the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal upset, skin irritation like niacin flush and paresthesia amongst others. Thus it is essential to give proper consideration to all the factors involved, including advantages as well as potential side-effects before you decide to go with any form of pre-workout supplements.
1- Jittery feels
Have you ever felt restless after consuming too much coffee? It is caffeine, which makes you all anxious and jittery. As pre-workouts are heavily loaded with caffeine, taking too much of these can make you go jittery. Drowsiness is also commonly observed in such cases. If you feel that caffeine is upsetting your lifestyle, you can look for other alternatives as well. There are plenty of pre-workouts available, which are not caffeinated.
2- Increased water retention
This is creatine messing up with your fluid retention system. One must be careful with the quantities in which creatine is consumed; otherwise, issues like water retention can pop up.
3- Digestive issues
Pre-workouts are rich in elements like magnesium, caffeine, and creatine. These elements have a laxative effect. That means that these supplement ingredients can lead to conditions like diarrhea.
4- Headaches
In some of the pre-workouts available in the market, citrulline is added for boosting nitric oxide levels in a person’s blood. However, it can lead to headaches, if too much of a supplement is taken. The recommended dosage of citrulline is 6 grams, max 8 grams.
Conclusion
Time and space are not as plentiful as they were some years ago. We have to conclude this discussion for now. However, we hope that for someone who has not taken a drop of any pre-workout before, your knowledge is at a much-improved level. Now you know what pre-workouts feels like. So, are we ready for the first shot?
