Pre-Workout supplements are all the rage and have become a staple part of the supplement stack for many fitness enthusiasts. That’s because they work! Pre-Workouts are easy to integrate into your daily nutrition and can have a tremendous impact on your energy levels during and after your workout. Although taking a pre-workout supplement prior to working out seems easy enough, some people miss out on all that pre-workouts have to offer. To ensure you are getting the most out of your pre-workout supplementation, be sure to mind the following key strategies;
Proper Timing
Many people drink their pre-workout as they are walking into the gym or locker room. A majority of the ingredients in pre-workout supplements take 30 to 60 minutes to reach the bloodstream. If you’re taking your pre-workout once you’ve arrived at the gym, you won't even feel it’s effects until around your third exercise.
If you are worried that taking your pre-workout too early will cause you to lose your energy half way through your workout, place that concern aside. The base ingredients of a pre-workout mix are always stimulants of some sort, which take around 3-5 hours for your body to lose even half of the concentration in your blood. This is why many brands of pre-workouts don’t recommend taking it if you plan on sleeping within 4 hours.
Pairing your Supplement
If you’re not careful, pre-workouts can give you the same feeling you get when you drink coffee on an empty stomach: feeling faint, shaky, or nauseated. Many pre-workouts contain 200-300 mg of caffeine, which hits you pretty hard if you’re not ready for it. Eating a small meal or snack 30 minutes to an hour prior to taking your pre-workout can lessen these negative effects. Not to mention it will help you with energy throughout your workout. Aim for a meal low in fiber to avoid losing the potency of your pre-workout. You will want to steer clear of whole grains, raw fruit, nuts and seeds, and uncooked veggies.
Missing Ingredients
There are so many great pre-workouts on the market but not all are created equal. Some pre-workouts are packed with fillers or are under dosed, meaning they don’t have enough of a key ingredient to get maximum effects. You will want to look for these basic ingredients when choosing a pre-workout:
Caffeine: This will give you the real boost you need to get through your workout and make it through those hard reps.
Citrulline Malate: On top of boosted performance and increased energy, it helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.
Creatine Monohydrate: Helps boost muscle mass and increase strength.
Following these key pre-workout steps will help you maximize your pre-workout supplement and take your training to the next level.
We carry a variety of pre-workout supplement brands in our various Supzilla stores and we would be happy to help find the right product for your goals!
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