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Many new-to-fitness people get intimidated by pre-workouts.
Some are concerned about the ingredients, what happens after they use them, and if they're safe or not.
So in this post, we are going to explore everything about pre-workouts.
Let's dive in!
Pre-Workouts are supplements formulated with ingredients designed to enhance workout performance. Most pre-workouts will contain ingredients like Beta-Alanine, Citrulline, Caffeine, and other things.
Pre-Workouts are ideally taken before your workout, typically about 15-30 minutes before.
I personally prefer to take mine during my warm up sets just so that the Beta-Alanine "face tingling" sensation kicks in (more on this later).
Ultimately, pre-workouts are designed to enhance energy, performance, and more.
There are a variety of benefits of Pre-Workouts.
The following are the three main goals that pre-workouts want to accomplish:
The following are some of the main ingredients for pre-workouts.
Our favorite.
Caffeine helps with managing fatigue, improving energy levels, and also increasing power output.
While some people can handle caffeine very well, 200mg of caffeine before a workout is perfect for mental focus and physical performance.
Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is found in most foods we consume. It is the precursor to carnosine, which aids in fighting fatigue.
According to various studies, Beta-Alanine aids in improving muscular endurance, extending the time to fatigue. Some people also report that it allows them to get one to two extra reps in their workouts.
If you've supplemented with a pre-workout before, you know that some can make your face and fingers tingle. This is an effect caused by beta-alanine known as paresthesia. There is nothing bad about this feeling, it just means that Beta-Alanine is working.
The recommended dose for Beta-Alanine is around 2-5g.
L-Citrulline is an amino acid that improves nitric oxide metabolism. This means it aids in exercise performance.
According to one study, citrulline has been shown to improve anaerobic performance and muscle soreness relief, reducing fatigue.
Citrulline is one of our preferred pre-workout ingredients because of its absorption. Compared to L-Arginine, citrulline is a better absorbing as it turns into l-arginine in the kidneys.
For sports performance, it is recommended to take 3-8g of Citrulline.
Creatine is a molecule that our body produces as a result of amino acids (broken down from protein consumption). It has been shown to improve muscle strength, power output, and recovery.
How Creatine works is that it rapidly produces energy for intense exercise, improving exercise performance in the gym.
It is the most studied supplement in the industry, with 5g of Creatine Monohydrate being an efficacious dose.
While creatine is popular in some pre-workouts, I prefer to use creatine after my workout sessions.
Arginine is one of the more popularly known pre-workout ingredients, as it is directly produced in the body from food. Based on research, people on average get about 5g of L-Arginine from food daily.
While L-Arginine is found in some pump products, it hasn't produced reliable evidence that it directly aids in workout performance. The reason for this is that ingesting L-Arginine directly has a poor absorption.
L-Arginine may have it's merits in consumption if you don't get enough in your body, but since most foods typically contain it, you might not necessarily need it.
It's always important to read the labels and use pre-workouts as intended. You should ALWAYS read the warning labels and never go above the recommended serving.
Pre-workouts are also typically intended for those 18 years of age and older who don't have pre-existing medical conditions.
Always speak with your doctor or physician about supplement use.
With that being said, we want to help you consider some of the ingredients in pre-workouts.
When it comes to pre-workouts, you should monitor your daily caffeine intake.
Pre-Workouts typically contain 200-300mg of caffeine per serving.
On average, most people can experience performance benefits with about 300-400mg of caffeine daily. Beyond that, some may experience detrimental effects like anxiety, irregular heartbeats, and more.
It is very important that you know how much caffeine you consume daily before adding a pre-workout to your regiment.
Here are a few recommendations to consider when buying supplements:
Before you get to picking a solid pre-workout, make sure you get your exercise and nutrition in check. This will help augment the performance of your pre-workout.
When you get that down, then you can explore the world of Pre-Workouts.
At Reforged, we have one pre-workout designed for mental and physical performance. Our Nootropic Pre-Workout, Catalyst, was designed as a powerful well-rounded pre-workout for anyone that lifts weights or high-intensity endurance workouts.
If you prefer a focus-based drink instead, you can consider our nootropic energy powder, Impulse.Impulse was designed for sustained mental focus for any scenario, whether it's exercise or work. It is also great supplement to start with before you get into our pre-workout.
With our products, we focus on a few factors: Quality, Safety, Simplicity, and Full Transparency. We take pride in having a few ingredients that are efficaciously and safely dosed for your comfort. Adding to that, our labels are fully transparent, which makes it easier to educate our Reforged Legion about each ingredient.
If you have any questions, feel free to direct message us on Instagram.
Until next time, Mood Lifter!
Exercise can feel like a chore, and even if you know it’s good for your health, the motivation to get moving sometimes just isn’t there.
But it doesn’t have to be a burden - by making exercise meaningful to you, it can become something fun and rewarding!
Here are five ways to make exercise more meaningful!
Men, I know what it is like to be overweight and depressed.
Not having the energy to do anything but relax and sleep.
While relaxation and sleep are incredibly important, they can make us feel like we are not making progress in our lives.
And when depression hits, it’s very difficult to push through with exercise and weight loss.
But did you know that even though it takes time and some effort, you don’t need to get obsessively crazy over it?
In fact, with just a few small adjustments, you can lose weight, fight back against depression, and take your life back.
If you're serious about shedding pounds and pushing away those depression demons, here are five tips that can help get you started.
A few weeks ago, my buddy Grant and I talked about nutrition.
We talked about how he's lost over 120 pounds so far with the weight loss progress he's been making.
This is all because he has been making healthier decisions over time.
One of the newest challenges he's facing right now is he's got a new job. He's working 10 to 12 hour days with physical demanding labor.
And what's been happening for him is that he's been super exhausted, he's not motivated to meal prep, he's having trouble trying to sit down and cook foods doesn't have the energy doesn't have the time.
So what I propose is five tips that you can use to live a more on the go fast food healthy eating lifestyle.