{"id":62708,"date":"2017-10-18T07:15:32","date_gmt":"2017-10-18T11:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=62708"},"modified":"2022-04-27T06:57:34","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T10:57:34","slug":"pre-workout-supplements-pros-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/pre-workout-supplements-pros-cons\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros and Cons of Taking Pre-Workout Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Should
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fueling<\/a> for your workouts can require a little education, planning and practice to amplify results. You probably already know what to do post-workout<\/a>, munching on a mix of protein and carbs within an hour of your sweat session. And you might even have some go-to gummies or gels for extra long gym sessions or training runs<\/a>. But what about your pre-workout routine?<\/p>\n

Pre-workout supplements, in the form of powders and pills, now saturate the sports nutrition supplement market, boasting benefits like increased energy, power<\/a> and endurance to help you push harder and gain more<\/a>. But they\u2019re not for everyone or every workout. Read on to find out the pros and cons of pre-workout blends and whether they\u2019re right for you.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Best Forms of Sugar to Eat Pre-Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pros and Cons of Pre-Workout Supplements<\/h2>\n

PRO: You might feel more energetic and alert.<\/h3>\n

\u201cA big part of most pre-workout supplements is their stimulatory effect.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many pre-workout mixes pack a big dose of caffeine<\/a> to add a little bounce to your step. \u201cCaffeine\u2019s proven to help [with energy], because it stimulates the nervous system, which makes your exercise feel less taxing and makes you feel more peppy,\u201d says Matthew Kadey, RD, a registered dietician in Ontario and author of\u00a0Rocket Fuel<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThe huge thing you have to pay attention to is the dose.\u201d Kadey recommends aiming for two to six milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of your bodyweight. And make sure to give your body enough time to digest it before your workout. \u201cIt takes 45 to 60 minutes for coffee<\/a> to reach its peak in your blood, so have it at least 30 minutes beforehand,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

CON: The drink could make you jittery.<\/h3>\n

Forget about blasting through your sweat session<\/a> if you feel like your heart is about to beat out of your chest. \u201cSome people can have adverse reactions to stimulants,\u201d says Kadey. Your best bet, he says, is trial and error. Be especially cautious with drinks that add a second stimulant to the caffeine, like guarine.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big part of most pre-workout supplements is their stimulatory effect, and it\u2019s common for them to use multiple stimulants,\u201d says Kyle Pfaffenbach, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at Eastern Oregon University and nutrition consultant for the Brooks Beasts Track Club. \u201cMany times, ingredients used are on the banned or high-risk list from USADA and WADA.\u201d Not ingredients you want to get used to sipping pre-sweat. Check here<\/a> or here<\/a> for more info on specific words to look for on labels.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Caffeine and Exercise: The Right (And Wrong) Way to Use It<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Should
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PRO: They can enhance your power and help you push it for longer.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some pre-workout supplements have creatine<\/a>, which can pump up your power and improve training results<\/a>, particularly during anaerobic drills. Though it sounds like something that would appeal to bodybuilders only, creatine has also been shown to boost the performance of endurance athlete. It helps them reach peak power output by potentially delaying fatigue<\/a>, says Kadey. The fine print? Keep in mind, experts and researchers still debate timing and optimal duration of use.<\/p>\n

CON: You don\u2019t know what you\u2019re getting.<\/h3>\n

“For the average population, the extra sugar could be worrisome.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sometimes you\u2019ll notice an icon on a product\u2019s label designating that it\u2019s been certified by a third-party, like the NSF (National Science Foundation). But typically, these supplements aren\u2019t regulated by a government agency and don\u2019t need to meet strict guidelines for what goes into the product. \u201cOftentimes these workout supplements use a ‘proprietary blend’ of ingredients,\u201d says Pfaffenbach. \u201cIt\u2019s important for athletes<\/a> to know exactly how much and what is going into their body. And with these drinks, we often don’t have that exact info.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>4 Things No One Told You About Plant-Based Supplements<\/a><\/p>\n

PRO: They can help deliver more oxygen to your muscles.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Seek out the words \u201cnitric oxide\u201d on a supplement\u2019s label. This ingredient<\/a> may help you go strong through a tough session likely by widening the blood vessels, which, in turn, delivers more oxygen to your muscles so you can perform at your peak, explains Kadey. You can also look for mixes made with beets<\/a>, as this vegetable<\/a> contains nitrates that then convert to the compound in your body.<\/p>\n

CON: You might gain weight.<\/h3>\n

Part of the energy boost packed in these pre-workout mixes comes from a big helping of sugar<\/a>. \u201cThe sugar is beneficial and necessary for really high-level athletes, but for the average population, the extra sugar could be worrisome,\u201d says Kadey. He notes that the added sweet stuff and high calories<\/a> of these drinks could easily wind up on your waistline. If you\u2019re going for a pre-workout drink, opt for one with no more than 100 calories per serving. Or instead, stick to a small snack like a banana<\/a> with a spoonful of peanut butter half an hour before you exercise, suggests Kadey. \u201cThat\u2019s enough to tide you over and top off energy stores for your workout,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>8 Low-Calorie Foods That Will Fill You Up<\/a><\/p>\n

PRO: They can reduce muscle breakdown.<\/h3>\n

Another common ingredient in pre-workout drinks: amino acids. Some research<\/a> has shown that these protein compounds can reduce the amount your muscles break down during exercise, so you can bounce back from an intense session faster. Similarly, drinks with tart cherry juice can benefit your muscles by helping to reduce soreness. Look for these if you\u2019re doing a workout with a fair amount of impact, like CrossFit or a long run, advises Kadey.<\/p>\n

Finding the Right Pre-Workout Mix for You<\/h3>\n

If you want to give pre-workout supplements a go, look for ones with natural ingredients on the label \u2014 like green tea, beets or tart cherry juice. And don\u2019t take it for the first time before a race or other important workout, warns Kadey: \u201cNever try these right before a marathon<\/a>. The number-one rule is experiment carefully and work up to full doses, especially if [the mix] includes stimulants.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not a Daily Burn member? Sign up at\u00a0dailyburn.com<\/a>\u00a0and start your free 30-day trial today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nDo You Really Need That Post-Workout Protein Shake?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pre-workout supplements can boost energy and help you work hard, but they\u2019re not for everyone. Learn the pros and cons so you can decide if you need one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":62714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[71,138,141,191,341,344,100],"class_list":["post-62708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-nutrition","tag-pre-workout","tag-sports","tag-supplements","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2sports-nutrition","tag-workout"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}