Pre workout powders are meant to provide an energy boost before a workout. They get us feeling hyped and motivated to exercise. The aim of taking these supplements is to improve performance during training and to potentially improve outcomes in terms of better muscle/strength gain or fat loss. They are taken to enhance endurance, strength and muscle pump. The main component is usually caffeine. Other common ingredients seen in pre workout supplements are beta alanine, creatine, BCAAs and citrulline.
Here’s a lowdown of the ingredients in pre workout powders:
- Caffeine
Caffeine can improve mental focus and motivation to train. Caffeine has been identified as an agent that reduces the rate of perceived effort. At higher doses, it may also improve endurance, strength, speed and vigilance. Has shown to improve both aerobic and anaerobic performance.
- Creatine
Creatine assists with efficient energy production in the muscle and has been linked with better strength and lean mass gains. Creatine needs to build up in your system over time and doesn’t have an acute effect. Therefore, if your pre-workout is your only source of creatine, that probably won’t optimise results.You need to be taking a 3-5g dosage of creatine every single day for it to be effective. Pre-workout dosages of creatine aren’t usually this high (1g per serve).
- Arginine
L-Arginine is a nitric oxide related ergogenic aid that has shown to positively impact sports performance. It improves blood flow to the muscles. Research states that Arginine supplementation should include 1.5–2 g/day for 4–7 weeks in order to improve aerobic performance, and 10–12 g/day for 8 weeks to enhance anaerobic performance.
- Citrulline / Citrulline Malate
L-Citrulline raises blood arginine levels more effectively than arginine itself does, which then converts into nitric oxide and leads to vasodilation (increased blood flow to muscles). Citrulline malate aids in quicker muscle recovery between sets, which may help you add an extra couple reps. It is also known to reduce feelings of muscle soreness.
- Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine supplementation increases carnosine, which can help to reduce feelings of fatigue. But like creatine, beta-alanine also needs to be taken daily for it to build up in the system over time. It doesn’t have an acute effect on performance. Although, the most commonly reported side effect of beta-alanine, paraesthesia is a tingling sensation felt on the face, neck and arms, may provide a placebo effect and help you train better.
- Taurine
Rich sources of dietary taurine come from the consumption of animal proteins. Taurine plays a beneficial role in diverse metabolic and physiological processes, such as glucose and lipid regulation, energy metabolism, anti-inflammatory modulation, and antioxidant actions. According to research, taurine may improve aerobic performance, anaerobic performance (strength, power) and recovery.
Potential Side effects:
- Effect on sleep – insomnia
- Energy spike and crash
- Jitters
- Digestive problems
- Increased heartbeat
Concluding thoughts
- Pre workout powders are multi ingredient supplements. In particular, ingredients that are backed by evidence include caffeine, creatine, beta alanine and citrulline.
- However, given varying formulations and proprietary blends, all the ingredients in a pre workout powder, may not be backed by evidence. Moreover, the dose, timing of each effective ingredient is crucial.
- Acute consumption of pre workout powders can benefit muscle endurance, mood. In terms of power and force, the results are mixed. Similarly, longer term impact of these powders is also unclear, including in terms of efficacy and safety too.
Our verdict: From the variety of performance supplements available today, pre-workout powders fall low. We have far more evidence for efficacy and safety of established supplements such as creatine, and typically advise such well backed options, on a case per case basis. We suggest using supplements strategically, and choosing quality ones!
References:
- Martinez, N., Campbell, B., Franek, M., Buchanan, L., & Colquhoun, R. (2016). The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0138-7
- Harty, P.S., Zabriskie, H.A., Erickson, J.L. et al. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15, 41 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0247-6
- Gough, L. A., Sparks, S. A., McNaughton, L. R., Higgins, M. F., Newbury, J. W., Trexler, E., Faghy, M. A., & Bridge, C. A. (2021, December). A critical review of Citrulline Malate Supplementation and Exercise Performance. European journal of applied physiology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8571142/
- Guest, N. S., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Nelson, M. T., Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Jenkins, N. D. M., Arent, S. M., Antonio, J., Stout, J. R., Trexler, E. T., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Goldstein, E. R., Kalman, D. S., & Campbell, B. I. (2021, January 2). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise Performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7777221/
- Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., Candow, D. G., Kleiner, S. M., Almada, A. L., & Lopez, H. L. (2017, June 13). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and Medicine – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. BioMed Central. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- Kurtz, J. A., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Doyle, J. A., & Otis, J. S. (2021, May 26). Taurine in sports and exercise – journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. BioMed Central. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00438-0
- Trexler, E. T., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Stout, J. R., Hoffman, J. R., Wilborn, C. D., Sale, C., Kreider, R. B., Jäger, R., Earnest, C. P., Bannock, L., Campbell, B., Kalman, D., Ziegenfuss, T. N., & Antonio, J. (2015, July 15). International Society of Sports
- Nutrition Position Stand: Beta-Alanine – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y
- Viribay, A., Burgos, J., Fernández-Landa, J., Seco-Calvo, J., & Mielgo-Ayuso, J. (2020, May 2). Effects of arginine supplementation on athletic performance based on Energy Metabolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7282262/#:~:text=Abstract,have%20shown%20to%20be%20controversial