As it should, the importance of proper nutrition and exercise has become more popular in mainstream media. At Catalyst Fitness, we are here to empower and aid you in all your health and fitness related goals. Being a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, I have helped thousands of people with nutrition and exercise. One of the most frequent questions I get asked is: “what supplements should I be taking?” Supplements are used for the exact meaning- to “supplement” – and NOT to be used as a replacement for proper nutrition and training. Today I want to talk a little on one of the most popular supplements: pre-workouts.
What They Are + What They Do
Pre-workouts are taken before a workout to give an extra boost of energy before you exercise. It is sometimes hard for people to find the energy to workout after a long day of work or get up at the crack of dawn to get a lift in before they head to work. Pre-workouts give us more energy and focus to get our workouts done. When considering pre-workouts, I encourage you to look at what the formula has to offer you. Many pre-workouts are loaded with all kinds of ingredients, but you need to think about your goals and what types of exercise you will be doing before opting to use one. Look at individual ingredients that can supplement and aid in the performance of your exercise regiment.
Ingredient Breakdown
Here are some of the ingredients you may find in preworkout supplements and ones that have been studied and tested to be effective:
Caffeine: Caffeine is a natural molecule found in teas, coffee, and certain other foods. Caffeine stimulates parts of the brain to increase alertness and thus make you feel less tired. It can increase power output, meaning you can produce force quickly. Studies have found that it can improve performance in long duration endurance exercise along with intermittent (stop and go) activities. The recommended dose of caffeine for performance exercise is around 1.4-2.7mg/pound of body weight. For someone weighing around 180lbs, that would be in the ballpark of 250-485mg of caffeine. Doses of 4mg/lb of bodyweight has shown increases in sweating, tremors, and dizziness. Caffeine does produce short term increases in blood pressure along with increases in restlessness. Everyone responds differently to caffeine so it is important to start low and assess how your body responds. Because caffeine can cause anti-sleep effects, limit your intake to earlier in the day.
Creatine: Creatine is another ingredient used in most pre-workouts. This molecule is present in your cells and is an important part of the energy production systems. If your cells have more energy when you work out, you may perform better and see greater improvements over time. Creatine is considered by most to be the number one supplement to help with strength and power. It has been shown in numerous studies to aid in strength, muscle mass, and exercise performance. If your main goal is to increase muscular strength, then creatine may be the best supplement for you to consider. Years ago it was suggested that if supplementing with creatine you needed to do a loading phase of 20 grams a day for a few weeks. Today we realize this is unnecessary and I recommend anywhere from 5 to 10g per day and can be broken up into multiple doses.
Beta-alanine: Beta-alanine is an amino acid that combats muscle fatigue. This amino acid has been shown to help improve performance during intense exercise that lasts between one to four minutes at a time. It may not be effective for exercise lasting less than this so if you are performing sets that last under a minute, this may not be beneficial. The recommended dose for beta-alanine is between 3-6 grams per day and can also be taken in divided doses. Side effects of beta-alanine include tingling or “pins and needles” feeling on the skin.
Citrulline: Citrulline is also an amino acid produced naturally in the body. Increased levels of citrulline through foods or supplementation can cause an increase in blood flow. This may help supply your exercising muscles with oxygen and nutrients they need,which can increase performance. Some studies have found that citrulline can increase time to exhaustion with endurance exercise and increased repetitions with weight training. Citrulline has also been noted to reduce muscle soreness in the days after exercise. The two main forms of citrulline found in supplements are L-citrulline and citrulline malate. Most research on endurance exercise recommends L-citrulline at a dose of 6 grams while weight training exercise recommends citrulline malate at 8 grams.
These four ingredients have been examined for safety and effectiveness through numerous studies, so if you decide to use pre-workout formulas, check the label for ingredients and dosages. Use ingredients that are specific for your goals and do not ingest more than the recommended amounts. And remember, these supplements do just that- supplement. There is no replacement in the world for eating clean whole foods that fuel your body naturally!
