Pre-workout supplements are like Popeye’s green spinach for regular people—a quick and easy jolt of energy, helping people lift more weight and run farther than they would otherwise .
Supplements are a big deal in the fitness industry, enhancing athletic performance and endurance during exercise. It’s an essential part of any gym regimen, and many sports enthusiasts use it for improved strength and stamina.
Pre-workouts are the way to go if you want to run more miles, increase reps, and lift heavier weights. They come in different flavors and forms, from chocolate to matcha and pills to milkshakes; you can choose according to your taste.
From fitness professionals to those just starting their fitness journey, pre-workouts contain ingredients designed to help everyone have the strength to hit their training targets. Although every pre-workout supplement has a different and unique formulation, caffeine remains a constant in the list. It is one of the most used and crucial ingredients to make pre-workout supplements effective. Although caffeine helps increase energy levels, physicians and fitness experts still debate its effect on the body. Let’s discuss caffeine in pre-workouts and its pros and cons for our health.
Pre-workouts usually contain caffeine, creatinine, and beta-alanine. All these ingredients increase stamina and activate the muscles to work out longer. Besides this function, creatine adds to your lean muscle mass. Beta-alanine helps relieve muscle soreness and is a buffer for high-intensity workouts. You’re able to do more reps and sets with better gains. And lastly, caffeine enhances your cognitive function and gives an adrenaline-pumping effect.
An average pre-workout supplement has around 150 to 300 milligrams of caffeine which equals about three cups of coffee.
Caffeine is added for instant energy; it is a staple ingredient in many energy drinks for its quick effect on our bodies. Caffeine is a stimulant and a psychoactive drug that increases brain activity and the nervous system. It improves response speed and focus, a core element of working out religiously.
Caffeine keeps you alert and awake for 3-4 hours, depending on the consumption level. If you have a freshly brewed cup of coffee before bed, then there is a high chance that you will remain awake for hours. It is also a great pick-me-up to relieve fatigue. Thus, consuming pre-workout supplements before exercising helps you withstand fatigue longer.
Although it is a knight in shining armor for night owls and workaholics, it also has disadvantages like any other drug. According to FDA’s recommendation, consuming more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily can cause jitters, anxiety, nausea, and dehydration. Caffeine is a natural diuretic, meaning taking too much can cause dehydration.
Since it is a psychoactive drug, constant abuse can lead to addiction and caffeine dependency. So, limiting your caffeine intake when taking pre-workout supplements is recommended, as overlapping doses of these two can affect the heart and cause nausea and dehydration.
Keeping all these factors in mind, Hekla Sports Co. offers pre-workout supplements with varying amounts of caffeine. Choose from Figure8 specially formulated for women or Vigor8 with regular or low caffeine formulations. Get these energy-boosting pills to enhance your physical and mental performance during exercise.
The first step towards wellness is improving your lifestyle, introducing more physical activity and a clean diet. Nowadays, everyone is busy making a living or studying, leaving them with little time for self-care, exercise, and diet. Neglecting these changes for a long time negatively impacts your physical and mental health.
Dive into the world of athletic nutrition as we unlock the secrets to crafting a balanced diet, supercharged with the right supplements that fuel performance and aid recovery. This blog post is your ultimate guide to eating like a champion athlete!
Want to know about pre-workout supplements for women? Then, let’s learn about the benefits, key ingredients, and considerations while choosing the right product.
