Written by Kirsten Yovino | CPT Brookbush Institute
Fact checked by Andrew Lenau, ISSA CPT & Sports Nutritionist
FACT CHECKED
We may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page at no cost to you. Learn More
Unfortunately, those days when you show up to the gym feeling fatigued, weak, or slow are inevitable. Whether it’s due to a lack of sleep, a busy week at work, or sore muscles from a previous workout, it’s never a good feeling heading into a workout session feeling unmotivated and energy-less.
Fortunately, a supplement is available that can improve your energy, stamina, and even recovery: pre-workout! If you’re not familiar with the pros and cons of pre-workout supplements, you will be after reading this. We have taken a research-backed, unbiased approach to discuss the benefits and safety concerns of pre-workout for lifters and athletes alike.
In this article, the topics we’ll go over include:
- What is a pre-workout supplement?
- The pros of taking pre-workout
- The cons of taking pre-workout
- Is pre-workout safe?
- Who should and shouldn’t take pre-workout
- Tips for taking pre-workout
If you’ve ever considered taking pre-workout or are hoping to learn more about a supplement that can provide your workouts with a much-needed boost, this article has got you covered.
WHAT IS A PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT?
Let's start by defining what pre-workout is. Pre-workout is a supplement taken before a workout that enhances athletic performance during exercise. In addition, it can help alleviate muscle fatigue after a tough workout, helping you to recover more quickly.
It typically comes in powder or pill form, is mixed in water, and should be consumed between 30 minutes to an hour before a workout. Recreational and competitive athletes alike use pre-workout supplements, which when done correctly, contain a blend of quality ingredients linked to enhanced workout performance.
A few of the main ingredients in pre-workout include:
- Caffeine: A nervous system stimulant that boosts energy levels and enhances workout performance. It can improve your endurance, preserves muscle glycogen content, delays feelings of tiredness, and decreases feelings of pain1.
- Branched-Chain Amino Acids: BCAAs promote muscle growth, increase lean muscle mass, and help muscles repair and recover after a tough gym session. Amino acids also increase protein synthesis and reduce muscle damage post-workout2.
- Creatine: It provides your muscles with additional energy for contracting and improves strength-gaining abilities, resulting in a higher percentage of lean body mass. In summary, this powerhouse ingredient increases strength and improves body composition2.
- Beta-alanine: An amino acid, this key ingredient helps lower fatigue, lessens the impact on your muscles during high-intensity exercise, and enhances muscle recovery. It enables you to bring the intensity to your strength training session, increasing muscular endurance while reducing fatigue2.
- L-Glutamine: Hoping to reduce muscle soreness and have faster post-workout recoveries? L-glutamine helps with this and repairs the tiny tears in muscles that result from strength training3.
- L-Citrulline: An amino acid found in the body, L-Citrulline produces nitric oxide, a chemical that enables your blood vessels to expand. Blood vessel expansion improves blood flow during your workouts, making it easier for oxygen and other key nutrients to head toward working muscles during exercise4.
- B Vitamins: These vitamins support increased energy, healthy metabolic function, and cellular metabolism. In addition, B vitamins reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, meaning they’ll help muscular micro-tears repair quicker post-workout4.
Here are some more ingredients that one can expect in a good, well-formulated pre-workout:
- Betaine (power & endurance)
- ElevATP (power & endurance)
- GlycerPump (pump)
- Alpha GPC (focus)
- Isopropoylnorsynephrine (energy)
- Taurine (endurance & reducing soreness)
As a side note, while BCAAs, creatine, and beta alanine are common ingredients, these ingredients don't actually make much sense in a pre-workout. Creatine and beta alanine are saturation ingredients that need to be dosed every day to be efficacious and you are not going to be taking pre-workout every day, so you'd also have to supplement them on the side. As for BCAA's and when to take them, you should be getting plenty from your protein.
We won't discuss ingredients in-depth in this post, but if you want a clear explanation of all that and what ingredients to look for in a good pre-workout, check out this article on pre-workout ingredients. In addition, it's important to read up on some of the most effective pre-workout ingredients, like GlycerPump, alpha-GPC, and Betaine, so you know what to expect and how much the dosing should be.
Every pre-workout will have a slightly different formula, with different dosages, but the general pros and cons still apply. If you do want to educate yourself more on what makes for a really good pre-workout, then definitely read that article in the aforementioned link.
Moving on...
PROS OF TAKING PRE-WORKOUT:
Due to its increasing popularity, pre-workout has been the focus of much research. The overall takeaway? There are a ton of great benefits to taking a pre-workout supplement.
Here’s how taking a pre-workout can benefit you:
- Promotes muscle growth: Remember one of our pre-workout powerhouse ingredients, creatine? Here’s where it comes into play. This ingredient provides more energy to your muscles, enabling them to contract more powerfully. More powerful contractions result in improved strength and better muscle recovery. The result: muscle growth2.
- Increases lean-body mass: In combination with high-intensity interval training, pre-workout can reduce your body fat percentage while increasing your muscle mass, helping you achieve well-defined muscles5.
- Increases strength: Another benefit of creatine is that when paired with resistance training, it increases your strength6. Researchers have found that upper body muscle endurance improves after taking the supplement while enhancing mean power output, which is the average rate of doing work during the concentric part of a lift7.
- Improves anaerobic power and exercise performance: Looking for an increase in peak power during workouts? Pre-workout delivers just that. It increases your anaerobic power output, meaning your maximal power produced in an exercise, likely due to the caffeine in pre-workouts8.
- Increases training volume: Pre-workout combined with HIIT can improve total training volume, otherwise known as the amount of work you put in per exercise, in as little as three weeks5.
- Increases energy and concentration: There is nothing worse than being at the gym with no stamina for your training session. Fortunately, pre-workout supplements are proven to significantly improve energy levels (thanks, caffeine!) while simultaneously enhancing your concentration9. Focus and energy equate to a gym session that will certainly yield results.
- Reduces muscle fatigue: A hard workout often results in muscle soreness, but pre-workout can lessen muscular fatigue. You'll lift heavier and recover more quickly8.
- Boosts athletic performance: Total this list of pros together, and it equals the ability to work out faster, harder, and longer. It improves endurance and enables your muscles to recover more quickly. You can anticipate improvements to your athletic performance, whatever your activity may be.
- Pre-workout supports weight loss. It encourages muscle growth, which helps with body re-composition, and thus weight loss. Simply put, you gain more muscle mass while simultaneously decreasing body fat. Research showed that after just three weeks, taking pre-workout on training days combined with HIIT increased lean muscle mass compared to the group that did not take pre-workout5.
This pre-workout features natural and evidence-based ingredients, fully transparent labeling, and absolutely no artificial color, sweetener, or flavoring. Formulated to enhance strength...
CONS OF TAKING PRE-WORKOUT:
Evidence shows that for healthy individuals pre-workout is safe and won't cause health issues. However, pre-workout contains stimulants, such as caffeine, that may not be suitable for those who are sensitive to the effects or have underlying health conditions.
If you have an underlying health condition, are prone to sensitivities, or don't like planning, here are a few cons to keep in mind.
- Pre-workout contains caffeine. This ingredient is partially responsible for helping increase your endurance and strength in the gym, but if you are sensitive to it, it may lead to some adverse effects, including feeling jittery or anxious and experiencing insomnia, headaches, anxiety, or restlessness. It also may not be safe to take for those with an underlying health condition. And if taking pre-workout on an empty stomach, your reaction to caffeine may be even stronger.
- It can cause bloating for the first few days. Fear not, it's temporary and typically resolves itself after the first few days of taking it10! However, if you have an upcoming event that you don’t want to look bloated for, maybe wait to start taking pre-workout until after.
- Take it consistently to see the best results. If you have a hard time remembering to take your daily vitamin, remembering to drink your pre-workout 30 minutes before a gym session may prove challenging. However, working it into your daily routine is well worth it, leading to improvements in energy and focus while reducing fatigue.
- You may find yourself "needing" it to go to the gym. Pre-workout is not addicting in the sense that you are going to withdrawal (with caffeine being the exception) and you surely won't need it, but if you take pre-workout all the time before workouts and then stop, you may find your workouts aren't as great for a while. That's because pre-workout WORKS wonderfully as a performance enhancer, so when you don't take it, it's noticeable.
IS PRE-WORKOUT HARMFUL?
Research has shown that pre-workout is not harmful to healthy adults11. A group of gym-goers took a pre-workout every day for six weeks, and in addition to seeing positive results in the gym, it proved to be safe and tolerated well by the participants. Cardiac tests and nutritional assessments were conducted and showed nothing unusual11.
Separate research showed that taking up to two doses of pre-workout a day for 28 was safe for men and women with no negative effects on the heart, liver, or kidney functions12.
However, if you have high blood pressure, an abnormal heart rate, heart disease, neurological disorder, diabetes, an autoimmune disease, or are pregnant, pre-workout may not be safe for you. It’s important to speak with your doctor before consuming any workout supplements.
As a side note, we don't recommend using expired pre workout if it has an odd odor, looks weird, or is moldy. The odor and appearance may just cause it to look and smell strange, but the mold can be potentially dangerous and should be avoided.
WHO SHOULD TAKE PRE-WORKOUT?
Due to its wide range of benefits, pre-workout is great for anyone trying to improve their physical fitness. Whether you are trying to build muscle, increase your running or cycling endurance, or shed a few pounds, pre-workout benefits can help you achieve your goals.
Those who will benefit from pre-workout include:
- Athletes
- Weight lifters
- Endurance participants, such as runners or cyclists
- Recreational gym goers
- Those trying to build muscle and lose weight
- Anyone trying to improve their performance, strength, endurance, focus, or workout intensity
Ladies, looking for specific benefits for you? We discuss this (and much more) in our article: The Complete Guide to Pre-Workout For Women.
WHO SHOULDN’T TAKE PRE-WORKOUT?
Remember, if you are a healthy individual with no underlying health problems, pre-workout is safe for consumption. However, pre-workout may not be suitable for everyone, mainly due to its caffeine content. If you fall into one of the below groups, speak with your doctor before consuming any supplements.
Avoid taking pre-workout if you:
- Are pregnant
- Have heart disease, including things such as hypertension, arrhythmias, or a fast heart rate
- Are sensitive to caffeine
- Have stomach sensitivities
- Have an underlying health condition
- Don’t workout
TIPS FOR TAKING PRE-WORKOUT:
- For best results, take it every day. Research has shown that taking pre-workout daily - even on non-workout days - increases overall energy levels, reduces fatigue, and improves concentration after just three weeks compared to taking caffeine on its own11. After 6 weeks of taking pre-workout, energy, fatigue, and concentration had increased compared to weeks 0 and 3.
- Take a pre-workout 30-60 minutes before exercising.
- Keep time of day in mind. Pre-workout supplements often contain more caffeine than a cup of coffee, so taking it before a 9 p.m. workout might not bode well for sleeping later, considering pre-workout effects can linger for up to six hours.
- Look at the ingredients list. Purchase one that includes the performance-enhancing ingredients we discussed earlier in the article, and try to avoid ones packed with obscure ingredients and fillers.
- Don’t take it on an empty stomach. Eating something 30 minutes to an hour before taking your pre-workout is a great way to reduce caffeine’s side effects, such as jitteriness and nausea. Bananas, fruit, and protein shakes are all great pre-workout snacks as these will provide you with a dose of easily digestible carbs that will contribute to higher energy levels during your workout.
- Don’t take too much. Taking more than the suggested dose won't lead to better results. It can lead to feeling overly jittery and anxious, cause digestive issues, and temporarily speed up your heart rate.
- Drink plenty of water. Taking pre-workout increases your workout’s intensity, making it likely you’ll be sweating even more. Make sure you stay hydrated leading up to your gym session, drink plenty while working out, and continue filling up that water bottle post-workout.
This pre-workout features natural and evidence-based ingredients, fully transparent labeling, and absolutely no artificial color, sweetener, or flavoring. Formulated to enhance strength...
FINAL NOTE: SHOULD YOU TAKE A PRE-WORKOUT?
Unless you have an underlying health condition or don’t do well with caffeine, taking pre-workout will benefit everyone from a competitive athlete to a recreational strength trainer to an endurance runner.
With benefits such as increases in muscle and lean body mass, increased strength, energy, and concentration, and less fatigue and faster recovery, this supplement deserves a place in your pre-workout routine.
Looking for a great pre-workout to boost your aesthetic and performance goals? Check out the Best Pre-Workout Supplements on the Market!
References:
- Martinez N, Campbell B, Franek M, Buchanan L, Colquhoun R. The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2016;13(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-016-0138-7
- Outlaw JJ, Wilborn CD, Smith-Ryan AE, et al. Acute effects of a commercially-available pre-workout supplement on markers of training: a double-blind study. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-014-0040-0
- Legault Z, Bagnall N, Kimmerly DS. The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2015;25(5):417-426. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0209
- Gonzalez AM, Trexler ET. Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2020;34(5):1. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000003426
- Smith AE, Fukuda DH, Kendall KL, Stout JR. The effects of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, creatine, and amino acids during three weeks of high-intensity exercise on aerobic and anaerobic performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2010;7(1):10. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-10
- Antonio J, Ciccone V. The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013;10(1). doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-36
- Jagim AR, Jones MT, Wright GA, St. Antoine C, Kovacs A, Oliver JM. The acute effects of multi-ingredient pre-workout ingestion on strength performance, lower body power, and anaerobic capacity. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2016;13(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-016-0122-2
- Panayi S, Galbraith A. Acute Ingestion of a Commercially Available Pre-Workout Supplement Improves Anaerobic Power Output and Reduces Muscular Fatigue. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3216&context=ijes
- Kedia AW, Hofheins JE, Habowski SM, Ferrando AA, Gothard MD, Lopez HL. Effects of a Pre-workout Supplement on Lean Mass, Muscular Performance, Subjective Workout Experience and Biomarkers of Safety. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2014;11(2):116-126. doi:10.7150/ijms.7073
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2021;18(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
- Kedia AW, Hofheins JE, Habowski SM, Ferrando AA, Gothard MD, Lopez HL. Effects of a Pre-workout Supplement on Lean Mass, Muscular Performance, Subjective Workout Experience and Biomarkers of Safety. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2014;11(2):116-126. doi:10.7150/ijms.7073
- Joy JM, Lowery RP, Falcone PH, et al. A multi-ingredient, pre-workout supplement is apparently safe in healthy males and females. Food & Nutrition Research. 2015;59(1):27470. doi:10.3402/fnr.v59.27470
Kirsten Yovino
Author