What is the Best Pre-workout?

May 29, 2015 Talib Ahmad Supplement Expert 1819 Views

With so many pre-workout supplements out there, it can be difficult deciding which is the best pre-workout for you especially when you need a glossary to decipher every ingredient on the label. Luckily, we’ve simplified pre-workout shopping for you. Find out more here!

What are pre-workouts?

Pre-workouts are commonly used by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts to amp up their training in the gym. There are four aspects of pre-workouts that make them worth taking. These include:

Caffeine / stimulants
Mental Boosting Properties
Stamina / Endurance
Pump Complex

Caffeine and Stimulants

Pre-workouts normally contain caffeine and other stimulants to give you that energy boost to make you want to leave your house and actually go to the gym. If you’re stimulant sensitive, many bodybuilding supplement brands actually make a non-stimulant version just for people like you.

Common Stimulants:

Caffeine

1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA)

Geranium Oil Extract

Bitter Orange Extract (synephrine)

Ephedra

Mental Boosting Properties

Along with this boost in energy comes the mental focus and clarity to get you in the zone while you’re at the gym.

Stamina / Endurance:

When taking a pre-workout, you may feel increased stamina and endurance that’ll keep you running and lifting longer than you would have without it. One common ingredient geared towards this is beta alanine which has been shown to increase carnosine concentration in muscles. Carnosine acts as a buffer to resist changes in pH, combating lactic acid and decreasing muscle fatigue.

Pump Complex

Lastly, the pump complex is designed to improve blood flow to the muscles which helps bring nutrients and oxygen and remove waste from the working muscle.

Common Pump Complex Ingredients:

L’Arginine

Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AAKG)

L’citrulline