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Going to the gym nowadays seems to have become synonymous with taking some sort of pre workout. Pre workout??— you know, that fluorescent hot pink powder gym-goers take about 30 minutes before training? – that’s the one. Just like many other things, they have become the new “trend”… and who is really 100% immune to trends? I mean how many of us bought that iconic tiffany’s bracelet after having seen Legally Blond?! And how many of us have not worn it in like 15 years lol?? It’s totally and completely common to get sucked into whatever is going on around us. In the case of sports nutrition, (or in the case of anything that could potentially be affecting your health) it is fundamental however to step back a second and get properly informed.
So, what’s the deal?
Post Contents
What are Pre workout Supplements
Pre-workout simply put is a mixture of stimulants (mainly caffeine) and vasodilators meant to increase blood flow and give you that extra boost in energy you might need before training. Many body-builders today swear by their pre-workouts and believe that their exercise performance cannot reach optimal levels unless they use them. Now aside the psychological/dependency aspect that taking pre-workouts induces, there are many other concrete factors that may make taking a pre workout drink or pre workout powder a bad idea.
Is Pre Workout Bad for You?
1. Not Regulated by the FDA
Like many other supplements, pre-workout supplements fall in the category of products not regulated and/or recognized by the Federal Drug Administration. This means you don’t have that health-stamp guarantee that what you’re consuming is indeed safe or effective. Now this doesn’t mean that we should shun all pre-workouts because oh dear god if they are not regulated then it means they must be evil! No. What it does mean is that you need to start learning how to read your label. Instead of relying on an outside source, learn to understand what is okay and what is not okay… which brings me to my second point.
2. Avoid ALL Proprietary Blends
When shopping through the supplement aisle at your local GNC or Vitamin Shop you will notice that over 50% of pre-workouts will have part of their ingredients listed as a blend, mix, or complex. This means you will be able to see the blend’s composition of ingredients, but their single doses will not be visible. Instead you will see the overall weight of the blend. If you don’t know the doses you can’t possibly know what the product can actually do for you. Maybe certain doses are too high making the product unsafe, or maybe a lot of the ingredients are barely present resulting in a completely ineffective product… who knows?! The bottom line is if the company is withholding information from you there is a reason, they don’t want you to know! Stay away from these products and only support those that practice transparency!
3. There are no studies that prove that taking a combined use of ingredients is better than taking them singularly
What I mean here is that just because caffeine is mixed together with other stimulants and other performance-enhancing ingredients doesn’t mean it is more effective than your usual cup of coffee and protein/carb pre-workout snack. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against supplements in any way. In fact, I think they are often a great way to compensate for what you have difficulty obtaining through your normal diet, such as fiber or right amount of protein, and so forth. Check out my post Protein Shakes: Good or Bad? for more information.
What gets me so skeptical is the cocktail of ingredients that pre-workouts contain. Although there are conflicting studies, there has been evidence that show that creatine mixed with caffeine actually negates the beneficial effect of improved performance and heightened strength. So, in a sense it’s a completely useless product. And what about if certain stimulants mixed together generate an exponential effect in sensitive users? Again, I’m not saying pre-workouts are in principal bad. What I’m saying is that you have to be well informed to actually know what the product is doing and how it is doing it.
De-sensitization & Psychological Aspects
Aside from these more factual points, pre-workout also to a great extent influences the psychology of the user. What I mean is that people in large part become dependent on pre-workout, both physically and psychologically.
It’s like medicine. If I don’t feel well I need to take medicine to feel better. Thus, consequently if I don’t take it I won’t be able to feel better. The mind convinces itself that it cannot perform well useless pre-workout is taken. Any workout done without pre-workout will thus not be done at a high performance. This is not necessarily true but has been constructed up by your mind. The sole notion that you “took” something instructs you that there should be some kind of consequence, i.e. greater energy. I mean maybe if you trick yourself into thinking that you drank it, you would have the same results.
Another down-effect is that regular caffeine consumption does lead to de-sensitization. This means that for it to have an effect on your body you will need more and more of it. Not only can caffeine in high doses be extremely dangerous but finding yourself dependent on something is never a positive thing.
Concluding Remarks
So, ladies, if you can take one piece of information away from this post it would be to be aware of what you’re consuming. Although I personally do not resort to pre-workouts, I don’t necessarily think they are bad overall. First and foremost you must have the proper sleep, diet, and hydration- if you don’t have these you are already starting on unhealthy grounds.
Once you have these fundamentals, subsequently every now and then you might need that boost… we’re human no? I also on occasion resort to coffee when I know that I just need a little extra push that day. I don’t like the idea however of developing a dependency and that is the reason I try to limit my caffeine intake as much as I can. My view is that if you’ve completed a workout without a pre-workout before, then you don’t NEED it. But again, it’s all about what makes you feel good and what makes you feel comfortable. Just please read your labels, buy transparent products, and try to suspend its use from time to time in order to prevent de-sensitization and dependency. If you have any other questions, please comment below or contact me and I’ll be happy to answer. Stay Informed! For some ideas on pre-workout snacks and meals check out this post What Should You Be Eating Pre and Post Exercise?
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This blog post is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. Please read my full disclosure for further information.
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