If you are new to fitness and have heard people in the gym or watched fitness videos online, you may have heard someone, or several people, make references to pre-workout supplements. They are often mentioned when advice is being given on how to get better workouts. With all the information going around, it may seem pretty confusing to you and may even have you worrying that you missed something when you were preparing to make more regular trips to the gym.
Fear not. You may feel as though you are out of the loop, but this article will give you a complete picture of pre-workout supplements that will hopefully get you up to speed. Knowing what exactly is being referred to may help you be savvier when you are choosing workout supplements.
What Are Pre-Workout Supplements?
Pre-workout supplements, more colloquially referred to as pre-workouts, are supplements taken before you begin your fitness regimen to boost your workout performance. Pre-workouts are supposed to provide enough fuel for you to avoid having less energy and tiring early. They come in different forms, from powder and pills to shakes, meals and many more.
The ideal time to take a pre-workout supplement is about thirty minutes before you begin your workout. This timeframe allows the supplements to be absorbed by the body and the benefits drawn from the main ingredients begin to take effect.
Taking pre-workouts can make a difference in your fitness. Some of the benefits of pre-workout supplements include:
Higher Energy Levels
Getting plenty of rest has been recommended for those who want to have better workouts. However, it is not always possible to get eight hours of sleep every night. More people admit that they do not get as much rest as they do. This lack translates to the gym in lower energy levels, making it more difficult to sustain a proper workout.
Most pre-workout supplements contain caffeine as one of the main ingredients. The stimulant nature of caffeine gives you an energy boost so that you are better able to fight your fatigue and have more power for your workout.
Increased Performance
Your performance depends on your energy levels. The higher your energy, the better you can perform. Your training may see an improvement across the board. You should be able to train harder and faster for a more extended period. With more energy, you may also be more efficient to target specific muscle groups more accurately. When your performance is better, your results will follow suit. You will grow more muscles and burn more calories and reach your fitness goals with greater efficacy.
Performance enhancement from pre-workouts is made possible by Beta-Alanine. This amino acid reduces the fatigue you experience in your muscles, making you better able to work through your fitness routine.
Better Focus
Pre-workout supplements work both physically and mentally. Other than more energy and better performance, taking pre-workout supplements can help sharpen your focus as well. It may seem strange, but mental sharpness is just as crucial for better fitness as physical prowess. Lifting heavier and heavier weights, or running longer and faster, takes concentration to execute properly while avoiding injury.
Caffeine plays a significant role in boosting your concentration. Maintaining your focus can keep your motivation levels high enough for you to see your workout through to the end.
Faster Recovery
The benefits of your pre-workout do not stop the moment you complete your cool down. Long after you have left the gym at the time when your muscles are sore, and that post-workout fatigue has settled in, your pre-workout supplements are still hard at work restoring your body.
Pre-workout supplements contain creatine, beta-alanine, caffeine and BCAAs, in various amounts and combinations, depending on the brand. Each of these ingredients can help with reduced muscle soreness, faster muscle recovery and faster healing. When you recover more quickly, you can get back to the gym faster, at which time you will see results sooner.
Pre-workout supplements have significant results over long periods. Their benefits are cascading with their effect building onto one another to produce favourable outcomes. Therefore, since you have more energy, you will have sharper focus and better performance. When you start to perform better, you will increase your endurance, thus pushing further and further. Going further will lead to more soreness, which is alleviated by ingredients in the pre-workout supplements, constituting faster recovery and faster resumption of your workout, where the process will begin once again.
In essence, pre-workout supplements help you increase your ability to perform increasingly intense workouts, with impressive outcomes.
There are numerous pre-workout supplements available in the market today. Cellucor C4, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout, G Fuel Energy Cans, and ATP Science Limitless Clean Energy are just but a sampling of what is in stock for you to choose from. Take a look at the different brands of pre-workout supplements on offer and compare their ingredient lists to help you decide on what you feel would work best for you. With consistent use of pre-workout supplements, you will be able to attain your fitness goals faster.
