Whether you’re at the
beginning on your fitness journey or you regularly workout each day, you might have moments when you’re lacking the energy levels required for an intense session. And when this happens, you might start looking for a way to improve it.
As part of this, you may come across pre-workout supplements. Offered by a range of different companies (take
muscle rage for example), these supplements feature a selection of different ingredients that are designed to improve athletic performance and boost energy. You can find pre-workout supplements in a variety of forms, such as tablets to powders to ready-to-drink cans, and anything from caffeine to
cbd workout supplements, taken around 1 hour before your workout.
If you’re considering these, it’s important, however, to identify the key pros and cons that come with using them so that you’re always in the know. It’s your body after all, so you don’t want to put anything in it that won’t benefit you in the long term.
So to help guide you, here are some of the top advantages and potential downsides to pay attention to:
The Pros
A Performance Boost
One of the biggest advantages that many people claim is that pre-workout supplements help to improve stamina and performance. So if you’re lacking motivation in the gym or on your daily run, then it might be worth taking a pre-workout supplement to give you a much-needed boost.
Many articles and
studies throughout the years have showcased this improvement, indicating that they can make workouts last longer.
Increases Alertness Alongside a boost in performance, pre-workout supplements are said to increase alertness. Similar to caffeine, by improving focus you’ll be able to have a better workout.
Motivation and alertness are vital, no matter what exercise you’re doing. So if you’re feeling like you need a helping hand with this, then it might be time to invest in some pre-workout supplements. Just make sure that you follow the guidelines on the bottle, and fully research into the ingredients before taking them – as people can react differently to them.
It’s More than Caffeine
Although they are similar to caffeine in the sense that they will allow you to focus better, supplements are so much more than the energy-boosting drink. Containing a combination of various nutrients and vitamins, they work with your body to deliver exceptional athletic performance.
Of course, every supplement is different. So it’s a good idea to look into what each of the ingredients can do for you before purchasing them.
The Cons
They Can Dehydrate You Unfortunately, although they can contain many beneficial vitamins and nutrients that help the body, they can also act as a diuretic. This means that they increase the chance of dehydration, as they’ll make you go to the toilet more regularly.
Giving you a performance boost for a while, before easing you back into how you were feeling beforehand, they aren’t a great solution if you’re looking for long-term results.
You May Become Immune To Them Following on from the above, after some time of using them you may find that you become immune to their ‘powers’. Becoming less effective, your body will automatically get used to them, leading you to try and find another way of improving your alertness and performance.
This is why it’s usually recommended that you only use supplements when you really need them – not every day when you try and workout.
Should You Try Them? Like most things, pre-workout supplements won’t work for everyone. And if you’re frequently finding it difficult to workout, it might not be the best solution.
Before trying supplements, you should therefore try and ensure that you’re maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep every day and fully hydrating yourself. However, with the numerous studies that back up their potential, it’s fair to say that they can be a worthy solution in some circumstances.
As everyone is different, it’s important to identify what works for you and you alone. Every fitness journey is unique – from the amount of exercise you do each day to your diet. So by laying out what your goals are at the start of the process you’ll be in a much better position.
Final Thoughts So, there you go! Those are some of the pros and cons that you should consider when looking at pre-workout supplements. At the end of the day, it’s your choice as to whether you try them or not. But as long as you’re well-informed and don’t get too reliant on them, then there’s no reason why they can’t work.