A pre-workout supplement is a great charge while training. These sports nutrition supplements increase workout performance, give your body more strength while exercising, and help you reduce fat effectively.
Working out requires commitment and discipline. It also takes effort to stick to the right diet. Supplements can help you get good results within a short time. While pre-workouts are useful in improving your training, users are often unaware of their side effects. Read more to discover the effects of pre-workout supplements you didn’t know.
Any benefits of pre-workout supplements?
Don’t get it twisted. Although we’ll acknowledge the negative effects of pre-workout supplements, we still appreciate their good doings. Here are the specific benefits of including pre-workout supplements in your routine;
Improves your performance
Taking pre-workout supplements will give you extra energy needed for strenuous activities in the gym. You’ll comfortably have a longer, faster, and harder training than you would without the supplements. Better performance means you’ll burn more calories and increase muscle mass. Thus, you’ll reach your fitness goals and make good progress more efficiently.
Boosts your energy levels
Any gym-goer knows it’s not easy to work out after a tiresome day at work. If you can manage to exercise energetically without pre-workout supplements, good work. But, can you give 100% energy while working out? Hitting the gym while tired is difficult. However, if you consume pre-workout supplements, you’ll have a better exercise experience. It’ll boost your energy and help you fight off fatigue.
Helps you maintain focus
Preworkout benefits are not restricted to physical performance. Sports supplement drinks can improve your mental health and help you concentrate while exercising. Without focus and motivation, it’ll be easy to give up in the early stages of your session. That’s why you need these motivation boosters.
Fastens recovery time
Muscle soreness and fatigue at the end of the workout make you feel proud of yourself and gives you a sense of accomplishment. However, they tend to slow down your recovery time. You may need to break for a while to recover before getting back to the gym. Taking pre-workout supplements will allow you to work out daily without needing extra hours or days to recover. Ingredients packed in them help with sore muscles.
At this point, you’ve seen why it’s worth using pre-workout supplements. You may be asking yourself, how can pre-workout supplements have side effects with all these benefits they have? Like most energy-boosting supplements, pre-workout supplements too have side effects.
Side effects of pre-workout
Insomnia
Nowadays, most gyms remain open till late at night. Going to the gym after work may be tiresome, and using pre-workout supplements boost your energy levels. However, it’s not advisable to use them at night because they cause all sorts of trouble. Most pre-workout supplements are overloaded with caffeine. Even as much as 400 mg caffeine. That’s about four cups of coffee. Taking such a high amount at night can make you stay awake till morning. If you exercise at night, avoid using pre-workout supplements. People metabolize caffeine differently. So, if you have a slow metabolism rate, avoid taking it after evening.
Dehydration
After using pre-workout supplements for a while, you may notice you’re getting thirstier than normal. That’s because some of these supplements have ingredients that can take water from your body and leave you dehydrated. Some are specifically designed to help with weight loss. Thus, when consumed in high doses, they cause dehydration and symptoms like frequent headaches. The solution for dehydration is drinking plenty of water even when you’re not thirsty. So, it’s important to stay hydrated when using these energy-boosting products.
Uncomfortable tingling sensations
Another annoying pre-workout side effect is a tingly feeling throughout your body. People’s bodies are different. So, it depends if you’re sensitive to the product’s formula. Ingredients like beta-alanine, niacin, and vitamin B3 are the main culprits for tingling sensations. Prickly senses should not worry you too much as they usually disappear after a short time. You can look for pre-workout supplements with low amount of B3 and beta-alanine to avoid these sensations.
Increases blood pressure
Working out helps to maintain the right blood pressure rate. However, some pre-workout supplements may do the opposite effects. High blood pressure is one of the known side effects of pre-workout supplements. All stimulants, including caffeine, boost heart rate, increasing your blood pressure. If you have any health issues related to blood pressure, avoid these performance-boosting products. It’ll be helpful if you measure your heart rate before and after the workout.
Other drawbacks of pre-workout supplements are;
- Addiction
- Energy crash
- Adrenal fatigue
What are natural alternatives for pre-workout supplements?
If pre-workout supplements don’t work for you, use natural ingredients to boost your energy and improve your performance. You can use the following options to fuel your training sessions;
- Oats– these complex carbs digest easier compared to other whole grains. It’s a great option due to its high content in B vitamins which helps with energy production.
- Salt-a salty food like popcorn makes a great snack when engaging in exercises like riding a bike or running on a hot day.
- Sweet potatoes-packed with micronutrients like potassium and magnesium, these complex carbs will help.
- Fruits-banana is a great option due to its high potassium content, which assists in muscle cramping. Other good choices include berries and peaches.
Which food should you avoid before a workout?
Pre-workout nutrition depends on the individual. Test out a few foods and choose what works best for you. Fiber foods are nutritious. However, they take longer to digest and often leave you bloated. It’s advisable to avoid fiber-rich foods such as beans, lentils, and broccoli. Also, foods high in fat tend to stay longer in the stomach and make working out uncomfortable. Working out while food is still digesting will not provide you energy needed for the session. Lastly, avoid spicy foods before sweating because they can cause gastric discomfort.
Conclusion
Losing weight and achieving health and fitness goals need making sacrifices, staying committed, and working outright. The last requirement, in this case, involves training with the right exercises and using supplements for good results. Preworkout supplements will boost your energy levels, increase your focus, and generally improve your training performance. However, they also come with side effects, though manageable. If pre-workout side effects are unsafe for you, opt for natural foods to give you the energy you’ll need.
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