Best Pre Workout Supplements Buying Guide

There are many supplements available for those of us who like to work out. One of the leading supplement types is the ones that you take before going to the gym or for a run. Those are called pre workout supplements, and this is our guide to the best options available.

Best Pre Workout Supplements Buying Guide

They are so popular because the daily stresses that we go through, often leave us lacking in energy for making our training sessions the best they can be. Whether that is a lack of sleep, a hard day, or stress, pre workout supplements will help you get a better workout. In this article, we are going to look at the best types of supplements that you can use to ensure that you’re at your optimum for every workout, no matter what life throws at you. 

A list of the significant pre workout supplements are:

• Caffeine
• Creatine Monohydrate
• Beta-Alanine
• Citrulline Malate
• BCAA’s

We will look at each of them in a little more detail, and how they can help you with your workout no matter what sort of a day you have had. Before we do that, though, we will have a quick look at what those supplements can help you with:

• Focus
• Strength Capacity
• Endurance
• Fatigue manipulation
• Muscle building

The majority of the supplements that you will find in this article will allow an increase in all of those aspects. However, some more than others. Read on to find out which is best. 

1. Caffeine – Best Pre Workout Supplement

We all know how well caffeine can perform when needing an energy boost. It is also the number one ingredient that you will find in almost all pre workout booster supplements. When the time comes to get motivated for a gym session, the mental and physical changes you receive from caffeine is sure to make a difference. 

Caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream relatively quickly. The maximum value can be determined after 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the dose administered. With smaller doses (3 mg/kg body weight), the caffeine level does not rise as much as with higher doses (6-9 mg/kg body weight).

Caffeine ensures that your body does not consume the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver, and therefore, primarily fat is used as an energy supplier. That is an immense advantage, especially for endurance athletes, because they have energy over a more extended time. But not only endurance athletes but also bodybuilders, fitness athletes, etc. benefit from this effect.

In addition to increased fat burning, caffeine also improves breathing by relaxing the respiratory muscles so that oxygen can be absorbed more efficiently.

Another often discussed aspect is when to take it. The general opinion tends to say to consume caffeine as a so-called pre workout before strength training.

Why? The answer is simple. As mentioned above, caffeine has a stimulating effect. The goal after training should be a sufficient regeneration phase, which is prevented by a stimulus. Therefore, the recommendation is to consume caffeine before rather than after exercise. Also, you should avoid it for about 2-4 hours after training.

2. Creatine

Creatine is probably the most popular nutritional supplement. It promises muscle building, more strength, and more anaerobic performance. Because it is so popular, it has been the subject of countless studies in recent years. Therefore, we know a lot more about creatine than ever. In the meantime, the miracle drug is even said to have a positive influence on the aging process, memory, and cell protection.

When building muscle, the property of promoting strength and mass gain is, of course, particularly important. However, in sports science, some other positive effects of creatine are now known, which every athlete should use for themselves: With creatine, your endurance increases, therefore, you can lift more reps before exhaustion. Although there are countless studies on the effect of creatine for workouts, there are very few that show when it should be taken. Moreover, it is the frequency that you take it. We will do an article about creatine in the future, but for now, so long as you consume it just before, or just after a workout, the effects are similar. That is why we suggest taking it as a pre workout supplement. 

3. Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is the perfect companion to creatine. What creatine lacks in endurance capabilities, beta-alanine adds. Likewise, what beta-alanine lacks in strength, creatine will add. It is like taking a complete all-rounder supplement for the best workout that you can have. There are three main benefits to the compound:

• Quicker recovery between sets. The recovery time will allow you to push harder on the next set, therefore breaking down more muscle fibers. In turn, that allows for a better muscle growth rate.
• Higher endurance rate. If you focus your gym time more on cardio, beta-alanine will allow you to get more time, distance, and all-round performance before exhaustion. 
• ATP replacement while resting. ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) is the primary biochemical muscle energy source. If you have depleted ATP, you will burn out faster. Beta-alanine will ensure there is a full reserve waiting for you during your workout. 

4. Citrulline Malate

As if creatine and beta-alanine were not good enough on their own, citrulline malate makes the combination even better. If you were to think of creatine as 80% strength, 20% endurance, beta-alanine as the opposite, citrulline malate is a compound that fits directly in the middle of the two. It has three main functions:

• Removal of toxins. The body produces a few toxins when you workout, such as ammonia and lactic acid. This compound allows for a better urea cycle for removing those toxins, reducing muscle fatigue, and increasing endurance. 
• Increases Nitric oxide. Nitric oxide increases blood flow, thus increasing oxygen transportation to the required muscles, and it also increases nutrient intake to ensure that all of your protein does not go to waste. 
• ATP production. As with beta-alanine, citrulline malate will increase the production of ATP for increased endurance. 

As you can see, adding all three of the benefits that are above is undoubtedly going to increase your performance. Therefore, it is clear to see why citrulline malate is an ideal pre workout compound to use. 

5. BCAA’s

Protein is such a significant factor in muscle growth. You need more muscle for almost everything that you can do when you are working out. Well, the protein comprises of branch chain amino acids (BCAA’s). The three main BCAA’s you will see used for sports are:

• Leucine
• Isoleucine
• Valine

While the primary amino acid that you need for muscle growth is Leucine, the other two acids add to the effects and increase performance and energy levels. That fact is especially true if you have not eaten properly before your workout. You should take BCAA’s before, during, and after a workout for optimal results. 

Conclusion

All of the above supplements are wonderful for a pre workout boost. However, as you have seen, there are many complementing factors that each of them holds. So, when you are looking for the best pre workout supplements, you need to ensure that it has these items in it. There are a lot of companies who fill their products with things that are of minimal benefit to you to bulk up the other elements. Always make sure that you read the descriptions and ingredients before you buy something. 

Not to mention how good they all are, but there is also scientific backing for all of them too. So, instead of wasting your money on fillers and stuff that does not help you, a small investment in the right products will give you an immense return in muscle, strength, and endurance.