DECEMBER 23, 2019

PRE WORKOUTS, FRIENDS OR FOE?

Pre Workouts, friend or foe?

Pre-workouts are gaining a lot of attention over health and wellness platforms but what exactly are they, how do they benefit us and are they just hype?

What Are Pre Workouts?

Pre-workouts are multi-ingredient supplements that are created to improve athletic performance, increase energy and even boost your mood.  They are usually found in a powdered form that you simply mix with water and consume 20-40 minutes prior to your training session.

Whilst each pre-workout will contain varied ingredients, they will generally all contain some amino acids, B vitamins, caffeine, creatine and/ or beta-alanine.

Base Pre workout Ingredients

  1. Caffeine

Caffeine acts as a stimulate, providing you with a surge of energy. It is able to lower your perceived rate of exertion and decrease your ability to feel pain. As a stimulant, it increases fat burning as well as performance and efficiency. In addition, caffeine improves mental concentration and focus.

  2. Beta-Alinine

Beta-Alinine is an amino acid that reduces muscle fatigue, meaning you train harder for longer. It also increases circulation, meaning more nutrients to your muscles.

  3. BCAAS

Branch chain amino acids are a group comprised of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These amino acids help with muscle growth and recovery, whilst preventing muscle and encouraging the maintenance and repair of muscles.

  4. B Vitamins

These help with metabolic processes in the body and support energy levels as well as recovery.

  5. Creatine

Creatine is probably the most known and used gym supplement. It has the ability to increase muscle mass and strength, as well as boost exercise performance.

What are the Benefits of Taking Pre-Workout Supplements?

Pre-workouts give you the energy, intensity and focus you need to train optimally. They have the ability to aid in the following:

  • Increased movement repetitions
  • Increased energy
  • Better Mood
  • Better circulation and blood flow to the muscles
  • Enhanced muscular endurance
  • Amplified exercise performance
  • Increased metabolism
  • Greater muscle protein synthesis
  • Better cognition, alertness, and focus
  • Increase pain tolerance
  • Greater intensity during exercise
  • Reduction of muscle breakdown and damage
  • A decrease in fatigue

Sometimes we just need a little assistance being our best selves; poor sleep, low energy long work days, high stress levels and muscle fatigue can all hinder our training intensity as well as our strength.  In essence, pre workouts help you perform at your peak and give you the energy required to get through on those tough days. They optimise energy, intensity and efficiency in the gym. Increased reps, sets and a high pain threshold mean that you can put your muscles under greater stress for longer which leads to faster gains with less muscle damage. Pres also support recovery which means you get back in the gym faster, which again supports the growth of muscle whilst maintaining a lean body composition.

To conclude, pre workouts are not for everyone, however if you lack energy and output in your sessions and you’ve covered all other bases like adequate nutrition, sleep and hydration then a good quality pre workout might be exactly what you need.

When choosing a pre workout ensure you opt for one that is good quality, or you may just be paying for really expensive caffeine. ONEST has 3 great products which can be used for pre workout; ONEST HYPERLOAD, HYPERBURN and THERMOBURN. Each one of these products includes quality, specifically chosen, trailed and tested ingredients to ensure you perform at your best during your sessions.