Does it make sense to take a pre-workout? We evaluated their effect and (in) active substances
We used to write an article about pre-workout stimulants, but interesting research has been added, so it is necessary to dig through the topic so that the information is as up-to-date as possible. Does the kicker / pump make sense? What substances do pre-workouts usually contain? Are some effective? What about dosing and what did the research find out where the men took the pre-workout for 4 weeks?
Pre-workout stimulants are designed to help us with strength, energy, concentration, pumping and performance. They usually cost around 20-40 € and will last you an average of 25 workouts. If you have a lack of sleep, little energy, you are killed by school or work, or it's just not your day, they should turn a (below) average workout into a great workout. Theoretically.
But mostly they work:
as a placebo - you know when young shuhs take a pre-workout with beta-alanine, this substance makes their ears itch (by the way, this state of itching is called parastesis and has nothing to do with exercise, it's just a side effect alanine) and they think how terribly trampled they are and imagine dream training
thanks to caffeine - it has real effects on performance, which we wrote a beautiful article about here. In that case, however, it would make more sense to buy cheap caffeine pills and not spend tens of euros
on the principle of a kind of routine - you turn on the music, you start to prepare things, you drink the pre-workout and gradually you simply tune in to the training and it's just your ritual that will tune you mentally and prepare you to lift the iron
otherwise - more in today's article
We have good news. Some substances in pre-workouts really make sense (at effective dosing) and may not be just the above-mentioned scenarios. Let's start with a study from the end of 2019 on men (on average 22.5 years, 175 to 181 cm depending on the group and about 3 years of training experience). They were divided into two groups, one using the kicker, the other not. Testing and measurement were before and after the 4-week protocol, with the training being under the scrutiny of the research team and consisting of two top workouts and two lower body workouts per week. They also took the pre-workout during the days of rest, specifically in the morning on an empty stomach. A given multi-component pre-workout stimulant included the following:
The researchers tried to come up with various data concerning, for example, body composition, heart rate, blood pressure, blood IGF-1 levels, various other blood biomarkers, as well as maxima (1RM) on benches and squats. Let's get to the most important thing without unnecessary kyd. The results showed that those taking the pre-workout had a greater increase in lean muscle mass than the placebo group, although progress was, of course, seen in both groups. Within the maxima, they observed an improvement in both groups, but the group with the pre-workout was better at it, especially with squats. In terms of different blood biomarkers, no significant differences were observed, from which it can be concluded that the use is (in general), resp. was (in research) safe.
Talk about the composition of a given pre-workout and the effect on performance + muscles
You may have noticed enough creatine in 1 scoop, a solid dose of citrulline, beta-alanine, caffeine and betaine. Since the difference in pure muscle mass was nice (+ 3.15 kg, compared to the placebo group + 0.89 kg), it is not possible to say exactly what was behind it. Creatine and betaine are stored in the tissue and their osmolytic properties cause the tissue to enlarge due to water. And research shows that both creatine and betaine can cause an increase in muscle mass. The given increase in muscle (ie the difference + 2.26 kg) is primarily due to the training itself and due to creatine, or betaine or a combination, as the synergy of these and other substances can also have a more significant effect. If we should put it in the equation, training> creatine> betaine applies. And as for caffeine, 350 mg is not enough, so performance could also be significantly affected by it.
Thanks to this study, but also another meta-analysis, we can say that a pre-workout with well-chosen substances and amounts of these substances can improve muscle mass and performance. However, it should be borne in mind that most of the benefits would only come from caffeine and creatine alone, while saving a considerable amount of money. However, other substances also have some such effect and, in addition, the synergy of different substances (e.g. the mentioned creatine + betaine) can be beneficial, and thus the benefits for both muscle mass and performance can be somewhat further promoted.
Active ingredients and essential advice: Watch the composition!
Below you can see the substances that are often added to diggers. A separate article could be written about each of them, so today we will focus mainly on scientific consensus and practical quick information.
Creatine
Creatine does not work on a short-term basis, so its intake just before training will cause nothing. However, as we said in a comprehensive article on creativity, it's one of the few supplements that really works - but in the long run. Increases strength, explosiveness, endurance of muscles. It doesn't matter if you have it before training, in the morning or even in the evening. The important thing is that you get it. The effective dose is 5 g of creatine (monohydrate) every day. In pre-workout, it is probably useless from the point of view that most of us have a classic monohydrate on the shelf, take it every day and do not need it in pre-workout.
Beta-alanine
In addition to the tingling mentioned in the introduction, it has another effect. Beta-alanine is a modified version of the amino acid alanine and can help increase physical performance in the range of 60-240 seconds, as well as gaining muscle mass. What is the basis of beta-alanine is the fact that it can help with endurance, which means that it can help with one or two extra repetitions in training and will definitely help crossfit fans. This is also associated with the aforementioned muscle growth, as it is precisely due to the possibility of performing some repetition with a given extra weight, a larger volume of work occurs, which can ultimately contribute to hypertrophy. There is a lot of consistent research on this, and this fact cannot be denied. It can also help reduce fatigue. The effective dosage is 1.6 - 3.2 g per day, but simply 3-5 g before training will not be a mistake either.
Citrulline (malate), better than arginine
L-Citrulline is an amino acid that is converted to l-arginine in the liver, so it is more effective at increasing arginine levels in the body. While l-arginine shoots the plasma level of l-arginine, citrulline increases these values over a longer time horizon. However, citrulline is not so clear on the various benefits for our training. This is especially true in the area of weight gain, but there are still a few studies that at least reduce fatigue, improve endurance for both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, and promote cardiovascular health. With citrulline, we can also address potential reductions in cysts. Citrulline malate has mostly been studied (but the benefits are likely to be similar). The effective dosage for improving performance is set at about 6-8 g. So yes, there are some potential benefits and the possibility of better pumping is real, but will it take everyone? Not at all.
Betaine / trimethylglycine
Once less used, but in recent years you will find it in most pre-workouts. It is an active metabolite of choline in the body and is part of beetroot. Research is not unambiguous, some show a small benefit in terms of performance, endurance, training volume, others do not. When we look at a systematic analysis examining its effect on strength, we find that only 2 out of 7 studies showed an improvement (by 24%). So it seems that he will not be such a friend with strength, but he can help with other parameters (mainly perseverance). The minimum effective dose is 500 mg. Unfortunately, independent research has not shown the benefits of betaine, and the whole thing is currently a bit tricky. Speaking of beetroot (high in nitrates), there have been many recent studies of beet juice or beet powder, and the conclusions are not bad at all, although inconsistent. But it also seems that beetroot has the potential for intense exercise with short breaks and your performance can be better.
Taurine
Anyone who has drunk Red Bull at least should know the term taurine. It is a sulfur-containing organic acid and is found quite commonly in foods, such as meat. Much research has identified taurine as an agent of the heart and blood that provides many health benefits. But as a pre-workout kick or performance aid? It seems not. Good research really speaks against it, and buying taurine alone or basing yourself on having a pre-workout lot of taurine probably won't pay off. In any case, the recommended dosage is 3 grams and since it is a very well known substance, we wanted to mention it.
Tyrosine
Maximum concentration and concentration on training? Thanks to tyrosine, companies can afford to write this formula on the packaging. It is an amino acid that produces norepinephrine and dopamine. L-Tyrosine is usually dosed in the range of about 500-2000 mg before any stressor (including exercise). Most human studies recommend a dose of 100-150 mg per kilogram body weight, so if you are 80 kg, the effective dose should be 8-12 g. It's not exactly a substance exposed to a lot of research, so even though the benefits are there, it's not 100% clear facts. But it should be noted that tyrosine works and works very well synergistically with caffeine! So yes, concentration, concentration and tyrosine go together. However, as these factors will be influenced by pre-workout supplementation, it is not so clear-cut. It is similar with theanine, which cooperates as well with caffeine and has similar effects as tyrosine. Better attention, cognitive function or mood.
As you can see, pre-workout stimulants can be viewed from different angles. However, whoever has the money and chooses a kicker with a quality composition can benefit from him, as research shows that different substances and their synergistic effect can support not only performance, endurance, strength, but also muscle hypertrophy. Someone will buy a pre-workout due to some of the above-mentioned ritual, resp. routine before exercise, another due to caffeine and one of them does not feel anything, but he knows that the substances and their amount have a small benefit somewhere in the background. There is also the opportunity to save money - buy the substances separately and "mix" your own pre-workout stimulant based on the recommended effective doses. Either way, this kind of supplement is not necessary, but to say that it is not worth anything and none of it can expect absolutely anything would also be a very wrong statement.
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