Will pre-workout complexes help you become stronger and more enduring?

What is a pre-workout complex

The multicomponent pre-workout complex ("pre-workout", PT-complex) is a sports supplement Patrick S. Harty, Hannah A. Zabriskie, Jacob L. Erickson, Paul E. Molling, Chad M. Kerksick & Andrew R. Jagim. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in the form of a powder from psychostimulants, amino acids, vitamins and other ingredients. The main tasks of the PT-complex are to energize, increase endurance, help build muscle and lose weight, and improve athletic performance in general.

There is no one pre-workout formula, each manufacturer adds different ingredients to the composition: from whey protein and BCAA to ginseng and beet extract. But, given the main purpose, almost all complexes contain several well-studied substances.

How do pre-workout complexes work?

There are not many main active ingredients.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a psychostimulant that affects the central nervous system, increasesNanci S. Guest, Trisha A. VanDusseldorp, Michael T. Nelson. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition general endurance, speed and power, helps to concentrate.

Taurine

This sulfur-containing amino acid canJ. A. Kurtz, T. A. VanDusseldorp, J. A. Doyle. Taurine in sports and exercise / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition accelerate the breakdown of fats, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress after exercise and thus positively influence recovery.

Taurine can have a good effect on general and strength endurance, increaseJay R Hoffman, Nicholas A Ratamess, Ryan Ross. Effect of a pre-exercise energy supplement on the acute hormonal response to resistance exercise / Journal of strength and conditioning research the number of repetitions in strength training and improveThomas G Balshaw, Theodoros M Bampouras, Timothy J Barry, S Andy Sparks. The effect of acute taurine ingestion on 3 ‑ km running performance in trained middle ‑ distance runners / Amino Acids the results of the middle distance race.

BCAA

BCAAs are three branched chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are irreplaceable, that is, they are not produced in the body and must be ingested with food.

Essential amino acids are involvedHormonal and signaling role of branched-chain amino acids / Mayo Clinic in the production of hormones and in the transmission of signals within the cell that trigger muscle building.

There is data 1.Eric A Newsholme, Eva Blomstrand. Branched-chain amino acids and central fatigue. / The Journal of nutrition
2.Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance / The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)that BCAA supplementation can reduce exercise fatigue and improve muscle and strength gain.

L ‑ arginine and L ‑ citrulline

These amino acids are added to PT complexes to raise levels of nitric oxide, a signaling molecule that expandsPatrick S. Harty, Hannah A. Zabriskie, Jacob L. Erickson, Paul E. Molling, Chad M. Kerksick & Andrew R. Jagim. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition blood vessels and accelerates blood circulation. This allows oxygen and nutrients to reach active muscles faster, which can improve performance during training.

L-citrulline is often added in combination with malate (citrulline malate), malic acid. This form is believed to enhance the beneficial effects of the amino acid.

Creatine

According to research 1.Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance / The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
2.R V T Santos, R A Bassit, E C Caperuto, L F B P Costa Rosa. The effect of creatine supplementation upon inflammatory and muscle soreness markers after a 30km race / Life sciences, this amino acid helps increase training volume, power and strength, reduce inflammation that builds up in muscles from micro-injuries, and accelerate post-exercise recovery.

Betaine

It can improve performance during exercise by increasing creatine synthesis and nitric oxide.

There is data 1. Jay R Hoffman 1, Nicholas A Ratamess, Jie Kang. Effect of 15 days of betaine ingestion on concentric and eccentric force outputs during isokinetic exercise / Journal of strength and conditioning research
2. John F Trepanowski, Tyler M Farney, Cameron G McCarthy. The effects of chronic betaine supplementation on exercise performance, skeletal muscle oxygen saturation and associated biochemical parameters in resistance trained men / Journal of strength and conditioning researchthat taking betaine for two weeks increases the repetitions to fatigue and the overall volume strength training.

Beta Alanine

This amino acid is essential for the production of carnosine, a substance that will help you withstandR M Hobson, B Saunders, G Ball, R C Harris, C Sale. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta ‑ analysis / Amino Acids more strenuous work without burning muscles.

Consuming 4-6 grams of supplement per day for 2-4 weeks can improveEric T Trexler, Abbie E Smith-Ryan, Jeffrey R Stout International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition performance on high-intensity exercises that last more than 60 seconds.

Vitamins of group B

Vitamins B2 and B6 are essential for energy production, and B12 is involved in the repair of damaged cells and the synthesis of new ones.

Lack of B vitamins canK. Woolf, M. M. Manore. B-vitamins and exercise: does exercise alter requirements? / International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism decrease training performance. Therefore, if you consume few products of animal origin - the main source of these vitamins, an auxiliary dose will help to improve athletic performance.

Vitamin D

If you are vitamin D deficient, taking an extra supplement mayS. Pilz, S. Frisch, H. Koertke. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men / Hormone and metabolic research have a positive effect on the level of testosterone - an anabolic hormone that helps to build muscle and burn fat.

If everything is fine and there is no shortage, this component of the sports supplement will not be reflected in any way. S. D. Scholten, I. N. Sergeev, Q. Song. Effects of vitamin D and quercetin, alone and in combination, on cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle function in physically active male adults / Open access journal of sports medicine on performance.

Who should try pre-workout supplements

It must be said right away that the effectiveness of PT-complexes has not been proven, and this is unlikely to happen in the future: the mixtures differ too much in composition to be able to properly study them.

Still, a number of studies suggest that the popular combination of caffeine, amino acids and vitamins may improve some performance.

For those who want to maintain volume despite fatigue

If you came to the gym tired after work or did not have time to recover from other sports activities, the "pre-workout" will help out. With it, you will do as much as on the nicest days.

Research shows that pre-workout supplements can help you overcome 1.Haley C Bergstrom, M Travis Byrd, Brian J Wallace Examination of a Multi-ingredient Preworkout Supplement on Total Volume of Resistance Exercise and Subsequent Strength and Power Performance / Journal of strength and conditioning research
2. Patrick B Collins, Conrad P Earnest, Ryan L Dalton. Short-Term Effects of a Ready-to-Drink Pre-Workout Beverage on Exercise Performance and Recovery / Nutrientsphysical fatigue and perform 1. Nicholas A Ratamess, Jay R Hoffman, Ryan Ross. Effects of an amino acid / creatine energy supplement on the acute hormonal response to resistance exercise / International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism

2. Michael Cameron, Clayton L Camic, Scott Doberstein The acute effects of a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement on resting energy expenditure and exercise performance in recreationally active females / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

3. Andrew R Jagim, Margaret T Jones, Glenn A Wright The acute effects of multi-ingredient pre-workout ingestion on strength performance, lower body power, and anaerobic capacity / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

more reps in exercises such as machine leg press, bench press, and squat with a barbell on your back with 75-80% of the one-rep maximum - a weight with which you can do only one repetition.

However, here we are talking specifically about heavy loads in a tired state. So if you are doing quiet cardio or working with light weights, there is no point in spending money on a PT complex.

For those who lack energy and concentration during training

Several scientific papers have confirmed 1. Jay R Hoffman, Jie Kang, Nicholas A Ratamess Examination of a pre-exercise, high energy supplement on exercise performance / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
2. Jay R Hoffman, Nicholas A Ratamess, Adam Gonzalez. The effects of acute and prolonged CRAM supplementation on reaction time and subjective measures of focus and alertness in healthy college students / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
3. Andrew R Jagim, Margaret T Jones, Glenn A Wright The acute effects of multi-ingredient pre-workout ingestion on strength performance, lower body power, and anaerobic capacity / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutritionthat “pre-workout” can boost energy, help you focus on your workout, and fight fatigue.

Moreover, the effect is observed in men.Brandon D Spradley, Kristy R Crowley, Chih ‑ Yin Tai Ingesting a pre ‑ workout supplement containing caffeine, B ‑ vitamins, amino acids, creatine, and beta-alanine before exercise delays fatigue while improving reaction time and muscular endurance / Nutrition & Metabolism, and in womenMichael Cameron, Clayton L Camic, Scott Doberstein The acute effects of a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement on resting energy expenditure and exercise performance in recreationally active females / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition regardless of typeAllyson L Walsh, Adam M Gonzalez, Nicholas A Ratamess. Improved time to exhaustion following ingestion of the energy drink Amino Impact / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition exercise (strength or cardio).

For those who want to build muscle and dry out

Not all scientific works confirm 1. A William Kedia, Jennifer E Hofheins, Scott M Habowski. Effects of a pre-workout supplement on lean mass, muscular performance, subjective workout experience and biomarkers of safety / International journal of medical sciences

2. Anna Nelson, Clayton Camic, Carl Foster. Supplementation with a Multi-ingredient Pre-workout Supplement does not Augment Resistance Training Adaptations in Females / International journal of exercise science

benefits of "pre-workout" for the figure. However, there is data 1. Ryan P Lowery, Jordan M Joy, Joshua E Dudeck. Effects of 8 weeks of Xpand® 2X pre workout supplementation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, lean body mass, and strength in resistance trained males / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

2. Brian Shelmadine,, Matt Cooke, Thomas Buford. Effects of 28 days of resistance exercise and consuming a commercially available pre ‑ workout supplement, NO ‑ Shotgun (R), on body composition, muscle strength and mass, markers of satellite cell activation, and clinical safety markers in males / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

3. Mike Spillane, Neil Schwarz, Sarah Leddy. Effects of 28 days of resistance exercise while consuming commercially available pre- and post-workout supplements, NO ‑ Shotgun® and NO ‑ Synthesize® on body composition, muscle strength and mass, markers of protein synthesis, and clinical safety markers in males / Nutrition & Metabolism

that PT-complexes can provide an increase in muscle mass and reduce body fat.

So, in a number of experiments 1. Michael J Ormsbee, W Kyle Mandler, D David Thomas The effects of six weeks of supplementation with multi ‑ ingredient performance supplements and resistance training on anabolic hormones, body composition, strength, and power in resistance ‑ trained men / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
2. Michael J Ormsbee, Dennison David Thomas, William Kyle Mandler. The effects of pre- and post-exercise consumption of multi-ingredient performance supplements on cardiovascular health and body fat in trained men after six weeks of resistance training: a stratified, randomized, double-blind study / Nutrition & Metabolism In 6 weeks of training with the PT complex, male athletes gained twice as much muscle mass and reduced fat almost one and a half times more effectively than those who took a placebo.

In addition, pre-workouts are useful for those who want to saveAbbie E Smith, David H Fukuda, Kristina L Kendall. The effects of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, creatine, and amino acids during three weeks of high-intensity exercise on aerobic and anaerobic performance / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition muscle mass during periods of high stress - for example, during intense training or competition.

Can PT-complexes harm?

Most studies concludePatrick S. Harty, Hannah A. Zabriskie, Jacob L. Erickson, Paul E. Molling, Chad M. Kerksick & Andrew R. Jagim. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutritionthat supplementation for 8-12 weeks is safe for healthy people.

And yet, first, it is worth discussing the specific complex and dosage with a nutritionist. After all, the compositions are very different.

And if you are taking any medication, you have a medical condition cardiovascular and digestive systems, sleep problems or a tendency to allergies, do not drink "pre-workout" without the permission of your doctor.

How to choose a PT-complex

Here are some tips to help you make your choice:

• If you are looking to increase your strength training, look for supplements with 1.5-3 grams of creatine per serving. It is very good if the “pre-workout” also contains at least 4 g of citrulline malate and 1.25-2.5 g of betaine. But keep in mind that the first effect will appear after 2-4 weeks of regular intake of the complex.
• If you want to build muscle, opt for pre-workouts with protein, creatine, and BCAAs. In one studyStephen M Schmitz, Jennifer E Hofheins, Robert Lemieux Nine weeks of supplementation with a multi-nutrient product augments gains in lean mass, strength, and muscular performance in resistance trained men / Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 9 weeks of supplementation helped participants increase their lean mass by 2.4% and decrease their body fat by 9.8%.
• If your main goal is to cheer up before a workout, look for a PT complex containing caffeine at least 300 g per serving.

How to take PT-complexes

Read the label carefully: it always shows the route of administration and the safe dose. Do not exceed the norm. This is dangerous because all supplements contain caffeine. In case of overdoseCyril Willson. The clinical toxicology of caffeine: A review and case study. / Toxicology Reports , you may feel nausea, heart palpitations, arrhythmias, and headache.

Most often, the PT-complex is consumed once a day: 1-2 scoops of powder are stirred in 250 ml of water and drunk 30-40 minutes before training.