Are supplements and supplementation necessary for our health and performance in the gym? – research round #1
Pre workout supplements are Made to provide energy and aid endurance during a work out they are typically taken 20 min before your workout (2). Pre workout has a very unique way of functioning, in our brain there is receptors, and they are made just for adenosine during the day however, adenosine starts to build up in the receptors making us tired, But, caffeine however is very similar to adenosine and caffeine can go in the receptors.So when caffeine is in the receptors adenosine cant go in so we cant get “tired”When we adapt our body makes more receptors which is how people get super high caffeine tolerances. (1)
It’s very important to know what we are putting in our body when we are taking pre workout and how the ingredients are going to make our body react. Starting with caffeine, caffeine will cause your body to increase its heart rate while in hyper energetic state. During a workout caffeine can fuel you as it metabolizes your blood to move throughout the different systems in the body. After caffeine consumption the effects are strongest within a 30-60 min window, (3) and too much caffeine can have severe side effects Called Caffeine intoxication. This includes nervousness, headaches, nausea, cardiac arrhythmias and possible seizures and death (4). L-citrulline is another pre workout ingredient, usually we want high amounts of this as it can provide you with a better pump in your workouts. L-citrulline is a Non essential amino acid (non protein amino acid) and increases your endurance and resistance by increasing blood arginine levels. It also Improves muscle endurance, Blood circulation, Muscle soreness, and Less fatigue (5). another ingredient is L-tyrosine and Agmatine sulphate. L-tyrosine is also a Non essential amino acid comes before (and a precursor for) epinephrine and dopamine it Produces, Alertness, Increased energy and Improves mental focus. Agmatine sulphate (nitric oxide booster) increases blood flow allows more blood volume into the muscles aiding to get a better pump (6). L-theanine is a mother important ingredient to look at as it Helps to smoothen stimulant intake and also helps with, Anxiety, Stress, and Jitters. When it’s paired with caffine it gives all the same benefits without overstimulating and prolongs the effects so you don’t crash (7). ZumXR also helps to sustain caffeine levels allowing no crashes after the product has worn off (8). The last ingredient I looked at was Thinkamine which is a product to help you really stay locked in with focus (9). However, pre-workouts still have many ingredients with benefits and side affects along this list, its very important when you take pre workout to know about this because everyones body will react differently and what works for someone else might not work for you.
thank you for reading 🙂
- Brain, W. Bryant, Cunningham, M., Charles & Matt. (2000, April 1). How Caffeine Works. HowStuffWorks. https://science.howstuffworks.com/caffeine4.htm#:~:text=To%20a%20nerve%20cell%2C%20caffeine
2. Contributors, W. E. (2021, June 22). Health Benefits of Pre-Workout Supplements. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/health-benefits-pre-workout-supplements
3 . What’s in your pre-workout? (2023, June). Popular Science, 5. https://link-gale-com.bc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A754866728/SCIC?u=43dcbs&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=e5c24117
4. Kadey, M. (2021, August). Caffeine Nation: Why too many energy drinks and other super-caffeinated products can be a health buzz-kill. Environmental Nutrition, 44(8), 4. https://link-gale-com.bc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A669327905/SCIC?u=43dcbs&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=514e607a
5. Pro, P. L. (2023, January 16). Taking L-Citrulline Pre Workout: A Good Idea? Pre Lab Pro®. https://www.prelabpro.com/blogs/nutrition/taking-l-citrulline-pre-workout#:~:text=If%20you%27re%20looking%20for
6. EndurElite. (2023). AGMATINE SULFATE: BENEFITS, DOSAGE, AND SIDE EFFECTS. EndurElite. https://endurelite.com/blogs/free-nutrition-supplement-and-training-articles-for-runners-and-cyclists/agmatine-sulfate-benefits-dosage-and-side-effects#:~:text=Agmatine%20also%20helps%20in%20nitric
7.What You Should Know About the Benefits and Risks of L-Theanine. (2016, November 4). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/l-theanine#:~:text=L%2Dtheanine%20is%20an%20amino
8.Tomen, D. (2023, July 3). Alpha GPC – Nootropics Expert. Nootropicsexpert. https://nootropicsexpert.com/alpha-gpc/
9. Loaded Pre | RYSE Supplements. (2023). Rysesupps.com. https://rysesupps.com/products/loaded-pre?variant=39766343450720
Thank you for this post it was very interesting! I enjoyed the details you included on the side effects supplements have on people.
I liked that you included a comment stating that not everyone’s body is the same and will react similarly. This is very important to consider when researching or learning about supplements as at the end of the day everyone is different and will have to consume different things to get the result they desire.
It would have been beneficial for me to see a list of the pros and cons these supplements have. Creating a list or table that details the positive and negative sides of the consumption of these supplements might help readers understand which supplements they would consider consuming or which ones would benefit them with their personal goals.
Thanks for your post!!
-Sarah
Hi Marisa,
I enjoyed reading your blog post because i honestly knew nothing about pre-workout or supplements before reading this. I would be interested to know the long term effects of using things like this, as well as the history. When did pre-workout start becoming popular and why? Is this really something that people should be consuming multiple times a week. I look forward to reading your future blog posts , here are some links that could help.
-Sammie
https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/understanding-violent-extremism-the-social-psychology-of-identity-and-group-dynamics/
https://badathletics.com/blog/history-of-pre-workout/