The Pre-workout industry is one of the largest globally. More significantly, when St George’s Bank conducted financial research, they found that the adult population of Australia spends over $250 a month on health and fitness. In the case of couples, this number doubles up to $500.
Hence, it is a given that pre workout in Australia is a popular purchase as almost 70% of those surveyed admitted to buying supplements.
Pre-Workout Supplements
Pre-workouts are a sports supplement designed to aid in enhancing performance while working out. It helps to push one’s body harder for more extended periods, optimising the workout. They’re typically sold in powdered form, similar to protein powder. However, pre workout in Australia are also available in capsulated pre-workouts, pre-workout beverages, and pre-workout drinks.
Benefits of Consuming Pre-Workout Supplements
There is a range of benefits to consuming pre-workout supplements based on the final goal that one wishes to achieve. These can either be muscle-building, strength, endurance, stamina or anything else in between.
Muscle Gain
Pre-workout supplements are abundant in necessary amino acids, which are an important component in muscle growth. In particular, they contain branched-chain amino acid contents (BCAAs). These are three of the necessary amino acids that are directly involved in the production of muscle protein. BCAAs bypass the digestive process and are instantly available for muscle growth.
Strength Enhancement
In addition to the obvious benefit of greater muscle mass, pre-workout boosts metabolism for enhanced strength as one works out and long-term increases in power from workouts.
Creatine is one of the most significant ingredients in pre-workout supplements for increasing strength. Creatine improves the biochemical functions that boost energy in the body at the cellular level, improving muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
The inclusion of nitrate in pre-workout supplements enables the body to move more amino acids and other nutrients to the muscles resulting in increased strength. Nitrate effectively provides the muscles with the nutrition they require for optimised functioning.
Endurance Building
The primary method to increase endurance is to eliminate the mechanisms that induce tiredness. Pre-workout supplements accomplish this in two ways.
Caffeine/L-Theanine
Caffeine provides energy. Similar to how a strong cup of coffee or an espresso wakes us up, caffeine in pre-workouts motivates and provides enough stamina during an intense workout to get through it.
L-theanine is another substance found in some pre-workout supplements. This caffeine derivative, obtained from green tea, reduces some of the effects of caffeine that induce anxiety and creates a synergistic reaction that directs the caffeine towards enhancing energy levels.
Beta-Alanine/Sodium Bicarbonate
The other major obstacle to endurance is muscle exhaustion caused by soreness. This is primarily due to acid accumulation in the muscles.
Pre-workout supplements contain beta-alanine to remove acids from the body, specifically the muscles. The amino acid beta-alanine lowers the acid buildup that causes the burn during vigorous exercise. As a result, one can push themselves harder and for a longer period of time throughout workouts.
Simple sodium bicarbonate or baking soda is another element in pre-workouts that helps minimise acid accumulation in muscles. Clinical studies have revealed that sodium bicarbonate reduces acid buildup in muscular tissue. This provides less discomfort and allows for longer, tougher training.
Pre-Workout Consumption
The basic recommended dosage for pre-workouts is 20 to 30 grams. Trainers recommend consuming them about 30 – 60 minutes before a workout to obtain optimum results. This allows the caffeine to activate itself and the other complicated nutrients to start entering the bloodstream.
Wrapping Up
This article has provided a brief insight into the benefits and uses of pre-workout and their consumption dosage. However, it is advised to always consult with a fitness trainer before dipping your toes into the world of fitness supplements as they directly affect the body. It is imperative to make sure that the variant and dosage are customised to each individual’s requirements.