Pre-Workout Supplement Online – Risks and Rewards

People have different reasons why they buy their pre-workout supplement online, or for that matter all of their supplements that are also needed during the workout and those that are needed after the workout.

Mostly, they are gym people who are looking for protein powder and trying to build muscles. Some also require supplements to help them in their specific conditions or situations, like arthritis or hair loss, perhaps.

Online business

These days, the vast potential of the Internet has helped the hunt for supplements to go online. Also, the convenience factor also sets in. (It’s easier doing business online.) Also, online health stores are often the best places to find the best prices for what you need.

On the other hand, there is also a risk. You may run the chance you won’t get the best price. Or, perhaps, the supplements are not of the best quality. Perhaps, too, the store you do your shopping might not be as reputable as it should be.

Manufacturers / online stores

There are two options with the risks in online transactions. The first one is dealing with manufacturers directly. (They are the ones who also do retail business online.)

This is not a problem if you know your product exactly. Buying from them directly can have you being presented with their product range.

There is need here to be familiar with the supplements you want, their functions, their side effects and contra-indications, if any. As a dedicated body builder, you are expected to know the latest findings, studies, researches especially on the supplements that you need in your fitness routine.

(Body building experts may have some very good first-hand information on them, but they are not professional medical authorities, simply experienced physical professionals.)

Options

If you have some very specific supplements you want, you will have plenty of options. You may find out some other supplements that are not well-publicized and are not well covered in write ups and such but are just as good. Some can even be at half the prices of the more famous brands and mixes. 

Dealing with online health stores can benefit you two ways. First, it gives you the chance to shop around and find alternative prices and different products. Secondly, you might see a wider range of supplements and maybe even find an alternative that suits you better.

Looking out

One of the things to look out for in buying supplements online is that when it comes to health, price is not everything. (If two exact products are available and one is cheaper, the decision is a no-brainer.) However, not all supplements are created equal and not even health stores know enough what they are selling.

With these facts, it is unfortunate that there are a lot of supplements online that are of low quality. They might be cheap but they could be packed with a lot of unnecessary additives. (Some might be potentially harmful.)

More often than not, these stores that sell pre-workout supplement online are more concerned about profits that helping people. The best move is to simply avoid them.

Pre Workout Nutrition – Ready for the Routine

Some body builders and fitness buffs tend to over-complicate things, most especially regarding their pre workout nutrition. One of these is the right combination and the proper ingestion of these important nutritional supports for intense workouts.

To prepare for your workout means eating the proper foods hours (1 to 2 hours) before your training to give your body enough time for digestion. It also means taking the supplements that will help you maximize your productivity in training and ensure post-training recovery.

Carbohydrates

This a key ingredient that provides your body that optimal energy needed for performance. Even when you’re on low-carbs, you still provide your body with the fuel for a good workout. An expert says eating fast-digesting carbs is one alternative.

Rice is a fast-digesting carbs source. However, eating it way too long before your training session can make you sluggish. Some prefer sweet potatoes or oats just before a workout (30 to 45 minutes prior to training).  

Timing

Accordingly, the best time to consume complex carbohydrates is 1 to 2 hours before training. This will give the body enough time to digest the food and provide a gradual increase in energy, rather than a sharp surge in energy followed by an equally sharp crash.

By consuming complex carbs pre-workout, you also load up your muscles with glycogen (stored glucose that the muscles use for energy). The more muscle glycogen you have, the more weight you can lift and for longer periods of time.

Should you go for high-fiber choices like oatmeal, eat at least 45-60 minutes before training. High-fiber foods digest slowly and may cause bloating and gas during your workout.

BCAAs

Include in your pre-workout diet your branched-chain amino acids. Supplementation with BCAAs provides immediate fuel source for the muscle tissues since they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and transported to the muscles immediately.

Experts say ingesting BCAAs before, during, and after a session can help minimize muscle breakdown. They help reduce fatigue and subsequent soreness in the muscles.

Some do it in their cardio sessions. But if you don’t like doing fasted cardio, BCAAs are still great to add to your pre-workout nutrition plan. Leucine, one of the three essential amino acids in BCAA is an essential part of the muscle-building process and can help you build more muscles.

Caffeine

Caffeine is one very popular ingredient in pre-workout supplements. This is found in coffee, tea or other beverages. The work it does is stimulating the brain to increase alertness and be less tired.  It is also very effective at improving several aspects of exercise performance.

It increases the body’s power output, meaning the ability to produce force quickly. This applies to different exercise, including sprinting, weight training and cycling. Studies show that it can improve performance during long duration endurance events like running and cycling and on sports that are traditionally played long like soccer.

Caffeine can produce short-term increases in blood pressure and may increase restlessness, but it does not typically cause an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

These are some of the important items needed for your pre workout nutrition before your intensive workouts.

Pre-Workout Supplements – Shoring up on Nutrients

Among the three most important segments in a workout is the pre-workout. This is where body builders shore up on the body’s reserves in preparation for the workout proper. The pre workout supplements are needed by the body for improved strength, improved endurance, and for muscle pump.

These pre-workout formulas are made up of many ingredients that enhance the body during a workout proper. The following are some of the active ingredients comprising these supplements and the benefits they do.

Strength

 Creatine is one of these important ingredients which can be taken at any time of the day. It helps your body to enhance your phospagen system and boost adenosine triphosphate stores. This is one of the most researched supplements today.

The studies have shown that it can increase strength, speed, power and the size of your muscles.

Caffeine

Less well-known but most commonly used ingredient is caffeine. Researchers at Yale say it can improve strength, endurance and our perception and tolerance to fatigue.  This happens in training by stimulating the production of neurotransmitters beta-endorphin.

Elite athletes were made to perform the grip strength test with some taking caffeine and some were not. Accordingly, caffeine proved to actually increase strength and endurance.

Endurance

Among the pre workout supplements getting attention in recent years is the non-essential amino acid beta-alanine. It had been shown to reduce lactic acid, combat fatigue and in another study improve the sprint factor in the endurance exercise bout.

The effects of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation also enhanced the aerobic power, ventilator and lactate thresholds (endurance performance). The theory is that the combination of creatine and beta-alanine enhance endurance power.

Citrulline

Citrulline malate is another supplement that shows to effectively combat fatigue. It had been shown that the combination of the amino acid citrulline and the organic salt malate can improve athletic performance.

It can reduce the sensation of fatigue through a 34% increase in the rate of oxidative adenosine triphosphate during exercise. There is also a 20% increase in the rate of phosphor-creatine recovery after exercise.

Oxygen to the muscles

Experts say this indicates there is a larger contribution of the oxidative ATP synthesis to energy production. Put another way, citrulline Malate is able to increase the body’s ability to supply the muscles with oxygen.

In effect, there is an increase in the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate. This is a molecule needed for the muscles to contract and work efficiently.

Muscle pump

Finally, another benefit of pre-workout formulas is giving an improved appearance to the muscles with the increase of their size and vascularity. This is known as the “pump” of the muscles.

Muscle pump is the result of the arginine that is included in the pre-workout mix. This non-essential amino acid has been shown to increase nitric oxide production in the body.

This, in turn, ensures more blood, oxygen, and other nutrients are delivered to the muscles and give them that improved and larger appearance. 

Finally, nitric oxide production in blood vessels to increase their diameter and allowing more blood, nutrients and other pre workout supplements to circulate around the body.

Post Workout Supplements – Replenish the Body’s Depleted Nutrients

An intense power workout certainly depletes the body of so many nutrients needed for energy, including other downsides like muscle breakup. Fitness buffs know how to prepare.  After an intense workout, they know which post workout supplements to take.

The pre-workout supplements help the body build itself during the workout. The supplementation done after the workout helps the body recover and become stronger. These also trigger the body to build more muscles after the reserves had been filled in.

The aim of getting the most out of your training is to arm yourself with an arsenal of effective nutrients to fuel the body’s recovery. Currently, athletes are now enjoying new heights in progressive knowledge of diets, training, and supplementation.

Formula

An effective after-workout formula is more important than the cursory knowledge of these supplements. You need the proper combination of these nutrients to ensure that your body will rebuild efficiently for more strength and size.

These supplements are not exactly created equal and you need to know these ingredients and look for them in supplements mixes. The following are the top nutrients you need.

Creatine

This popular muscle building supplements comes in the form of creatine monohydrate powder. It is used by the body in many ways, all of which benefit muscle growth, endurance and improvements o your strength.

In particular, creatine boosts the body’s adenosine triphosphate or ATP. The ATP lets the muscle work harder for a longer period of time that results in an increased ability to lift heavier volumes for a longer time.

With the ability to train harder and longer, the body responds over time with growth of the muscle (muscle hypertrophy).

Glutamine

Like Creatine, glutamine is one of the more effective after workout supplement. It works by speeding up the recovery and combat overtraining by supporting the immune system.

This one does not work alone but is best used in tandem with the others in building lean muscles.

Betaine

Betaine is used in both pre-workout and post-workout phases of the training. As a pre-workout supplement, it provides a great pump, and increases your performance ability, strength and protects the muscles from breakdown.

Working as a post-workout supplement, Betaine improves your total strength output and helps in the growth of lean muscle tissues. Betaine can help if you want to get bigger, faster, and stronger naturally.

L-Leucine

Taking one serving of L-Leucine as an after workout supplement is critical in kick-starting or triggering protein synthesis. It causes skeletal muscle to take up protein. Almost all of the anabolic effects of protein are the results of taking leucine.

As a rule, protein synthesis causes your muscles to grow and maximizing protein synthesis is the key to building muscles.

Beta alanine / L-carnitine

Beta alanine is known to boost performance and endurance. It increases carnosine (has anti-aging benefits) supports repair and growth of muscle tissue and help in the recovery process.

L-carnitine improves the body’s recovery after a workout. Overall, it reduces induced muscle tissue damage.

All these post workout supplements work hand in hand to help the body recover and repair right after intense exercise routines.

Pre-Workout Nutrition – The Important Difference

Experts give the wise advice on keeping over-complications on your pre-workout nutrition. This simple and effective advice can help you make better progress in the gym floor. One of these is simply eating the proper foods in the hours before training, taking supplements that can maximize your productivity during your workout.

In addition, the nutrition you ingested can prepare you to be mentally-ready and be ready as well to lift those weights with intensity.

Eating before training

Whether your primary goal is performance or physique-based, you are unlikely to have a great workout unless you have the proper fuel for it. Without the calories on your body, you just won’t have the energy to train with intensity.

The main fuel is carbohydrates and proteins. Simple carbohydrates can give you the proper energy for the session. Whey isolate protein shake would be3w a great help because they are easily digestible, and make them quicker to fill you up the needed fuels.

One tip: if you eat a large meal before you train, do it 1 to 2 hours before the workout. This provides your digestive system enough time and not to worry on cramps or other discomforts. Generally, the closer you are to your training time, the less fiber you want to take in.

Carbohydrates-friendly

As a key nutrient that gives the body with optimal energy, carbs need not be feared. If you are on low-carbs, putting some carbs into your pre-workout out meal will provide you with the fuel for a good workout.

You need, however, to pay attention to the timing of your carbohydrate intake. If you take a fast-digesting carbohydrates (like white rice, for instance), and doing it long your training will leave you sluggish for your workout.

Choosing carbs with high fiber such as oatmeal, you need to eat at least 1 hour before you train. High-fiber foods digest slowly and can sometimes cause bloating and gas during your workout.

BCCAs

If you want your cardio on, don’t forget your branched chain amino acids (BCCA). This supplement provides an immediate fuel source for the muscle tissues. BCCAs are directly absorbed into bloodstream and immediately transported to the muscles.

Ingesting BCCAs, before, during and after a session can help minimize muscle breakdown. BCCAs are a great supplement to add to your pre-workout nutrition plan. Leucine, one of the three essential amino acids that make up the BCCAs is an essential part of the muscle-building process and help grow more muscles.

Supplementing with BCCA before your workout may help in reducing fatigue and subsequent soreness.

Caffeine

People who are sensitive to caffeine may shy away from this tip. However, taking caffeine before your gym work can have positive effect on your result. Research had it that those athletes who had caffeine before their workout are able to perform better.

There is decrease in reaction time, sustained endurance and an increase in total repetitions done during the training session. Start small and once you would feel how it does on you, you can increase the dosage. Pre-workout nutrition supplements and food can truly make a difference in your performance.