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.