Using pre-workout supplements is an effective way to dramatically improve your physical strength, stamina, and recovery so you can see faster results in the gym.
Whether you’ve only just started looking into your athletic fitness or feel you’re starting to stagnate with your current workouts, pre-workout supplements are one of the most immediate and effective methods of increasing your strength, power, and endurance.
This, combined with increased blood flow and hydration, can help you see dramatic results in the gym by allowing you to push for longer while at higher levels.
Pre-workout supplements are offered in a variety of different methods with a variety of different ingredients – with some generally being much better than others. Generally, you can expect to find inclusions like caffeine, beta-alanine, and citrulline as well as varying amounts of protein.
Below, we’ve combed through the numerous options out there to find 7 of the best pre workout supplements for athletes as well as bodybuilders and even serious beginners.
Pre-Kaged Sport Pre-Workout supplement is a top-tier performance enhancer created specifically for athletes. Its scientifically-backed formula ensures both improved performance and recovery.
What sets it apart is its high-quality, natural ingredients, including L-Citrulline, caffeine and beta-alanine, all designed to fuel your body effectively. Unlike competitors, Pre-Kaged Sport offers long-lasting energy, avoiding the crash often associated with other supplements.
It promotes not only physical strength but also mental focus and endurance, thanks to ingredients like taurine and L-tyrosine. Importantly, it’s Informed-Choice Certified, meaning it’s regularly tested for banned substances – crucial for professional athletes. Pre-Kaged Sport is more than a pre-workout supplement; it’s a commitment to enhancing athletic performance safely and naturally.
Ingredients
Talking briefly about the ingredients, it’s very clear Kaged Muscle wanted this to be the pre-workout supplement everyone needed. Each scoop serving size contains only 10 calories and only 2 total carbohydrates.
In addition, comes with the following super beneficial ingredients with every scoop:
Magnesium (20 mg)
Magnesium is an important aspect of the body, improving nerve signal conduction, muscle relaxation, and muscle contraction. Aquamin magnesium is particularly ideal as it is a more bioavailable form of magnesium that is processed by the body better than more standard options.
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt (50 mg)
Pink Himalayan Salt has a special quality of sodium that has shown itself to be an essential requirement for the body when performing at a high or intense level. A lack of proper sodium has been shown to affect muscle contractions, nerve signal conduction, as well as fluid balance regulation.
L-Citrulline (3.5 mg)
Citrulline has been shown to significantly improve a person’s strength and power. This makes it a great option for many professional athletes as well as the perfect jolt for beginner and intermediate gymgoers. Not only that, but Pre-Kaged Sport offers the precise amount of citrulline to improve and support blood flow without hindering the body with a “massive muscle pump”, which can slow overall physical movement and performance.
Beta-Alanine (1.6g)
Beta-alanine is an amino acid that, when bound to the amino acid histidine, helps the body produce carnosine, which has been shown to support muscle function during intense exercises and workouts.
Beta-Power (1.25g)
Beta-power is very popular with virtually everyone attached to the fitness world, from runners and lifters to athletes and even fitness scientists. Many scientists believe that betaine supplementation, when consumed continuously, can significantly increase athletic performance.
Taurine (2g)
Taurine is involved with several physiological processes in the body. This includes releasing calcium into the system as well as reducing the amount of antioxidant system stress. Specifically with fitness, taurine has been shown to improve overall physical endurance, improving athletic performance.
Coconut Water Powder (500 mg)
An ingredient largely unique to Pre-Kaged Sport, coconut water powder is one of nature’s superfoods. Not only is it incredibly hydrating, but it also comes with a considerable amount of potassium and electrolytes, reducing muscle fatigue as well as recovery time.
Organic Caffeine (188 mg)
Caffeine has been shown to have dramatic effects on a person’s strength and endurance as well as their mental focus and acuity. In addition to that, however, caffeine has also been shown to block adenosine in the nervous system, thus delaying and reducing fatigue.
L-Tyrosine (500 mg)
L-tyrosine acts as a precursor for the body’s neurotransmitters – especially the ones connected to motivation and the “fight or flight” response. This effectively means that you can perform better, not only when under additional mental stress but also physical stress, meaning that you’re less likely to quit during your workout and more likely to push through those last essential reps.
Vitamin B12 (42 mcg)
Vitamin B12 is an especially useful nutrient for the body that works to keep your body’s nerve cells as well blood cells as healthy as possible. This allows you to produce more energy when working out, letting you push harder and for longer periods without feeling fatigued.
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
As earlier mentioned, Pre-Kaged Sport comes with only 10 calories and 2 total carbohydrates per serving. This puts it at one of the least number of calories on this list. The pre-workout supplement also comes with Vitamin B6 (50 mcg).
There are currently only four flavors to choose from with Pre-Kaged Sport, though all of them are great. You have the option of Fruit Punch, Mango Lime, Blue Raspberry, and Glacier Grape. Of the group, I tend to skew a bit towards Glacier Grape, though the Mango Lime is also really good.
The supplement can be picked up at a one-time purchase of $19.99 or as part of a subscription at the 10% reduced price of $17.99.
If you’ve been a fan of the site for a while, you know that we’re huge fans of Transparent Labs, and for good reason! Not only do almost all of their products offer exceptional quality and effectiveness in virtually every field, but they also make a point of being as transparent as possible with what is and isn’t in their supplements.
Normally, Transparent Labs is our #1 pick for most supplements, however, Kaged made a universally impressive option with their Pre-Kaged Sport. That said, it’s more of a mark for Kaged rather than one against Transparent Labs. Here, their LEAN supplement cuts it pretty darn close, only losing out due to its slightly more niche appeal.
Ingredients
LEAN has a host of different high-level ingredients that not only offer you incredible energy and an increase in overall strength and stamina, but also it’s a great way to get all of those benefits without having an influx of calories. More importantly, Transparent Labs’ LEAN includes several fat-burning ingredients to improve your metabolism and have you reach that slim athletic size in no time.
Some of these ingredients include the following:
Citrulline Malate 2:1 (6,000 mg)
Considered the “star child” of pre-workout science, citrulline malate is regarded as a more absorptive version of L-arginine while also having higher plasma arginine levels. It’s been shown to:
Beta-alanine is another incredibly useful ingredient that has numerous benefits on the body and improves physical performance when working out. While most pre-workout supplements include beta-alanine to varying degrees, it’s often at insufficient levels. Transparent Labs’ LEAN opts to include the proper amount of the ingredient. This has been shown to grant the following benefits:
Meant as a bioavailable form of L-carnitine, Acetyl L-Carnitine HCI is easily absorbed across the blood-brain barrier. It acts as an essential molecule used to transport fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane in cells, allowing them to be converted into chemical energy (ATP).
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
In terms of what it provides outside of its more pronounced ingredients, LEAN is only 5 calories per serving with only around a single gram of total carbohydrates. It has Iodine (225 mcg), Zinc (15 mg), Selenium (55 mcg), Copper (1 mg), and Chromium (200 mcg).
As far as flavors are concerned, there are 8 different options to choose from, ranging from Strawberry Lemon, Sour Pear, Fruit Punch, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, Orange, and Tropical Punch. I think strawberry lemon is probably the best, though sour pear is also quite good.
As with all other Transparent Labs products, LEAN contains no artificial colorings, sweeteners, or preservatives. It’s also entirely gluten and GMO-free, meaning you don’t have to worry about taking in any junk as you’re working out.
Pros
Reasonably Priced At $49.99 For 30 Servings
Have Some Great Fat-Burning Ingredients Included
Great For Keeping Endurance & Muscle Strength Up During Workout
Lots Of Flavors To Choose From
Completely Free Of Artificial Or Genetically-Modified Organisms
Cons
May Not Be Enough For People Primarily Looking For A Fat Burner
Caffeine Isn’t As Much Here As Other Pre-Workout Options
Whereas the Pre-Kaged Sport was ideal for the most amount of people, it was clear that it wasn’t meant for athletes that wanted to push themselves or for those that needed that extra bit of energy to go to the next level. Luckily that’s where Pre-Kaged Elite comes in.
Meant as the option for those that want a super-advanced, all-in-one pre-workout option, the Pre-Kaged Elite supplement amps up the stimulation levels while still retaining all of the premium and premier quality ingredients.
Those that have used it have noted sharper focus, heightened energy levels, dramatically improved athletic performance, reduced muscle fatigue, and a massively revved-up metabolism.
Ingredients
Pre-Kaged Elite not only has many of the previously mentioned ingredients like beta-alanine, l-carnitine, l-citrulline, and coconut water powder, but it also comes with a plethora of additional ingredients like Elev ATP, Alpha-GPC, and Creatine Nitrate.
Elev ATP (150 mg)
Elev ATP is a supplemental ingredient that has been shown to scientifically increase mitochondrial ATP, thus helping the body produce more energy throughout your workout and training process. It’s also been shown to help increase lean muscle mass and overall physical strength.
L-Carnitine (1500 mg)
L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid that can help burn fat as well as reduce post-workout soreness, thus reducing muscle recovery time.
Creatine Nitrate (2000 mg)
Creatine Nitrate (also referred to as NO3-T) is a patented 2-in-1 performance and pump amplifier that not only helps to support your overall strength but also your muscle mass as well as helps give you a better pump when lifting.
Alpha-GPC (300 mg)
More accurately referred to as Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline, Alpha-GPC (A-GPC for short) acts as a super advanced choline compound. It acts as a precursor to the acetylcholine neurotransmitter and plays a significant role in the Energy & Focus Blend.
Beta Anhydrous (2500 mg)
Not only has it been established that anhydrous betaine is a very powerful and useful supplement, but BetaPower takes that to the next level by way of being a purified version that is significantly improved in terms of strength, physical performance, power, and muscle endurance.
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
The Pre-Kaged Elite pre-workout supplement is a bit more calorie-dense than the Sport, but only just. Here, it has 25 calories per serving along with only 2 total carbohydrates and a gram of sugars. In regards to the additional minerals, the Elite comes with Niacin (30 mg), Creatine Monohydrate (3000 mg), and AmaTea (100mg).
It is also 20 servings (same as Sport) and has 5 different flavor options, including strawberry lemonade, glacier grape, Caribbean sunrise, fruit punch, and orange mango.
Pros
Offers A Much More Intensive Experience Than Most Other Pre-Workout Supplements
Flavors Are Still Really Good
Comes With Creatine Nitrate Included
Is An Effective All-In-One Supplement Option
Cons
Price Is A Bit Steep For The Serving Size
Not Ideal For People Wanting Little Or No Stimulants
On the other hand, if you’re not interested in having any stimulants at all in your supplement, Transparent Labs’ Stim-Free has you covered. It comes with nearly all of the same ingredients and benefits as the LEAN pre-workout supplement just without any of the caffeinated additions.
This means it still comes with things like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and betaine. Just as well, it’s also entirely free of artificial ingredients of any kind. Simply put, this is a great option for anyone that wants the benefits of a quality pre-workout supplement without getting any of the artificial energy spikes that come from taking in caffeine.
Ingredients
As mentioned previously, the Stim-Free pre-workout supplement comes with all of the same ingredients as the LEAN option only without any of the caffeinated aspects. In addition, to offset the loss in increased energy, the Stim-Free option comes with several extra ingredients to make everything else just that bit more effective.
BCAA 2:1:1 (4000 mg)
Made with a blend of instantized and fermented BCAAs, Transparent Labs’ Stim-Free supplement uses a “2:1:1” ratio with 2,000 mg of leucine for every 1,000 mg of isoleucine and valine.
Leucine is considered the most anabolic of the three amino acids and is known for having a strong mTOR activation, helping with protein synthesis. It has also been shown to greatly improve physical strength during workouts [12] while also preserving lean muscle mass and reducing muscle breakdown [13].
Isoleucine acts as the amino acid that helps with metabolism during a workout while also promoting muscle growth [14][15].
Valine is the third of the three amino acids and has been shown to reduce tryptophan buildup in the brain allowing for an increased bout of energy without relying on caffeine.
Taurine (1300 mg)
Taurine acts as an essential amino acid in the body during workouts, working with BCAAs to reduce muscle soreness and muscle recovery [16].
L-Tyrosine (1000 mg)
L-tyrosine is an acetylated version of its amino acid alternative. As a result, l-tyrosine can absorb into the body incredibly effectively while optimizing the effects of the rest of the supplement’s ingredients.
L-tyrosine has been shown to improve overall mental focus and endurance, memory, and performance in colder climates, and is believed to counteract hypothyroid-promoting conditions [17][18].
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
Based on the official supplemental sheet, the Stim-Free pre-workout supplement not only doesn’t have any sugars or carbohydrates but also no calories. If this is the case then this is easily one of the better options for those that don’t want to put on any pounds while working out.
In addition to that, it has 30 servings per tub and comes with several additional minerals such as sodium (150mg), potassium (100mg), ATP (150mg), and BioPerine (5mg). It also has other ingredients, including stevia (for sweetness), calcium silicate, silicon dioxide, and natural flavors like grape (fruit) powder (for color).
Specifically for flavors, there is Sour Grape, Green Apple, Cherry Limeade, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Peach Mango, Strawberry Lemonade, and Tropical Punch.
Pros
Completely Stimulant-Free
Has Energy-Producing Methods That Don’t Involve Caffeine Or Sugar
Tons Of Flavors
Has No Calories
Offers A Lot Of BCAA Supplementation
Cons
Obviously Should Be Avoided If You’re Looking For A Lot (Or Any) Intense Stimulation
Another serious contender on this list, Jacked Factory may not have the highest quality options out there. However, what they do have is very good quality options at some impressive price points. In this case, their Altius Pre-Workout powdert offers many of the same benefits as some of the heavy hitters while being offered at a more affordable rate.
Users have noted laser-sharp focus as well as very intense pumps and a ton of additional endurance. Also, while they may not produce on quite the same level as Kaged Muscle or Transparent Labs, they have avoided bringing in a ton of crappy food dyes and fillers or artificial sweeteners and flavors.
Ingredients
The Altius Pre-Workout supplement offers much of the same ingredients as many of the earlier options, if only in varying amounts. For example, you can expect inclusions like l-citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and BioPerine. There are also some unique blends, like their Caffeine/Alpha-GPC/B12 blend, which offers an improvement to energy levels as well as cognitive functions. There’s also the inclusion of Creatine Monohydrate, which is stated to increase strength and power while also improving muscle growth and anaerobic endurance.
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
The Altius Pre-workout supplement comes with 5 calories and no carbohydrates or sugars, which is impressive. It also has Sodium (170mg) and Potassium (300mg) along with some additional ingredients.
In terms of flavors, while they do use natural flavors and stevia extract, it all goes towards only one flavor: Mixed Berry. And while it’s a delicious flavor, I do wish they had a bit more variety.
Pros
Very Affordable
Has Much Of The Same Ingredients As The Other Brands
Despite The Reduced Price, It Doesn’t Have Artificial Ingredients
Perfect For Beginner Athletes
Cons
Not Quite Intense Enough As The Other Options
Only One Flavor
Check Price
#6. C4 Sport
Best Pre-Workout For Runners
For those that are (or plan to be) athletic runners, most of these pre-workouts will work great for you. If you are seriously focused on this area, however, Cellucor’s C4 Sport will probably push you that extra bit to see some impressive results.
As with Altius, it is meant as a more beginner-friendly supplement that isn’t too pricey, though this one is a bit more focused on explosive energy than large amounts of strength-building or recovery.
Ingredients
Included in each serving is C4’s performance and energy blend, both of which come as part of a cocktail of different ingredients we’ve gone over. For example, their Performance Blend comes with Beta-Alanine, L-Arginine, Creatine, and Magnesium Chloride.
On the other hand, their Energy Blend includes Taurine and Caffeine Anhydrous.
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
The Cellucor brand doesn’t emphasize the importance of avoiding artificial ingredients to the same degree as others on this list. Still, the amount that is included is relatively minor compared to many of the benefits you’re getting using this option. It has only 5 calories per serving and only a single gram of carbohydrates and less than a gram of sugars. There are also vitamins B6, B12, calcium, and magnesium as additional mineral supplements.
Flavor-wise, C4 Sport comes with Watermelon, Fruit Punch, and Blue Raspberry flavors and is priced at an incredible $21.99 price tag, making it extremely affordable to just about anyone.
Pros
Very Well-Priced For People On A Budget
Great For Beginners
Has A Good Amount Of Energy For Running
Cons
Not Quite At The Level Of The Others In Terms Of Potency
Does Include Artificial Ingredients
Not Ideal For Someone That Doesn’t Want A Lot Of Stimulants
Not only is Transparent Labs’ LEAN a great option for people interested in reducing their weight while also improving their workout, but it makes an especially ideal option for women that want to maintain or reduce their weight without worrying about bulking up or dealing with any excess of workout supplement calories.
While we talked about many of the benefits already, it’s worth reiterating its inclusion of things like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and betaine, all great options for people that want to improve their strength, reduce muscle fatigue, and stimulate their metabolism to burn fat even faster.
It’s available as a one-time purchase at just $49.99 while a monthly subscription goes for $44.99 and comes with free shipping.
Ingredients
In addition to many of the aforementioned ingredients, here are a few more that are specifically geared towards improving your energy and keeping your caffeine levels to a high enough level without suffering from the jitters or any other ill effects. Let’s take another look at their pre-workout formula.
L-Theanine (180 mg)
An amino acid that the body uses alongside caffeine. When the two ingredients are combined, they’ve been shown to perform the following benefits for athletes:
Improved Relaxation Without Affecting Energy Or Attention [20]
PurCaf Organic Caffeine (200 mg)
A trademarked organic caffeine source, PurCaf sources its caffeine entirely from organic green coffee beans. As mentioned with the L-Theanine inclusion, this can improve focus and alertness. Additionally, PurCaf has been shown to do the following when consumed as part of a pre-workout powder:
Significantly Increase Reps Till Failure During A Workout [21][22]
Maintain Natural Thermoregulation In The Body (unlike higher 300mg+ doses) [23]
Theobromine (50 mg)
Theobromine acts primarily as an alkaloid found in cocoa beans, acting as a supplementary form of caffeine. It works as an inhibitor for phosphodiesterase as well as a stimulant for the central nervous system. [24]
Calories, Flavors, & Additional Minerals
As mentioned earlier, Transparent Labs’ LEAN pre-workout supplement only contains 5 calories per serving, which is pretty impressive. It’s also entirely fueled by stevia extract, meaning it’s still going to taste good even if no calories are being dumped in your lap.
Its flavors include great options like strawberry lemon, sour peach, orange, fruit punch, and green apple.
Pros
Great For Women That Want To Maintain Their Size While Getting Stronger
Is Only 5 Calories Per Serving
Tastes Great
Included Caffeine Amounts Give You Energy Without The Jitters
Ideal For Those That Want To Maintain Or Slightly Reduce Their Weight
As initially stated, these 7 are just a very small number of existing pre-workouts on the market even as early as this year [2023]. The reality is that there are hundreds upon hundreds of existing pre-workouts available, all of which have varying levels of effect on the body.
To get you the above options was a very thorough determination on what supplements were the best, based on pricing, accessibility, overall quality, active & available ingredients, as well as any allergens they may or may not have had.
Price: The first and most important factor is almost always going to be pricing. Regardless of how good a product is, if it’s prohibitively expensive for most people, it shouldn’t be on the list. We not only opted for a fairly reasonable price point (roughly $20-$60) but also ones with possible discounts through a subscription service.
Accessibility: In addition to pricing, it was also important to make sure the supplements included were accessible to most people. The included options ship to most countries within only a few weeks, and aren’t locked to any particular state or country. This means you can get them even if you’re currently international.
Overall Quality: We test for overall product quality while also determining if the supplement in question has the listed ingredients actually in it or if they are using synthetic alternatives. As a result, even the lowest grade recommendations from us are legit.
Ingredients: Speaking of ingredients, we make a point of picking out supplements with ingredients established with backed research to substantiate their performance claims. As a result, we will often include a list of linked references with studies that will validate the listed claims when possible.
Existing Allergens: Lastly, we considered any potential allergies people may have and which supplements would likely disqualify them from consuming them. Because of this, we try to find options that are as clean and stripped as possible to prevent as many chances of an allergic reaction as possible. (Note: If you do suffer from certain allergies, always take the time to research the supplement yourself to ensure you can safely consume it)
What Is A Pre-Workout Supplement?
There are many known types of supplements out on the market. So many, in fact, that it can be confusing to tell exactly what does what. A “pre-workout” supplement is a multi-ingredient supplemental fitness blend that stimulates an increase in physical strength as well as improves energy levels and focus while also reducing muscle recovery times.
As mentioned in the name, this is a blend you usually consume right before you plan to exercise (between 30 and 60 minutes prior) to see the most results. Pre-workout supplements tend to include various vitamins and minerals as well as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). You can also expect these supplements to have a certain amount of caffeine in them unless specifically stated otherwise (such as a Stim-Free option).
Benefits Of A Quality Pre-Workout Supplement For Athletes
As you can tell from what we’ve already spoken about, pre-workout supplements are a great option for most athletes, lifters, and fitness enthusiasts, whether you plan on putting in hours at the gym or simply really pushing yourself at home.
The reason for their impressive benefits is largely thanks to their respective list of active ingredients. Below is just a small list of the expected benefits one will experience by taking one of the above pre-workout supplements before hitting the gym:
Increased Energy: Ingredients like caffeine have been shown to spike energy levels to allow you to push for longer periods while working out [25].
Reduced Fatigue: In addition to an increase in energy, ingredients like beta-alanine have been shown to greatly reduce the amount of experienced fatigue one feels after an intense workout [26]. When combined with the boost of energy from the caffeine, you can effectively get more reps and sets done than you would normally.
Increased Strength & Power: While many pre-workouts actually focus more on increasing energy and reducing fatigue and recovery times, more intensive options will include the ingredient creatine, which is shown to improve physical strength and power compared to athletes that don’t use it [27].
What To Look For In A Pre-Workout Powder
While we went into what we look for when deciding what options to include, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll like what we’ve picked. If that’s the case, you still should have some parameters in place when looking at different options.
Pricing: As mentioned in why we look for specific supplements, you want to make sure you’re always staying in a reasonable price range. The truth is, as good as any supplement is, you shouldn’t expect it to completely revolutionize your results regardless of what you’re spending. You want to ideally have a reasonable strength foundation before looking into supplements. Then, establish a budget of the most you’re willing to spend and start from there. This will prevent you from getting impressed by the overly well-made pages of the more expensive options while also ensuring you’re getting something good.
Active Ingredients: You want to also make sure you’re looking for supplements with active ingredients that have been established to improve overall performance. They should have things like caffeine, BCAAs, l-citrulline, and others with a known track record for improving strength, energy, or endurance.
Additives & Artificial Ingredients: Just as well, you also want to avoid any artificial sweeteners or additives. This can range from simple colors to sugars and flavors. While the consumption of them is not necessarily the end of the world, it is worth noting that they are often used when the company can’t afford quality ingredients and are meant to act as a sort of filler. This means that the inclusion of a lot of artificial ingredients simply means you’re not getting the much more needed active ingredients mentioned earlier, meaning your workouts won’t be as impressive as they otherwise could be.
Individual Requirements: Lastly, you want to make sure you’re looking out for supplements that are as geared to what you want as possible. This means considering if you want your pre-workout to offer more power, energy, mental focus, or endurance. Since most will include varying amounts of all options, it’s worth it to find a pre-workout that focuses as much on what you want as possible.
FAQs
#1. What Are Pre-Workout Supplements?
Pre-workout supplements are a blend of various fast-acting supplements taken before any sort of intense exercise to see an increase in strength, mental alertness and focus, energy, endurance, and overall power. They’re also shown to help reduce the amount of time spent recovering from muscle fatigue.
#2. When Should You Take Them Before Your Workout?
Generally, you should take a pre-workout supplement between 30 minutes and an hour before exercising for the best results. While all brands have varying wait times, 30-to-60 minutes is the expected standard.
#3. Are Pre-Workout Supplements Safe?
Pre-workout supplements, while not necessarily required for all workouts (particularly low-intensity workouts) they are safe for the person. Because most pre-workout supplements will have a certain amount of caffeine included, you may experience difficulty sleeping or an over-excited feeling if you just take a pre-workout supplement without doing any exercise at all.
For most people, any side effects experienced are very mild, provided you are taking the correct dosage per day. Again, most negative effects generally are only the result of a person not pushing themselves as hard as they otherwise should be, thus leading to an excess in energy.
#4. Are Pre-Workout Supplements Necessary?
Simply put, they shouldn’t be. As incredible as they are, pre-workout supplements should always be in the category of supplements that make a workout easier – not possible. In other words, you should be able to get through your workout regardless if you’re using a pre-workout or not, with taking the supplement simply allowing you to recover faster, push yourself harder, and essentially have more gas in the tank to keep going afterward.
If you feel that you need to use a pre-workout supplement just to get through your exercise routine, that simply means you’ve set the bar too high or you’re not properly nourishing yourself with actual food.
Conclusion
One of the great things about pre-workout supplements is their simplicity and ease of use. Compared to a lot of other supplements on the market, it really is just as simple as drinking your supplement right before your workout. If you are interested in seeing very real and very impressive results for your next pump or run, a pre-workout supplement can push you to that next level.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
