Key Ingredients in Pre Workouts
Browse our list of key ingredients included in pre workout supplements. Find out which ingredients to look for and which to avoid.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are molecules that combine to form proteins. Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life.
When proteins are digested or broken down, amino acids are what is left over. The human body uses amino acids to make proteins to help the body:
- Break down food
- Grow
- Repair body tissue
- Perform many other body functions
Amino acids can also be used as a source of energy by the body.
Amino acids are classified into three groups:
- Essential amino acids
- Nonessential amino acids
- Conditional amino acids
B Vitamins
These vitamins help the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat. They also help form red blood cells.
You can get B vitamins from proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Leafy green vegetables, beans, and peas also have B vitamins. Many cereals and some breads have added B vitamins.
Beetroot
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is a root vegetable also known as red beet, table beet, garden beet, or just beet.
Packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C.
Beetroots and beetroot juice have been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance.
Many of these benefits are due to their high content of inorganic nitrates.
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally in the body.
Beta-alanine aids in the production of carnosine. That’s a compound that plays a role in muscle endurance in high-intensity exercise.
Why do people take beta-alanine supplements?
Beta-alanine is marketed as a way to enhance sports performance and endurance. Some scientific evidence backs such uses, but the studies have been small and the results inconclusive.
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Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter substance that occurs naturally in more than 60 plants including:
- Coffee beans
- Tea leaves
- Kola nuts, which are used to flavor soft drink colas
- Cacao pods, which are used to make chocolate products
There is also synthetic (man-made) caffeine, which is added to some medicines, foods, and drinks. For example, some pain relievers, cold medicines, and over-the-counter medicines for alertness contain synthetic caffeine. So do energy drinks and “energy-boosting” gums and snacks.
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Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is one of your body’s natural sources of energy for muscle contraction. Its name comes from the Greek word for meat. About half of the body’s supply comes from a carnivorous diet and about half is produced in the liver, kidneys and then delivered to the skeletal muscles for use. About 95% of creatine is stored in the skeletal muscle of your body and is used during physical activity.
Creatine helps to maintain a continuous supply of energy to working muscles by keep production up in working muscles. Small amounts are also found in your heart, brain and other tissues.
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Ginseng
People have traditionally taken ginseng to help with a range of medical conditions.
More research is needed to confirm if it has any benefit as a supplement. Researchers believe that ginsenosides, chemical components found in ginseng, are responsible for any clinical effects of the herb.
Western scientists and health professionals often question the medicinal properties of ginseng.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea is one of the most commonly consumed teas in the world.
Green tea extract is its concentrated form, with just one capsule containing the same amount of active ingredients as an average cup of green tea.
Like green tea, green tea extract is a great source of antioxidants. These have been credited with a range of health benefits — from promoting heart, liver, and brain health to improving your skin and even reducing the risk of cancer.
What’s more, many studies have looked at the ability of green tea extract to aid weight loss. In fact, many weight loss products list it as a key ingredient.
Himalayan Sea Salt
Pink Himalayan salt is a type of salt that’s naturally pink in color and mined near the Himalayas in Pakistan.
Many people claim that it’s loaded with minerals and provides incredible health benefits. For these reasons, pink Himalayan salt is often thought to be much healthier than regular table salt.
Some of pink Himalayan salt’s commonly promoted health claims include that it can:
- Improve respiratory diseases
- Balance your body’s pH
- Reduce signs of aging
- Improve sleep quality
- Regulate blood sugar
- Increase libido
L-Citrulline
L-citrulline is a substance called a non-essential amino acid. Your kidneys change L-citrulline into another amino acid called L-arginine and a chemical called nitric oxide.
These compounds are important to your heart and blood vessel health. They may also boost your immune system.
Why do people take L-citrulline?
L-citrulline boosts nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps your arteries relax and work better, which improves blood flow throughout your body. This may be helpful for treating or preventing some diseases.
There is some evidence to suggest the supplement could possibly help lower blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure.
L-Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the body. It’s made in the muscles and transferred by the blood into different organ systems.
Glutamine is a building block for making proteins in the body. It’s also needed to make other amino acids and glucose. Glutamine supplements might help gut function, immune function, and other processes, especially in times of stress when the body uses more glutamine.
People take glutamine for sickle cell disease, burns, to improve recovery after surgery, for injuries, and for complications of HIV/AIDS. It is also used for diarrhea, cystic fibrosis, obesity, lung cancer, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these other uses.
L-Theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid found primarily in green and black tea and some mushrooms. It’s also available in pill or tablet form. It’s said to help ease anxiety, stress, and reduce insomnia.
Benefits of L-Theanine
- Anxiety and Stress Release
- Enhanced Focus
- Improved Immune Function
- Blood Pressure Improvement
Thiamin
Vitamin B1, or thiamin, helps prevent complications in the nervous system, brain, muscles, heart, stomach, and intestines. It is also involved in the flow of electrolytes into and out of muscle and nerve cells.
It helps prevent diseases such as beriberi, which involves disorders of the heart, nerves, and digestive system.
Tyrosine
L-tyrosine is one form of the amino acid tyrosine. It is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that you don’t have to get it from food. The body manufactures it, using another amino acid, phenylalanine. You may see tyrosine sold in supplement form with or without the “L.”
Tyrosine is in all tissues of the human body and in most of its fluids. It helps the body build proteins in your body, and produce enzymes, thyroid hormones, and the skin pigment melanin. It also helps the body produce neurotransmitters that help nerve cells communicate. Tyrosine is particularly important in the production of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. It helps form important brain chemicals that affect mood and sleep.
Vasodilators
Vasodilators are compounds that open, or dialate, your blood vessels. The improvement of blood flow to your muscles, and throughout the body can improve athletic performance. To improve your training sessions and to have a better muscular development, vasodilators are highly recommended.