Health improvement
Sergey Sidoruk 03/31/2019 no comments
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What is a pre-workout complex and what is it for?
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So-called “pre-workouts” are a category of sports nutrition products that help increase the productivity and performance of an athlete during training. Most often, such supplements include stimulating substances and components that increase blood flow to the muscles.
We can highlight the main parameters that are affected by taking pre-workout complexes:
- Concentration and focus;
- Increased endurance;
- Pumping (filling muscles with blood when working to failure);
- Better recovery between sets;
- Increased energy and performance;
- Increase in strength indicators due to the points listed above.
Taking pre-workout supplements helps increase energy and performance
Compound
New generation training stacks typically contain the following compounds:
- Caffeine . One of the highest quality and most popular stimulants. It hits the nervous system directly, giving it additional impulses. Allows you to avoid exhaustion of almost all body systems - intellectual, physical, nervous. Moreover, taking caffeine before exercise helps improve muscle endurance and significantly increase the intensity of the exercise performed.
- Guarana . The source of caffeine you just read about. Guarana also contains special bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory compounds that help in fat burning. She is so unpredictable - she hits the central nervous system with hammers, and makes a hellish bonfire of fat.
- Taurine . An amino acid that can help muscles. According to studies, it increases their endurance by almost 50%. This is a very cool result. Taurine promotes blood flow to the muscles, due to which muscle tissue, like vampires, sucks vitamins, amino acids and oxygen from it. Another cool property of this component is that it enhances the anabolic effect.
- Tyrosine . An amino acid that acts like an energy drink. With it you will get both a good mood and motivation. Like Santa Claus, she will give you a generous box of adrenaline, which you will be incredibly happy about.
- Creatine . Another energy component that can be found in almost all top pre-workouts. It is used to increase energy levels. It also increases strength and promotes muscle growth.
- Beta-alanine . Amino acid to increase strength and muscle activity. Like Doctor Aibolit, he patches up tired muscles and helps them get back into action sooner after tiring workouts.
- Arginine . Additional nutrition for muscle tissue. The amino acid provides a good pumping effect. This means that everyone will admire your voluminous and tortuous veins, which seem about to burst.
- BCAA amino acids . Needed to support and protect muscle fibers. Without them, muscle growth is impossible.
Vitamins are often included in pre-workout supplements. Caring sports nutrition manufacturers worry that their customers are suffering from a deficiency of these important elements, and add them to their promising jars.
The effect of pre-workout complexes
Pre-workout complexes are used for:
- increasing the flow of oxygen to muscle tissue,
- increasing energy resources for frequent and prolonged exercise with increased load,
- increasing tone,
- increasing mental concentration, attention,
- creating a cheerful mood,
- nutrition of muscle tissue.
Basic properties
Advertising companies from sports nutrition manufacturers often show the Superman strength that will appear in everyone who takes a pre-workout. They promise such concentration that even a student taking an exam in physical strength will envy. You probably understand that these promises are exaggerated. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little.
Here are the real properties of quality pre-workouts:
- stimulation of the nervous system;
- improved mood;
- increased performance;
- the emergence of motivation to train;
- support the fat burning process;
- creating conditions for muscle growth;
- increase in strength;
- ensuring pumping.
As you can see, it’s not possible to turn into Superman, but it’s easy to turn into an active and strong athlete, confident in yourself.
Effect of the supplement on the body
The main goal that people who take pre-workouts will achieve is to create a desire to actively train. All other effects provided by pre-workout stacks are secondary.
In order for strength to appear and laziness to go away, strong stimulants are included in the development. They have a direct effect on the central nervous system, resulting in increased production of adrenaline and dopamine. These hormones help you train like it’s the last time in your life.
Approximately half an hour after using pre-workout, the following processes begin to occur in the human body:
- your mood is lifted (all thanks to an increase in dopamine levels);
- heart rate increases;
- blood vessels dilate and begin to protrude above the skin;
- no trace of laziness and drowsiness remains (adrenergic receptors are activated).
All these changes help you train mega intensely and for a long time.
Main types
There is no clear classification of pre-workouts. Conventionally, all drugs in the category can be divided into:
- low-component and multi-component;
- powder, capsule and tablet.
According to their performance characteristics, pre-workouts can be either resourceful (regular) or aggressive. It all depends on their composition. If it includes caffeine, guarana, creatine, amino acids, electrolytes, vitamins, then we are talking about a resource stack. If ephedra, yohimbine, and geranium are included in the drug in high doses, then expect a hot and incredibly powerful effect.
Pre-workout complexes in sports
Why do athletes take pre-workout supplements? Yes, for the same reason as everyone else. They just need the help of pre-workout products more than others. After all, training often takes professional athletes more than half the day. It’s very difficult to maintain such a pace and not tell everyone to go to hell. Therefore, it is impossible to do without additional stimulation.
In sports, pre-workouts are held in high esteem for the fact that:
- Promotes muscle growth and increased strength. Of course, they cannot influence muscle fibers directly, as, for example, proteins do. But they are guaranteed to give you energy and improve your athletic mood. Due to this, the athlete can train much longer and achieve very cool results in a short time.
- Helps you lose weight and get dry. Subcutaneous fat goes away if the pre-workout contains fat-containing components. Also, the figure improves in a short time due to the fact that training becomes as energy-intensive as possible. Separately, it is worth highlighting such a component of pre-workouts as Geranium. Its effect on the human body has not yet been fully studied, but it is reliably known that, in addition to stunning stimulation, DMAA activates lipolytic processes.
- Guarantees a clear pump. Pumping is needed so that blood flows better to the muscles - this makes them grow quickly. To do this, the veins, under the influence of arginine, expand and turn into a semblance of seething mountain rivers.
These are the cool effects pre-workouts give athletes. No wonder they are in such high demand.
Classification of pre-workout complexes
Pre-workout complexes are divided into groups according to the direction of their effect on the body:
- for recovery after intense training and muscle growth,
- to gain drive and energy.
Muscle pumping compounds are called nitrous compounds due to their arginine (nitric oxide) content. A separate group of pre-workout complexes are caffeine-free mixtures for athletes with a predisposition to high blood pressure and contraindications for the use of this substance.
Side effects
Pre-workouts are highly stimulating, and this is not always safe. They should not be taken by people with heart disease or mentally ill people. While taking the stack, side effects may occur such as:
- irritability;
- aggression;
- depression;
- drowsiness;
- insomnia;
- severe loss of strength.
In general, if you have turned into a barking dog who cannot calmly look at any person passing by, take a break from your pre-training experiments. Let your nervous system come to its senses.
The benefits and harms of pre-workout complexes
The benefits of pre-workout stacks are obvious. They help you set new sports records, lose weight, build cool iron balls and get an enviable pump. At the same time, they can strengthen the immune system, provide the body with vitamins, and the muscles with amino acids.
We will dwell on the negative aspects in more detail, since they are often kept silent:
Undesirable effect | How it manifests itself | Why does it occur | How to avoid |
Heart problems | The heart beats very hard, characteristic pain appears, and blood pressure often rises | The pre-workout product contains very high doses of stimulants or the user has exceeded the maximum allowable dosage | Reduce the dose used or give preference to a milder pre-workout formulation. |
Insomnia | In the evening it is impossible to fall asleep, sleep becomes light, in the morning the athlete wakes up exhausted and not rested | It contains many strong stimulants. The last portion of the stack is taken at a late time. The user exceeds the recommended dosage | Choose “softer” drugs. Drink a pre-workout no later than six hours before bedtime. Do not exceed the dose. |
Decreased sexual desire | The desire to have sex disappears or decreases, sexual sensitivity decreases | Due to high doses of geranium or ephedra extract, blood vessels in the pelvic area narrow | Do not increase acceptable doses, do not buy the most aggressive pre-workouts |
Overexcitation of the central nervous system | Worried about aggression, anxiety, anger, irritability | The pre-workout dose is always the maximum or higher than the maximum | Reduce the dosage, switch to a weaker formulation. If necessary, stop using the drug for a while |
Getting used to pre-workout | Without taking the drug, it is impossible to train normally - laziness overcomes, motivation is completely absent | Taking high doses of stack for a long time. The body is accustomed to a specific drug or its individual components | Take a break from taking your pre-workout supplement. Use it only at the most important moments, and not on an ongoing basis |
Allergy | Skin rashes have appeared, anaphylaxis has developed, body itching is disturbing | The stack contains allergenic components, dyes, flavor enhancers | Stop using the current formulation. Take an antihistamine prescribed by your doctor |
As you can see, most problems are due to exceeding the dose. If you don’t want your pre-workout to harm your body, don’t race your horses—pump wisely. Read what it says on the can and follow the instructions strictly.
INFLUENCE ON THE BODY
Most people involved in sports expect one reaction from a pre-workout - increased productivity and energy. Stimulating substances are known to be responsible for this. 30 minutes after administration, the body begins to intensively release adrenaline into the blood.
Insane Labz Psychotic – has an aggressive stimulating effect
The athlete trains with great diligence and pleasure, while: • dopamine is actively produced; • pulse quickens; • cardiac activity increases; • performance increases.
As we can see, the use of pre-workout directly affects the quality of training: concentration increases, the weight with which the athlete can work increases, and overall productivity increases.
Covered in glory and invincible, Jack3d from USPlabs, despite its advanced age, can still give a head start to younger competitors. Great stimulation! Has an expanded line of drugs.
The benefits of pre-workouts
The main function of pre-workouts is to assist in sports training. It is aimed at increasing achievements and all kinds of indicators, be it covering a distance, lifting weights, or performing exercises. The harder the workout, the more calories are burned, the muscles grow faster, and the performance increases. The main benefit of such sports supplements is that they help athletes withstand heavier loads.
Pre-workout
In addition, the supplement has other beneficial properties: • supports immunity; • improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system; • increases blood circulation; • speeds up metabolism.
Possible harm
When taking any supplement, it is necessary to observe moderation. Not all athletes in pursuit of achievements can adequately control their doping. Sometimes it’s not easy to resist the temptation to increase your results even more. Pre-workout supplements containing ephedrine or geranium extract can cause serious harm if abused.
Possible side effects from overdose: • disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system (hypertension, arrhythmia); • loss of sleep, calmness; • nervous overexcitation, which is expressed in aggression or depression; • decreased sexual activity; • habit effect, refusal to train without supplements.
How to avoid negative consequences
As practice shows, pre-workouts can cause harm as a result of exceeding the recommended dose and continuous use. In order to avoid negative consequences from pre-workouts, it is recommended to take breaks. 3-4 weeks are enough for the body to reboot. In addition, you cannot switch to more powerful means, without which the body will no longer enjoy training. The complex should be taken strictly according to the instructions, adhering to the indicated dosage. When choosing pre-workout sports supplements to enhance performance, it is best to consult with a trainer.
Dosage and rules of administration
To get the best results from using a pre-workout drug, you need to take it in the right dosage. The optimal solution is to start with half the serving set by the manufacturer. If it turns out to be insufficient, gradually increase it. It is quite possible that half a scoop will be enough for you. So why infuriate the nervous system with excess stimulants?
It is important to remember the following rules for taking pre-workout supplements:
- Drink half an hour before training.
- Do not use on days when training is not planned.
- Take no later than 5-6 hours before bedtime.
- Do not exceed the dose prescribed by the manufacturer.
- Do not take pre-workouts on an ongoing basis - only when you cannot do without their help.
If you feel very tired, slow down the pace of life and give your head and your muscles a few days of rest. This will be smarter than constantly being on stimulants.
A question that concerns many: how to prepare a pre-workout complex at home?
I guarantee that every good trainer knows a lot of recipes for a complex of vitamins and amino acids for athletes, and will be able to choose the best option for you at a price that is several times lower than the price of ready-made drugs, inflated due to the brand and general confidence in miraculous power.
The doctor to whom you explain what you want to achieve with such complexes will be happy to give you a prescription for all the necessary vitamins, minerals and supplements. This is a moment that needs to be thought through with your head!
Combination with other sports nutrition
Pre-workouts should not be combined with energy drinks and stimulants. The effect of this combination will, of course, be wow. But can your heart withstand such a powerful impact? Don't overdo it!
If you decide to drink a pre-workout and a fat burner, make sure that the latter does not contain harsh stimulants.
You can freely combine low-component stacks made on the basis of different active ingredients. For example, if the pre-workout composition does not include pills, it would be useful to include arginine in the regimen. L-carnitine will help improve fat burning during training.
Fat burners included
It doesn’t matter whether you set yourself the goal of losing weight during training or not, if there is a sufficient amount of fat burners in the pre-workout complex, then you will be able to maintain your shape at the proper level, protect yourself from gaining excess weight, and also get an additional source of energy during training (since fats will be used as energy fuel). Green tea extract is found in many pre-training preparations, and all because it contains a real storehouse of substances necessary to improve training. Catechin is the active ingredient in green tea extract. It promotes the rapid breakdown of fats and provides a mild stimulating effect. Synephrine has similar properties to adrenaline. With its help, the processes of lipid breakdown are significantly accelerated. Bitter oranges contain the most synephrine. Yohimbe is extracted in a special way: it is isolated from the bark of trees that grow in Africa. It has caffeine-like effects and also uses fat as energy. Another useful property of the substance is that it promotes intense blood flow to the muscles.
Preparations containing yohimbine are recommended for use by athletes involved in bodybuilding to improve the quality and intensity of training, as well as for those who are actively fighting excess weight.
Yohimbe:
- Breaks down the fat layer;
- Increases the amount of lipids (2 times);
- Releases energy from fat cells.
How to choose a pre-workout complex and what to look for
When choosing your ideal pre-workout, proceed from the following requirements:
- Brand. Do not try “basement” developments for which it is impossible to find reviews. Leave the pioneering mission to someone else. Choose drugs from trusted manufacturers.
- Shop. Do not purchase sports nutrition from your own hands or from fly-by-night shops. If you try to save money, you will most likely end up with a fake.
- Sports goal. Remember why you need sports nutrition. If, in addition to stimulation, you want to get a pump, make sure that the composition contains citrulline and arginine. If you are interested in increasing your strength, look for creatine on the packaging. Beta-alanine will help you increase physical endurance. Among stimulants, give preference to caffeine, synephrine, yohimbine, 1.3 DMAA. If your problem is focusing, use products containing DMAE, tyrosine, agmatine, icariin, L-theanine.
- Release form. Everything is simple here - powder, tablets, capsules. Who cares what?
- Taste. Focus on your taste habits and preferences. It would be wise to take samples and see which one works best.
Additionally, read the reviews of the drugs that interest you and consult with the seller of the sports nutrition store.
We hope our tips will help you make a worthwhile purchase that won't disappoint.
Components of pre-workout complexes and their effects
All components of pre-workout complexes can be divided into three main groups in accordance with the tasks they solve.
Nervous system stimulants
The purpose of nervous system stimulants in pre-workouts:
- to fill with energy;
- increase motivation to achieve the best results;
- improve concentration.
Thanks to the presence of energy drinks and nootropics, the effect of taking pre-workout complexes is felt immediately. The heart rate increases, cognitive abilities improve, vigor and the desire to move mountains appear to achieve the best results.
Various substances in different dosages can be used as central nervous system stimulants in pre-workouts, due to which some drugs have a stronger stimulating effect, while others have a less pronounced one. Sometimes stimulant substances are used in combination to achieve maximum effect. There are also stimulant-free pre-workout options. They are intended for those who do not tolerate caffeine well, have trouble sleeping, or simply do not want to overload the heart and nervous system.
Pre-workout supplements may contain the following stimulants:
- caffeine obtained from guarana fruit;
- schizandrol (schizandra), which also functions as an adaptogen;
- ephedrine;
- DMAA (geranium extract).
The last two have a particularly strong effect and are classified as semi-legal. Ephedrine is prohibited from being used as a dietary supplement in a concentration exceeding 15%; geranium extract is not permitted for use before competitions where doping control is carried out.
Substances that promote anabolism
This is the largest group of components of pre-workout complexes. It includes:
- Glucose, vitamins and minerals , the reserves of which are quickly consumed during intense power exercise. To supply muscles with energy, ensure normal conduction of nerve fibers and metabolic processes, it is necessary to take these substances immediately before training.
- Creatine , responsible for muscle growth and increased strength, and prevents catabolism processes.
- Essential amino acids BCAA are the main building blocks of muscle tissue.
- Beta-alanine , which improves strength endurance and performance.
- Alpha lipoic acid - inhibits oxidation processes, accelerates recovery after training.
- Taurine - improves metabolic processes at the cellular level.
- L-tyrosine - prevents catabolism, increases endurance.
Means of achieving pumping
Muscle pumping is their swelling due to a rush of blood; during exercise, it helps the muscles receive all the necessary substances along with the blood. Almost all modern pre-workout complexes contain substances that promote pumping: citrulline and arginine - they improve blood circulation, providing intensive nutrition to muscle tissue.
Taking pre-workouts with these ingredients gives a noticeable effect in the form of a pleasant swelling in the muscles. This feeling in itself serves as a motivator to increase the effectiveness of your workout.