What are Workout Supplements
Workout supplements are available as both pre and post workout products. For the pre-workout supplements, they are taken before or during a workout session. On the other hand, the post workout supplements are ideal for use after intense workout mainly for quick recovery of the torn muscle fibers.
Pre Workout Supplements
A pre-workout is a product that is formulated with different ingredients, which work together to bring out certain results. Some of these results include increased endurance, improved performance, enhanced protein synthesis, increased fat burning, improved focus and energy among many others.
Women Pre Workout Supplements
Many people, especially women are highly inclined to believe that supplements are mostly designed for men only. Mainly this is due to how most of the top pre workout supplements are marketed or advertised. They feature only male figures with shredded bodies and huge muscles. Nonetheless, this is not true. Both women and men can use supplements to help them achieve their goals.
Nowadays, many manufacturers have unveiled pre workout supplements for women. This means that women do not have to worry about using pre workout supplements for men. To be on the safe side, you need to use products that are designed specifically for your gender. This is because certain ingredients used in the supplements may affect men and women differently. Here are certain tips you ought to bear in mind when choosing a pre-workout drink for women.
a. High Doses of Iron and Calcium
Both women and men require essential minerals and vitamins. In the case of women, they need high doses of certain minerals like calcium since they are susceptible to suffering from bone complications like osteoporosis. Moreover, women also require high iron doses since they are prone to losing a lot of iron during their menstrual days.
b. Muscle Building
Men find it easier to form muscles than women since they have higher testosterone levels as opposed to the latter. As such, certain ingredients in the best workout supplements for men may be ideal for building muscles in men, but cause harsh effects on women. In fact, various elements may trigger a hormonal imbalance, which may lead to adverse effects for those on birth control pills.
c. Medical Consultation
Although men and women require similar nutrients and vitamins, the dosage levels may differ. It is also important to note that both genders can also use nitric oxide, creatine and protein supplements. The only problem is that the effects may vary. For these reasons, seeking medical assistance from a certified physician before using the best pre workout for women is vital.
Common Ingredients in Pre Workout Supplements
• Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most common ingredients in the best workout supplements. It boasts of energy-boosting advantages. More so, caffeine is highly useful in amplifying endurance, boosting alertness and increasing peak performance. The energy boost comes in handy, especially in pushing you to your limit. In turn, you can build the desired lean muscles and burn more calories.
• Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Blends of Branched chain amino acids contain a mixture of three primary amino acids including valine, isoleucine, and leucine. The three amino acids are mostly found in various protein sources like eggs and meat. They are highly essential for individuals who are interested in building muscle. Additionally, they aid in repairing damaged muscle tissues, especially after high-intensity workouts.
Leucine is one of the vital amino acids in the BCAAs, especially when repairing damaged muscles is concerned. It stimulates protein synthesis. For this reason, leucine content ought to be the highest in your BCAAs blend.
• Beta Alanine
The primary function of beta-alanine is to boost muscular endurance. It works by buffering the hydrogen ions. In turn, this provides you with the ability to keep up with your intensity workout for a longer duration. This means that more training volume translates to more gains. Beta-alanine fuses with histamine in the muscles, which subsequently produces carnosine. Carnosine aids in combating the buildup of lactic acid. As a result, this yields in enhanced lean muscle mass and improved muscular endurance.
• Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is one of the ingredients that is popularly known for providing muscular strength. In fact, it is one of the only ingredients in the market that is proven to accelerate muscle growth directly. Supplementation with creatine can lead to increased anaerobic endurance, improved overall strength and reduced soreness and muscle damage.
• Citrulline Malate
Citrulline functions in a way that improves blood flow in the body. It helps in increasing blood flow through widening the blood vessels when you exercise. Subsequently, blood can move throughout your body in a more efficient manner. Citrulline malate enhances your workouts, as you can get more nutrients and oxygen to your working muscles. This aids you in feeling less fatigued, which in turn makes you stay focused when working out.
• Taurine
Taurine is also a vital ingredient in most supplements. It is an amino acid that is made from cysteine in the body. Taurine varies from other amino acids, as it is not integrated with proteins. Nonetheless, it is largely involved in a broad range of physiological processes. Some of these processes include cell membrane structure, control fluid balance in the body, control of muscle contractions and antioxidant actions. Regarding performance, taurine increases muscle strength and endurance. Furthermore, it enhances the flow of blood to the muscles.
• Vasodilators
Vasodilators include L-citrulline, beetroot, and L-arginine. Their primary goal is to boost blood flow in the body. They do this by triggering a rise in the levels of nitric oxide, which then cause increased blood flow. In turn, an increased blood flow in the body can stimulate the desired muscle pump.
Benefits of Using Pre Workout Supplements
1) Weight Loss
Using pre workout supplements help you in losing weight indirectly, as it gives you the desired boost to work harder in the gym. By so doing, you end up burning more excess calories. Caffeine, as one of the primary ingredients aids in burning fat, especially when exercising. It is also a highly active ingredient in the best fat burners. Apart from increasing metabolism, caffeine keeps hunger at bay. This is mainly because it is an anorectic agent, which is widely known for deferring the onset of hunger.
2) Boost Athletic Performance
Some of the top pre workout supplements increase physical performance. Mainly this happens when it comes to strength training and endurance sports. In fact, many pre-workout drinks boast of creatine monohydrate, which has a reputation for increasing physical output. Creatine assists the body in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The skeletal muscles produce ATP for energy purposes, particularly when undertaking strenuous activities.
When it comes to gaining lean muscle mass or losing body fat, it is imperative that you train to your best. Anything short of your maximum potential will most likely cause subpar gains. Additionally, losing fat requires you to embark on high-intensity cardio, especially in short intervals in a bid to deplete your glycogen stores and then turn to your body fat.
3) Fastens Muscle Recovery
Strength training to absolute failure may cause some severe damages to your muscles. In turn, your body cells will have to repair the damaged muscle tissues and even build them back stronger. Going back to the gym before the completion of the recovery process, may put you at the risk of muscle catabolism and overtrain. Although post workout supplements can aid in muscle recovery, the pre-workout supplements also have ingredients that can bring out similar results.
A pre-workout that contains ingredients like caffeine can speed up muscle recovery. Furthermore, caffeine and creatine monohydrate can alleviate muscle soreness.
4) Increases Libido
Taking most of these supplements can turn you into a sex monster. This claim is supported by a study by the University of Texas, which showed that caffeine consumption minimizes the risk of erectile dysfunction by up to a whopping 42%. Aside from caffeine, creatine has also displayed the ability to boost testosterone. In fact, it is linked to a higher sperm count.
Since using the best pre workout supplements for men enhances, your physical performance, you can push yourself to maximum potential in the gym. Doing this is bound to make your body go into a testosterone overdrive. As a matter of fact, most men have claimed to have increased erections when shifting from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one.
5) Improved Muscle Pump
Most pre-workout formulas have displayed the ability to bring out an improved muscle appearance by increasing their vascularity and size. Arginine Alpha-ketoglutarate is one of the ingredients known to yield such effects. The muscle pump feeling is brought about by the muscle being engorged with blood. This boosts protein synthesis, which in turn facilitate muscle growth and repair. The muscle pump is popularly known to have a particular effect on fast-twitch muscle fibers.
6) Enhances Mental Function
Pre-workout supplements can increase your mental function. This effect is common in those formulas that contain ingredients like caffeine, as it boasts of nootropic-like effects. In various studies, caffeine has been linked to long-term memory retention.
A Buying Guide for Workout Supplements
If you are thinking about using a pre-workout to give your workout an edge, you need to factor in various considerations. This is because not all products available in the market meet their promises. Furthermore, some producers in the market are there to make outrageous profits as opposed to helping their customers achieve their objectives. Here are some of the factors that may help you select the right product.
1. Why do you want to use supplements
Defining your goals clearly before taking the best pre workout shake in the market is important. Remember different people use supplements for varying reasons. So, try as much as possible to know what you want. Keeping at the back of your mind what you want is key to selecting the best pre workout supplement for women that has ingredients capable of helping you attain the desired results. Nonetheless, you do not have to limit yourself to one objective when it comes to setting your goals since different products are developed to help users get various results.
2. Go through Product Reviews
During your search for a good pre workout for men, make sure that you read product reviews before making any choice. Product reviews serve as one of the best sources for un-based information about any product in the market. Mainly this is because most reviews are written by people with first-hand experience in using the product in question. Before you are lured into buying a cheap pre-workout, consider going through its reviews.
The best thing about reviews is that you can easily access them via the Internet. However, you must ensure that the source is credible. This means that you should avoid reading reviews from a given manufacturer’s website, as you may read biased and misleading information.
3. Proprietary Blends
When you are looking for a pre workout for women, steer clear of products that are said to contain proprietary blends. Proprietary blends are a combination of various ingredients, which the manufacturer fails to disclose the quantity of each ingredient. Although this is a move to safeguard their formula from competitors, you as the consumer lack adequate information about the amount of each ingredient you are taking.
4. Check the Top Seller Information
Top seller information may also assist you in selecting the best pre workout drink. If you are new to purchasing and using supplements, make sure that you go for a product that is in the top seller category. For such products, there is a high likelihood that they are backed by good reviews and are a popular choice for many supplement users. You can also ensure that the product you choose has maintained its position in the top seller section for a long duration as opposed to choosing one that is new to that category. By using the top seller information to make your decision, you avoid misleading marketing strategies employed by various manufacturers in a bid to gain a competitive edge over industry counterparts.
5. Be Keen on the Total Caffeine Content
Bear in mind that most pre-workout products contain a fair dosage of caffeine as one of the active ingredients. If you are sensitive to it or you use it in a substantial amount of caffeine in your day-to-day life, you ought to pay close attention to the caffeine content in any potential pre-workout product. When it comes to caffeine content, avoid taking chances. Taking too much caffeine can interfere with your quality of sleep keeping in mind that sleep is essential for workout success.
6. Cost plus the Servings per Container
When buying any supplement avoid being attracted into purchasing a cheap pre-workout just because it is affordable to you. The best technique when looking for an affordable pre workout is to check the cost per serving for each potential product. As such, familiarize yourself with the number of workouts you execute in a week and then calculate the duration the product you are interested in will last. Do this bearing in mind that most supplements are not taken on non-workout days.
7. Your Effort is Necessary
Desist from expecting the best pre work out a supplement for women to do all the work for you. Supplements only make it easier for you to attain the desired results. As a matter of fact, do not expect to use any pre-workout drink then relax expecting results. You need to work hard. In turn, the supplement will amplify metabolism and the burning of more calories
8. Ensure you are Buying a Genuine Product
Keeping in mind that the United States FDA does not regulate pre and post workout supplements, it can be quite a hassle trying to differentiate genuine products from bogus ones. In this case, look for a brand of supplements that is manufactured in an FDA-certified Good Manufacturing Practices facility. Alternatively, you can opt for a brand that has a label detailed USP Verified Dietary Supplement. By doing so, you can rest assured that the product you select contains all the ingredients it claims it does.
9. Familiarize yourself with the Side Effects
Avoid being lured by attractive adverts and marketing campaigns when shopping for a pre workout for men or women. Reading the side effects of each potential product you might be considering to buy is vital. Make sure you are aware of the side effects accompanied by each ingredient used to make the preferred product. Being conscious of the side effects of using a particular product helps to put your mind at ease, especially after you experience what you already read about previously.
Post Workout Supplements
When pushing through an intense workout in the gym, your muscles are susceptible to damage and fiber breakdown. This leads to the process of rebuilding and repairing the fibers, which is referred to as muscle protein synthesis. It utilizes amino acids derived from proteins in a bid to facilitate healthy muscular growth and recovery. For this reason, you need to use post workout supplements for better and faster recovery, so that you can continue with your exercise regimen as soon as possible.
Common ingredients in Post Workout Supplements
Some of the best post workout supplements contain ingredients that are analogous to those in most pre-workout products. The following are some of these ingredients.
• Beta Alanine
Beta alanine is an ideal ingredient for the best post workout supplement because it safeguards your hard work in the gym by preventing from going to waste. By so doing, this non-essential amino acid ensures that your muscles are saturated with the needed nutrients.
• Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is also a common ingredient in the best post workout drink. Monohydrate is vital since it facilitates fast absorption into the body. Creatine has an established reputation when it comes to providing increased power, strength and muscle size. Although it can be used as an ingredient in a pre-workout product, its real potential is best displayed when taken as a post-workout. Mainly this is because of the dire need to replace ATP in the muscle cells, especially after a grueling session of high-intensity exercises.
• Leucine
Leucine is one of the widely recognized ingredients in the branched chain amino acids. It is an essential amino acid, which means that the body can neither create it on its own nor from other materials. As such, it ought to be ingested via supplementation or food. When used before as well as after your workout, leucine assists to prevent protein breakdown. Furthermore, it helps to make sure that the body efficiently uses the stored body fat instead of utilizing stored glycogen.
• L-Carnitine L-Tartrate
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate is an ideal ingredient, especially when it comes muscle recovery. It boasts of the potential to dramatically minimize muscle tissue damage and soreness. Aside from boosting lean muscle mass, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate has displayed the ability to amplify not only the levels of growth hormone but also testosterone levels.
Through the information mentioned above on workout supplements for using before and after working out, you can ensure that your time in the gym pays off significantly.Also, by analyzing the ingredients used in pre and post workout supplements, it is true to say that working out is as important as the recovery process. For this reason, using the best post workout drink is imperative.
Familiarizing yourself with the commonly used ingredients in workout supplements gives you insight on what you are putting into your body. You are also in a better position to select a product whose benefits are aligned with your goals.
