Supplements are one of the main core aspects of modern fitness. When you talk about workouts or if you search something regarding fitness on Google, you will mostly hear or read the word “supplements” along the way.
But when we talk about workout supplements, we usually talk about supplements that help you recover quickly through muscle synthesis to maximize your current workout or to just help you ready your body for your workout tomorrow. These supplements are commonly known as “post-workout supplements”.
However, there are also workout supplements that aim to improve your performance and energy levels during your workout sets – these supplements are called “pre-workout supplements” because, as the name suggests, you take these supplements before you perform your exercises.
But what are pre-workout supplements? More importantly, do they really work? And the biggest question, what is the best pre-workout for weight loss? Let’s find out!
What Are Pre-Workout Supplements?
Pre-workout supplements are workout supplements aimed to improve your physical performance during your workout session. However, its ultimate aim is to help you lose weight through increased performance in your workout.
There are a variety of different ingredients that go into pre-workout supplements. We are going to dive into the four main ingredients that the best pre-workout supplements usually include.
4 Best Pre-Workout Supplements
1) Creatine
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements for bodybuilders. This supplement is used to boost physical performance as well as muscle growth.
However, to get the weight loss benefits of creatine, your workout must focus on strength training like lifting weights, which increases your muscle mass. After all, more muscle mass means an improved fat-burning mechanism for your body – and if you are trying to build muscle, creatine will help you with that process as well.
On the other hand, if you are solely working on endurance training such as running or cycling, or yet, not working out at all and you’re just losing weight solely through dieting, then creatine won’t help you lose weight.
2) Caffeine
If you want to boost your energy, why not take something that you’re probably taking already every morning – caffeine, through your hot, delicious morning coffee?
Caffeine is a well-known energy booster, which is perhaps the main reason we take it. A 100-400mg (depending on your sensitivity) of caffeine taken an hour before your workout routine is enough to get the energy-boosting benefits of caffeine. Some supplements and fat burners even use caffeine as their main ingredient for this purpose.
You can take caffeine through green tea or even just your regular coffee. However, to receive the best benefit, be sure that your coffee is as less sugary as possible to not reverse the health benefits it can give you.
Lastly, while caffeine can help you lose weight, it is important that you actually work out – drinking caffeine alone will obviously not magically burn fats for you!
Also, caffeine is not for everyone. If you cannot tolerate even minimal amounts of caffeine, then caffeine is probably not for you. Otherwise, caffeine can be very bad for you, such as you’ll palpitate, feel anxious, and be jittery.
3) BCAAs
BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids are amino acids that have muscle-building effects. However, they won’t provide many benefits by themselves than when compared to consuming the whole protein.
BCAAs are mainly for muscle-building benefits, although it can improve your physical and mental fatigue during workouts as well. But if you are working on to build muscles – and again, muscles help burn fat – BCAAs can help you burn fat in this regard.
4) Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate can help reduce the lactic acid build-up which occurs as you progress on your workout routine. Lactic acid will slow you down, so it makes sense to reduce its build-up – and sodium bicarbonate can help you with that because it is an alkaline, which makes it capable of neutralizing acids that had built up in your muscles.
Because of this, you can perform more reps in a given set, making you do more workouts and burn more fats in the process.
How To Take A Pre-Workout
Pre-workout supplements often appear as powder or mixed-in with your drinks such as shake.
In cases like caffeine, you can opt to take it through your diets such as coffee or green tea – again, just make sure to reduce or eliminate sugar to get the best from your coffee or green tea. So, your favorite Chocolate Frappuccino is not a pre-workout supplement!
Do Pre-Workout Supplements Really Work?
In general, and despite the bad rep of the supplements industry, pre-workout supplements (as with most supplements) do work! However, it takes some time and understanding to spot which pre-workout supplements work and which don’t.
When you are buying pre-workout supplements, be sure to check the label and take the time to read the ingredients (and their respective amount) to see what’s on the supplement, if they are potentially effective, and any dangerous substance or ingredients that you could be allergic.
Another way of looking for pre-workout supplements is by looking at recommendations that your trusted sources, be it your family member, friend, or even a blogger (or YouTuber) that you trust. When it comes to blogs, websites or YouTube channels, don’t just go for any fitness blog to see what they recommend – the fitness industry is, unfortunately, filled with hype, and many of the products they promote don’t even work.
So, it all boils down to three tips: read the label, don’t fall for the marketing and check recommendations from trusted sources.
Overall, pre-workout supplements do work – it may just take a while before you can find one that will work for you!
Are Pre-Workout Supplements Right For You?
Pre-workout supplements generally work for the average person. Just take note of caffeine content if you are sensitive to caffeine, otherwise, they should work well with you.
If you are currently taking medications, consider asking your doctor first to ensure that pre-workout supplements will not hurt interfere with your medication.
Best Pre-Workout For Weight Loss
C4 Ripped
C4 Ripped is a pre-workout supplement that combines the explosive energy of C4 with ingredients specific to fat loss. Similar to the ingredients as C4® Original for energy, nitric oxide production, and endurance carnosine precursors, C4® Ripped distinguishes itself by incorporating ingredients such as Capsimax® Cayenne, L-Carnitine, green coffee bean and coleus forskohlii.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON C4 RippedGAT Nitraflex Burn
This supplement is one of the more affordable pre-workouts you can purchase. It’s a scientifically advanced muscle-building powerhouse designed to build lean, dense muscle while simultaneously burning subcutaneous body fat.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON GAT NITRAFLEX BURNVital Proteins Performance
This supplement combines collagen peptides and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to work to support muscles and joints while creatine nitrate and elevATP® support enhanced power output. The coffee fruit extract also acts as an energy booster to keep you going strong.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON VITAL PROTEINS PERFORMANCEAlani Nu Pre-workout
This pre-workout supplement for weight loss is one of the most affordable options on the market. You can maximize your workout with this flavor-packed pre-workout formula. Made with L-Theanine to prevent a post-workout crash, this supplement also excludes any erroneous fillers and no-nonsense ingredients.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON ALANI NU PRE-WORKOUTAlternatives To Pre-Workout Supplements For Weight Loss
Like many supplements, the main alternative to pre-workout loss supplements is consuming vitamins and minerals that promote a healthy pre-workout boost. As we mentioned above, some vitamins and supplements that are great as a pre-work include creatine, BCCA’s, caffeine, and Sodium bicarbonate.
If you prefer to not take a supplement marketed as an overall “pre-workout” supplement, then your best bet is to take the above vitamins or find eat foods that are rich in those vitamins.
If you are thinking about adding pre-workout supplements to your diet, now is a great time to try it out. Pre-workout supplements are easy and safe supplements to test that carry a variety of benefits with it. If you start taking pre-workout supplements and experience any negative symptoms, contact a medical professional for help.
