Does Pre Workout Actually work?

[Georgepithyou]

Or is it just a placebo, i took one scoop of a pre qorkout that had 275mg of caffine and 3g of Creatine. It had other ingredients like Beta alanine. I didn't feel anything besides a but of mental clarity from the caffine and a slight tingly feeling from the BA. Other then that it made almost no difference. I wasn't able to sleep because of rhe caffeine.

Yet i always read that it gives people so much energy and they are able to break PRs in the gym with it. Do i need 2 scoops or a higher stimulant one?

 

[firstbornunicorn]

Ammonia before a big lift works. Pre-workout is just a way to sell more ****. Finding the right time to lift that works for you is probably a better investment.

 

[SirBigBell]

Pre workout to me is just a bit of an expensive scam. Most people who think it works are simply responding to the placebo effect - they believe they feel what they expect to feel.
For me, 2 bananas 2 hours before my workout has always produced wonders. Cheaper and effective!

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

Like any other suppplement, its wildly complex. You have to first recognize that the overwhelming majority of supplements don't contain the ingredients they claim, or have them in much much smaller amounts than the label indicates. None of this **** is regulated! Always ask a company for a CoA for their products; if they don't provide one, it almost certainly means they don't test them and source them from China.

The next issue is figuring out which supplements have actual evidence they work. Anecdotes only go so far. Placebo and nocebo clouds everything and makes it extremely hard to know what actually works and what doesn't.

The last issue is that buying preworkout powders often have so many ingredients that it's hard to know what's actually doing all the work.

You have to try one thing at a time and see how your body reacts.

Creatine has overwhelming evidence that it improves lean mass retention, exercise performance, and tons of other metrics as well - look at this page to get an idea. Citrulline malate and taurine have a lot of evidence for improving various cardiovascular metrics including VO2 max. Beta alanine has studies showing significant improvements power output and endurance. There are some others like Alpha-GPC, Agmantine Sulfate, Tyrosine/NALT, and a few others that have some limited data as well but look promising.

Anything that raises dopamine or norepinephrine/adrenaline works excellently too, caffeine being a major one. Carbs can definitely help also...an apple or banana right before a workout is perfect because they have a perfect balance of sugar and fiber. Lastly electrolytes definitely help as well but don't bother with something like gatoraid because they contain stupidly low levels. Take 1/4 teaspoon of potassium (salt substitute) and 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) 30 min before a workout with lots of water and see what I mean.

I haven't tried many preworkout formulas but I really, really like Ghost Legends Preworkout. May have just been placebo though because it tasted really good.

 

[RickTheToad]

Or is it just a placebo, i took one scoop of a pre qorkout that had 275mg of caffine and 3g of Creatine. It had other ingredients like Beta alanine. I didn't feel anything besides a but of mental clarity from the caffine and a slight tingly feeling from the BA. Other then that it made almost no difference. I wasn't able to sleep because of rhe caffeine.

Yet i always read that it gives people so much energy and they are able to break PRs in the gym with it. Do i need 2 scoops or a higher stimulant one?

Back in the days where they put good stuff in it, yes. The Bang! stuff supposedly is good, but who knows.

 

[deadmasterx]

Whenever I tried pre-workout the only thing I felt was my whole body kind of tingling and burning. I don't know if it's a placebo effect (I take it so I get motivated) or if it's true, but honestly I don't think it was worth it. In matters of performance, I had way more progress with Creatine.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Creatine is better used post workout not pre. Along with LCLT. I don't know, maybe you guys are not taking a day off of any caffeine to lower your levels. I can definitely feel pre workout. My heart starts pounding, tingles, feeling of anticipation/getting ansy. I make sure that I keep my caffeine tolerance in check though. Which sucks, because that means I can only drink coffee 2 days a week, and I love light roasted ethiopian black coffee.

 

[Robert28]

Honestly all I do is eat a protein bar and a banana 1 1/2-2 hours before I workout. I try to drink at least half of a gallon of water throughout the day prior to working out. You have to be careful with the protein bars though, so many have tons of sugar on them. I’ve been using Grenade, One and those have been great for me. After workout I eat 2 tuna rolls, not the spicy tuna rolls with all the crap, just plain ol tuna rolls.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

No. The only pre-workout I ever take is GABA which has shown to increase GH production post workout and has shown to give significant boosts to lean muscle mass versus nothing

 

[garciaevans]

It is totally depends on the thinking but according to me, it is not working.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Or is it just a placebo, i took one scoop of a pre qorkout that had 275mg of caffine and 3g of Creatine. It had other ingredients like Beta alanine. I didn't feel anything besides a but of mental clarity from the caffine and a slight tingly feeling from the BA. Other then that it made almost no difference. I wasn't able to sleep because of rhe caffeine.

Yet i always read that it gives people so much energy and they are able to break PRs in the gym with it. Do i need 2 scoops or a higher stimulant one?

No...any many are dangerous...lots of heart related issues with those.

If you want something that actually works take 3g of GABA prior to your workout and boost your GH release by 200-400%

You know what else works? Working out quickly with intensity and focus and rest time no more than 30 seconds between sets. People want these long slow workout sessions when reality is you'll be far better off completing workouts in 45 minutes or less and doing them intensely.

 

[xplt]

An hour before workout I drink an espresso and if I‘m hungry I eat a banana. If I hit a plateau, I take creatin. Nothing else.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

An hour before workout I drink an espresso and if I‘m hungry I eat a banana. If I hit a plateau, I take creatin. Nothing else.

Working out after caffeine is a recipe for disaster.

 

[xplt]

Working out after caffeine is a recipe for disaster.

I‘ve never felt negative side effects, only a slight increase in heartrate.
Caffeine is known to boost performance and fat burning.

Why do you think it‘s bad?
I once read, caffeine in combination with sports can increase risk of developing blood clots. You‘ve heard about that?

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I‘ve never felt negative side effects, only a slight increase in heartrate.
Caffeine is known to boost performance and fat burning.

Why do you think it‘s bad?
I once read, caffeine in combination with sports can increase risk of developing blood clots. You‘ve heard about that?

Heart related reasons