When Should You Take Workout Supplements?

Learn when should you take workout supplements for maximum performance benefits! Find out what pre-workout supplements are best for strength & endurance.

When Should You Take Workout Supplements?

Pre-workout supplements are designed to provide energy and aid endurance during physical activity. Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in many nutritional products, as well as coffee. Studies have shown that caffeine can have a positive effect on energy metabolism, weight loss, and body fat. It has also been proven to be an effective ergogenic aid for both endurance exercise and short periods of maximum exercise.

If you're up late at night, caffeine can also be useful for increasing mental alertness and concentration, while helping muscles use free fatty acids during exercise. Having a cup of coffee on the way to the gym won't do any good either. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology compared the consumption of pure caffeine with regular coffee and found that only pure caffeine produced an improved performance effect. Green tea extract is another common herbal supplement added to thermogenic products due to its suggested weight-loss effects.

It contains high amounts of caffeine and catechin polyphenols (mainly epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG), which have been shown to increase energy expenditure and fat utilization. Drinking green tea before exercising won't give you the same benefits as consuming pure green tea extract, unless you enjoy drinking five cups of tea before going to the gym. L-arginine is another supplement that can help improve athletic performance. A single dose of L-arginine increased exhaustion time in elite male wrestlers, highlighting its beneficial effects.

In addition, L-arginine may aid muscle growth by stimulating the release of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor, which are potent stimulators of protein synthesis. Citrulline malate supplementation can also increase nitrogen levels in the body, increase protein content in muscles, and improve the use of amino acids, especially BCAAs. Citrulline malate helps remove ammonia from blood and muscle tissue, reducing the onset of fatigue, and has been shown to reduce muscle pain after high-intensity endurance exercise. Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth.

For this reason, many people consume protein supplements in the form of shakes along with their workouts. These are just some of the options available to complement your weekly exercise routine, in addition to optimizing your nutrition, getting enough sleep, and training efficiently. You'll also find a guide to products that can give you a natural boost before training, as well as the best pre-workout supplements money can buy according to tests from the Men's Health Laboratory.Grenade's Black Ops capsules use caffeine to concentrate and green tea extract to help you lose fat. For those reasons, people may choose to work out before a variety of workouts, from trying to increase their maximum of 1 repetition in the back squat, performing an intense interval training routine, or simply having enough gas in the tank to do the last burpee in a HIIT class.Creatine monohydrate is possibly the most effective supplement for increasing muscle mass and high-intensity exercise capacity.

Studies have repeatedly shown that it increases strength, power, and lean mass. When starting a fitness routine, using a supplement before training can help during certain physical activities.Beet extract is another supplement that can maximize your strength, endurance, and fat burning during training. Look for pre-workout supplements that contain beet extract along with arginine and citrulline.Finally, make sure you buy supplements from reputable companies that follow strict screening processes such as NSF or Informed Choice. This will ensure that you get quality products with no harmful ingredients.

Joshua Nessner
Joshua Nessner

Evil food guru. Typical twitter scholar. Incurable web enthusiast. Award-winning beer advocate. Travelaholic.

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