What Are the Main Ingredients in Pre-Workout Supplements?

While all pre-workouts include different types of ingredients in different amounts, common ingredients include caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids, creatine, tyrosine, and a variety of botanicals that may help support performance or recovery.

How To Take Pre-Workout

Most people take pre-workout around 30 minutes to one hour before they work out, but just because it’s called pre-workout that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take it prior to your workout. ‘For longer sessions, you could delay until an hour into the session,’ suggests Lovell. Always refer to the label of your pre-workout for specifics.

How Long Does Pre-Workout Take to Work?

When you start exercising, you want to hit the ground running. You don’t want to be waiting around for your pre-workout to kick in, so it’s important to find the sweet spot. For most people, the ideal time is around 30 minutes to one hour before your workout — this should give the supplement enough time to hit your bloodstream and amp you up ahead of your session.

Something to consider, however, is the ‘half-life’ of caffeine. Generally, caffeine has a half-life of around three to seven hours after ingestion. If you’re used to training in the evenings, you want to take half the recommended dose or swap it out for a pre-workout alternative.

Who Should Not Take Pre-Workout?

Men with certain medical conditions, such as heart problems, high blood pressure, or sensitivity to stimulants, should avoid pre-workout supplements.

Is Pre-Workout Dangerous?

Broadly speaking, pre-workout supplements are safe to take on a regular basis when following the manufacturer’s instructions. Of course, when it comes to ingesting caffeine, we all have different thresholds and with some brands tipping over a sensible limit of caffeine content, it can become a risky game.

Bear in mind that figure from the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal: 400mg a day – that’s around two to three cups of coffee — is the upper limit for adults, so be sure to check the per-serving caffeine content of your supplement during your next top-up.

Are There Any Potential Side Effects of Pre-Workout Supplements?

Some ingredients in pre-workout products can cause side effects, depending on what ingredients are included and in what amounts. Beta-alanine, which may cause a tingling effect, and caffeine, which could cause nervousness or jitters, are common side effects.