Pre-workout: who needs one and who can skip

Caffeine (3, 4): said to help increase energy, the results are mixed and it depends on type of exercise, duration of exercise, and dose of caffeine. Aerobic endurance (exercising at a moderate intensity for extended periods of time, like bicycling, running) seems to stand out as having the most benefit of acute caffeine consumption. Though most studies do report is depends on the individual as well, with results showing a wide range of performance outcomes. I suspect this is due to how individuals process caffeine differently. 

When looking at strength training, the results vary even more. Some show better performance, some show no difference, and show a detrimental performance. 

You’ll need roughly 3-6mg/kg body weight in order to see the effects. Anything lower will have no noticeable effect, and anything more can lead to unwanted side effects (anxiety, increased vasoconstriction, sleeplessness).

Taking caffeine about 60 mins before exercise start is ideal, other modes of transport like chewing gum caffeine or mouth rinses with caffeine can be taken closer to exercise start.

*cocoa/cacao may also be a great alternative to caffeine as a pre-workout! Check out more info here.

Beta-alanine/sodium bicarbonate (6, 7): beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body makes it on its own. You can also obtain it through foods like poultry and meat. When working out, especially at higher intensities or for longer duration, I consider this to be a state of increased nutrition needs, so additional beta-alanine may be helpful. Research suggest that in doses of 4-6g/day can be an adequate pH buffer (exercise produces acids! (5)), as well as improve exercise performance. 

Sodium bicarbonate has also been shown to improve performance and reduce acidity at doses of 0.2-0.5g/kg.

Improved pH control in the muscle results in higher rates of ATP production, which you need for energy of muscle contraction. 

Electrolytes (5, 8, 9): electrolytes and fluid balance tend to go hand-in-hand. 4 hours before exercise is when you should start consuming fluids to prepare to replace fluids lost through sweat. Typically, if you are exercising for more than 1 hour, then you’ll want electrolytes in your beverage.

Remember, both dehydration and over-hydration will make exercise performance decline (not to mention how dangerous that is for your physical health).

As mentioned above, acid base balance is important, and electrolytes like calcium, magnesium, potassium can be helpful.

Amino acids: some pre-workouts contain BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), which are essential amino acids, so your body cannot make them and you must get them from food. BCAAs go directly to the muscle for breakdown versus the liver first (where most other amino acids go), so it’s been suggested that BCAAs can be very helpful in muscle building and lessening fatigue. Typically BCAAs are taken either shortly before a workout, and shortly after. It is worth noting the research is mixed, as some studies show no improvement in performance, but others show less muscle soreness. So it depends what you want from your BCAAs! You can read more about BCAAs in depth here, and more about different types of protein (vegan vs dairy derived) here and each ones benefit.

Creatine (10): found in muscle cells, it helps to produce energy in the muscle. It shares a lot of similarities with amino acids and is produced from the amino acids glycine and arginine. It is found in meat and seafood. 

Creatine has been shown to increase strength by increasing muscle fiber size and increasing ATP production, and is best used as a post-workout versus a pre-workout (but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it as a pre-workout). Read more about post-workout recovery beverages here.

B vitamins (11, 12): these vitamins are involved in energy metabolism in your body at baseline/homeostasis. Taking B vitamins has been shown to increase exercise performance and reduce fatigue. Whereas a review study showed that only thiamine (vitamin B1) helped with exercise performance and fatigue, riboflavin (vitamin B2) did not show any effects, and niacin (vitamin B3) in high does had a detrimental effect on exercise performance.

Carbs (8, 13): especially should be consumed if exercising >1 hour, carbs have been shown to improve exercise endurance when ingesting as little as 60 mins before exercise, to a few hours before exercise. Carbohydrates provide glucose, and the storage form in the body is called glycogen. This glycogen is released when muscles are contracted, so at high intensities and long duration exercise, having adequate glycogen is key to produce ATP (energy) so your muscles can contract and carry you through.

Other ingredients (14, 15): tart cherry juice can be used to improve recovery as a pre or post workout (read more in depth about tart cherries here), though most studies recommend drinking tart cherry juice for a few days before all the way until day of exercise to reap the benefits. 

Beetroot juice has been shown to improve cardiorespiratory performance. Take 90 mins before exercise.