When you’re an athlete and looking for a way to optimize your performance and increase your energy, consuming a pre-workout (before training) is appealing.
It is made up of stimulant ingredients like caffeine, and other active compounds (plants, vitamins, minerals, proteins) that help reduce fatigue, increase motivation, and support good recovery.
Here I answer all the questions you may have about this flagship dietary supplement of sports nutrition.
Read also | A dietitian’s advice before buying your pre-workout
Where do pre-workouts come from?
From the United States to Europe, formulation issues
In powder, gel, or capsule form, they can also be made at home. Also known under the name “booster”, they first appeared in the United States in the 1980s.
The first formula was created by a bodybuilder: Dan Duchaine. They arrived in Europe in the early 2000s.
Because of the initially poorly adapted formulations, healthy athletes suffered heart attacks after taking this supplement. In Europe, the product was therefore banned from sale until European regulations allowed its consumption to be made safe.
However, many other pre-workouts have caused serious side effects related to their composition. Indeed, since the purpose of this product is to stimulate, manufacturers used energizing ingredients in excessively large quantities.
Focus on one of the main ingredients: caffeine
The caffeine dosage, which is found in many pre-workouts, is now regulated. I recommend reading this EFSA article, which details the scientific opinions on caffeine consumption.
You should not exceed 400 mg of caffeine per day, the equivalent of 4 or 5 cups of coffee.
The formulas available on the European market have evolved. But they remain potentially dangerous if you overconsume certain stimulants.
Is pre-workout a dangerous dietary supplement?
A wide variety of formulas
You won’t find two identical pre-workout formulas. As I explain in my article on the gainer, each brand promotes its own recipe and its own merits.
This can range from a simple formulation containing sugar, caffeine, and a few vitamins, to over-the-top formulas containing all the excitants, stimulants, and active ingredients that could wake you up.
Risks of overconsumption
If you are not used to consuming stimulants, I strongly advise against starting pre-workouts. They are so concentrated that they can cause fainting, tremors, cardiac arrhythmia, and sleep disturbances.
Just look at the precautionary measures indicated on the packaging of this supplement: “not recommended for children, adolescents, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, people consuming caffeine or stimulants, people taking medications, people with health conditions, people who have had a medical operation within the past two weeks, do not exceed the recommended daily dose…”.
If your diet already contains stimulants without you knowing it, the risks of overconsumption are therefore significant.
For example, having several coffees a day in addition to taking a pre-workout can lead to a caffeine overdose and harmful consequences for the body.
Risks of injury
Training while tired can greatly increase the risk of injury. When the body is exhausted, it becomes more fragile, pre-workout or not.
The most well-known injury is the fatigue fracture, also called a stress fracture, which can occur if you find yourself in a state of overtraining. It is not uncommon for some athletes I have coached to greatly improve their performance after completely stopping their training for several weeks.
My advice: listen to your body and train intelligently and for enjoyment.
False nutritional claims
Nutrition claims are the information that a manufacturer is legally entitled to communicate about a product. These claims are validated at the European level and supported by a great many scientific studies.
One recognized claim is, for example: “vitamin C contributes to reducing fatigue“. This claim appears on bottles of orange juice.
Here is a completely false nutrition claim that I found on the packaging of a pre-workout: “beta-alanine, whose tingling effects some people enjoy so much, will allow you to prolong intensity and muscular explosiveness.”
A heavy dose of marketing
Legal regulatory limits are unfortunately often exceeded in the dietary supplement industry. So be vigilant when someone lists dozens of benefits of a product.
As an example, whey protein has only one authorized nutrition claim: “proteins contribute to the development and maintenance of muscle mass”.
Is pre-workout a useful dietary supplement?
No progress in your training
When you go to work out, the goal is to have fun and do good for your body. For some, it’s also about pushing their limits or performance.
Consuming a controversial and potentially dangerous product to stimulate you during the first 30 minutes of your session will not help you make progress.
Pre-workouts are more likely to be counterproductive, with a potential “up and down” effect and a subsequent crash of fatigue that will occur during the second half of your workout.
The best pre-workout, in my opinion: rest
Most athletes I’ve asked about their use of pre-workout tell me they are trying to combat fatigue before training.
The main reason to use a pre-workout is the energy boost before a workout. Know that if you can manage your level of fatigue, you won’t need to use a pre-workout.
In my opinion, the best way to train well is to get a good night’s rest. Also try to avoid excesses (heavy meals, alcohol) and adjust your training load as well as your rest periods.
Finally, a course of a multivitamin and mineral complex may be useful in two cases. If your training load is high (more than 12 hours per week). Or if your preparation period spans several months.
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