Pre-workout is designed to give you a boost before a workout. It is ideally taken just before a session, that is within the 30 minutes preceding your warm-up.
Be aware that, if you usually consume a snack before exercise (a fruit, a cereal bar, or a protein bar), plan to have that snack about 2 hours before your workout.
Indeed, consuming a snack and a pre-workout just before exercise may overload your stomach, and therefore interfere with your workout.
Also read | Criteria for choosing the best pre-workout according to a dietitian
A pre-workout before every training session or only occasionally?
Pre-workout is consumed when you feel tired. If this period of fatigue is temporary, then you can take the pre-workout before every session.
However, if the fatigue persists for several weeks, I strongly recommend that you turn to other methods to reduce it, such as increasing your sleep duration, reducing your training load, and incorporating mobility sessions, stretching, or meditation in place of workouts.
This will help improve your recovery and reduce your temporary fatigue.
Don’t forget that a prolonged period of fatigue weakens your body. It also reduces your immune system’s capacity while increasing the risk of injury.
Taking a pre-workout when you’re too tired is the same as stuffing yourself with painkillers to train despite an injury… One rule to remember: listen to your body.
In cycles or all year round?
Can you take a pre-workout year-round?
Yes, a pre-workout of good nutritional quality can be consumed safely year-round. As long as you use a product with a healthy, balanced composition, or even a homemade recipe.
However, as with any dietary supplement, your body can get used to it. And the effects of the pre-workout can diminish over time.
I therefore advise you to use the pre-workout during periods of temporary fatigue or when your goals warrant it.
For example, during a muscle-building phase with heavy loads and during workouts. Or towards the end of a cutting phase when your body no longer has many energy reserves and training becomes difficult.
Pre-workout for all sports?
We use the pre-workout primarily in the bodybuilding world (weightlifting, bodybuilding, powerlifting), fitness and CrossFit®. In that case, I recommend the pre-workout recipes ‘bulking’ or ‘cutting and toning’.
However, it can be used in other sports such as team sports (soccer, rugby, handball, basketball) or endurance sports (running, cycling, triathlon).
For these sports, I recommend the homemade pre-workout recipe ‘healthy and balanced’ for regular workouts or ‘cutting and toning’ when aiming to lose weight and tone up.
