Bodybuilders and different kinds of athletes are known to take a pre-workout supplement before their training. It is proven to be helpful, especially in anaerobic strength.
So, how about in running then? Well, the effects of pre-workout supplements are seldom talked about when it comes to aerobic exercises like running. The best pre-workout for running is something that’s different for every individual based on his/her nutrition and existing physical condition available out there in the market. Generally, pre-workout drinks are powdered multi-ingredient dietary formulas of amino acids, beta-alanine, caffeine, creatine, and artificial sweeteners, but quantities of these vary widely depending on the brand designed to improve and boost your work-out performance.
To help you make an informed decision on what to use, here are some of the general effects of taking pre-workouts before running:
INCREASES YOUR ENERGY LEVELS
One of the primary and most common ingredients in a pre-workout drink is caffeine. This allows you to get more from a workout because caffeine’s main effect on the body is to increase alertness and arousal. This allows your body to exercise more vigorously with less pain and fatigue. Caffeine causes muscles to burn fat more quickly, preserving glycogen stores and allowing muscles to rest longer before wearing out. It is important to know that you should start with a low dose and increase your dosage of caffeine.
ENHANCES AND BUILDS LEAN MUSCLES
Another natural ingredient commonly used in pre-workout drinks is creatine. Creatine is a natural substance from protein-rich foods such as meat or fish that turns into creatine phosphate in the body. Adenosine triphosphate is produced with the help of creatine phosphate (ATP). ATP provides the energy for muscle contractions. This property enhances muscle mass and helps achieve bursts of strength. Creatine stores energy and is thought to improve strength, increase lean muscle mass, and help the muscles recover more quickly during exercise. This can aid runners in achieving bursts of speed and energy, particularly during short bouts of high-intensity sports like sprinting.
HYPES UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Most pre-workout drinks contain amino acids like beta-alanine. It is believed to raise muscle carnosine levels and increase the amount of work you can perform at high intensities. In other words, it helps in optimum performance with efficient fat burn. This generates a window for the body to absorb more protein and nutrition generating a stronger immune system and metabolism. Health experts recommend about 4 to 5 grams per day. In your search for pre-workouts, make sure you get all the information and read reviews. Total Shape offers information and reviews on a variety of pre-workouts that help you to maximize your fitness efforts.
FLUSHES OUT YOUR SYSTEM
One of the less known but often present ingredients in a pre-workout drink supplement is niacin or also known as vitamin B3. Niacin is essential for energy metabolism. This vitamin is not stored in our body nor can our body produce it. But this vitamin is essential for our body. This means we have to consume it through our diet. In high doses, niacin is frequently used as a therapy for high cholesterol. It aids in the increase of HDL (high-density lipoprotein), sometimes known as “heroic cholesterol.” Niacin also has additional benefits like the prevention of diabetes and for our skin and hair growth.
IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH
Along with all the above benefits, one critical element is your mental state. Here we can look into a group of amino acids like Leucine, isoleucine, and valine otherwise known as BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids). They comprise about 30 percent of our muscle tissues. Like Niacin our body cannot produce these substances, therefore we need to consume them through our diet. BCAAs are needed for the physiological response to stress and energy production — particularly for muscle health and metabolism. Research has indicated that intake of BCAAs can reduce muscle loss, provide faster muscle recovery and substances like L-Theanine stimulate your nervous system generating improved response time between your brain and muscles.
As we have seen there are ingredients in pre-workout supplements that are designed for optimum outcomes by enhancing your muscles’ durability and flexibility. Running like any other cardio exercise does require your body to endure more stretch and extra force to push and pull. We have highlighted the benefits of some pre-workouts that you can take before running. You will be able to see and feel the difference in your stamina as these ingredients are designed to do. There is however some precaution that one might need to take before adding this into your diet if you are new to it or if you have any health complications. In such scenarios, you should take the advice of your doctor or nutritionist review.