Pre-workout supplements are designed to increase focus, energy, and endurance in many people’s daily lives. Many women today are becoming more conscious about their weight. They enroll in workouts and take supplements in order to boost their energy and continue to get moving during the day. Read more about pre-workout here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-workout.
In today’s market, a wide variety of pre-workout supplements are available and each claims that they are more effective than the others. It is important to keep in mind that every supplement is different and everybody reacts differently to each supplement. Because of this, there might be a lot of confusion when it comes to choosing which one is best for you.
It All Depends on the Workout Program that You Do
When you are first considering what kind of supplement you should take, it is essential to know about your body type, your goals, and the type of exercise that you normally do.
There are individual ingredients that can boost one’s endurance and there are others that will increase muscle strength, see here. You can do research or ask a medical practitioner to know which supplement will be ideal for you.
Here are some of the best pre workout supplement ingredients that are great for women:
- Caffeine
Many people find caffeine as a great stimulant. It promotes wakefulness and alertness when exercising. This is why many supplements have caffeine as one of their ingredients. There is an increase in the output of exercises such as sprints, cycling, and weight training. This also promotes endurance when it comes to a lot of exercise activities.
Although many women find caffeine to be helpful in their daily activities, some might experience different side effects when drinking supplements containing caffeine as an ingredient. These side effects can include sweating, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, and dizziness. It is a good idea to limit caffeine intake according to body weight. You can check with your doctor before getting pre-workout supplements that contain caffeine.
- Citrulline
This is a kind of organic compound that is considered as an amino acid. Citrulline derived its name from Citrullus which means watermelon in Latin. This is a key component into the urea cycle which is the way ammonia is excreted from the human body.
One of the effects of taking citrulline is an increase when it comes to blood flow. This can help the muscles and the blood in the body get the oxygen that they need. If there’s enough oxygen circulating the body, a woman will be able to exercise and perform well.
Some users say that they experience more endurance when biking and they can handle more repetitions than normal. The recommended dose depends on your body type and weight. There seem to be no in-depth studies about citrulline but no severe side effects were reported by current users as of the moment.
- Branded-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
The branded-chain amino acid is consists of three essential molecules namely: isoleucine, leucine, and valine. These acids can commonly be found in proteins that animals produce. Most supplement companies use this ingredient in order to boost the body’s muscle building effect. However, if you are looking for a more effective ingredient, it is better to use whole protein rather than BCAA.
It can be noted that eggs, dairy, and meat are where proteins generally come from. They support the growth of muscles and they are made up of essential amino acids that are needed by the body.
Since BCAA is a kind of protein derivative, it can still be an essential ingredient in many women’s pre-workout supplements. Some of the benefits can include running endurance, reduce mental fatigue, and reduce muscle soreness after a hard day’s workout. Some individuals can benefit from BCAA but it might depend on the type of exercise that they do and their body type.
- Creatine
This is a kind of molecule that is commonly found in your body cells. Supplements that have creatine are very popular in the market. Many studies state that creatine is a great supplement for an increase in power, mental alertness, and strength.
Some users report that they have seen an increase in their body mass. This probably should be attributed to the fact that creatine is a very important factor in creating energy within the cells. If you are an exercise in order to increase your muscle strength, then supplements which have creatine as an ingredient can be good for you.
- Beta-Alanine
This is a kind of amino acid that is generally part of the ingredients of some supplements. These can decrease fatigue when exercising and improve performance during an intense workout. Many athletes and fitness enthusiasts use the supplements because it benefits on the overall health.
Beta-alanine is a kind of non-essential amino acid. This means that it is not used by the body for protein synthesis. Instead, it is used by the body to produce carnosine which is paired together with histidine and stored in the skeletal muscles.
How it Works:
Carnosine acts to reduce muscle fatigue when doing workout exercises. When one starts to exercise, the following happens:
- Glycolysis happens. This is the process of breaking down glucose to serve as fuel for the exercise.
- Production of Lactate. As you exercise, glucose is converted into lactic acid which produces ions of hydrogen.
- Acidic Muscles Emerge. The hydrogen ions combine with your muscles make them acidic.
- Feelings of Fatigue Settle In. This is where a person feels fatigue especially if she is exercising for long periods of time.
- Carnosine serves as a buffer. The carnosine acts as a buffer that prevents most acids to combine with the muscles. This means that it can lessen overall fatigue in the long run.
The Bottom Line
While some of the basic ingredients have undergone in-depth studies, each packaged supplement combinations had not undergone any thorough scientific evaluation. In order to see which pre-workout supplement will work best for you, it is best to do a lot of research and consult your doctor.