Your Pre-Workout Playbook: Benefits, Side Effects, and More

Who doesn't want a little kick in the pants before they tackle a PR? Pre-workout supplements have become a gym staple, with thousands of brands on the market promising to boost performance, energy, endurance, and focus. 

However, not all pre-workouts are created equal. Their effectiveness depends on the included ingredients, the dosage of each, and how your body responds to them — panic attack from 400 milligram servings of caffeine, we're looking at you.

We're breaking down what you need to know (and how to decode the nutritional label) so you can toss back your pre-workout knowing you're fueling your body with what it actually needs to perform at its best.

What is Pre-Workout? And Is Pre-Workout Bad for You?

Pre-workout is a supplement, often found in a powdered form, that's meant to be taken before you workout to improve your performance. Most formulas include caffeine, or other stimulants to help make you feel jazzed and energized for your training, along with amino acids, nitric oxide boosters, nootropics, electrolytes, carbohydrates, and adaptogens depending on the blend.

So, is pre-workout bad for you? Is it safe? With countless pre-workouts on the market, and with supplements unregulated by the FDA, it's a reasonable fear to have. While you can find pre-workouts sold across the far stretches of the internet, it's best to acquire your supplement from a brand you trust — with transparent ingredients and testing done that tells consumers exactly what's in the product.

Additionally, check the ingredients and dosages to make sure you're comfortable with what each serving offers. Some pre-workouts offer caffeine content up to 400 milligrams or more per serving, and I don't know about you, but that would probably send me to an early grave.

Pre-Workout Ingredients and What They Do

What is in pre-workout, exactly? While every pre-workout formula will differ, here are some key ingredients and doses to look for:

Caffeine

Recommended dosage: 150-300 milligrams per serving, depending on tolerance and body weight. The FDA recommends no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day for adults.

Caffeine, that familiar stimulant often found in your morning cup of coffee, has been proven in studies to increase exercise performance, time to exhaustion, V02 max, and alertness. The International Society of Sports Nutrition's stand on the drug is that caffeine supplemenation can (but doesn't always) support muscular endurance, strength, and sport-specific movements like jumping, throwing, and sprinting. 

However, high doses are more likely to cause side effects like nervousness, anxiety, sleep disruption, digestive issues, and dependency.

Citrulline

Recommended dosage: L-citrulline: 3-6 grams per day. Citrulline malate: 6-8 grams per day.

There are two typical types of citrulline supplementation: L-citrulline, which is a form of the amino acid that's naturally found in your body, and citrulline malate, which is a combination of the amino acid and malic acid.

Studies suggest that L-citrulline can improve blood flow, benefiting working muscles during athletic persuits and recovery. Then, with the addition of malic acid which may play a role in ATP production (ATP is like an Uber Eats inside your body, transfering energy from broken down food to fuel for your muscles), citrulline malate has been shown in some studies to increase athletic performance and recovery.

Beta-alanine

Recommended dosage: 4-6.4 grams/day over 5-8 weeks

This non-essential amino acid is touted for its ability to help increase endurance and strength, thanks to its support in producing carnosine which reduces lactic acid accumulation in your muscles when you're hitting your routine. If you've ever wondered, "why does pre-workout make you itch?" this is the cuprit. While it's a perfectly safe reaction called paresthesia, you can split the dose up throughout the day to avoid this sensory side effect.

Betaine anhydrous

Recommended dosage: 2.5-6 grams/day

In a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which actually used women as study participants — unheard of — betaine anhydrous was shown to assist with fat loss, body composition, and improved high-volume work capacity of its subjects. Some research also suggests it can increase running speed, reduce fatique, and improve muscular strength.

It's worth noting that in both studies, participants took supplementation for extended periods, between 9 and 14 weeks. As such, this isn't the sort of supplement you'll feel right away — you need consistent use over time to experience its performance boosting effects.

Taurine

Recommended dosage: 1-3 grams/day, 1-3 hours before activity

Taurine has become a big hitter in pre-workouts, and similar to other supplements, the verdict is still out on its efficacy. However, some studies suggest it may support improvements in strength, power, recovery, and cognitive and aerobic performance.

Alpha GPC

Recommended dosage: 300-600 milligrams, 30-60 minutes before exercise

Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine is a nootropic and it has been shown to support althletic pursuits by increasing endurance, reaction time, growth hormone secretion, and improving force production and power output.

NooLVL®

Recommended dosage: 1,600 milligrams

This nootropic — a complex of bonded arginine silicate and inositol — has some promising benefits observed in studies: potentially it can both increase energy levels and decrease anger after just one does. It was also shown to support mental exhaustion, improving processing speed, concentration, and sharpness of thought.

CognatiQ®

Recommended dosage: 100 milligrams

CognatiQ® is a whole coffee fruit extract that may — the studies look promising — improve brain health, mood, memory, and focus. This nootropic works by boosting BDNF, a neuroprotein that supports memory formation, neuroplasticity, and neuron growth.

Creatine

Recommended dosage: 5 grams/day after 10 grams/day over 2 week loading phase

And then there was creatine — the most well-studied supplement there is. This compound helps to make ATP, fuel for your cells, helping to increase strength, power, brain function, and muscle size (thanks to the ability to train harder). Unlike stimulants where the effects can be felt after one dose, creatine needs to be loaded over several days/weeks to reach optimal muscle saturation for noticeable results.

Potential Pre-Workout Side Effects

All pre-workout formulas will vary, so it's important to do your due diligance and use a brand you trust, read the label, make sure dosages fit your goals and needs, and ease into using a product with ingredients you're unfamiliar with.

In general, here are some common pre-workout side effects to keep an eye out for:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Jitters
• Headaches
• Racing heart
• Itchy hands
• Water retention
• Flushed face
• Upset stomach

If you experience any side effects, discontinue use or lower your dosage. 

Purist® Pre-Workout Benefits

Purist® pre-workout includes science-backed ingredients and dosages, to help you tackle the work that needs to get done — boosting performance, endurance, power output, energy, and brain health. Per serving, here are the ingredients and doses you can expect:

• Citrulline Malate: 5 grams
• Beta Alanine: 3 grams
• Betaine Anhydrous: 3 grams
• Taurine: 1 gram
• PurCaf Organic Caffeine: 175 milligrams
• Alpha GPC: 300 milligrams
• NooLVL®: 1,600 milligrams
• Vitamin B3 (niacinamide): 20 milligrams
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCI): 2 milligrams
• Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin): 200 micrograms
• CognatiQ®: 100 milligrams

Tips for Taking Pre-Workout

Here are some tips and tricks — from where to source your supplements to when to take pre-workout for the best results — to help you reap the most benefits from a pre-workout:

TRUSTED BRAND: When choosing a pre-workout, look for a brand that prioritizes transparency of ingredients (Purist®), invests in product testing like NSF Sport Certification (Purist®), and utilizes science-backed ingredients at clinically studied doses (omg, Purist®). 

EASE IN: If you're new to pre-workouts, ease into supplementation by taking half a dose to see how your body responds. If there aren't any side-effects, go ahead and take a full dose.

HYDRATE: While the popularity of dry scooping has risen, be sure to mix your pre-workout with a glass of water. Outside of dehydration, dry scooping can cause choking, heart palpatations, and dizziness.

TIMING: Take your pre-workout supplement 30 to 60 minutes before you workout so the active ingredients have time to take effect.

FUEL: Eat a balanced meal with your pre-workout to fuel yourself before your workout, help slow caffeine absorption, and limit headaches and dizziness.

CHECK CAFFEINE CONTENT: How much caffeine is in pre-workout? Some brands offer high-stim versions with up to  400 (or more) milligrams of caffeine per serving, while others provide non-stim variations without any caffeine at all. Be sure to check your pre-workout for the caffeine content, as well as other simulant ingredients, to make sure it's an amount you're comfortable with.

CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR: Before taking a new supplement, it's always best to consult with your primary care physician. 

HOW LONG DOES PRE-WORKOUT TAKE TO KICK IN? Depending on the ingredients, most pre-workout formulas are best consumed about 30 to 60 minutes before your workout. This will, typically, give you enough time for the ingredients to begin to take effect.

HOW LONG DOES PRE-WORKOUT LAST? How long you'll be riding your pre-workout boost depends on the ingredients and dosage, however you can typically expect the effects to last from 2 to 4 hours. However, this timeline can also be affected by food intake — for example, caffeine absorption slows when paired with a meal.

Takeaway

Adding a pre-workout into your pre-workout routine can help you power through your workouts — providing increased mental clarity, energy, blood flow, endurance, and more. If you're new to taking a pre-workout, start with a half dose to ease yourself in and see how your body responds. And if you're looking for a clean, science-backed option, Purist® Pre-Workout has your back.

FAQs

Does pre-workout expire?

Yes. Just like other supplements and food products, your pre-workout has a shelf-life. Check the container for the "best by" date to make sure you use it before it needs to head to the trash. If you choose to continue using your pre-workout post expiration date, active ingredients may become less potent, the texture may change, and the taste may turn.

What does pre-workout supplements do?

Pre-workout supplements are crafted to help support your training, with a variety of common ingredients that can help increase energy, focus, motivation, blood flow, strength gains, and performance. However, each pre-workout is different, so be sure to check the nutrition label for ingredients and dosage.

Pre-workout vs energy drink: Which one's better?

It's easy to grab an energy drink when you're in a pinch when heading to the gym, but pre-workouts and energy drinks are not identical. They'll both provide you with caffeine, however, energy drinks don't typically include performance aids. Reach for a pre-workout for better endurance, pumps, and power output, and toss back an energy drink if you want quick energy.

Rosie Borchert is NASM-CPT, former Nike Volleyball coach, and writer whose work has appeared on BarBend, Tonal, ABC, Netflix, and Amazon Studios. If anyone would like to hire her to play beach volleyball, snowboard, binge watch TV, or go climbing, please get in touch.

This article was reviewed by Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, for accuracy.