Your eXpert Guide to
Pre-workout Formulas

Pre-workout formulas have developed from consuming carbohydrates before training for an energy boost. The development and recognition of ingredients that stimulate, protect and build your body have been added to pre-workout formulas. Pre-workout formulas have risen to become a popular supplement amongst bodybuilders. They are often sited as being equally as important as post workout nutrition.

Pre-workout formulas are designed to boost workout performance. They increase energy, delay fatigue and reduce muscle breakdown down during workouts. The results mean you can train harder for longer to get the most out of your workout. A better workout improves gains in strength and endurance.

The aim of pre-workout formulas is simple. They allow you to train harder for longer. Your muscular adaptation will be greater leading to greater strength gains. The specific effect each pre workout product has on performance depends on the ingredients. The most common ingredients and their effects are listed below:

Carbohydrates:

• Prolong exercise¹
• Replace lost fluids
• Maintain high intensity exercise for longer¹

Pre-workout formulas increase energy, delaying fatigue and reduce muscle breakdown down during workouts

Creatine:

• Increase lean body mass²
• Increase strength³,⁴,⁵,²
• Increase maximum weight lifted in one repetition (1RM). ²,⁴,⁵

Protein and amino acids

• Enhances lifting capacity⁶
• Reduces post-exercise muscle breakdown⁷
• Increase muscle mass⁸,⁹
• Arginine, ornithine and lysine increase growth hormone levels and insulin concentration
• Glutamine prevents reduced immune function, improves recovery and stimulates growth hormone release

Stimulants

• Increase alertness
• Reduce mental fatigue
• Improve concentration

Specialist ingredients

• Glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium (GAKIC) increases strength¹⁰
• Carnosine synthesizers delay fatigue

Different ingredients have different effects on the body. The following provides common effects of pre-workout formulas and how they improve performance.

Stimulate Central nervous system (CNS)

Stimulants, such as caffeine and L-Tyrosine, act to stimulate the central nervous system. Caffeine had been shown to increase fat burning, spare carbohydrate stores, reduce perceptions of effort and increase alertness. Recently, caffeine has been shown to have positive effects on short term exercise³.

Supply energy

Muscles need energy to contract. Muscle use adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) to supply energy for muscular contraction, but stores only last around 10 seconds. For short bursts of exercise, phosphocreatine (PC) rebuilds ATP, but again, stores are limited.

Creatine supplementation increases your muscles PC levels. This increases the length of time you can maintain high intensity exercise. Fatigue occurs when the build up of acid prevents further contractions and exercise intensity is reduced. High PC levels reduce the formation of lactic acid therefore delaying fatigue.

Carbohydrates allow for the rapid regeneration of ATP for continuous contractions. Supplying carbohydrates and creatine before exercise will ensure energy levels are at a maximum level for improved performance.

Reduce fatigue

Lactate build up during exercise increases acidity and pH and disrupts muscle function

Lactate build up during exercise increases acidity and pH and disrupts muscle function. This results in muscle fatigue and reduced exercise capacity. Ingredients such as beta-alanine and citrulline malate prevent the acidity build up which allows you to train for longer for greater muscle adaptation.

Numerous pre workout products contain specialist patented or blends of ingredients. They act to prevent fatigue through various mechanisms to prevent the build up of fatigue causing toxins. Such as Glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium (GAKIC) and Carnosine synthesizers.

Build Muscle

To build muscle you need to reduce muscle breakdown during exercise and stimulate growth. This is achieved by supplying protein and amino acids before your workout. Protein and amino acids stimulate muscle building and set your body in a state of positive protein balance. Amino acids supplemented before exercise showed higher muscle protein balance after weight training compared to when taken after exercise⁵.

Glutamine boosts immune function by fuelling the system and reducing stress hormones. Glutamine prevents muscle tissue breakdown by drawing water into the muscle to alleviate the effects of stress hormones. Glutamine increases arginine and glutamate levels that are capable of increasing growth hormone levels¹¹.

Pre-workout formulas, as expected, should be taken around 30 minutes before you workout.

Pre-workout formulas can come in both pill and powder forms. Pre-workout formulas are a specialist product in their own right so there are not separate types per se. However, there is a difference in the products designed for weight training and endurance training.

Products designed for endurance training will be based on supplying carbohydrates and possibly caffeine. If you are endurance training, also look at energy and endurance products as they can be used pre, during and post exercise.

Very high doses of caffeine can have unwanted side effects such as muscle tremors and impaired coordination¹. Those sensitive to caffeine may experience side effects of insomnia, headaches and gastrointestinal irritation².

Are there any products I should avoid when using a pre-workout product?

If your pre-workout formula contains caffeine be wary of consuming caffeine intake from other sources. Caffeine can be found in caffeinated drinks such as soft drinks, tea, coffee and chocolate. If you suddenly increase your caffeine intake you may experience side effects.

What is fatigue?

Fatigue is 'the inability to maintain a power output or speed'¹². Fatigue is the reason you can't repeatedly lifting heavy weights for a prolonged time, or sprint for 10 miles. The causes of fatigue are different between endurance and power exercise.

Fatigue occurs when energy demand for exercise exceeds energy supply. The breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supplies the energy for all muscular contractions and human movement. Once ATP has been broken down for energy, it changes to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). ATP stores are limited and can become depleted after a few seconds of exercise. For continued exercise other energy sources are used to rebuild ADP back to ATP, for energy release. Energy sources are:

• Phosphocreatine (PC)
• Carbohydrate
• Fat
• Protein

Phosphocreatine (PC), stored within the muscle rebuilds ATP rapidly to supply energy for around 6 seconds. PC is used during 1 repetition maximum in weight lifting or 20m sprint. When PC stores are reduced, energy to regenerate ATP must come from other sources.

High intensity exercise lasting for around 90 seconds uses carbohydrates for energy. Activities include weight lifting and 400-800m sprints. This process is called 'anaerobic glycolysis' and doesn't require oxygen. Carbohydrates (glucose) are broken down to form ATP and lactic acid. Fatigue occurs when lactic acid production exceeds the bloods ability to remove it. Lactic acid build up increases acidity (reduced pH) and continued muscular contraction is prevented.