The Worst Preworkout Ingredients for Weightlifting
PREWORKOUT 101 ——
What is preworkout?
The first preworkout came out about 40 years ago, in Venice, California. It started out as a combination of stimulants and creatine, and was used primarily for the bodybuilding community.
Over the years, new ingredients were discovered that provided different effects to the body. In general, they enhanced performance and optimized the results from working out.
Today, new ingredients pop-up often.
The problem is, the science can’t keep up.
Research is slow to come out, proving the new ingredient ineffective at best, and dangerous at worst.
Even worse - it takes the market a while to catch up to the latest research.
So those staple ingredients are still found in many containers. While new ingredients continue to be introduced to give companies a competitive edge in a growing market.
Many preworkout companies understand that most people don’t dive into scientific articles, and instead buy things that have great marketing pitches.
But you - you are different.
You are one of the few people that want to read the label!
You don’t have time to read every scientific article - but lucky for you, we’ve already done the research.
As experienced lifters and trainers, we wanted to know what products WE should use. So now let’s pay it forward. All we ask is that you do the same.
WHY TAKE PREWORKOUT? ——
Preworkout is used by most people who do resistance training. And for good reason - training with a preworkout can greatly improve your performance in the gym.
Many people understand the basic benefit of preworkout - it gives you energy when you need it the most. Wether you work out early in the morning, or in the evening after work, sometimes you need that extra push.
But there are many other benefits to taking a preworkout as well.
The best preworkouts offer these perks:
Enhanced mood
Increased strength output
Increase in calories burned during workout
Prevent you from getting injured by priming your body for strain
Keep you consistent with your workouts
Helps you get to those early morning or late evening workouts
Increase your focus in the gym and throughout the day
It Sounds Great, But…..
Get the wrong preworkout, and it could leave you with some not so great side effects.
Some preworkouts have way too much caffeine with nothing to balance it out. This gives you energy for your workout, but leaves you with uncomfortable jitters and a post-workout slump. Not ideal for those that have to get ready for the rest of their day!
Many preworkouts stop having the same effect after a few weeks. Forcing you to use more to get the same results.
Most are filled with junk ingredients that have no scientific backing and positive health effects. This is the easiest thing to look out for! And we are going to help you by breaking down what are the most overrated ingredients that you should NOT be paying for in a preworkout!
DON’T PAY EXTRA FOR THESE INGREDIENTS….
BETA ALANINE
Beta alanine is good for endurance training, but it’s pretty useless for any type of weightlifting.
Beta Alanine lowers the acidity in the muscle, however this has no effect on sets that last less than 30 seconds…which is most of resistance training.
Combine the ineffectiveness with an uncomfortable tingling sensation that you will get across your entire body, this one is a no for us.
Not only that, but most preworkouts don’t include enough of the ingredient for it to actually be effective. Most studies show that you need at least 2.4 grams to get a bit of an effect, but 4.8 grams made a significantly better impact.
Most preworkouts don’t even include the low end of the required range!
Finally, just like creatine, you need to take this consistently for a few weeks to get the full affect. The problem with this is that unlike creatine, you won’t be taking preworkout every day if you are a healthy adult. You just don’t need to.
We would pass. Save your money.
2. BCAAs
BCAAs contain 3 out of the 9 essential amino acids that are used in building muscle.
So right off the bat you know that it doesn’t contain all of the amino acids that are required to build muscle. It does, however, include leucine, which makes it confusing.
Many people see leucine as the muscle building amino acid because it is in fact the amino acid that “triggers” muscle protein synthesis. However, what most people don’t understand is that without the other 8 amino acids, leucine is completely useless for building muscle.
Additionally, to get the required 6g of leucine to stimulate MPS (muscle protein synthesis), you would be taking a lot of BCAAs. Many BCAA products sold individually obtain about half the required leucine needed with a 7g dosage.
This gives me the idea that this is a good “filler” product for most preworkouts to have in their blend.
Many of you may not see a downside to including BCAAs, especially if you are dieting or doing fasted workouts. However, some of the potential side effects of BCAAs include fatigue, loss of coordination. BCAAs might also cause stomach problems, including nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
Considering that motor coordination and energy are critical for having a good workout, and understanding that stomach problems can completely RUIN a workout, we’ve decided to pass on BCAAs.
Instead, we recommend you get most of your protein from food. This ensures you get all 9 essential amino acids as well as the proper fuel to build muscle.
3. BEETROOT JUICE
Beetroot juice is quickly becoming the new fad, promising a natural way to get a pump. The problem is, is it as effective?
And what makes this more natural than other ingredients that also occur naturally…
The first clear problem with beetroot juice is that although it claims to increase nitric oxide production (NO2) (which can be effective at increasing endurance and overall power) peak NO2 levels don’t occur until 2-3 hours after you ingest it.
This means that if you are taking your preworkout 20-30 minutes before your workout, you’re not reaping the benefits. Sure you could plan ahead, but then the other ingredients in that preworkout may have worn off by then.
To top it off, if it is mixed with caffeine, it won’t be as effective.
Caffeine appears to interact with beetroot juice and mask the ergogenic benefit. Caffeine is one of the safest, most well-researched preworkout stimulants that many people consume in their preworkout.
So we will skip the beetroot and stick to caffeine for energy and L-Citrulline Malate for the NO2 production. Next.
4. CONJUGATED LONOLEIC ACID (CLA)
This is a fun one, because CLA is marketed as a fat-loss drug. Often found in “lean” preworkouts, or preworkout brands that promise to help you burn fat - CLA is one of the few ingredients found in these products that has actually been extensively researched. And the research shows there’s not a lot to show…
Let’s start with the positive results….
In one study (1) CLA decreased body fat at month 3 and at month 6 compared to a placebo in obese individuals. The reduction in fat mass was located mostly in the legs. In another study (2), CLA caused fat loss when taking 600mg three times a day (that’s quite a lot) by healthy individuals that exercise regularly (this may be the reason for the fat loss…).
BUT there’s more…
In another study (c), there was no real significant effect in resistance-trained individuals or experienced athletes. Finally, in a meta-analysis of 18 controlled trials (d), CLA was found to cause minimal effects to fat loss or body composition.
More importantly, large doses of CLA increased the fat accumulation in the liver - which can lead to issues with metabolism and how the body processes glucose (diabetes, etc). CLA can also cause inflammation, insulin resistance, and lower “good” HDL cholesterol.
Once again we come to the question - do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Considering the short-term fat loss effects are mild at best, we don’t think it’s worth risking negatively impacting your metabolism - which would cause weight gain in the long term anyway.
It’s a hard pass from us - you will get the same results by training and eating the right diet.
CHEAT CODE - THE PREWORKOUT BACKED BY SCIENCE —-
We have maximized the benefits and eliminated the negatives.
We balance caffeine with other natural stimulants for LONG lasting energy.
No crash or jitters. Provides you with a good amount of clean energy that will fuel your workout, and the rest of your day.
Every ingredient has been scientifically proven to move the needle on performance.
No fillers. No gimmicks. No half-assed quantities.No sketchy ingredients.
Guarana gives you energy AND enhances your mood.
One of the most underrated performance drivers is your ATTITUDE. Show up to every workout ready to put in that work.
This shit does not wear off.
Use this product for months with the same results. Works great for people with a high tolerance to caffeine.
Adjust the amount based on how intense your workout will be.
Most people don't even need a full scoop on most days. Use what you need, when you need it.
It tastes amazing. Watermelon candy anyone?
It was made by lifters.
Not businessmen. Not big corporations. Just people who wanted a better product.
IN SUMMARY —
1. Preworkout can be extremely effective in enhancing your results in the gym.
Most people notice a huge improvement in composition when they start taking preworkout on a regular basis.
2. It makes the experience fun.
Not feeling motivated? Not a problem. Take a scoop, put on some good tunes, and get in your zone.
We called ours cheat code because it's like motivation in a bottle.
3. It can be difficult to find a GOOD preworkout.
We think ours is the best because we did our homework.
There are other good brands, but please do your research. We have only skimmed the surface on performance enhancers.
Know what is in your supplements, and what the optimal amount of each to actually make a difference to your performance BEFORE you buy.
REFERENCES ——
Beta Alanine
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0224-0
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-6-S1-P2
BCAAs
Beetroot Juice
Conjugated Linoleic acid (CLA)
