Best pre-workout supplement | nutritionist tried and tested

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Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant, but not everyone responds to it in the same way, as it is dependent on your genetic make-up. However, 3-6mg of caffeine one hour before a workout has been shown to improve aerobic endurance and focus and attention in some, and the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends it for improving performance. However, too much caffeine can affect sleep, which won’t help your exercise in the long run, so be careful about having too much caffeine over the course of a day and also close to bed time.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for exercise as glucose gets converted to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – which the body uses for energy. Maltodextrin has been best studied for its use in exercise as it is rapidly absorbed. The ISSN recommends consuming some carbohydrate 30-90 minutes before exercise.

Creatine

Creatine helps muscles regenerate ATP energy quickly, which is especially useful for short bursts of intense exercise like sprinting or weightlifting. There is lots of evidence that it improves performance – however, there is no clear consensus of whether it is better to take it pre- or post-workout, or whether timing matters at all.

Nitrates

Nitrates cause blood vessels to open up so can increase blood flow. They are often found in pre-workout supplements in the form of beetroot. A study showed that supplementing 300-600mg nitrates two to three hours prior to exercise may improve performance in some people.

Amino acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are found in many foods, but have also been widely studied in supplement form for their effect on performance and recovery. There are many different types:

Beta alanine
Beta alanine has been shown at a dose of 4-6g/d to improve performance during exercise, most probably because it reduces acid build-up in muscles, delaying fatigue. However, most supplements don’t offer this in such quantities.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)
Although BCAAs are in lots of pre-workout supplements, the evidence that they improve performance is mixed. They have been shown to promote anabolic (muscle-building) signalling and reduce catabolic (muscle breakdown) signals, but whether this translates into better performance is still up for debate. However, they have been shown to be safe at daily levels of up to 20g for each kg of body weight and may reduce muscle soreness during resistance training. Most studies suggest an intake of 6-10g, but pre-workout supplements generally provide much less than this.

Other amino acids
Other amino acids are less well studied with a lower quality of evidence. L-citrulline malate (found in watermelon) converts in the body to L-arginine. Some small studies have found that this may improve muscle function, although the findings are not consistent. L-arginine helps to convert nitrates into nitric oxide to improve blood flow but the evidence is not strong enough to show that this actually improves performance in the quantities found in most pre-workout supplements. Taurine is often included in pre-workout supplements but there is no evidence that it can increase performance. It may, however, reduce oxidative stress caused by exercise, potentially having an anti-inflammatory effect. There is no clear agreement on the best timing or quantity to take though.

Guarana

Guarana contains caffeine and has a stimulant effect, and there is some evidence that it can improve focus.

B vitamins

B vitamins are necessary for energy metabolism and the production of ATP. However, there is very little evidence they improve performance if you are not deficient in them (with any excess getting excreted in your urine).

Vitamin C

Like B vitamins, vitamin C is also water soluble so any excess gets excreted, but because it has anti-oxidant properties there is some evidence that it may help reduce oxidative stress from exercise. However, very few people are actually deficient in vitamin C because it is so widely available in food.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes added to fluids aid the rate of absorption so can prevent dehydration or improve rehydration. Some examples of electrolytes are calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride.

Maca

A small study of elite athletes showed improvements in fitness, inflammation and ATP production when supplementing with 250mg of black maca. A review of the evidence has shown promising outcomes in reducing cellular oxidative stress but, although this is promising, there is not enough evidence from human studies to recommend it in a pre-workout supplement.

According to the most robust evidence, a pre-workout supplement should contain caffeine, creatine (unless you are taking this as a separate supplement) and beta alanine. However, from there it does depend on what kind of workout you are doing.

Carbohydrate has been shown to be useful for endurance workouts and, if you are looking to build muscle and reduce muscle soreness, you can potentially look for the inclusion of branched-chain amino acids. Electrolytes are also useful because they tend to promote more fluid consumption and less excretion meaning they can prevent dehydration, which is especially important if you are exercising for longer periods.

However, recommending specific amounts of these active ingredients is tricky because many of the studies have been done on elite athletes or men, meaning that it can be hard to extrapolate the results to women or people who are exercising only a couple of times a week. Most of the supplements tested contained less of each ingredient than the amounts studied in research, so the effectiveness is hard to judge.

People should be aware that because guarana contains caffeine, supplements with both of these ingredients will mean higher caffeine than is on the label, which may cause sleep issues in some people, especially if taken alongside other sources of caffeine like coffee.

Some contain creatine, but many people take this as a separate supplement. Always check the ingredients list if you are taking multiple supplements to check you aren’t doubling up.

The evidence on timing of pre-workout supplements is a bit muddy because research is varied across supplements containing different ingredients at different doses on different populations, so it’s difficult to translate into one-size-fits-all advice. However, doing some experimenting with different timings around your own exercise to see what works best for you is likely to be a good course of action. Some things to look out for include: how quickly you become fatigued; how many reps you can do; how much weight you can lift; the intensity of your exercise and so on, building up a picture of how your own performance is affected by timings. Try taking before or even during a workout.

All supplements were tested within the same time period, with observations recorded based on the testing criteria. We included samples from various manufacturers, offering diverse formats where possible and a range of price points to suit different budgets. The key areas we assessed were as follows:
Taste and flavour: is the consuming experience pleasant?
Nutrient profile: which nutrients are included, and are they at effective levels?
Additives: what additives are in the ingredients, for example: preservatives, artificial sweeteners or colourings?
Dietary requirements: does the product meet any specific dietary needs– is it vegetarian or vegan?
Value for money: how does it compare to other products on a cost-per-day basis

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