What is in Pre-Workout Supplements?
You’ll usually find a few key ingredients in the best pre-workout supplements:
Caffeine is known for its energy-boosting benefits. It works to boost alertness, amplify endurance, and increase peak performance. This energy boost can help to push you harder during training to burn more calories and build lean muscle.
Supplementing with beta-alanine has been shown to increase muscle carnosine levels: the amino acid that combats lactic acid build-up which results in better muscular endurance and improved lean muscle mass.
Citrulline malate works to improve blood flow throughout the body. It helps to increase blood flow by widening your blood vessels when you exercise. This helps you to be able to transport blood through your body more effectively. Citrulline malate will improve your workouts because you are able to get more oxygen and nutrients to your working muscles, helping you to feel less fatigued. The result? You will feel more focused and attentive during your workout.
Betaine anhydrous helps to increase power output. It is found naturally in the body, and in beets, spinach and seaweed. Studies show it improves muscle endurance, strength, power, and force.
This is just a fancy word for black pepper extract, but before you roll your eyes, look at what it offers. Bioperine enhances the bio availability of nutrients through increased absorption and utilization of the ingredients it is taken with (i.e. all other ingredients in your pre-workout).
This is essential in the development of healthy blood cells, nerve cells, and proteins in the body. It helps with the metabolism of fats and carbs. Vitamin B12 will also help to elevate your energy level and amplify peak performance.
The Benefits Of Pre-Workout Supplements for Women
Pre-workout supplements for women are designed to be used before your workout for a number of reasons:
- Clean Jitter-Free Energy & Focus
Natural caffeine will provide you with a steady and sustained energy boost, unlike synthetic sources.
- Improved Endurance & Intra Workout Pump
This study found that incorporating a pre-workout supplement into your diet will lead to significant improvements in anaerobic peak and mean power values.
- Enhanced Workout Experience
Many people claim that taking pre-workout helps improve their focus and concentration in the gym. Overall, it gives them that extra boost of motivation for a workout.
An increased blood flow will provide you with more energy as it allows more oxygen to travel to your muscles and brain. This will also mean you will feel less fatigued during a heavy legs session, for example.
When Should You Take Pre-Workout?
You should be taking your pre-workout exactly when it says: PRE workout. Twenty minutes to half an hour before you work out, drink your pre-workout mixed with 8-10oz of water.
To test your tolerance, start with half of a scoop to one scoop or less. If you feel the effects of pre-workout by only taking half a scoop, that’s great – just use half of a scoop! For those of you who aren’t as sensitive, you may need a little more. Just find what works for you. But never exceed two scoops of pre-workout a day.
Is Pre-Workout Bad for You?
The short answer to this question is no, pre-workout isn’t bad for you. But like anything else with caffeine, pre-workout can be overused. Taking way too much of it way too frequently can reduce its effectiveness, and might even result in negative symptoms.
Healthy people shouldn’t experience any major side effects after using a pre-workout supplement. However, those who have severe caffeine sensitivity should approach these supplements with caution, and may even want to consider a caffeine-free pre-workout.
One minor side effect some people might experience is a tingling sensation right after taking their pre-workout. This is caused by beta-alanine and niacin and is mostly due to the increase in blood flow. While it’s a short-lived feeling, and definitely isn’t cause for alarm, it might take a little getting used to.
Common Misconceptions About Pre-Workout Supplements
There are quite a few misconceptions associated with pre-workout supplements for women.
1. Pre-workout is only for men
We often get the question ‘can women take pre-workout?’ Both men and women can benefit from using pre-workout for increased energy and to help improve the quality of your exercise routine. However, some pre-workout supplements do contain testosterone-boosting ingredients like Tribulus, fenugreek, and D-aspartic acid.
Look for a pre-workout supplement like IdealFit that doesn’t contain these added ingredients.
2. Pre-workout will make it harder for me to sleep at night
How long does pre-workout last? Caffeine is in most pre-workouts, so taking a pre-workout could make it harder for you to sleep at night depending on how your body reacts to it. So as a good starting point, and to see how your body reacts to pre-workout, try taking it earlier in the day. You will also want to start off with half of a scoop of pre-workout. Once you know how your body responds to it you can increase to a full scoop. Try a stimulant-free pre-workout supplement if you’re worried.
3. Pre-workout will make me jittery
You can feel jittery as a result of taking a pre-workout supplement, depending on how your body reacts to caffeine. Look to products with natural caffeine so that you get more sustained energy, not the crash and burn kind (yeah, looking at you, energy drinks).
What Makes IdealFit Pre-Workout Supplements for Women the Best?
Unlike other pre-workout supplements for women, IdealFit Pre-workout actually provides three blends to increase energy, focus, endurance, and fat-loss.
Plus, our pre-workout powder doesn’t contain any calories, sugar, or fat so you can rest assured that this product is helping you reach your goals. Here are some of the benefits of IdealFit Pre-Workout:
