Figured I could make a quick little pre-workout guide some a few newbs could learn a thing or 2.




Pre-Workout

Pre-workout is a supplement taken before a workout (who would have thought) that is used to increase the following:
Energy Levels
Endurance
Strength (minor if any)
Recovery (also minor)

Pre-workout is compiled of a few main ingredients:
Caffeine is the main stimulate in pre-workout to get users the rush they want to complete a workout. Caffeine dosage is usually the following:
Low: 0 to 150 mg
Optimal: 150 to 200 mg
Tolerance compensation: 200 to 365 mg
Possibly dangerous 365 mg and up

Caffeine is a great stimulate for a workout can specifically help volume training to finish extra reps you couldn't do without the caffeine boost, but it's also a supplement that can be dangerous on the heart and it is very easy to obtain a tolerance to. I would suggest cycling on and off pre-workout with caffeine therefore it keeps it's benefits over the course of a long time. Pre-workout should DEFINITELY be only taken once every 24-hours and NOT be paired with any coffee/energy drinks. If you have a heart problem that's not known and you consume a little bit too much caffeine it can be fatal. Caffeine is a great stimulate but not one to be messed with.

The next ingredient is Citrulline Malate.

Citrulline malate has two effects on the body that makes it useful in pre workout supplements.

The first, is its ability to increase nitric oxide levels with l-citrulline. That means, more blood circulation for increased performance and recovery.

The second, is an increase in energy from malic acid (malate) which is a cellular energy cycle component easily burnable by the body.
The dosage on Citrulline malate usually follows:
Ineffective: 0 to 5,000 mg
Optimal: 6,000 to 8,000 mg
Anything above this is unlikely, or very expensive.

Beta-Alanine is the next ingredient.

Your initial reponse to beta-alanine is likely to be the most memorable! That’s because beta-alanine in proper dosages can cause a flushing/tingling of the skin. This is most predominant in the face!

But don’t freak out, this is totally normal. And this small tingly price comes with the benefits of increased endurance and recovery.

Beta-Alanine Quantities in Pre Workouts

Ineffective: 0 to 3,200 mg
Optimal: 3,200 to 5,000 mg
Anything above is unlikely, as it's also pricey.

Creatine is another ingredient.

Although creatine has many different types (I'll make another post covering this) the most common creatine in pre-workout is creatine monohydrate the base form of creatine. Creatine does have many benefits, but I'd advise taking it outside of pre-workout as you can manage exact dose, take whichever form you'd like and take it at the optimal time. Creatine should never be taken over 5g per day, most pre-workouts can have between 1-5g any more than that is pointless and possibly harmfull.

These are the prime ingredients of pre-workout and should help you understand what and why you're putting it in your body. As I stated, I would NOT recommend taking over 350mg of caffeine if that because that is already an extremely large amount and it can put stress on your heart. Also I will make another post later on covering DMAA and why this is a very controversial stimulate used in pre-workout, and I'll cover how it's dangerous but also beneficial sides.