Do Pre-Workout Powders Work?
In this article, I will explain the things I think that every woman should know about the benefits of pre-workout powders.
Pre-workout powders have been around for as long as I can remember, many of them claim to offer a host of benefits that allow you to train harder with more energy and endurance.
There are a few things that hold women back from buying them, the biggest one is price, nowadays a lot of us are on a tight budget, and spending money on pre-workout supplements may seem more like a luxury than a necessity.
Besides spending extra money, I always felt that if I had a good diet rich in proteins I really did not need to buy a pre-workout powder, that is until I tried them.
Before I actually started looking for a good workout supplement I found there were dozens if not hundreds of brands and types of substances that promised to give me a better workout.
Being naive, even asking friends at the gym did not give me a lot of suggestions. the truth is, I tend to be picky, I wanted to know what the powder or pills in that fancy looking bottle were going to do for me.
Many pre-workout supplement companies claim that taking their pre-workout powder will instantly turn you into a huntress or female gladiator.
Some will give you huge muscles, while others will give you the energy that lasts for hours.
More energy is something a lot of active middle age moms are looking for, especially when faced with holding down a full-time job and taking care of a family.
Something else that is important to me is finding a pre-workout powder that not only gives you a boost of energy for better workouts. I look for something that has vitamins and minerals to help supplement my nutrition.
Are pre-workout powders effective?
The simple answer is yes, but not all pre-workout supplements are made the same, the worst thing about many of these supplements is that a lot of them are made for men.
There are very few pre-workout formulas made with women in mind.
Women require slightly different nutrients than men do, for example, creatine has been clinically proven to help you gain muscle, however not all women are looking for bigger muscles.
Finding a pre-workout powder suited for you should not have to be rocket science. There are quality brands that can not only help improve your workouts, they can also give you more energy throughout the day.
One benefit pre-workout powders offer is that they can help supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals that you may not be getting in your diet.
Women who are reducing their food intake while trying to lose weight may choose to supplement their diet with a pre-workout powder to ensure they get extra nutrients.
Depending on your individual requirements, you need to read labels carefully to ensure you are buying products suited for your specific needs.
Pre-workout powders offer more than just boosting energy and strength, they also help with fat loss, losing weight, and vitamin supplementation.
Benefits of taking pre-workout powders
- Prevent the depletion of important nutrients needed for energy
- Supplement your diet with essential vitamins and minerals
- Help burn body fat
- Boost metabolism
- Increase strength and stamina
- Increase muscle tone
What to look for
When looking for a pre-workout powder there are certain ingredients it should contain. If you are not sure exactly what you need, you should probably consult with an experienced nutritionist or fitness trainer.
Some of the most common ingredients found in pre-workout powders may include:
Arginine
L-Arginine is an amino acid found in many of the foods we consume, if you are active or train a lot you might need more than you are getting from the regular food you eat.
Arginine helps get more blood and oxygen into the blood vessels, its important for heart and circulatory health.
Reduced levels of oxygen and nutrients to your cells can put a strain on your metabolic system and slow it down. Arginine also helps boost nitric oxide production which helps blood vessels relax and reduce the pumping pressure on the heart.
L-Arginine helps you maintain lean body mass, people who consume, studies have shown that people who consume more arginine-rich foods tend to have lower body fat.
Active women who want to maintain muscle while losing the fat need to focus on eating protein-rich foods such as dairy, fish, poultry, and other meats.
Related Topic: Top 5 Foods for Building Muscle
L-Leucine
L-Leucine is an amino acid that is found in every cell in your body and an essential branched-chain amino acid BCAA’s that comes from meats, dairy, soy, and beans. L-Leucine is responsible for protein biosynthesis.
Isoleucine
Isoleucine is a precursor to glutamine and alanine, it’s broken down and used by the muscle as energy. It is considered an essential amino acid needed by the body for proper function, yet the body cannot produce it on its own.
When comparing Isoleucine to leucine both are branched-chain amino acids, they have a similar chemical structure, Isoleucine also promotes protein synthesis so it’s essential for maintaining lean muscle.
Isoleucine is found in many foods such as red meats, sesame seeds, lentils, oats, and soybeans. Many pre-workout powders contain a significant amount of Isoleucine so if you are not getting enough from your regular diet supplements will help.
Zinc Citrate
Zinc is an essential mineral and one that is responsible for strengthening the body’s immune system, increasing protein synthesis.
Getting plenty of zinc in your diet has also been shown to prevent the onset of osteoporosis in women. Women who don’t consume enough zinc have been shown to have reduced bone density when compared to those who are getting plenty of this mineral in their diet.
Most foods that contain Zinc include red meats, lamb, and chicken non-meat foods that contain zinc include lentils, chickpeas, and avocados.
L-carnitine
Is found in many pre-workout powders, it plays a role in transporting fatty acids into your cells’ mitochondria.
is a nutrient and dietary supplement. It plays a crucial role in the production of energy by transporting fatty acids into your cells’ mitochondria main benefit when it concerns bodybuilding is giving you more energy and helping you lose weight.
Benefits of Creatine
Creatine is one of the most popular ingredients in many pre-workout powders, it helps draw water into the muscles and over time helps increase strength and can help speed up muscle growth.
Stimulants
If you are sensitive to stimulants you should read the ingredients carefully, many pre-workout powders contain things like caffeine and green tea extract.
Vitamins
Most pre-workout supplements will contain a combination of Vitamin C, D, and B vitamins these will not hurt, once again they are important if you feel you are not getting enough foods with essential nutrients.
Conclusion
I guess some of you are looking for suggestions as to what the best pre-workout powders are or where to buy them. In the future, I may do an article on that topic. In the meantime I will leave that up to you, some of you may want to buy them from Amazon or your local GNC store.
I personally don’t like buying products from Amazon, I much prefer getting my supplements from smaller online stores.
My primary go-to supplement stores are Bulk Supplements, they sell good quality pre-workout powders along with hundreds of other fitness supplements and you can’t beat the price.
Another good source is HGH.com they sell all kinds of different pre-workout supplements made specifically for those who are passionate about fitness and working out.
When shopping for a pre-workout powder you will find dozens of brands, some will contain more stimulants than anything else. This is fine for women who want an initial jolt to get their workout off to a running start.
My personal preference is to look for a pre-workout powder that has a small amount of caffeine but is packed with other ingredients that include, essential vitamins, minerals, and BCAA’s, these are what are going to give you energy and long term health benefits.
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Hi My name is Rosalie and the author of Womenandmuscle.com I started this blog to help women understand a little about the side effects of anabolic steroids and share some of my favorite alternatives that have helped me stay in shape and improve my performance in the gym.