How to choose the right pre and post-workout supplement for your fitness goals?

Workout supplements are dietary supplements used to increase lean body mass and muscle mass, decrease body fat, enhance athletic performance, and increase body weight. These supplements are advertised as crucial for peak performance and maximum results.

Athletes require a greater number of energy-producing substances due to their intense training. Hence, diet is not enough to meet their needs. In this case, an athlete should supplement to build muscle and repair the muscle strands that broke during training.

We will discuss the pre-workout and post-workout supplements that will help increase your performance and build stamina.

What Happens To Our Body During Exercise?

When we exercise, our body engages all the energy reserves. For example, it produces energy by breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, ad fats. During heavy exercises, our muscle fibers become tear because of repetitive injury. Then these injured fibers fused to form new protein strands. It will ultimately increase muscle mass.

Workout Supplements:

They are typically powdered substances that need to be dissolved into water or drink. These supplements are available in the ready-to-buy form, or you can also make these at home. The workout supplements are of two types:

Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout supplements are typically taken before a workout session. These supplements aim to increase energy and athletic performance[1]. They are usually taken 15 to 30 minutes before exercise, but you can also take them during exercise.

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, these supplements have evidence-based results and are safe to use.

Beta-Alanine:

Beta-alanine is an amino acid produced by the liver that helps fight muscle fatigue, especially in older adults. Particularly during intense exercise, aerobic breakdown of glucose occurs. The result of this is the production of lactate. Lactate produces hydrogen ions that decrease the pH of the muscles. Beta-alanine helps fights the acid and improve performance. The daily dose for beta-alanine is 4 to 6 grams[2]. But some unwanted effects may occur with beta-alanine, for example, paresthesia or skin-tingling sensation.

Caffeine:

As we all know, caffeine is a stimulant. Due to this property, caffeine is taken as a pre-workout supplement. Studies show that caffeine can enhance performance for 1 to 4-minute high-intensity exercises. Caffeine releases endorphins (mood-stimulating hormones), enhances neuromuscular functions, and promotes alertness. The International Olympic Committee recommends taking 1.4 to 2.7 grams of caffeine per pound of your body weight[3]. But it would be more beneficial if you took that dose 1 hour before exercise. However, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, 400 mg per day of caffeine is safe.

Creatinine:

Creatinine is a natural molecule found in your muscles and kidneys. It is synthesized from red meat by our body. Creatinine is a popular workout dietary supplement that can enhance exercise capacity in all ages[4]. It will allow an individual to train for more extended hours, which helps increase lean mass and muscle strength[5]. Creatinine is supposed to increase glycogen levels in muscles. The breakdown of creatinine produces more energy.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition defines a dose of creatinine as a loading dose of 5g four times per day for 5 to 7 days. Once the muscles are saturated, maintain the dose at 3 to 5 grams per day[6].

Branched Chain Amino Acids:

Amino acids are the building blocks of the protein and branched-chain amino acids are amino that muscles can use for energy production. These are available in tablets, gels, or drink powders. Your muscle mass increases due to repetitive muscle injury, which leads to tissue rebuilding. Branched amino acids aid the process by reducing muscle breakdown. The aim is to build the muscle mass you will lose during exercise.

Post-Workout Supplements

Post-workout supplements are taken after the workout session. These supplements increase muscle mass by increasing muscle repair, recovery, and growth. When we exercise, our muscle mass increases due to increased energy consumption. The cell size increase resulted in hypertrophy. The ingredients of post-workout supplements are:

Carbohydrates:

Taking carbohydrates post-workout to replenish the energy stores to prevent risks of hypoglycemia. It will help in muscle recovery and enhanced performance[7]. In the case of moderate-intensity exercises, the required amount of carbohydrate is 5 to 7 grams per kilogram of body weight in a day. But for high-intensity workouts, 6 to 12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight in a day is required.

Proteins:

Protein intake is necessary to build muscles and increase lean body mass. The indication for protein supplementation depends on the activity, endurance training, and stamina, especially in the case of resistance training. For an average healthy adult, an intake of 0.8 grams of proteins per kilogram of body weight is required. But for athletes who engage in vigorous training, 1.4 to 2.0 grams of proteins per kilogram of body weight is enough. However, in the case of adequate carbohydrate supplementation, protein has no such beneficial effects.

Choice of Workout Supplement:

The choice of workout supplement depends on your needs. How much muscle mass you want to increase, the energy requirements of your workout session, and the intended use. Knowing which ingredient targets the specific aspect of the session will help you choose the ideal ingredient.

Benefits of Using Workout Supplements

Workout supplements tend to increase the endurance and exercise capacity of an individual. The benefits of workout supplements are as follows:

Supplements help increase muscle mass and repair them at the same time

They improve the stamina and endurance of an individual

A constant source of energy

Increase strength and capacity

Provide support to engage in high-intensity exercises

How Do You Know the Supplements Are Working?

Following indicators can help you establish the efficacy of a supplement *

High energy level

Increased concentration during the workout

You can easily engage in intense exercises

  Conclusion: Though many workout supplements have been studied extensively, more evidence is required. You can choose a pre-out supplement or a post-workout supplement according to your need.

  References:

    1.Thomas, D.T., et al., Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: nutrition and athletic performance. 2016. 116(3): p. 501-528.

  2.Trexler, E.T., et al., international society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015. 12(1): p. 30.

   3.Goldstein, E.R., et al., international society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2010. 7(1): p. 5.

   4.Lanhers, C., et al., Creatine Supplementation and Upper Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med, 2017. 47(1): p. 163-173.

  5.Kreider, R.B., et al., International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017. 14(1): p. 18.

  6.Buford, T.W., et al., International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2007. 4: p. 6.

  7.Outlaw, J.J., et al., Effects of a pre-and post-workout protein-carbohydrate supplement in trained CrossFit individuals. 2014. 3(1): p. 1-7.