Do I need to take pre-workout? Benefits and disadvantages of the supplement

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

If your social media feeds are in any way exercise-inclined, it’s likely that pre-workout has made an appearance. The ritualistic swigging of these drinks is as much a part of some people’s workouts as exercise itself, but do you need to take a pre-workout, and more importantly, should you?

The short answer is no: you don’t need to take pre-workout, or any other supplement for that matter. That’s why they’re called supplements: they’re designed to supplement your diet, not form an integral part of it.

But the supplement market wouldn’t be worth billions unless these assorted powders, capsules and more had some attractive benefits. Pre-workout is no different, with retailers claiming it can boost your focus, performance and energy levels in the gym.

The common denominator in most pre-workouts is caffeine: included to lift your energy levels and stave off fatigue. But many pre-workout mixes also contain other components intended to elevate your performance. Read on to find out which ingredients to look out for, and whether pre-workout is right for you.

Pre-workout is a type of supplement designed to be taken before exercise to improve the quality of your training by boosting your energy levels, endurance, focus and performance.

Usually found in powder form, a small scoop will transform a protein shaker filled with water into a flavoured drink to sink roughly 30 minutes before your workout. You can also buy pre-workout in ready-to-drink cans, squeeze it out of a sachet in gel form, or even chow down on specially-made energy-boosting gummy sweets.

But there’s no regimented formula for pre-workout. The main ingredient in the majority of these supplements is caffeine, with creators leaning on its fatigue-fighting credentials. Other common ingredients include creatine, to support power and performance, and beta-alanine, a non-essential amino acid associated with improved muscular endurance.

A read through the product page of one of the most popular pre-workouts on the market reveals a whole host of benefits; increased clarity and concentration, and improved endurance capacity to help you train harder for longer. But what does the research say?

There’s plenty of research into caffeine, with the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recognising several of its benefits: “caffeine has been shown to be ergogenic for cognitive function, including attention and vigilance, in most individuals.”

“Small to moderate benefits of caffeine use include, but are not limited to: muscular endurance, movement velocity and muscular strength, sprinting, jumping, and throwing performance, as well as a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic sport-specific actions,” it states.

And creatine is similarly widely-researched, with the ISSN labelling it the “most effective ergogenic [performance-boosting] nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training”.

As for direct research into the use of pre-workouts, the ISSN found that research into multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements (MIPS) was “preliminary at best”, but most studies find they can “improve various types of exercise performance and potentiate training adaptations”.

It also reported that studies suggest short-term supplementation with pre-workout is “safe in otherwise healthy consumers”, but it would recommend “discussing specific products and dosages of any supplement with a knowledgeable health professional or sports dietician prior to ingesting”.

Many people prefer to swap a coffee for a pre-workout because not only to they recieve a kick from the caffeine content, the added creatine and amino acid profile lend extra energy and muscle repair benefits. So, if you usually reach for a flat white before a workout, you might want to consider one of these powder supplements instead.

However, if you don’t usually need caffeine to make it through a workout and prefer to rely on the likes of a healthy breakfast and a protein shake instead, it might not be beneficial to you to take a pre-workout.

The pre-workout from Myprotein contains a blend of caffeine and creatine to support your training. Creatine aids regeneration of ATP (your body’s energy currency) for improved strength and power performance, while caffeine can fight fatigue and boost your focus. This pre-workout comes in five refreshing flavours too, from lemon sherbert to orange, mango and passionfruit, so you can be sure to find an energy-boosting version that works for you.

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