Written by Julie Germaine.
Question: Do you always use a pre-workout, can you tell me more about them?
First of all, thanks to the Inside Fitness readers who contacted me over the last month! I love being a resource for you to reach out to with your health and fitness questions. This questions was a popular one stemming from some of my IG reels (@julie.germaine), so I thought I would take time to share my response with everyone.
I love pre-workouts! Not only do I appreciate the energy boost I get, but I like the routine of taking my pre-workout beverage as I get ready to exercise. It is part of my ritual to prepare to give my all during the next hour to make my body feel amazing! Okay… first my body will be exhausted, and THEN it will feel fantastic!
A pre-workout is any supplement that boosts athletic performance when consumed. They come in various forms, though most common is the powdered drink mixes. You can also find pills, gels, liquids, or energy bars that would fall into this supplement category.
If you are feeling low energy before training and need help finding the motivation to get moving and get your training session over with, then this would be a great opportunity to incorporate pre-workouts. They will enhance your ability and focus your mind on the task at hand.
This supplement has becoming increasing popular over the past years. You should be wary of the ingredients, to ensure you don’t have an allergy, and pre-calculate your overall caffeine consumption to maintain a healthy intake. I also recommend using pre-workouts only if you exercise early or mid-day, because the stimulants could affect your quality of sleep. Last note, is that this is not approved for use in pregnant or breastfeeding women.
As always, supplements never replace proper nutrition, so you will still want to eat a nutritious meal to fuel up before you hit the gym, but incorporating pre-workouts supplements could help you push through a training plateau to reach a whole new level of physical fitness!
