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Have you ever wondered,“Is pre-workout bad for you?” Well, there are opinions that go either way, but ultimately it’s down to every individual.
To answer “Is pre-workout bad for you?” you need to understand what pre-workout means, how it works, and what the possible side effects of the same are. Let’s find out!
What Is a Pre-workout?
Pre-workouts generally refer to dietary supplements that are popular within the fitness industry and among bodybuilders. It’s usually taken prior to any physical activity to enhance focus, energy levels, and performance.
Usually, it comes in the form of a powder that needs to be mixed with water or other liquid before consumption. It contains caffeine, beta alanine, creatine, vitamins, and amino acids.
The amount of caffeine in a pre-workout is mostly considered during purchase. Caffeine is known for its ability to improve focus, energy levels, and endurance. Meanwhile, beta alanine is an ingredient that is important considering its ability to reduce fatigue and improve exercise performance.
Is Pre-workout Bad for You?
It’s said that pre-workouts can be beneficial and harmful at the same time. This depends on a variety of factors.
As mentioned above, pre-workouts are known to improve energy levels, focus, endurance, and help with performance during physical activities. In this regard, if you had to answer “is pre workout bad for you?” the answer would be "no."
Sometimes, levels of caffeine or other stimulants in the pre-workout can increase heart rate, increase blood pressure, and even cause anxiety. Additionally, some pre-workouts may have ingredients whose impact on health hasn’t even been studied extensively. Hence, keeping the above in mind, if you wonder “is pre-workout bad for you?” the answer would be "yes."
If you want to absolutely purchase pre-workouts for your workouts, you should purchase the ones that are from reputable brands whose products have been tested for safety and efficiency.
Is Pre-workout Bad for Your Heart?
Since pre-workouts contain high amounts of stimulants, it can potentially be bad for your heart. It can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and could put individuals with underlying heart conditions in danger.
Next, some pre-workouts contain ingredients such as yohimbine or higenamine, and these have been connected with having adverse effects on cardiovascular health.
It’s absolutely important to take your health conditions into account before considering pre-workouts. In fact, if you’re not feeling too exhausted at the gym and you have energy to lift, it’s absolutely fine not to have a pre workout. It’s not a necessity.
Side Effects of Pre-workout
Here are some of the side effects of the pre-workout that you should be aware of:
- Nausea
- Jitteriness
- Dehydration
- Allergic reactions
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
How to Have a Pre-workout?
Now that we have discussed the question “is pre-workout bad for you?”, let’s understand how it’s consumed.
The most common way to consume pre-workout is by mixing it in water or another liquid. Usually, it’s consumed 20 minutes prior to the workout since it takes some time to have an effect on you.
On the other hand, there’s a method known as dry-scooping.
In this, the preworkout is directly consumed in its powder form without mixing it in water. The idea is to take a scoop of it from the tub and directly pour it in your mouth.
Is Dry Scooping Pre-workout Bad?
Dry scooping is not recommended since the powder can lead to choking. It can get stuck in your throat from being too dry, and it can cause coughing, gagging, or even lung injury.
Next, due to the high amount of stimulants, consuming it directly can cause a sudden increase in heart rate, which can result in cardiac arrhythmias. It’s better to dilute the powder in water and then consume it.
