Most of us are well aware of pre-workout supplements. But do you have an actual pre-workout routine? Or do you just throw on your workout clothes, maybe do a little stretching, and just jump into it? Like nearly everything else in life, a little pre-planning and preparation can go a long way to help you maximize your workout and push yourself to new limits.
Here are some simple necessities for a sound pre-workout routine.
- Eat for fuel, munch on something an hour or so before exercise for adequate energy. Toast with peanut butter is a good option because it contains carbs, fat, and protein.
- Stay hydrated! The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that active people drink 20 ounces of water prior to exercise.
- Plan your workout, preparing a workout plan ahead of time helps to stay focused on what you want to accomplish.
- Get warmed up, a proper warmup serves to increase body temperature and blood flow. This decreases your odds of injury and increases performance. Walking, bodyweight or light resistance exercises for a few minutes will get the job done.
Another strategy many athletes turn to in optimizing their workout is fueling and preparing their bodies with pre-workout supplements that can help accelerate fat loss, energize the body, enhance focus, and speed up recovery.
And while you can take a number of different supplements targeted to do each of these things, the best supplements pack a pre-workout punch into one powerful and effective supplement.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of a pre-workout supplementation routine and what you should be looking for.
What to Fuel Your Body with Pre-Workout
There are a number of ingredients you should consider adding to your pre-workout to see incredible results. Here’s what to look for in a supplement to ensure your body is getting what it needs to reach its maximum potential.
Citrulline Malate 2:1: Citrulline is the non-essential amino acid that improves exercise performance and reduces post-exercise muscle soreness. Studies show that bodybuilders and elite athletes that introduce citrulline into their regimens feel as if they exerted less energy throughout their workout. Citrulline Malate 2:1 can help athletes at all levels and is especially beneficial for power and strength athletes.
L-Taurine: L-Taurine is an amino acid that plays a critical role in the physiological function of our bodies. It plays a role in muscle metabolism and protecting the skeletal system by promoting the creation of lean muscle mass. While L-Taurine is naturally occurring in the body, adding more can help in dropping body fat and building more muscle. Additional studies have also shown that L-Taurine can aid in muscle recovery post-workout or post-injury as well.
Beta Alanine: Recent research on Beta-Alanine has shown that it supports athletic performance and plays an especially important role in reducing muscle fatigue. In various studies, those adding the amino acid to their workout had demonstrable gains compared to exercisers who didn’t.
Arginine Silicate Inositol (ASI): As a workout supplement, ASI has been shown to increase energy and decrease fatigue when used before working out. Additionally, blood flow to muscles is also increased with ASI, as well as less muscle damage, meaning less soreness and downtime post-workout.
Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus leaves): Mullein is a commonly occurring medicinal plant that has been gaining popularity in recent years for improving various aspects of respiration, especially breathing during cardio fitness. Mullein is used to treat pulmonary problems, inflammatory diseases, asthma, spasmodic coughs, diarrhea, migraine headaches, and more.
Caffeine: Adding caffeine to your pre-workout loading can help you burn more fat and energize your workouts. Studies show that caffeine can help you work out longer and experience less pain afterwards. Mental clarity is also an added benefit of caffeine.
BioPerine: BioPerine is an extract derived from the black pepper plant. It is prized for the role it plays in enhancing athletic performance by improving absorption and bioavailability of other nutrients in the body. For instance, by helping iron absorb and metabolize better, BioPerine can help facilitate increased oxygen flow throughout the body.
Ingredients to promote focus: When life gets hectic, staying focused during your workout can be difficult. Without focus you’re going through the motions without really getting the most out of your gym time. When you are focused, on the other hand, you notice it. You feel a little stronger, a little faster, and you leave the gym thinking about how good that workout felt. Ingredients like Bacopa, Lion's Mane Mushroom, DMAE, Ginko Biloba Extract and Huperzine are all great ingredients to have in your pre-workout to have laser focus in the gym.
An All-in-One Solution
While you could spend hundreds of dollars purchasing all the supplements listed above and take multiple pills to fuel your body pre-workout, BELDT has developed a better solution. GUSST, our all-new scientifically backed pre-workout is packed with all the nutrients listed above to help you maximize your workout results and minimize downtime.
