Authored by Sheramy Tsai via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
At 6 p.m., caffeine is king.
Across the country, gym-goers scoop powder into shaker bottles, chasing a last burst of energy to fuel evening workouts. Pre-workout supplements, called “pre-workouts,” promise a better workout through energy-enhancing ingredients.
Once the domain of bodybuilders, pre-workouts have gone mainstream, driven by social media, flashy marketing, and late-night training trends. Nearly 80 percent of regular gym-goers now use them, according to industry data.
As casual lifters join elite athletes in using pre-workout supplements, a more complicated picture emerges. The gains may be real, but are they worth the trade-offs?
What Are Pre-Workouts?
Amid neon tubs boasting “Explosive Energy,” “Insane Focus,” and “Pump Booster,” it’s not always clear what pre-workouts actually are.
Pre-workouts are powdered supplements mixed with water and taken before exercise. They offer a jolt of energy, sharper focus, and more stamina—a caffeinated cocktail for the fitness crowd.
“It is often recommended to ingest the supplement 30–60 minutes before exercise with the goal of improving the quality of your workout—i.e., increased energy, focus, delayed sensations of fatigue, [and] improvements in muscular endurance or strength,” Andrew Jagim, a sports medicine researcher at Mayo Clinic Health System, told The Epoch Times.
With consistent use and structured training, he noted, pre-workouts may contribute to greater gains in strength and muscle mass compared to training alone.
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While pre-workouts may enhance energy and endurance, they aren’t a magic bullet.
“Pre-workout is not a shortcut to success,” Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a physician specializing in muscle-centric medicine, told The Epoch Times. “It’s not a replacement for sleep. It’s not a stand-in for strategic nutrition or consistent training. If your baseline isn’t solid, no supplement will carry you through.”
What’s in the Scoop?
Most pre-workouts pack a mix of performance-boosting ingredients—often with 15 or more per tub. Caffeine leads, providing energy. Beta-alanine delays fatigue. Creatine boosts strength and power. Vasodilators like citrulline and nitrate improve blood flow and fuel the post-lift “pump.” Some formulas add vitamins like B-complex or C. Others include nootropics—compounds believed to enhance mental function—like tyrosine or alpha-GPC, aimed at sharpening focus and improving mood.
However, there’s no standard formula, leaving consumers guessing amid a sea of options. The most common ingredients include:
Caffeine—Well-studied and effective: Caffeine is the most studied and most reliable pre-workout ingredient. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, it can offer small to moderate boosts in everything from endurance and strength to sprinting and jumping.
Creatine—Proven but often underdosed: Backed by decades of research, creatine monohydrate improves strength, power, and muscle mass at daily doses of 3 to 5 grams. However, many pre-workouts include too little to be effective.
Beta-alanine, citrulline, and nootropics—Mixed evidence: Some ingredients show promise but require consistent use. Beta-alanine and citrulline may boost endurance and blood flow, but effects build gradually, not from one scoop. Nootropics like tyrosine and theanine may aid focus, though research on how they interact with stimulants is still young.
Food dyes and natural flavors—Many pre-workouts use artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and vaguely identified flavorings. Though these ingredients enhance taste and shelf appeal, their long-term health effects are unclear.
“While the data on artificial sweeteners like sucralose is mixed, long-term overexposure may affect gut health, insulin sensitivity, or cravings,” said Lyon. She added that frequent use of synthetic colors and flavors “could contribute to low-grade inflammation or microbiome disruption.” Her advice: Choose cleaner, whole-food-based formulations.
What’s Really in the Scoop? (And Why It’s Hard to Know)
What’s in your scoop depends on the brand, and sometimes, you don’t really know. Some products deliver clinically backed doses, while others offer little more than flavored caffeine.
“I recommend selecting products with an open, transparent label,” said Jagim. “A lot of products tend to either be under-dosed or include ingredients in a proprietary blend, making it challenging to know if there is enough of the key ingredients.”
A 2019 study in Nutrients found nearly half of top-selling pre-workouts relied on proprietary blends that hid ingredient amounts. Even when listed, many fell short of effective doses. Beta-alanine averaged just 2 grams—half the recommended amount. Creatine and citrulline were also frequently underdosed, reducing their benefits within the mix.
Pre-workout supplements fall into a regulatory gray zone. In the United States, they are classified as dietary supplements, not drugs, and are not subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval before they hit store shelves. Manufacturers are responsible for safety and accurate labeling, but enforcement is largely reactive. The FDA typically steps in only after reports of harm. While companies must notify the FDA when introducing new ingredients, safety data is rarely made public.
Consumers face a crowded and confusing market. Many formulas blend stimulants, amino acids, and nootropics, but research primarily focuses on single ingredients like caffeine or creatine. The combined effects, especially when stacked with other supplements, are still poorly understood.
“The lack of long-term safety data is of concern,” said Jagim. Regular use, he noted, may pose cardiovascular or cognitive risks that remain understudied.
A 2021 review in Strength and Conditioning Journal analyzed 22 trials on multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements (MIPS). Some showed modest gains—such as for lower body strength (repetitions) and upper body power—most results were inconclusive. Nearly all studies were rated “low quality” due to small sample sizes, bias, and poor transparency.
Despite their popularity, the science behind pre-workout supplements remains unsettled. Few clinical trials are registered in advance—a key step in research transparency—and even fewer report side effects. The wide variation in formulas makes it difficult to determine which ingredients are truly effective or potentially harmful. The review noted: “Optimal forms and strategies on MIPS consumption and use has not yet been rigorously examined.”
Still, not every product keeps consumers in the dark. Some brands offer fully transparent labels, listing exact ingredient amounts and avoiding proprietary blends altogether. Often third-party tested, these formulas aim to give users more control and confidence in what they’re taking.
What Are the Potential Benefits?
For many, the appeal of pre-workouts is simple: more reps, more energy, sharper focus. And in some cases, the promise holds up.
“The clearest benefits are improvements in muscular endurance, meaning the ability to perform as many reps as possible before failure,” said Jagim. “Additionally, some of the more consistent benefits are cognitive, with people frequently reporting improvements in mood, focus, energy, and alertness.”
That mental boost can be crucial when motivation dips at the end of a long day. Caffeine and nootropics may sharpen focus and are one reason pre-workouts have become a late-night gym staple.
Physical gains depend on effort. Regular, high-level training brings the most benefit, said Jagim. “If someone doesn’t consistently push themselves to near maximal levels, the supplement and key ingredients may not exert as strong of effects.”
Read the rest here…
Tyler Durden
Fri, 04/18/2025 – 19:00
