If you are an avid gym goer or even have some kind of social media, you have probably seen pre workout and all of the buzz surrounding it. But, with attention comes misinformation and that can lead to bad practices and wasting of money. Pre workout is a powdered supplement that is mixed with water. It is marketed towards people who go to the gym, lift heavy, and want to elevate their performance in the gym while they’re there. 

The Prowler asked Josh Palmer, who is a long time personal trainer and the owner of  Raise the Bar Athletics (RTB athletics,) a local business that currently makes their own preworkout and apparel, some questions about pre-workout

“It is an effortless and immediate way to improve performance,” said Palmer 

Pre workout comes in many shapes, sizes, colors, and not all are made equally. Many companies cheap out on servings of ingredients and quality of ingredients. These companies put just enough in to make you feel like you are getting benefits but in reality you are not. 

Not just any random product from Walmart will be beneficial. When looking to pick out a good pre workout the first thing you should look for is caffeine, “Most quality pre workouts are going to have between 200-400 milligrams of caffeine. 400+ milligrams would be considered ‘high stim’ and should be used sparingly,” said Palmer.

Another ingredient that is a must have when looking for a pre-workout is beta alanine. This substance combats the buildup of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream when you are breathing heavily and working out. Carbon dioxide causes lactic acid build up and by consuming beta alanine, one can avoid muscle soreness. The absolute minimum amount of beta alanine in your pre workout should be 3.2 grams. This substance may make some people feel itchy all over, this is called paresthesia and is completely normal.  

The final essential ingredient in a good pre workout is L Citrulline. Also known as citrulline malate, it is an amino acid found in watermelon and that is naturally produced in your body. This substance is supplemented highly in quality pre workouts because it promotes the production of nitric oxide inside of your body which supports muscle force, endurance, power, and delays muscle fatigue.

Some very high quality pre workouts may have an ingredient called creatine. While not necessary to take with your pre, it is a very beneficial supplement for people who workout a lot. Creatine is a supplement that can be found for incredibly cheap but also high quality. When you work out, your muscles create something called adenosine triphosphate (ATP.) This is the fuel that your body uses when exerting itself during things like weightlifting. The only thing is that your body can only store so much creatine phosphate at one time. When you rest between sets of weightlifting or sprints your body replenishes this small supply of ATP from creatine phosphate. So what supplementing creatine does is that it lets you recover faster, therefore increasing power output and endurance. “In my opinion everyone should be supplementing creatine, especially older people should take creatine,” said Palmer. 

To make sure you are being safe when buying supplements such as pre workout, one should look for certain seals on the bottle. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA so one has to look for trusted third party companies to ensure the safety of the product. One seal is called a GMP seal. This seal guarantees that the product was made in a FDA certified factory. Other than a GMP seal, any seal that indicates a third party testing is good to look for. 

What to avoid when looking for a pre workout is almost as important as knowing what to look for. When searching out a good pre workout you should avoid one specific thing called a blend. Proprietary blends are a way for big companies to say they have a ton of ingredients in their product but not have to disclose how much of that stuff they actually have in a serving. “Blends lack transparency and transparency is key,” said Palmer

“You want to look out for high quality pre-workout, if it’s cheap, it’s cheap for a reason, so if you want legitimate results and actually want it to do something for you then get a high quality pre workout. Otherwise you’re spending your money for it to do nothing.” said Palmer 

For more information on pre workout, its benefits, and or more information about RTB athletics check out @rtb_athletics_ on Instagram.