Pre-workout supplements seem to be all the rage these days. There are hundreds of options and confusion around what they do for your workout. Most people end up using what is recommended to them without ever learning about the ingredients and if it is right for them. Or, like many, they turn to a product that will give them that kick in the butt to get ready for their workout. In this article, I will go over the different types of pre-workout supplements, some red flags to watch out for, and the rational for how Propello Life formulated its’ Pre-Workout.
In my opinion, there are a few options to choose from when picking a pre-workout:
- High Stimulant (energy & feeling)
- Low/No Stimulant (for the caffeine sensitive)
- Muscle Pump (for muscle building & recovery)
- Performance (strength, endurance, recovery, etc…)
- All-in-One
Regardless of the type of pre-workout you choose, here are some Red Flags to watch out for when looking at pre workout products.
- Huge list of ingredients: If a pre-workout contains a large number of ingredients or you don’t know what the ingredients do, then ask an expert or do some research.
- Proprietary Blends: If a pre-workout supplement contains proprietary blends, ask yourself why would they not want you to know what they are providing you? What are they hiding? Quality? Effective doses? Likely, they are pulling a fast one over you.
- Mega Dosing or Pixie Dusting: If a pre-workout isn’t built around efficacious doses of scientifically validated ingredients, move on. The benefits they claim are likely marketing hype.
- High levels of stimulants: Caffeine constricts your blood vessels at high levels. This will limit your performance. Also, caffeine tolerance is built up over time, meaning higher and higher levels are needed to get that “feeling.” Select a pre-workout with just enough caffeine to get you going, because once your workout starts your adrenaline will kick in!
For me, I choose my pre-workout based on my goals – to build muscle and maintain a low body fat percentage. So, I use a low stimulant, all-in-one vegan pre workout. Like me, the majority of people working out are doing so for the same reasons: lose fat, build muscle, and/or better athletic performance. To learn more about Propello Life's Pre-Workout: CLICK HERE.
Some other goals people have are: improved health, self-confidence, empowerment, and overall wellbeing. When I consider these goals and how best to achieve them, I turn to selecting a workout, nutrition, recovery, and supplement strategy that will get me to my goals quickest.
That means:
- Workout: high intensity workouts focused on strength training, endurance, form, and stability.
- Nutrition: a clean, whole food natural diet full of vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats
- Recovery: adequate sleep, foam rolling, stretching, and stress management
- Supplements: simple, clean, natural, and effective
When formulating Propello Life’s Pre-Workout, we selected the best ingredients to complement a natural, whole food based diet that would get you the absolute best workout each time. Our Pre-Workout is a low stimulant, all-in-one formula with no proprietary blends, no artificial ingredients, and full, efficacious doses of scientifically backed ingredients to build strength, increase power, increase endurance, improve blood flow and recovery, and just enough caffeine to give you that energy boost and focus without the jitters. Plus it is a vegan pre workout!
Buy now and save 15% OFF
Propello Life’s Pre-Workout
with code: PREWORKOUT
CLICK HERE
Did you do your due diligence and look at the ingredients, but still have no idea what they are or what they mean?
Take a look below to see what is on our label…
Ingredients in Propello Life’s Pre-Workout
|
Ingredient |
Key Benefits |
More Info |
|
Caffeine |
Energy, focus, and reduced pain threshold
|
Propello Life provides 100 mg of natural caffeine from coffee bean sources. This provides a healthy energy boost, increased focus, and increased pain threshold to help you get through those last few reps. This dosage is equivalent to just one cup of your standard coffee, and is an effective and safe dosage that will not cause jitters for most people (some people are very sensitive to caffeine). Dosage and type of caffeine varies greatly with other pre-workouts. Watch out for high levels (over 250mg) and the source of caffeine (if it is synthetic or another chemical variant). |
|
Citrulline Malate
|
Increased blood flow to supply muscles with nutrients, oxygen, and flush out lactic acid. Also, increased blood volume in the muscle helps stimulate the growth signal post workout
|
Propello Life provides 3 grams of Citrulline Malate (2:1 ratio) in every serving. This is the scientifically studied dosage and form of the ingredient to increase blood flow and get the benefits listed above. Citrulline Malate has two effects on the body that makes it useful in a pre-workout supplement. First is its ability to increase nitric oxide levels with l-citrulline – which has been shown to help dilate the blood vessels. Meaning, more blood circulation for increased performance and recovery. Second is an increase in energy from malic acid (malate), which is a cellular energy cycle component easily burnable by the body. So overall, you’re getting increased blood flow (pump) to supply muscles with nutrients, oxygen, and flush out lactic acid. Huge for recovery! |
|
Beta Alanine
|
Boosts explosive muscular strength and power, increases muscle mass, boosts muscular anaerobic endurance, increases aerobic endurance, and increases exercise capacity.
Key Note: Beta Alanine must be supplemented every day to maximize its benefits. Beta Alanine builds up in your system over 30 days so the more frequently you take it, the better your benefits will be to your workout! |
If you have ever taken a pre-workout and felt your face tingle, this is the ingredient that caused that sensation. Propello Life’s Pre-Workout was formulated so you don’t get this feeling, however some people are sensitive to the ingredient and may still experience the tingle slightly. If this happens, you can always drink your Pre-Workout slower or use half a dose. This is not a dangerous side-effect, but might feel uncomfortable. The scientific studies on beta alanine are done at 800 mg, 1.6 g, 2.4 g, and 3.2 g. The studies found that the performance benefits are achieved at a 1.6 gram dosage with a much lower occurrence of the ‘tingling’ sensation. That is why Propello Life only put 1.6 g per serving, to minimize the ‘tingle’ sensation while achieving the great benefits of beta alanine. |
|
Creatine
|
Increases muscle strength and size, enhances recovery, improves sprint performance, enhances brain function
Key Note: Creatine must be supplemented every day to maximize its benefits. Creatine builds up in your system over 30 days so the more frequently you take it, the better your benefits will be to your workout!
|
There are hundreds of studies done on creatine monohydrate over the past 20 years, and all conclude that it is safe, increases muscle strength and size, enhances recovery, improves sprint performance, and some recent studies even show it enhances brain function! It’s safe and it works. Period. But not all creatine is created equal…at least not all forms are fully supported by scientific studies; yet. Propello Life provides 5 grams of Creatine Monohydrate. Creatine Monohydrate is the form studied and proven over the past 20 years to deliver, at a 5 gram dosage, all the benefits listed above. Most pre-workouts don’t provide this dosage and form. So be careful to read the label closely. Creatine is a must have for anyone working out on a regular basis! |
|
Betaine
|
Amplifies the effects of creatine monohydrate, improves muscle protein synthesis (recovery) supports healthy levels of homocysteine, and suggested to raise SAMe levels (which support positive mood, liver health, and aids joint recovery) |
Propello Life provides 2.5 grams of Betaine in every serving. This is the scientifically proven dosage to deliver the benefits above. Betaine is a pretty simple molecule found most prevalently in spinach, wheat germ, and beets. Once available in the body, betaine does two things: 1. facilitates homocysteine into glutathione; 2. stimulates an increase in bodily SAMe levels. Both of these molecules increased by betaine have considerable benefits on the human body as listed above. |
Ultimately, you will be faced with a ton of options for pre-workout supplements. Most of them will be formulated to make you ‘feel’ something, may be downright dangerous, and/or cheaply made with nothing but caffeine as the key ingredient. If you decide to choose Propello Life’s Pre-Workout, you are choosing a safe, simple, and effective product that will give you a great workout. And an added benefit of Propello Life’s Pre-Workout is that it is also perfect for days you don’t workout so you can feel like the super-hero you are!
Buy now and save 15% OFF
Propello Life’s Pre-Workout
with code: PREWORKOUT
CLICK HERE
By: Duke Armstrong, co-Founder & CEO of Propello Life