If you’re a regular gym person, you would know that there are days when you are just not in the mood to workout, you have that sloppy, lousy feeling in your body that screams in your ears that today you wanna rest. Well, it is common and this is exactly what a pre-workout aims to manage.

Pre-workout supplements are designed for you to surpass a tough workout session, giving you enough boost of energy. They work to help you build enough strength and endurance. Before we move on to discuss some of the topmost brands of pre-workout drinks, let us discuss the ingredients that make them special, so that the next time you have to buy a pre-workout drink, you’d know what are the ingredients you’re looking for.

Best Ingredients for Pre-Workout Drinks

Here are some of the best ingredients you must look for in pre-workout drinks.

1. Creatine

Creatine is a quite popular dietary supplement and is widely known to increase strength and power.  It is found inside our cells and is an important part of the system of production of energy in the body. It works tremendously to increase muscle strength, and strength gains are found to be 5-10 % higher than normal when creatine is also taken as a supplement.

2. Beta-Alanine

During an intense workout, acid starts to build up in the body. Beta-alanine helps to fight this acid in the body. Beta-alanine is an amino acid that helps to fight muscle fatigue. It helps to improve strength and improve performance during intense workouts.

3. Caffeine

Caffeine works to stimulate some parts of the brain and helps to increase alertness and make you feel less tired. Thus an important supplement for the ones that go for gyming early morning.

This is one ingredient that is pretty essential in pre-workout supplements and can increase power output. Caffeine has the ability to produce short-term increases in the body’s blood pressure and there might be some undesirable reactions in some people. Hence, it is advised to start with low doses of caffeine and see how it works for your body. Also, it has anti-sleep effects, so it is better if you keep your caffeine intake limited.

4. Nitrate

Nitrate is naturally found in our bodies in small amounts. It is converted into nitric oxide in the body which is helpful for better blood flow and hence is helpful for the body during exercise. It is found in food items like spinach, beetroot, turnips, etc.

Best Pre-Workout Drinks

Let us now talk about some of the best pre-workout drinks brand:

1. MyProtein THE Pre-Workout

This vegetarian and gluten-free drink is one of the most popular pre-workout supplements. This product contains 150mg of caffeine in every serving. Plus, it also includes essential creatine and beta-alanine. You also have the option to choose from various flavors like mango, pineapple, guava, blackberry, etc. However, it is not advisable to be consumed by children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. 

2. Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy RTD

This ready-to-drink pre-workout drink comes with 100mg of caffeine and 5 g of amino acid content. These ingredients help in muscle recovery and help in giving an instant boost of energy. It is also available in different delicious flavors like an orange blast, blueberry lemonade, etc. 

3. Transparent Labs Preseries Bulk

This pre-workout supplement claims to be free of all types of artificial sweeteners or dyes and consists of only natural ingredients that help to increase the muscle mass of the body.  One serving of the Transparent Labs Preseries Bulk contains 180mg of caffeine and 4000 mg of beta-alanine. It is suitable for all our vegan readers and is available in the market in different flavors like blueberry, orange, strawberry, etc. Because of the high content of caffeine, this drink is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. 

4. NutraBio Pre Workout Stim-Free

The company makes supplements for a wide range of purposes, including sports, weight gain or loss, energy-boosting, etc. This stim-free drink is available in two flavors: watermelon, and dragon fruit candy, and is known to act as an energy boost. Since the caffeine content is not very high, it can also be consumed by pregnant or breastfeeding people. It is vegetarian and gluten-free.

5. Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged

This pre-workout supplement contains the ingredient leucine, which helps slow down the rate of breakdown of proteins in muscle tissue, and hence your workouts also become more effective after you take this supplement. 

This vegan and gluten-free drink are available in different flavors like grape, lemonade, berry blast, fruit punch, and crisp apple. 

What are the Benefits of Pre-Workout Drinks?

Now that we have told you about the best supplements and drinks before a workout, let us also tell you some benefits of these in short.

1. Ingredients like caffeine, beetroot, carbohydrates, etc. have been found to enhance the performance of your workout.
2. They boost energy and increase alertness in the body.
3. They help in the process of muscle recovery in the body.
4. Substances like creatine have also been linked to improved cognition, lower risk of contracting any heart diseases, and a decreased risk of depression.

This was all about pre-workout supplements and drinks. Though these work well and suit most people, they have also been found to show some side effects in some. Therefore, it is very important that you start taking these supplements only with a small dose, and then move on to take full doses when you are sure that it is not affecting your body in any sort of unwanted manner. 

These have been observed to work bonkers when you’re particularly dragging and need an external push to start your workout. On such days, pre-workout supplements provide you with the perfect dose of energy boost that will lift your spirits and motivate you to work out. We hope this article helps you understand pre-workout supplements and also to know the best ones you can choose from the lot.

Also read: What To Eat Post Your Workout Session

It’s your body, know what works best for you, in what dosage, understand its needs and requirements, and fulfil them accordingly. Stay fit and healthy!