In today’s world of fitness and sports enthusiasts, pre-workout supplements and energy drinks are among the most popular choices. Whether it's the tingling sensation and powerful boost from a pre-workout or the vibrant red or blue energy drink in a shaker or can that provides a quick surge of energy and focus, many people rely on these supplements. Some prefer pre-workout supplements, others opt for energy drinks, while some choose both or neither. In this article, you'll learn what might work best for you and how to incorporate them effectively into your routine.
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What is Pre-Workout
As the word suggest pre which means prior, pre-workout is something one should take before workout.
Composition- There are three main ingredients that make a perfect pre-workout supplement which are l-citrulline, beta-alanine and caffeine.
- L-citrulline used to increase the blood flow in body
- Beta-alanine increases the endurance of the body
- Caffeine increases the focus and alertness to really engage the muscles
Benefit- Pre-workout supplement is subjected to increase the volume, intensity and focus of a workout meaning one can lift more than usual weight and for more repetition (reps) and with really engaging the muscle involves achieving greater mind to muscle connection resulting in a greater pump and higher muscle contraction.
Dosage- Dosage can vary from person to person depending upon the fitness and tolerance level. Talking of the 3 major ingredients, L-citrulline can be dosage between 6-8gm, caffeine can be dosage from 200-400mg and beta-alanine can be dosage around 2-5gm. If a pre-workout has these ingredients in the above-mentioned dosage, then you can get the maximum result from it.
Risk- High dosage or if taken with having certain medical condition, pre-workout can cause anxiety, increased heartbeat, nervousness, dehydration, digestive problem and even hamper regular sleep pattern causing insomnia. Never go with the trend trying dry scooping pre-workout supplement, you will get all those ingredients in concentrated form which will cause improper and very fast heartbeat.
What is Energy Drink?
Energy drinks used to give a quick activeness and a boost of energy. Which is not only consumed by athletes and gym goers but also any one playing any sport, working in office, students etc.
Composition- The main ingredients in energy drinks are caffeine, b vitamins, taurine and sugar.
- Caffeine used to increase alertness and focus
- B vitamins help in energy production
- Taurine helps in regulating water and mineral salt in blood
- Sugar used to give quick energy
Benefit- Energy drinks help in providing the energy almost immediately, alert the mind for a focused work. Can be used during the workout to constantly fueling throughout the session, before the workout to give a boost of energy to start a heavy session, while studying and working to alert the mind for a more focused work resulting in a better outcome.
Dosage- Dosage completely depends upon individual goal and demand. Although you should only take as per the serving size mentioned on any energy drink you are consuming, there are 100s of energy drink to choose from but for most of the energy drinks you can safely consume twice the recommended serving without any problem if you don’t have any prior deficiency or disease. You can drink energy drink any time throughout the day but talking specifically about gym or any sports activity, if you have not taken any carbohydrates in a pre-workout meal, taking energy drink during the session will be much beneficial.
Risk- Due to high sugar in most of the energy drinks, it can spike the blood sugar, and can be disastrous for anyone with diabetes. Over drinking can cause weight gain, nausea, dehydration and increased heart rate. The high in calories can also interrupt your balanced diet causing your diet ineffective and will cause you more negative impact on overall health in a long-term.
Which one is best for you?
Choosing between pre-workout supplement and energy drink depends truly upon your goal’s need and demand.
For Strength/Muscle Building- Pre-workout have a higher caffeine value than energy drink and beta- alanine, l-citrulline and some pre-workout also have creatine in it which combined with each other give more pump in the gym, increase the lifting capacity resulting in higher muscle and strength growth.
For Fat Loss- When you’re consuming fewer calories and burning more, your body can feel weaker and more fatigued than usual. To combat this, a pre-workout supplement can help kick-start your workout, while an energy drink during the session can provide a constant source of energy to keep you going.
For Sports And Athletic Activities- For more sports and athletic performance, the body requires a higher endurance for a better performance, an energy drink will be better for a constant source of energy for each and every practice session but if that sport requires some kind or explosiveness and power/ strength then pre-workout can also be a great asset for the training.
For general health- If you are not working out intense and having a balanced diet, you don’t need any of them but for a quick energy, work and study, energy drink will be preferably better for day to day living than pre-workout supplement.
Bottom Line
Pre-workout and energy drinks have their own individuality and purpose. They can not be used in each other’s place. For more intense and goal-oriented workout session, pre- workout supplement is a great asset, can be used in any genre of fitness and for a general, not so intense purpose, energy drink can be a good option. Both come in different types of blends with other stimulant with different types of flavors. One can choose any supplement or both according to his/her demand and taste.
Before taking any of these, one must consult a fitness expert and his/her health care provider to choose these supplements with stimulant for maximum benefit and minimize its potential negative impact.
