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When taking pre -training
The use of pre-training or pre-workout before competitions or important training sessions is extended in some sports fields. However, there are certain doubts about its usefulness and effectiveness.
For example, What is the pre-person for? Are they safe? What athletes can benefit from their consumption? How should they be used? What ingredients should they have?, but above all ... What is a pre -training?
Throughout this article, all this will be responded, so that the consumer has all the necessary information to decide whether or not to use a pre -training, how to use it and not waste time or money.
What is a pre -training?
A pre -training can be considered as a product composed of an ingredient or several that is ingested enough before a training or competition in order to maximize performance or get the most out of that work session. They are also known as pre-workout.
Thus there are no two pre -training and despite having the same name or denomination, the ingredients containing will determine the quality, effectiveness and safety of the product.
Therefore the first to know before venturing to use a pre -training is to know what ingredients it has and what effects they produce.
What is a pre -training for?
The most outstanding effects pursued with the use of a pre -training are the following:
- Energy contribution
- Stimulating
- Recuperator
- Vasodilator
- Others
To achieve one or more of them, the different pre -training are composed of a wide variety of ingredients that you can see from our sports nutrition store.
What does a pre -training contain?
Cataloging the possible ingredients to include in a pre -training, within the possible effects pursued, the following stand out:
Energy contribution
Some pre -training contain a certain amount of carbohydrates, in order to provide a minimum of energy for the activity to be performed. Since the main function of a pre-waring is not energy and that it is often recommended to eat 60-120 minutes before the activity, it is not common to find carbohydrates in these products, being a better alternative for this purpose the use of gels or energy drinks.
Stimulating
It may be one of the main functions pursued with the use of pre -training. A physical and mental activation to get the most out of the athlete in the desired training or competition.
To achieve this, the most used compound is caffeine, which is also the one that has the greatest scientific support on its positive effects.
On the other hand, other compounds can be included with a stimulating theoretical effect such as bullfighting, although with hardly any scientific evidence about its effectiveness.
It is also important to note that some pre -training may contain prohibited stimulants that can lead to a possible violation of the anti -doping code. Therefore it is vital that the athlete analyze the compounds of the pre -training and avoid those of doubtful origin or that contain ingredients included in the list of doping substances.
In this way, if it is intended to use a pre -training for stimulation purposes, the recommendation would be to use some that contains caffeine.
Recuperator
In some cases, pre -training includes substances with an anti -crop or recuperator effect, such as some amino acids (BCAA). In this sense, a pre workout should be focused more to enhance training than to its recovery, especially for the moment of intake.
Thus it is preferable to look for an alternative product such as Whey Protein or Recovery Drink Post I train as a recuperator, in front of a pre -training that can have a "recovery" product.
Vasodilator
This is another of the main effects that are sought in a pre -training together with stimulation. Find a vasodilation that allows a greater blood supply to the muscle and therefore greater oxygenation and transport of nutrients and metabolites that can improve the performance or the effort economy.
For this, the most used compounds are:
- Citrulin Malo
- Nitrates
- Arginine (Aakg)
In this sense, if a vasodilator effect is pursued, a pre -training should be sought that included some or several of these ingredients. To maximize the effect of the pre-training, it should be ingested enough for these products to act, which is around 90-120 minutes.
Others
On some occasions, pre -training are "enriched" with various products that can increase performance by themselves. Examples of this can be creatine or beta alanine.
However, in the case of these ingredients, an acute dose will not hardly have a significant effect, since to find ergogenic effects of these substances, a minimum of 4-6 weeks of continuous creatine intake and 8-12 weeks of continued intake of Beta Alanine are needed.
Does this mean that these compounds are unusable in a pre -training? No. They can be useful if the athlete is supplemented with those products and that day ingests them with the pre -training, instead of ingesting them separately.
There are also other ingredients that may be included in a pre -training, in addition to those exposed in this article, but with doubtful effectiveness or scientific support.
Are the pre -training useful useful?
Well, you can't give a sharp response from whether or not. Everything will depend on the objective pursued with the pre -training, the ingredients contained in the pre -training and the timing of use.
Thus, having clear the effect that is desired with the pre -training (energy, stimulating or vasodilator), you can choose a product that contains the necessary ingredients for it and ingest it with the proper advance, the following being generic references: the following: the following:
- Energy effect: 5-15 minutes before the activity.
- Stimulating effect: 30-45 minutes before the activity.
- Vasodilator effect: 60-90 minutes before the activity.
Are there risks for the use of pre -training?
There is always a certain risk when using any sports supplementation. In the case of the pre -training the risks assumed can be:
- Positive in anti -doping control: If the pre -training has (labeling or not) any prohibited product or substance.
- Excess stimulation, tachycardia, insomnia, palpitations: If the stimulating product dose contained in the pre -training is very high, or if the athlete ingests more pre -training with stimulants than it can tolerate.
- Mild discomfort such as itching or paraesthesia, caused by Beta Alanine on some occasions, as long as the pre -training contains this product.
How to take a pre -training?
It is clear and as its name indicates, that a pre -training must be ingested before training, otherwise we would be talking about a perisoner or a recovery.
The in advance necessary to ingest a pre -training will depend on the type of ingredients, desired effect and especially the individual characteristics of each athlete, since some metabolize before others and therefore the timing can be a bit different within the stipulated time forks.
What type of athletes or situations is a pre -training?
Pre -training are recommended for “exceptional situations”, such as important or quality training, competitions or fatigue situations where a “help” is necessary to get the training forward.
Pre -training would be indicated, and this is a personal opinion, for medium or high level athletes, especially since beginners still have many "basic" elements to cover such as training, nutrition, sleep or hydration rather than resorting to this type of supplementation.
