Wellness Fitness What To Know About Pre-Workout Supplements By Reven Widener Reven Widener Réven Smalls Widener is a former behavioral health professional with 3 years of experience educating and supporting patients dealing with chronic pain. As an intern then a psychometrist and counseling trainee for a behavioral health department, Réven collaborated with pain clinic medical staff to assist in the care of patients dealing with pain. health's editorial guidelines Updated on December 16, 2024 Medically reviewed by Maggie Moon, MS, RD Medically reviewed by Maggie Moon, MS, RD Maggie Moon, MS, RD, is a culinary school-trained dietitian and award-winning brain health nutrition specialist. She is the bestselling author of The MIND Diet: A Scientific Approach to Enhancing Brain Function and Helping Prevent Alzheimer's and Dementia. learn more In This Article View All In This Article Benefits Ingredients Efficacy How Long Does It Take To Work? Safety Other Considerations Close skynesher / Getty Images Pre-workout is a nutritional supplement that you can take before exercising. Some evidence suggests pre-workout can have short-term benefits for exercise performance and recovery. A healthy pre-workout drink, powder, or oral supplement typically contains caffeine and creatine to boost your energy. Pre-workout may cause side effects, such as diarrhea, fatigue, and weight gain. It's important to talk to a healthcare provider before starting a pre-workout supplement. Pre-Workout Benefits There are a few possible benefits of pre-workout that many supplements claim, including: Enhances exercise performance Helps with post-workout recovery Improves energy levels Preps your body for workouts Reduces exhaustion or the chance of training injuries What Is in Pre-Workout? Pre-workout can come in different forms, including pills, powders, or bars. Twenty-one different types of ingredients—such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, and plant-based ingredients like ginseng or beet juice—may be used. It's important to know what ingredients are in your pre-workout of choice. Some of these ingredients can include: Beta-alanine: This enhances exercise at a high-intensity level. Beta-alanine reduces the build-up of lactic acid, which can cause fatigue in athletes. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): BCAAs are thought to improve muscular endurance and reduce exercise-induced muscle damage. Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant that reduces fatigue, increases cognition, and supports exercise performance. Creatine: This aids performance and helps with challenging adaptations in training. Nitrates (nitric oxide agents): These compounds assist blood flow to muscles you actively use during exercise. Dietary supplements should only include "dietary ingredients," such as vitamins and herbs. No pharmaceutical ingredients are permitted in supplements. Companies are also not allowed to say that supplements can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases. Efficacy The efficacy of pre-workout can vary. Each ingredient in the supplement can have its own level of efficacy that may change when combined with other ingredients. Studies on caffeine efficacy have been mixed. One study found that participants who used a caffeine-based supplement had an increased average amount of power compared to others. Other research found that using a pre-workout or taking a similar dosage of caffeine did not improve performance during resistance exercise. Different supplements may also be more or less effective for some types of workouts than others. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements (MIPS) can work for muscular endurance but not strength. MIPS has also offered mixed results for power and possibly positive results for endurance exercises. How Long Does It Take To Work? You can take a pre-workout shortly before you work out. One study found that participants who took a pre-workout did so between 15 and 60 minutes before exercise. Most took supplements between 15 and 30 minutes. Most supplement manufacturers recommend this time interval. More research is needed to determine exactly how long it takes to feel the benefits of pre-workout. The length of time it takes for pre-workout to work and how long the effects last can depend on the type you take. Creatine can be beneficial for minutes at a time when you do a short exercise, such as a sprint or weight lifting. It has not been shown to be helpful for longer periods or exercise, such as distance running. Is Pre-Workout Safe? Some evidence suggests that pre-workout is safe in the short term. More studies are needed to determine how safe it is to use them for longer. Pre-workout is not recommended for everyone. Supplements that help exercise performance are for adults only in most cases. Pre-workouts contain extremely high doses of caffeine that can be harmful and even life-threatening, especially for young athletes and children. Always talk to a healthcare provider before adding a pre-workout to your workout regimen. It's important for people with conditions like cancer, heart problems, Parkinson's disease, and thyroid disorders to consult a healthcare provider. Some supplements can interact with medications or treatments and make them less effective. Side Effects Pre-workout can have side effects, such as: Abdominal cramps Diarrhea Dizziness Fatigue Headaches Heartburn Insomnia Nausea Weight gain (from water retention) Potential Drug Interactions Pre-workout ingredients may interact with medications. Ginseng can make blood thinners less effective. Medications for ulcers can make caffeine take longer to leave your system, causing you to experience the side effects of caffeine for longer. Inappropriate or Prohibited Ingredients Consider other pre-workout options if there are ingredients that should not be in the product you want to use. Ingredients that can be inappropriate for use include: Hormone-like ingredientsOther controlled substances, such as opioids, depressants, and hallucinogensSteroidsStimulantsUnapproved drugs Some ingredients are no longer allowed to be in dietary supplements because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed them unsafe. There's no scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of the following: Androstenedione, or a prohormone that the body turns into testosterone Dimethylamylamine (DMAA), which is a stimulant Ephedra, or a plant that contains stimulant compounds called ephedrine alkaloids Other Considerations Some types of pre-workout can be helpful for performance. It's important to ensure they are not substitutes for nutrients you get from your diet, like: Carbohydrates Fats Proteins Vitamins and minerals Staying hydrated is another way to perform at your best. Having proper physical conditioning and training can also boost exercise performance. Consult a healthcare provider to determine if and what type of pre-workout might be appropriate for you if you are still interested in one. A Quick Review Pre-workout is a nutritional supplement that's often touted as a way to enhance exercise performance and improve energy levels. Some types of pre-workout might aid in exercise recovery. It's important to talk to a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement like pre-workout. You will want to check the labels for the ingredients. Pre-workout often contains high levels of caffeine, which may cause unpleasant side effects in some people. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit 7 Sources Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance - consumer. Tinsley GM, Hamm MA, Hurtado AK, et al. Effects of two pre-workout supplements on concentric and eccentric force production during lower body resistance exercise in males and females: A counterbalanced, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:46. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0203-x National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance - health professional fact sheet. Harty PS, Zabriskie HA, Erickson JL, Molling PE, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: A brief review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15(1):41. doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0247-6 Martinez N, Campbell B, Franek M, Buchanan L, Colquhoun R. The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016;13:29. doi:10.1186/s12970-016-0138-7 Blake MS, Johnson NR, Trautman KA, Grier JW, Stastny SN, Hackney KJ. Neither a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement nor caffeine were effective at improving markers of blood flow or upper-body resistance exercise performance. Int J Exerc Sci. 2020;13(2):167-182. Jagim AR, Camic CL, Harty PS. Common habits, adverse events, and opinions regarding pre-workout supplement use among regular consumers. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):855. doi:10.3390/nu11040855