Do you need a preworkout supplement?

Written by: Mairead Rodgers Russell, RD

The world of supplements is ever-growing, and it’s so hard to know what’s useful and what might not be the right fit for you!

Preworkout supplements can include many things, but generally contain some amount of caffeine. Taking caffeine before a workout has been shown to help increase your energy and how much effort you can put into a workout – especially helpful for those who might be working out early in the day, or are feeling sluggish at the end of a long day.

Preworkouts can also include any number of other ingredients, depending on what product you purchase. Many products contain some amount of electrolytes. These can be useful in a workout, especially during the warmer months when you’re losing electroyltes through sweat, but might not be necessary for workouts under an hour in colder temperatures. Many amino acids are often added to different preworkout products. L-theanine may help with focus in general and reduce jittery feelings from caffeine, while other amino acids are thought to help improve recovery afterwards. Some products contain creatine, which may improve work capacity, potentially making it possible to go a bit heavier or do a few more reps. Many products contain different herbal supplements, including ginseng, turmeric, or beetroot. Preworkouts aren’t standardized – they can really contain anything!

So what should you look for if you’re purchasing a preworkout supplement? First, check the caffeine dose. Health Canada recommends most adults limit their caffeine to 400mg per day. For reference, a 250ml cup of coffee is just under 100mg of caffeine. If you’er adding a preworkout supplement to the other caffeinated beverages you have daily keeps you under the 400mg recommendation, this is probably a reasonable amount. If it’s going to send you well above this, you may want to consider choosing a different option or reducing your caffeine somewhere else in your day.

For those who don’t tolerate caffeine well, choosing a preworkout with caffeine that comes from green tea extract may be better tolerated because of the L-theanine amino acid – or maybe skip the preworkout altogether! If you’re supposed to limit your caffeine intake for medical reasons, this is not the supplement for you either!

Will preworkouts help you lose weight? No, not in and of themselves. Where you may see a benefit is in the ability to “go harder” during a workout and push yourself more, which may lead to faster results in the gym – but again, everyone will respond differently. Just drinking a preworkout supplement will not help you lose weight on it’s own.

Do you absolutely need a preworkout supplement to have a good workout? No! Many people find more natural forms of caffeine, like a cup of coffee, can do the trick if you just need a boost heading into a workout, and will be much less expensive. Could a preworkout supplement be helpful? For many people, yes. Everyone will respond to different products and combinations of ingredients differently.

If you’re starting out with a new preworkout supplement, do so carefully. Some sensitive digestive systems may not handle certain sweeteners well, like sugar alcohols. If you’re not sure, try to purchase a small amount until you’re sure it’s the right fit for you, or see if you can find samples. Just because it works for a friend, might not mean it will work for you

And of course, if you ever have supplement questions, bring them to your friendly neighbourhood dietitian (that’s me!) to touchbase!

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