We heard gym enthusiasts taking workout meals and supplements at different times of the day, which are commonly known as breakfast, lunch, pre-workout meals, post-workout meals, and dinner. These meals and dietary supplements are more focused on specific types of nutrition. Eating a nutritional breakfast in the morning, a heavy lunch in the afternoon, and a light dinner at night with quality workout and suitable supplements is what keeps you energized throughout the day. Talking about the pre-workout supplements, they are not just something to take before the workout; they are a collection of nutrition that determines our performance during the workout and the growth of our body. Pre-workout supplements are mostly prepared by adding nutrients, which contain more stamina and energy to perform better in the gym.
Understanding Pre-workout Meals
Pre-workout meals can be considered one of the most important meals of the day, as they can be described as the administrator of your workout. They will decide how you will perform in the gym, what amount of energy you will need to execute a certain exercise, and how much weight you can lift. We often notice that skipping the pre-workout meal leads to underperformance and a lack of energy during workouts. There are some major macronutrients on which one should focus while preparing the pre-workout meal, like carbohydrates, a lesser amount of protein, and caffeine.
- Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the macronutrients that our body needs as working fuel. Our body stores carbs, which increase the intensity of your workout and make you feel energetic for longer. Sweet potatoes, bananas, quinoa, and chickpeas are some of the most accessible, modest, and best sources of carbs.
- Protein
Pairing carbs with protein is important in pre-workout meals as it improves the performance and recovery of muscles. Though taking protein before a workout is important, the amount should be minimal, as protein is not easy to digest just before the workout.
Exploring Various Pre-Workout Supplements
Creatine monohydrate powder
The reason why Creatine Monohydrate is considered the best pre-workout supplement is quite evident, as there are numerous studies that show no other type of Creatine can benefit our body more than Creatine Monohydrate Powder. Creatine monohydrate is made up of creatine and water molecules; reducing the amount of water in the preparation increases the amount of creatine in each dose. Creatine monohydrate is 90% Creatine, whereas making it more micronized makes it 100% Creatine anhydrous.
Creatine ethyl Ester
Though Creatine Monohydrate Powder is the top choice of gym enthusiasts, there are some benefits that Creatine Ethyl Ester contains, better than monohydrate. The amount of absorption by muscles is better in ethyl ester compared to monohydrate.
Creatine hydrochloride
The one complaint that we commonly hear from people using Creatine is stomach disturbance. Creatine HCL has the benefit of high solubility in water as compared to creatine monohydrate powder, which makes people use a lesser quantity per dosage. This reduces the chances of stomach disturbance.
Glutamine powder
People often think of glutamine as a supplement that our body requires, but what most people don’t know is that glutamine is an amino acid that is already present in our body and also in many natural foods. In human blood, glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid, which works as a building block for protein in our muscles. Glutamine works as fuel for our white blood cells, which are prominent in fighting illness and injuries. When we get injured or ill, the glutamine level in our body starts declining, and that’s when we need glutamine as a nutrient from natural foods or from supplements like glutamine powder.
There are numerous natural sources that can fulfill the need for glutamine in our body. The largest amount of glutamine can be found in animal products, which are rich in protein. For example, milk, eggs, meat, beef, and tofu are some major sources of natural glutamine. Talking about how glutamine powder is made, basically through the extraction, filtration, and fermentation processes of certain bacteria using products such as corn, sugar, and glucose, the bacteria start producing glutamine. Through further processing, it is converted into powder form.
Wrapping up
Pre-workout supplements can be considered as the foundation of your bodybuilding journey along with nutritional meals and quality workout. As there are numerous supplements available in the market, with a good research and knowledge one can understand what’s better for them.
