The bodybuilding industry is saturated with pre-workouts.
Everyone has a “supercharged nitro boost proprietary blend” that they’re trying to sell you, but what they don’t tell you is…
Do the ingredients even work?
Or, if they do…
Are they healthy for you?
Will they amp you up only to crash and burn leaving you feeling worse than before you took it?
A solid pre-workout should serve two purposes…
Help you get in some great training sessions and sleeve tearing pumps, and…
Improve your overall health.
Thankfully, research has led the way in showing us the most beneficial and effective ingredients that a pre-workout should include.
We’ll outline them for you right here and back it all up with some good ol’ science.
1. L-CITRULLINE
Increases protein synthesis, boosts nitric oxide production, protects muscles from inflammation, and increases oxygen uptake.
L-Citrulline is a neutral, non-essential alpha-amino, rarely found in food, that has been shown to improve vascular health, protein metabolism, and lipid metabolism by increasing the bioavailability of l-arginine and subsequently leading to elevations in NO synthesis. [1]
Nitric oxide has various performance-boosting functions in the body including a vasodilatory effect, which may help maintain healthy blood pressure along with increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to working muscles (AKA “The Pump”)
But, don’t get it twisted…
The “pump” is NOT for show – it’s a vital part of achieving maximum muscle growth.
To achieve maximum muscle growth, you need to be overloading the muscle and pumping as much blood into the muscle as possible.
This does two things – it supplies the muscle with oxygen and nutrients, stimulating muscle growth, while also removing waste products (lactic acid and carbon dioxide) to enable you to perform at your best.
Furthermore, nitric oxide may reduce the oxygen and energy cost of exercise, improve mitochondrial efficiency, and improve intramuscular calcium processing. [2]
The most L-Citrulline enriched food is watermelon, but you may want to wait before you rush out to the store as you would need to eat 2.2 – 3.3 pounds of watermelon per day to reach the minimum effective dose. [1]
Nevertheless, several studies have shown that L-citrulline supplementation can enhance exercise performance and aid in recovery. [3]
These facts alone make it one a must-have ingredient for your pre-workout.
2. THIAMIN
Vital for metabolism, boosts the immune system, supports brain function, and helps digestion.
Thiamin is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a vital role in energy production…
Particularly in the way our body uses glycogen for energy and breaks down branched-chain amino acids.
By reaching and maintaining the appropriate levels of thiamin, you can benefit from improved overall energy metabolism and endurance. [4,5] Found in:
- Enriched, fortified, and whole grain products such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, and flour…
- Wheat germ…
- Beef steak and pork…
- Trout and bluefin tuna…
- Egg…
- Legumes and peas…
- Nuts and seeds…
Thiamin also plays a role in muscle contraction, the conduction of nerve signals in the body and is essential for the metabolism of pyruvate, which is an important molecule in several chemical reactions in the body.
3. BIOTIN
Supports metabolism, regulates blood sugar, helps in lowering cholesterol, improves skin health.
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water-soluble vitamin found in foods like eggs, milk, and bananas and is an important part of enzymes in the body that break down substances like fats and carbohydrates.
It has also been shown to affect several systemic functions in the body such as immunity and metabolism, and…
Several studies have reported a positive relationship between biotin and blood lipids.[6,7]
The name “biotin” comes from the Greek word “biotos,” which means “sustenance” or “life-giving.”
As a B vitamin, biotin offers numerous health benefits such as maintaining the health of your nervous system, liver, eyes, skin, and hair.
Like other B vitamins, biotin helps your body use enzymes and carry nutrients throughout the body, plus…
This powerful B vitamin can help promote healthy brain function.
For these reasons and more, making sure to add some biotin to your pre-workout regimen is a no-brainer.
4. SIBERIAN GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT
Boosts the immune system, improves athletic performance, helps in regulating blood pressure, and helps fight fatigue.
Used for centuries in Eastern countries, including China and Russia…
The active ingredients in Siberian ginseng, called eleutherosides, may help to stimulate the immune system.
Siberian ginseng is often used to increase mental alertness with a study [8] finding that middle-aged volunteers who took Siberian ginseng improved their memory compared to those who took a placebo, as well as…
Other studies which have found positive results when it comes to improving athletic performance and increasing muscle strength.
Siberian ginseng is a native shrub in the Far East that grows from 3 to 10 feet in height.
Its leaves are attached to the main stem by long branches and both the branches and the stem are covered with thorns.
Yellow and Violet Flowers, grow in umbrella-shaped clusters and turn into round, black berries in the late summer.
The root itself is woody, brownish, wrinkled, and twisted.
Most Siberian ginseng supplements are made from the root.
The root has a mixture of components called eleutherosides that are thought to have health benefits.
Among the other ingredients are chemicals called polysaccharides, which have been found to boost the immune system and lower blood sugar levels in animal tests.
Improved immunity, mental alertness and positive results in athletic performance and levels of muscular strength? Siberian Ginseng is a win for your pre-workout!
5. NATURAL CAFFEINE ANHYDROUS
Heightens alertness, promotes thermogenesis, sustained energy to crush workouts, increases focus and concentration.
Caffeine occurs naturally in various plants such as coffee beans, cacao, and tea.
Through the use of specialized laboratory processes, which include filtering out the water and chemical components, the caffeine from these plants forms what we call caffeine anhydrous.
This dehydration process allows caffeine anhydrous to become more concentrated and more potent than regular caffeine.
So, why caffeine?
Caffeine works on the central nervous system by promoting spinal cord excitability and muscle fiber recruitment, while also decreasing perceptions of muscle pain and fatigue.
In other words… it helps amp you up to train and allows you to…
Bang out more reps…
Recover faster between sets or exercises…
Sprint harder and faster, etc.
In fact… caffeine has been demonstrated to improve physical performance in all sorts of sports and training while also delaying mental fatigue. [9]
Endurance: Endurance athletes have shown improved performance by an average of 3.3 percent (some up to 17 percent!) [9]
Strength: Caffeine has been shown to improve strength and power sports performance by up to 20 percent. [10]
Fat Loss: A meta-analysis revealed that caffeine can significantly increase and enhance the fat oxidation rate when taken before training [10]
Focus: A scientific review of caffeine that examined its effects on cognitive and physical function showed that caffeine helped improve alertness, vigilance, attention, reaction time, and attention. [11]
And, it has a cascading effect that does more than just amp you up…
Your Nervous System: Caffeine activates the areas of your brain and nervous system to help improve focus and energy while reducing fatigue [12,13]
Your Hormones: Caffeine helps to increase circulating levels of epinephrine (adrenaline), which is the hormone responsible for the “fight or flight” response, which can increase performance. Great for training or when getting chased by a tiger. [14]
Fat Burning: Burn baby, burn! Caffeine may increase your body’s ability to burn fat via lipolysis… AKA the breakdown of fat in your fat cells [15]
Your Endorphins: “I feel good!” – James Brown. Caffeine can help to get your Beta-endorphins going increasing feelings of wellness and giving you the exercise “high” that many people experience after training. [16,17]
Your Body Temperature: Caffeine intake has been shown to help increase thermogenesis (heat production) which raises your body temperature and may help you burn more calories [18]
Glycogen: Caffeine may also spare muscle carb stores enhancing your endurance, primarily due to increased fat burning. [19]
Natural caffeine anhydrous… The perfect addition to your pre-workout that powers your training with a clean, sustainable energy which gently fades over hours.
6. L-THEANINE
Promotes a calm and relaxed state, improves mental focus when combined with caffeine, reduces vasoconstriction, improves mood and cognitive performance.
L-theanine is a non-essential amino acid found in various tea leaves — In particular… black and green tea.
It’s considered “non-essential” because, despite its benefits to our mind and body, L-theanine is not necessarily needed for us to live and function properly, but…
L-theanine offers a variety of health benefits making it a supplement worthy of attention.
Relax: The biggest and most-well known benefit of taking L-theanine is its ability to promote relaxation.
Its calming properties can help to put you at ease while reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. Sign me up!
Another great thing about using this amino acid for mild anxiety is that it’s able to help you relax without making you drowsy or tired. The perfect blend of being calm and relaxed while still remaining alert and focused…
Focus!: Speaking of remaining focused… While L-theanine may help you relax, it can also help boost attention and mental clarity when taken alongside caffeine.
So, a pre-workout with both L-theanine and caffeine can give you the best of both worlds…
Without the jitters!
Perfect for keeping your concentration laser-sharp the entire workout.
In fact, one study showed that combining L-theanine with caffeine helped participants experience increased focus while performing demanding tasks. [20]
To achieve the best effect, proper dosing is required. In this case, taking anywhere between 100-200mg of both L-theanine and caffeine offers the best results.
“Where Did I Put My Keys?”: In addition to boosting your mental clarity, L-theanine may also be great for helping to improve your long-term memory.
Another study found that participants who suffered from mild cognitive impairment experienced an improvement in their recognition skills after taking 60mg of theanine along with green tea extract three times a day for 16 weeks. [21]
And, L-Theanine goes well beyond just improving memory and stress levels…
Get to Sleep: Since L-theanine helps with relaxation, it’s a no-brainer that it can also promote better sleep.
One study looked at the effects of L-theanine on a group of children and found that the little ones who took some L-theanine were able to experience longer and more restful periods of quality deep sleep compared to the placebo group. [23]
Sweet dreams.
Keep Your Blood Pressure In Check: When you stress, your blood pressure goes up, and L-theanine may be helpful for keeping the pressure down after dealing with a particularly stressful or frustrating situation. [24]
So, add some L-theanine to your “wusah”, take a deep breath, and bring that blood pressure down when you’re stressing out.
Give Your Immunity a Boost: Studies suggest that taking L-theanine may help to ward off common ailments thanks to a strengthened immune system. [25]
Which, in 2021, is vital.
Plus, its anti-inflammatory properties may also help to play a role in combating various illnesses.
A Solid Pre-Workout
As you can see, there are a number of key ingredients that should go into your pre-workout formula…
Ones that not only help you to level up in the gym and build an awe-inspiring physique but also ingredients that improve your overall health.
- Improved performance…
- Enhanced recovery…
- Increased energy and mental focus…
- Performing at your best, smashing personal records, and progressing in the gym, and…
- Improving your health…
That’s the name of the game.
And, as you can see from the handful of studies provided (there are way more), these 6 key ingredients can help you make it happen.
Whether you get them through food or supplements make these key ingredients a staple in your pre-workout regimen to make every workout, your best workout.
You’ll notice drastic improvements both in the gym and in your general health and wellbeing.
Think about how many more personal records you could hit if you were completely locked into your workout.
Imagine how much more progress you would make and how your body would improve!
You could search for each of these ingredients in supplement form…
Research the dosage for each…
Search for the highest quality and purest form for each of them, and then take them all individually…
In a time-consuming “mad scientist” approach for your pre-workout regimen.
Or, you could make it easy on yourself and give Kino Octane a try.
All the benefits without the stress! Just mix, enjoy and crush it at the gym!
See References Here
