Pre-workout supplements

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Replies

  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    cjack6814 wrote: »
    What are your thoughts on pre-workout supplements and what is the best one to use?

    My thoughts on pre-workout supplements? I don't see the need for any and no one, to date, has provided a reason why one would be needed. I get to the gym, warm up, work out, cool down and stretch. Seems to work just fine. Everyone who uses a pre-work out substance tells us which one they use but never a reason for using. If you "need" something to get started, perhaps there is a problem with your regular diet, sleep pattern, or some other aspect of your life. Just my $0.02.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
    I really love Vega Pre-Workout Energizer. Keeps me going without any word side effects and doesn't contain anything shady
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Espresso and candy works for me
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    The Beta Alanine tingling is just a side effect, but I still like it ;-)

    My pre-workout stack includes creatine, citrulline malate, beta alanine, taurine and caffeine. I buy in bulk and mix myself because it's significantly cheaper and I can ensure proper dosing.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    kwtilbury wrote: »
    The Beta Alanine tingling is just a side effect, but I still like it ;-)

    My pre-workout stack includes creatine, citrulline malate, beta alanine, taurine and caffeine. I buy in bulk and mix myself because it's significantly cheaper and I can ensure proper dosing.

    Yeah man! That's my stack minus the beta alanine. It tends to bring on a sense of a nausea for me.

  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
    I tried a non-stimulant pre-workout, but I didn't like how the Beta alanine made me feel like pins and needles all over. I think I already drink too much coffee for it to do anything for my workouts. I'll take creatine when I'm lifting heavy, but normally I just do some BCAAs.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Nadine_A_Saad wrote: »
    I use C4. It is made for women. Well that's what the seller said when I first brought it. When I paid attention to the ingredients I saw why. It has the lowest amount of creatine than the other pre work out drinks. Creatine is a ingredient that can make you big. I like this one. It helps with high cardio workout as well as lifting. I asked a similar question a month ago and I didn't get a respond.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one.

    Wait what? Actually creatine has absolutely no effect on muscle growth. It increases maximal potential for muscular power out put. By increasing your ATP levels which is the energy used to contract your muscles. Please explain how creatine makes you big? Also if you think any supplements are made specifically for women someones been lying to you. My gym started selling this "estrogen break down" supplement which is supposed to lower your estrogen levels. So I asked if I could use that when taking trenbolone so that I wouldn't have to worry about developing gyno panz any other desirable effects associated with raised estrogen levels. They stopped in their tracks and abruptly said yes. Just to sell me a supplement which was "designed for women"

  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited March 2017
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Espresso and candy works for me

    And this is why we are friends!
  • BlueScoobie02
    BlueScoobie02 Posts: 11 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    Nadine_A_Saad wrote: »
    I use C4. It is made for women. Well that's what the seller said when I first brought it. When I paid attention to the ingredients I saw why. It has the lowest amount of creatine than the other pre work out drinks. Creatine is a ingredient that can make you big. I like this one. It helps with high cardio workout as well as lifting. I asked a similar question a month ago and I didn't get a respond.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one.

    Wait what? Actually creatine has absolutely no effect on muscle growth. It increases maximal potential for muscular power out put. By increasing your ATP levels which is the energy used to contract your muscles. Please explain how creatine makes you big? Also if you think any supplements are made specifically for women someones been lying to you. My gym started selling this "estrogen break down" supplement which is supposed to lower your estrogen levels. So I asked if I could use that when taking trenbolone so that I wouldn't have to worry about developing gyno panz any other desirable effects associated with raised estrogen levels. They stopped in their tracks and abruptly said yes. Just to sell me a supplement which was "designed for women"

    Because being able to life more will make you bigger than being able to lift less?
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    BlueScoobie02 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    Nadine_A_Saad wrote: »
    I use C4. It is made for women. Well that's what the seller said when I first brought it. When I paid attention to the ingredients I saw why. It has the lowest amount of creatine than the other pre work out drinks. Creatine is a ingredient that can make you big. I like this one. It helps with high cardio workout as well as lifting. I asked a similar question a month ago and I didn't get a respond.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one.

    Wait what? Actually creatine has absolutely no effect on muscle growth. It increases maximal potential for muscular power out put. By increasing your ATP levels which is the energy used to contract your muscles. Please explain how creatine makes you big? Also if you think any supplements are made specifically for women someones been lying to you. My gym started selling this "estrogen break down" supplement which is supposed to lower your estrogen levels. So I asked if I could use that when taking trenbolone so that I wouldn't have to worry about developing gyno panz any other desirable effects associated with raised estrogen levels. They stopped in their tracks and abruptly said yes. Just to sell me a supplement which was "designed for women"

    Because being able to life more will make you bigger than being able to lift less?


    Yes. But a caloric surplus is needed for that to happen. It doesn't directly influence increase muscle mass purely by taking it. That is what I was getting at.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    nakedraygun wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Espresso and candy works for me

    And this is why we are friends!

    ;)
  • stelly76
    stelly76 Posts: 120 Member
    Banana
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    Now I know why the one I tried (came as a "free" thing with an order) made me have the pins and needles feeling especially in my ears and a bit on my face:Beta alanine. I did not like that...

    Might need to just go back to straight creatine and a cup of joe.

    Any thoughts on BETAINE? From the ad for this particular preworkout (https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/muscletech/vapor-x5-next-gen-pre-workout.html)
    "Betaine is one of the hottest new musclebuilding ingredients thanks to its ability to increase gains in lean muscle, strength and power! In fact, test subjects who supplemented with the exact 2.5g dose of betaine in 2 scoops of VaporX5™ Next Gen built 3.75 lbs. of lean muscle in 6 weeks compared to 0.66 lbs. by the placebo group. That’s over 4 times more muscle (vs. the placebo)! Betaine has been shown in a separate study to also enhance muscle endurance. In this study, active college males taking 2.5g of betaine per day for 2 weeks improved muscle endurance (squats) and increased the quality of repetitions performed!

    Cholewa et al., 2013. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 10:39.

    Hoffman et al., 2009. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 6:7."
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    C4 isn't made for women, but the blue fizz flavor is awfully tasty. That's the one I use. I use a little less than a full scoop because otherwise it makes me a little queasy and the beta alanine tingles get annoying.
  • graceanthony19
    graceanthony19 Posts: 47 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    graceanthony19 wrote: »
    I use Energize and I love it! 800mg of Beta Alanine, green tea provides natural caffeine, and it is sweetened with stevia so no artificial sweeteners!

    What is natural caffeine and why is it better for you?

    Meaning naturally occurring caffeine from plant sources as opposed to synthetic caffeine produced in laboratories and manufactured in factories.

    I think it's pretty obvious why natural caffeine would be better for you, but if your not sure, synthetic caffeine is made by a chemical synthesis of urea as the raw material. It's also possibly exposed to other chemicals like methylene chloride, and ethyl acetate.
  • rollerjog
    rollerjog Posts: 154 Member
    i make my own preworkout i use beta alanine, l citruline malate 2.1 ratio, creatine monohydrate, caffeine, l theanine, green tea extract powder 50% egcg, i buy all these supplements in bulk and mix my own, its a lot cheaper to buy in bulk and make your own, than to buy from big box supplement companies that under dose the supplements, they make it so you have to take more and when you run out you have too buy more, at 30.00 to 60.00 dollars for month supply you can spend alot of money at the big box supplement companies
  • subcounter
    subcounter Posts: 2,382 Member
    graceanthony19 wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    graceanthony19 wrote: »
    I use Energize and I love it! 800mg of Beta Alanine, green tea provides natural caffeine, and it is sweetened with stevia so no artificial sweeteners!

    What is natural caffeine and why is it better for you?

    Meaning naturally occurring caffeine from plant sources as opposed to synthetic caffeine produced in laboratories and manufactured in factories.

    I think it's pretty obvious why natural caffeine would be better for you, but if your not sure, synthetic caffeine is made by a chemical synthesis of urea as the raw material. It's also possibly exposed to other chemicals like methylene chloride, and ethyl acetate.

    Both of those ingredients are used to decaffeinate coffee beans actually, and ethyl acetate is the only realistic organic compound that is used these days. Ethyl acetate is an ester that is found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as bananas, apples and coffee. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, and water extraction is also used as other methods but I guess they don't make up fancy names as the other two compounds.
    The notions of toxicity are exaggrated honestly, as you can overdose and die from caffeine too. You usually see those claims on vendors that sell "natural caffeine".

    As for chemical synthesis of urea , I have no idea what you mean. All the caffeine supplements are actually by-products of the decaffeination of the coffee beans. There is no need for chemically synthizing it. Unless its a research paper finding a novel method for it.
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