Pre-Workouts

on January 30, 2023

Unless you’re used to getting up WELL before daylight to workout… or even if you are… or maybe you didn’t sleep well last night or for WHATEVER reason you JUST DON’T have the energy… PRE-WORKOUTS can be the answer for you. YES, you can get some good, quick-acting energy for a workout from foods… but that usually means SUGAR, or LOTS of caffeine. LOTS of sugar really isn’t a good answer and I don’t know about you but I don’t want to drink COFFEE before a workout. Yuck.

So the workout performance world decided to create a substance known as a PRE-WORKOUT that can quickly and efficiently deliver fuel the body can and will use to ACTUALLY help you get that workout done in ways that regular food just can’t quite as easily.

HOWEVER!!! Just like it’s important to know what’s in the FOOD you’re eating and to be conscious of how it affects your body… pre-workouts are no different. Most pre-workouts have some truly beneficial ingredients but also some not only USELESS ingredients but also potentially harmful… and at least very unhealthy. So let me walk you through some things to be aware of.

Some common ingredients in a pre-workout:

Caffeine – “Caffeine is a proven ergogenic [performance enhancing] aid that also boosts mental focus and concentration.”
Creatine – one of the few proven ergogenic aids
- Many believe it can increase muscle mass but the way it works in the system the gains are more likely from the increased training load that can happen with it
- Takes time to build up in the system enough to make a difference in your workouts
- Other than POST workout recovery, where it’s benefits are more immediate as it can help the muscles replenish glucose, it’s primary fuel source. Best times to take it include after high-carb meal or after your workout with a dose of protein – both situations help maximize creatine uptake
Beta Alanine
- Combines with L-Histadine to form Carnosine, which helps buffer, or lessen the effect of, acidosis in the muscles (muscle burn) during higher intensity exercise
- Why not just supplement with Carnosine? Long story short, the body has to break Carnosine down into its parts before re-assembling back into Carnosine. The body already has plenty of L-histadine in store so supplementing with Beta-alanine helps skip that whole disassembly process
- It takes, however, 4-6 weeks for it to build up in the system to be able to make a big difference.
- You may also experience that “tingling” sensation called paresthesia… while not harmful, it can be an odd feeling if you’re not used to it
- Studies show that 1600 mg per day is a good strategy over a couple of 800 mg hits, but 1600 mg at once is acceptable. Energize has 800 mg per scoop.
BCAA’s – Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine
- These 3 are also “essential aminos. While useful to the body in helping create energy, studies show they are best used in POST workout recovery for muscle synthesis (growth) and to prevent muscle breakdown
L-Citrulline – An amino acid found in the body that produces a chemical called nitric oxide
- Helps your blood vessels to expand allowing for more blood flow, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles

What you DON’T want to see on the label:

A lot of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, or other ingredients that are excessive (caffeine in excess of 100-140mg), unnecessary, counter-productive
- Some ingredients are all about timing… meaning they are about building up a supply in the muscles over time and therefore don’t immediately effect the muscle for your workout
- Some ingredients are best used for muscle recovery that energy or performance (certain BCAAs – Branched-Chain Amino Acids)
Synthetic sugars and sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol can cause gas and bloating, and sucralose. All of which are better to avoid.
HIGH amounts of caffeine – Your average cup of coffee is about 100 mg – while a low dose of caffeine can have beneficial effects, TOO much can cause negative effects such as
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- High heart rate
HIGH amounts of SUGAR

What makes Energize different?

Quercetin:

In addition to caffeine (green tea) and beta-alanine, it also contains Quercetin. Some mistake the neon yellow coloring of Energize for artificial coloring. It is a naturally-occurring phytonutrient found in apples, citrus fruits, and onions. Phytonutrients often give fruits and vegetables their distinctive colors. Lycopene, for example, turns things red, and you’ll find it in tomatoes & watermelon. Cyanidin has a purple hue and you’ll find it in blueberries and blackberries. Phytonutrients act as antioxidants, help regulate hormones, and boost immune function.

Quercetin – sometimes referred to as “the athlete’s phytonutrient” given the strong research showing how it helps mitigate exercise-induced inflammation and post-exercise oxidative stress. It has also been shown to help exercisers push harder for longer.

Studies show that it can increase endurance exercise performance aerobic capacity… how well your body uses oxygen. The more oxygen your body can utilize, the more energy you’ll have and the longer you’ll be able to exert high end effort and the more body fat you can burn.

Get Your Engergize Today!

Apart from the proven effectiveness, for us, it’s about the SIMPLICITY and having more control over the “extras” and not having a choice in them being added. It’s about KNOWING there aren’t UNNECESSARY or UNHEALTHY extra ingredients or obsessive VOLUMES of ingredients that can potentially harm us. It’s about proven ingredients that we FEEL and SEE working in us and those we know who use it.