Walk into any GNC or supplement store, and you’re liable to find a few walls lined with the latest pre-workout, and an enthusiastic sales rep who claims its the “craziest energy you’ll ever have mane”. Peddled 24/7 by bodybuilders and Instagram fitness models, pre-workout supplements have never been more popular.
Despite this extreme popularity, pre-workout supplements have a few major drawbacks that will be covered in this article. First however, a distinction needs to be made between pre-workout stimulants/supplements, and Pre-workout nutrition.
Pre-workout stimulants are taken mainly to increase energy and focus, (caffeine, ephedrine ect), while pre-workout nutrition encompasses a wide variety of supplement and nutritional protocols (which may also include the use of stimulants) aimed at boosting performance, nutrient partioning, muscle growth, fat loss ect. Taking a protein shake with some fast digesting carbs and BCAA’s would be a good example of pre-workout nutrition. While Stimulant based pre-workout supplements may contain peri-workout (around the time of the workout, or “window of opportunity” ) protein, carb and amino acid formulations as well, the selling point of many of these products (as far as performance enhancement goes) is their ability to increase focus and energy.
To fully understand how stimulants work, we need to understand the “fight or flight” stress response.
The Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands are two glands part of the endocrine system, located above the kidneys. Put simply, these glands are responsible for releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Under stressful conditions such as exercise, cortisol and adrenaline are released to mobilize fuel such as glucose, dilate blood vessels and increase heart rate. Whenever we take stimulants such as pre-workout, energy drinks, or coffee, this response is heightened. More cortisol, more adrenaline, increased heart rate and blood pressure. This is referred to as the “fight or flight” response, (also known as being in a sympathetic state) and it’s completely normal.
When used in moderation in healthy individuals, a little caffeine (such as a cup of coffee or green tea) can positively effect performance by waking up the CNS, increasing blood flow , elevating heart rate, increasing rate of exertion , boosting metabolic rate and fat oxidation. So what’s the big deal?
First, it’s important to understand that most people are ALREADY in a constant state of “fight or flight”, sympathetic overdrive. Whether it’s mental stress from work or school, or physical stress from exercise and sports, stress can and will take a significant toll on your physiology.
When the body remains in a constant state of sympathetic overdrive, we get something called Adrenal Fatigue. Although not a medically accepted term (HPA-D might be more accurate), this refers to the state of the adrenal glands after being exposed to prolonged/chronic stress. Under these conditions, the adrenal glands run out of precursor material needed to create stress hormones, sex hormones, and neurotransmitters…thus we enter into a state of “fatigue”. And what do most people do when they feel tired or “fatigued”? They go overboard on simulants. 5 cups of coffee, a few energy drinks, a couple scoops of their favorite pre-workout… and maybe even a few stimulant drugs like Adderall. You name it. All while simultaneously digging themselves into a deeper and deeper sympathetically overdriven hole.
The result? You can’t function without some type of energy drink or stimulant (let alone workout without them), yet you still have a hard time falling asleep, and an even harder time waking up in the morning once you do finally fall asleep. Cortisol is being pumped out at night when it should be released in the morning, or possibly not even being released at all (full blown adrenal fatigue). Regardless, It’s a vicious cycle that many Americans are perpetually trapped in.
For athletes and lifters, this can be a serious problem. While the symptoms of overtraining the muscular system subside relatively fast, the same cannot be said for burning out the CNS and adrenal glands, which can take months to fully recover. Therefore, intelligent use of stimulants (or the avoidance of all together) should paramount for anyone trying to compete at a high-level.
In addition to taxing the central nervous system and adrenal glands severely, stimulants can have some pretty hard-hitting effects on other systems in the body as well.
The Cardiovascular system
It’s not surprising that too much caffeine probably isn’t very good for your heart, but caffeine isn’t the only stimulant found in many of these new pre-workout formulations. In their quest for “insane” energy and focus, Many stimulant junkies and supplement companies alike have turned their heads to other hard-hitting, drug-like stimulants such as ephedrine and DMAA (Not to be confused with DMAE), which are often times combined with caffeine and other stimulants as well. Both DMAA and ephedrine have similar structure and effects when compared to amphetamine. Although banned by the FDA, many of these stimulants still find their way into many pre-workout formulas sold at supplement and nutrition stores around the U.S. Popular brands include APS “Mesomorph”, Insanse Labz “Psychotic”, and Black Stone Labs “Angel dust” to name a few.
Numerous cases have shown seriously adverse side effects from some of these heavy-hitting stims such as insomnia, anxiety, cerebral hemorrhage, heart attack, and even death. In multiple studies, ephedrine and DMAA were shown to significantly increase systolic blood pressure, and heart rate. For those with pre-existing heart conditions (including pre-exisiting heart conditions that may have gone undiagnosed ), stimulants like this can pose a very real risk. Regardless, there’s absolutely nothing healthy about putting these compounds in your body. Regardless of how “safely” you use them or how “healthy” you think you are.
Other Drawbacks
As if it couldn’t get any worse, stimulant based pre-workout supplements also have a few other major drawbacks including:
1. Robbing you of your hard earned “gains”
As mentioned previously, stimulants increase the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Taking it back to bro-science 101, we know that to build muscle we need to be in an anabolic state ( meaning to build up), not an overly catabolic state (meaning to break down). While stress hormones ARE important for mobilizing fuel as we mentioned, excess production can lead to the catabolization (breakdown) of muscle tissue. For those that naturally produce high levels of cortisol, this can make putting on muscle mass a real challenge. So to all you “hard gainers” out there, lay off the legal crack.
2. Artificial colors and flavors
Most pre-workout supplements on the market are filled with artificial colors and flavors. You’d be hard pressed to find any muscle building or performance enhancing supplement (let alone a pre workout) that doesn’t contain this garbage. Numerous studies have linked artificial colors and flavors (such as sucralose, FDC red, FDC yellow ect) to a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, altered gut microbiome, and other health complications. Stay away from them at all costs.
3. Dehydration
Caffeine and other stimulants (mainly when taken in high-doses as seen in most pre-workout formulas) can be extremely dehydrating by acting as a diuretic. Common sense would tell us that it’s probably not a good idea to be dehydrated when trying to attain peak performance. Hence the creation of Gatorade and other popular sports drinks. Most people are already dehydrated in the first place. Stop adding fuel to the fire.
Stimulant Alternatives
With all that being said, you might be wondering if there are any safe and effective alternatives to stimulants. The answer is yes. The following supplements are great stimulant alternatives, AND also help to undo some of the damage cause by them.
1. B-vitamins & Magnesium
If you’re looking to truly support natural energy levels instead of shortly spiking them with stimulants, B-vitamins and magnesium should be your go-to. Both of these nutrients not only support energy at a cellular level, but also help to manage the negative and far reaching effects of chronic stress. In addition, many B-vitamins are used in several pathways during the creation of adrenal hormones. Because B-vitamins and magnesium are water soluble, they need to be replaced on a daily basis. As a result, most people are severely deficient in them, especially athletes. Consider taking a double dose of B-vitamins, and 600-800 mg’s of magnesium per day.
2. Neurotransmitter pre-cursors
Intense exercise and stress can severely deplete certain neurotransmitters, which are important for regulating sleep, energy, cravings, addictions, and libido. If you’ve been a stimulant junkie for a while, supplementing with some of these pre-cursor nutrients is a great way to slowly ease yourself off, and deal with the negative side-effects OF these stimulants. Supplements such as GABA and L-theanine help us transition out of a catabolic, synmpathetic state, and into an anabolic, parasympathetic state of rest and recovery. Supplementation of L-tyrosine, Alpha-GCP, Huperzia, phosphatidylserine, DMAE (again, not to be confused with the stimulant DMAA), and Acetly-L-carnitine can all benefit cognitive/memory support, focus, energy and neurological restoration and health.
3. Adaptogens
Adaptogens are substances that allow the body to “adapt” (hence the name) to stressful conditions, and have been used by ancient civilizations for centuries . In addition, many of these adaptogenic herbs and supplements can help to “undo” some of the damage caused by sympathetic overdrive and adrenal fatigue. Some of these adaptogenic herbs include Ginseng, Rhodiola (The best in my opinion for lifters and athletes), Holy basil, Ashwaganda, cordecypes (another great option for athletes), Licorice, and maca.