WHAT IS PRE-TRAINING?

Nutrition is one of the main pillars of a good workout . Without the necessary nutrients, especially at strategic times, it is impossible to guarantee a routine of intense physical exercises, good performance and achieving hypertrophy . In this context, what you choose to ingest before your activities deserves a lot of attention.

The importance of food and supplementation in the period before training is so important that it received its own name, becoming known as "pre-workout". This importance is due to the fact that during the practice of exercises such as weight training, the body makes intense efforts, increasing its demand for nutrients and energy.

This energy can be produced in different ways, but the best way is to obtain it through food and supplements of good origin. In this way, investing in quality pre-workout foods and supplements is one of the best ways to ensure good workouts and, consequently, have the best results.

WHAT TO CONSUME IN PRE-TRAINING?

The pre-workout intake will vary according to individual characteristics, such as height, body weight, gender, goal, and training variables — whether it is short or intense, long or low intensity, etc.

However, eating at least two macronutrients is recommended — carbohydrates and protein. This recommendation is based on the fact that carbohydrates correspond to the preferred way of obtaining energy and that proteins participate in the synthesis and composition of muscle tissues.

This means consuming these two macronutrients will enable quality training and better preservation of muscles during efforts.


Key nutrients in pre-workout

The essential nutrients will also depend on several factors, mainly on the goals of each one – improving performance, gaining lean mass or losing weight, for example. What can be said is that, in general, people need substances that provide energy and act as stimulants.

In this context, some nutrients may be highly beneficial, such as:


HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE NUTRIENTS IN THE PRE-WORKOUT?

The balance between proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, fibres, bioactive compounds and water depends directly on the needs of each person. There is no pre-established formula. Nutrition must understand individuals in all their characteristics, and that is what generates balance.

There is no way to think about organic balance talking about only 2 nutrients and approximately 42 are needed throughout the day. In general, we can say that carbohydrates and proteins are responsible for providing direct energy to muscle cells. From this, we can have recommendations such as:

  • 3 to 4 hours before the session, 200 to 300g of carbohydrates;
  • 1 to 2 hours before, 1 to 2g/kg carbohydrate weight;
  • 45 to 15 minutes before, consumption of approximately 60g of carbohydrates.

Pre-workout: interval between nutrient intake and training

In addition to the individual characteristics of those who train and the exercise style, another factor influencing the choice of what to eat before training is the interval between the meal and the beginning of the physical exercise.

Periods equal to or longer than 90 minutes can receive food combinations or supplements from protein and carbohydrate sources. For carbohydrates, it is worth betting on sweet potatoes, cassava, brown rice, and gel or powdered versions. Beef, eggs, chicken or protein supplements will be useful for protein intake.

For intervals of 90 to 45 minutes, if you choose foods, include only those that are easy to digest to avoid nausea and feelings of discomfort during training. For example, white rice, potato or tapioca accompanied by egg whites, skimmed milk or fat-free derivatives.

If the interval is less than 45 minutes, the use of supplements is indicated. They are Maltodextrin and Dextrose, accompanied by Whey Protein and pre-workout supplements.


WHAT TO AVOID DURING PRE-TRAINING?

Some foods can impair performance in training because they are difficult to digest and absorb and, therefore, should be avoided. The recommendation is not to ingest poor quality fats, such as hydrogenated, fried foods, soft drinks and carbonated drinks, in addition to avoiding refined sugar.

In addition, individualities must be considered. Some people do not have a good tolerance to dairy products before training, red meat, among others. It is also common to find those who cannot perform well when eating before activities, in these cases, the use of supplements is the most recommended.

It is important that everyone observes how the body reacts to certain foods in the pre-workout and does not exaggerate the amounts to avoid nausea, nausea and poor digestion.

Pre-workout supplements for hypertrophy

In the case of lean mass gain, for a significant muscle gain to occur, a positive caloric balance is necessary. Therefore, an adequate quantitative and qualitative intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be oriented. Thinking exclusively about the pre-workout need, it is known that the more intense the exercise, the greater the need to use this nutrient.

Endurance exercises need supplements rich in branched-chain amino acids, beta alanine and arginine. Strength exercisers will be well served with supplements based on creatine, betaine, glutamine, leucine and caffeine .

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENTS?

Any legislation does not govern the manufacture of pre-workout supplements. This means that they can be manipulated or manufactured according to the wishes of each manufacturer, as long as this manipulation follows the specifications and norms for the manufacture of supplements in general.

The best supplements provide the nutrients individuals need most, and our organism uses them according to the need and not the supply. For this reason, there is no better compound than the other but the ones that will best meet the moment's needs.

Growth Supplements offers excellent pre-workout supplement options, all produced with what you need to perform at your best in intense, challenging workouts that push you to overcome your limits and reach your main goals.

Nutrients such as Taurine, Inositol Betaine, Glucuronolactone, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Chelated Chromium, Biotin, and Vitamin B12 are part of our Pineapple Flavor Pre-Workout, for example. Combining all these nutrients stimulates and optimizes the energy metabolic process during training.

Our Challenger Pre-Workout was developed with specific nutrients — Taurine, Calcium Chelate and Caffeine — that participate in several metabolic pathways and are essential to provide mental and physical energy, enabling high-intensity training sessions.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH SUPPLEMENT IS IDEAL FOR MY PRE-WORKOUT?

It is important to remember that the professional indicated to prescribe the most appropriate supplementation for you is the nutritionist. He will do a physiological analysis and will be able to assess your nutritional needs, including the exact amounts of supplements.

In general, the ideal supplements will depend on your goals. People in weight loss usually benefit from thermogenic, while those in hypertrophy achieve good results with Creatine and BCAA, for example.

However, all people who want to improve their performance in training and achieve their results faster benefit from supplements such as the Pineapple-flavored Pre-Workout or the Challenger Pre-Workout.

The combination of products can even provide even better results. For example, if your main goal is hypertrophy, combining branched-chain amino acids with essential pre-workout nutrients will make all the difference!


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