If you are big on fitness, are trying to build muscle mass, or lose body fat, you probably already know about pre-and post-workout supplements and their benefits. They have earned quite a reputation in the world of fitness, especially because they help athletes and bodybuilders get the most out of their workouts.

These supplements are simply dietary add-ons that make it easier to get essential nutrients into your body that enhance your strength so you can push through training for maximum results.

If you haven’t already used supplements, now is the time to start so you can achieve your fitness goals faster. Here are our favorite 4 Pre-workout supplements to give your workouts the needed boost;

Creatine

Among the plethora of bodybuilding supplements available in the market, creatine is one of the most popular ones. It helps athletes build muscle mass and strength. The human body naturally produces creatine, and muscle cells store around 95 percent of it.

When used as a pre-workout supplement, creatine helps increase the volume of muscle mass significantly, promotes the growth of lean body mass, aids high-intensity performance and also promotes faster post-workout recovery. Because creatine builds quick muscle mass, many athletes and bodybuilders prefer it over other supplements.

While creatine does not lead to increased fat burn directly, it helps you do that indirectly, and is powerfully effective. Muscle tissues naturally burn more calories in the body than fatty tissues.

Since creatine helps speed up muscle gains, the body will burn a bigger number of calories thanks to the increase in lean muscle mass. That’s how creatine indirectly helps users lose weight.

Whey protein

Another very common pre-workout supplement, whey protein greatly helps gain muscles and lose fat faster. It is typically consumed both before and after a workout, improves muscle recovery and restoration, and also fosters protein synthesis in the muscles thereby becoming a source of energy for them. This process also promotes the growth of lean muscle tissue and helps retain muscle mass while shedding excess fat from the body.

While there is a variety of whey available in the market, but regardless of which type you use, it will eventually stimulate protein synthesis leading to bigger and stronger muscles.

Because whey protein has a rapid rate of digestion, it breaks down really fast once it is in your gullet and is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. The blood then transports this protein to the muscles from where they get a ton of energy.

Whey protein also boosts the blood flow to the muscle tissues which makes sure that essential nutrients and minerals are delivered to the worn-out muscles after a tough workout session. These nutrients ensure quick recovery and muscle growth.

Whey protein also helps shed body fat as it contains leucine, an ingredient that plays a key role in protein synthesis where it stimulates fatty acid oxidation and burns those calories.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

This supplement is made up of the three most important amino acids required by the body for building muscle tissue; leucine, valine and isoleucine. When consumed before a workout, all three of these essential components work together to stimulate protein synthesis in the muscle tissues where they also further lead to increased muscle growth, maximum energy during workouts and delays muscle soreness.

BCAAs are often referred to as the building blocks of muscles because 35 percent of our muscle mass is made up of them where they lead to growth and development on a molecular level. One of the three amino acids present in these supplements is leucine which acts like a muscle-building powerhouse that helps athletes build big and strong muscles over the course of their fitness routine.

These supplements are also recommended when you are on a fat loss program or are looking to lose fat faster. While helping you gain muscle mass, BCAAs also contain non-stimulating natural fat burning compounds that help you lose fat from your body at a greater speed than before.

Research also has it that BCAAs lowers the levels of cortisol in the body which, in turn, reduces stress induced binges that help you shed off excess fat from your body.

Beta Alanine

This is also a naturally occurring amino acid which extensively helps in improving muscular performance and also makes the muscles bigger and stronger. According to several comprehensive scientific studies conducted on the effects of beta alanine, it significantly boosts explosive muscular strength and increases muscle mass. It also increases an athlete’s capacity for workouts which helping him train harder and for longer periods of time.

When you consume this supplement before a workout, it combines another amino acid in the body called histidine and together they form carnosine, which is dipeptide molecule that creates strength and endurance. Studies conducted on beta alanine have also found that when it is consumed together with creatine, it results in increased muscle mass and the loss of more body fat.

Beta alanine is a highly versatile supplement which also aids in fat loss and builds muscle mass in the body. It acts as a stimulant and helps you burn more fat and does not supply your body with additional calories to burn.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, muscle is needed to burn fat in the body. Since beta alanine leads to muscle growth, by increasing the amount of muscle, it helps decrease the amount of fat in your body.

When consumed before a work out, these supplements can be help you achieve your fitness goals faster, and more efficiently.

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