A Quick Guide to Pre-Workout Supplements and their Benefits
Pre-Workouts Vs Protein Shakes – Which is Better?
It seems like every trainer, athlete, or fitness junkie has their opinion on which supplements offer the best benefits. Most people say pre-workouts are better, while others are ready to swear by protein shakes. Some claim that both play an equal “yin and yang” role in ensuring proper pre and post-workout nutrition.
However, before you splash your cash on either option or both, you should learn about the potential benefits of each supplement type to determine which one is the right choice for you. On the surface, the decision looks simple, but there’s more to it than most people admit to sharing. Therefore, in this post, we’ll share a brief comparison of pre-workouts vs. protein shakes to simplify your purchase decision.
Let’s get started!
Why Use a Pre-Workout?
A pre-workout is a dietary supplement used by athletes and weightlifters to help them feel on point during their workouts and enhance their training performance. It usually comes in a flavoured powder that can be added to water, milk, or other liquids. Most options are loaded with creatine, vitamins, caffeine, minerals, and different stimulants to increase endurance, energy, and focus before and during a workout. Read more for a guide on the best pre-workout powder in the market
Pre-Workout Benefits
Most fitness enthusiasts often struggle to focus and give their 100% during sessions, especially when starting out. As a result, they spend more time warming up or skipping a few exercises. Here are some of the key benefits of pre-workout supplements:
- Pre-workouts boost adrenaline, which allows athletes to train longer and harder.
- Reduces the time required to transfer energy to muscles and boosts endurance.
- Amino acids increase muscle blood flow for a swift recovery.
- Caffeine improves concentration and motivation.
- Creatine draws fluid to muscles to increase their mass make them appear bigger.
- Burns calories using less energy.
- Burns fat cells first instead of carbs.
Why Use Protein Powder or a Protein Shake?
Protein powder is the most popular bodybuilding supplement in the health and fitness industry. While they also help improve training performance and endurance, their primary function is to fuel recovery, promote muscle gain, and maintain metabolism. Many athletes also use them for weight loss as they’re loaded with amino acids and powerful stimulants that burn fat quickly. Protein powders come in different flavours (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc.) and are typically blended with different types of milk (dairy, soy, almond, etc.) and fruits (apple, banana, berries, etc.) to make a protein shake that can be consumed shortly after a workout.
Protein Power Benefits
Like pre-workouts, protein powders and shakes offer a host of unique benefits. They’re suitable for people looking to increase their protein intake and muscle mass and not necessarily as a source of energy. However, this doesn’t mean they can’t be used as fuel for your workout, although they can make you feel a little bloated since they’re richer than pre-workouts. Let’s check out some of their main benefits:
- Weight management due to high protein content and low calories.
- Protein powder ingredients curb hunger while adding nutrition from vitamins and minerals.
- Protein shakes promote muscle tone and help maintain mass.
- Aid in smooth recovery following a workout.
- Vegan-friendly supplements offer a smart alternative to meat and dairy.
Pre-Workout Vs. Protein Shake – Which One is Better for You?
Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer on which supplement is better since they serve different functions. Therefore, the questions you should be asking are which one is better for you or can you have both? These are questions with more definitive answers.
For instance, if you’re looking to feel more energized and support your workouts, you should take a pre-workout. If you want to improve muscle mass and support your post-training recovery, drink a protein shake.
While both supplements share many ingredients, their macros vary according to their use case. For instance, protein powders contain a wide range of amino acids in higher percentages which are good for athletes looking to build muscle. Similarly, pre-workouts are loaded with more stimulants, vitamins, and minerals that can help athletes energize.
As far as using both supplements goes, you should speak to your doctor or dietician to determine whether you should and how often you need to consume them. The science suggesting its effectiveness is quite straightforward. A pre-workout is an excellent way to boost performance and training intensity to kick-start muscle growth and development. However, this means that you’ll be breaking down more muscle during every training session. Therefore, you need something to balance this out. This is where protein shakes come in to restore the muscle tissues.
However, before you complement these two supplements to get the best of both worlds, you need to ensure that either protein powder or pre-workout is free of caffeine or other stimulants, so you don’t overdo it. As far as timing goes, you should consume pre-workouts at least 30 minutes before your training. As for protein shakes, many trainers recommended consuming them as soon as possible after a session since your muscles are still at work. However, if you drink a pre-workout, you can delay the protein shake a little while longer, especially if you live far away from the gym or have other errands to run before heading home from the gym.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to getting in perfect shape or getting your desired body, there’s no magic powder to success. It requires months or even years of consistent hard work to achieve and sustain. However, both pre-workouts and protein powders can help speed up your journey or improve your performance and results. So, instead of choosing between pre-workouts vs. protein shakes, consider using both after speaking to a healthcare professional and boost your overall nutrition. Lastly, make sure you do not replace any meal with any of these supplements, as this could affect your lifestyle. Instead, combine them into your diet and create a sensible, balanced nutrition and workout plan.
