Pre-workout pre-workouts are rightfully one of the most popular supplements among strength athletes. They serve to temporarily energize, support strength performance, suppress fatigue and improve the overall quality of training. Enough strength athletes can no longer imagine training without a pre-workout. Although pre-workouts are widespread, it is often the case that people tend to slightly underestimate their effect on the body, especially on the central nervous system. Therefore, it is not uncommon for athletes to take much higher doses of pre-workouts than recommended by the manufacturer. Understandably, this raises the question of whether it is possible to overdose on a pre-workout somehow, e.g.Or what risks are involved in taking excessive doses of this supplement.
Today we will follow up on our previous articles about protein overdose and excessive use of creatine. In particular, we'll look at what side effects pre-workouts can cause and what substances to watch out for the most.
What is a pre-workout?
As partially written in the introduction, pre-workouts are used to support performance during training.They do this by stimulating the central nervous system and increasing blood flow to the muscles, thereby delayingfatigue, feeling energized, improved focus on training, motivation, increased endurance and feeling pumped up. The benefits of pre-workouts are especially appreciated when one is already feeling tired before a workout (for example, after a long day at work). If you want to achieve maximum performance in your workout, a pre-workout will reliably help you do that. It goes without saying, however, that the specific effects vary from product to product, and also each of us has a different tolerance to the individual substances contained in the supplements.
Very often, in connection with pre-workouts, stimulants are also spoken of, and the two terms are not infrequently used as synonyms, although this is not entirely correct.There are also pre-workouts without stimulants (CNS stimulating substances), however, they do not have the same effect as pre-workouts with stimulants.
Key substances found in pre-workouts
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, an essential ingredient in pre-workouts are so-called stimulants. These substances act on the central and peripheral nervous system, which manifests itself, for examplesuch as arousal, mood enhancement/enhancement, improved concentration and so on. The most well-known stimulant is caffeine, which most people associate primarily with coffee. It is used primarily for its ability to relieve fatigue, promote strength and endurance, improve concentration and so on. Taurine is also used as a stimulant, although it is actually an amino acid. Its main benefits include reducing lactic acid levels in the blood during intense exercisemaintaining the balance of minerals in the body, promoting glucose absorption into the muscle and so on. You will also often come across synephrine, which is particularly important for its ability to influence thermogenesis during training.
The second group of substances that a pre-workout can't do without are amino acids. They have countless different positive effects and you can meet them in different combinations. Among the most popular is arginine, which is responsible for increased blood flow to working muscles, which promotes strength performance and reduces muscle fatigue. Citrulline also has a similar effect, which also affects the production of anaoblic testosterone. After taking a pre-workout, a man may often feel a tingling sensation in the muscles, making it almost impossible to sit still and do nothing. Beta alanine is responsible for this effect, whose other benefits also include promoting growth hormone production and increasing physical stamina.
Recommended and maximum doses of selected substances
It is clear that, especially with stimulants, you need to watch the amount you take. However, the recommended or maximum doses of these substances need to be taken with a slight reserve, asas mentioned earlier, each of us has a different tolerance to each stimulant. Therefore, you may not feel the best even if you stick to the recommended dose. It should be noted, however, that the daily limits for all substances are based on on the basis of scientific studies, so they should suit a fairly wide range of people.
Caffeine
High caffeine intake is one of the most common risks that accompany the use of pre-workouts. In general, 400 mg is the maximum daily dose of caffeine, which is also mentioned by coffee websites. As a rule, in pre-workout supplements you can come across a content of just over 200 mg per dose. In this case, it is definitely not advisable to take, for example, two doses, especially if you drink, for example, coffee or black tea during the day.
Citrulline
The recommended dose of citrulline is often given as 3 grams per day, but you may also see a recommendation of 6-8 grams per day to support athletic performance . It is not uncommon for supplements to contain citrulline in amounts very close to the upper limit of the recommended daily dose.
Taurine
Even in the case of taurine, pre-workout manufacturers like to attack the upper limit of the maximum recommended dose. This should not exceed 2 grams, however, according to some studies, even a dose of 6 grams per day is safe.
Beta alanine
The recommended maximum dose of beta alanine is 4-6 grams per day, although it is possible to come across slightly different values. Either way, in commonly sold pre-workouts, if the recommendedYou won't encounter excessive amounts of this substance in the recommended dosage.
Arginine
Arginine is one of the substances that you definitely won't overdose on in a regular pre-workout. In fact, it ispossible to take up to 20 grams of arginine per day, but it is not advisable to dose such a large amount at once. In most pre-workouts, arginine is found in much smaller amounts also because it keepsto maintain elevated arginine levels for longer periods of time, it is preferable to take L-citrulline.
Synephrine
Determining the maximum dose of synephrine is a little more complicated, as there is no single limit that can be considered generally valid. According to some studies, taking 20 mg of synephrine per day is considered safe. However, even 30 mg per day is often discussed. For most pre-workouts, the amount of synephrine is around 10 mg.
Given the above, it is clear that it is definitely not advisable to take higherhigher doses of pre-workout supplements than recommended by the manufacturer. Many of the substances contained in them are found in amounts that are dangerously close to the maximum daily dose.
It is not difficult to overdose
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to overdose on a pre-workout is quite simple. Yes. And it's much easier than it may seem. In some cases, you only need to take twice the recommended dose. But overdosing or exceeding the maximum daily dose does not automatically mean a fatal risk. In fact, the most common symptoms include nausea, digestive problems, dry mouthirritability, uncomfortable heart palpitations, trouble sleeping, or even headaches. The good news is that, although in theory some of these effects can occur even with less severe overexceeding the maximum dose, it is very unlikely that you will experience more serious side effects. In fact, the real problems would only occur when you were consuming really large amounts of of the pre-workout at one time or significantly exceed the recommended dosage for an extended period of time. In this case, it would be a good idea to see a doctor.
Less is sometimes more
In an attempt to achieve the greatest possible high, some people tend to increase their doses of pre-workout. The reasons why this is not advisable were outlined in the previous paragraph. For the sake of completeness, however, I think it is worth pointing out one more negative effect of over-mediumof the overuse of substances contained in pre-workout supplements. The excessive use of some stimulants cancan result in exactly the opposite effect than one hopes for. A typical example is caffeine, which, although it can normally give a good boost, when taken in excessbut when taken in excess, it can have the opposite effect and paradoxically make you feel very tired after a short time. It should also be added that it is very easy to build up a tolerance to caffeine. Some people try to overcome this by increasing the dosage, but this does not work for this problem, as the tolerance to caffeine is due to the loss of the receptors on which it acts.
How to prevent the negative effects of an overdose?
The best way to avoid an overdose is, of course, to follow the recommended dosage. But if for some reason you don't follow the manufacturer's recommendations, there are a couple of waysways to mitigate the side effects of overdosing on certain stimulants. In most cases, drinking enough water will help. At the same time, it is recommended to eat something small rich in carbohydrates, which will help prevent unpleasant digestive problems.
Which pre-workout to choose?
You can read about how to choose the ideal pre-workout in our ranking of the best pre-workouts. In it, you'll find a list of the best pre-workouts on the market with a detailed analysis of their main advantages and disadvantages. Before buying, always study the product's ingredients carefully and make sure it doesn't contain any substances that your body has reacted badly to in the past. At the same time, be sure to familiarize yourself with the recommended dosage.
We can recommend the perfectly working Extrifit Agrezz or the popular Beast Virus from the Czech Virus brand.
If you know you will need to take a pre-workout at later hours, consider buying a supplement without stimulants (it is not advisable to take stimulants in the evening due to the quality of sleep). In this case, Serious PRE by Prom-IN or M3/s Pump by Czech Virus are recommended.
Summary in conclusion
Pre-workouts contain a large amount of stimulants and other substances that positively affect performance during training. These supplements are considered safe when the recommended dosage is followedHowever, they can cause a number of negative effects when the prescribed daily dose is exceeded. In the vast majority of cases, these will not be serious, but it is not advisable to take these effects lightly. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and do not exceed the recommended dosage. Pre-workouts without stimulants are also worth considering, as they are a suitable alternative especially for training later in the day.
On the topic of pre-workout overdose, that's all for now from our side. However, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us in the comments.
Why can you trust us?
Sport has been my lifelong passion, I have been close to it since I was a child. For a long time I was primarily involved in athletics, which also eventually led me to the gym. Every good sprinter knows that to get one tenth of a start, he must therefore sacrifice hundreds of hours in training. And it was this toil behind the curtain, which no one sees, that was my greatest passion.
Every kilo in the gym helped me to move a little closer to my goal and I fell in love with the gym very quickly. Even though I don't race anymore, nothing has changed in my relationship with uncompromising training.