Testosterone Boosters and Pre-Workout Supplements

Many weight lifters, bodybuilders and other athletes (and even just curious “regular” guys) have said that they are interested in learning more about the relationship between testosterone boosters and pre-workout supplements. Of course, most people do understand that these are two different categories and areas of supplements, with different purposes. But many people often wonder if they can be taken together.

Testosterone Boosters:

lift more with testosterone boosters
Stuggling to use the same weights as you normally do? Losing your gains? You may need to invest in a testosterone booster.

But why would someone turn to a testosterone booster in the first place? Many men choose to take testosterone boosters for a number of purposes. Some want to promote lean muscle growth, others want to support their hormone levels. Plus, many testosterone boosters come with the added bonus of being libido enhancers.

There are also numerous negative side effects of decreased testosterone levels in men. For instance, it’ very hard to gain muscle mass and strength declines dramatically. Along with decreased strength is low energy levels.

So who is at risk for decreased testosterone? Assuming you are a healthy man and have no medical issues to take into account, your environment is the number one factor that can throw off your testosterone. Do you have a sedentary job? Eat a lot of processed food? Sitting all day and filling your body with junk can play a big role in low testosterone levels.

If you are noticing a dip in your performance in the gym and your body composition, you may want to look into taking a testosterone enhancer like D-Aspartic Acid supplement. If you are looking for a boost in your bedroom perfomance, you may want to consider longjack. This supplement will give you a kick in the gym, but Longjack powder is well documented for its libido enhancing prowess as well.

Bear in mind, testosterone boosters are not an overnight solution and are meant to be taken on a consistent basis. That being said, individuals taking testosterone boosters should also cycle off from time to time to give their body a break.

Pre-Workout Supplements:

The idea behind pre-workout supplements is to give your system an initial jolt. An increased energy level is the primary goal and as such almost every pre workout blend contains caffeine. If you are looking to avoid caffeine, check out my suggestions for caffeine alternatives here.

More advanced supplements also may include ingredients like Creatine powder to help improve your muscle “pumps” as well as your energy level. Creatine is an extremely popular pre workout supplement for this reason. It boosts ATP production to deliver energy to your muscles quickly without caffeine jitters.

Creatine monohydrate is the oldest and most well known creatine variant on the market, but newer versions are gaining more attention. Creatine HCL supplement is one such variant that promises the same results as monohydrate, but with a significantly smaller dosage.

All pre-workout supplements are fast acting. This is why they are taken 30 minutes or so before your workout. It is also why they need to be taken before every workout, since the effects wear off very quickly. Most users mix their pre workout supplements into a drink or shake.

Testosterone + Pre workout Supplement Benefits

The good news is that it is absolutely beneficial to take both of these types of supplements. Since they each have different ingredients, they do not interact with each other negatively. In fact, they may even have a synergistic effect, helping each other to be even more effective!

The obvious connection between the two is to improve your fitness levels. Pre workout supplements are taken as a quick solution to boost energy as well as improve short-term muscle strength and recovery. This allows you to do more work for longer without demolishing your muscles beyond repair.

Testosterone boosters are a long-term solution. Pre workout supplements will give you quick energy, but if your testosterone levels are flagging, you may notice yourself needing more and more pre workout to do the same routines. With testosterone boosters you can slowly bring your testosterone levels back up to where they should be to get the most out of your pre workout supplement.

The best way to combine both of these would be to stagger the doses. The best idea might be to start off your day with the testosterone booster(s). Then, have your pre-workout supplements immediately before heading off to the gym. If you do this right, you will be hyped up enough to have an incredible workout and then, over the long term, your natural testosterone levels will increase. This will help to enhance and speed up your goal of gaining lean muscle mass and improving your body composition.

Importance of Pre-Workout Nutrition and Supplementation

The importance of nutrition isn’t foreign to anyone in the health and fitness community. You, like many athletes, surely know the right meals and supplements are essential to maximizing strength and power.  Lack of proper supplement timing, however, may be holding you back from your goals. For a long time there was an understanding that the most important time to take supplements was post-workout. There is now a new school of thought that says taking supplements before you work can be even more effective.

Why Pre-Workout Supplements?

Priming your body and your muscles properly is akin to making sure your car has enough gas in it before a long car trip. Pre-workout supplements can help you in multiple ways by fueling you with the nutrients you need at the very moment you need them, not just after you’re depleted.

Benefits of good pre-workout supplements include[1]:

  • More strength and performance. Lift more weight, work out for a longer period of time and reduce muscle fatigue.
  • Improved energy and reaction time. Do you work out early in the morning or after a long day’s work? You probably need an energy boost to perform at your best.
  • Better focus. Give yourself a mental edge for overcoming barriers. Having a focused, determined attitude is essential to success in the gym. Focus on your plan and execute.
  • Increased protein synthesis. Build muscle more efficiently and recover faster by getting nutrients to muscles immediately.
  • Improved fat burning. Get full advantage of your workout and maximize your body composition.

As you can see, these are very wide in scope so they can benefit athletes at any level. It’s not just anecdotal evidence either – clinical studies have shown that the proper pre-workout supplements can provide significant results. In one study, subjects performed 50% more bench press repetitions and had a 40% reduction in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) when they used citrulline malate powder pre-workout[2].

What to supplement with?

There are a wide variety of pre-workout supplements available, so it’s essential to do research and read up on some of the options to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time in the gym and getting the right supplements to meet your goals. Below are some options and good places to start with pre-workout supplements:

Strength and performance: Citrulline Malate powder, Creatine supplement (or the faster absorbed derivative, creatine ethyl ester), Beta Alanine supplement, L-Arginine supplement, Beta-Ecdysterone supplements

Energy and focus: Caffeine supplements, DS Craze pre workout supplement, C-vitamins

Increased protein synthesis: Whey Protein, Branched Chain Amino Acids

Improved fat burning: Caffeine supplements

Keep in mind that with certain supplements you may want to stagger the dosage. For example, users should take arginine powder should be taken about an hour before exercise, but branched chain amino acids are digested quickly, so those should be consumed just before your workout.

Now that you know the benefits of  pre-workout nutrition and what to use, go pick up some new pre-workout supplements to add to your routine and see your gains skyrocket!

Sources

[1] https://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/9/1/28

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386132