Tag: pre-workout stack

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Pre-Workout Stack: Creatine, Caffeine, and DMAA

pre-workout stack: creatine, caffeine, DMAA

Caffeine supplements, creatine supplements, and DMAA are already included in many generic proprietary blend pre-workout formulas, and there is good reason why. The combination of these three supplements work very well together to provide the energy, focus, and recovery that are essential to a great workout and great results. To effectively evaluate this particular stack let’s take a look at the individual supplements and the specific research behind their effectiveness.

Creatine

According to the International Society of Sports and Nutrition the supplementation of creatine is the most effective performance enhancing nutritional supplement when it comes increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and building lean body mass. In addition, creatine is produced naturally in the body and can be found in some foods. Research involving both novice and experienced athletes has shown creatine to increase power output, muscular endurance, anaerobic running capacity, and lean mass. Increased power output and anaerobic running capacity are among the most heavily researched effects when it comes to studying creatine and both areas have shown significant results. We’ll look at how it interacts with caffeine and DMAA in a moment.

Caffeine Powder

Pure caffeine powder is arguably one of the most popular stimulants in the world at present and there is good reason why. Its effects are potent and they work fast; this coupled with the fact that caffeine is legal and unregulated make it an extremely popular choice in the stimulatory world. Research has shown caffeine to increase focus, reduce physical and mental fatigue, restore alertness, increase general coordination, and it allows for faster and clearer thoughts.

DMAA

DMAA is often one of the main ingredients in many pre-workout supplements you may have already tried and is enjoyed by many people around the world every day. Currently the only significant effects found through research relate to DMAA’s ability to raise blood pressure while not increasing the subject’s heart rate. While this may be beneficial to those with low blood pressure, I’m guessing that’s not why you’re here. In regards to training, DMAA is used in conjunction with caffeine to boost mood, confidence, and energy. In addition, it has been shown to be more potent than caffeine in related areas, essentially meaning less is more when it comes to DMAA supplementation.

This pre-workout stack will not leave you wondering if it is working or not 30 minutes in to your workout. It is most effective in boosting energy, focus, and strength and preparing your body for recovery so that you can get back to training as soon as possible. One should always exercise caution when trying a new stack and do their own research on each individual component they wish to implement. Individual responses will always be different and should be taken into account. This stack is a great option to cycle with any other stacks you may have tried and liked. Give it a shot and let us know about your results.

Sources

Caffeine: https://intraspec.ca/1981-v10n03-p202.pdf

Creatine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7714837

DMAA: https://physsportsmed.org/doi/10.3810/psm.2011.09.1927

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Good Pre-Workout Supplements to Enhance Results in the Gym

preworkout520Most athletes or weight training individuals instinctively know that they should take a good pre-workout supplement. But beyond this necessity lies many different questions. For example, many people want to know what are the best supplements to take before a workout are. Other common questions are whether these supplements should be stacked and if it helps to cycle on and off, rotating different types of supplements into your routine. Weight training is something which requires a lot of effort and care in order to achieve your goals.

Planning Your Goals

The answers to anything relating to weight training should start with examining your goals. If you are training to gain size, this will demand a different supplement routine than someone who is looking to get “ripped” or cut.

Despite this, I think that most people would agree on basic ideas about what they are looking to get out of their workout. For example:

• To increase strength and power
• Improve endurance
• Decrease muscular breakdown during training
• Increase energy levels (to allow for more intense training)
• Increase protein synthesis
• Enhance metabolic rate (also improves fat burning)

Best Pre-Workout Supplements

For someone looking to simply to increase size and strength, there is nothing better than some Creatine Monohydrate and Taurine. Both of these are some of the most popular supplements on the market.

With the goal of improving muscle growth and eliminating muscular breakdown, there are some great options. Branched chain amino acids are excellent, since muscle tissue metabolizes them instead of the liver. This leads to a much quicker delivery (which also helps with endurance). Whey protein is also another interesting choice.

There are tons of products on the market that help to increase energy. Even something as simple as caffeine could work. One of the main benefits of Tyrosine supplement is it is a nice option for energy, since it is believed to be a precursor to dopamine and other key neurotransmitters.

As for endurance, the top two supplements are Beta Alanine and Citrulline Malate. These both can help to reduce fatigue and even increase ATP production.

Using These Pre-Workout Supplements

You could simply mix and match any of the supplements listed above. However, stacking is probably the best idea to get consistent results. One possible suggestion would be to pick an item from each category.

It is also very helpful to consider cycling your pre-workout supplements. For example, if you have been taking the same supplement regime for 2 months and start noticing your results stagnating, then take a short one- to two-week break from the supplementation regime. Or, consider switching out some of the supplements for others.

If you follow these tips, you can look forward to a long history of strength and muscle gains as well as improved results. Good luck!