Tag: Supplement
Top Reasons Why You Should Use Super Greens Supplements
You’ve heard of them, but what’s the real benefit in taking them?
Too often do we find ourselves battling certain deficiencies when it comes to those vital nutrients and super green supplements are exactly the kind of thing to help prevent that. When it comes down to it, you constantly deplete your body and even with a solid nutrition routine, getting all those valuable nutrients can often times slip through the cracks. But with sports nutrition and supplement companies working diligently on your behalf, the right products do exist and can greatly influence all of your gains. Plus, they’ll keep you healthier overall.
Some ask the question of what is different between a multivitamin and a super greens supplement– a fair question. We’re always told that we should work to maximize our health as best we can and with the right supplements we can do just that. But, of course, money becomes an issue for some as our expenses tend to add up, thus giving us the choice between what to buy.
Let’s take an in depth at super greens supplements and see just what makes these so sought after. The right approach can give us everything we need to succeed when it comes to supplementation. And we’ll answer the question of multivitamins vs. super greens so you get the best advice on how to move forward.
What Are Super Green Supplements?
Super green supplements are dietary supplements designed to help you reach your daily intake of fruits and vegetables in a convenient powder form. Packed with vital nutrients and offering loads of benefits, super greens can be easily mixed and taken at your convenience to pump you full of only the best ingredients including greens, other vegetables, fruits, probiotics, and more. The right product will keep you operating at full capacity all day long (1).
Benefits Of Super Greens
Let’s take a quick look at some awesome benefits that come along with a great super greens powder:
Help weight loss: Helps to stop cravings and keep you full to avoid weight gain and help with weight management.
Promote better gut health: With necessary enzymes included, this allows your gut to break down food for better nutrient extraction.
Pump you with nutrients and antioxidants: Fight oxidative damage in the body from free radicals (2).
Better energy levels: Provide consistent energy supply throughout the day and boost not only your workouts but also everyday life.
Convenient supplement: Take whenever you want with your desired beverage of choice for simple and easy gains.
Why You Should Take Them
Our bodies are constantly depleted due to workouts and our everyday lives. Even with other supplements and the right routines, the wear and tear we face just really depletes us. But what a good super greens supplement can do is boost our intake and provide for those often missed vital nutrients so we get the most bang for our buck. The above benefits, plus many more, are just some reasons why taking a super greens supplement is important, but at the end of the day, this supplement can help with your overall health and performance, so don’t neglect this from your routine.
Difference Between Super Greens, Multivitamin & Omega-3’s
When it comes to these three supplements, super greens, multivitamins, and omega-3’s can all greatly benefit your health and performance. But it is important to remember that each works in their own respective right to boost your health. Super greens, as mentioned above, will give you a healthy dose of greens and other fruits and vegetables so you do get those vitamins and minerals, however, your body still needs to break that down for nutrient extraction.
A multivitamin will give you everything you need in terms of vitamins and minerals so you don’t suffer a deficiency and should be in your routine regardless of what other supplement you take (3). Omega-3’s are those fatty acids great for boosting a variety of bodily functions like eye and brain health, on top of many others (4).
When it comes down to it, a multivitamin is essential in your routine and should absolutely be a staple. If you find that you are missing those valuable greens, then a super greens product is the way to go for it can give you all that and more. Omega-3 supplements are a nice choice if you want to improve bodily functions but the top two can do the job. If you have the money to spend, and feel an omega-3 supplement will help, then definitely look into a high-quality supplement to boost your gains.
Featured Super Greens Supplement For The Best Nutrients
Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Prebiotic Greens
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Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Prebiotic Greens is a mineral rich and nutritious prebiotic greens supplement. Two parts to this formula works to maximize nutrient utilization as effectively as possible.
Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Prebiotic Greens offers a solid mineral rich and nutritious prebiotic supplement to maximize nutrient utilization. With two parts to this formula, their Algae Greens delivers much needed vitamins and minerals to aid in detoxification and their Prebiotic Fibers will provide healthy gut fibers to maximize this nutrient utilization. With clean ingredients and a transparent formula, Transparent Labs takes pride in knowing their product is geared towards the needs of the consumer with no ulterior motive.
Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off! Check out our individual review for Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Prebiotic Greens here!
Check out our list of the Best Super Green Supplements for more great products!
Wrap Up
Super greens supplements are exactly what we need to thrive day in and day out when it comes to our overall health and performance. By working with the right supplements, we work to optimize our gains so we never fall short of what we need most. By pumping us with fruits and vegetables, we are able to get those vital nutrients into our bodies and really find the best benefits for moving forward. A good super greens supplement can give us what we need and quickly and should be a staple in your supplements routine.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Zhang, J.; et al. (2009). “The effect of fruit and vegetable powder mix on hypertensive subjects: a pilot study”. (source)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. “Antioxidants: In Depth”. (source)
Kamangar, F.; et al. (2012). “Vitamin and Mineral Supplements: Do We Really Need Them?”. (source)
National Institute of Health: National Center For Complementary and Integrative Health”. (source)
Best Caffeine Free Pre-Workout For Clean Energy Boosts 2021
Maximize your exercise performance without the caffeine crash or jittery brain-drain.
When it comes to stimulants and the best pre workout supplements, there’s really no contest: everyone loves caffeine.
Sure, in our Adderall age, there are certainly more powerful stimulants available. However, for a more sustainable headrush with a limited risk of long-term issues, caffeine remains a reasonable choice for boosting performance, both mentally and physically, and caffeine free pre-workouts are great for this.
Because caffeine is associated with “feel good” performance enhancement, many pre-workout supplements offer generous amounts of caffeine in their formulas, as well as really great vitamins and minerals. However, many of these same supplements tend to mask their poor-quality ingredient forms and overall ineffectiveness with caffeine megadoses, making these failed supplements for those looking for a good caffeine free pre workout supplement.
A few common problems with these cheap, weak supplements include:
Jitters related to excess stimulation
Poor absorption due to excess caffeine
Low-grade creatine forms linked to gastric distress
Unhealthy, pointless synthetic flavors and artificial additives
And more. In other words, caffeine isn’t the only problem with today’s standard pre-workout formula; although, it does often distinguish effective caffeine free pre-workout stacks from ineffective formulas.
As a reliable “dopaminergic” brain booster, caffeine can be used to trick consumers into thinking an inferior, cheap pre-workout supplement is working as they misattribute the noticeable “feel good” feelings of caffeine to the formula’s efficacy.
In this guide, we cover the advantages of avoiding caffeine in your pre-workout stack, as well as how you can optimize yours with the best stim-free ingredients.
But before diving into all of that, here is a deep-dive analysis of Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free Pre-Workout, the best all-in-one caffeine free pre workout.
Best Pre-Workout Without Caffeine: Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free Pre-Workout
Transparent Labs Stim-Free Pre-Workout is a 100% transparent formula great for serious athletes and bodybuilders looking for a high-intensity workout experience without caffeine.
Working with key ingredients like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, taurine, and others, this is a great supplement for those intolerant or avoiding caffeine. With clinically-effective dosages, this is a safe supplement to provide for a host of benefits.
Altogether, Transparent Labs Stim-Free Pre-Workout works by:
Increasing nitric oxide to the muscles to support enhanced muscular blood flow and oxygenation, priming the “muscle pump” feel for every great workout.
Enhancing focus to give raise alertness so you stay engaged throughout the entire workout.
Boosting endurance by working as a buffer for lactic acid build up and giving you a great endurance boost.
Promoting lean muscle growth for increased strength and definition for better training, performance, and that desired aesthetic.
Plus, with a transparent label and safe, effective ingredients, you know exactly what you are putting into your body.
Code GENIRON10 For 10% Off
Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free is an amazing option for those looking for stimulant free supplements for strength training, weight loss, and improved performance. With key ingredients at effective dosages, this is a great pre-workout for anyone looking for stim-free options.
Formula Analysis
Citrulline Malate 2:1, 6,000mg
BCAA 2:1:1, 4,000mg
Beta-Alanine, 4,000mg
BetaPure Betaine Anhydrous, 2,500mg
Taurine, 1,300mg
L-Tyrosine, 1,000mg
Choline Bitartrate, 500mg
ElevATP Ancient Peat and Apple Fruit Extract, 150mg
BioPerine, 5mg
Huperzine A, 50mcg
Transparent Labs Stim-Free brings strength and endurance gains to a whole new level with a unique combination of highly potent, bioavailable, and caffeine-free pre-workout ingredients.
Compared to the standard hyper-caffeinated pre-workout supplements lining the shelves, this is a smarter, cleaner stack that provides a natural boost with all-natural, stim-free ingredients.
Plus, you don’t get those unwanted jitters or caffeine related side effects that typically ruin a great product. With no stimulants and a transparent label, this supplement also contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives and is gluten-free and non-GMO to truly maximize your athletic fitness and workout performance.
Shop Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free Pre-Workout Here
Stack with Transparent Labs StrengthSeries Creatine HMB and CoreSeries Post-Workout
To maintain consistent progress with your anabolic gains, fat loss, and other fitness-related goals, stacking a caffeine free pre workout supplement with a post-workout supplement and a “rest day” stack can help. A more complete Transparent Labs stack would look like:
Stim-Free Pre-Workout– a caffeine-free pre-workout enhancer designed to boost nitric oxide, muscle strength, and endurance.
Post– a post-workout formula designed to promote anabolic muscle gains and protect against muscle breakdown.
Creatine HMB– a creatine supplement perfect for restoring depleted muscle tissue and increasing strength.
Transparent Labs CoreSeries Post-Workout
Formula Analysis
L-Glutamine, 5,000mg
Betaine Anhydrous, 2,500mg
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, 2,000mg
Beta-Alanine, 2,000mg
Tart Cherry Powder, 500mg
Astragin, 25mg
Transparent Labs Post is a great post-workout supplement to maximize muscle growth and see results immediately. Working to optimize recovery and muscle repair, the body needs targeted nutrients to fully recharge that are backed by science. With Post, you get great ingredients working together for the best results.
Altogether, the benefits of Post include:
Bolster nitric oxide production
Reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness
Facilitate protein synthesis
Enhance insulin sensitivity
Prime your body for growth and recovery
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Transparent Labs CoreSeries Post is a great supplement to optimize recovery and muscle repair with 6 great ingredients. Paired well with any protein supplement, this can ensure big gains are met.
Transparent Labs StrengthSeries Creatine HMB
Formula Analysis
Creapure Creatine Monohydrate, 5,000mg
B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate (HMB), 1,500mg
BioPerine Black Pepper Extract, 5mg
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB will work to boost performance without losing those hard-earned gains. The added ingredient of HMB along with creatine works in tandem to promote growth, recovery, and provide for the best results possible. BioPerine is exactly what you need to increase absorption so nothing goes to waste.
Altogether, the benefits of Creatine HMB include:
Promote strength and lean muscle
Increase endurance
Prevent lean muscle loss
Decrease fat mass
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Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is clean and effective for tackling all of your strength building needs. With no artificial additives or preservatives, what you get is pure creatine with added HMB for better strength.
The World’s Favorite Drug: Caffeine
Coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, energy shots, pre workout supplements, fat loss supplements, nootropic supplements, energy-boosting gum pack—more and more, it seems like caffeine is sneaking its way into everything these days. And from a seller’s point of view, this makes sense: caffeine makes people feel great, and people buy things that make them feel good (1).
What’s more, caffeine makes people feel good in a reliable way that’s relatively safe to other habit-forming stimulants and quote-unquote “drugs.”
As a naturally occurring compound, caffeine is found in roughly sixty different plant species, including (2):
Coffee Beans
Tea Leaves
Cocoa Beans
Kola Nuts
Yerba Maté
Guarana Berries
Guayusa
Yaupon Holly
Which is interesting and all, but the more important question here is:
What Exactly Is Caffeine?
Caffeine, or 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (if you want to get fancy with it), is an alkaloid, which means that its chemical structure is predominated by nitrogen. Pure caffeine is highly water-soluble and can, thus, act rapidly on the brain and body after ingestion without aid of fatty foods (as is the case with fat-soluble compounds) (3). Those sensitive to this strong stimulant would require a caffeine free pre workout for muscle building and lean muscle.
Structurally, caffeine is similar to adenosine, a compound that binds with adenosine receptors to induce cognitive drowsiness and fatigue. Which gives us the perfect segue into the more important question:
What Exactly Does Caffeine Do?
Caffeine, as a compound structurally similar to adenosine, binds to adenosine receptors to block the drowsiness of adenosine. In other words, caffeine achieves its stimulatory properties on the central nervous system (CNS) through its inhibitory effects on adenosine, resulting in a boost on:
Catecholamines – dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, etc. (4).
Adrenal Activity– encouraging the release of stress hormone cortisol (5).
Dopamine Signaling – in high dosages (300+ mg), caffeine may increase the availability of dopamine receptors (6).
The Pros Vs. Cons Of Caffeine For Exercise
Several factors largely determine the advantageous vs. disadvantageous use of caffeine or caffeine free pre workout supplements for the best performance enhancement. However, perhaps the two most important factors are:
Dosage – the amount of caffeine per serving
Timing– when you take caffeine (i.e., morning or night?)
Caffeine Sensitivity– your personal tolerance to stimulants
Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, and therefore they require smaller dosages to reach peak effect. Others may feel like they need to guzzle a significant amount of caffeine just to reach their cognitive baseline so knowing the pros and cons is huge.
Pro #1 – Cognitive Performance
As a dopaminergic stimulant, caffeine may heighten mood and intensity for greater mental motivation in the gym. Taken prior to exercise, caffeine may help ward off mental fatigue in service of a more alert, more ready mindset.
Study: in a placebo-controlled study on caffeine consumption on judo athletes, morning caffeine ingestion was suggested to have “ergogenic properties with the potential to benefit performance, increase anxiety and vigor, and decrease the simple reaction time” (7).
Con #1 – Anxiety, Nervousness, and Jitteriness
Conversely, the mood- and intensity-boosting advantages of caffeine may also tip over into cognitive impairment by promoting anxiety, nervousness, and jitteriness, which is where a great caffeine free pre-workout would come in handy. Encouraging mental arousal, caffeine may often encourage too much arousal, throwing the mind into a scatterbrained state of anxiety that can be detrimental to athletic performance that requires cool composure.
Study: under conditions of anxiety disorder, caffeine consumption may exacerbate anxiety symptoms, potentially as a consequence of increased sensitivity to caffeine associated with anxiety disorder (8). Abstaining from caffeine altogether may significantly help maintain a level head under such conditions.
Pro #2 – Thermogenic Fat Loss
In addition to boosting cognitive arousal, caffeine’s stimulatory effects also seem to boost thermogenesis, or fat burning. By encouraging the activity of “fight or flight” catecholamines and stress hormones, caffeine seems to heighten the body’s energy expenditure capacity, potentially resulting in greater fat loss results during workouts.
Study: in one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 100, 200, and 400 mg caffeine dosages were observed to determine what happened with thermogenic, metabolic, and cardio health measures. The results: caffeine dose-dependently increased thermogenic energy expenditure in association with increased plasma lactate and triglyceride levels (9).
Con #2 – Poor Sleep Quality
Nothing disrupts performance, endurance, and metabolic health quite like sleep deprivation. Contributing to a wide range of metabolic disorders and performance decrements, poor sleep quality is often associated with excess caffeine use and you won’t necessarily feel these effects with a caffeine free pre workout. And the relationship between the two is a downward spiral: caffeine promotes sleep deprivation, which encourages further caffeine use, and so on.
Study: comparing the sleep disruptive effects of caffeine administered at 0, 3, and 6 hours prior to bedtime, a group of researchers observed that “caffeine taken 6 hours before bedtime has important disruptive properties on sleep and provides empirical support for sleep hygiene recommendations to refrain from substantial caffeine use for a minimum of 6 hours prior to bedtime” (10).
Pro #3 – Vasoconstriction
Caffeine has a vasoconstrictive effect, meaning that this stimulant promotes the constriction of blood vessels, thereby decreasing blood flow. While this sounds like a negative (as we’ll get into in “Con #3” below), caffeine’s vasoconstriction may potentially have a pain-relieving effect on headaches, namely headaches associated with excessive flow to the brain.
Study: as one study on caffeine’s vascular mechanisms of action suggests, “caffeine has some cardiovascular properties and effects which could be considered beneficial,” (11) involving the association between decreased cerebral circulation and migrainous headache.
Con #3 – Vasoconstriction
One of the main reasons we take pre-workout supplements: boost circulation. And so, naturally, the vasoconstriction of caffeine are typically viewed as a negative when it comes to performance enhancement. Whether we’re talking nootropic cognitive enhancers or bodybuilder pre-workout stacks, the goal is to boost blood flow, not inhibit it and caffeine free pre workouts are great for this.
Study: in one 2009 study on the effects of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow, caffeine was shown to reduce cerebral blood flow by an average 27%, (12) which may significantly impact cognition and goes against the vasodilatory aims of pre-workout N.O. boosters.
Okay, So Is Caffeine A Legitimate Performance Enhancer?
Based on the study’s compiled above, the best performance enhancement potential of caffeine significantly depends upon how much caffeine you use, your personal caffeine tolerance, and when you take caffeine (i.e., how close to bedtime) so if sensitive, a caffeine free pre workout would be the way to go.
Of course, much of this is common sense.
But with a better understanding of how caffeine affects your mental and physical performance, you may make a smarter decision as to whether or not you want a caffeine free pre-workout supplement (or any stack for that matter).
An Optional Source Of Pre-Workout Caffeine: Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK Pre-Workout
Code GENIRON10 For 10% Off
Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK is backed by science with clinically effective dosages to increase muscle size and mass. This pre-workout is perfect for reducing fatigue, aiding in muscle growth, and boosting energy levels for better overall performance.
Transparent Labs BULK is the best bulking pre-workout for those looking to gain size and increase muscle mass. With 19 active ingredients and a transparent label, this supplement contains zero artificial sweeteners, flavors, or other additives for only the best in terms of your training and performance.
Top 5 Non-Caffeinated Pre-Workout Ingredients
Whether you’re looking at a caffeinated or caffeine free pre-workout supplement, some of the best pre-workout ingredients you need to look for include:
#1) Creatine
An organic compound highly concentrated in tissue, creatine works as precursor fuel for the natural production of ATP energy, a cleaner, more natural energy source than the stimulatory effects of caffeine. As a dietary supplement, it boosts exercise performance by (13,14):
Replenishing exercise-depleted ATP energy
Stimulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)
Buffering muscular lactic acid build-up for better endurance
Because creatine concentrates in muscle tissue, ongoing supplementation is required for creatine to reach peak saturation and, thus, peak ergogenic effect.
Best Pre-Workout Creatine: Creapure® pH10
Creapure® pH10 is 99.5% pure creatine monohydrate
pH-balanced to enhance bioavailability
Clean and easy-to-absorb to reduce bloating and gastric distress
#2) Beta-Alanine
A well-known sports nutrition aid, namely for the skin-tingling sensation associated with it, Beta-Alanine replenishes levels of carnosine, a dipeptide molecule, in muscle tissue, namely fast-twitch fibers for increased strength and power during high-intensity exercise. Consistently loading and maintaining, carnosine benefits performance and recuperation by (15):
Delaying onset fatigue and failure
Enhancing overall strength and stamina
Neutralizing exercise-induced free radicals
Inhibiting advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)
Buffering the impact of damaging acids
And more. The strength and endurance benefits of beta-alanine are unmatched and pair incredibly well with the endurance-boosting advantages of creatine supplementation and caffeine free pre workout.
Best Pre-Workout Beta-Alanine: CarnoSyn®
CarnoSyn® is the only beta-alanine with NDI (New Dietary Ingredient) status
Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)
Well-backed by years of clinical research
#3) L-Citrulline + L-Glutathione
L-Citrulline is an amino acid that, once absorbed, converts in the body to L-arginine, a nitric oxide (N.O.) booster that enhances muscular circulation, strength, and growth. In other words, L-citrulline works as your go-to pre-workout “muscle pump” booster and will help with mind-muscle connection.
Additionally, L-Glutathione is an antioxidant enzyme that, when paired with L-citrulline, benefits performance in a few ways. Combined, L-citrulline + L-glutathione work by (16):
Promoting oxygen delivery to tissue
Protecting muscle against oxidative stress
Sustaining L-citrulline’s N.O.-boosting bioactivities
Improving energy and anabolism
Strengthening immunity against gym-related challenges
And more. Stacking these two compounds may significantly boost performance and protect against the deleterious side effects of boosted performance.
Best Pre-Workout L-Citrulline + L-Glutathione: Setria® Performance Blend
Setria® Performance Blend is made by Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd., a world leader in supplement development
Kyowa Quality® L-Citrulline is exceptionally clean and bioavailable
Setria® is an advanced glutathione form that pairs well with Kyowa Quality® L-Citrulline
#4) Maritime Pine Bark Extract
Formed by the harsh salty climes of the sea, maritime pine bark extract supplies proanthocyanidins, a potent class of antioxidants that:
Promote endothelial production of nitric oxide (N.O.)
Protect muscle tissue during intense training
Boost long-term cognitive attentional performance
Look for maritime pine bark extract standardized to 95% proanthocyanidins for optimal results with this unique performance enhancing herbal extract.
#5) Himalayan Pink Salt
Hydration is key to muscle growth, and, yet, when it comes to rehydration, we tend to overlook the importance of electrolytes to sustaining healthy H2O levels. As a natural source of electrolyte trace minerals, Himalayan Pink Salt is a smart choice for restoring sweat-depleted electrolytes when taken in a pre-workout context.
Conclusion
Frankly, our caffeine options are far from limited. If you want caffeine, you can get some. Odds are you’re enjoying a hot cup (or a cold can) of caffeine right now, as you read this, so looking for a caffeine free pre workout or one with caffeine is the choice you have to make.
However, what is hard to come by is a real-deal health and fitness supplement that genuinely supports athletic health and fitness. And with its all-natural, hard-hitting ergogenics packed in its caffeine-free pre-workout formula, Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free Pre-Workout certainly fits the bill.
What’s more, Transparent Labs Stim-Free can be synergistically stacked with other top supplements in Transparent Labs Creatine HMB and Post-Workout.
The point isn’t to completely force you into a caffeine-free workout, but to grant you the option. Head to Transparent Labs to see more formulas with PreSeries Stim-Free Pre-Workout.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Transparent Labs and Envato
References
Cappelletti, S.; et al. (2015). “Caffeine: Cognitive and Physical Performance Enhancer or Psychoactive Drug?”.
Evans J et al. Caffeine. [Updated 2020 Mar 22]. StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan.
Heckman MA et al. Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) in Foods: A Comprehensive Review on Consumption, Functionality, Safety, and Regulatory Matters. J Food Sci. 2010 Apr; 75(3): R77-87.
Papadelis C et al. Effects of Mental Workload and Caffeine on Catecholamines and Blood Pressure Compared to Performance Variations. Brain Cogn. 2003 Feb; 51(1): 143-54.
Lovallo WR et al. Cortisol Responses to Mental Stress, Exercise, and Meals Following Caffeine Intake in Men and Women. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006 Mar; 83(3): 441-7.
Volkow ND et al. Caffeine increases striatal dopamine D2/D3receptor availability in the human brain. Transl Psychiatry. 2015 Apr; 5(4): e549.
Souissi M et al. Effects of Morning Caffeine Ingestion on Mood States, Simple Reaction Time, and Short-Term maximal Performance on Elite Judoists. Asian J Sports Med. 2012 Sep; 3(3): 161-168.
Bruce MS, Lader M. Caffeine Abstention in the Management of Anxiety Disorders. Psychol Med. 1989 Feb; 19(1): 211-4.
Astrup A et al. Caffeine: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Its Thermogenic, Metabolic, and Cardiovascular Effects in Healthy Volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990 May; 51(5): 759-67.
Drake C et al. Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013 Nov 15; 9(11): 1195-1200.
Echeverri D et al. Caffeine’s Vascular Mechanisms of Action. Int J Vasc Med. 2010; 2010: 834060.
Addicott MA et al. The Effect of Daily Caffeine Use on Cerebral Blood Flow: How Much Caffeine Can We Tolerate?Hum Brain Mapp. 2009 Oct; 30(10): 3102-14.
Cooper R et al. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012; 9: 33.
Oliver JM et al. Oral Creatine Supplementation’s Decrease of Blood Lactate During Exhaustive, Incremental Cycling. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2013 Jun; 23(3): 252-8.
Hobson RM et al. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids. 2012 Jul; 43(1): 25-37.
McKinley-Barnard S et al. Combined L-citrulline and Glutathione Supplementation Increases the Concentration of Markers Indicative of Nitric Oxide Synthesis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015 Jun 10; 12: 27.
Best Caffeine Pills For Runners & Clean Energy 2021
Are these caffeine pills good for runners?
As far as natural stimulants are concerned, caffeine is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most effective there is. But considering that it can enhance your life in more ways than one, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Here are just some benefits you’re likely to enjoy when you use caffeine sparingly:
Improved cognitive performance
Increased energy and alertness
Boosted athletic performance
We’re sure you’ll agree that all the above sounds great, but what happens if you use caffeine incorrectly?
Well, a notable side effect of caffeine is that you may experience jitters if you consume caffeine in high dosages. Energy crashes are another issue associated with an excess amount of caffeine, which we’re certain you’ll want to avoid as a runner. Thankfully, it’s easy to keep things in check by paying close attention to your overall caffeine intake. And yes, that means you’ll probably need to cut down on the amount of energy drinks, coffee, and tea you’re drinking!
So, if you’re a runner looking for the ideal caffeine supplement, you’ve come to the right place. In the following guide, we’ll look closer at the benefits of caffeine for runners, how much is safe to consume per day, and much more.
So, without any further ado, here’s everything you need to know about the…
Best Caffeine Pills for Running: Performance Lab Stim
Performance Lab Stim is ultramodern stimulation for precision and performance to help restore caffeine-depleted brain chemicals for clean energy.
Is Caffeine Good For Runners?
Everyone experiences those days where you just don’t feel like exercising, or perhaps you need a bit of a morning pick me up when you wake up feeling tired. Either way, caffeine can provide you with the boost of energy you need to perform at your best. So long as you don’t consume too much per serving, that is.
So, before you consume every source of caffeine under the sun, you need to realize that consuming too much could adversely affect your health and your athletic performance. As a rule of thumb, we’d recommend an absolute maximum of 200 mg caffeine per serving – the equivalent to around two average cups of coffee. If you limit your caffeine intake, you can avoid the common side effects that it can cause when consumed excessively and can also prevent yourself from building up a tolerance to caffeine.
Read on for some frequently asked questions about caffeine pills.
Do Caffeine Pills Actually Work?
Regarding this question, the short answer would be yes, absolutely. When you use them in the right way, caffeine pills can help considerably regarding energy and alertness. And thanks to their affordability and accessibility, caffeine pills have long been a popular choice for those looking for a quick, convenient boost without having to consume a caffeinated beverage.
However, one thing to remember is that you should proceed with caution when using caffeine pills. This is because some products on the market contain mega doses which might do more harm than good. Thankfully, limiting your intake to a maximum of 400 mg per day and opting for caffeine pills with a lower dosage per serving can deliver excellent results for runners and non-runners alike.
Do Caffeine Pills Help You Lose Weight?
Caffeine is an ingredient commonly found in fat burners, pre workout supplements, and, of course, caffeine pills. But if you’re looking to shed a few lbs. by running, you might just be wondering if caffeine pills can help you with your weight loss efforts. If so, research has shown that high caffeine consumers reduced weight, fat mass and waist circumference more than those with a low caffeine intake [1]. Thanks to these benefits of caffeine, you’ll likely eat less and probably won’t feel tempted to snack excessively throughout the day.
Are Caffeine Pills Safe For Runners To Take?
In general, caffeine pills are fine for runners to take as they can have a positive effect on your athletic and nootropic performance more often than not. Many runners across the globe use caffeine pills regularly since they’re a convenient way to give yourself a boost while also being perfect for those who don’t like to drink coffee or tea. However, if the caffeine pills you’re interested in buying contain a large dosage of over 200 mg per serving, it’s probably worth steering clear as it’s likely that you’ll experience jitters or energy crashes at some point. Especially if you have a low tolerance, the amount of caffeine per serving is something that you should pay close attention to.
Another important consideration is which ingredients are in the caffeine pills you’re looking at buying. If you’re not sure where to start, continue reading as that’s exactly what we’ll look into in the next section.
Best Caffeine Pills Ingredients
Now that we’ve looked at the benefits of caffeine pills for runners, another important consideration is the accompanying ingredients you should look out for.
As it happens, that’s exactly what this section is all about.
L-Theanine
An amino acid that’s naturally found in green tea, L-Theanine is an ingredient capable of heightening the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine. So, if you feel that your energy could do with a boost, this is most definitely an ingredient you should look out for.
Best of all, research shows that the combination of Caffeine and L-Theanine leads to enhanced cognitive performance, improved alertness, as well as the ability to focus better. [2].
B-Complex Vitamins
When consuming caffeine, a depletion of B-vitamins is likely to occur, most notably Folate, B6, Riboflavin, and B12. [3] It’s especially important to keep your levels topped-up with B-Vitamins as the most important vitamins for energy metabolism. Because of this, it’s important for your chosen caffeine pills to include B-complex vitamins so they can be restored once caffeine has taken them away.
The best caffeine supplements on the market will include the above vitamins among its ingredients, which leads to a healthier stimulation experience on the whole.
L-Tyrosine
A common side effect among caffeine consumers is the inevitable crash that comes when you take in too much in one serving. Luckily, this precursor amino acid can help significantly to achieve sustained attention and mood once the effects of caffeine have worn off. Research also shows that in supplement form, L-Tyrosine can support stress-depleted neurotransmitters. [4]
Therefore, it’s clear that L-Tyrosine is a useful caffeine supplement ingredient, particularly for those adversely affected by an excess caffeine intake.
How To Choose Good Caffeine Pills
If you’re searching for natural caffeine pills that will provide you with a boost of energy when you need it the most, you’ve got plenty to choose from on the market. The problem is that caffeine capsules aren’t created equal – something you should always remember before hitting that buy button. Luckily, you can narrow down your choice of which caffeine tablets to buy by taking certain factors into account.
Read on as we take a closer look at how to choose the best caffeine pills to leave you feeling energized and ready to take on your next run.
Caffeine Content
Considering that an average cup of coffee contains around 80-100 mg of caffeine, the caffeine pills you choose shouldn’t have much more than this per serving if you’re looking to avoid common side effects. Research suggests that healthy adults (aged 19 or above), can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day [5]. If you’re able to stay within this limit, then it can most definitely have a positive effect on your running performance over time.
Other Ingredients In The Supplement
Caffeine itself is an excellent ingredient for boosting your performance while running. But when it’s combined with certain other ingredients, you can take things to a whole new level. L-Theanine is a great example, with this amino acid known to boost the performance enhancing benefits of caffeine, as covered in the previous section. Many people also don’t know that caffeine depletes B-Vitamins; and caffeine consumption leads to a loss of minerals and vitamins through frequent urination. However, some caffeine pills contain synthetic ingredients or additives that could put your health at risk.
Because of this, it’s always worth scrutinizing the ingredients label and only opting for caffeine supplements containing science-backed ingredients, such as the ones we looked at earlier in the article.
Effectiveness & Taste
When buying caffeine pills, it’s important that you take the product’s effectiveness into account. That way, you can ensure that the product you choose delivers on its promises. A lot of this comes down to how much caffeine there is in each serving, as well as which ingredients it uses. We’re certain the last thing you’ll want to do is waste your hard-earned cash, so be sure to do your research before buying.
Regarding taste, this usually isn’t much of a deciding factor when purchasing caffeine pills. But if you’re not a fan of caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks or coffee, caffeine pills are a fantastic option.
How You’ll Use Them
One of the best things about caffeine pills is that they’re incredibly convenient. No longer will you need to get in line at your local coffee house to get your fix before you head out for a run!
However, you should always use caffeine pills carefully, as an overreliance on caffeine could lead to potential health issues further down the line including insomnia, elevated blood pressure, and nervousness. Besides that, there’s also the fact that you could end up building a tolerance to caffeine if you consume it excessively. Thankfully, you’re able to avoid unwanted side effects by limiting the amount of caffeine you consume. By taking such an approach, you’ll be able to fuel your runs effectively and can focus on other tasks you need to complete throughout the day.
Your Tolerance Of Caffeine
Since everyone responds differently to caffeine, it’s always best to err on the side of caution when using this natural stimulant. To do just that, you should stick to caffeine pills with a lower amount of caffeine per serving. Then if you feel you need an extra boost, you can always take another pill or combine it with another suitable supplement.
Best Caffeine Pills of 2021
So, we’ve covered the benefits of caffeine for runners and how to choose the best caffeine pills. Now, you’re probably looking for a recommendation for the best option on the market, right? If that’s the case, then you needn’t look any further, as that’s exactly what we’re about to cover.
Performance Lab Stim
A smart, clean alternative to excessively dosed, poor-quality energy drinks and pills on the market, Performance Lab® Stim takes all the best caffeine pill ingredients and combines them into one quality formula comprising the following ingredients:
Natural Caffeine, 50 mg
Suntheanine® L-Theanine, 100 mg
Ajipure® L-Tyrosine, 250 mg
NutriGenesis® Caffeine Balance B-complex
Allowing for enhanced nootropic and athletic performance, Stim ensures that you’ll be able to perform at your best during your runs with fewer side effects than alternatives on the market. 50 mg of caffeine in each serving of Stim ensures that you’ll get better stimulatory benefits as opposed to other caffeine pills which provide crazy doses of up to 300 mg per serving. Best of all, Stim offers the cleanest caffeine delivery in the world, with all ingredients contained within the 100% natural, prebiotic-infused, and vegan-friendly NutriCaps®.
Caffeine & L-Theanine – The Perfect Combo
In terms of caffeine supplement ingredients, it’s clear that L-Theanine is right up there with the most important in 2020 and beyond. This is because when it’s combined with caffeine, these two ingredients promote a super stimulation state vital for optimal performance while running. What makes Stim even better is that it uses the most researched-backed form of L-Theanine – Suntheanine®. And thanks to the included 100 mg dosage, you’re able to enjoy as much L-Theanine as what you’ll find in over 10 cups of brewed green tea.
Does Stim Stack Well With Any Other Supplements?
Regarding natural performance enhancing supplements for running, Stim can undoubtedly make an enormous difference. But if you’re looking to go a step further, it’s possible to stack this supplement with others without experiencing the negative side effects caused by an excessive dose of caffeine.
Performance Lab Energy
Performance Lab Energy is what you need to supercharge daily performance with stim-free vitality to boost exercise intensity with no jitters or crashes.
Free from stimulants, Energy goes a long way in boosting your mental vitality and exercise intensity. Even better, it does just that without a megadose of caffeine known to cause jitters, energy crashes, and more.
Conclusion
When it comes to using caffeine pills for running, it’s safe to say that they can benefit you greatly so long as you use them correctly. Not only will they provide you with a much-needed energy boost, they’ll also increase your alertness, and can even help you lose weight in the long run. But always remember to choose your caffeine pills wisely – opting for a product with a reasonable dosage per serving. If you’re able to do just that, you’ll likely avoid side effects such as jitters or energy crashes – issues that you needn’t worry about when using supplements such as Performance Lab Stim.
Try Performance Lab Stim Today
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Performance Lab
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16076989/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21040626/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27988/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18606630
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5445139/
Best Fat Burner For Intermittent Fasting & Fat Burning
For those into intermittent fasting, this is the best fat burner to see gains.
Maybe it’s because you’ve found yourself with more time on your hands to cook, or you’re no longer up and out the door at 6 AM. Maybe you haven’t been able to go to the gym as usual, or you’re just ready to kick off a new, healthier lifestyle.
Whatever your case, you’ve come here with intermittent fasting in mind.
Completely revamping your diet takes courage, discipline, and preparation. We all come into it with a certain expectation or end goal. Inevitably, that means you’ll experience both frustration and jubilation along the way. If your goal is fat loss, intermittent fasting is a huge first step. It can control insulin levels, regulate your body’s natural cycles, reduce unnecessary snacking, and, in the end, restrict caloric intake.
But that’s just one piece of the puzzle. You probably understand that what you eat, not just when you eat it matters too. And that brings us to fat burners.
If you want the quick answer, then go straight to our #1 Fat Burner For Intermittent Fasting…
Burn Lab Pro
Burn Lab Pro is a great all-around fat burner with an innovative design and research-backed benefits. It is 100% natural, safe, and caffeine free giving you the best option on the market.
As an oft-touted supplement for instant results, do they really work? Could/should you take the best fat burner for intermittent fasting?
That depends. Combined with a well-adjusted diet, fat-burners accelerate fat loss by enhancing metabolism, reducing cravings, and increasing intra-workout energy. The best ones even go the extra mile to protect against muscle breakdown.
The right fat burner can:
Accelerate metabolism
Increase mobilization of stored body fat (to be used as energy)
Fight against hunger and cravings
Reduce muscle breakdown
Improve lean body mass
Keep you healthy overall
Unfortunately, the wrong fat burner is loaded with stimulants such as caffeine, substandard ingredients, and flat out lies. Buyer beware of anything that guarantees completely unrealistic results. While, on the surface, these fat burners might sound good and make you feel like they’re working, they’re not necessarily effective at the cellular level. Sometimes, they can even make matters worse.
So, what should you look for?
Well, here’s the hard truth. There is no magic pill.
You’re going to have to work for it – and that means combining daily exercise with a healthy dose of lean proteins, lots of fiber, good fats, and fruits and vegetables. 8 hours of sleep. Lots of water, especially during a fast. You know the drill. A good fat burner simply accelerates those efforts, making your life a little easier. It’s like hopping on a bike vs running somewhere. You still have to pedal, but you’ll get there faster than if you just ran.
With that being said, how do you pick through the weeds to find one that works during intermittent fasting? Fortunately, we did the hard work for you.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the science behind both fat burners and intermittent fasting, and how combining the two could work for you, including:
A brief overview of intermittent fasting
The science behind combining fat burners and intermittent fasting
Which ingredients to look for
….AND ultimately, our pick for the best fat burner for intermittent fasting
A Short Overview Of Intermittent Fasting
What’s the point of intermittent fasting?
Everything in our body runs on some sort of rhythm, including our sleep/wake cycles [1], thermoregulation, hormones, and more. If you think about it, even without intermittent fasting, your digestion does as well. That’s how breakfast got its name – you’re not eating for hours while you sleep.
However, how often do you sleep in on weekends, or go to bed later than you planned, finishing up work? Even if our sleeping hours remain the same, sometimes we skip breakfast or eat a big lunch and miss dinner. Eating affects all of our activity, energy levels, hormonal responses, and sleep included. By restricting our feeding to a specific window, we gain better control of our function. Optimal function leads to optimal results.
To be honest, most people are already intermittently fasting, even without trying. Eight hours of not eating? If you’re getting even close to enough sleep, you’re likely already fasting at night. Hence the term break-fast. By simply extending that fast, you’ll not only spend fewer hours eating but add more hours of activity to counterbalance it. The simple awareness of when and what you’re eating compared to your activity is enough to make a difference at the start.
How it works
As mentioned briefly, diligence and an eating schedule prevent snacking or unintentional overeating. The main takeaway from intermittent fasting is as simple as any other diet – caloric restriction.
Even a slight calorie reduction, over the long-term, will yield results. But, since “eat less, move more” isn’t enough for most people, we’ll introduce another smaller, yet still significant, benefit of IF.
Even if you were to eat the same amount of calories (just shrunk to a certain window), IF hacks your hormonal response. This patterned eating works along with existing cyclical patterns, such as insulin, ghrelin, and leptin release. It also affects cortisol and other endocrine regulators. Normally, when you eat something, your insulin spikes in an attempt to move sugars from the bloodstream into the cells. However, when we’re not immediately working out (and our glycogen stores are full), that spike in blood sugar is useless for energy. So we’re left with a ton of elevated insulin with no job to do.
Eventually, your cells start resisting insulin, as it’s basically the hormonal version of crying wolf. Insulin resistance is associated with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Science has shown that intermittent fasting [2] raises insulin sensitivity to stave off weight gain and other more serious conditions.
To make matters worse, you can also become leptin resistant. Leptin, a hormone secreted from adipose tissue and other areas, actually decreases hunger. Yay! Good sign if you’re concerned with fat loss, right? Well, the problem is the more fat you have, the more leptin you make. And, much like the insulin case above, with too much overeating, especially of processed foods and fructose [3], your brain just ignores it. On the contrary, lean body mass helps you burn calories without leptin resistance, but we’ll get to that a bit later.
Leptin’s counterpart, ghrelin, increases hunger. As the two represent opposite ends of the scale, you need a healthy dose of both for balance. They should be released, do their job (signal “eat now” when you’re low on energy or “stop eating” when you’ve had enough), and that’s the end of it.
Now, it’s worth mentioning that this is a vastly oversimplified explanation [4] of a small piece of the endocrine system. Which brings me back to the point – the main benefit of intermittent fasting is that it helps you eat less. And, instead of wasting away muscle like you were on a deserted island, there are a few tricks to get that lean look you’re looking for. One of them obviously, is weightlifting and bodybuilding. Another is proper macronutrient balance.
And finally, there are fat burners.
The Science Behind Fat Burners & Intermittent Fasting
Fat burners (the ones that work, at least) mobilize fat from adipose tissue to metabolize for energy. Supplement companies design fat burners with ingredients to trigger certain enzymes and hormones. For example, the enzyme adenylate cyclase increases the concentration of cAMP, a compound that regulates metabolism and activates downstream fat breakdown. Good fat burners include natural compounds that turn on these keys to weight loss.
But before we get into the science behind combining a fat burner and intermittent fasting with exercise, let’s get one thing out of the way…
…The myth that a specific diet burns more fat than anything else.
This may be hard to hear, given that we’re talking intermittent fasting. Yes, intermittent fasting can help immensely with cravings control, lowering caloric intake, timing nutrients around activity (and therefore postprandial hormonal response), and more.
Yet no diet actually burns fat. By definition, eating adds nutrients and calories to your body. How you control that intake relative to your activity and overall health makes the real difference. Often when utilizing intermittent fasting, you have to literally fight through signals of “I’m actually starving” for long periods of time, somehow function at work and as a family member, and keep it that way. It can work for those who are willing and able, but it’s absolutely not necessary for fat loss.
Remember back above?
Your body is already burning fats during regular existence. The real trick is limiting intake. Sure, you might be able to extend the threshold of exercise during which you burn fat. But you could also just eat clean, control portions, build some muscle, and actually enjoy food every once in a while.
Fancy names like “intermittent fasting” confuse people into thinking it’s a magical fat burning solution. While it can shift the energy source toward actual utilization, it can also limit muscle growth at the start. It works for some, and it doesn’t for others. It’s all about working with your lifestyle instead of battling against it. And that’s where a fat burner can help.
Taking Fat Burners While Intermittent Fasting
For intermittent fasters, one of the most important roles of a fat burner isn’t even torching fat. It’s muscle preservation. Molecules like beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate work to prevent the aforementioned protein breakdown during fasted training. Beta-oxidation [5], a big step in fat metabolism, occurs within the mitochondria. As muscle cells are chock full of mitochondria, it’s pretty important to keep your muscle tissue in order to lose fat. Not to mention that most of us want to be toned as well as lean.
When the powers combine – fasted training
If you haven’t caught on by now, a good combination of Intermittent fasting, sleep, and regular exercise is your best bet. But once you have all of those ducks in a row, if you want to maximize fat loss/lean body mass, there’s fasted training.
Again, this goes back to our friend insulin. When fasted, insulin levels are low and so is blood sugar. That means your body will go hunting for fuel, often in the form of fat. Training at the end of your fast both helps your body use fat for energy during a workout and refeeds your hungry muscles immediately afterward. In an absence of elevated blood sugar, you’ll dig into other resources to generate ATP. Then, after you get a great workout, it’s time for a meal. Eating elevates blood sugar and spikes insulin, moving the much-needed nutrients directly to your tired muscles. That way you’re not only restricting calories, but you’re building muscle while burning fat as well.
In summary, experts recommend training on an empty stomach for two primary reasons:
For one, most people don’t feel great working out just after eating, BUT…
It’s a hormonal hack that allows you to burn fat. Since there’s not any food in your bloodstream, the body goes looking into the fat stores for energy. You need lots of energy for a tough training session, so that’s where the fat-burning effect arises.
Unfortunately, there’s another source of energy during a perceived metabolic emergency – muscle tissue [6]. Yes, you can generate blood sugar from protein in a process called gluconeogenesis. Through catabolizing existing proteins within muscle, you can recreate usable glucose to feed your mitochondria.
Yet most of us would like to keep our muscles, thank you, and a good fat burner can help.
Benefit Of Fat Burners
1. They Help Preserve Muscle
We’ve already been over the benefits and drawbacks of training in a fasted state. Yet supplemental fat burners can work against the enzymes that catabolize muscle so that you can focus on the benefits part.
Research confirms that taking HMB, an ingredient in some fat burners, before a workout decreases muscle cell damage.
As a leucine metabolite, it’s a big trigger for muscle protein synthesis. However, even if you haven’t just eaten a bunch of leucine-rich foods, taking HMB combats muscle degradation, leaving you free to train hard on an empty stomach. Then, when it’s time to eat again, you can pack on the physique.
2. They Mobilize Fat
Ideally, a good fat burner stimulates lipase, a protein that helps us absorb fats.
As the “essential worker” in fat transportation, it catalyzes the breakdown of triglycerides, AKA the building blocks of body fat.
Ingredients such as capsaicinoids release adrenal hormones, shown to promote fat mobilization and oxidation for energy. You could also achieve this result from synthetic stimulants, but those come with a whole host of side effects.
3. They Make Eating A Workout
There’s one more target of fat burner supplements that we haven’t mentioned – thermogenesis.
As the name would suggest, thermogenesis involves creating heat. That heat has to come from somewhere, and why not your fat?
Studies have shown that thermogenesis [7] is associated with weight loss.
Thermogenesis becomes even more important in cases of intermittent fasting. That’s because food has its own thermic effect [8].
It takes energy to digest food and distribute nutrients across the body. During a fast, we miss that signal altogether. That’s why a fat burner can make a difference.
Top Fat Burning Supplements During Intermittent Fasting
One charred hot red chili burning fire isolated on black glass. Now that you understand how they work, which supplements should you look for in a fat burner? Here’s a list of research-backed ingredients to help you avoid snake oil.
HMB (ß-Hydroxy ß-Methylbutyrate)
When the branched-chain amino acid leucine is broken down for use within the body, part of it becomes HMB. BCAA’s like leucine are found in dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat, and fish. HMB is also present in other foods, such as avocado, grapefruit, and cauliflower. Unfortunately, whether a byproduct or food ingredient, it’s not enough to cause any noticeable, immediate effects.
However, when researchers started investigating larger quantities of HMB directly, things got interesting. They found that HMB in larger doses can itself exercise recovery, muscle mass retention, muscle strength, and more. By skipping the leucine phase and extracting HMB, supplement companies and consumers alike were able to capitalize on one of the more potent compounds.
Cayenne pepper
More than just a spice, cayenne pepper is a superfood. Featuring compounds called capsaicinoids, cayenne pepper is a powerful biological stimulant. By working its magic, cayenne pepper consumption can put you in a negative caloric balance.
Research shows that capsaicin intake stifles appetite and reduces intake. It also helps mobilize lipids by activating hormone-sensitive lipase [9], an enzyme that breaks down fat. Finally, in one of its most well-known benefits, it enhances thermogenesis, or the production of heat within the body. A calorie is a measure of heat, so the more heat you use, the more calories you lose.
Overall, adding cayenne pepper (and all of the capsaicinoids within) to your diet helps increase energy expenditure and reduce caloric intake.
Hailing from black pepper, piperine adds its own little kick. It, too, increases metabolism through thermogenesis, without triggering insulin secretion and breaking your fast. But what’s even cooler about piperine is its bioenhancement qualities [10]. Essentially, adding piperine to other supplements and foods helps your body to absorb them. Rather than literally tossing half of your fat burner down the toilet, piperine makes sure it gets into your body where it belongs
Another natural ingredient, forskolin [11] comes to the supplement shelves from an herb called Coleus forskohlii. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. Its popularity has just started to rise in the West, but it’s been used in ayurvedic medicine for centuries to lower blood pressure.
However, another one of its benefits is activating adenylate cyclase, an enzyme that mediates metabolic reactions. It gives the green light to stimulate cyclic AMP and lipolysis. For best results, combine forskolin with other fat-burning agents, as well as regular exercise and a controlled diet.
…And you’ve already got that diet part down, thanks to intermittent fasting.
Our #1 Fat Burner During An Intermittent Fasting Diet
Here’s the thing – just by reading this article, by showing interest in intermittent fasting, and by making it to the bottom of this page, it shows you’re invested. You could have fallen prey to any random, synthetic fat burner on the internet, but you didn’t. Instead, you invested in taking something that’s effective, healthy, and targeted. You value things that combine high-quality ingredients with a proven track record. Why would you scrape the bottom of the barrel when you could have the best?
Without further ado, we recommend…
Burn Lab Pro
Burn Lab Pro is a great all-around fat burner with an innovative design and research-backed benefits. It is 100% natural, safe, and caffeine free giving you the best option on the market.
The company rules the supplement game as far as purity, quality, and safety go.
They third-party test their supplements within a lab to ensure you only get what’s on the label, and nothing more.
More importantly, their individual ingredients are all-natural, free of synthetics or additives, and come in plant-based capsules.
It’s also more potent than most. Performance Lab Burn contains 1000mg of HMB, which has been tested to be the minimally effective dose for fighting muscle breakdown.
Look for a supplement that offers HMB as a free acid (some companies attach a calcium salt). Studies show that our bodies absorb the free acid version better, and quicker results follow. And most importantly, understand why you’re taking it. It’ll definitely limit protein breakdown, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle.
HMB might be able to help, but it won’t reach your goals on its own. Fat burning supplements can feature a supporting cast of ingredients, more catalysts to speed up your own hard work.
In theirs, Burn Lab Pro includes black pepper AND cayenne pepper to maximize uptake of capsaicinoids and piperine. The full list of ingredients in their fat burner is as follows:
1500 mg of ß-Hydroxy ß-Methylbutyrate
3.75 mg Black Pepper Extract, standardized for at least 95% piperine
75 mg of Cayenne Pepper Extract, with a minimum of 2% capsaicinoids
90mcg of Chromium
375 mg of Coleus Forskohlii, at least 10% forskolin
These ingredients can definitely help you lose weight during intermittent fasting on their own. Just scroll back up to get a reminder. But by combining them, Burn Lab Pro becomes four times as powerful, without having to add any harmful synthetics.
PLUS – they include chromium, a natural mineral found in foods such as broccoli, whole grains, poultry, milk, and more.
Research shows that chromium enhances insulin for a healthy metabolism, thus staving off insulin resistance. As such, it can also reduce appetite and promote a lean body composition. While it isn’t a huge factor on its own (read: you don’t need to go out now and stock up on chromium pills), it makes a difference as part of a powerful stack.
Final Thoughts
Intermittent fasting can be hard, especially at the start. But a little fat burner supplement can go a long way to make sure your efforts aren’t in vain. Remember – a disciplined diet and hard work in the gym are the foundation, but a fat burner is the cherry on top. A fat burner with HMB and thermogenic ingredients can work well with intermittent fasting and regular exercise.
Overall, fat burners can be effective… if you choose the right one. Beware the gimmicks and false promises. Choose natural ingredients that will enhance your body’s natural ability to breakdown fat. And continue to train! Again, nothing works unless you do.
Try Burn Lab Pro Today
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Burn Lab Pro and Envato
References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3375033/
[2] https://professional.diabetes.org/abstract/intermittent-fasting-increases-peripheral-not-hepatic-insulin-sensitivity
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2584858/?tool=pmcentrez
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12727973/
[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/beta-oxidation
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7380688/
[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16652130/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8561055/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5414451/
[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30817985/
[11] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17345261/
Pocket Guide To Calories, Basal Metabolic Rate & Intake Requirements
Everything you need to know for your bulking and cutting needs.
For so many of us, we have that image of what we want to be. Those of us bodybuilders have that image for what we want to look like. But it can be a real challenge in getting there. Having the expertise to know what to do and how to do it. Sure, reading about fellow bodybuilders and athletes is a great tool, but what works for them may not work for you. That can be discouraging.
However, if you take these components and break them down into only the essentials, you clear out the clutter that can overwhelm you. When it really comes down to it, there are only a handful of things that matter and each is manageable in efforts to get you to your goal. Between calories, basal metabolic rate, and daily intake requirements, with the right understanding, you will definitely be on your way to reaching those goals.
Let’s take a look at this pocket guide for calories, basal metabolic rate, and daily intake requirements as we try our best to break down only the essentials, so you feel as though it is accomplishable. Because it is. It just takes a bit of time and understanding to really get there.
Let’s Talk Calories
A calorie is a way to measure energy expenditure, as well as stored energy. Carbs, protein, fats, fiber, among others, release energy through your metabolism, and in reaction with oxygen, energy is released. Kilocalories are referred to as calories in your diet, being those calories you eat, and calories through exercise, being those you burn away (1).
When it comes to your daily calories and caloric intake, it is important to understand that this is totally dependent on a number of factors: age, gender, activity level, genetics, and so on. We’ll look at this from three different activity levels being sedentary, moderately active, and active.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, sedentary adults between the ages of 19-50 years old would require on average around 2,400 calories for men and 1,900 calories for women. Moderately active men would average around 2,600 calories while moderately active women are around 2,100 calories. Moving into the active territory, they define this as walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, with light physical activity associated with the typical daily activity you already partake in. In this case, men would require around 2,900 calories and women average to about 2,300 calories (2).
What Is Basal Metabolic Rate?
Your basal metabolic rate is the total number of calories needed to function on a daily basis. This includes things like circulation, breathing, nutrient processing, protein synthesis, among others. This means ultimately that energy is used only to maintain vital organs. This works in tandem with your resting metabolic rate which measures the number of calories burned at rest (3).
A popular way to measure your basal metabolic rate is through the Harris-Benedict equation. The end result is the number of calories needed to maintain your current body weight based on sex, height, weight, and age requirements (4). This came from a study conducted by James Arthur Harris and Francis Gano Benedict and is a popular way to calculate this.
Harris-Benedict Equation
Men: BMR= 66.5 + 13.8(weight) + 5.0(height)- 6.8(age)
Women: BMR= 655.1 + 9.6(weight) + 1.9(height) – 4.7(age)
Important Daily Intake Requirements
We’ve already covered calories and how important it is to figure out your daily caloric intake. But to go further, let’s take a look at those vital macronutrients in protein, carbs, and fat. Macronutrients are those nutrients that we need in larger quantities to provide support for energy, metabolism, muscle growth, and overall development. As our body’s primary source of energy, these are needed in larger quantities to make up the majority of the calories we consume.
Protein
When it comes to fulfilling our protein needs, we need to remember that there are many ways to get protein into our bodies. For healthy adults, the recommended daily intake is 0.8-1.0 grams of protein/kg body weight (4).
Whole foods are always the way to go, and even those on a vegan diet can get adequate amounts of protein. But protein powders are a solid way to get that vital protein into our bodies, and with both whey and non-dairy proteins, everyone can benefit from a great protein powder (5).
Enhanced Labs Whey Protein Isolate
Code GENIRON For 15% Off
Enhanced Whey Protein Isolate is a high quality whey protein with just 110 calories and 25g protein. Fortified with DigeSEB digestive enzyme blend, this allows for better protein utilization in your body.
Check out our list of the Best Protein Powders for more great protein products!
Carbohydrates
When it comes to carb and carb sources, it is important to know that carbs are not bad. A common myth around nutrition is that carbs are stored as fat and will then only increase your body weight and reduce definition. Carbs are vital for a number of functions and must not be forgotten in your diet. It is recommended that the daily carb intake be around 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories (4).
Fats
Fats are another thing that have a bad reputation but knowing there are different kinds of fats is very important. Fats are used for a number of bodily functions and neglecting them would be a terrible disservice to your overall health, wellness, and performance. Daily fat requirements are around 30% of your total day’s calories (4).
Why All This Matters
The amount of calories you consume, your basal metabolic rate, and your daily intake all contribute to your health, performance, and goals being met. Eating enough in the day is important and while it is easy to starve yourself and feel terrible throughout the day, you are hurting your gains, despite what you may have heard. Knowing the ins and outs of these three important components can lead to effective cutting and bulking, while also aiding in a better lifestyle overall.
Wrap Up
This pocket guide for calories, basal metabolic rate, and your daily intake requirements will provide the blueprint for what you need to know to get started. Having the tools is half the battle and once you know what to, you can finally go and do it and see those desired goals become reality.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Howell, S.; Kones, R. (2017). “‘Calories in, calories out’ and macronutrient intake: the hope, hype, and science of calories”. (source)
United States Department Of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (2011). “Estimated Calorie Needs per Day by Age, Gender, and Physical Activity Level”. (source)
McMurray, R.; Soares, J.; Caspersen, C.; McCurdy, T. (2015). “Examining Variations of Resting Metabolic Rate of Adults: A Public Health Perspective”. (source)
Kansas State University. “What are My Calorie, Protein, Fat, & Carbohydrate Needs?”. (source)
Cintineo, H.; Arent, M.; Antonio, J.; Arent, S. (2018). “Effects of Protein Supplementation on Performance and Recovery in Resistance and Endurance Training”. (source)
Best Pre-Workout Supplements For Muscle Building (Updated 2021)
Give yourself the best chance to improve performance and strength training with these great pre-workout supplements to see great muscle growth.
When it comes to building muscle and getting a great pump, pre-workout supplements are exactly what you need. As great training aids to improve performance and strength training, pre-workouts have the ability to provide enhanced focus, increased heart rate, weight loss, and insane muscle pumps to assist with those big lifts and really force our muscles to grow. While our busy schedules do tend to drain us, it is important we find that all important energy from somewhere and pre-workout supplements have just what you need to really make that happen for that desired improved performance, weight loss, and muscle building goals. Great for shedding fat, increasing muscle, and hitting you with amazing energy boosts, a pre-workout can enhance recovery and allow to bounce back faster for your next big lift.
We’ve put together a list of the Best Pre-Workout Supplements for 2021 so you can start to see the desired growth you want. You won’t be disappointed with the results from a good quality, highly effective pre-workout on your endurance, strength training, weight loss, and exercise performance for optimal training.
Best Pre-Workout Supplements For 2021
Best Pre-Workout Overall
Finding a great pre-workout may seem daunting but their are those out there that can cover all your bases. From energy, to muscle pumps, reduced fatigue, and more, Performance Lab has the top pre-workout for you.
Performance Lab Sport Pre
Stim Or No Stim
No Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
20
Flavors
N/A
Best Way To Take
Take up to 6 capsules 30-45 minutes before your workout. Take on an empty stomach with 16-32 oz. of water
Performance Lab Sport Pre is another high quality pre-workout supplement available to the public at a great price point. Performance Lab Sport is one of the most rigorously scientifically vetted brands and all of their pre-workout products are free of synthetic additives (which might dehydrate the muscles), non-GMO, and vegan friendly. Sport “Pre” increases nitric oxide in the blood to support the oxygenation of muscles during workouts, improves endurance by hydrating the muscles, and enhances both anaerobic and aerobic exercise by increasing ATP reductase for the best benefits out of strength training, weight loss, and performance.
Performance Lab SPORT Pre is a high-quality pre-workout free of additives designed to increase nitric oxide in the blood, improve endurance by hydrating your muscles, and enhance strength training, weight loss, and overall performance.
Pros
Vegan friendly
Capsules are easy to take
Will help with strength and endurance
Caffeine free for those looking for no caffeine
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available through their site
Price: $39.00
Best For Strength
Of course, we want our pre-workout to work for our benefit in terms of strength. Transparent Labs has this amazing option to do just that.
Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Orange, Green Apple, Sour Grape, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 16-24 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
Backed by science with clinically effective dosages, this pre-workout is most effective for those looking to increase in size and muscle mass. BULK contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 4,000 mg of beta-alanine, 4,000 mg of BCAAs, and 2,500 mg of betaine to boost your workouts, blood flow, weight loss, and muscle growth, all in attempts to improve performance. BULK will reduce fatigue and increase your energy to give you a more impactful and longer lasting workout. Transparent Labs prides themselves on a 100% label and there are artificial additives, colorings, or preservatives to ruin this clean product.
Use code GENIRON1O for 10% off!
Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK is backed by science with clinically effective dosages to increase muscle size and mass. This pre-workout is perfect for reducing fatigue, aiding in muscle growth, and boosting energy levels for better overall performance.
Pros
High amount of citrulline malate for awesome pumps
Very clean ingredients for an honest product
From a reputable company in Transparent Labs
Cons
High in beta alanine
Premium priced option
Only available directly from their site
Price: $49.00
Check out our individual review for Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK here! Also, use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off!
Best Natural Ingredients For Energy
You deserve to have the best ingredients when it comes to your supplements and National Bodybuilding Co. seeks only the best for it’s pre-workout and other supplements.
National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Fruit Punch
Best Way To Take
Take 1 scoop and mix with 8-12 fl. oz. of water.
National Bodybuilding Co. has a great pre-workout supplement called Stage Ready Pre-Workout which delivers quality muscle pumps, enhanced stamina, weight loss, and a solid boost of energy to really elevate your performance. With an advanced and effective blend, this pre-workout can hydrate and buffer muscle tissue, raise nitric oxide levels and blood flow, optimize ATP production, and boost neurotransmitter synthesis. With great ingredients and a clean formula, it is no wonder why National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready Pre-Workout won for Best Pre-Workout in GI Supplement Awards.
National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready is a great pre-workout to enhance quality muscle pumps, improved stamina, weight loss, and a real boost of energy to elevate performance. With an advanced blend and high-quality ingredients, this pre-workout is perfect for any workout.
Pros
An effective blend with solid benefits for muscle pumps, energy, and stamina
Patented ingredients and great taste
From a reputable company
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available directly from their site
Could use more beta alanine as a key ingredient
Price: $48.00
Check out our individual review for National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready here!
Best Stim Ingredients & Intensity
Having a pre-workout that can boost energy and intensity is huge and with the right stim ingredients, this can happen instantly. Enhanced has a great product to power you through any workout so you see the gains you want most.
Enhanced Ramy’s Rage Stim Reloaded
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Grape
Best Way To Take
Take 1 scoop 30 minutes before your workout with 8 oz. of water.
Ramy’s Rage Stim is different. It has a fully disclosed supplement facts panel, so you know exactly what you’re getting in each serving. Ramy’s Rage Stim contains full dosages of ingredients scientifically proven to boost energy levels, improve physical performance and enhance focus. Best of all, Ramy’s Rage Stim doesn’t contain mega dosages of caffeine so there is no crash. With a smart 8-stim matrix, all of your energy and focus enhancing needs are met with a great pre-workout. With 17 clinically dosed ingredients grouped into 4 synergistic matrixes, this pre-workout is perfect for boosting intensity.
Code GENIRON For 15% Off
Enhanced Ramy’s Rage Stim Reloaded is a smart 8-stim matrix to enhance energy and focus. A fully disclosed label provides transparency for their scientifically proven ingredients.
Pros
No crash
17 clinically dosed ingredients
Fully disclosed supplement facts panel
Novel stimulants like Dynamine, Theacrine, and Cocoabuterol
Cons
Only one flavor option
Price: $25.99
Use code GENIRON for 15% off your order!
Best Stim-Free Without Caffeine
With many pre-workouts loaded with stimulants, finding a great stim-free option can be hard. But Transparent Labs has made a stim-free product to still offer great benefits to your workouts.
Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim Free
Stim Or No Stim
No Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical Punch, Orange, Sour Grape, Blue Raspberry, Green Apple
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
Transparent Labs Stim-Free is an amazing option for those looking for stimulant free supplements for strength training, weight loss, and to improve performance. Containing key ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine, all of these ingredients are clinically dosed and effective for providing great gains. With a 100% transparent formula, this product is great for those who are intolerant to caffeine or other stimulants, or for those looking to cycle off of them. With 13 active ingredients all designed for enhanced focus and increasing lean muscle, you cannot go wrong with this great stim-free, non-caffeine option that will still enhance energy like other products.
Code GENIRON10 For 10% Off
Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim-Free is an amazing option for those looking for stimulant free supplements for strength training, weight loss, and improved performance. With key ingredients at effective dosages, this is a great pre-workout for anyone looking for stim-free options.
Pros
Great advantages while being stim-free
Perfect for those insensitive or looking to get off caffeine
Clean ingredients and advanced formula
Provides for energy and focus while decreasing muscle fatigue
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available directly through their site
Does not have caffeine or other stimulants for those looking
Price: $49.00
Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off!
Best For Pumps
With quality muscle pumps being a staple benefit for pre-workout, Kaged Muscle took that and made sure their supplement gave you the best pumps around.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
15
Carbs
2g
Sugar
1g
Number Of Servings
20
Flavors
Berry Blast, Fruit Punch, Grape, Krisp Apple, Orange Kush, Pink Lemonade
Best Way To Take
Take one scoop with water before your workout.
Increase the performance and intensity of your workout with this high quality pre-workout powder available from Kaged Muscle. Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged is unmatched in terms of ingredient quality and synthesis of the blend of proteins. Kaged Muscle lab tests every batch to make sure each is fully loaded as advertised — 274 mg pure caffeine, 2 g taurine, 6.5 g fermented BCAAs, 6.5 g pure l-citrulline, and 2 g of their patented betapower blend. It’s an unbeatable combination that is guaranteed to supercharge any workout with great pre-workout ingredients from supplements to increase muscle and promote weight loss.
Use code GENIRON1O for 10% off!
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged is great for those looking to increase performance and intensity with a high-quality pre-workout. Great ingredients and a quality blend make this unstoppable for your pre-workouts needs.
Pros
Contains BCAAs and has well-dosed ingredients
No artificial colors or flavors
Great taste
Cons
A bit expensive
Does contains sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener
Caffeine content may be high for those sensitive
Price: $39.99
Use code GENIRON10 to save 10%! Check out our individual review for Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged here!
Best For Cutting
For those looking to lose weight and tone, a good pre-workout can help you get there. Transparent Labs made a solid formula to assist with all your cutting needs.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Sour Grape, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
The perfect supplement for cutting, LEAN is great for those looking to target stubborn fat while keeping on that lean muscle. LEAN contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 2,500 mg of betaine, 2,000 mg of BCAA, 1,500 mg of beta-alanine, and 600 mg of L-tyrosine to improve strength and muscle endurance, increase blood flow and nitric oxide levels, reduce fatigue, and improve memory. LEAN is great for those looking to slim down and encourage weight loss without losing that hard work done in the gym through your exercise performance from a great pre-workout powder with ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine.
Use code GENIRON1O for 10% off!
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is perfect for those looking to target stubborn belly fat while still maintaining that hard-earned lean muscle. For those looking to slim down and lose weight, look no further than this great pre-workout with quality ingredients at effective dosages.
Pros
Well-dosed and third party tested
All-natural ingredients
Good for cutting and increasing strength and power
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available directly from their site
Does not have the greatest ingredients for fat loss
Price: $49.00
Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off! Plus, check out our individual review for Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN here!
Best For Women
Pre-workouts for women are great for helping you tackle any of your workouts needs. With certain ingredients and different doses, this is geared for all the needs of those female athletes.
Cira Nutrition Pre-Game
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Peach Bellini, Pink Candy
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 6-8 fl. oz. of water 30-40 minutes before your workout.
Cira Nutrition Pre-Game is that pre-workout you need to give you more energy to perform harder, better, and faster. With great ingredients to increase energy, endurance, focus, weight loss, and muscle strength, this pre-workout has you covered with whatever your needs may be. Packed with all the essential ingredients to stand out as a top pre-workout for women, this supplement is what you want most for your pre-workout routine. With great flavors at an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with Pre-Game.
Cira Nutrition Pre-Game is a great pre-workout so you perform harder, better, and faster to get the most out of your workouts. Packed with great ingredients, this supplement stands out as one of the best for women.
Pros
Packed with essential pre-workout ingredients
Fully disclosed label
Great flavors and price
Cons
Does contain caffeine for those sensitive
Only available directly from their website
Price: $39.99
Best For Weight Loss
Losing weight is hard, but supplements like pre-workout can help immensely. With the right ingredients and a solid training plan, your desire to lose weight is just around the corner.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN
Stim Or No Stim
Stim
Calories
0
Carbs
0g
Sugar
0g
Number Of Servings
30
Flavors
Sour Grape, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
The perfect supplement for cutting, LEAN is great for those looking to target stubborn fat while keeping on that lean muscle. LEAN contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 2,500 mg of betaine, 2,000 mg of BCAA, 1,500 mg of beta-alanine, and 600 mg of L-tyrosine to improve strength and muscle endurance, increase blood flow and nitric oxide levels, reduce fatigue, and improve memory. LEAN is great for those looking to slim down and encourage weight loss without losing that hard work done in the gym through your exercise performance from a great pre-workout powder with ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine.
Use code GENIRON1O for 10% off!
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is perfect for those looking to target stubborn belly fat while still maintaining that hard-earned lean muscle. For those looking to slim down and lose weight, look no further than this great pre-workout with quality ingredients at effective dosages.
Pros
Well-dosed and third party tested
All-natural ingredients
Good for cutting and increasing strength and power
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available directly from their site
Does not have the greatest ingredients for fat loss
Price: $49.00
Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off! Plus, check out our individual review for Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN here!
Benefits Of Pre-Workout
The benefits of pre-workout should not be ignored for what they can do for your strength training and performance is incredible. Great tasting and safe to use, a good pre-workout supplement can:
Increase focus and energy: Provide for more intense workouts while being locked into every exercise so nothing interferes with a good workout (1).
Reduce fatigue: Allow for longer training sessions and calorie burn giving your body the fuel it needs from endurance and strength exercises while reducing muscle soreness and unwanted pain for improved performance.
Muscle pumps: Watch your strength and muscle gains flourish and allow blood to flow through your muscles.(2).
Enhanced recovery: Bounce back faster and promote more efficient growth while recovering more effectively for faster turn arounds.
Key Ingredients In Pre-Workout
Here are some key ingredients to look out for when choosing a pre-workout supplement:
Caffeine: Works to elevate energy so you can tackle any grueling workout while boosting focus and reaction time to improve performance. There are stim-free pre-workouts that work just as well (3).
Creatine: This will provide your muscles with fuel to boost athletic performance and strength training (4).
BCAAs: Great for promoting muscle protein synthesis, they can help with recovery and intra-workout needs (5).
Beta-Alanine: Works as a buffer for pH levels to push past fatigue that may strike.
L-Citrulline: Can boost nitric oxide while maintaining good blood flow for increased muscle pumps.
How We Decide
Choosing the right pre-workout can be difficult and with so many on the market, the choices do seem endless. With this list, we sought to bring the best to you by combing through all the nonsense pre-workouts to bring you the best around. We look at ingredients closely because many companies will put in ingredients you just don’t need. Quality of the brand and where they get ingredients from is also important because you deserve to have an honest company backing you up. Of course, price matters and since supplements can add up and be a real hit on the wallet, we sought to bring you top tier products at a reasonable and affordable price.
FAQ Section
What is the best pre-workout?
National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready. This pre-workout is a really high quality product designed to deliver pumps, enhanced stamina, promote weight loss, increase strength training, and provide solid energy for elevated performance. An advanced and effective formula is highly safe to use and is produced with clean ingredients from a reputable and top tier company in National Bodybuilding Co.
What does pre-workout do?
Pre-workout is designed to give you the edge for your strength training and performance. It will enhance energy and focus for more efficient workouts, increase your heart rate and get your blood pumping for better blood flow and weight loss, and increase muscle so you turn that unwanted fat into a shredded physique to have confidence in the effects.
Are there stimulant-free pre-workouts?
Yes! Since many people are sensitive to caffeine or just don’t want it in their daily routine for strength training, companies have created stim-free options to give you the same results without the caffeine.
Check out some amazing stim-free pre-workout supplements here!
Is pre-workout safe?
Pre-workouts are not monitored by the FDA but are safe for public use. Many contain caffeine, so for those sensitive it is something to be cautious of. Some potential side effects are dizziness, nausea, dehydration, and high blood pressure, but many of these come from the overload in caffeine for some. Also, many companies will have their products be third party tested to ensure quality pre-workout products for exercise performance.
When is the best time to take pre-workout?
It is ideal to take pre-workout 30 minutes before your strength training workout. This will ensure all of the ingredients will kick in so they work as effectively as possible for optimal effects and results. It is important to stay hydrated in the time in between your workout and during your workout for pre-workout can dehydrate you.
Wrap Up
Pre-workout supplements are great to use for those looking to build their muscle and really start to see that shredded physique unfold. With the power to increase energy, provide for great focus, promote pumps, and enhance recovery, a good quality and highly effective pre-workout will boost your gains to the next level. Check out our list above and see which one is right for you, for you won’t be disappointed with the results. A solid pre-workout can only add to your gains and those gains are what you want most. Give these products a try and really see what they can do for your gains. You won’t be disappointed with the results when you buckle down and get a good supplement to accompany you on your muscle building journey.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
References
Ellerbroek, Anya C.; Antonio, Jose (2019). “Effects of Pre-Workout Supplements on Strength, Endurance, and Mood”. (source)
Kedia, A.; Hofheins, J.; Habowski, S.; Ferrando, Arny; et al. (2014). “Effects of a Pre workout Supplement on Lean Mass, Muscular Performance, Subjective Workout Experience and Biomarkers of Safety”. (source)
McLellan, Tom M.; Caldwell, John A.; Lieberman, Harris R. (2016). “A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance”. (source)
Kreider, Richard B. (2003). “Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations”. (source)
Negro, M.; Giardina, S.; Marzani, B.; Marzatico, F. (2008). “Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system”. (source)
New Supplement Brand UNBOUND is Looking to Take Over the Game
The supplement world just got another contender.
The supplement game is a difficult one to navigate. In order to set yourself apart and really establish your worth on the market it takes a number of things. Namely you have to have quality products as well as trusted voices backing your brand. For new supplement brand UNBOUND they have both of those covered.
Looking to set itself apart as superior supplement brand, UNBOUND prides itself on producing the highest quality supplements. The brand which just launched has come out the gate hot. This press release from their website sums up the brand and it’s mission.
UNBOUND™ is for those who set standards, rather than follow them. It is a call to reject limitations in the pursuit of what’s ours. UNBOUND™ is a demand to ourselves not to be bound by the restraints of others; to be UNEQUALED in a world of mediocrity. Together we are UNBOUND™. Together, we are UNEQUALED.
UFC Athlete Approved
UNBOUND has been endorsed by professional athletes like UFC veteran Lyman Good. One of the most talented fighters on the planet, Good has established himself through a trial by fire.
Lyman Good has built an impressive physique and fighting skills by long hours of training, quality supplementation giving him an extra push. Without the proper diet and nutrition, you can never achieve ultimate greatness as an athlete.
Some people don’t believe in supplementation. Many would rather get all their nutritional needs from food rather than any supplementation. While that may not be the worst thing in the world, there are a ton of positives to utilizing supplementation in your diet.
Depending on your diet and nutritional needs, some protein supplementation or pre-workout can really change the game. Protein is a necessity in muscle building and recovery. Getting in your protein from food only is possible, but it also requires more preparation. A quick protein shake can take care of things in a fraction of the time.
Pre-workout can push your training to new levels. If can give you that extra edge in performance that can mean massive gains or just a mediocre workout. This alone is a great reason to add supplements to your game.
UNBOUND supplements looks to provide all those needs and more as they set themselves as the new kid on the block. If you’re interested in giving UNBOUND a shot head over to the official website, Instagram, and YouTube.
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