There can be many various ingredients used in the formulation of these supplements which each ingredient having its own active benefits. When looking at the supplementation that is right for you, you need to take into account what types of ingredients you will find and what they are meant for. Once you understand their functionality you can find the best formulation for your desired effects. The other important part of supplementation is determining if the formulation is made of active ingredients that offer proven effectiveness over cheap fillers that don't result in any sorts of gains.

L-arginine is commonly used and as an amino acid it primarily functions as a rebuilding ingredient to help worn down and torn muscles from intense strength training build back up and strengthen. Additionally, it works with glutamate and proline as well as combines well to increase the effectiveness of creatine so that you can properly recover after your workout. The way this ingredient helps you prepare for your workouts is by helping to even out and regulate blood pressure so that you have a more efficient flow of your blood. As blood is the source of oxygen transportation throughout the body, this helps flush oxygen into the muscles which improve endurance to get more pump out of each rep. Last, this functional ingredient can help with improved energy.

Citrulline malate is used to help nitric oxide promotion which helps with proper circulation and in turn, better oxygen consumption for the body. Every part that has the appropriate supply of oxygen will simply run better and produce a much better output.

It is common to drink some coffee to get ready for a workout or combine a bit in a shake because caffeine is a stimulant and increased energy is exactly what one wants going into a grunt session. Not only can it help you with energy levels but it can also keep you alert, and give your metabolism a bit of a push to help you burn more while you are exercising which can help with overall fat reduction. This is especially important for those who are looking to lose weight or those who are looking to get more definition in their musculature.

The main branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) used in supplementation include leucine, isoleucine, and of course, valine. Together these BCAA's are very functional for a thorough top-to-bottom performance push. They amp up endurance abilities, help with energy management, develop bigger muscle mass, as well as assists in recovery.

Yet another functional amino acid, beta-alanine is helpful for constructing muscle tissue and building mass. It is also useful for decreasing lactic acid accumulation that occurs during exercise. Lactic acid can inhibit performance, so decreasing its build-up is helpful for improved efficiency and muscular capacity.

When you want bulk and strength combined, you are going to want to look into creatine. While it is naturally formed in our bodies, supplementation with extra creatine can provide substantial additional nourishment for muscle tissues when they have had their naturally stored energy exhausted. This ingredient helps muscles go beyond what they can naturally offer which is especially useful for high-intensity training sessions. It helps your body go the distance and offer more ability to work more than what it may be able to do on its own. It is also a vital player in recovery by slowing down the breakdown of tissues while you are active and working out and accelerating the growth of new muscle tissues when you finish.

Whey protein can work well before or after workouts or a combination of both. It can help regenerate broken muscle tissues and replenish proteins within which help prep muscles for a workout just as it can help muscles recuperate after a workout.

Sodium bicarbonate has been shown in research studies to decrease acid and thus improve work production. So you may be able to improve your output in the gym. As interest in this ingredient grows, it continues to be studied in exercise physiology labs. One interesting result that is showing promise with regards to the effects of sodium bicarbonate is its ability to offer improved endurance.

Nitrates are also used in many forms of supplementation because of their abilities to promote smooth blood flow which helps improve endurance, increases resilience all during an exercise session. Also, another neat feature of this ingredient is its' ability to prevent the amount of pain or irritation you may feel after your workout. This added benefit is true for both the pain you may experience in your joints and muscles. If you have sensitive joints, this is going to be very helpful because this ingredient can provide some assistance to weak joints and help you get through your sessions without feeling too many negative aftereffects in those joints once you finish.

There are many reasons to use a pre-workout supplement, most notably to increase your energy and ability to perform when you being your workout session. Getting an extra couple reps, lifting heavier, or running faster and farther are all reasons one may be interested in trying one of these products out. The only supplementation that is worth taking is those that are going to be accurate in how they work. They should offer results in a manner you expect them to, so below is a list of the benefits that come with the supplementation we chose on our list.

Energy
Going to the gym sluggishly doesn't make for the beginnings of a stellar workout. If you have been lagging or had a long day, the increased energy level you need to perform may be top on your list for why you prefer to use one of these products. The ability to provide this boost is through the use of ingredients that are known to stimulate the body and your body's systems, helping it become alert and wired for the energy expenditure ahead. There has been research on the effectiveness and accuracy of many of these products. Looking at how and if they can provide that extra bit of pizazz when you are headed into the gym, the results have shown that for the most part many actually do give you a bit of an edge.

Attentiveness
Part of the increase of energy you gain also correlates to your being able to become more attentive and focused on the activities you are engaging in. Focus helps you get the most out of any activity, but especially in the gym, when time matters and you want to make the most out of your session, zoning in a targeting your goals for the session will benefit you immensely versus being all over the map. This also helps your workout to be much more accurate, so if you are lifting by muscle group each day you are going to ensure each group gets the most effective session evenly across the board. This is very important for overall body balancing and even strength gains. It looks good too when your body is proportionally distributed in muscle mass.

Increased Power
Getting an extra couple reps in, maybe even lifting heavier each time you go in, these are both examples of increased power output and it has been shown in many studies that a pre-workout supplement may give you that bit of extra push which will help you accomplish this. There is nothing better than leaving your session feeling like you excelled and surpassed your previous personal bests achievements.

Improved Endurance
Those who are really focusing on weight training for definition, power, or mass will really appreciate muscle power. But they can appreciate endurance as well. Similarly, those who are training for more endurance-style activities will also appreciate the stamina support that these products can bring. Their effectiveness at helping stimulate better, more smooth blood flow helps improve the oxygen distribution to your muscles and your body's systems which will provide that extra bit of fortitude to push your way through a particularly challenging exercise or session when you are feeling like you have little left in the tank.

Weight Loss
Whether you are working up a sweat to lose weight or to increase definition, the added stimulation these products put forth in your system will help you burn a bit more during your sessions. Whether that be by slightly raising your metabolism to burn a bit more, or just give you the ability to push harder, that extra "umph" will help scorch calories which do help weight loss goals.

When it comes to application, we are talking about serving size. We all break down those things we take in our systems differently. Our age, gender, height, and weight can all play a factor in how our body regulates the kind of supplementation we should take. That means there isn't a blanket rule about the amount of a pre-workout supplement we should take.

Additionally, the ingredients and their concentration differ in each product which will also play a huge factor in dosing. Therefore, the best advice is to always follow the directions the manufacturer of the product provides. Start out with the lowest amount and slowly work your way up from there once you have an idea of how the product works for you and how your body breaks it down.

If there is anything you should be particularly careful of regarding these types of products is when you take them. The key here is "pre-Workout" supplement. This means you must take them before you engage in exercise for them effectively provide you with the effects you want.

The amount of time necessary for these supplements to break down in your system can vary among brands but in general, if you allow yourself about 30 minutes to digest them before your session, you should be all set. So if you're a morning person, you will probably add your pre-workout supplement to a light breakfast right before you head to the gym.

Don't wait too long, though. Unless stated in the specific product's instructions, try not to take them super early because you want them to be highly active during your session. If you take them and wait too long to exercise, you could risk them being less effective. This is because these, mostly stimulant-heavy products, will have their "pick-me-up" potency reduced. In essence, if you wait too long, it is pretty much not going to help you to take one of these in preparation for your sweat session.

Like with any type of drug, medicine, or supplement there can be a potential risk of side effects. You should always be aware of any potential hazards or interactions anything you take can have with other medications or supplements you are taking or with the way your body responds to various ingredients. The biggest concern that should be noted with these types of products is that they are mainly based on stimulants, therefore one can overuse and potentially have over the top agitation results.

Some side effects that occur with excess agitation include shaking, anxiety, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and inability to sleep restfully to name a few. Those with heart issues or other medical concerns may want to exercise caution with anything that can stimulate.

Dehydration is one of the symptoms that can often be overlooked or that those taking a stimulant may simply be unaware of. Think of a stimulant the same way you think of coffee, and how it works in your body. What is one of the biggest thing coffee can do? It can cause you to pee! These products work in just the same way, they can behave like a diuretic, therefore, ensuring you are appropriately hydrating with plenty of water is truly essential to ensuring you don't have any issues here.

Last, special populations should always exercise caution when taking anything, including pre-workout supplements. If you are pregnant or nursing, under a certain age, or have specific medical conditions, just ensure that before you take one of these products or really anything on the market, that your medical provider gives you the "OK."

For most athletes, avid exercisers, or specifically any competitor the ingredients in the supplementation you take should never contain banned substances or anything that the NCAA, The World Anti-Doping Agency, or any ingredients not approved to take by the FDA. In general, when a product has these supplements, it is safe to say, there is a high risk these could be unsafe for your health.

In the world of supplementation, one that is not highly regulated, and with so many ingredients that I haven't had enough studies done, there are some ingredients that are not banned but are controversial. There are ingredients that have supporters and naysayers on both sides. Because there may not exist enough research and studies to conclude as a matter of science and fact that the ingredient is either proven safe or proven unsafe, they stay up for debate.

Artificial sweeteners and colors aren't something that is banned (in the states) or factually known to be highly toxic with proven catastrophic side effects. But many individuals have strong opinions about taking or eating anything that uses them. That is why there is a market for more natural and organic products with raw ingredients that don't include any artificial coloring, sweeteners, or other fake fillers.

In Europe, many of these ingredients are banned, so if you are outside the US, the products you have to choose from will vary in that respect from those that you are able to obtain in the United States. For those of you who aren't too concerned about these artificial ingredients though, this may be a section that rates lower on your priority list, but we felt it was still worth mentioning to the masses.