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Have you ever heard of a pre-workout for cardio? If you ever felt like you wanted to increase the level of your workout and you don’t know where to start, then this article consisting of the ten best pre-workout for cardio is for you to start with.
A pre-workout is a supplement; it can either be an individual supplement or it can be a blend of multiple supplements taken before a session of cardio exercise or High-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, which is made to help you by providing endurance, strength, and focus on giving your best at your cardio sessions. A pre-workout is mostly used by bodybuilders or athletes, which helps them with their athletic needs and increases energy levels.
A pre-workout for cardio is taken to increase blood flow to your muscles to create better endurance and perform well than usual during your high-intensity exercise. Sometimes it does help to burn calories and fat loss. It is like a superhuman power provider.
10 Best Pre-Workout for Cardio
1. Beta-Alanine:
A naturally occurring beta-amino acid1 that helps create better endurance during cardio workouts to increase your heart rate a called Beta-Alanine. Amino acid helps create as well as grow muscles by creating connective tissue and maintaining muscle tone including tissue strength. Still, unlike many amino acids, beta-alanine isn’t consumed especially for protein systemization but instead, when consumed along with histidine, it, in turn, starts constructing carnosine that brings lactic acid 2down, accumulated in muscles while exercising assisting in the boost of athletic performance.
When Carnosine levels are high, it allows you to perform better in your cardio workouts. But the truth is that carnosine levels are always limited because naturally, histidine levels are high and beta-alanine levels are low that is why it is recommended to supplement beta-alanine which helps in increasing the carnosine levels which as mentioned before helps in performing better.
To get better results it is normally advisable to take from three grams to five grams for four days a week, although receiving a doctor’s advice for any supplement is highly recommended.
2. Caffeine:
It’s not what you are thinking. It’s not the usual amazing coffee drink. It is the sour stuff before it is processed to make it taste delicious. Caffeine is usually taken to “wake me up” well, then imagine that “wake me up” dosage ten times more, that’s right, that is what caffeine pre-workout for cardio is utilized for. Caffeine is recommended to concentrate on your work and keep you on track with whatever you are doing.
Many pre-workouts add caffeine as a primary ingredient because this particular stimulant is famously known for its amazing performance-enhancing abilities. As a pre-workout, it is used to improve muscle power and endurance.
Caffeine as a pre-workout for cardio helps you provide a mental and physical boost, helping you perform better with more focus and concentration. It is always said that mind over matter is the best motivator because it is almost hard to break when people’s determination is strong. After all, your mind is set. So when you take caffeine with the determination etched in your mind, it isn’t easy to back down, especially with the physical push that comes with a pre-workout.
3. Creatine:
Energy is released when you lift weights or do high-intensity interval training 3or just some cardio workout, that particular energy is called Creatine. So basically, Creatine is naturally found in your body specifically in muscle cells. It provides your body with muscle energy being the safest and approved supplement.
The energy that is released and also stored is called phosphocreatine which is already present 95% in your muscle cells while the rest is present in your brain, liver, and kidney. So to say, the Creatine you consume aids in producing more phosphocreatine which in turn helps in producing a high-energy molecule called ATP4, which is mostly called an energy currency, so to say, the more ATP that is available, the better you can perform in your workout.
As a pre-workout for cardio, Creatine provides more energy. For athletes who want to run farther, jump higher, and go for that extra few reps of weight lifting to build muscles and burn fats, Creatine is the way to go. There are benefits to consuming five grams a day, and it does not just help in physical changes but mental too. Although a proper dosage is better consumed according to a doctor’s recommendation.
Bonus tip:
There are three basic ingredients one can take as a pre-workout for cardio, namely, caffeine creatine, and amino acids. Caffeine and creatine can be taken together because caffeine helps in concentration while creatine helps in heightening energy.
4. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA):
Quinoa, eggs, cottage cheese, and fish among other food have been constantly on the internet and their usefulness to our basic health. There is one thing in common that you may not be aware of and that is amino acids. These are blocks of protein that are known for building muscles and bones. There are nine out of twenty amino acids that are important to consume.
Branch Chain Amino Acids contain three out of the nine essential amino acids- leucine, isoleucine, and valine BCAA is different from the others because of its “branched-chain” version as taking three together helps in the intense cardio training that you plan to do, and help you in increasing metabolism for better protein absorption and support muscle retention with muscle recovery and that is why it is considered one of the best pre-workout for cardio.
5. Adenosine Triphosphate:
Adenosine Triphosphate is well known among bodybuilders and heavyweight lifters because intracellular Adenosine Triphosphate is present in your body. Still, extracellular ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is just as important as intracellular ATP as it helps in muscle mass. When you start taking Adenosine Triphosphate, it improves metabolism, creates more muscles, and improves your cardiovascular system, which results in an increase in blood flow, which is what we are aiming to achieve from a pre-workout for cardio.
6. Citrulline:
It exists as an amino acid found naturally in your body, but people consume Citrulline to improve their sports nutrition and perform better. Although Citrulline has its advantages, people still hesitate to consume it as a pre-workout for cardio.
This form of amino acid was first found in watermelon, and it can be consumed by eating foods, but it can also be taken as a dietary supplement. Henceforth it is included in this pre-workout for cardio. The unique thing about Citrulline is that it does not build protein. It helps in getting rid of unnecessary parts in one’s urea cycle. It has another role of widening your blood vessels to build muscle.
7. Theacrine:
A naturally occurring chemical similar to caffeine is Theacrine. It is used for better athletic performance and mental clarity, and to reduce fatigue. It has a similar effect on the brain as caffeine. It helps in controlling the central nervous system.
It helps in keeping your mental situation clear, improves athletic performance, and reduces fatigue.
8. Rhodiola Rosea:
Rhodiola Rosea is a golden root or arctic root mostly grown in the colder regions of Asia and Europe normally known as Rhodiola which is usually used in Scandinavian countries and Russia for the treatment of anxiety, stress, and fatigue.
It is used as a pre-workout for cardio to reduce stress because it contains adaptogen, which is a substance that helps increase stress resistance. It also helps in fighting fatigue to fight off fatigue and increase your cardio and anaerobic activity, feeling stronger because pre-workouts are made for anaerobic activity and not an aerobic activity like yoga, swimming, etc. because they are not as intense as a cardio workout.
9. Tyrosine:
A supplement that benefits in regulating the mood by delivering chemicals that support by assisting the communication of nerve cells for better concentration and focus is called Tyrosine. It is essentially utilized for promising attention and focus in your cardio workouts.
In Greek, “tyro” indicates cheese so, therefore, it is present in dairy products but it can also be found in chicken, turkey, and fish. Tyrosine is from another amino called phenylalanine. It helps in mental performance during your extreme cardio, so it is taken as a pre-workout for cardio.
10. Creatine Monohydrate:
After many studies, Creatine Monohydrate is considered one of the top pre-workout for cardio resulting in better exercise performance. This particular pre-workout for a cardio supplement is scientifically supported and said to be the best safety record. It is known for improvement in exercise and increased strength, power, and muscle mass5. A study informs the monohydrate combined with Creatine helps in better performance than the others by providing better blood flow to the muscles, which is what bodybuilders aim for or for that extra reps of bench press.
Many may say that pre-workout supplements are bad for you, but it is not harmful if you take them in moderation. But it is always recommended to consult your doctor as to the number of grams you are to take because there are different dosages recommended on the internet, and it can be very confusing.
The dosage of any supplement, in general, can differ from one person to another. A single misstep can cause significant health problems so it is safe and secure to consult a doctor for recommendations to keep your health in check. Your health must always be your priority so take care of your health because no one will do it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are Pre-Workout Supplements?
Dietary supplements known as pre-workouts are meant to be taken before a workout in order to improve performance, energy, and attention. They often include a combination of nutrients, including caffeine, amino acids, and creatine.
2. Can Pre-Workout Vitamins Help Me Get More out Of My Cardio Exercise?
Absolutely, pre-workout vitamins can help you work harder and longer during your cardio workout by giving you more energy and focus.
3. What Components in A Pre-Workout Pill for Cardio Should I Search For?
A pre-workout pill for cardio should contain substances like caffeine beta alanine nitric oxide enhancers (such as Citrulline and Arginine), and B vitamins.
- Burgess, Kevin, Lee T. Liu, and Biman Pal. “Asymmetric syntheses of optically active. alpha.,. beta.-disubstituted. beta.-amino acids.” The Journal of Organic Chemistry 58.17 (1993): 4758-4763. ↩︎
- Martinez, Fabio Andres Castillo, et al. “Lactic acid properties, applications and production: A review.” Trends in food science & technology 30.1 (2013): 70-83. ↩︎
- Laursen, Paul B., and David G. Jenkins. “The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training.” Sports medicine 32.1 (2002): 53-73. ↩︎
- Romanovsky, Yurii M., and Alexander N. Tikhonov. “Molecular energy transducers of the living cell. Proton ATP synthase: a rotating molecular motor.” Physics-Uspekhi 53.9 (2010): 893. ↩︎
- Rennie, Michael J., et al. “Control of the size of the human muscle mass.” Annu. Rev. Physiol. 66 (2004): 799-828. ↩︎
Last Updated on by laibaarif
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I am interested in fitness and really want to build a muscle-mania-level body.But I didn’t know about the pre-work supplements. this article helped me choose good pre-workouts and also saved me money.