Does Pre Workout Make You Sweat More? Yes, 9 Causes Why!
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Pre-workout supplements have become increasingly more popular in the last couple of years! Pre workouts provide a boost of energy and focus to kill it in the gym! Many people also wonder whether pre workouts increase sweating during workouts. So, does pre workout make you sweat more? Yes! In this article I discuss the 9 ingredient culprits and also one bonus one.
The 9 Causes/Ingredients Why:
Some ingredients found in pre workout are thermogenic, these substances increase your body’s internal temperature, meaning that you’ll sweat more, causing your body to begin cooling itself down.
These substances also stimulate your central nervous system, increasing the process of breaking down fat cells. Which ingredients do this? Here they are…
1. Caffeine
Caffeine, which is a stimulant, is a very common ingredient in pre-workout supplements. It can be found in coffee, tea, and chocolate but also in some medications, such as pain relievers and cold and flu remedies.
A cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine, the caffeine dose in a pre workout commonly ranges anywhere from 100mg to over 300mg per serving. So over 3 cups of coffee in some pre workouts!
This ingredient can increase your sweat production by stimulating your sympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for your “fight or flight” response.
When this system is activated, it will increase your heart rate, your blood pressure, and your body’s core temperature. These will all lead to getting you to sweat more than usual.
Some benefits are that caffeine improves alertness and concentration, improves physical performance, it also has pain-relieving effects.
It can also improve your mood and help with weight loss because it increases your metabolism and fat oxidation.
There are some potential side effects though. It can cause insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, headaches, dehydration, an increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Adults should try to limit caffeine intake to no more than 400 milligrams per day. This is based on the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2. Green tea extract
The next one is Green tea extract. It is made from the leaves of the green tea plant, the Camellia sinensis plant, and is rich in antioxidants.
Green tea extract offers some killer benefits. For one, it gives your metabolism a boost, making you a mean and lean fat burning machine.
It will help improve your reaction time, physical performance, increase your endurance while working out and reducing damage done to your muscles.
Not all good news though…some side effects are feeling nauseous, getting a headache, insomnia and a rapid heartbeat.
3. Yohimbine
Maybe you haven’t heard of Yohimbe, but it has been gaining some attention lately.
This herbal supplement is made from the bark of a tree, native to West Africa, called the Pausinystalia yohimbe. Because yohimbe has stimulant properties, it is commonly included in pre workouts and weight loss products.
Benefits are that Yohimbe can increase your athletic performance and help with weigh loss. On the flip side there are some potential side effects such as making you feel dizzy, nauseous, anxious and getting a headache.
4. Bitter orange (also known as Citrus aurantium or synephrine)
Bitter orange, aka Citrus aurantium or synephrine, is a plant used for centuries for it’s healing properties.
It is a stimulant can be found in some pre workouts as it gives you an energy boosts and is believed to also increase your metabolism and suppress your appetite (your internal cookie monster).
You should be aware of the possible side effects such as increased heart rate/blood pressure, nervousness, anxiety and headaches.
5. Capsaicin (Chili Peppers)
Fresh chili peppers, anyone? We can thank capsaicin for the spiciness of chili pepper. For the food nerds like myself that want a bit more info, you can find capsaicin in the white fleshy part (called placenta) of the chili pepper and also in the seeds.
And yes, it’s also an ingredient in pre workouts designed to increase thermogenesis. It can increase your level of energy, give your metabolism a boost, and it also promotes weight loss. But be mindful as it can potentially give you upset stomach.
6. L-carnitine
L-carnitine is a natural amino acid that has an important role in your energy metabolism. Red meat, poultry and fish all have it in high concentrations, but your body can produce it.
Pre workout can contain this ingredient because it increases thermogenesis, helps increase your energy levels, improves your exercise performance, and also is great for weight loss.
But there’s more good news, it also helps your muscles to recover faster, reduces the damage done to the muscles. This simply means that you can work out harder at the gym killing it and on top of that recover faster.
This is not without it potential side effects such as nausea, upset stomach or making you smell (body odor).
7. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
This word is a mouthful, Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), but its worth discussing it for the benefits it offers. This fatty acid is added to pre-workouts sometimes for its thermogenic effect, giving your metabolism and fat burning a boost.
Not only that, it also can increase your lean muscle mass…this of course in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
CLA is found in small amounts in meat and dairy products, and it’s also available in supplements form. It is thought to promote weight loss by reducing the amount of fat stored in the body and by increasing the amount of fat that is burned for energy.
Some studies have shown that CLA may help to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass in combination with a healthy diet and exercise program. Some mild side effects are an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea and fatigue.
8. Tyrosine
The amino acid called Tyrosine is what your body uses in producing dopamine and norepinephrine. These in turn play important roles in your mental focus, alertness, mood and your level of energy.
It also increases thermogenesis and improves your endurance performance. This is why some pre workouts include Tyrosine. Common side effects are nausea, anxiety are headache.
9. Coleus forskohlii extract
For centuries, the Coleus forskohlii plant has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Its extract called forskolin is sometimes in ingredient in pre workouts.
Why is it added? The reason is simple, it is believed to increase thermogenesis, and as already discussed, this is when your body produces heat in the body.
Because of this, it may help give your metabolism a boost, thus promoting weight loss. But some studies suggest also found that it possibly plays a role in increase lean body mass and reduce body fat.
So, all good news. Some side effects found are headaches, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, nausea and dizziness.
Bonus one: Garcinia cambogia extract
This fun tropical fruit, Garcinia cambogia, is sometimes found in pre workouts with a focus on weight loss.
The fruit’s rind extract, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), is believed to increase thermogenesis in the body, boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite by reducing your feelings of hunger.
It’s worth noting that while some pre-workout supplements may contain Garcinia cambogia extract, it is not a common ingredient in pre-workout supplements and is more often found in weight loss supplements.
Just like the other ingredients, some side effects are headaches, nausea and dizziness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much caffeine in pre workout?
The caffeine content in pre workout vary widely between pre-workout brands and their own products.
For example, a popular brand such as C4 have different pre-workout products that all contain different amounts of caffeine. The C4 Sport that offers 135mg per serving, while the C4 Original has 150mg per serving and the C4 Dynasty has 350mg per serving.
Products of other brands like Bucked Up pre workout offer 200mg, Ryse 300mg and Ghost Legend 250mg just to name a few. In this article, I review the Bucked Up pre workout and all the ingredients that can also have an effect on your energy level.
Does pre workout have caffeine?
Many pre workout supplements on the market do contain caffeine as an ingredient. This is because it can increase energy, focus, and endurance which is very helpful during a workout.
But there are many stim free pre workouts on the market. Stim free or non-stim simply means that it is a pre workout without caffeine or other stimulants.
Some examples of stim free pre workouts are Pump Serum by Huge Nutrition and Genius Pre by the Genius brand.
What are the side effects of pre workout?
Pre-workouts have, depending on the specific ingredients, the following potential side effects:
Feeling jittery and nervous
Caffeine, a common ingredient, increases your levels of adrenaline and dopamine, which in turn can lead to you feeling anxious and/or restless.
Not being able to fall asleep
This is also caused by caffeine, but also other stimulants which can also interfere with sleep or your ability to fall asleep.
Naseau and stomach upset
Make you feel nauseous and get an upset stomach. The culprits are usually beta-alanine or nitric oxide.
Headaches
Headaches are also a common side effect that is caused by ingredients like caffeine and nitric oxide.
Rapid heartbeat
Caffeine and other stimulants are again the ones possibly responsible for this. This is more common when consumed, these are consumed in higher dosed.
Does pre workout make your sweat smell?
It technically could, some pre workouts contain the ingredient L-carnitine which one of its side effects is body odor. You might stink up the place, but make sure you get that workout in!
The Bottom Line
Well, now you know. Pre-workout does make you sweat more!
This is due to the ingredients in contains such as caffeine, green tea extract, Yohimbine and others. They aid in increasing your body’s internal temperature, called thermogenesis.
Higher temperature means more sweating as your body tries to cool itself down. While working out, do make sure to stay hydrated.
So if you’re all good to go, get yourself a great pre-workout supplement, it’s a fun way to up your sweat game and boost your workout performance!
If you’re ready to get your pre workout, and it’s your first one, consider getting the C4 preworkout. The caffeine content is not too high (C4 original 150mg caffeine per serving) and many people, including myself, have great results with it and have been using it for years.
Read this article to learn more about the pre workouts I think are some of the best ones currently being offered at Wallmart.
Happy Sweating!
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