Pre-workout supplements are mainly creatine, BCAAs, beta alanine, some sort of pump agent, a stimulant (normally caffeine) and a whole load of other minerals and herbs that you could argue no human should consume. The stimulant is the selling point and is normally caffeine which the supplement companies will pack into their products in huge doses in order to create a rather profound and intense feeling. There is around 80mg of caffeine in a large filter coffee whilst you can find anything between 150 to 400mg per serving in some of today’s popular pre-workout supplements. This huge jolt of caffeine can help to push you through a grueling workout whilst it can leave others with horrendous gastric upset and some serious problems getting off to sleep. The body is a very clever machine and will rapidly grow accustomed to the caffeine which means that after a week of feeling like a man possessed on the squat rack, this feeling will start to dull which turns one scoop into two, into three, into four etc. The process of inevitable increasing caffeine tolerance will lead most to come away from pre-workout supplements for a week or two before recommencing which is also a good idea as if you are always relying on a supplement to get you through a workout, it’s gonna cost. Ultimately, some get the motivation to train from a strong cup of coffee whilst others will value the effects of a strong pre-workout supplement.

As outlined above there are many more supplements available today such as fish oils, glutamine, intra-workout supplements and nitric oxide boosters however, the four above are considered the big boys and also effective when used correctly.