When Should You Take A Pre Workout – Timing Is Everything

With anything in life, timing is everything. So it is with most nutritional supplements. So when should you take a pre workout?  Take it too soon, and it won’t work properly.  Take it too late and miss the effects. Take too much and you could have negative effects or too little and not feel anything.

Pre workout supplements are made to take your workout or exercise routine to the next level.  It will give you additional energy, strength, stamina, and focus to help achieve your fitness goals.  Because of this, we are going to discuss more on how does pre workouts work and if a pre workout supplement is right for you.
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This includes the best timing and strategy, the quantity to take for the best results, how it’s absorbed, as well as some information on muscle recovery time.

Pre Workout Timing Is Everything

When Should You Take a Pre Workout and How Long does pre workout take to kick in?

The timing of when to take your pre workout is not an exact science by any means.

It depends on many factors such as your height and weight, how fast your body metabolizes, which pre workout supplement you are using, the last time you ate, your genetics, and your tolerance to the supplement. That being said, it is not that difficult to figure out an estimated time period.
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Let’s start with a comparison of a liquid that you know very well. Coffee, with the active ingredient being Caffeine. A cup of coffee takes about 45-60 minutes to be absorbed and then can last between 4 and 6 hours.

Coffee can also be used as a pre workout, though you do not get the additional advantages of muscle pump, vascularity, and endurance that you would from the ingredients in pre workout.

The average pre workout can take between 30 and 60 minutes to absorb and can last for up to 3 to 6 hours.  The best time to take a pre workout is 30-45 minutes before exercise, giving it enough time for the majority of ingredients to begin saturating your muscle tissue.  If you take your pre workout too far ahead, then it may be used up by the time you hit the weights.  Too soon, and you have to wait for it to start up.

It is best to take your pre workout on an empty stomach. It will kick in faster and longer. Taking it on a full stomach may reduce the effects that you are looking for. This is not critical if you do need to eat, but who really wants to work out on a full stomach anyway.

So when you’re asking, how long does pre workout take to kick in, we have an educated range.  However, weight, metabolism, muscle to fat ratio, how much food is in the stomach, and gender will all alter this slightly.

If you have any questions or perhaps insights on when to take a pre workout, please leave a comment in the box at the bottom and I will respond.

How Much Pre Workout Should I Take?

As we discussed, the quantity is also based on many factors. Obviously, if you weigh above average you would need more than the recommended serving size, and if you are lighter than average you may need a little less. If you are already high energy, we don’t want you off the charts so go easy.

Check your pre workout for how many milligrams of Caffeine it contains. Higher caffeine levels can increase the time of absorption. A higher caffeine quantity can also keep you up at night. I’ve had it happen, and it is no fun. If you are caffeine sensitive, there pre workouts that contain less.

If you happen to be Caffeine intolerant, you can try a Caffeine Free Pre Workout.  Organic Pre Workouts and Plant Based Pre Workouts contain a more natural form of Caffeine.  This may be better for you if you tend to get anxiety or the jitters from too much Caffeine.

I’m 190lbs and am pretty good with a little more than one scoop(or serving). That is if I haven’t eaten. I would guess that if you are over 200lbs, you would need closer to 1 1/2 scoops. If you are 150lbs, you would need just under a scoop.

Start out slow!! Pre workout is strong stuff. Many people have ended up with a migraine from taking too much. Especially your first time, make sure that you work your way up to what is comfortable

How is Pre Workout Absorbed?

Pre workout goes through the stomach, and then the Amino Acids (proteins) are absorbed by the small intestine. From there, they go into the bloodstream so it can be used by your brain for energy and muscles for strength and endurance.

After the Amino Acids from this supplement are absorbed by your body, it affects the functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and nervous systems.
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It is then slowly metabolized while it is giving you the effects. Whatever is left over is eventually cycled out through the liver. Pre workout supplements are not recommended for pregnant women as it can affect fetal health.

You don’t get the effect from your pre workout until it has made it to your bloodstream. At this point, the caffeine goes to your head sometimes creating a euphoric feeling, and the nitric oxide (an essential Amino) goes to your muscles to create pump and vascularity.

The most important part is the endurance that the pre workout helps your muscles perform harder stronger than without.

Post Workout Recovery –

When to Take Protein Powder

After exercise, it’s recommended to take a post workout supplement.  Post workout protein powder timing is also important. The post workout supplements should be taken within a certain amount of time after your workout to have maximum effectiveness.

There is a window when your body is at a peak absorption rate for the ingredients. This can be called “the sweet spot” because your body is ready to uptake the post workout nutrients.
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It’s not the end of the world if you can’t take advantage of this window of time. Your body will still absorb what it needs.

Many post workout supplements contain BCAA’s (Amino Acids), protein, Beta-alanine, vitamins, and Creatine. Post workout supplements do not contain caffeine or anything that gives you energy.

Post workouts are directed to give the body what it needs to help jump start your recovery process. After this, it is up to you to eat plenty of protein and a healthy diet throughout the rest of your day.

Pre Workout Studies

To demonstrate the advantages of pre workout, one case study shows that experienced cyclists were able to ride faster for 60 minutes at 80% of peak power output compared to cyclists that weren’t stimulated.

Other studies have found improved reaction time, mental clarity, pain tolerance, and focus in athletes that take pre workouts.

Pre workout supplements are also advantageous for weightlifting, running, Crossfit, or team sports.  It is even the best exercise supplement for weight loss.

 

When Should I Take A Pre Workout – Wrap Up

If you are interested in upping your fitness routines to “beast mode” be sure to time your pre workout for the maximum effects. 

Research shows that most pre workout supplements can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the brand, your metabolism, strength, and quantity.  How long before pre workout kicks in depends on these individual factors that you should take into consideration.
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How long does pre workout last?  Most manufacturers will say that the effects will last for about 3-6 hours. From my personal experience, it is a lot closer to 3 hours, but some bodies metabolize faster than others. 

Either way, don’t take your pre workout to late in the evening because lack of sleep has been proven unhealthy.

Once you get used to taking a particular pre workout correctly, you will find the ultimate “sweet spot” to get the best pre workout results.

If you have any more questions about when to take pre workout or how long does it take for pre workout to kick in, please leave a comment below and I will respond.