When it comes to an effective supplement, nothing comes close to harnessing the sheer power, energy and unrelenting motivation of a pre workout.
It boosts strength, athleticism, focus and endurance. It keeps you alert and your head in the game – even when you’re tired and fatigued.
But what about pre workout for weight loss?
Is this one of the benefits of these multi-purpose, nutrient-filled products.
Let’s take a look at what the science says.
Pre Workout Supplements
You want to get the most from you workouts and you want to maximize the bang for your buck in every single session activity.
Choosing to take a supplement that optimizes the way you train in the gym is a surefire way of making your workout sessions really count.
High-quality pre workout supplements contain bioactive ingredients that change the way your body uses energy. The best ones are low in calories, choosing to focus on nutrients that improve your workouts, rather than packing them full of sugar.
When it comes to pre workout for weight loss you should always check what you’re getting as higher calorie supplements are the opposite of what you’re after.
The benefits of a pre workout supplement
Used by everyone from professional endurance and strength athletes to amateur fitness enthusiasts and physique models.
Pre workout help you attack the gym in a number of different ways.
- Increased energy – nutrients such as caffeine and creatine help trigger your central nervous system, elevating endurance and strength.
- Reduced time-to-fatigue – keep going and going. Feel superhuman, even at high intensity.
- Improved blood flow – pre workout supplements help to accelerate up nutrient delivery and muscle pumps
- Enhanced focus and energy – increase motivation, concentration and cognition with ingredients such as L-theanine and rhodiola rosea.
Can Pre Workout Really Help You Lose Weight?
When it comes to a pre workout for weight loss, shredding fat and improving overall lean body composition you can’t go wrong.
That’s because these supplements have both a direct and indirect effect on fat loss.
Here’s what you need to know about pre workout for weight loss.
More energy means better workouts
The double-barrel hit of energy you get from caffeine and creatine helps to improve workout capacity and productivity.
Caffeine is a natural, neural stimulant that switches off the chemical in your body that causes relaxation and calm – adenosine. The result is higher energy levels, lower levels of fatigue and better focus.
When it comes to research, studies well and truly show the power of this compound.
For example, one study found that in a group of elite cyclists, caffeine supplementation led to an increase in time-to-fatigue and lower fatigue during exhaustive exercise [1].
In another study, caffeine supplementation led to much higher energy levels, better mental arousal and wakefulness [2].
And it doesn’t end there.
Creatine is an amino-based compound known to elevate levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle.
This is the fuel currency the body uses at high intensity. The more you have, the higher intensity you can workout at before you become exhausted.
Creatine boosts ATP production by a massive 34% [3].
And this results in:
- Higher levels of force production and strength
- Elevate anabolic protein synthesis and muscle volume
- Reduced fatigue
- More power, speed and higher training velocity
- Key Point: Nutrients such as caffeine and creatine help to boost energy, meaning more productive workouts.
You’ll burn more calories at higher intensity
So why are better workouts good for weight loss?
Well, simply, if you’re working out at a higher intensity you’re burning more calories.
Your metabolic rate will increase.
Caffeine helps you burn more energy, even when you’re not exercising.
Studies show that after consumption, resting energy expenditure (a method of assessing how many calories are burned per minute) goes up immediately and remains significantly high for 3 hours [4].
Use caffeine and then work out and the effect on your energy expenditure is increased dramatically.
Studies show that during exercise, pre workouts containing caffeine significantly effect calorie burning.
In a group of 14 active volunteers [5], pre workout supplementation had the following effects:
- Greater energy expenditure and fat burning
- Exercise was perceived as less difficult
- The group enjoyed the workouts more
And finally, the combination of caffeine and exercise helped the group achieve a greater energy deficit – the key to fast fat loss.
- Key Point: Increased energy leads to a high metabolism and increased energy expenditure.
Pre workout for weight loss: stimulates fat burning
When it comes to weight loss, diet and exercise are key.
If you aren’t monitoring your food intake and burning calories through physical activity, you’ll find it tough to improve the way you look.
Pre workouts help to speed up the process by directly influencing how much fat you burn.
A research paper in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise [6] found that when exercise and caffeine-based supplements were combined, pre workout for weight loss resulted in a 22% in mass and 25% reduction in fat cell size.
And in another research paper, scientists suggested that caffeine acted as a thermogenic (a compound that speeds up metabolic rate) [7].
In their study, 400 mg of caffeine was found to increase energy expenditure, metabolic rate, thermogenic response and was indicative of increased fat burning too.
- Key Point: Caffeine acts as a thermogenic and can elevate fat burning.
The Solution: 4 Gauge
4 Gauge is a blend of potent, all-natural pre workout nutrients that make it the best athlete supplement on the market.
Containing caffeine, creatine, L-theanine and other essential ingredients, 4 Gauge is your best route to better workouts, more productive sessions and higher calorie burning.
4 Gauge is an exhaustively researched, all-natural pre workout designed to rip the lid off your gym sessions, sports games or workouts.
Packed with performance-enhancing nutrients such as caffeine, L-theanine and creatine, 4 Gauge will take your training to a completely new level.
- Smash your workouts – feel your nervous system firing on all cylinders
- Cell-splitting muscle pumps – harness the power of vasodilation and deliver more nutrients to your muscle cells
- Determination like never before – feel unparalleled focus and motivation
- Relentless energy – train for longer without fatigue
References
- Bell DG. Effect of repeated caffeine ingestion on repeated exhaustive exercise endurance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003; 35(8): 1348-54
- Barry, RJ. Caffeine and opening the eyes have additive effects on resting arousal measures. Clin Neurophysiol. 2010; 122(10): 2010-5
- Bendahan D, Mattei JP, Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S, Le Guern ME, Cozzone PJ. (2002). Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. Br J Sports Med. Aug; 36(4):282-9
- Koot, P et al. Comparison of changes in energy expenditure and body temperatures after caffeine consumption. Ann Nutr Metab. 1995; 39(3): 135-42
- Schubert, MM et al. Caffeine consumption around an exercise bout: effects on energy expenditure, energy intake, and exercise enjoyment. J Appl Physiol. 2014; 117(7): 745-54
- Wilcox, AR. The effects of caffeine and exercise on body weight, fat-pad weight, and fat-cell size. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1982; 14(4): 317-21
- Astrup, A et al. Caffeine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of its thermogenic, metabolic, and cardiovascular effects in healthy volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990; 51(5): 759-67