How often should you take pre-workouts?

Pre-workouts are a great way to enhance your trainings. However, if you want them to be fully effective, you need to know when to take them. It isn’t just about the pre-workout timing, it’s also about the daily and weekly amounts. Similarly to coffee or energy drinks, taking these supplements too frequently might get you overly energized and cause insomnia. So, how often should you take pre-workouts? You will find this out in this article!

Table of contents:

• What are pre-workouts?
• How often should I take pre-workouts?
  • The relationship between pre-workout timing and trainings
  • The relationship between pre-workout timing and experience
  • The relationship between pre-workout timing and particular pre-workouts
  • The relationship between pre-workout timing and other substances
• Why should you take pre-workouts?
• The takeaway

What are pre-workouts?

Before you ask, “How often should I take pre-workouts”, think if you know what they are. If not, then we will explain it to you.

Pre-workouts are supplements to be taken before trainings. They boost energy levels, increase concentration and reduce the feeling of fatigue. These supplements might come in the form of drinks, capsules, or powders. They should be taken 30–45 minutes before your training session because their effect, although strong, is short. If the timing is right, you will feel the benefits of pre-workouts only during the training, not before or after it.

How often should I take pre-workouts?

How often you should take pre-workouts depends on several factors. The approach should be adjusted to how frequently you train, how experienced you are, what products you are using and whether you are mixing them with other substances.

The relationship between pre-workout timing and trainings

The first, most important factor that you need to consider is how frequently you hit the gym. Pre-workouts are meant to be taken only before training sessions. Thus, your weekly dosage will be fully dependent on the number of your workouts. Although these supplements have many beneficial effects, you need to remember that they do not last long – so there is really no point in taking them if you are not planning to train.

The relationship between pre-workout timing and experience

Some pre-workouts are significantly stronger, some are weaker. It is so because by taking them you will be building up tolerance for their effects. Thus, if you are a pre-workout newbie, it is best not to take full portions or to use these supplements only for the most intensive trainings. Their effects might last longer and be much more powerful for you, so you will need exhaustive workouts to ensure that you don’t feel over energized afterward. Experienced athletes, on the other hand, will be able to take pre-workouts before each session, since they will have a tolerance that will let them do even lighter trainings without the side effects.

The relationship between pre-workout timing and particular pre-workouts

As it was mentioned in the previous paragraph, the available supplemntation may differ in power. Thus, you might need to limit the weekly number of supplements taken based on what you use. If you already gained a bit of experience and want to switch to something stronger, it might mean that you will have to cut down on your pre-workouts for a couple of days or weeks. Remember that mixing pre-workout substances might cause stomach upset, so if you are switching to a stronger supplement, it’s better to stick to it and just keep it slow.

Additionally, all pre-workouts will come with a suggested dosage. This means that some product may directly state how often you should take them. Remember to read the description of your supplement and follow the instructions – they are there for a reason.

The relationship between pre-workout timing and other substances

When thinking about how often you should take pre-workouts, you need to consider other substances. The first thing that comes to mind are other supplements – after all, if you are, for instance, mixing pre-workouts with creatine, you might need to consider both of these substances as a whole. You wouldn’t want to overdose a shared ingredient, would you?

Moreover, you should also think about non sports-related substances while taking pre-workouts. For example, you mustn’t mix them with alcohol. Booze will interfere with your supplement while slowing down the liver. As a result, both alcohol and caffeine will need more time to be removed from your body. What is more, it will hinder the absorption of nutrients, which are important ingredients of the pre-workouts. Thus, it is strongly advised not to mix these two together.

When it comes to mixing pre-workouts with other substances, energy drinks and coffee should also be mentioned. All three of these consist of caffeine. Thus, they just should not be consumed together. Pre-workouts and energy drinks are a no-no, the same case is with coffee. So, if you absolutely had to drink one of these earlier during the day, consider skipping your supplement serving this time.

Why should you take pre-workouts?

How pre-workouts can improve your workout? They allow you to take up more intensive exercise. Additionally, since they increase concentration, they also affect the way you spend your time at the gym – there will be no more checking your phone, or missing some details in your technique.

If that is not enough, different supplements might have some additional effects. Some, for instance, have fat-burning ingredients inside them, making losing weight a pleasure. Other supplements are characterized by having appetite blockers, or being able to boost your motivation. Check several types of the supplement and pick something that will help you achieve your goals.

The takeaway

Pre-workout supplements are a great way to boost your training sessions. They increase motivation, bring your energy levels up, and let you fully concentrate. But, how often should you take the pre-workouts?

The answer to this question is: only before every training. However, even then, you might want to skip your supplements. If your pre-workouts are too strong, try using them only before the most exhausting workouts. If you plan to drink alcohol, or if you drank coffee or energy drinks earlier in a day, you might skip your supplement as well. Adjust the frequency to your needs and your current situation, only then will you have the full effects.

If you like this article, you might also be interested in: Coffee vs Pre-Workout: Which Is More Energizing?