The Best Time To Take Pre-Workout for Maximum Energy and Performance

Pre-workout supplements are designed to increase your energy and focus during a workout so you can improve your athletic performance. However, taking your pre-workout at the right time is crucial if you want to achieve optimal results.

As the name suggests, pre-workout is meant to be consumed before your workout. Each product has its own directions for use, but generally, products should be taken 30 to 60 minutes before exercising. In a recent review, all included studies used slightly shorter dosing windows of 30 to 40 minutes.

Pre-workout supplements, intended to improve performance in the short term, are generally sold in the form of a powdered drink and contain ingredients such as:

• Caffeine: One of the most common pre-workout ingredients, caffeine is included to temporarily increase energy and focus.
• Creatine: This compound increases your energy capacity and helps limit protein breakdown, thereby promoting muscle growth.
• Vasodilators: Niacin, citrulline, L-carnitine, or other additives are often included to dilate your blood vessels, making oxygen flow to the muscles easier.
• Beta-alanine: This amino acid can help alleviate muscle fatigue while you exercise.
• Beets or betaine: Beetroot powder or juice is sometimes added to pre-workout supplements to increase oxygen to muscles and promote stable energy. Others contain betaine, an amino acid derived from beets that is believed to help reduce fatigue and increase muscle mass.

Finding the ideal time for your pre-workout supplement depends on a number of factors, from product formulation to the type of workout you’re doing, and may require some experimentation. Consider the following when planning your pre-workout routine.

1. Ingredients

Pre-workout ingredients can work at different times, so it’s best to check the label and do a little research. For example, one study found that participants experienced faster muscle contractions and greater muscle stiffness when they consumed caffeine 30 minutes before a workout, compared to 60 minutes before a workout.

However, if beetroot or niacin are the main ingredients in your pre-workout, you may want to allow more time. Several studies show that drinking beet juice 2 to 3 hours before a workout is linked to improved strength and endurance.

2. Training type

Although taking caffeine 30 minutes before an explosive workout, such as a strength workout or a basketball game, can improve power and focus, endurance athletes preparing for a long, sustained effort may want to do their pre-workout a little earlier.

A review of research found that long-distance runners who consumed caffeine 45 to 60 minutes before their race experienced improved performance, even though they felt like they were exerting less effort.

3. Metabolism

Pre-workout supplements may come in at different times for different people, depending on how their body breaks down nutrients. This process of converting nutrients into energy, called metabolism, depends on your age, gender, diet and other factors, and impacts how quickly your body can access the compounds in your pre-workout.

To maximize results, someone with a faster metabolism may want to consume a pre-workout closer to the start of their gym session, while someone with a slower metabolism may want a longer time interval between taking their supplement and working out.

4. Refuel

Ingredients in pre-workout supplements, especially caffeine, are absorbed more quickly when taken on an empty stomach. If you exercise early in the morning before eating breakfast, you might feel the effects of the pre-workout sooner than if you took the same dose after eating or before an evening workout.

When used as intended, pre-workout supplements are generally safe for most people. But before introducing one into your fitness routine, it’s best to take the following steps:

• On repeat with your doctor: For people with medical conditions or those taking prescription medications, it is important to contact your doctor before starting a pre-workout supplement, as some ingredients may be contraindicated. For example, high amounts of caffeine can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure, and green tea extract may interact with certain medications that treat high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure.
• Look for third-party certification: Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the same way as other products. This means that manufacturers may make unverified claims about the ingredients or benefits of your pre-workout. Taking any type of supplement carries certain risks. But when purchasing a pre-workout, look for certification logos from third-party organizations like NSF and Informed Choice that test to ensure supplements meet quality and safety standards.
• Beware of exclusive blends: Like supplement companies’ secret recipes, proprietary blends are products whose ingredients are not fully disclosed on the packaging. This prevents other companies from duplicating the product, but it also means consumers don’t know exactly what they are ingesting. To stay safe, it’s best to use pre-workouts that clearly list all of their ingredients on the label.
• Be careful later in the day: For evening sweat sessions, you may want to skip the pre-workout or choose one with a lower caffeine content. Caffeine stays in your system for about five hours, so consuming a pre-workout later in the day could interrupt your sleep. However, each person’s sensitivity to caffeine is different, so it is not always necessary to avoid caffeine in the evening.
• Remember that more is not always better: Follow the manufacturer’s dosing instructions and resist any urge to “maximize” your results by taking more pre-workout than recommended. For example, high doses of creatine can cause gastrointestinal upset, and too much caffeine can lead to anxiety or dehydration.