In the 21st century, social mediums have become flooded with a pool of new fitness enthusiasts. These health buffs have now taken on the role of “bloggers” and provide a set of new tips, tricks, and methods for ensuring a healthy workout session.
More often than not, we have heard them relaying the importance of a good pre-workout session. Many fitness bloggers have even suggested that a warm-up routine has a much higher weightage than the main workout itself. But what is a pre-workout and how long does a pre-workout last?
With an increasing number of opinions on the internet, you are bound to be confused about the procedure itself. Thus, in this article, we have given a comprehensive overview of the whole pre-workout trend, its requirements, and its effects.
What is a Pre-Workout?
As the name suggests, a pre-workout is a term given to the supplements that are taken before the main workout session. Of course, there is no particular set of food items that must be taken- it will vary from brand to brand and preference to preference.
Generally speaking, pre-workout incorporates a mix of the most special ingredients; caffeine, carbohydrates, vitamins, creatine, and several others. It usually comes in a distinct, powdered form that can be added to plain water or a smoothie.
With time, the concept of a pre-workout has gained immense relevance. An increasing number of people have adopted this routine and are adhering to it appropriately. But what about the time when pre-workouts weren’t popular? Does that mean people didn’t prepare themselves before jumping into a full-blown exercise session?
Not. The protein supplements may not have been that popular back then, but people sure didn’t jump into their workout sessions unprepared. Instead of specially developed supplements, fitness buffs consumed a nutritious meal of their preference.
Thus, pre-workout methods and contents may have changed for the better, but people have always strived to prepare rigorously for their workout sessions.
How much time does a Pre-Workout take to kick in?
So far, we have established the basic definition of a pre-workout session. But the real question remains: How long does it take for a Pre-workout to affect your body?
This question may seem entirely irrelevant for most of you reading this piece and rightly so. On the surface, the query seems bogus and unconnected to the primary focus of this article. However, upon taking a deeper look, you’d soon realize that this piece of information holds immense importance in your workout routine.
You see, it is important to take your pre-workout supplements at the right time. Consider them as medicines- if you don’t take them at the time prescribed, you might fall ill. Taking the same analogy forward, a pre-workout should be taken at the set time, otherwise, the real benefits of it may not be truly achieved.
The time a pre-workout takes to adjust in your body is fairly dependent on yourself. However, studies have proven that an average of 20-30 minutes is required for these supplements to fully kick in the system.
According to Sofia Norton, RD, half an hour is the average time it takes for the nutrients to pass from your stomach to your bloodstream. Several other health experts have also mirrored the words of Norton and said that it takes nearly 30 minutes to reach the peak level in blood.
Therefore, instead of the information provided by experts on the matter, you should aim to take the supplement about half an hour before you plan to exercise. You can even do your pre-workout an hour before your exhaustive workout session. But you may just feel the effects of it before reaching the gym, so best be careful!
How long does Pre-Workout remain in your system?
Before delving into the details of how long does pre-workout last, let’s take a quick look at the time pre-workout contents remain standing in your body.
A fairly important question that many fitness buffs fail to address, a pre-workout will not remain in your system forever. However, its effects can be long-lasting, and thus, you should be aware of the ingredients present in the formula to avoid any unpleasant consequences.
For instance, if you prefer to release the inner fitness expert in you at night, you’d be interested to know the answer to this question. This is primarily because several supplements contain a high amount of caffeine which can keep you up all night.
Unfortunately, there is no precise way to tell the time for such things. Numerous experts have given their opinion on the matter and the answers still vary from person to person. But here’s what we do know: Since these supplements contain a varied combination of ingredients, there is a high chance that each ingredient will stay in your system at a different rate.
How Long Does Pre-workout last?
Moving on to the most fundamental question, a pre-workout will last up to two to three hours at maximum. The duration will ultimately vary from person to person, depending on the ingredients involved in the supplement.
If you do feel the effects of the supplement after three hours have passed, try taking a smaller dose next time. From a more holistic perspective, all effects of the pre-workout should have dissipated by the end of 24 hours.
Final Thoughts
We hope this article helps you in getting a better understanding of the pre-workout conditions and their relevant effects. You should however note that the effects of a pre-workout supplement will always vary depending on the brand. Thus, do your bit of research before engaging in any activity.