Pre-workout supplements are often used to boost energy levels and performance during exercise. Does pre-workout cause anxiety? That is a question that is frequently asked.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. It is possible to feel anxious under certain circumstances, events, and conditions. While anxious feelings are not desirable, we all strive to avoid them as much as possible.
Let us give you a quick answer:
Numerous pre-workout supplements contain stimulants like caffeine that can lead to racing thoughts, anxiety, and other undesirable side effects. For some persons, various pre-workout formulas can have unfavorable side effects. As a result of the caffeine and other stimulants found in many pre-workout supplements, anxiety is a frequent adverse effect for users.
How can Pre Workout Cause Anxiety?
Pre-workout pills typically include a combination of substances, such as muscle primers and stimulants that will help you push through your workout’s more challenging portions. Pre-workout supplements, however, can have unfavorable side effects on certain users. As a result of the caffeine and other stimulants found in many pre-workout supplements, anxiety is a frequent adverse effect for users.
Pre-workout medications may cause anxiety symptoms in certain persons, especially those who are prone to anxiety. Consult your doctor and discontinue taking the supplement if you encounter any symptoms.
The ingredients in the pre-workout supplements, rather than the supplement itself, are what have adverse effects, such as anxiousness.
How To Get Rid Of Pre-workout Jitters?
Does pre-workout cause anxiety? You might get the answer, now let’s see how to get rid of this. The following actions can be taken to purposefully avoid pre-workout jitters:
1. Increase your vitamin C intake
Vitamin C-rich fruits are best. Your blood’s content of vitamin C is impacted by high doses of coffee, which might cause your body to believe you are deficient in vitamin C. Your best bet to replenish your bloodstream with vitamin C may be to eat an orange or grapefruit.
2. Hit the gym
Because exercise aids in the body’s breakdown of the excess caffeine in your system, it may assist with those bothersome jitters. Fortunately, you’ll have way too much energy anyhow, so that works out well.
However, some medical problems can make doing out after taking coffee dangerous, so be cautious if you’re at risk and know your body.
3. Consume water to stay hydrated
Flushing your system with plenty of water is a quick and simple technique to get rid of your jitters. Drinking enough water will quickly lessen the effects of coffee.
Drinking plenty of water can help because caffeine is a natural diuretic and can cause you to get quickly dehydrated, which can sometimes make your jitters worse. Consider drinking a glass of water in place of each energy drink or coffee you eat. Later on, you’ll thank us.
4. Controlled Caffeine Consumption
The greatest method to lessen your risk of experiencing the jitters is to consume coffee in moderation. You do not need to give up your morning cup of coffee as a result of this. In order to obtain the best results from your caffeine without feeling jittery, it is recommended that you consume 3-6 mg of caffeine for every kilogram of body weight.
5. Take a sip of herbal tea
Herbal tea will counteract caffeine’s physiological effects. Despite not having any caffeine, these miracle drinks offer some pretty remarkable health benefits, like bettering digestion, protecting cells, and treating colds. Not to mention the added therapeutic element! If you want, try chamomile.
Ingredients That May Cause Anxiety
1. Caffeine
One of the main components used in pre-workouts to invigorate the body before you enter the gym is caffeine. Some people may be more sensitive to coffee than others due to genetics.
The majority of pre-workout supplements include 150 mg to 350 mg of caffeine, which is extremely close to the daily safe limit of 400 mg. Caffeine-induced anxiety in the study subjects was brought on by even a 150 mg caffeine supplement.
A central nervous system stimulant is caffeine. It causes a “fight or flight” reaction in the body and activates the sympathetic nervous system to improve mental clarity and performance when exercising.
Increased anxiety, jitters, perspiration, nausea, pulse rate, and increased sweating are a few coffee side effects you could experience.
2. Bitter Orange Extract
In the list of ingredients for pre-workout supplements, bitter orange is one of the top ingredients. Its main advantage is fat loss promotion. Its inclusion in a pre-workout is due to the stimulant Synephrine that it contains.
Synephrine, however, might result in cardiac issues such as heart arrhythmia. Furthermore, there’s a good likelihood that taking bitter orange extract can make you feel more anxious because many pre-workout products also include caffeine.
3. Yohimbine
Yohimbine, a common component obtained from the bark of African plants, has been linked to enhancements in athletic performance and the management of high blood pressure. There are several unfavorable side effects. It can trigger anxiety attacks in certain people, especially in those who already have abnormalities or have underlying cardiac or anxiety-related disorders.
Because of this, you may want to either stay away from yohimbine altogether or experiment with a few different pre-workout mixes including it until you find one that has a dose that is suitable for your needs but won’t also have unfavorable side effects.
4. Other stimulants
Other stimulants in pre-workout supplements that don’t have a high concentration of caffeine do a similar function. Again, these stimulants are not harmful in and of themselves, but taking an excessive amount of them could be dangerous.
We highly recommend that if a person is looking for a pre-workout, they should check the ingredient list to see how many stimulants are included.
Alternative Supplements That Don’t Cause Anxiety
The following are some effective pre-workout supplement substitutes if you wish to stop relying on them and switch to more natural options that can provide you with a similar effect and energy boost:
- Coffee (natural source of caffeine)
- Banana
- Bread and peanut butter
- A green tea (natural source of caffeine)
- Apple
- The sweet potato
- Beetroot (natural nitric oxide booster)
- Grecian yogurt
- Oatmeal
Tricks to Reduce Pre-Workout Anxiety
These easy techniques could be useful for lowering pre-workout anxiety:
- Begin slowly
- Determine where your anxiousness is coming from.
- Exercise at home with a personal trainer
- Eliminate caffeine before exercising
- Select a sport or exercise you enjoy
FAQs
- How long does nervousness before a workout last?
The majority of pre-workout drugs have a 4-6 hour half-life. As a result, the pre-workout will last in your system for roughly 4 hours, although you could only experience its effects for an hour or two. For instance, caffeine takes roughly 30 minutes to start working with only one to one and a half hours until peak time.
- What Pre-Workout Amount Is Recommended?
It is safe to eat up to 400 milligrams (0.014 ounces) per day for healthy adults. Pay close attention to how much caffeine is in each scoop of your pre-workout supplement as well as how much you had before to your workout.
- Can I take Pre-Workout with Coffee?
Simply said, you can drink coffee before working out. Caffeine is a significant element in both coffee and pre-workout supplements, as we’ve already mentioned. Coffee enhance athletic performance, and it lacks the chemicals and extra components that some pre-workout pills do. According to studies, the effects of caffeine start to fade when the concentration reaches its peak, which occurs about 45 minutes after administration.
Tiffany Scott is a freelance writer and Health & Lifestyle journalist. She has written over hundred articles on health, wellness, nutrition, and more.
