Does Pre-Workout Cause Anxiety? Tips for Safe Supplement Use

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. Does pre-workout cause anxiety? That is a question frequently asked.

Let us give you a quick answer:

Since many pre-workout formulas contain caffeine and other stimulants. These ingredients can trigger symptoms like racing thoughts and heightened anxiety. If you’ve found that stimulants make you jittery or anxious, you might want to rethink your pre-workout choices.

Does pre-workout cause anxiety? Yes! – But How?

So why does pre-workout cause anxiety in some people?

These supplements often combine various ingredients designed to boost your muscle performance and energy. But they also commonly contain stimulants like caffeine. It’s these stimulants that are often the culprits behind the anxiety.

How To Get Rid Of Pre-workout Jitters?

So you’re wondering, Does pre-workout cause anxiety? and you want to avoid the jitters. Here are some practical steps to dodge that unwanted anxiety:

1. Boost Your Vitamin C

Fruits rich in vitamin C can help. Coffee, often found in pre-workouts, can deplete your vitamin C levels. To balance this, munch on an orange or a grapefruit.

2. Exercise Wisely

The irony is that exercise helps break down excess caffeine. So, hitting the gym can actually reduce your jitters. Just be careful. If you have certain medical conditions, exercising post-coffee can be risky.

Know your body.

3. Stay Hydrated

Drinking lots of water can dilute the effects of caffeine. Since caffeine can dehydrate you, staying hydrated can also lessen your jitters. For every cup of coffee or energy drink you consume, drink a glass of water. Trust us, you’ll feel better later.

4. Limit Your Caffeine Intake

The key to avoiding jitters lies in how much caffeine you consume. Don’t worry, you don’t have to skip your morning coffee. A safe rule of thumb is to stick to 3-6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of your body weight. This way, you can enjoy the perks without the shakes.

5. Sip Some Herbal Tea

Herbal teas can offset the jitters caused by caffeine. Even though they’re caffeine-free, these teas come with their own set of health benefits. They improve digestion, shield cells, and even help with colds. Plus, they’re calming. Chamomile tea is a good one to start with.

Ingredients That May Cause Anxiety

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is often the go-to ingredient in pre-workout supplements to energize you before hitting the gym. Sensitivity to caffeine can vary from person to person, often due to genetic factors.

Most pre-workout options pack 150 mg to 350 mg of caffeine, which skirts close to the daily safe limit of 400 mg. Even at 150 mg, research shows that caffeine can trigger anxiety.

Caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant, putting your body in “fight or flight” mode and boosting mental clarity during exercise. However, it also brings some unwanted side effects like anxiety, jitters, nausea, and increased heart rate.

2. Bitter Orange Extract

Frequently found in pre-workout ingredient lists, bitter orange helps with fat loss, mainly due to its stimulant, Synephrine. But Synephrine can also cause heart issues like arrhythmias. Mixing it with caffeine in a pre-workout can heighten your anxiety levels.

3. Yohimbine

Derived from the bark of African plants, yohimbine offers some athletic and health benefits. However, it comes with a catch. Yohimbine can induce anxiety attacks, especially if you already have heart or anxiety issues.

If you want to avoid the negative effects, it’s best to either skip products with yohimbine or test out different doses to find what works for you without causing problems.

4. Additional Stimulants

Some pre-workout supplements contain other stimulants with lower caffeine concentrations. While these aren’t necessarily harmful, consuming too many can be risky. It’s a good idea to check the ingredient list of any pre-workout you’re considering to see what stimulants it contains.

Pre-Workout Alternatives 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
• Green tea (a 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 Pre-Workout Anxiety Last?

Most pre-workout supplements have a half-life of 4-6 hours, meaning they’ll stay in your system for around 4 hours. However, you might feel the effects for just an hour or two. Take caffeine as an example: it kicks in after about 30 minutes and peaks at around 1 to 1.5 hours.

What’s the Safe Dosage for Pre-Workout?

For healthy adults, a daily limit of 400 mg of caffeine is considered safe. Keep track of the caffeine content in each scoop of your pre-workout, and how much you’ve consumed before your workout.

Can You Combine Coffee with Pre-Workout?

In short, yes, you can have coffee before exercising. Both coffee and pre-workout supplements contain caffeine. Coffee boosts athletic performance and doesn’t contain the extra chemicals you might find in some pre-workout formulas. Just remember, caffeine’s effects start to wane about 45 minutes after you’ve consumed it.

Jerome Shew