Everybody has a desire to get an ideal body. The slim want to get muscular, and the fat, on the other hand, want lean muscles. That’s why people use pre workouts as a tool to have an extra drive in their workouts. But the last thing they would prefer to do is to take the weight- gaining supplements while losing weight. But Does Pre Work Make You Gain Weight?
This question has become indispensable for those who take pre workouts to shed pounds in the gym but unfortunately end up gaining weight which is, of course, quite the opposite. Yes, it will be hard for a newbie gym-goer to know the right thing to do without a definite answer.
In this article, Does Pre Work Make You Gain Weight, we will scientifically look at the details of what pre workout does to the human body so you can make a better decision on whether to take it or not.
What is a Pre workout?
Pre workout is a broad term for a variety of body-building supplements that weightlifters, body-builders, and athletes prefer to use to boost energy, endurance, and focus during their workout. This supplement is taken explicitly by gym-goers prior to their workout.
Pre workouts function as a booster and increase the blood flow into your muscles. How a pre workout affects your body depends on the ingredients it contains. Moreover, the pre workouts are available in capsule and powder forms. But most people prefer them to be powdered and mix them mil milk, water, or juice.
What is in Pre Workout Supplement?
Before buying any supplement, you must have an idea of what is inside of it, and Pre workouts in this regard are no exceptions. Different companies formulate supplements discreetly, so each supplement usually contains contrasting ingredients.
However, the common types of ingredients found in pre workouts are listed below:
Caffeine
The primary caffeine sources are green tea, coffee, guarana seed, or yerba mate. Studies have shown that caffeine is an essential ingredient when it comes to weight loss aiming for more caloric expenditure.
Furthermore, it also pushes you to get through a more strenuous workout session by injecting you with an extra dose of energy.
Beta-Alanine
It is a non-essential amino acid that helps in the prevention of lactic acid buildup. If your body has enough protein sources of amino acids, there is no need to take it with an external agent as your body itself can make it naturally.
Creatine
Using creatine, you supplement your body muscles with phosphocreatine- a form of stored energy. With creatine in your muscles, your body has more ATP and gives you extra drive in your gym workouts.
BCAAs
When you train at the gym, you actually break your muscles. BCAAs- Branched-Chain Amino Acids are the fuel for your muscles. They help you in fast recovery and muscle growth.
Nitric Oxide Precursors
It is a combination of L-Arginine and L-Citrulline. Together, they increase the concentration of nitric oxide that helps blood vessels relax. When the blood vessels are relaxed, the blood flow increases, and the muscles throughout the body receive a nice blood pump.
Does Pre Work Make You Gain Weight?
Well, the short answer is ‘maybe,’ but it mostly depends on the formula and its ingredients. Most supplements aim to boost stamina and endurance by supporting training adaptation, but in some cases, they are likely to increase weight in the form of fat mass.
There can be many reasons for weight gain. However, most weight gains occur when your calories intakes are in surplus. It means you are taking more calories than you burn throughout the day.
For example, if your body requires 2000 calories on a per day bases and you are taking 2500. The surplus of 500 will ultimately lead you to gain weight over time.
If you are doing proper and regular exercise (5 days a week at least) and following a balanced diet plan (including carbs, proteins, and fats), chances are rare that pre workout makes you gain weight.
How Does Pre Work Make You Gain Weight?
No matter what the supplement selling companies say, there are some users who still complain of weight gain after using pre workout supplement. If they are correct, how does pre workout make you gain weight? Let’s look into it!
Increase in Muscle Mass
As taking a pre workout encourages you to train harder, there are also chances that you will feel weight gain due to an increase in muscle gain. If you exercise regularly with pre workouts, your muscle will gain 1-2 pounds of mass every month.
Most bodybuilders will celebrate the muscle gain as it means their training is working. However, it will be distressing for anyone who takes pre workouts and is trying to lose weight but ends up gaining muscle mass.
If you aim to shed pounds in the gym and are concerned about muscle gain, avoid doing high-intensity strength training.
Moreover, stick to the cardio or full body workout, lift the light weight of 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps, and you are less likely to gain muscle.
Increase in Water Retention
Your body has a different level of hydration throughout the day. When your body has a considerable amount of water stored, you will probably gain weight. But you will lose weight as you sweat in the gym during a workout or urinate.
One liter of water means one kilo or 2.2 pounds extra weight in your body. It is easy to grasp that how heavy water intake has such a significant impact on your weight gain.
As discussed earlier, some pre workout supplements carry creatine which is an ultimate performance booster. As creatine is a monohydrate in the standard form, it will cause you an increase in water retention and results in weight gain.
Unbalanced Diet Plan
Your body weight is the result of what you continuously eat. If the amount of energy you take is greater than you consume, you will gain weight over time. Your body naturally adapts its appetite based on the energy you consume per day.
So you eat even though you are not hungary, all the extra energy will eventually turn into fat and result in weight gain.
There is a common saying that abs are not made in the gym; they are made in the kitchen. So think carefully before as calorie deficit is the only way of weight loss.
Conclusion- Does Pre Work Make You Gain Weight
It is an undeniable fact that there are supplements that can make you gain weight, and then there are others that help you with weight loss. The trick is to have an eye on all the ingredients a supplement carries before buying it.
This is the only way you can accomplish what you desire. Visit Eve Pacific Health to learn more!
