It is not unusual for people to have a cup of coffee before a workout to get them started. The caffeine in the coffee can give you the boost you need to get through your workout. However, some people cannot have coffee because it affects their stomachs or they don’t like the taste of it. If this is the case, a pre-workout without caffeine can be purchased.
One question many people have is if these pre-workout supplements can also replace the caffeine from coffee, scroll down to learn more.
Can caffeine be replaced?
Caffeine has been the go-to ingredient for pre-workout supplements for a long time now. It’s one of the most popular ingredients in every workout supplement, and it is also the reason why you can’t seem to get away from it, no matter how hard you try.
However, caffeine isn’t the only ingredient in these supplements! Many other substances help stimulate your body and mind before you start your workout regime. Some of these include:
- Beta Alanine: This amino acid helps increase muscle endurance by reducing lactic acid buildup during high-intensity workouts.
- L-Citrulline: This amino acid also helps reduce muscle soreness by improving nitric oxide levels in your muscles.
- Beta-Alanine: This amino acid improves strength and endurance by increasing carnosine stores inside your muscles, improving protein synthesis while decreasing calcium breakdown.
Effects of too much caffeine can include
The effects of too much caffeine can include:
- Jitteriness or nervousness.
- Insomnia.
- Anxiety and restlessness.
- Stomach irritation, nausea, or diarrhea; this can be caused by the added ingredients in some pre-workouts (like guarana) and the large amounts of caffeine itself.
Caffeine is a diuretic; it makes you urinate more frequently than usual because it stimulates the kidneys to release extra fluid into your urine stream. This can lead to dehydration if you’re not drinking enough fluids at other times of the day to compensate for this effect on your body’s water balance.
Other Energy-Boosting Ingredients In Pre-Workouts
There are also several additional ingredients, such as citrulline malate, beta-alanine, creatine and branched chain amino acids. These compounds have been shown to increase energy levels and aid in recovery. For example, citrulline is an amino acid converted into nitric oxide, which helps dilate blood vessels for better blood flow during exercise.
Beta-alanine helps reduce fatigue and increases muscle endurance by increasing the amount of carnosine in your muscles which can delay lactic acid buildup (the burning sensation you feel when exercising).
Creatine helps increase short-term power output while L-Carnitine transports fatty acids into mitochondria, where they are broken down for energy production or stored as fat.
According to Legion Athletics, a known sports supplements brand, “Creatine and caffeine work synergistically—it’s probably safe to assume that caffeine doesn’t make creatine less effective.”
The takeaway here is that although pre-workout supplements can be good, they don’t necessarily need to have caffeine in them. However, this could be the right choice if you prefer to avoid caffeine or are sensitive to it. If you want the benefits of caffeine and still want some energy boost during your workout, these alternatives may not work either.
