Pre Workout, or coffee??
Could strong black coffee be just as effective as a fully loaded pre-workout supplement? Recent research suggests that plain caffeine provides a performance boost comparable to that of an eight-ingredient pre-workout formula.
Scientists examined how caffeine and a multi-ingredient supplement affected maximum repetitions with near-maximum weights. Participants were asked to perform as many reps as possible in one set of leg press using 80-85% of their 1-rep max, and maximum reps on the bench press using 75% of their 1-rep max.
The results showed no significant difference between consuming 200 mg of caffeine (roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee) and taking a supplement containing popular pre-workout ingredients like citrulline malate (8,000 mg), beta-alanine (4,000 mg), betaine (2,500 mg), taurine (1,300 mg), L-tyrosine (1,000 mg), alpha-GPC (300 mg), L-theanine (200 mg), and caffeine (200 mg).
Does this mean pre-workout supplements are useless? Not exactly. The study focused on a single set of maximum reps with heavy weights for one upper and one lower body exercise. Some supplements are designed to improve endurance, reduce fatigue, and enhance work capacity (more reps and sets throughout a workout). Therefore, if your primary goal is maximum strength, caffeine might be all you need for a pre-workout boost. However, if you're aiming for muscle gain, supplements like creatine monohydrate still offer benefits.
This research serves as a reminder that many supplement ingredients are often overhyped, or the products contain effective ingredients in doses too low to be beneficial.
