Pre-Workout Supplements for High-Intensity Athletes
by Melinda Burris

This article gives a brief glimpse of the long history of pre-workout supplements and cautions users about low-quality and even dangerous products that are often marketed as dietary supplements to an unsuspecting public even though these drinks, powders, and pills often at best offer no substantial benefit and at worst can seriously endanger your health and in some cases, your life.

In his article for LegionAthletics.com, author Michael Mathews penned a commentary on pre-workout supplements which was scientifically reviewed by Dr. Brian Grant. The piece comes with a stern warning about the abundance of pre-workout supplements on the market that while marketed as ‘healthy’ and just what you need to get the most out of your daily workout, are in reality not only often filled with what Mathews characterizes as “ineffective ingredients and/or minuscule dosages of otherwise good ingredients, making them little more than a few cheap stimulants with some ‘pixie dust’ sprinkled in to make for a pretty label and convincing ad copy” but can in some cases pose serious potential risks to your health.¹ The stark reality is that unless you know what to look for and read labels carefully, you run the risk of wasting your money on cheap stimulants in popular items such as “sports drinks” that do not contain enough of the nutritious ingredients that are heavily emphasized in the advertising campaigns plugging them as supposed health-conscious alternatives to start your day and sustain your morning workout.

While legitimate pre-workout supplements can undoubtedly help fuel your training sessions, it is important to educate yourself so you can determine which supplements are truly part of a nutritious diet plan and which are caffeine or sugar-filled stimulants that will inevitably cause a temporary rush followed by a crash and burn effect that is hard to recover from—both physically and mentally. Matthews goes further in his analysis, mentioning specific pre-workout supplements including Jack3d.

Jack3d contained 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA), an amphetamine derivative that was and continues to be heavily promoted as a sports performance enhancement and weight loss supplement. Despite being banned in the UK and several other countries — including the US in 2013 after the powder was found in the water bottle of runner Claire Squires following her death during a London marathon which was attributed to an irregular heartbeat — DMAA can still be found in would-be dietary supplements under other names including methylhexanamine or geranium extract.^2,3 Like Squires, an Australian man also bought DMAA online, and he also died.²

The Federal Drug and Food Administration (FDA) warns that although DMAA is frequently marketed as a “natural stimulant”, it is on the agency’s prohibited substance list and states in no uncertain terms that “DMAA is not a dietary ingredient, and DMAA-containing products marketed as dietary supplements are illegal and their marketing violates the law.”³ The lesson here is to be extremely wary of any claims made online and check any dietary or weight loss supplements for any of the synonyms for DMAA listed above. Although it is unlawful to sell so-called ‘dietary supplements’ containing this dangerous substance, they are still being sold, especially online.

If the deaths attributed to Jack3d and the fact that DMAA is still available in various forms isn’t enough to make you cautious, Matthews next mentions CRAZE Performance Fuel, another powder advertised as a pre-workout dietary supplement. CRAZE was immensely popular immediately following its 2011 launch, even winning Bodybuilding.com’s 2012 award for New Supplement of the Year, despite the fact warning flags had already been raised by none other than the US Anti-Doping Agency.⁴ Athletes using CRAZE had failed mandatory urine tests and the government agency determined CRAZE contained prohibited stimulants. Despite being added to the US Anti-Doping Agency’s “High Risk Dietary Supplement List”, and a 2013 expose on the supplement and its founder, Matt Cahill, who had served time in federal prison for his previous history of concocting weight loss supplements with a substance known to cause blindness and even death as far back as the 1930s in “USA Today”, CRAZE continued to sell out wherever sports, diet, and nutrition supplements were sold.⁴ Short-term weight loss and bodybuilding results seemed to outweigh warnings of serious health risks.

In October 2013, when the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International broke the news that CRAZE contained (N,a-DEPEA) an ingredient similar in structure to methamphetamine, and that this substance wasn’t even on the product label with the other ingredients, the product was finally recalled and pulled from the market but not before fans of this ‘supplement’ rushed to purchase any remaining supply they could find available for sale.

If you’re wondering why there are so many unsafe products out there that promise quick performance-enhancing results, Matthews claims it’s all about “economics”¹ or to put it even more simply—it’s all about the money!

#3 Popular Natural Pre-Workout Supplements

1. Theanine

This amino acid is found most often in teas. Scientific studies have demonstrated theanine has many health benefits including:

• Reducing stress
• Increase of nitric oxide production which in turn increases blood flow, lowering blood pressure
• Enhancing cognition, making you more focused, able to recall things faster, and improving your mood

Theanine dosages vary from 100-250 mg, It should be mixed with caffeine at a 1:1 ratio. Start at 100 mg theanine to 100 mg caffeine and titrate up as needed.¹

2. Agmatine

Your body naturally produces agmatine when it metabolizes the amino acid arginine. Early research studies on agmatine suggest it may have a variety of benefits including:

• Reducing pain
• Treatment of depression and drug addiction
• Enhancing cognitive function
• Increasing nitric oxide (NO) production

3. B Vitamins

The body requires several forms of vitamin B to function including B3, B5, and B12. B vitamins are frequently included in pre-workout supplements to increase energy levels. The fact that B vitamins are essential to many vital biological processes including proper metabolism rates and nervous system functions has been proven in repeated clinical studies, yet there is still no solid evidence that energy levels are enhanced by taking B vitamin supplements.¹

Conclusion

The takeaway here should be to thoroughly investigate any claims made about a pre-workout supplement and to be sure to read the ingredient list on the label before making a purchase. Natural ingredients are always best and moderation and following dosage guidelines are key!

References:

1. Matthews, M. (2023). Everything You Need to Know About Pre-Workout Supplements.
2. Hill, A. (30 January 2013). Dead Marathon Runner Had Now-banned Stimulant in Water Bottle.
3. gov (2018). DMAA in Products Marketed as Dietary Supplements.
4. Merritt, G. (18 February 2021). Worst Supplements Ever: CRAZE Preworkout.