For any fitness enthusiast, pre-workout supplements play a major role in their journeys. Most, if not all, of the athletes, prefer to have a pre-workout to help them enhance their performance in training. Yet, some variants are banned by the FDA and some sports associations, owing to ill effects that these supplements have.

Although pre-workouts have their pros and cons, there exists another binary. A person can choose between a caffeinated or a non-caffeinated pre-workout drink as per their needs and goals. The distinction is touted to have different kinds of benefits and helps individuals get the customized results that they are looking for.

What are pre-workouts?

Pre-workout supplements, which are simply known as “pre-workout” are those products which when consumed, provide an athlete with a boost for a better performance. Although the ingredients used in pre-workout supplements may vary from one brand to another, some of the ingredients remain constant, including Beta-alanine, creatine, citrulline, electrolytes, and glucose. These supplements can be either in the form of powder, pills, or liquids.

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Although they have some side effects of their own, if taken in the right proportions as advised by professional nutritionists, pre-workouts can be extremely beneficial. Most fitness enthusiasts are told that they should not take the pre-workouts any sooner than 20 minutes before their workout session. They are also informed to take the supplements consistently. which subsequently showcases a visible change in their performance at the gym. Moreover, limiting these supplements to a certain amount is better than over-consumption, as that might lead to some health issues.

The pre-workouts can have two variants based on the inclusion or exclusion of caffeine: stim pre-workouts or non-stim pre-workouts. Let us see how different these two are.

What are stim pre-workouts?

The word ‘stim’ in stim Pre-workout is derived from ‘Stimulant’. As the name suggests, these drinks help in providing stimulation through their ingredients, the most common of all being caffeine. As Caffeine almost always enhances one’s energy by blocking the brain’s adenosine receptors – responsible for sleepiness and sluggishness, it is often preferred by athletes. However, it has consequences of its own. As the caffeine stays in the system even 5 hours after its consumption, it is recommended that stim pre-workouts are consumed at a time when they don’t interrupt sleep schedules.

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According to Evogen Nutrition, a prominent supplement brand, “A common misconception is that if you aren’t using a stimulant-based pre-workout, that everything else you would use couldn’t hold a candle to the potency of stimulants.” But a stim workout is only better than non-stim workouts when the athlete seeks more endurance and alertness at the cost of side effects.

However, because people started demanding an alternative to stimulant supplements, there came a new variant in the market that helps cater to the needs of fitness enthusiasts, without the inclusion of caffeine as a stimulant. The non-stim pre-workouts.

Why are non-stim pre-workouts gaining popularity?

When gymgoers and fitness enthusiasts started looking for a healthier alternative to caffeinated stim pre-workout drinks, the nutrition industry introduced the stimulant-free non-stim pre-workouts. While some of the ingredients remain the same, caffeine was absent in these new products. It still incorporated, beta-alanine, Nitric Oxide, L-Tyrosine, L-Citrulline, as well as L-Leucine. Unless athletes require an excessive boost of caffeine to keep them energized, this becomes an alternative they could opt for with lesser side effects.

Studies recommend that people who like to work later in the afternoon or the evening or are pregnant or breastfeeding should strongly avoid caffeine and choose non-stim pre-workouts. According to Garage Gym Review, it was suggested that non-stim pre-workout has “potential for increased force production during static squats” and “Potential for increased training volume and lean muscle mass gains” as well as an increased blood flow because of Nitric Acid. Non-stim pre-workouts can also improve aerobic and muscular endurance in athletes.

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With more and more technological advancements in the field of fitness nutrition, athletes and fitness enthusiasts have more options to choose from. While both stim and non-stim pre-workouts are effective on their own, at the end of the day, the choice should be taken after weighing the pros and cons of both.

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