If you’re looking for a way to improve your cardio workouts, you might want to consider taking a pre workout for cardio supplement before you hit the treadmill, bike, or track. Pre workout supplements are designed to enhance your energy, focus, endurance, and fat-burning potential during exercise. But not all pre workouts are created equal, and some may be more suitable for cardio than others. In this article, we’ll explain what pre workout supplements are, how they work, and what to look for when choosing one for cardio. We’ll also share some of the best pre workout for cardio products that you can find on the market today.
What are pre workout supplements?
Pre workout for cardio supplements are products that contain a blend of ingredients that aim to improve your athletic performance and exercise experience. They are usually taken 30 to 45 minutes before working out, and they typically come in powder form that you mix with water and drink. Some of the common ingredients in pre workout for cardio supplements are:
- Caffeine: This is the most famous stimulant in pre workout for cardio, and for a good reason. Caffeine can boost your energy, alertness, mood, and motivation, as well as increase your metabolic rate and fat oxidation. Caffeine can also reduce your perceived exertion and pain during exercise, allowing you to work harder and longer. The optimal dose of caffeine for exercise performance is around 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight, which translates to 200 to 400 mg for most people. However, this may vary depending on your individual tolerance and preference.
- Citrulline: This is an amino acid that can increase your nitric oxide levels. It is a molecule that dilates your blood vessels and improves your blood flow. This can enhance your oxygen and nutrient delivery to your muscles, as well as reduce your blood pressure and heart rate. Citrulline can also reduce your muscle fatigue and soreness and improve your recovery. The effective dose of citrulline for exercise performance is around 6 to 8 grams per serving.
- Beta-alanine: This is another amino acid that can increase your muscle carnosine levels. Which is a buffer that neutralizes the acid that accumulates in your muscles during intense exercise. This can delay your muscle fatigue and improve your endurance, especially for short-duration, high-intensity activities. Beta-alanine can also cause a tingling sensation in your skin, which some people find pleasant, and others find annoying. The recommended dose of beta-alanine for exercise performance is around 4 to 6 grams per day, divided into smaller doses throughout the day.
- Creatine: This is a compound that can increase your muscle phosphocreatine levels, which is a source of energy for your muscles during short-duration, high-intensity activities. Creatine can improve your strength, power, and muscle mass, as well as your anaerobic capacity and recovery. Creatine is one of the most researched and proven supplements for exercise performance, and it is safe and effective for most people. The standard dose of creatine is 5 grams per day, taken at any time of the day.
These are some of the main ingredients that you can find in pre workout supplements, but many others may have different effects and benefits. Some of them are:
- BCAAs: These are the branched-chain amino acids, which are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are essential amino acids that your body cannot produce, and they play a role in muscle protein synthesis, muscle breakdown, and energy production. BCAAs can help preserve your muscle mass, reduce your muscle damage and soreness, and improve your recovery. They can also provide you with some energy during exercise, especially if you are fasting or on a low-carb diet. The optimal ratio of BCAAs is 2:1:1 for leucine, isoleucine, and valine, and the effective dose is around 5 to 10 grams per serving.
- L-carnitine: This is a compound that transports fatty acids, which are the powerhouses of your cells, into your mitochondria. This can increase your fat-burning potential, as well as your energy production and endurance. L-carnitine can also reduce muscle damage and soreness and improve your recovery. The best form of L-carnitine for exercise performance is L-carnitine L-tartrate, and the effective dose is around 2 to 3 grams per serving.
- Taurine: This is an amino acid that can improve your hydration, electrolyte balance, and cell volume. Taurine can also enhance your blood flow, oxygen delivery, and antioxidant capacity. Taurine can improve your endurance, strength, and power, as well as your mood and cognition. The effective dose of taurine for exercise performance is around 1 to 2 grams per serving.
- Tyrosine: This is an amino acid that can increase your dopamine and norepinephrine levels, which are neurotransmitters that regulate your mood, motivation, and attention. Tyrosine can improve your mental focus, alertness, and stress resistance, especially in challenging and fatiguing situations. The effective dose of tyrosine for exercise performance is around 1 to 2 grams per serving.
How do pre workout supplements work?
Pre workout before cardio supplements work by stimulating your central nervous system, increasing your blood flow, enhancing your energy production, and reducing your fatigue and pain. These effects can help you perform better during your cardio workouts, whether you are doing steady-state, high-intensity interval, or circuit training. Here are some of the benefits of taking pre workout before cardio supplements:
- You can work out longer: Pre workout supplements can help you sustain your exercise intensity and duration by providing you with more energy, oxygen, and nutrients by buffering the acid and reducing the pain in your muscles. This can help you burn more calories and fat and improve your cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
- You can work out harder: Pre workout supplements can help you increase your exercise intensity and power by boosting your strength, speed, and explosiveness. This can help you challenge your muscles and heart more and stimulate more adaptations and improvements in your performance.
- You can work out smarter: Pre workout supplements can help you improve your exercise quality and efficiency by enhancing your focus, concentration, and motivation. This can help you stay on track with your goals, follow your plan, and execute your technique correctly.
What to look for when choosing a pre workout supplement for cardio?
When choosing a pre workout supplement for cardio, you need to consider several factors, such as:
- Your goals: Depending on what you want to achieve with your cardio workouts, you may need different ingredients and doses in your pre workout supplement. For example, if you want to improve your endurance, you may benefit from ingredients like citrulline, beta-alanine, and BCAAs. If you want to improve your strength and power, you may benefit from ingredients like caffeine, creatine, and taurine. If you want to improve your fat-burning potential, you may benefit from ingredients like L-carnitine, green tea extract, and raspberry ketones.
- Your preferences: Depending on your personal taste and tolerance, you may prefer different flavours, forms, and stimulant levels in your pre workout supplement. For example, if you don’t like the taste of artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors, you may prefer a natural and organic pre workout supplement. If you don’t like the hassle of mixing powders, you may prefer a ready-to-drink or capsule pre workout supplement. If you don’t like the jittery and crashy effects of caffeine, you may prefer a stimulant-free or low-caffeine pre workout supplement.
- Your budget: Depending on your financial situation, you may have different options and limitations in your pre workout supplement. For example, if you have a tight budget, you may want to look for a pre workout supplement that offers a good value for money, and that contains only the essential and effective ingredients. If you have a flexible budget, you may want to look for a pre workout supplement that offers a premium quality and variety, and that contains some of the latest and innovative ingredients.
What are the best pre workout supplements for cardio?
There are many pre workout supplements for cardio available on the market today, but not all of them are equally effective, safe, and suitable for your needs. To help you narrow down your choices, we have selected some of the best pre workout products for cardio that you can find on the market today. These products are based on the following criteria:
- They contain proven and effective ingredients for cardio performance, such as caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, BCAAs, L-carnitine, and taurine.
- They have transparent and accurate labels, with no proprietary blends or hidden ingredients.
- They have positive and verified customer reviews, with no reports of severe side effects or complaints.
- They have reasonable and competitive prices, with no overpriced or underdosed products.
Here are some of the best pre workout supplements for cardio that you can try:
- Pre workout cardio cuts 4.0 by NDS Nutrition: This is a pre workout supplement that is specially designed for cardio and weight loss. It contains a blend of ingredients that can boost your energy, metabolism, fat-burning, and endurance, such as caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, BCAAs, L-carnitine, and taurine. It also has some thermogenic and appetite-suppressing ingredients, such as green tea extract, raspberry ketones, and garcinia cambogia. Pre workout cardio cuts 4.0 comes in four delicious flavors: Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Grape, and Watermelon. It has a serving size of two scoops, which provides 300 mg of caffeine and 6 grams of citrulline. You can buy it for $49.99 for 40 servings on the official website or on Amazon.
- C4 Ripped Sport by Cellucor: This is a pre workout supplement that is designed to help you perform better and look leaner. It contains a blend of ingredients that can enhance your energy, focus, endurance, and fat-burning, such as caffeine, beta-alanine, arginine, tyrosine, and CLA. It also has some ingredients that can support your hydration and electrolyte balance, such as coconut water powder and sodium bicarbonate. C4 Ripped Sport comes in two refreshing flavours: Arctic Snow Cone and Fruit Punch. It has a serving size of one scoop, which provides 135 mg of caffeine and 2 grams of beta-alanine. You can buy it for $22.99 for 30 servings on the official website or on Amazon.
- Pre JYM by JYM Supplement Science: This is a pre workout supplement that is created by a renowned fitness expert and PhD, Jim Stoppani. It contains a blend of ingredients that can optimize your performance, strength, power, and muscle growth, such as caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine, creatine, BCAAs, and taurine. It also has some ingredients that can improve your blood flow, nitric oxide production, and antioxidant capacity, such as beetroot extract, alpha-GPC, and black pepper extract. Pre JYM comes in six mouth-watering flavours: Black Cherry, Cherry Limeade, Natural Island Punch, Rainbow Sherbet, Refreshing Melon, and Strawberry Kiwi. It has a serving size of one scoop, which provides 300 mg of caffeine and 6 grams of citrulline. You can buy it for $39.99 for 20 servings or $59.99 for 30 servings on the official website or on Amazon.
These are some of the best pre workout supplements for cardio that you can try, but many others may suit your needs and preferences. The key is to do your research, read the labels, check the reviews, and experiment with different products and doses until you find the one that works best for you. Remember, pre workout supplements are not magic pills that will make you a cardio beast overnight. They are the only tools that can help you enhance your performance and experience, but you still need to put in the hard work, dedication, and consistency to achieve your goals.
