Do Pre-Workout Gummies Work? (Are They The Best Option)

What Are Pre-Workout Gummies?

A pre-workout gummy is a candy version of a pre-workout formula designed to boost your energy levels, enhance athletic performance, and aid in speedy muscle recovery.

Instead of a pre-mixed drink, dehydrated powder or pre-workout pills, the gummies use gelatin to hold everything together so that you can chew and swallow with ease. They also offer more flavor compounds to make them more enjoyable.

Gummies are a newer way to get the supplements you need to perform at your best by boosting your endurance performance and giving you an energy boost to make it through your workout session.

Ingredients Of Pre-Workout Gummies

Pre-workouts are notorious for their ingredient lists. You can find versions without stimulants or with more stimulants than you need, additives, dyes, banned performance-enhancing ingredients, and more.

You should always check the ingredient label and avoid anything that mentions "proprietary mix" or "proprietary blend." These must still list ingredients, but they do not need to specify how much of each ingredient is used - critical information you need to make the best decision.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is the stimulant of choice for most pre-workout options, including gummies. This ingredient boosts your energy levels, mental alertness and clarity, and helps raise athletic ability levels.

Caffeine comes from many different sources, so you need to understand your tolerances and intake levels. It is recommended that you stay below 400mg of caffeine per day.[1]

The average amount of caffeine in pre-workout supplements can vary widely, but it typically ranges from 150 to 300 milligrams per serving. Too much pre-workout can disrupt your sleeping pattern, and an extended period of use can develop into a dependency.

Coffee bean extracts, tea extracts, and caffeine anhydrous (dehydrated caffeine powder) are the most common found in these supplements. However, if you regularly ingest a lot of caffeine already, you may want to look into non-stim or other stimulant-free options.

2. Creatine

Creatine, specifically creatine monohydrate, is one of the most studied and evaluated supplements on the market today.

It has proven benefits, including lean muscle mass growth, lowering recovery times, making larger, firmer muscles, and bringing hydration through the bloodstream for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions.[2]

You should take 3 to 5g per day of creatine, and your pre-workout won't have this much.

Additional supplementation will be required to get the proper levels. You should also consider cycling your creatine intake to get the most out of the supplement. Like caffeine tolerance, you can get accustomed to higher levels of creatine, lowering the effectiveness.

Moderate doses can lead to a more effective workout but you won’t want to get to a point you rely on any single supplement. Cycling is a great way to avoid this pitfall. Other ingredients should be cycled as well, and as long as you are eating a healthy, complete diet, you won’t miss the off days as much.

Learn More - Creatine Vs Pre-Workout

3. Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that helps prevent lactic acid accumulation in the muscles.[3] With lower acid levels in your body, you can perform longer, harder, and move more weight.

With the addition of beta-alanine in your pre-workout gummies, you can work out for extended periods without the burn and muscle decline you get without it. However, you may get burning sensation or pre-workout tingles on your skin when taking this supplement.

This is harmless and normal but can be distracting. Modifying your intake levels or adjusting your dosage can minimize this sensation, but you will soon learn it lasts only a few minutes and does no harm.

Learn More - What Causes Pre-Workout Itch?

4. L-Arginine

L-arginine, unlike essential amino acids, is made internally and found in our diets through fish, nuts, and wheat. When supplementing with it, you can experience more explosive muscle movements and greater muscle growth over time.

5. Turmeric

If you are not new to pre-workout supplementation, you may have had a few varieties that tasted spicy. This spice or heat comes from curcumin which is found in turmeric. Used as a medicine and spice in Asia, it is now found in supplements, drinks, and weight loss aids.

While this isn't an essential ingredient, it can be a powerful antioxidant to help keep your stress levels down and your health high. It can also help reduce muscle inflammation, soreness, and overall pain from high-intensity workouts, which will only help further reduce recovery times.

A spicy taste is worth it to help control body weight, reduce muscle fatigue and reduce the repair time for muscle tissues. While you won’t find turmeric in a package of gummy bears, you can add it to a homemade batch if you wish.

6. Citrulline Malate

Citrulline malate is another of the main BCAAs made by the body and found in foods like watermelons. When taken as a supplement it has been shown to improve exercise performance and boost energy levels.

Working alongside caffeine, it is a powerful aid that can also reduce the “sugar crash” associated with many stimulant sources. To reduce fatigue and enhance endurance levels, L-citrulline is a go-to amino acid that is crucial for many pre-workout formulas.

7. Sucralose

Sucralose is typically only found in pre-workout gummies. It is a zero-calorie sweetener used to give more flavor to the gummy and help you chew and swallow easily. While it holds no nutritional value and does nothing for your workout performance, it does help the flavor.

Sucralose also doesn't get digested and will pass through your system virtually unchanged. The addition of a non-sugar sweetener that does no harm is a great ingredient for these pre-workout formulas.

8. Beef Gelatin

Gelatin is a jelly-like solid derived from boiling down beef stock (bones, cartilage, etc.). It is commonly found in many foods, supplements, and candy. It is a common ingredient in gummies to help them stay formed and solid but digest easily.

Beef gelatin is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, so you won't have a beef flavor in your mouth. It also aids in digestion, helps support joint fluids, and can reduce injury recovery times. Vegans, though, will need to avoid it as it is made from animals.

9. Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is an ingredient you will see on a lot of labels, not just those for pre-workouts. It is a carbohydrate found in plant foods like wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, and brown rice.

Its primary use as a dietary aid is that of a thickening agent and filler to increase volume. It also works to add weeks to the shelf life of pre-packaged foods.

Maltodextrin is dissolved quickly, doesn't require a lot of fluids, and can get energy to the body rapidly. This helps you start your workout ready to go with not only motivation but the muscle energy to perform from the start.

10. Beetroot Powder

Beetroot powder is used to improve blood flow to the muscles, giving you that coveted muscle pump and raising oxygen levels.[4]

It is also flush with antioxidants and dietary fiber to help digestion and overall health.

Found on many dietary supplements and sports nutrition supplements labels, beetroot powder is making a big splash on the scene. While more testing and long-term effects need to be made, there is a lot of promise from this power food.

How To Use Pre-Workout Gummies (For The Best Results)

25 to 40 minutes before your gym workout, you want to eat between 6 and 8 gummies to get the most benefit, depending on the brand. Simply chew, swallow and head to the gym—no mixing, drinking, or powders to deal with.

The serving size will be based on your required caffeine levels, and you can adjust accordingly.

Each pre-workout gummy will contain about 20 mg of caffeine and for a workout, you want to aim for about 150 to 170mg.

For non-workout days or days when you just want a little extra energy, you can take 2 or 3 of these gummies for a quick, natural energy boost. The intended dose will depend on your exercise and diet needs as well as what you expect to gain from the gym or an off day.

How To Make Pre-Workout Gummies At Home

While you can make your own pre-workout gummies from scratch, it isn’t required. In fact, you might already have everything you need in your kitchen right now. If not, one trip to your local supermarket will have you set up and ready to go.

As with any exercise enhancement aid, you should speak to your doctor first. Even if you intend to only use these when you exercise, there may be a health condition that can become a major problem. Some things, like high blood pressure, aren't worth a little boost to your energy levels.

Ingredients

You will need a few items to get started making your own gummies. The fastest and easiest method is to utilize the powder you probably already have on hand. Here is what you will need.

Recipe

Once you have all the ingredients on hand, you are ready to begin. The recipe is simple and can be scaled to your liking, but starting with a small, single batch is recommended to test flavor and viability.

In a medium saucepan, heat water on medium heat until it smokes. There should be small wisps of steam coming off the water but not boiling. Reduce the medium heat to low and add in the gelatin. Whisk until completely dissolved.

Remove the pan from heat and add in the pre-workout mix. Whisk until thoroughly completely dissolved. Using your dropper, add the liquid to the mold, filling each section to the top.

Place the mold in the refrigerator until hardened (10 minutes to an hour on average). Once set, remove the gummies from the mold and store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks.

Now you have your own unique blend that will help you push through to your fitness goals, increase your metabolic rate and enjoy many available flavors. Because the packaged versions come in flavors like blue raspberry or strawberry, they carry through to the gummies.

For an extra boost of flavor, though, you can also boil lemon or orange peel; just remove them before adding to the mold.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pre-Workout Gummies

Conclusion

Pre-workouts are a common supplement for most gym goers. Getting a boost of energy, faster recovery times, and more reps per workout are all great reasons to take your pre-workout.

However, some of the main drawbacks are taste, flavor, and time mixing the powders. To combat these downsides, pre-workout gummies offer a sweet treat that accomplishes the same things without the negative aspects.

Only you can decide if the gummies are right for you, but they are worth a try for anyone looking for a quick boost and performance enhancement for their workouts.

References: 

1. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/caffeine/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374095/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/