The drawbacks and health risks that the substance “Pre-Workout” can pose on its users are many. Many of you, however, may not even know what Pre-Workout is. 

The proper term for the substance is Pre-Workout Supplement, but as stated before it is best known as Pre-Workout. Most often in a pill or powder form, Pre-Workout is mainly composed of caffeine. 

The main goal of taking pre-workout is to give you energy and help you recover from previous exercises. These benefits are coming from the 150-300 milligrams of caffeine that you ingest in a matter of minutes. 

While there are some benefits to pre-workout, it also comes with its share of drawbacks. From Healthline, “many experts say that they’re [pre-workout products] potentially dangerous and wholly unnecessary.”

A reason why taking pre-workout could be bad is that it creates a caffeine addiction. When people use a substance on a regular basis to complete a task, your body creates a dependence for this substance. So if you do not take your pre workout before exercising, then your workout is lesser because your body is dependent on it. From Addiction Center, “People can develop a dependence on coffee and other Caffeinated beverages quite quickly.” 

Bloating and other digestive system related problems can occur from taking pre-workout as well. From Medical News Today, “some pre-workout may contain sodium bicarbonate, which can cause bloating, nausea, and abdominal pain.” These side effects are not certain for all brands, but it is more common to have these effects if you choose a supplement of lesser quality. That is why it is best to use a high quality and reputable brand if you plan to take a Pre-Workout substance. 

Pre-Workout is also rather expensive, especially when you take it regularly and have to buy it regularly. There are ways around this problem, like buying cheaper supplements, but as stated above lesser products can have harsh side effects. 

From BodyBuilding, the best pre-workout substance for strength training is Kaged pre-workout. Coming in at nearly $45.00 for 1.27lbs, it is rather pricey. For a product that is unnecessary and sometimes unhealthy, that is a lot of money.

There are also unknown risks that can come with the use of Pre-Workout. From USA Today, “Throughout the years, companies have made headlines for spiking their pre-workout supplements with dangerous chemicals and ingredients.” While this doesn’t happen often, it still is a possibility and yet another reason to go with more reputable companies. 

You may often hear people say, “Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my morning coffee” or something very similar to that. While that may seem like a normal thing to say, it is actually a dependence on the coffee that their body has created. 

The same principle applies to those who take pre-workout, although you may be hearing, “I’m not going to workout until I’ve had my pre-workout.” This is borderline unhealthy. In the long run the use of so much caffeine can harm you. 

There are many benefits to Pre-Workout. It can make your workouts more involved and deeper. It also can give you more energy for the day and for your workout. Those could be helpful, but at a cost. 

The use of Pre-Workout is not needed or very beneficial. This is why many doctors and training coaches recommend you do not use pre workout.