“Pre-workout” is nothing new to most fitness enthusiasts, but I had my first introduction to the “miracle” supplement a couple of weeks ago when free samples were being given away at my job. For those of you like me, who tend to avoid ingesting anything you can’t pronounce, coffee and toast work just fine. But it seems that incorporating a pre-workout supplement into a workout regimen has become the norm. I have plenty of colleagues, acquaintances and loved ones who workout and depend on their pre-workout supplement of choice to get through their workouts. With that, I decided to give it a try.
I was reluctant to try the Cellucor C4 Carbonated beverage that was handed to me, not because I didn’t think it would work, but because I wasn’t sure about the ingredients. The carbonated version is packaged into a can that looks like any other store-bought energy drink like Monster or Red Bull. There are other versions under the Cellucor brand, like the original powder mix and the on-the-go formula, both of which I had been given samples. I started with the carbonated beverage, drinking only half the can because it was the most new-user-friendly.
This day I decided to take a fitness class an hour before teaching my own, so I figured I could use a little pick-me-up. The drink truly did deliver and I was almost sold on adding it to my normal routine. The following day I drank the other half, two days later I drank the powder formula, and a day later I had another serving of the powder formula. I was enjoying the effects of the supplement because I saw how much easier working out became and how much energy I had whether I was in class, dealing with a private client, or teaching a group class.
Then my eyes started to twitch.
This is not some strange analogy; my eyes literally began to twitch. I’ve experienced twitching before, but not
on this level. The frequency of the twitching, the fact that it was happening on both eyes, and the fact that it lasted longer than 24 hours was alarming to me. I didn’t immediately seek a medical opinion, and instead did a Google search on what may have been causing the twitching. Lack of sleep, stress, nutritional imbalances and caffeine were all listed as potential triggers.
I thought back on all of the things going on in my life in an attempt to pinpoint any changes I had recently made. The C4 was the only thing I could think of. I spoke with a doctor the next day and expressed my concerns. She then warned me of the dangers of consuming C4.
Now, it’s important to point out the fact that anything done in excess can potentially cause harm. It’s also important to point out that different pre-workout supplements have different recipes, so it would be difficult to criminalize them all. After speaking with the doctor I began to do more research on the side-effects of taking these supplements and found some pretty troublesome truths
Pre-workout supplements are intended to boost energy levels, doing this by means of B vitamins, carbs, antioxidants, and in some cases high levels of caffeine. Again, no pre-workout formula is the same and some brands have sugar-free and carb-free options, while some brands use guarana and deer antler velvet (if you thought you read that wrong, you didn’t).
The point being, if you’re interested in using a pre-workout supplement, you must do the research. Everyone has a different tolerance level and sensitivity when it comes to each ingredient and a huge problem is that the FDA does not regulate pre-workout supplements. This means there’s no real way of knowing that each drink contains exactly what it says it does and, unless enough people report problems for a specific supplement, they can continue to be sold to the general public.
These supplements can add to your workout performance and provide nutrients, but in most cases, the supplements are heavily concentrated and only result in expensive urine. Your body can only
process so much when it comes to nutrient intake, so some concentrations of ingredients can be more harmful than good.
When looking into purchasing a pre-workout supplement consider drinks that are as natural as possible and that are regulated by a third-party regulatory system like Informed-Choice or the National Science Foundation (NSF). You can also get the fuel you need from your food choices. Any beneficial nutrient found in a pre-workout supplement, like carbs, creatine (a derivative of amino acids), caffeine, and beetroot juice, can be found in whole foods. Consider that banana and toast mentioned earlier, it could seriously save you a headache…or an eye twitch.
Jasmine Danielle is a Los Angeles based dancer and fitness trainer. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied with FiTour, the National Federation of Personal Trainers, and the Equinox Group Fitness Training Institute.
Jasmine is currently a Group Fitness Instructor for Equinox, Everybody Los Angeles, and Sandbox Fitness. Her fitness modalities include, ballet, dance cardio, barre fitness, TRX, treadmill interval training, cardio kickboxing, jump rope, indoor cycling, and metabolic conditioning.
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