Course:FNH200/Projects/2025/Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout is commonly used to enhance athletic performance.

Overview

Pre-workout supplements are “dietary formulas” consisting of a wide variety of ingredients used for increased athletic performance during workouts. In addition, some ingredients may also promote cardiovascular health and low blood pressure, but generally, pre-workout promotes physical activity by making energy substrates more available to the muscles and reducing perceived fatigue. Many forms of pre-workout exist including high-stim (high caffeine), low-stim (caffeine-free), and pre-workout for muscle gain, but all forms share the common goal of improving performance during exercise.

History

First introduced in the 1980's, Ulitmate Orange became one of the first preworkouts on the market.

Before pre-workout supplements, athletes and bodybuilders relied on coffee before training, which boosted energy and endurance. This changed in the early 1980s with the release of Ultimate Orange, a powdered supplement that combined caffeine, fast digesting carbohydrates, amino acids, and ephedra, a stimulant that increased heart rate and fat burning. Though effective, ephedra was eventually banned due to serious health risks such as heart attacks and strokes.

As the industry evolved, new ingredients shaped modern formulas. Creatine became a foundational component in the 1990s due to its ability to help muscles rapidly regenerate ATP, the body’s main energy source for short bursts of effort. In the mid-2000s, beta-alanine gained attention for its role in raising carnosine levels, which helps delay muscle fatigue.

In 2005, products like Jack3d introduced DMAA, a synthetic stimulant that sharply increased energy and focus by stimulating the central nervous system. However, DMAA also raised heart rate and blood pressure, leading to health concerns such as shortness of breath and increased stroke risk. What began with a cup of coffee has grown into a global billion-dollar industry driven by performance and innovation.

Ingredients and Additives

Ingredient/Additive	Purpose
Caffeine	Increases energy, alertness, and concentration; excess will lead to jitteriness, irregular heartbeat, or poor sleep.
Beta-Alanine	Dipeptide buffer that delays fatigue in the muscles by neutralizing the lactic acid; might cause harmless tingling.
Creatine Monohydrate	Replenishes muscle stores and helps improve short-term power and strength by promoting the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for energy.
L-Citrulline / L-Arginine / Citrulline Malate	Enhances the flow of blood and provision of oxygen to the body by producing nitric oxide for vasodilation and the removal of waste products during exercise.
BCAAs (Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine)	Branched-chain amino acids that are oxidized by the body and can decrease breakdown of muscles and enhance recovery by stimulating anabolic signals; generally safe.
Taurine	Said to improve recovery and mitigate cellular damage after exercise, although findings produce variable results.
Tyrosine	Precursor of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine; helps concentration under stress; few side effects at standard amounts.
Betaine (Trimethylglycine)	Natural derivative of the amino acid glycine which possibly increases strength and power production by promoting creatine synthesis, increasing blood nitric oxide levels, and promoting homeostasis; otherwise safe.
Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium)	Generally added to support muscle contraction by providing muscles with electric charge; possibly increases strength and power production.
Artificial Sweeteners ( Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium)	Provides sweetness without adding calories; may cause adverse effects in some individuals.
Artificial Colors & Anti‑Caking Agents	To look and mixability, no performance value.
Dangerous Stimulants (Synephrine, Yohimbine, DMAA)	Sometimes in to boost energy/fat burning; potentially elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and unsafe.

Benefits & Risks

Exceeding the recommended dosage can lead to heart irregularities, expressing the importance of understanding the risk associated with pre workout ingestion.

Pre‑workout supplements can deliver measurable benefits for healthy adults when used appropriately. Studies show that multi‑ingredient formulas containing caffeine, creatine, beta‑alanine, and amino acids can improve anaerobic peak power and mean power in recreational trainees compared to placebos. Caffeine enhances alertness, reduces perceived exertion, supports neuromuscular activation, and may improve reaction time and focus during exercise. Additional ingredients such as BCAAs and nitric oxide precursors, like citrulline, are frequently included to assist recovery and enhance blood flow.

Yet these benefits are tempered by significant risks, many driven by packaging and dosing practices. Pre‑workouts are often sold in powdered form and labeled as proprietary blends, obscuring exact ingredient amounts and complicating safe dosing. Practices like “dry scooping”, ingesting undissolved powder, can carry risks including choking, respiratory irritation, and potential overdose of caffeine. Exceeding recommended serving sizes can lead to side effects such as heart irregularities, skin reactions, jitteriness, and elevated blood pressure.

Labelling & Regulations

Pre-workout supplements are labelled and regulated as “natural health products” by Health Canada.

Labelling

Brand Name	Distinguishes and identifies the product.
Product number	All pre-workout manufacturers are required to submit a natural health product application form to Health Canada for each product, and will receive a product number (called NPN) which must be displayed on all packaging.
Dosage form	Must describe how the product is applied, ingested, or inhaled. Typically as a powder for pre-workout supplements.
Net amount	Can be in metric units, but many will describe by portion (e.g,. 40 scoops).
Expiry Date	Can be in any format (YYYY-MM, MM-DD-YYYY, etc.)
Medicinal Ingredients	Must include chemical name and dosage.
Recommended route of administration	E.g., mix product well in 10-12 fl oz of water immediately before consumption.
Recommended storage conditions	Typically in a cool, dry place free of light and sealed to prevent exposure to oxygen.
Bilingual labelling	Required for products sold in Canada. Includes product name, ingredient list, instructions, etc.
Food allergens, gluten sources, and added sulphites	If applicable, must be in bold and have a subsection describing that the product contains the allergen.

Regulations

Chemicals	Anything purified and isolated must include the full name of the chemical. Must be 80%-120% of the amount described on the label.
Vitamins and minerals	Must be 80%-120% of the amount described on the label, although it may exceed 120% if there is a justifiable scientific reason.
Microbiological Contaminants	The product should not contain any microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast or moulds.
Heavy Metal Contaminants	The product should not contain heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury above the allowed limit as defined by Health Canada's Maximum Levels for Chemical Contaminants in Foods.
Certain Known and Common Adulterants	Any ingredient (e.g. a drug substance) that was voluntarily or involuntarily added to the product but should not be there (such as a compound that boosts the products efficacy at the cost of adverse health effects).

Production

1. Ingredient Sourcing and Selection

Manufacturers begin by sourcing raw materials such as caffeine, beta-alanine, creatine, citrulline malate, amino acids, and sometimes herbal extracts or vitamins. These ingredients must meet purity and quality standards and are often purchased from third-party suppliers. The chosen compounds are selected based on their known physiological effects and compatibility within a single formula.

2. Formulation and Dosing

Scientific literature, performance goals, and consumer trends guide the formulation phase. Manufacturers must determine optimal dosages that are both effective and within safe limits.

3. Testing and Stability

Before mass production, the formula undergoes lab testing for stability, solubility, taste, and interaction between ingredients. Simultaneously, manufacturers test for heavy metals, microbial contamination, and ingredient accuracy using methods like high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry. Products may also undergo shelf-life testing to ensure they remain effective over time.

Factory production of pre-workout.

4. Manufacturing Process

Most pre-workouts are produced in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-certified facilities to ensure quality control. Ingredients are weighed, blended as a solution, and spray-dried to ensure uniform mixing. The product is then tested in batches for consistency. Powdered products are typically flavored, sweetened, and colored before being packaged.

5. Packaging

Pre-workouts are most commonly packed in plastic tubs fitted with screw tops, which exclude the air and moisture. Other brands utilize single-serve stick packs. Instructions, product ingredients, and warnings are put on labels. The packaging is usually recyclable and easily keeps the supplements fresh.

Final Exam Question

What is the primary reason why pre-workout powders are preserved via spray drying?

Process of Spray Drying

a) To kill all spoilage-causing bacteria that may be present in the original mixture.

b) To enhance its flavour through the heating of certain ingredients.

c) To produce powder particles of equal size for uniform dissolution when mixed with water.

d) To enhance the aesthetic qualities of the product through the heating of certain pigments.

e) To bolster the efficacy of each nutrient when consumed due to oxidation reactions with the incoming warm air.

Correct answer: c. Dry spraying produces powder particles of equal size, which in the case of foods that are rehydrated prior to consumption such as pre-workout or instant coffee, provide more total surface area for water to interact with and therefore dissolve faster.

Explanation: this question is relevant to the material we learned in Lesson 8: Dehydration as a Food Preservation Method and is interesting to see a practical application of the theories we have learned in this course.