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0 Getting up every morning at 4:45am is a beat time. I am frequently asked the question “How do you manage to get up that early?”. Besides my hard-work ethic and determination to live a healthy lift style, my good ole friend pre-workout is how I manage. For those that don’t know what pre-workout is, it is a supplement you can buy that is packed with caffeine and a whole lot of other stuff to get you the energy you need to go workout.
For those that do know what pre-workout is, you probably know the cost of it. For a 30 day serving, you can anywhere from $20 – $50+. It might not seem like that much, but spending anywhere from $20 – $50+ a month can get expensive. Luckily there is a cheaper alternative; make it yourself!
I will walk you through the key ingredients you will want for your pre-workout, recommended serving, where to get it, and price per serving. And then you will see the true cost benefit! Links to the where to buy the ingredients have been hyperlinked in the table below.
KEY INGREDIENTS
- The first and probably most important ingredient for a pre-workout recipe is Caffeine. Not only will caffeine wake you up, it can also help improve the endurance of a workout and delay fatigue. Here are some additional benefits caffeine can have on your workouts:
- Endurance athletes improved performance by an average of 3.3 percent (some reported up to 17 percent increases).
- Strength and power sports performance improved up to 20 percent.
- Sprinters improved performance on average by 6.5 percent.
- Weightlifters improved performance on average by 9.5 percent.
- Rate of perceived exertion (fatigue) is decreased by 6 percent on average
- Ever wonder what gives you that itchy and tingly feeling throughout your body after taking pre workout? The answer is beta alanine! Beta alanine is important because it helps to produce Carnosine. Carnosine helps to reduce the lactic acid buildup in your muscles when you are working out, which leads to less fatigue and better performance!
- COQ10 is an antioxidant that is produced by your body naturally which your cells use for growth and maintenance. A study found that individuals that took COQ10 helped to increased exercise performance by lowering oxidative damage, resulting in decreased fatigue.
Black Pepper Extract (piperine)
- This may seem like a pretty strange ingredient to have in a preworkout, but believe me, you will want it in there. Studies have found that piperine helps to reduces fat levels in your bloodstream and helps to absorb other nutrients in the body. When you mix piperine with the other supplements in your preworkjout, it helps your body utilize the other ingredients to the fullest extent.
- L – citrulline is an amino acid which helps to increase plasma levels of ornithine and arginine. It plays a crucial role in the urea cycle by getting rid of harmful compounds in your body through urine. It also helps to increase nitric oxide in the body. The increase in nitric oxide and blood flow is one of the beneficial effects citrulline has on exercise performance. Studies have shown that taking citrulline for seven days can improve power output during exercise.
Creatine
- I wrote an article on the topic of creatine a few years ago. Go here to see the benefits.
- Alpha GPC is a compound composed of glycerophosphate and choline. Choline, increases Acetylcholine production and that Acetylcholine is utilized in sending the messages in the body to allow us to contract our muscles. In hindsight, more Choline means more Acetylcholine, which results in better and stronger voluntary muscle contractions.
SERVING AND COST BREAKDOWN
In the table below, I have broken down the serving size of each ingredient you want to have in one serving of pre-workout. I find it easier to make the servings one at a time to ensure you are getting the recommended serving of each ingredient.
| Supplement | Serving Size | Quantity | Number of Servings | Price (Estimate) | Cost Per serving |
| Caffeine | 200 mg | 250 | 250 | $ 12.95 | $0.05 |
| Beta Alanine | 3 – 5 g (Depending on how bad you want that itchy feeling) | 500 g | 100 | $ 17.96 | $0.18 |
| COQ10 | 100 mg | 120 Capsules | 120 | $ 13.01 | $0.11 |
| Black Pepper Extract | 10 mg | 120 | 120 | $ 10.49 | $0.09 |
| L – Citrulline | 3 – 6 g | 500 g | 100 | $ 25.96 | $0.26 |
| Creatine | 5 g | 1000 g | 200 | $ 19.91 | $0.10 |
| Alpha GPC | 600 mg | 120 – 300 mg capsules | 60 | $ 22.90 | $0.38 |
The average cost per serving is only $1.17! And not to mention, this will give you at least 60 servings worth. So even though you might have to cough up around $125 up front to get all of the ingredients, in the long run, it will be more economically friendly for your wallet. If you want to purchase any of these supplements, click the name of the supplement in the table above!!!
The only cost I did leave out above was the flavor mix you would like to add to it. You can use anything you want too! I usually add all of these ingredients into a cup, add in some Gatorade (only about 3 – 4 ounces) and then slug away. But I will leave this option up to you.
I think this is a good baseline for How to create your own pre-workout. You can always add more supplements to it or take some out. I would at least always strive to have caffeine, beta alanine, and l – citrulline in there.
I hope this recipe helps you save money while also delivering a great product!
