There are two reasons pre-workout might not be working: you’re not used to it, or you’re very used to it.
In this short article, we’re going to explain how these work out and how you’re going to make your pre-workout work out for you!
Contents
- Be Patient: Some Ergogenic Supplements Take Time!
- Your Body Does Things Slowly
- Accommodation: How Your Body Fights Beneficial Change
- Addressing The Problem: Nutritional Habits and Interventions
- Take Some Time Off
- A Change Is As Good As a Rest
- Is Your Pre-Workout Supplement Just Bullshit?
- Our Final Thoughts: Pearls of Wisdom
Be Patient: Some Ergogenic Supplements Take Time!
The first possibility is that you’re using a new pre-workout and you’re simply not used to it. This is entirely possible with a number of products – especially if you’re using a non-immediate supplement.
For example, caffeine is an immediate acting chemical that will make you feel the differences almost immediately when consumed. You drink it, you feel amazing, then it wears off over the next 4-6 hours.
However, other compounds like Creatine take a while to have any positive effect. The early days and weeks of use might not show significant differences, while the long-term effects are subtle enough that you might not notice them if you’re not tracking performance closely.
Your Body Does Things Slowly
This is common if you’re just switching to a new product and you’re expecting amazing results right off the bat. Your body doesn’t work like that – it’s slow to respond to a lot of things, and change isn’t overnight.
If you’re just starting to use pre-workout supplements, or you’ve recently changed the product you use, then don’t expect immediate returns. Some of the more important compounds may take a while to take effect and you shouldn’t worry too much for the first week or two!
Accommodation: How Your Body Fights Beneficial Change
On the other hand, if you’re very experienced with pre-workout supplements then you’ve got the opposite problem. If you continually use these supplements, you’ll eventually downregulate the key compounds (like caffeine) and not see the same effects.
Your body gets used to their presence and, over time, it takes more and more of the same thing to produce the same results. This is widely applicable to any of the compounds that you’d be using, while some do continue to provide performance benefits over time.
Addressing The Problem: Nutritional Habits and Interventions
This is an easy situation to deal with – there are two solutions.
Take Some Time Off
First, you can stop taking that supplement for a while to allow your sensitivity to build back up again. This is why supplement companies put instructions on their products to take 2 weeks off after every 2 months of use (or similar).
If you’ve not taken this time off, you’re going to experience reduced results and you’re not going to feel the benefits of your pre-workout. This is especially true for caffeine which is the poster-child of effective pre-workout chemicals.
Check out how much caffeine is in your pre workout here
This also overlaps with general caffeine intake – you need to consider your coffee and other sources. These add up over time and can easily adjust how much effect you get from a pre-workout supplement.
Take some time off, take a step back, and come back to pre-workouts when you’ve gained some more sensitivity. It’ll be like the first time.
A Change Is As Good As a Rest
These changes can also be reversed by changing the product or compounds you’re taking in. If you’ve become too used to a single product, there’s value to rotating it out over time.
The variety among pre-workout supplements can produce different results – especially considering that some don’t use stimulants at all, relying on different performance-boosting effects. This kind of change can mean better results and an improved caffeine-sensitivity when you switch back.
Time off doesn’t mean time away from the performance-enhancing effects of all pre-workouts. It could just mean changing up your choice of compounds, dropping out stimulant-based products, and taking time to rebuild sensitivity.
Is Your Pre-Workout Supplement Just Bullshit?
Obviously, we’ve not discussed one of the most important reasons your pre-workout isn’t working: it’s junk.
There are some low-quality products on the market, and it’s totally possible that you’re getting under-dosed products or ineffective ingredients. If you think this might be you, check out our articles on pre-workout supplements and what you can do to get the best.
We’ve broken down a lot of the myths and nonsense in the fitness supplement industry so you can get the best products without spending hours looking through products.
The Best Pre Workouts For Beginners
The Best Pre Workouts For Pump & Vascularity
The Best Pre Workouts For Fat Loss
Our Final Thoughts: Pearls of Wisdom
Remember, too much or too little of a good thing is a problem when it comes to the body. Moderation and proper patterns of intake are what determine how effective your Pre-workout supplement will be.
Take time off, rotate out different key-compounds, and make sure you’re using your supplements in line with the instructions!