A pre-workout mix is a multi-ingredient product designed to boost your energy and your athletic performance.

But if you’re new to pre-workouts, it can be challenging to know which nutritional ingredients in pre-workout supplements can help you to work out harder, faster, and stronger.

So, to help you out, here are some of the key nutritional ingredients you should look for in a pre-workout.

Citrulline

The best pre-glow pre-workout supplements, such as the one on this page, contain the amino acid citrulline.

L-Citrulline has recently been gaining popularity as a supplement for boosting exercise performance. While citrulline is produced naturally by your body and can be found in some foods, by taking supplements, you increase the citrulline content in your body above the normal level.

It increases nitric oxide production and expands blood vessels too. That means more blood flows to your muscle tissue when you are pumping iron.

L-citrulline simply refers to citrulline itself. Citrulline malate, which is a combination of citrulline and the compound malate, is sometimes used in sports supplements for energy production.

L-tyrosine

The non-essential amino acid L-tyrosine is a form of tyrosine. Your body makes it, so you don’t need to get it from food.

However, by taking a pre-workout supplement that contains L-tyrosine or just tyrosine, it can help your body to produce hormones like adrenaline and dopamine, which enables you to focus more and maintain your energy for going longer at the gym.

L-theanine

Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for part of a winning workout routine. So is having excellent mental focus. Well, L-theanine can help you to achieve both.

The compound occurs naturally in green and black tea and it’s often used in pre-workout mixes to improve focus during exercise and to provide a sense of relaxation afterward.

Beta-alanine

The non-essential amino acid beta-alanine is produced naturally in your body. It helps with the production of carnosine, which plays a crucial role in muscle endurance when you’re doing high-intensity workouts.

Studies suggest beta-alanine can help to enhance your physical performance and endurance. Because beta-alanine is a main ingredient of carnosine, pre-workout mixes that contain beta-alanine can potentially help to boost your sports performance and reduce muscle fatigue.

You can also get beta-alanine and carnosine from food like poultry and fish.

Betaine Anhydrous

Betaine anhydrous naturally occurs in your body. It can also be found in a variety of foods, including spinach, beets, seafood, and cereals. And it’s in many pre-workout mixes.

Your body uses the compound betaine anhydrous to break down harmful substances. It has been proven to help liver health and it’s often used as a nutritional pre-workout ingredient to improve athletic performance.

It works like this: it helps to increase the percentage of water contained in your muscle cells. And when your muscles are more hydrated, it’s easier to push yourself further with your reps.

So, it’s an ideal ingredient for strength training because it helps to improve hydration and stimulate water-based pumps.

Theobromine

The great thing about theobromine is it’s derived from cocoa!

You can get it from dark chocolate. It is also found in tea. But many people take theobromine in pre-workout mixes.

It can potentially widen arteries, boost blood flow, improve concentration, and lift mood; all of which can help you to improve your workout.

Furthermore, theobromine is thought to have aphrodisiac qualities, so it could improve your love life too.

With long-lasting stimulating effects, it’s the ideal ingredient to look for in a pre-workout mix.