There are a variety of pre-workout supplements for women, many of which claim to have a miraculous effect on your training. Pre-workout supplements are either stimulants or oxygen transport enhancement products. Nitrous oxide products fall into the latter category, and products such as caffeine and ephedrine into the former category. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program or using any pre-workout supplement.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a methylxanthine and, like all methylxanthines, acts as a central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine is present in most over-the-counter pre-workout stimulants, or you can take it on its own. It is often used as as stimulant for many purposes. Long-term use can be addictive and can lead to cardiac damage. Caffeine-containing products have shown a marked effect on improvements in training intensity and oxygen exchange.
Epehdrine
Ephedrine is no longer available in most pre-workout supplements but is available as an over-the-counter product on its own. It is frequently used as a pre-workout stimulant and is classed as a bronchodilator. Ephedrine stimulates improvements in oxygen exchange and has long been used in the treatment of obesity. Ephedrine causes you to increase your utilization of both fat stores and sugar reserves for energy while stimulating your production of the compound nor-adrenaline. This release may be experienced as mild tremors or shakiness.
Yohimbine
Yohimbine is a common pre-workout stimulant and is included in many supplements for this purpose. Yohimbine can function as a central nervous system stimulant but usually does not raise heart rate or blood pressure. Yohimbine also functions as a lipolytic compound, or fat burner, and is included in many herbal weight-loss compounds. Yohimbine is often combined with either caffeine or caffeine and ephedrine for additional effect. This combination has also been used in the treatment of obesity. Caution should be exercised when taking this supplement or supplement combination due to its profound stimulant effects.
Nitrous Oxide
The amino acid L-arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid. That means you need it, but only under certain circumstances. Your body can generally manage to produce or convert enough of this amino acid, but in times of extreme stress, such as wound healing, your body often requires additional L-arginine. This has led supplement manufacturers to promote L-arginine as a pre-workout supplement or "nitrous oxide stimulator" based on the method of utilization of this hormone. Claims of increased growth hormone levels and additional muscle mass abound, but so far, none of this has been substantiated by clinical trial.
References
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; Central Nervous System Stimulants and Sport Practice; L. Avois, et al.; June 2006
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Potential Ergogenic Effects of Arginine and Creatine Supplementation; D. Paddon-Jones, et al.; October 2004
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition"; The Effects of a Pre-Workout Supplement Containing Caffeine, Creatine, and Amino Acids During Three Weeks of High-Intensity Exercise on Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance; A.E. Smith, et al.; February 2010
- "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders"; Clinical Aspects of Ephedrine in the Treatment of Obesity; R. Pasquali, et al.; February 1993
- "Medical Hypotheses"; Pre-Exercise Administration of Yohimbine May Enhance the Efficacy of Exercise Training as a Fat Loss Strategy by Boosting Lipolysis; M.F. McCarty; June 2006
- "Clinical Physiology"; Cardiovascular Effects of Ephedrine, Caffeine and Yohimbine Measured by Thoracic Electrical Bioimpedance in Obese Women; M. Waluga, et al.; January 1998
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