Research Update 02/13/11: Preworkout Supplement Boost

Hopefully you follow my advice on taking whey protein, BCAAs, creatine, NO boosters and caffeine before every workout.

After all, each supplement on its own has been proven in numerous studies to boost workout performance, such as muscle strength, endurance and workout intensity. And of course, there are the research-proven muscle-building benefits of whey, creatine, BCAAs and NO boosters. But don't just take my word for it: new research from the University of Oklahoma shows that these supplements stacked together before workouts can really boost your workout performance.

The Oklahoma researchers had men and women take the whey, creatine, BCAA, NO Booster (arginine and citrulline), and caffeine combo or a placebo before they ran on a treadmill for as fast as they could for as long as they could.

They reported in a 2010 issue of the journal Nutrition Research that when they drank the supplement combo they were able to run about 10% longer at their "all-out" pace. The same researchers reported in a different study that athletes taking this same supplement combo while following a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program for just three weeks gained 3 pounds of muscle (without weight lifting!) and dropped their percent body fat by over 3%, while the placebo group saw no gain in muscle and only a drop in their percent body fat of 1%.

Jim's Take-Home Message:

Since the first study was running at an all-out pace, which they could only maintain for a couple of minutes, this is more equivalent to a weight-lifting workout than a cardio workout. In other words, taking a supplement combo of whey protein, BCAAs, creatine, NO boosters and caffeine before workouts can help you get more reps with a given weight. And that can lead to more muscle growth in the long run. And if you're also doing HIIT: which I highly recommend, it can help you further gain more muscle and lose more body fat! I typically recommend going with 200-400 mg of caffeine and an NO booster (either a commercial product or for details on my own concoction read my article My Fave NO Boost Stack) about 45-60 minutes before workouts; and 20 grams of whey protein, 5-10 g BCAAs, and 2-5 grams of creatine within 30 minutes before workouts. For more on these read my article Jim's Top 10 Get Big and Lean Supplements.

References:

Fukuda, D. H., et al. The possible combinatory effects of acute consumption of caffeine, creatine, and amino acids on the improvement of anaerobic running performance in humans. Nutrition Research 30(9):607-614, 2010.

Smith, A.E., et al. 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. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrion 7:10, 2010.

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