Pre-workout supplements like protein powders have gained a lot of attention these days. Fitness fanatics take a pre-workout before starting the workout session as it is beneficial for performance. But the question that comes into our mind is how much time does a pre-workout stay in your body, effectively? Come let’s burst the bubble of confusion and get some answers for it.
What Are Pre-Workouts Made Of?
It is a type of supplement that is consumed before a workout. These are made of some common ingredients:
- Caffeine
- Beta-alanine
- Arginine
- Citrulline
- Taurine
- Tyrosine
- Niacine
With these ingredients, let’s now see the kick-in time of pre-workout supplement?
A Pre-Workout Supplement Kick In How Much Time?
A pre-workout takes the time of 30-60 minutes to kick in. in this time all the ingredients of the supplement get absorbed and become effective in the body. There comes a peak time when all the ingredients of the supplement are completely absorbed in the body. So the desired time is half an hour or one hour to take the pre-workout. Caffeine reaches its peak time in an hour, so in this way, you can get the initial burst of energy to get you started for the workout with extra strength from other ingredients.
Moreover, this time also depends on the form of pre-workout that whether it’s powder or capsule, or drink. The powder and drink forms are quickly digested and absorbed in the body as compared to the capsules.
You might be wondering how long a pre-workout might stay in your system so let’s find out.
A Pre-Workout- How Long Does It Stay In Your System?
A pre-workout stay in your system for 4-6 hours depending on the half-life of the supplement’s ingredients. In this case, all of them are having 4-6 hours of half-life. This means after taking a pre-workout, it remains in your system for a minimum of 4 hours or more.
The Caffeine takes about half an hour to kick in and its half-life is 3-6 hours whereas creatine and beta-alanine kick in 30-40 minutes after taking the pre-workout and their half-life is only 3 hours. The half-life of arginine is 1-2 hours.
But it is not necessary that you will feel the effects this long after taking the pre-workout. Caffeine is normally the most long-lasting and used ingredient in pre-workout which makes a difference as well.
The half-life of some common ingredients of pre-workout is:
| Ingredients | Half-life |
|---|---|
| Caffeine | 3-6 hours |
| Arginine | 1-2 hours |
| Beta alanine | 3 hours |
| Taurine | 4-6 hours |
| Citrulline | 1-2 hours |
| Tyrosine | 2-4 hours |
The exact time that your pre-workout takes to stay in your system also depends on
- Amount of ingredients
- Number of servings you take
- Body mass
- Level of activity
- Sensitivity to caffeine
We wonder after taking a pre-workout supplement, what it does to your system? So, have a look at it then.
What Does A Pre-Workout Do In Your System?
A pre-workout enhances overall performance, boosts energy levels, and increases strength. They increase the ‘pump’ by which it circulates the amount of blood flowing to the body’s muscles. Caffeine boosts energy levels, arginine dilates blood vessels, and creatinine helps in increasing performance. So, a pre-workout gives you a rush of energy for better performance in the workout session.
Conclusion
A pre-workout stays for 4-6 hours in your system.Mostly this depends on the ingredients and their half-life. A pre-workout supplement’s common ingredients have 4-6 hours of half-life. This means when you take a pre-workout, it stays in your system for a minimum of 4 hours or more. Caffeine is the most long-lasting and used ingredient in pre-workouts with a half-life of 3-6 hours. Taking a pre-workout improves workout performance, boosting energy levels and increasing strength.
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.
