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QUESTION: Hey Scott, Loving the MI activity lately! The latest issue was killer, can't wait to see what's in store next. Your online presence on Facebook is also staggering, with a new informative post what almost seems like daily. I have a question regarding pre-workout drinks. The market for these products is overwhelming at times. I've tried numerous products (1MR by BPI, Jack3d by USP Labs, Gaspari's Superpump, VPX's NOShotgun, Fusion's FUBAR just to name a few), but only certain ones seem to 'click' with me, while other people rant and rave about another. I use one particular brand for a while, then it seems my body gets accustomed to it and it no longer has the same effects as when I originally started taking it. Is there any reason for this or is it purely a mental thing? I've read it's recommended to "cycle off" of a pre-workout drink after a bit of use. What's your stance? What pre-workout supplement do you recommend? Also, what is your opinion on many of these manufacturers using the "proprietary blend" with their ingredient labelling? I understand about protecting your own formula but it makes it difficult when trying to ensure you are getting a certain amount of an ingredient and not too much of another in the rest of your diet (IE caffeine, etc) Hope to hear from you soon, you are one of the few guru's who's opinion I trust. 

Thanks

Nick

UFE PRO Bodybuilder

ANSWER: Well thanks very much Nick and I hope I can answer your question without upsetting fans of one brand or another. You've got many questions all into one so let me try to answer the most important parts. It always seems like the best pre-workout powder is the one you haven't tried yet! Consumers go through powder after powder and think there's a better one soon to be discovered. Some bodybuilders here in Canada love BLACK POWDER, others guys love GP3, IMR, JACK3D (when they can find it), SUPERPUMP MAX and many others. The new wave seems to be the "concentrates" of course and every company seems to be racing to the market with their own unique version.

Main Driver

Chemically speaking, the main "driver" of most pre-workout powders is caffeine. Nearly all pre-workout supplements contain a large amount of caffeine (250 mg to 400 mg per serving typically) to enhance exercise performance, mental clarity, energy etc. Some formulas add other stimulants like Yohimbe (not legal in Canada though), and methylsynepherine (also not legal in Canada), Geranium Oil Extract, BPHEA, and a few others to help intensify the effects of caffeine. The other ingredient nearly all have is arginine or arginine salts like Arginine-AKG which are aimed at boosting levels of Nitric Oxide levels. The jury is still out on AKG and Arginine and their ability to actually boost NO to physiologically measurable levels. I'm not a believer in over-the-counter Nitric Oxide stimulators for bodybuilding purposes.

Geranium Oil

But Geranium Oil (and the other names it's labelled under) seem to be the one ingredient that makes the difference in the "fee" you get from a pre-workout formula, provided caffeine is also present. If a product you take has this in it, you feel it quite a bit more than if it doesn't. Typical formulas contain 20 mg of this substance but I've lab tested some products and found them to have as much as 50 mg. Other names it falls under include: Forthan, Forthane, Floradrene, and Geranamine, 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA). This is actually a drug used as a nasal decongestant, as well as treatment for hypertrophied or hyperplasic oral tissues and is an active ingredient in party pills in New Zealand!. Once trademarked under the name "Forthane" by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in 1971 but the trademark has since expired. Now other formulas that do not have it can be still effective but may not give you the same "kick" as those that have it in their formulation.

Cycling Your Supplements

As for Cycling your pre-workout powders, there isn't any research that supports "cycling" one brand and another back and forth or from one to the next. Research does show that all drugs cause receptor downgrade when used for prolonged periods of time. Thus I wouldn't use any product with loads of stimulants like caffeine everyday for weeks on end. Try taking stimulant based pre-workout powders only before workouts on body parts you're trying to bring up. For example, if you're trying to bring up your chest, take them on the day that you blast your pecs! On the days that you use your pre-workout supplement, try to limit caffeine containing substances in your diet like cola, tea, coffee etc.