Is it possible to have a pre-workout supplement that’s effective without also being side effective, if you catch our meaning? Aren’t side effects a calculated risk, one to be managed through careful use, when it comes to supplementary health enhancement?
Yeah, sure, to a degree.
After all, even water can have negative health consequences when consumed inappropriately—e.g., by guzzling several gallons of water all at once. (This can actually be lethal!) But we wouldn’t say that water has lethal side effects!
Likewise, an effective pre-workout supplement doesn’t necessarily come with side effects simply because some people misuse supplements.
Plus, a truly effective pre-workout supplement isn’t simply focused on short-term workout performance.
No, a truly effective and safe pre-workout stack also takes long-term workout results into consideration.
Because isn’t that the whole point??
Yes, it is—and so that might as well illustrate our criteria for a “pre-workout supplement without side effects”: a PWO stack that’s both effective and safe, one that promotes both short- and long-term exercise enhancement…
…And, yes, there is a supplement that meets the qualification for Best Pre-Workout Without Side Effects (that we’ve detailed below).
But before diving into that, let’s first address:
What are Common Pre-Workout Side Effects?
Of course, pre-workout supplements aren’t as tame as water. Otherwise, we could just drink water before working out and achieve the same performance enhancing effects.
No, a pre-workout supplement that works accomplishes much more performance enhancement than that of water, especially when taken with water. However, many pre-workout supplements—namely stimulant pre-workout supplements—may have unintended health consequences.
Here are a few:
Poor Sleep Quality
Caffeinated, or stim-containing, pre-workout supplements may leave you jacked up well into the evening, especially if taken too late in the day. Considering how much caffeine these stacks carry, usually somewhere upwards of 3-4 cups of coffee’s worth of caffeine, the risk of insomnia and metabolic mayhem is higher with them.
The Mudbutt
Whether due to negative ingredient interactions or excessive dosages or excess stimulation or poor ingredient forms, or what have you, the mudbutt is an all-too-common side effect of pre-workout supplementation. Mudbutt, marked by an uncontrollable release of semi-solids from the ass, is no fun and clearly a counterproductive way to start a workout. (If you fall victim to the mudbutt, be sure to drink water!)
Dehydration
You know what, even if you don’t fall victim to mudbutt, drink water. Some supplements supply ingredients that draw water from the body, significantly contributing to dehydration. Many pre-workouts specifically for bodybuilders intentionally dehydrate the body for that vascular look preferred for competitive bodybuilding shows. However, ongoing dehydration can be severely detrimental to bodily health, let alone to muscle and strength gains.
Headaches
This varies from person to person, and it may even be a result of the previous side effect (dehydration). Yet, headache is a commonly reported side effect with certain pre-workout stacks, such as N.O. boosting supplements with excessive dosages. N.O. boosters that improve muscle pumps without causing headache require a sweet spot dosage.
Heart & Cardio Health
Too much ongoing stimulation may do wonders for acute energy levels and fat loss, but this comes at the cost of ongoing heart and cardiovascular health. Both pre-workout supplements and fat burner supplements don’t require stimulants to work, so there’s no need to risk your most precious organ’s health for the sake of a feel-good burst of energy.
Are Pre-Workout Supplements Addictive?
This depends entirely on the pre-workout supplement. However, for the most case, the answer here is “No.” And this seems a safe answer even for caffeinated pre-workout supplements, given that if you’re addicted to caffeine, you were likely already addicted before taking pre-workout supplements. Or you’ve been conditioned to crave the supplement’s artificial flavors with the anticipation of exercise.
How to Spot a Safe, Effective PWO Supplement
Sometimes you have to try it to now 100% if a supplement is for you. Unfortunately, it isn’t often the case that you can try it before you buy it, especially when it comes to buying and trying premium grade supplement stacks. However, there are a few ways to spot what’s likely a safe, effective pre-workout supplement.
Consider the following:
- Stimulants? Caffeine or synephrine or whichever stimulant is the hot buy of the week, all of these heart-racing stims might feel good but that good feeling comes at the cost of a bad feeling on your cardiovascular system (and sleep quality).
- Additives? Most additives are completely unnecessary when it comes to supplements. Colorants, fillers, and lubricants—these are all signs of an inferior product.
- Proprietary Blend? If you can’t see the individual ingredient dosages, there’s probably a reason: they’re not good—or most aren’t good, but the stimulant ingredient is coming in hot. Potentially too hot.
- Premium Ingredients? Are the herbs supplied as standardized herbal extracts? Does the formula carry any clinically studied, patented ingredients? Weak ingredient forms may cause unwanted health effects, namely GI discomfort.
- Company Reputation? Is the manufacturer reputable or a shady company backed by many unhappy customer reviews? While you can’t 100% trust the customer reviews, they can be indicative of poor manufacturing.
If a supplement meets these criteria, odds are you’re looking at a real winner.
Best Pre-Workout Without Side Effects
*To Buy or Learn More, Visit: www.performancelab.com
Really, this may as well qualify as the best pre-workout period. Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout is the best pre-workout supplement without side effects and it’s the best pre-workout without stimulants.
Across the board, this stack hits all the marks of a safe, effective PWO supplement as listed above:
- No stimulants
- No junk additives
- No proprietary blends
- All premium grade ingredients
- Reputable supplement manufacturer
What Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout supplies instead is a powerful, clean sports booster that uses natural energy (ATP energy) and pumps (N.O. boosts) instead of the usual hypercaffeinated, hyperstimulated, FD&C-colored junk littering the supplement shelves.
Every ingredient there contributes to acute exercise performance enhancement while also promoting the long-term health results of your exercise. No need to worry over your heart and cardiovascular health with this slick sport stack.
Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout Supplement Facts
Seven ingredients (I’m condensing “Sodium” and “Himalayan Pink Salt” as one) and only one additive: the capsule, or rather the Plantcaps® capsule.
Let’s check ‘em out:
Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout Ingredients
Creatine (as Creapure® pH10)
One of the most reliable performance enhancers, creatine is a go-to PWO for many exercisers, favored for its natural supply of energy and endurance. Yes, even the water-saturated muscle effect is kind of nice in a vain sort of way.
Essentially, creatine is an organic compound that’s used and stored as fuel for the production of cellular ATP energy. By replenishing depleted muscle reserves of natural creatine and, therefore, ATP energy, supplementary creatine prolongs exercise for the otherwise fatigued exerciser. Altogether, the muscle growth benefits of this compound include:
- Replenishes ATP energy production during exercise;
- Stimulates IGF-1, which promotes lean muscle mass;
- Buffers lactic acid formation within muscle tissue.
What’s more, Performance Lab’s creatine, as Creapure®, works as a purer form of creatine monohydrate, standardized to 99.5% potency. This enhanced form of creatine is pH-balanced to improve bioavailability and reduce GI side effects otherwise associated with creatine.
Cordyceps sinensis (as Cordyceps Super™)
Naturally grown on moth and butterfly larvae (bleck!), Cordyceps sinensis is an ergogenic fungus traditionally used to restore vitality. And, well, that’s more or less the same reason we continue to use Cordyceps, or rather Cordyceps extract.
Assisting with both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, Cordyceps seems to work by:
- Enhancing ATP production via stimulating and protecting mitochondria, the cell’s energy producing powerhouse organelles;
- Optimizing oxygen utilization on a cellular level, thereby improving aerobic exercise capacity and muscular endurance.
With fungal ingredients, such as Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps, hitting the mainstream, seems like more and more supplements are starting to realize the immense health benefits of these feel-good fungi. However, if you had to go for only one ergogenic of the shroomy category, Cordyceps seems your best option for exercise performance enhancement.
L-Citrulline
Arginine used to be the N.O. boosting king. And, well, technically it still is; however, when you take L-arginine as a supplement, the amino fails to effectively bypass digestion to activate its circulatory benefits in the body. L-Citrulline, on the other hand, does a much better job at this.
By surviving digestion, L-citrulline may better absorb into the body, where the amino converts to bio-active L-arginine. Once activated, this amino improves exercise performance by:
- Increasing nitric oxide (N.O.) production;
- Improving BCAA utilization;
- Promoting muscular strength output;
- Clearing muscular ammonia, which otherwise contributes to muscle failure.
These bio-effects also qualify Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout as a sex enhancer, due to the boost on erectile rigidity accomplished by N.O. enhancement. So, if you’re also looking for a sex enhancer without side effects, well…
L-Glutamine (from Ajinomoto®)
Highly concentrated in muscle tissue, L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. Within muscle tissue, this amino helps transport the nitrogen required for maintaining and repairing muscle tissue. Thus, low glutamine equals low muscle repair.
In a pre-workout context, L-glutamine increases exercise endurance by clearing muscular lactic acid, that “battery acid” burn that contributes to muscle failure. Likewise, the amino also promotes glutathione, a natural antioxidant that protects muscle tissue against the oxidative stress side effects associated with overtraining.
What’s more, Performance Lab’s L-glutamine comes from Ajinomoto, the world’s largest amino acid manufacturer, which supplies non-GMO, gluten-free, vegetable-derived aminos. Clean, green aminos, baby.
L-Carnosine (N-beta-alanyl-histidine)
Not to be confused with carnotine, L-carnosine is an amino highly concentrated in fast-twitch muscle fibers. For this reason, fast-twitch, anaerobic athletes, like sprinters and bodybuilders, have a lot of this carnosine stuff. As a supplement, L-carnosine may improve such anaerobic exercise performance by:
- Neutralizing oxidative stress in high-intensity muscle tissues;
- Inhibiting harmful advanced glycation end-products (AGEs);
- Neutralizing muscle-damaging acids.
Essentially, L-carnosine is a protective amino that helps us sustain the muscle growing benefits of exercise without falling prey to the health damaging side effects of too much exercise.
Himalayan Pink Salt
That’s right. That pink salt stuff that makes salt seemingly taste better via the placebo effect (it looks better so it must taste better, right??), Himalayan Pink Salt is somewhat of a clutch addition here. When we exercise, we sweat, leading to both water loss and electrolyte loss. And this threat of dehydration is awful for muscle growth.
You could try remedying this by drinking water, but, without the electrolytes, all that water is simply going to go from one end to the other. Himalayan pink salt supplies the electrolytes.
By giving the body an extra supply of PWO electrolytes, this ingredient may significantly improve your hydration levels, leading to overall better muscle gains.
Maritime Pine Bark Extract
Another clutch ingredient: Maritime pine bark extract offers a rich supply of potent antioxidants called proanthocyanidins. By reducing the negative effects of oxidative stress and inflammation, this antioxidant complex helps protect the body against the harmful byproducts of training.
Not to mention that maritime pine bark extract seems to promote N.O. production in a way that complements Performance Lab’s L-citrulline content. Whereas L-citrulline raises blood levels of L-arginine, maritime pine bark extract regulates nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme responsible for catalyzing L-arginine’s N.O. boosting effects.
The combination of maritime pine bark extract and L-citrulline seems to have a synergistic effect on circulation and, thus, your muscle pump capacity.
*To Buy or Learn More, Visit: www.performancelab.com
How to Take Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout
It’s all in the name: you want to take Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout before working out—i.e., pre-workout. As the “Suggested Use” directions advise on the label, “On training days, take 4-6 capsules 45-60 minutes pre-workout with 16-32 oz. of water. For best results, take consistently.”
Where to Buy Performance Lab SPORT Fat Burner
You can buy Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout through the Performance Lab website: performancelab.com. Don’t look for this stack on Amazon or GNC, or any other third-party retailer, because all Performance Lab supplements sell exclusively through the company’s informational website.
How Much Does It Cost?
The pricing options for Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout are as follows:
- One Bottle: $35 for 120 pills
- Two Bottles: $66.50 for 240 pills (5% saving)
- Three Bottles: $94.50 for 360 pills (10% saving)
As with all Performance Lab supplements, with each additional bottle added to the order, the total price decreases by 5% (up to three bottles per order). If you enjoy this stack and plan on taking it as long as …well, for as long as you plan to workout, then buying in bulk to save that 5% to 10% seems your best, most affordable bet here.
What the hell do I know? I’m not your accountant.
Just a humble ol’ supplement reviewer.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to cycle creatine?
Nah. Not this creatine. By using Creapure®, a bio-enhanced version of creatine, Performance Lab avoids the usual hiccups associated with creatine: GI discomfort, cycling requirements, etc. This creatine form more efficiently passes into the bloodstream, eliminating the need for a pre-loading period and an on/off cycle. You can take this bad boy daily and consistently FOR. EH. VER.
Is Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout vegan-friendly?
Yes. The formula supplies all-natural ingredients and the capsules are constructed out of fermented tapioca (pullulan), a natural food-based additive. And that’s it—no risky additives or lubricants or animal byproducts.
Do pre-workout supplements interrupt intermittent fasting?
Some might. This one doesn’t. All of these ingredients are safe to use without disrupting any of the health benefits associated with fasting, meaning that you can take this supplement whether on the fasting or feasting phase of your IF schedule without fear of ruining your IF results.
Can I stack Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout with other supplements?
Yes! In fact, the Performance Lab SPORT line of supplements offers a couple more options to complete the pre-, post-, and intra-workout dimensions of workout supplementation:
- Performance Lab SPORT Post-Workout: For more muscle energy, repair, and replenishment—as well as protection—this stack supplies a unique antioxidant complex sourced from pomegranates. More on Performance Lab SPORT Post-Workout.
- Performance Lab SPORT BCAA: This 2:1:1 muscle-optimized stack of branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) assists with quick muscle recovery, repair, and stamina enhancement. More on Performance Lab SPORT BCAA.
Bear in mind that BCAAs do disrupt fasting, so consider taking the BCAA closer to the end of your workout if you’re looking to take advantage of the fat burning benefits of fasted training. On that note, check out Performance Lab’s fat burner supplement and more at their website: performancelab.com.
Final Thoughts
Inside and out, Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout fits the bill of a safe, effective pre-workout without side effects. By avoiding all the usual suspects associated with side effects—e.g., stimulants, additives, cheap ingredient forms—Performance Lab delivers both short-term performance enhancement and long-term health enhancement, accomplishing the former without compromising the latter.
The same may be said of all other Performance Lab SPORT supplements. Performance Lab holds its formulas to a high standard, requiring that they not only work but work very well without any exceptional risk of side effect. And we only discussed human side effects here. By sticking to clean, eco-friendly manufacturing practices, Performance Lab supplements are also environmentally side effect-free.
So long as you don’t go out wrestling alligators or punching gorillas in the face with your new, ripped, P-Lab-enhanced bod.
To learn more about Performance Lab SPORT Pre-Workout, click here.
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