How Long Does Pre Workout Take To Kick In? - A Detailed Guide

#1 Creatine

Creatine is the foundation supplement for anyone looking to maximize muscle growth and performance both in and out of the gym. It’s naturally produced in your body, but the problem with endogenous production is it’s not substantial enough to support high-intensity physical exertion, which is part of the reason fatigue can hit so quickly.

The thought process behind supplementing with creatine is that when you provide your body with enough substrate to continually produce energy, you fight fatigue.

Your muscles convert dietary (supplementary) creatine into creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine (PCr), which is then used to synthesize adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—the main energy substrate that powers all cellular activity, including high-intensity, explosive exercise.

There’s usually a large PCr reserve in fast-twitch skeletal muscle available for immediate regeneration of ATP during high-intensity work.

However, as maximal effort continues, the reserves drain, and energy availability subsequently does too ¹. So, supplementing creatine ensures there’s a large pool of substrate to draw on for ATP production.

Long story short, more substrate means better work capacity and greater potential for muscle growth. Keep in mind that creatine doesn’t have to be part of your pre; it can be taken on its own in pure form.

#2 Beta-alanine

Beta-alanine is another staple in most pre-workout supplements for one reason—like creatine, it can maximize your work capacity. Beta-alanine is a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid converted into carnosine, an intramuscular buffer that helps prevent muscles from becoming too acidic and fatiguing.

Beta-alanine does this by buffering lactic acid that accumulates in muscles from the breakdown of glucose when muscles are working; when muscle acidity becomes too high, muscles lose their ability to contract, and they fatigue.

But when you increase the building blocks of carnosine production (beta-alanine + histidine), you have a steady supply of substrate needed to buffer acid ². The more substrate you provide, the better the buffering capacity and the less likely your muscles are to fatigue.

#3 Red Beetroot Powder (nitric oxide)

When it comes to getting the ultimate muscle pump, nitric oxide is how you do it. As a potent vasodilator, NO works to open up your blood vessels and allow more blood to reach working muscles, essentially giving your muscles more fuel to work and improving your work capacity.

And while there are loads of compounds available that boost NO levels, there’s no better natural booster than red beetroot powder.

Beetroot’s beneficial effect on the vasculature is primarily attributed to its high inorganic nitrate content (approx. 250 mg/kg of fresh weight), making it a concentrated natural source to drive nitric oxide production and maximize blood flow ³.

In doing so, it helps to:

• Enhance neuromuscular performance
• Prevent fatigue
• Accelerate muscle recovery
• Support healthy cardiovascular function
• Sharpen cognitive function

#4 Caffeine

Caffeine in a pre-workout can go both ways; too much and you’re jittery, or too little, and it’s not effective. It’s all about finding that sweet spot of maximum precision-tuned stimulation without going overboard.

Caffeine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that, when taken in the appropriate dose, can do a lot for your training—increase focus, boost energy, enhance alertness, improve cognitive function, and more.

But the other significant benefit to low-dose caffeine is that it also stimulates the release of catecholamines that promote fat breakdown and utilization and spare intramuscular glycogen, helping you perform and recover more effectively ⁴.

To unlock the maximum benefits caffeine offers, Pre Lab Pro® combines natural low-dose caffeine with Suntheanine® L-Theanine, Ajipure® L-Tyrosine, and NutriGenesis® B-Vitamins for the ultimate in synergy.

#5 L-tyrosine

Because caffeine is so rampant in most pre-workouts and can cause long-term reliance and nervous system damage, you want to make sure you’re supporting your body and counteracting the effect of high-dose stimulants.

Pre Lab Pro® doses up on Ajipure® L-tyrosine to support the synthesis and recycling of the three catecholamines most affected by caffeine intake—dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine ⁵.

By avoiding depleted or imbalanced neurotransmitters, L-tyrosine sharpens focus and maintains monoamine levels to boost performance, stabilize mood, and prevent fatigue.

And when taken before training, you’re backing the brain chemicals that drive intensity and mental recovery for better overall performance—in and out of the gym.

#6 L-theanine

L-theanine, another amino acid, works alongside L-tyrosine and caffeine to reduce and/or prevent stress-induced mental and physical function impairments.

Unlike other pre-workout ingredients that exacerbate the effects of caffeine, L-theanine helps to enhance them by giving you a calmer, cleaner stimulation that’s precision-tuned for peak performance.

It supports key neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, GABA, glutamate, and serotonin, to maintain calmness, clarity, and motivation through even the most gruesome and challenging workouts ⁶.

How? L-Theanine works with the excitatory brain chemicals stimulated with caffeine consumption to tone down an overstimulated central nervous system that can interfere with performance and recovery.

But unlike other calming compounds, there’s no risk of drowsiness and sedative effects with L-theanine; it’s all free-form cognitive exploration, reduced anxiety, and improved mood balance with this guy.