Pre-workouts have become quite popular recently, with many gym and fitness influencers actively promoting them. Pre-workouts can come in various forms, including supplements or natural sources.
Pre-workouts in supplement form often include multiple ingredients, such as:
- Stimulants: For focus and extra energy.
- Vasodilators: For post-workout muscle pumps.
- Nootropics: For mental acuity.
- Amino Acids: For performance and recovery.
- Bioavailability Agents: For better absorption.
In this coffee vs. pre-workout comparison article, we will discuss which is more effective—a natural pre-workout such as coffee, or a supplement-based pre-workout that contains caffeine along with other ingredients.
We will explore which option is better for your health, progress, and overall safety.
Coffee vs Pre-Workout: Which Is Better?
Drinking a cup of coffee before your workout can be as effective as taking a scoop of pre-workout, as the main stimulant in most pre-workout supplements is caffeine.
On average, one scoop of pre-workout contains 150-400mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to 2-3 cups of coffee. The full ingredient list of a pre-workout can include:
- Caffeine
- Beta-alanine
- BCAAs
- EAAs
- L-citrulline
- Taurine
- Artificial sweeteners and flavors
- Sometimes sugars and carbs
These are a lot of ingredients, each serving its own purpose. The issue with such supplements is that many of these ingredients are under-researched or don’t offer significant benefits.
For example, BCAAs and EAAs can be easily obtained from natural food sources. If you follow a somewhat normal, protein-rich diet, you likely don’t need to take extra amounts in supplement form.
As for other ingredients like beta-alanine, L-citrulline, and taurine, not much research has been done to clearly establish their effectiveness and reliability.
Generally speaking, consuming a lot of substances together without understanding their individual effects on the body can pose long-term health risks.
Let’s delve deeper into the coffee vs. pre-workout debate to determine whether it’s worth taking pre-workout instead of coffee or if it’s better to simply purchase a caffeine supplement and stick with that.
Key Takeaways:
Before we dive deeper, let’s summarize the key takeaways about pre-workouts vs. coffee.
- Caffeine is the main stimulant in pre-workouts; it’s the driving force that increases your focus during workouts and makes the experience overall more enjoyable and exciting.
- You can get the same effect and caffeine kick from drinking coffee. The benefit of drinking coffee directly as a pre-workout is that you control the quality of the product.
If we had to choose between coffee and a pre-workout, we would definitely go with coffee. The problem with taking supplements like pre-workout is the quantity of the ingredients. Many of them are unnecessary, and supplementing with what we don’t need can be problematic for our health.
Another thing to note is that our bodies build tolerance to caffeine quite quickly. So, if you take your pre-workout regularly, say three times a week, you will need a lot more to achieve the same caffeine kick.
As pre-workouts contain multiple ingredients, you could end up overdosing on several compounds like L-citrulline, taurine, and beta-alanine.
To give you a short and simple answer, we would advise staying away from pre-workouts as they are mostly a waste of money. Most places that promote them are also selling the product themselves.
You can get almost the same effects from whey protein and a cup of coffee as you would from pre-workout supplements, and it will cost you a lot less too.
What Is a Pre-Workout?
Pre-workouts became popular in the last decade as many bodybuilders and fitness influencers started promoting and selling them. Unlike other popular supplements like creatine and whey, pre-workouts lack sufficient studies to back up many of their claims.
As pre-workouts contain a variety of ingredients, they also claim to offer multiple benefits. Pre-workouts are said to boost energy, focus, endurance, and overall workout performance.
We will discuss all the ingredients in pre-workouts one by one to understand what is effective and what is not, what is reliable and what is unreliable. However, to give you an idea of what really works in pre-workouts: the key ingredient is caffeine.
Caffeine is the star ingredient in pre-workouts, as it increases alertness, confidence, and energy. Other ingredients, like beta-alanine, are said to reduce muscle fatigue, and L-citrulline is claimed to improve muscle blood flow.
If you already take whey protein, you don’t really need a pre-workout supplement unless you like the taste and enjoy the flavors. In fact, if you already eat a protein-rich diet and meet your daily protein and calorie goals, you may not even need whey as a supplement.
In our honest opinion, pre-workout supplements are a waste of money. You would be much better off purchasing either whey or creatine as a supplement, as both are proven to be effective and have substantial research behind them. Both creatine and whey are safe to consume as supplements.
Coffee
Coffee is a well-known stimulant and has long been used as a pre-workout by many fitness enthusiasts. The primary reason for this is the caffeine content in coffee, which blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, thereby reducing feelings of tiredness and increasing alertness.
Compared to taking caffeine as a standalone supplement or within a pre-workout, drinking coffee is a more natural way to obtain the caffeine needed to boost your energy during a workout.
Since you control the quality of the coffee you purchase, you can make healthier choices. It’s important to note that coffee is one of the most chemically treated crops, with a significant amount of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides used during cultivation to increase yield.
Coffee can contain mycotoxins, including Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin B1. Ochratoxin A has been shown in studies to be toxic to the kidneys, brain, and immune system. Aflatoxin B1 is another mycotoxin that is highly carcinogenic.
The reason we’re mentioning this is that when purchasing pre-workouts containing caffeine, the brand may be sourcing its ingredients from the cheapest suppliers. As a result, you could be consuming a product that contains harmful compounds, potentially negatively affecting your health.
On the other hand, when you drink coffee directly, you can control the quality of the product you’re purchasing and consuming. You can choose brands that sell certified organic coffee, ensuring a healthier option.
If you want to achieve the same caffeine content found in pre-workouts, consider taking a double espresso shot before your workout.
Pre-Workout vs Coffee: Head-to-Head Comparison
Pre-workouts are generally stronger than coffee, both in terms of caffeine content and the additional nutrients they offer, such as EAAs (Essential Amino Acids). For example, if you have a poor diet, struggle to maintain proper nutrition on a daily basis, and go to the gym on an empty stomach without eating for the rest of the day, pre-workouts may offer more benefits. This is because they contain EAAs or BCAAs, which provide all nine (EAAs contain all nine, while BCAAs contain only three) essential amino acids needed to fuel your pre- and post-workout activities and aid in recovery.
If you are nutritionally deficient and don’t eat well, pre-workouts can help by providing extra protein and amino acids that you might not be getting from your diet.
However, remember that whey protein is still a better option for meeting your protein and calorie needs than relying on pre-workout supplements.
As mentioned, pre-workouts typically have higher caffeine content compared to a single or double espresso shot. It’s important to note that high doses of caffeine can be toxic and may cause health problems.
As you consume large amounts of caffeine, your body builds a tolerance, requiring you to increase the dosage to achieve the same energy boost.
On the other hand, consuming coffee in the same quantities is more difficult because of the liquid volume, making it less likely to lead to an overdose.
If you are sensitive to caffeine, avoid taking pre-workouts and drinking coffee excessively in the evening, as this can affect your sleep and lead to sleep problems. This is especially true for pre-workouts, which contain an average of 300mg of caffeine per scoop—a significant amount.
Remember that the appropriate caffeine dosage depends on your body weight. Use this formula to keep your caffeine consumption under 400mg, ideally below 300mg:
Formula:
Caffeine (mg) = Body Weight (kg) × Caffeine Dose (mg/kg).
For example, if someone weighs 70 kg and wants to consume 3 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight: Caffeine (mg)=70×3=210mg.
In short, we advise sticking with a cup of coffee for your pre-workout and using whey or creatine (or both) for additional workout-enhancing effects.
If you really like the idea of pre-workout supplements, you can purchase them, but make sure you buy from a reputable source. Avoid any product that lists questionable ingredients on the label.
Pre-Workout Ingredient Breakdown
Pre-workouts create a lot of ingredients apart from caffeine, so let’s discuss what each of them do and if we really need them:
L-Citrulline:
- Function: Produces nitric oxide, expands blood vessels and improves oxygen/nutrient delivery to muscles.
- Effectiveness: Limited and conflicting research; some studies show no impact on athletic performance.
- Sources: Found naturally in watermelon, cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash.
- Supplementation: Caution advised; unclear safety at high doses and longterm usage.
Beta-Alanine:
- Function: Increases carnosine production, reduces the acid levels in your muscles, delays or prevents fatigue.
- Effectiveness: Moderately-researched; good for endurance, but not for strength gains.
- Sources: Found in meat, poultry, and fish.
- Side Effects: Can cause tingling (paresthesia); monitor dosage carefully.
Taurine:
- Function: Effective for recovery, reduces oxidative stress, but doesn’t affect strength gains.
- Effectiveness: Limited research evidence in humans; promising results in animal studies.
- Sources: Found in scallops, beef, shrimp, chicken, turkey, tuna, and seaweed.
- Supplementation: Be mindful of the dosage; unclear how supplementing taurine affects your health longterm.
BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids):
- Components: Leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
- Function: Reduces muscle breakdown during exercise, helps with muscle soreness, improves muscle growth, and boosts appetite.
- Sources: Available in both meat and vegan sources, like red meat, fish, lentils, almonds, eggs and more.
- Supplementation: Not necessary if you maintain a protein-rich diet; daily requirements can be easily met.
- Effectiveness: Good for muscle recovery and growth but not needed for those maintaining a proper diet.
- Considerations: Check labels for BCAAs (whether they are meat-derived or vegan) to ensure they align with your dietary preferences.
The same applies to EAAs. The difference is that EAAs contain all nine essential amino acids, and BCAAs are just three of those nine. The food sources that provide BCAAs also contain EAAs. For example, when you eat chicken breast, you’re getting both, as BCAAs are naturally part of EAA.
Side Effects of Coffee and Pre-Workouts
Coffee is generally safe to consume and has been studied extensively for a long time. It is even used as a medicine in many cultures and is often labeled as a superfood. However, there are some side effects you may experience when consuming coffee, especially in large amounts, including insomnia, increased heart rate, nervousness, upset stomach, laxative effects and anxiety.
However, there are more serious concerns with pre-workouts, as these supplements do not require FDA approval before being sold on the market. The issue is that a pre-workout supplement might contain ingredients that are not listed on the label. In short, you never really know exactly what you are getting with these supplements.
Remember that pre-workouts can contain artificial sweeteners and flavors, which may cause bloating and gas, digestive discomfort, allergies and skin rashes, insulin response, increased cancer risk due to potential carcinogenic effects, weight gain, sweetness addiction, and aspartame sensitivity, which is linked to various health risks and complications.
Alternatives
Like coffee and pre-workout supplements, there are other options you can use as substitutes. For example, if you already have whey protein or creatine, you might consider getting caffeine supplements, which are available in powder, pill, or capsule form.
Caffeine supplements can be as effective as pre-workouts or a cup of coffee. The advantage of caffeine supplements is that they provide the energy and confidence boost without the extra ingredients found in pre-workouts.
Another great alternative is raw honey and sea salt. This combination offers effects similar to caffeine, though you won’t experience a sudden energy burst. Instead, it provides a steady climb in energy. With honey and salt, you get sugar and electrolytes, similar to what you’d find in a typical energy drink, but in a much healthier and cleaner version.
Conclusion
In conclusion, coffee is the preferred pre-workout compared to pre-workout supplements, as it is safer and consists of a single ingredient that can be consumed without significant precautions or safety concerns.
If you want to add more nutrition to your coffee, consider adding raw milk or MCT oil, or enjoy a snack of dark chocolate while sipping your coffee.
While pre-workouts can be effective, it’s crucial to choose the right product carefully, as many brands sell unethical products containing harmful ingredients.
As we discuss whether coffee serves better as a pre-workout than commercial supplements, consider enhancing your coffee with other natural pre-workout ingredients.
Raw honey and sea salt are excellent options, with raw honey providing quick, sustained energy, and sea salt helping maintain electrolyte balance and hydration during your workouts. Adding these to your coffee or double espresso creates a healthy, full-stack pre-workout.
If you’re considering pre-workouts for their extensive ingredient lists, you might find whey protein or creatine to offer similar or even superior effects. Both are well-researched and trusted supplements on the market.
It may seem that we’re against pre-workouts, but this stance is based on the concerns discussed above. You can get better value for your money and ensure your health is protected by choosing other supplements.
Financially speaking, you can buy quality, organic, and certified whole beans or ground coffee and make a cup for as little as $0.10, while one scoop of pre-workout will cost about $2.00. There’s a huge difference when price is a concern for you.
In short, in the comparison between coffee and pre-workout, coffee is the clear winner.