Looking for the best pre-workout for women? It should be simple. But between endless options and slick marketing, it's hard to find what you actually need, whether that's a supplement, a yoga class or the best coffee in whatever city you're visiting next.
For pre-workouts, as for all supplements, a good place to start is quality, plant-based ingredients you can pronounce. Formulas that leave you wired, or that lean on sugar and synthetic fillers, probably won't help you perform your best. Here are five things to look for before your next gym session, spin class or beach run, plus a few things worth knowing if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
1. What makes a clean energy source?
Not all energy is created equal. Big doses of caffeine and sugar are the usual culprits behind the spike-and-crash feeling some pre-workouts are known for.
Caffeine itself is one of the best-studied performance aids. The International Society of Sports Nutrition finds it improves many kinds of exercise performance at 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of body weight, in trained and untrained people alike. Because that dose is based on body weight, many women need less than the roughly 250 mg average found in top-selling pre-workouts. For a 60 kg (132 lb) woman, 3 mg per kilogram is about 180 mg.
Yerba mate
Yerba mate is a South American herbal infusion that naturally contains caffeine. In a small study of healthy men and women, a 1,000 mg yerba mate capsule taken an hour before cycling increased fat oxidation by about 24% at moderate intensities. Read more in what yerba mate is and its health benefits.
Organic green coffee beans
Unroasted coffee beans contain caffeine plus antioxidant compounds called chlorogenic acids. Green coffee is a popular caffeine source in natural pre-workouts. See the benefits of green coffee bean for what the research shows.
2. Why look for adaptogens?
Adaptogens are herbs that have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to help the body adapt to stress. They're in a category of their own.
When you're under stress, your body releases hormones such as cortisol to help you cope. That's useful in short bursts, but stress that never lets up can leave you tired, irritable and run down. Exercise is a healthy kind of stress, but it's still stress, on top of whatever else your day brings.
Ashwagandha is the most studied adaptogen. A meta-analysis of 12 trials found it reduced self-reported stress and anxiety compared with placebo. Other common adaptogens include:
- Ashwagandha
- Eleuthero (sometimes called Siberian ginseng)
- Maca (sometimes called Peruvian ginseng)
- Rhodiola
- Panax ginseng
Plant-based doesn't mean risk-free, though. The NIH advises that ashwagandha should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and it has rarely been linked to liver injury. For more, read the top ashwagandha benefits for women.
3. Do nitric oxide boosters work for women?
Nitric oxide is a molecule your body makes to relax blood vessels and support blood flow. You can help it along by eating nitrate-rich plants, which your body converts to nitric oxide. Dietary nitrate has been shown to lower blood pressure and support the lining of blood vessels.
Here's something most pre-workout marketing won't tell you: the performance research is mostly in men. In a meta-analysis of 80 studies, nitrate supplements gave a small boost overall, but no clear effect was seen in studies of women only. A separate review of nitrate-rich foods found the same pattern in women. That doesn't mean nitrates do nothing for women, just that more research is needed, so treat performance promises with healthy skepticism.
Plants are the place to get your nitrates. Processed meats also contain added nitrates and nitrites, and the World Health Organization classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans.
Our favorite nitrate-rich plants
- Beets, whole or as beetroot juice.
- Leafy greens such as arugula, spinach and other salad greens.
- Greens powders for busy days. Easy Being Green packs 20+ organic greens from land and sea.
For a longer list, see our top nitric oxide foods.
4. Why do electrolytes matter in a pre-workout?
Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that help your body manage fluid and keep muscles and nerves working. You lose them in sweat.
The American College of Sports Medicine notes that losing more than about 2% of your body weight as fluid can impair aerobic performance. A pre-workout with a natural source of electrolytes, plus water before and after you sweat, helps you stay ahead. For long or very sweaty sessions, a dedicated electrolyte drink such as Thirst Aid does more.
5. How much sugar should a pre-workout have?
Not much. Sugar tastes great, but a large dose before a workout can leave you riding a spike and a slump. If added sugar is near the top of the ingredient list, keep looking. Plant-based sweeteners such as monk fruit and stevia are common alternatives.
Our organic pre-workout, Renewable Energy, has 90mg of caffeine from organic green coffee bean, matcha and yerba mate, a moderate dose that suits many women, plus organic ashwagandha, rhodiola, panax ginseng and maca, beetroot and pomegranate juice powders, and coconut water as a natural source of electrolytes. It is sweetened with organic monk fruit and stevia; the Beet Pomegranate flavor has no added sugar, and Raspberry Lemonade has 5 g from organic coconut sugar.
Can you take pre-workout while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Talk to your doctor first. ACOG advises keeping caffeine under 200 mg a day during pregnancy, from all sources, and the NIH advises avoiding ashwagandha while pregnant or breastfeeding. Many pre-workouts contain both, so check the label carefully. The same advice applies if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or take medication.
Want more help comparing labels? Read how to choose the best pre-workout, and for something to sip before your next session, browse our recipes.
