Does Pre-Workout Help You Lose Weight?

If your goal is to lose weight, you’re probably looking for ways to make the process easier and more effective. If you’re looking to buy some supplements, you’re probably wondering, does pre workout help you lose weight?

In this article we’ll be covering why pre-workout can be an effective dietary supplement, but why it’s not a miracle solution for weight loss as well.

Does Pre-Workout Help You Lose Weight?

In short, pre-workout can be a helpful tool in your arsenal when working towards fat loss, but it is not a miracle solution.

Does pre-workout make you lose weight with no effort? No. Is pre-workout good for weight loss as a supplement? Absolutely.

This is largely due to the fact that it will help you have more energy during your workouts which will lead to more calories being burned while maintaining lean mass, as well as having ingredients that contribute to both the burning of fat and appetite suppression.

On top of this, pre-workout is a sweet drink that’s very low in calories, so it may help to curb cravings for sugary drinks as well. 

Pre-workout certainly isn’t a miracle solution for fat loss, but it will be useful along your journey to lose some weight. Here’s a further breakdown of how pre workout will help with fat loss.

✅ Increased Energy

The main purpose of pre-workout is to provide you with a boost of energy before your workout. This means pre-workout should help you workout harder and longer than you would be able to otherwise.

If you’re planning on having a long cardio or weight session, taking pre-workout beforehand will increase your ability to get through the session, therefore burning more calories in the process. 

This can be especially helpful when you’re in a calorie deficit, which is what you need to do if you’re focused on fat loss. When you consume fewer calories than your body needs, there is a reduced availability of energy for physical activity and exercise.

This can lead to decreased stamina, fatigue, and a lower overall performance during training sessions. It affects your mood, motivation, and mental focus. Low energy levels, hunger, and food cravings can make it challenging to stay motivated during workouts and maintain the same level of intensity and concentration.

It’s important to note that while training in a calorie deficit can be difficult, it is possible to make progress with proper planning and adjustments to your training program.

Adequate protein intake, smart nutrient timing, and careful monitoring of your body’s response can help minimize muscle loss and optimize your training while in a calorie deficit. And of course you can get an extra boost with a good pre-workout!

✅ Enhanced Fat Burning

Some ingredients in pre-workout can help burn fat more efficiently. Common pre workout ingredients (capsicum, tyrosine, and green coffee bean extract, etc.) can have some thermogenic effects and contribute to increasing lipolysis (the initial stage on the way to “fat burning”) as well as increasing heart rate, and blood pressure.

Finding a supplement that contains the right dosage of these components can make them more of a fat burning pre-workout suited to weight loss than one that doesn’t contain them.

✅ Improved Endurance and Reduced Fatigue

Ingredients like Beta-Alanine which are common in pre-workout have been shown to improve overall endurance and reduce fatigue. This means pre-workout supplements will help you increase your overall training volume, leading to more total calories being burned over a given time frame.

The more calories you burn through exercise, the easier it will be to lose weight, making this a valuable tool for weight loss.

✅ Replacement for Sugary Drinks

While this is the least scientific reason pre-workout supplements may help with weight loss, it is still a valid use for the supplement. Most pre-workouts come in a wide variety of fruity flavors, and while some supplements will taste better than others, they may still act as an effective substitute for sugary drinks like soda or juice.

One single glass of soda often has well over 100 calories and several tablespoons of sugar, pre-workout supplements, on the other hand, are often very low calorie and completely sugar free. This makes them a great alternative. 

✅ Appetite Suppression

Finally, pre-workout can help users lose weight by suppressing their appetite. This is done through common ingredients like green tea extract which increase the production of GLP-1, leading to a suppressed appetite. Because of green tea’s satiating properties, it is thought to be a useful tool for reducing hunger associated with obesity. 

How to Use Pre-Workout to Lose Weight?

If your goal is to lose weight, you should be primarily focused on staying in a caloric deficit. This means eating less than your maintenance calories, which can be calculated in an online calculator based on your height and weight. 

You can use pre workout to help you stay in a caloric deficit by using it to fuel your workouts, leading to more calories being burned. You can also use pre workout to satisfy cravings and suppress your appetite through ingredients like green tea extract. 

For maximum effects, take your pre-workout supplement 30-45 minutes before you start your workout. This should give the caffeine and other ingredients plenty of time to get into your system, and give you energy throughout your workout, helping you burn as many calories as possible.

Pre-Workout Ingredients that Help with Weight Loss

1. Caffeine

Caffeine helps with weight loss primarily due to its ability to give you more energy, thus leading to greater ability to complete workouts that will burn calories and eventually lead to weight loss. Aside from this, caffeine does appear to increase metabolism which means the body has an easier time burning calories. 

These findings are a part of a study that saw daily coffee consumption leading to an average 4% reduction of body fat. Evidence from other studies suggests that higher consumption of caffeine is associated with favorable changes in body fat; decaffeinated coffee was not linked to adiposity indicators.

2. Green Tea Extract

As previously mentioned, green tea extract is thought to increase GLP-1 production in the body, which helps aid in appetite suppression. As a result, green tea extract will usually be included in pre workouts specifically designed for fat loss.

On top of any properties that help with weight loss, there are plenty of other health benefits associated with green tea. One of the main uses are for its polyphenols which may reduce risk for cancer. 

3. Thermogenic Ingredients (Capsicum, Tyrosine, L-Carnitine, Etc.)

Finally, many ingredients in pre-workout supplements are thermogenic, which raises the body’s BMR (basal metabolic rate) and as a result help the body’s ability to burn fat.

Some common ingredients to look for with these properties are capsicum, tyrosine and L-carnitine. Aside from just lipolysis, these ingredients also increase energy expenditure, blood flow, heart rate, and appetite suppression. 

4. Beta-Alanine

Beta-Alanine is one of the most common ingredients in pre-workout supplements, and its effects in reducing fatigue will likely help with weight loss. Beta-Alanine has been shown to not only delay neuromuscular fatigue, but improve endurance as well, helping those who take it to burn more calories across their workout.

A study done with collegiate wrestlers also showed that Beta-Alanine helped them to maintain lean body mass when cutting weight, which is incredibly important for anybody looking to lose fat instead of muscle. 

Pre-Workout We Recommend for Weight Loss – Transparent Labs Lean Pre-Workout

The best pre-workout powder for weight loss available for comes from Transparent Labs, specifically their Lean formula. Transparent Labs is one of the most trustworthy and effective supplement brands available, with all their products being free of all artificial additives and filler ingredients. With 10 delicious flavors to choose from, Lean will also help curb any cravings you have for sugary drinks.

As we’ve already covered, caffeine is very helpful at providing the energy necessary to burn calories during a tough workout. It also acts as an effective tool for boosting metabolism.

The caffeine in Lean is sourced from organic green coffee beans. The caffeine is also synergized with theobromine to maximize positive effects for mood and stimulation. 

While Citrulline malate is not primarily marketed for weight loss, it may indirectly support it through its effects on exercise performance and muscle recovery. By increasing nitric oxide production, citrulline may also enhance blood flow and nutrient delivery to muscles.

When combined with a calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise, citrulline malate may help optimize training sessions and potentially contribute to increased calorie expenditure.

The controversial component of the supplement is L-Carnitine, an amino acid-like compound that plays a role in energy metabolism by facilitating the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are used as a fuel source.

Proponents of L-Carnitine supplementation suggest that it can enhance fat burning, increase energy levels, and promote weight loss. However, the scientific evidence supporting these claims is limited and conflicting. Individual responses to L-Carnitine can vary, and some people may experience some noticeable effects.

Finally, Lean also contains Beta-Alanine. As we’ve already mentioned, this ingredient can be effective for weight loss because of its endurance increasing and fatigue reducing properties. 

Some additional ingredients found in Lean include Betaine, and L-Theanine. All of these ingredients at efficacious doses make Transparent Labs Lean Pre-workout a great choice for anyone looking to burn fat while taking a pre-workout supplement. 

FAQ

Does Pre-Workout Increase Metabolism?

Yes, it appears that both caffeine and other thermogenic ingredients such as capsicum, tyrosine, and green tea extract have properties that help increase your body’s metabolism.

People with faster metabolisms burn calories much easier, leading to weight loss being easier for them. While pre-workout will temporarily increase metabolism, for better long term results diet and exercise will have a more significant impact. 

Does Pre-Workout Make You Burn More Calories?

Yes, pre-workout will help you burn more calories in two ways. As we’ve already covered, pre-workout increases metabolism, which will lead to your body burning some extra calories.

However, pre-workout will also help you burn calories by giving you more energy, increasing your endurance, and reducing your fatigue. These effects will work together to help you get the most out of your workouts, burning as many calories as possible in the process. 

Does Pre-Workout Burn Fat?

While the thermogenic ingredients in pre-workout do assist in lipolysis, or the process of burning fat, you will still need to be in a caloric deficit and exercise regularly in order to genuinely burn fat. Pre-workout will not do all the work for you, it will just assist in the process. 

Do You Need Pre-Workout to Lose Weight? 

No, pre-workout is not necessary for weight loss, but it can definitely be a helpful tool for assisting your goals. As long as you’re exercising enough and eating in a caloric deficit, you should lose weight – regardless of what supplements you’re taking.

Conclusion

While pre-workout is certainly not a miracle solution for weight loss, its common ingredients have many properties that will help contribute to burning fat. This includes the energy and thermogenic effects from caffeine, improved exercise performance and muscle recovery from Citrulline malate, Beta-Alanine, and more. Our recommendation for a pre-workout for fat loss is Transparent Labs Lean training formula. Overall, pre-workout can be a useful tool on your fat loss journey, but it is meant to assist in diet and exercise, not replace it. 

Do you have much experience using pre-workout for weight loss? What’s your favorite pre-workout supplement? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Also read:

• Best Pre Workout For Beginners
• Best Natural Pre Workout Supplements
• Best Low Caffeine Pre Workouts
• Pre Workout or Creatine
• Is Coffee a Good Pre Workout
• How Much Caffeine in Pre Workout
• Does Pre Workout Make You Sweat More
• Best Caffeine Free Pre Workout
• Best Pre Workout for Pump and Energy

References:

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