What Are Intra-Workout Supplements And How Do You Use Them?

Despite what you might think, intra-workout drinks are not the exclusive reserve of that hulking gym rat hell-bent on building sleeve-popping guns. If you’re looking to burn a little more fat and build a little more muscle tone, then making sure you give your system a top-up while you’re training is the smart way to get optimum results.

To make this happen you don’t want to be glugging your post-workout whey protein shake halfway through your workout because that can leave you feeling sluggish and lacklustre. Instead, you want to drink protein in its simplest form: branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). These are easier on your digestive system, often very low in calories and actually pretty tasty.

However, what exactly will do they do for you and how do they work? Keep reading to find out about the vital ingredient your workout could be missing out on.

The science

There’s a divide between pre-workout and intra-workout supplements and it often comes in the form of stimulants, namely caffeine. You see, Intra-workout supplements can help you achieve gains fast. During every sweat session caffeine is a world-class pick-me-up but it can be short-lived. This makes it perfect for taking before your workout so that you can immediately tackle your session with 100% intensity.

However, midway through your workout, this buzz can wear out, but since you’re not far off hitting the showers you don’t want to swig another upper. The solution? Intra-workout BCAAs, which are often accompanied by a small amount of sweetener so that you drip feed your muscles with the calorific energy needed to push out those final reps.

The BCAAs are no slouch because researchers, who published their findings in the journal Amino Acids, gave them to athletes before and during their training and found that this supplement made growth hormone spike, thus aiding protein synthesis.

Don’t be deterred by these macho-sounding adaptations because growth hormone is a valuable ally to any exerciser. It helps you build muscle, improves the youthfulness of your appearance and can assist in burning more fat, because after taking BCAAs during your workout, your body is flush with all the nutrients it needs to start repairing the damage done to your muscles from your exercise. In other words, you’re repairing while you’re breaking your muscles down. Talk about multi-tasking.

When to use it

If you’re punching out a quick 15-minute workout in your lunch hour then you’re probably not going to need an intra-workout supplement. Your pre-workout protein shake will suffice.

However, when your training sessions start stretching beyond an hour, your system begins to develop a demand for recovery-specific nutrients during exercise. This is especially true if you’re involved in endurance exercise, like going for a long run or cycle.

Best of all, this supplement comes in handy on those days when you’re pushed for time directly after your workout. So if you have to dash out to a meeting or have to get ready for a dinner then intra-workout supplements can extend your post-workout window, when you need to get food into your system to accelerate your recovery.

This makes them an excellent addition to any workout bag, especially if you’re short on time but want to maximise your results.

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