So...Are They REALLY Pre-workout Supplements??

[cs110x]

Many new supplements and ergogenic aids touted as "pre-workout supplements" having become coming out on the market almost weekly. We've seen a timeline from original trend-starters such as NO-Xplode, to more recent raved-about-supplements like Ragnarok. More and more companies try to innovate blends in addition to the basic pre-workout blend which usually consists of types of: creatine, arginine, caffeine, citrulline malate, and tyrosine, etc.

What many have found is that these supplements, or powders, have been marketed to increase the following: strength, endurance, stamina, muscle recovery, focus, pumps, and all in all energy. The main focus of these products are advertised as Nitric Oxide enhancers/potentiators. As most of these products are supposed to ellict more muscular pumps, there has been many "bunked" products released as of late.

So... are they really pre-workout supplements? Or are these just a placebo effective product, enhancing our energy through ample amounts of stimulants? Can we deficer whether these products are just getting us "wired" or if these products are overall enhancing endurance, stamina, muscle recovery, focus, and most importantly of all (to comfirm what advertised) pumps & strength? Are we really getting the right amount of nitric oxide activators, or the right amount of creatine for more ATP products, ultimatley resulting in muscle endurance/strength? Or are we getting insufficent amounts of these "important" ingredients, and getting loaded up with caffeine and other stimulants to make it "feel" as if we are getting something from the product?

(Not that there is any clear result based on scientific evidence that nitric oxide products is way to enhance/speed up gains =P)

Now what I ask from you people is to list ways to help eachother figure out which products are placebo based on the stimulatory effect of their blends loaded with caffeine and such, and to discuss this topic. This will help many decide which pre-workout products are true to their name and which are worth using.

(Then again every product differs from person to person =])

[MBSowards]

In my opinion, placebo doesn't give effects like SuperPump, Ragnarok, RPM, NO Shotgun, etc.

Placebo to an extent, maybe, but definitely they do something to help preworkout wise.