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Whey protein powder for weight-loss.
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Pre/intra-workout powder with BCAAs.

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Is Pre Workout Worth It? Here's Everything You Need To Know

9th March 2023

Fitness Health

9th March 2023

By Beth Shelper

Recently started working out? Think you might benefit from a little bit of an energy boost before a workout? Want to perform to the best of your ability? You’ve probably been told about pre workout. But what is pre workout, how does it help, and how does it work?

What is pre workout?

Putting it simply, pre-workout is essentially a supplementation that you take around thirty minutes to one hour before a workout, that is formulated to both increase your energy and enhance your performance.

People take pre workout for a range of reasons including those above, and the best thing about this supplementation is that you don’t just experience the benefits before and during your workout, but after the workout, too. 

From assisting in the muscle repair cycle to easing the fatigue of a particularly intense gym session, pre workout is a great addition to your workout routine… and the way it works is pretty clever. You’re definitely going to want to hear this.

How does pre workout work?

Bit of a tongue twister that one.

Pre workout supplementations such as The Energy Booster work by simply boosting energy production in the body. Pre workout supplementations contain a range of active ingredients to help you make the most of your workout, with some of the main ones including Branched Chain Amino Acids and Beta Alanine.

Branched chain amino acids

If you’ve been here before, you’ve probably heard us talk about branched chain amino acids . Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAAs, are included in pre workout supplementations due to their vital role in the control of protein and it’s use in the body.

BCAAs work by increasing protein production and ensuring that the minimum amount of protein is broken down during a workout, with the aim of building muscle and minimising muscle damage. Pretty neat. 

Beta alanine

Another common ingredient in pre workout supplementations is Beta Alanine. Included with the aim of helping you make the most of your workout by boosting your endurance and maximising your stamina, beta alanine works to reduce feelings of fatigue and helps you smash your personal bests.

The health benefits of pre workout supplements

Extra energy for your workout sounds great, right? But what else can you get from a pre workout supplementation?

We’re glad you asked.

Pre workouts pack a punch when it comes to health benefits. From increasing your stamina to enhancing your muscle power, here are some health benefits of pre workout supplements that we love:

 

How long does pre workout take to kick in?

 

How long it takes for you to feel the effects of pre workout will all depend on the product you select and the ingredients it contains, as well as external factors such as your body type and how much you've eaten that day. As a rough figure, it should take between 15 and 30 minutes for you to start feeling the effects of a pre workout, but the best thing to do is try some and see what works for you.

What is the best pre workout?

Unlike other pre workout supplementations on the market, The Energy Booster doesn’t prioritise caffeine as it’s main ingredient. Created to ensure you’re maximising your workout, The Energy Booster aims to improve your speed, power, strength and endurance.

Whilst its true that caffeine is a great natural energy booster, too much caffeine can be problematic, leading to side effects such as anxiety, headaches and nausea when consumed in too large of quantities.

Instead, The Energy Booster includes added branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) to ensure that you get that all-important energy boost that pre workout supplementations are famed for. Not only that, The Energy Booster has been formulated by leading nutritionists so that you can be sure that you’re not only making the most of your workout, but making healthy choices for your mind, body and soul.

But don’t just take our word for it. The Energy Booster has won an award or too, which we couldn’t not mention. Awarded best pre-workout in the Men’s Health Sports Nutrition Awards, when looking for the best pre workout, this one is your winner.

Simply mix The Energy Booster with water and you’re good to go.

Are there any side effects when taking pre workout?

Due to the nature of Beta Alanine, some people report a slight tingling sensation shortly after consuming pre workout powders that contain this ingredient. Don’t panic though, this is totally normal, and will wear off shortly. If you experience this, though, we recommend reducing your intake of pre workout to ensure you don’t experience these sensations. But it’s definitely nothing to worry about – you can be sure of that.

It's also best to take these early in the day if possible, and not before bed. We've called it The Energy Booster for a reason... 

Summary

It’s a no brainer, really. Pre workout has great benefits and the ability to really supe up your training. With the demands of daily life, its not everyday that you’re going to turn up to your workout or gym class and feel raring and ready to go… and for those times, a pre workout supplementation is a real helping hand.

If you’re planning to implement a pre workout supplementation to your diet, make sure you’re doing so safely. Pre workouts are entirely safe to take on a regular basis, but if your go-to contains high amounts of caffeine, make sure you’re sticking to daily recommended doses.

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Product Spotlight

The Energy Booster. Award winning pre-workout. Formulated to raise energy, improve stamina and to help push yourself further.

The Energy Booster
The Energy Booster is our award-winning pre-workout protein that boosts energy levels, increases endurance and helps you get the most out of your workout.
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Why Natural Protein Supplementation Matters

Why Natural Protein Supplementation Matters

Walk into any health shop, or scroll any supplement site, and you often find that protein powders start to blur into one. Almost all of them make the same promises on the front: ‘high in protein’, ‘no added sugar’, ‘no additional additives’. The wording is so similar that telling a genuinely good product from a synthetically produced product is harder than it should be. Read past the figure on the front however and you'll usually find a protein that contains artificial sweeteners, synthetic flavourings and colours, and even fillers or bulking agents just to name a few. The reason they tend to do this is that costs of production are much cheaper as a result of the lower quality ingredients. A naturally formulated protein supplement works the other way around. The protein comes from a quality source, the flavour and sweetness come from ingredients you'd recognise rather than ones built in a lab, and anything that doesn't need to be there is left out. 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The real test is whether the formula makes sense as a whole. Can you understand what's in it? Does each ingredient have a clear purpose? And does the brand explain the benefit plainly, rather than hiding behind vague wellness language? Why ingredient quality matters in protein supplements When people compare protein powders, the first thing they often look at is the amount of protein per serving. It matters, but this number doesn’t tell you everything about a supplement’s quality. A synthetically formulated powder may contain just as much protein per serving as a natural alternative, but it may also include more artificial additives that are bad for your health.  This is especially important as supplementation is usually taken regularly as part of a daily routine. If something becomes part of your breakfast, post-workout routine or afternoon shake, the quality of the overall formula may influence how well it fits into your daily routine. Natural protein powders are often separated by a few key criteria: Ingredient sourcing: Whey is highly bioavailable and naturally rich in essential amino acids that support muscle repair. A good plant-based blend can also be effective when it is built to provide a strong amino acid profile. What surrounds the protein: Sweeteners, thickeners and flavourings affect taste, texture and how a shake feels once you have taken it. Some formulas rely heavily on artificial sweeteners, gums or thickeners, which may contribute to bloating or digestive discomfort. Digestibility: A protein you absorb and tolerate comfortably is more useful than a bigger number on the label that does not sit well with your body. Purpose: A formula built around a specific goal, such as strength, performance, energy or satiety, is more useful than a generic powder with no clear reason behind the ingredients. 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Natural supplementation doesn't have to taste bland There's a common assumption that natural supplements have to taste bland, chalky or unpleasant. Plenty of people have met exactly that: a protein that sounds healthy on paper but turns out too earthy, too sweet or too gritty to enjoy. It gets used for a few days, then pushed to the back of the cupboard. The problem there is usually the formulation, not the missing additives. Chalky, overly sweet shakes come from corners being cut. Getting flavour and texture right without falling back on heavy sweeteners is genuinely hard, which is a good sign a brand has done the work. Taste matters for a practical reason as much as an enjoyable one. A protein you look forward to is one you'll keep using, and consistency is what actually delivers results. The best-formulated supplement on the shelf does nothing while it sits unopened. The innermost approach to natural protein Everything above is the standard we at Innermost hold ourselves to. Our proteins are built on clean and naturally-derived ingredients, formulated with the backing of nutritional science rather than guesswork. We leave out the fillers, bulking agents and needless extras that have no business being in a quality protein, and we're open about what goes in and why. We also happen to think clean and natural should taste good, because a protein you enjoy is a protein you'll actually use.  Explore our protein powders to find the formula that best fits your goals, routine and lifestyle. References Morton, W., Murphy, T., et al (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 52(6). Click here. Jäger, R., Kerksick, C., et al (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Click here. Seijo, M., Naclerio, F. (2019). Whey Protein Supplementation and Muscle Mass: Current Perspectives. Click here.
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The Protein Mistake That's Holding Back Your Results

The Protein Mistake That's Holding Back Your Results

I've written at length about creatine. I've written about collagen, electrolytes, the GLP-1 moment, even the science of sleep. But I've never written a personal email about protein. That's a strange omission for someone who built a brand that makes some pretty ground-breaking protein powders. So let me explain why, and then actually say the thing I've been avoiding. Protein is the most foundational supplement in the Innermost range. It's also the hardest subject for me to write about personally, because there's nothing surprising about it. Creatine had a story. Collagen had a story. Protein is well... protein. Everyone knows you should eat more of it. The mechanism is not a secret. Muscle protein synthesis, leucine threshold, net nitrogen balance. If you've been in the fitness space for more than a couple of years, you've read this before. And I think that's the problem. The familiarity makes people stop paying attention. Here's what I actually think about protein, after a decade of working in this space. Most people in their thirties and forties are under-consuming protein and don't know it. Not by a small amount. The gap between what most people eat and what the research supports for muscle maintenance and body composition outcomes is significant. Studies looking at optimal intake for adults prioritising body composition consistently point to between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Most people are eating somewhere between 0.8 and 1.2. The difference is not cosmetic. Adequate protein intake directly affects your ability to preserve muscle tissue during a caloric deficit. It supports recovery between sessions. It has a measurable effect on satiety, which means it influences total caloric intake downstream, not just at the point you consume it. There's a subtler point too, and this is the one I've come to think matters most: protein is the nutrient where consistency compounds most directly. The benefits of creatine saturate over time in a relatively predictable way. Collagen has a timeline that research measures in months. But protein's effect on body composition is essentially continuous. Every day you hit your target, you preserve something. Every day you don't, you lose a small amount of ground. Over a summer, that adds up. This is what I've observed personally, and it's backed by the research on muscle protein turnover. The people who maintain their body composition through summer are not, in my experience, the people who train harder during that period. Most of them train less. Their routines are disrupted. They're travelling. Their eating is less structured. The people who come back in September looking broadly the same as they left in June are the ones who kept their protein intake consistent. That's it. That's the variable. Why I take The Lean Protein I’ve been taking The Lean Protein the past few months for a straightforward reason: the protein-to-calorie ratio. Much like our other protein blends, each serving delivers over 30 grams of protein. The calorie count is low relative to that protein yield. When my training is consistent and my eating is structured, I don't think about this very much. But in the periods when those things are less reliable, that ratio becomes the thing that holds the rest together. The formula also includes acetyl-L-carnitine, inulin, pomegranate extract, and yerba mate. These aren't afterthoughts. Acetyl-L-carnitine has a research base in fat metabolism. Inulin supports satiety and gut function. The pomegranate extract is included for its antioxidant contribution to recovery. This means that the formula does more work per serving than a standard whey and just what I need going into summer. The thing the industry gets wrong about protein Most protein marketing leads with taste and price per gram. Both matter. But neither tells you whether the formula will support body composition outcomes over time. The two questions I'd ask before buying any protein powder are: what is the actual protein-to-calorie ratio, and what is the leucine content per serving.  Leucine is the branched-chain amino acid most directly linked to triggering muscle protein synthesis, and there is a threshold dose, roughly 2.5 to 3 grams per serving, below which the anabolic response is blunted. Many protein powders do not disclose this. They just list total protein and move on. The Lean Protein does not have this problem. The formula is transparent. The dose is evidence-based. One thing I'd ask you to consider: if you've never actually checked whether you're hitting your protein targets, try tracking it for three days. Most people find the gap is larger than they expected. If you're not sure which Innermost product fits your specific goal, the quiz on our site is a good place to start. Find the right protein for your goal  
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