Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to examine characteristics of multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement (MIPS) users, their common patterns/habits of MIPS ingestion, and their associated feelings about the effectiveness and safety of this class of supplements. An online electronic survey was distributed through social media to assess self-reported supplementation practices and preferences among adult males and females who reported regular MIPS use. A total of 1045 individuals responded, with 872 of these individuals (males: n = 636, 72.9%; females: n = 233, 26.7%; mean ± SD; age = 27.7 ± 7.9 years; training age = 8.2 ± 7.3 years) completing the survey. The majority of respondents reported the length of current or past MIPS consumption as greater than one year (n = 630, 72.2%), with ingestion frequencies primarily of four (n = 210, 24.1%) or five (n = 212, 24.3%) days per week of training. In addition, the three most popular goals for ingesting MIPS were increased energy and focus (n = 776, 89.0%), muscular endurance (n = 325, 37.3%), and blood flow or “pump” (n = 322, 37.0%). Although most users reported ingesting one serving size with each use, 14% reported ingesting two or more, and 18% indicated they ingest MIPS more than once per day. Importantly, over half (54%) of the respondents reported experiencing side-effects following MIPS use, including skin reactions, heart abnormalities, and nausea. Females were more likely than males to experience these side effects, despite being less likely to consume two or more serving sizes per dose. Our findings also indicated that MIPS users should consume no more than the recommended serving size of a given supplement, as the potentially significant variability in the caffeine content of MIPS products is compounded as more doses are consumed. Furthermore, MIPS users should minimize the ingestion of other supplements which contain high levels of niacin and caffeine, as the concurrent consumption of such products may put users above the tolerable upper limits for these substances.
Highlights
The use of dietary supplements to enhance exercise performance is becoming an increasingly popular strategy, among fitness enthusiasts and athletes
The authors of this study indicated three important findings regarding pre-workout supplement labels: a) Many ingredients are under-dosed when compared to evidence-based guidelines on recommended doses; b) many ingredient quantities are not provided; and c) some ingredients, such as niacin, may be over-dosed and potentially dangerous, if consumers ingest other niacin containing compounds
The high prevalence of multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement (MIPS) use by males in the present sample aligns with the results of a recent survey which showed that a higher proportion of male NCAA Division I athletes reported pre-workout supplement use compared to female athletes [21]
Summary
The use of dietary supplements to enhance exercise performance is becoming an increasingly popular strategy, among fitness enthusiasts and athletes. Nutrients 2019, 11, 855 supplement industry was approximately $122 billion, with future projections estimating a potential worth of nearly $278 billion by the year 2024 [3] With such an increase in dietary supplement use, it is important to examine the behaviors of supplement users and key motivators for use in order to better understand potential areas for concern and identify strategies to ensure safe and effective dietary supplement use. A sub-set of dietary supplements that has garnered attention from regular exercisers are multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements These products often contain a blend of ingredients purported to improve acute exercise performance following ingestion, which may augment training adaptations if ingested over a longer period when used in conjunction with a structured training program. Extended use appears to enhance training adaptations with a low risk for adverse events [4,13,14,15,16,17,18,19], assuming consumers are following the manufacturer recommendations for proper use
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