Pre-workout for Somone With Anxiety – 5+ Safe Options
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A pre-workout that doesn’t cause heart palpitations? Jitters? Triggers panic attacks? Contains minimal to almost no stimulant content? BUT still, amps you up for an energetic workout?
We tried 8 different low and non-stim supplements and short-listed 6 options that you can take without worrying about triggering your anxiety.
- Legion Pulse Natural Pre-workout (Best Low Stim Pre-Workout)
- NutraBio Stim-Free Pre-Workout (Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout)
- Nutricost Stim-Free Pre-Workout (Best Pre-Workout For Anxiety)
- Zhou Lite Up Pre-Workout (Best Non-Jittery Pre-Workout)
- PEScience High-Volume (Best Organic Pre-Workout No Caffeine)
- Pre-Kaged Non-Stim Pre-Workout (Best Caffeine-free Pre-Workout)
Best Pre-workout For Anxiety – 6 Options To Choose From
1. Legion Pulse Pre-workout
Legion Pulse
Low-stim pre-workout supplement with science-backed components that improve mood and concentration, boost athletic strength and endurance, and decrease tiredness.
Legion Pulse Key Benefits
- Provides Smooth Jitter-Free Energy
This pre-workout is safe for people suffering from anxiety as it lacks caffeine. For the energy boost, it includes alternative ingredients like 2.5g betaine that may provide you with the same energy without causing jitters or anxiety.
It also plays a critical role in various physiological functions and can improve muscle endurance and strength during physical stress.
- Enhances Capacity To Workout
Another vital ingredient is 3.6g of CarnoSyn Beta-alanine.
Beta-alanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally and affects the quantity of the molecule carnosine that can be deposited in the muscles.
The muscle carnosine acts as a buffer to reduce the acidity resulting from the accumulation of lactic acid due to strenuous exercise; hence, it delays fatigue during workouts.
Additionally, it contains 8g of Citrulline Malate. According to research, Citrulline malate is a derivative of the amino acid L-citrulline, which increases muscular endurance, alleviates muscle fatigue, and enhances aerobic performance.
- Increases Brain Power
Moreover, Pulse includes 300mg of Alpha-GPC, a compound composed of choline and glycerophosphate.
When consumed, alpha-GPC stimulates the activity of a brain chemical called acetylcholine, which has been shown to improve the health and function of the brain. Further, it boosts power output and increases growth hormone levels.
Pros
Cons
2. NutraBio – Stim-Free Pre-workout Supplement
NutraBio Stim-free
Gives you a nice pump, focus, and energy without caffeine usage. Also enhances the mind-muscle link and combats exhaustion.
NutraBio Key Benefits
- Improves Muscle Endurance
It contains 3.2 g beta-alanine, which raises carnosine levels and has been shown in studies to help improve your time to exhaustion, enabling you to work out for longer durations.
Next, it includes 3.5 g L-Leucine; a branched-chain amino acid that can promote muscle protein synthesis and promote muscular development and recovery.
- Assists Energy Production
It also includes 1.2g of malic acid, which transforms carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy. This process may not function effectively if the body lacks malic acid, resulting in premature tiredness, which ultimately causes anxiety.
- Provides Mental Clarity
NutraBio includes 1.5 g of L-tyrosine to enhance focus and concentration, which can also help alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
According to research, tyrosine is a well-known dietary supplement that enhances alertness, concentration, and focus. It creates critical brain chemicals that aid nerve cells in communicating with one another and may even help control mood and reduce stress.
- Maintains Hydration
Lastly, it contains electrolytes in the form of Taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that helps your body maintain adequate water balance, manage body temperature, and increase endurance. Additionally, electrolytes help prevent cramps and provide you with the energy you need to work out.
Pros
Cons
3. Nutricost – Stim-Free Pre-Workout
Nutricost Stim-Free
A caffeine-free vitamin and mineral-rich pre-training supplement. Contains a unique blend of substances that boost focus, strength, and endurance.
Nutricost Key Benefits
- Improves Blood Flow To Muscles
Nutricost stim-free supplement includes 6g of L-citrulline, a highly sought ingredient. It increases nitric oxide production, which increases blood flow to the muscles and, hence, their working capacity.
- Relieves Muscle Fatigue
Nutricost also has beta-alanine, a well-known compound that prevents fatigue and increases endurance. It boosts the body’s carnosine levels, which buffers the acidity in muscles and improves exercise performance.
- Improves Mental Focus
Ingredients such as Huperzine A and alpha GPC, increase the level of acetylcholine neurotransmitter in the brain. This neurotransmitter plays essential roles in brain functions like thinking, memory, and focus.
Pros
Cons
4. Zhou Nutrition Non-Stimulant Pre-Workout
Zhou Lite Up
Budget-friendly pre-workout with a clean formula containing ingredients to improve strength, endurance, performance, recovery, & energy without caffeine or stimulants
Zhou Lite Up Key Benefits
- Pumps Blood To Muscles
This non-stimulant supplement contains nitrosigine and bound arginine silicates which enhance nitric oxide production and improve blood supply to the muscles, leading to better pumps and improved stamina.
Next on the list are malic acid and tart cherry. It also serves to boost strength, endurance, and stamina.
- Improves Exercise Endurance
Moreover, it includes citrulline malate, a compound that contains a 50/50 ratio of citrulline and malic acid. According to research, citrulline may enhance the oxygen uptake in your muscles which can help improve your endurance.
Pros
Cons
5. PEScience High Volume Caffeine-Free Pre-workout
PEScience High Volume
Relies mainly on nitric oxide boosters to compensate for the energy, endurance, and strength that caffeine provides
PEScience Key Benefits
- Increases Blood Flow To Muscles
It contains 6g of pure L-citrulline and 2 g of arginine nitrate, which is almost double the amount of nitric oxide boosters present in any other pre-workout.
Among these, L-citrulline is a non-essential amino acid that has recently received considerable interest for its potential to enhance L-arginine bioavailability, nitric oxide generation, and physical performance.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that L-citrulline supplements can improve workout performance and recovery.
Likewise, arginine nitrate also increases the flow of oxygenated blood towards the muscles which shuttles crucial nutrients in them to enhance muscle endurance and recovery.
- Prevents Dehydration
It has a unique hydrating blend that contains taurine, glycerol, and magnesium glycerophosphate.
Taurine maintains an electrolyte balance; glycerol promotes fluid retention and prevents dehydration, whereas magnesium glycerophosphate provides electrolytes.
Not to mention, adequate hydration is essential for improving stamina and recovery time for muscles.
Pros
Cons
6. Pre-Kaged Non-Stim Pre-Workout
Pre-Kaged Non-Stim
Provides jitter-free energy and all the regular pre-workout benefits like explosive pumps, heightened endurance, and laser-sharp focus – WITHOUT caffeine.
Pre-Kaged Key Benefits
- Improves Muscle Strength And Endurance
Like most pre-workouts, Pre-Kaged Stim-free also uses L-citrulline to gush blood into the muscles to enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to them. This delays muscle soreness and helps you work out for longer.
Moreover, it contains creatine HCl, which increases power, strength, and endurance capacity.
- Increases Muscle Mass
It provides branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that are essential for supporting muscle growth and recovery. They also reduce the muscle protein breakdown during strenuous exercise and reduce muscle wasting.
Additionally, it contains betaine anhydrous, which also mediates muscle protein synthesis.
- Maintains Hydration
It contains coconut water powder, which provides five different electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus) that support hydration.
Pros
Cons
How To Pick A Pre-Workout That Doesn’t Cause Anxiety?
You don’t have to completely give up on pre-workouts if you suffer from an anxiety disorder. Instead, there are just a few things to consider to make a wise purchase.
1. Stimulant Free Formulation Rules Out Culprits Causing Anxiety
Ingredients are crucial while looking for pre-workouts for anxiety because the majority of the pre-workouts are full of stimulants like caffeine, which can worsen anxiety symptoms.
Thus, search for supplements that are caffeine-free or with low caffeine content. Some stimulants that may aggravate anxiety are bitter orange, yohimbine, and theacrine.
Moreover, you can go for natural caffeine ingredients like tea and coffee extract for the added boost of energy without any jittery or anxious feelings.
Additionally, if you are skipping the stimulants completely, look out for alternative ingredients like L-citrulline, taurine, and beta-alanine that boost endurance and strength without causing nervousness and anxiety.
2. Ingredients That Calm The Mind Attenuate Risks Of Stimulants
If you don’t want to skip the stimulant content, then look for pre-workouts that contain ingredients that balance out their stimulant effect, which ultimately reduces the risk of triggering anxiety.
For instance, L-theanine is an amino acid that relaxes the nervous system, relieves stress, and improves mood. It is often paired with caffeine to improve focus, streamline, and smoothen its energy rush, which minimizes its risk of causing jitters, anxiety, restlessness, panic attacks, or heart palpitations.
3. Caffeine Content Within Your Tolerance Level Won’t Cause Anxiety
If you find the above information hard to remember and want a single criterion that can immediately define your purchase, then determine your caffeine tolerance before walking into the store.
Knowing it can save you from the fuss of navigating through calming or alternative ingredients and enable you to select a supplement whose caffeine content falls within your tolerance range, which won’t trigger your anxiety.
To know this, ask yourself, how many cups of coffee can you handle in a day? If you can comfortably consume 2-3 cups, you don’t need to choose a caffeine-free supplement. For your reference, a cup of coffee has 95mg of caffeine.
On a side note, it is best to begin with pre-workout supplements that contain 90-120mg of caffeine per serving.
4. Transparent labels Allow Insight Into Stimulants And Their Ranges
Transparent labels clearly mention each ingredient along with their appropriate doses. This is crucial because selecting a pre-workout supplement when experiencing anxiety symptoms requires extensive ingredient research and accurate information on the stimulant content.
It would be beneficial if you conduct research for good open-label options; this will need some effort on your part but will prevent you from experiencing any long-term side effects.
5. Consider The Supplement That Falls In Your Budget
Non-stim or caffeine-free pre-workouts are not necessarily going to be expensive. A decent stimulant-free pre-workout supplement would cost you between $1 and $2 per serving.
So, do your homework, evaluate market prices, and get something with the right ingredients within your price range.
I have included the six best stim-free pre-workout options in different price ranges to ease that task for you; the cheapest in the list costs about $25 and the most expensive one roughly costs $50.
6. Take Your Doctors Advice On The Pre-Workout You Should Buy
Anxiety can be a complex mental illness to manage. Any component or ingredient in the pre-workout can exacerbate anxiety symptoms, which might negatively impact your health.
Thus, in my opinion, it is always prudent to consult with your healthcare practitioner before taking any pre-workout supplement in order to avoid any undesirable consequences.
FAQs On Pre-workout For Anxiety
Can pre-workout cause panic attacks?
Yes, the caffeine and stimulants in pre-workouts may cause panic attacks in some individuals. These stimulating ingredients mess with the neurotransmitters to activate the sympathetic nervous system and put you in a hyperalert state, which may trigger anxiety and its related symptoms.
Can pre-workout trigger anxiety?
Yes, you may get anxiety from pre-workout because most of them contain psychostimulant caffeine. Caffeine off-sets the neurotransmitter balance in the brain and increases the level of nor-epinephrine, which robs your body’s calm and puts you in a do-or-die state. Hence causing anxiety symptoms like heart palpitations, increased urination, restlessness, and nausea.
Can pre-workouts cause anxiety?
Yes, stimulants containing pre-workouts may trigger anxiety because they put you in a mental and physical state that is required to tackle stressful situations. Therefore, you may notice anxiety-related symptoms like increased heart rate, sweating or hot flashes, and nervousness.
How to get rid of pre-workout anxiety?
You basically have to exhibit patience until the heightened neurotransmitters in your brain return to normal levels, but there are some ways to cut the waiting time short. You may start by drinking a lot of water to flush out the caffeine. Also, take deep breaths to calm yourself down. Exhaust the do-or-die energy by going out for a walk, jogging, stretching, or doing some weightlifting.
Does pre-workout fry your nervous system?
The majority of the pre-workouts are loaded with stimulants like caffeine.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed central nervous system stimulant.
However, according to research, the central nervous system doesn’t really seem to establish a good tolerance to the effects of caffeine, although addictions and withdrawal symptoms are reported. So, yes or maybe no. Depends on your tolerance level.
How long does pre-workout anxiety last?
It depends on the ingredient’s half-life, which means the time required for the active component in an ingredient to be halved in your body.
You can feel the effects of the most common anxiety-causing ingredient, caffeine, for about 1 ½ to 2 hours in your body.
Can pre-workout cause mood swings?
Yes, it can. The overdosage of certain ingredients in a pre-workout like Yohimbe has a potent stimulatory effect. This overstimulation can result in irritability, jitteriness, and mood swings.
Also read: Can Pre-workout Cause Anger Issues & Mood Swings?
Final Takeaways
To conclude, a solid pre-workout can be beneficial for providing an energy kick during your regular workout session, but stimulants in it may trigger anxiety in some individuals.
Therefore, if you have anxiety, you can avail the performance-enhancing effects of pre-workouts with the non-stim and caffeine-free alternatives, which are equally good. For instance, the Legion Pulse stim-free pre-workout can make a great option.
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