Pre Workout For Studying (How To Take It For Best Results)

If you’re wondering whether you should take pre workout for studying, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll look at the ingredients in pre workout which may help you study, as well as the best pre workout supplements to use for studying.

Quick Summary

• Pre workout supplements can improve energy and cognitive function.
• Many pre workout supplements contain a high amount of caffeine.
• Some pre workouts contain nootropics, otherwise known as “smart drugs”, which can help improve focus.

Is Pre Workout Good For Studying?

Yes, pre workouts are good for studying as the ingredients found in pre workout can help improve focus and alertness. Let’s take a look at some of these ingredients and see why they can help you study.

What Ingredients In Pre Workout Help You Study?

Caffeine

Many students like to drink cup after cup of coffee to stay up all night. The ingredient in coffee which helps you stay so alert is caffeine.

In one study, some of the subjects took 200mg of caffeine and the others took a placebo before they studied various images.

Interestingly, those who took the caffeine were better at distinguishing the same images from similar ones the next day.

So, how does caffeine actually work?

As the day goes on, levels of adenosine rise in your brain which signals to your brain that it’s time to rest.

Caffeine is structured very similar to adenosine which means that when you consume caffeine, adenosine cannot bind to its receptors. The outcome is that your brain receives less signals to rest, making you feel alert.

L-Theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid that reduces anxiety and stress and it can help you focus too.

Caffeine and L-theanine are synergistic meaning that when you take them together, the effects of both are amplified.

Creatine

Creatine is an amino acid that’s often included in pre workout as it helps increase the amount of energy in your muscles when exercising.

There’s a ton of research that shows that creatine may help improve cognitive performance too.

L-Tyrosine

This is another amino acid that’s found in high quantities in foods like dairy, meat, and fish.

Some research suggests that L-tyrosine can boost your memory, which will help you retain information before going into an exam.

Best Pre Workout Supplements For Studying

Now that we know some reasons why pre workout may help you study, here are 3 of the best pre workout supplements for studying.

Best Budget Pre Workout For Studying: MP Assault Pre Workout

Overview

A decent quality pre workout that’s friendly to the wallet.

Ideal for those with a smaller budget.

(I.e. most students!)

What I like about it

This is a fantastic pre workout for students.

It has many different ingredients to help improve focus and energy, like:

• Caffeine
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Acetyl-L-Carnitine

And then, of course is the low price.

Potential Drawbacks

Although the variety of ingredients is impressive, the strength is a tad on the low side.

For example, most studies on Acetyl-L-Carnitine use doses of between 630mg and 2500mg, whereas a serving of MP Assault provides only 150mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

Check price and read more reviews of MP Assault Pre Workout on Amazon.

Best Mid-Range Pre Workout For Studying: Evlution Nutrition ENGN Shred Pre Workout

Overview

A highly caffeinated pre workout that’s focused on fat-loss.

A good choice for those wanting to shed the pounds while studying.

What I like about it

Each serving of ENGN Shred provides a whopping 260mg of caffeine – equivalent to nearly 3 cups of coffee!

This is epic news if you’re a student for reasons discussed earlier.

Some of this caffeine is derived from green tea extract too, which is a bonus as it helps combat oxidative stress.

The less oxidative stress you have, the healthier you will be.

And as the saying goes, a healthy body is a healthy mind.

Also, there are some ingredients added which specifically help improve your focus, like L-Tyrosine.

Potential Drawbacks

Unfortunately, the ingredients included to help with focus (which are collectively called the Mind-to-Muscle Matrix) are classed as a proprietary blend.

This just means it doesn’t specify the amount of each ingredient, which isn’t ideal.

Check price and read more reviews of Evlution Nutrition ENGN Shred Pre Workout on Amazon.

Best Premium Pre Workout For Studying: Bucked Up Woke Pre Workout

Overview

Premium quality? Yep.

Premium strength? Mhmm.

Premium price? Unfortunately, so.

Bucked Up Woke is the Rolls-Royce of pre workouts.

What I like about it

Again, let’s start with the caffeine.

One dose of Bucked Up Woke provides 333mg of Caffeine!

This makes it one of the most potent pre workout supplements on the market.

There are 2 other ingredients which have been added specifically for focus too:

Theobromine – a compound found in chocolate which encourages blood flow to the brain.

And Huperzine A – a compound found in Chinese club moss which helps improve memory.

This is exactly what you want in a pre workout if effective studying is your goal.

Potential Drawbacks

As you can probably guess, a pre workout of this quality is expensive.

If you can afford it – great.

Otherwise, I’d lean towards the other pre workouts featured in this article.

Check price and read more reviews of Bucked Up Woke on Amazon.

Pre Workout and Sleep

With the amount of stimulants in pre workout, you may be think that it can reduce the duration and quality of your sleep.

But this isn’t the case.

Why?

Well, taking pre workout should result in a more intense gym workout.

Speaking from personal experience, the harder you push yourself in the gym, the better your sleep.

And good quality sleep is important for students.

That being said, it’s important to avoid taking pre workout (and other forms of caffeine) after 3pm as doing so will likely interfere with your sleep.

Downsides of Pre Workout For Cognitive Tasks

Each person reacts differently to pre workout.

While some people have increased energy levels and ability to focus after taking pre workout, others may feel jittery and irritable.

You may find that you need to poop more after taking pre workout, which may interfere with your studying.

FAQs

Should You Take Pre Workout Before An Exam?

There isn’t an easy answer to this one…

Some people feel anxiety after taking pre workout. If you’re one of these people, then it’s a terrible idea taking it before an exam!

That being said, if pre workout makes you feel more focused, then there’s no reason why you can’t take it before an exam.

You should always try your pre workout first to see how your body handles it before jumping in the deep end and taking it before an exam without knowing how it’ll affect you.

Is C4 Pre Workout Good For Studying?

C4 is one of the most popular pre workouts on the market. So, I’m guessing many of you are wondering whether C4 is good for studying.

A quick look through the ingredients shows the C4 provides 150mg of caffeine, which is respectable.

And then there are other ingredients added to improve energy, such as NALT, Velvet Bean extract, and Theacrine.

So yes – C4 would make a solid option for studying.

Is Ghost Pre Workout Good For Studying?

Another highly rated pre workout is Ghost.

Looking at the ingredients, Ghost provides 202mg of caffeine per serving which is impressive.

But that’s not all – Ghost also contains Rhodiola, Theobromine, and Olive Leaf Extract.

All of which will give you the boost you need when studying.

So again – Ghost would make an excellent pre workout for studying.

Will Pre Workout Keep You Awake?

If you take pre workout after 3pm, then it may keep you awake at night. This is due to high caffeine content of pre workout. So, unless you’re pulling off an all-nighter, I’d avoid taking pre workout in the evening.

Conclusion

In summary:

• Pre workout contains various ingredients which can help you study.
• If taking pre workout to study, you should stop taking it after 3pm so that it doesn’t interfere with your sleep.
• You should see how you react to pre workout before taking it before an exam to ensure you don’t experience any side effects.

That’s all for pre workout and studying, but does pre workout cause bloating? Or are there any pre workout alternatives?

Hope this helped!