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In the last 10 years, pre workout supplements have spiked in popularity.
In fact, there are probably more pre workout brands than there are grains of sand.
(Well, close enough.)
So its not surprising that I get a ton of questions related to pre workout.
One question in particular that I often get asked is:
Does Pre Workout Make You Sweat More?
Some ingredients in pre workout supplements, like caffeine and thermogenics, make you sweat by increasing your core body temperature. When your core body temperature rises, your body produces sweat to help cool you down.
In this article, we cover why pre workout makes you sweat, the other possible reasons why you may be sweating, and how to reduce sweating.
Why Pre Workout May Make You Sweat More
Pre Workout May Increase The Intensity Of Your Workout
Pre workouts often include ingredients that help make your workouts more intense.
For example, many include creatine which has been shown to improve your strength. The stronger you are, the more reps you can squeeze out.
And then there’s stuff like citrulline malate which help give you a better pump.
The more intense your workout, the more heat your body will generate when burning energy, which will produce sweat to help cool you down.
(Your body is a tightly regulated survival machine. It can only survive in a narrow temperature range, so sweat is a natural by-product of your body heating up, which helps cool it down and maintain temperature.)
Pre Workout is Usually High In caffeine
Another reason why some pre workouts make you sweat is due to the high caffeine content.
Most caffeinated pre workouts have a range of between 150mg to 300mg of caffeine per dose.
To give you some perspective, the average cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine. So, some pre workouts have 3x as much caffeine as coffee!
When you consume a lot of caffeine, the nervous system tells the body to release fight or flight hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This can increase your heart rate and temperature, so the body produces sweat to cool down and balance fluids.
Some Pre Workouts Contain Thermogenics
Thermogenics are ingredients that boost your metabolism via a process known as thermogenesis. In simple terms, this is the process of producing heat through metabolism.
For example, in winter, our bodies burn more energy to keep warm and stay alive.
So, a great fat loss tip is to turn your heating down during winter so your body can up its internal thermostat. The higher you turn up your thermostat, the more energy is used.
Pre workouts often include many thermogenics such as Capsicum, CLA, Green Tea Extract, and L-Carnitine.
Let’s cover each of these in a bit more detail.
Capsicum
Capsicum is the compound in chillies which gives it its “heat”. Research shows the thermogenic effect of capsicum can increase metabolism and fat burning long after exercise!
CLA
CLA is a fatty acid mainly found in meat and dairy products. It’s a popular thermogenic thanks to its ability to target fat deposits.
Green Tea Extract
Green Tea Extract helps fat burning in multiple ways.
For example, the polyphenol compounds help increase thermogenesis. Also, the caffeine helps increase metabolism which results in more calories burned.
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is amino acid derivative that’s naturally found in red meat. It helps shuttle fatty acids from your blood stream into the mitochondria where it can be used for energy.
Does Pre Workout Make Your Sweat Smell?
Some pre workout supplements contain Betaine and Choline. When taken in large doses, these ingredients may result in your sweat smelling like fish.
This is due to a reduction of Betaine and Choline in your gut, which is medically termed trimethylaminuria.
That said, not all pre workout supplements include these ingredients, and are therefore unlikely to cause body odor.
(Body odor is usually caused by bacteria breaking down protein molecules in your sweat.)
Best Pre Workouts That Make You Sweat
Best Budget Pre Workout To Make You Sweat: USN 3XT Pump
Overview
A super-high caffeine pre workout from a reputable brand.
USN 3XT Pump is an excellent budget buy.
What I like about it
I’m a big fan of USN as a supplement company.
They’re trustworthy, globally recognised, and have delivered fantastic supplements for many years.
Also, with each serving providing 400mg, this supplement contains an insane amount of caffeine.
We’re talking 4 cups of coffee’s worth in just one scoop.
It’s great that Yohimbe has been added too as research shows that it’s an effective thermogenic.
Potential Drawbacks
While the amount of caffeine will help you sweat more, it may produce some unwanted side effects like anxiety and nausea.
Check price and read more reviews of USN 3XT Pump on Amazon.
Best Mid-Range Pre Workout To Make You Sweat: Evlution Nutrition ENGN
Overview
A fat-loss focused pre workout with a reasonable amount of caffeine and a nice range of thermogenics.
Ideal for those wanting to get a sweat on.
What I like about it
The thousands of excellent reviews show that this is an effective thermogenic pre workout supplement, that’s helped many people lose weight.
Also, the ENGN SHRED MATRIX is super impressive and varied – a single serving provides:
- 500mg CLA
- 500mg L-Carnitine
- 100mg Coleus Extract
- 25mg Red Pepper Extract
- 40mg Yohimbe Extract
Each of these will work in different ways to help you burn fat and sweat more.
The reasonable 260mg of caffeine is obtained from coffee and Green Tea Extract, so you’ll get a nice thermogenic effect from that too.
Potential Drawbacks
Some users have felt nauseous after taking this supplement.
Check price and read more reviews of Evlution Nutrition ENGN Shred Pre Workout on Amazon.
Best Premium Pre Workout To Make You Sweat: Cellucor C4 Ultimate Shred
Overview
Premium strength? Tick.
Premium quality? Tick.
Premium price? Tick.
Cellucor C4 Ultimate Shred is the Rolls-Royce of thermogenic pre workout supplements.
What I like about it
It’s great this supplement has B vitamins added as these will help give you more energy. As a result, you can hit the weights with more intensity which will make you sweat more.
Also, with each serving providing 300mg of caffeine, 6g of citrulline malate, and 3.2g of beta-alanine, this is one of the most potent pre workout supplements on the market.
Although the ENGN SHRED MATRIX from the mid-range pre workout was impressive, the C4 Ultimate Shred & Thermogenic Matrix is even better. It includes:
- NALT
- A-GPC
- Caffeine
- Theacrine
- Cayenne extract
- Green tea extract
- Ginger root extract
- Lychee fruit extract
- Velvet Bean seed extract
- And much more…
There’s not much more you can ask for from a thermogenic pre workout!
Potential Drawbacks
As you’d expect, a supplement of this quality comes with a caveat – a pretty darn expensive price.
Check price and read more review of Cellucor C4 Ultimate Shred on Amazon.
Other Possible Reasons Why You May Be Sweating A Lot
While pre workout can make you sweat more when exercising, it’s unlikely to cause sweating if you’re inactive.
If you are sweating a lot when inactive, here are some possible causes:
Anxiety
People with anxiety have higher levels of stress hormones circulating. These stress hormones can change how the body functions.
For example, when stressed, your body prefers to eliminate water via sweat instead of the kidneys (i.e. urinating), as you’re much likely to survive a fight or flight scenario if you don’t need to stop and pee.
(Needing a pee when running from a tiger can be the difference between life and death!)
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, women often experience hormonal changes, increased blood flow, and a higher metabolic rate, which can all lead to sweating.
Thyroid Issues
When your thyroid gland goes into overdrive (Hyperthyroidism), it produces excess T3 and T4 hormones. Your body responds to this by going into overdrive which can cause sweating.
How To Reduce Sweating
Some of you reading this article may be put off by the idea of sweating after taking pre workout.
If so, here are some great tips to reduce sweating.
Stay cool
Since sweating is the body’s way to cool down, by staying cool, you reduce the need to sweat.
Wear light, loose clothing
Wearing light clothing in the summer is a bit of a paradox.
While it will make your sweat patches more noticeable, it will also help keep you cool.
(Lighter colors help reflect sunlight, whereas dark colors are better at absorbing it.)
Loose clothing is important too as this helps with ventilation.
Wear antiperspirant
Antiperspirants work by stopping the sweat from reaching the surface of our skin.
By wearing antiperspirant, your sweat glands will still produce sweat but it won’t reach the skin’s surface.
Avoid caffeine
Since caffeine can cause you to sweat more, you can reduce sweating by cutting back on it.
There are many excellent caffeine-free pre workouts on the market, so if you want to reduce sweating, these will be right up your street.
But if you do take a caffeinated pre workout, make sure to cut back on other sources of caffeine like coffee.
Conclusion
Wrapping up, it’s clear that many pre workout supplements can help you sweat more.
They can do this by making your workouts more intense, and by increasing your body’s ability to burn fat (which produces heat).
While some people will welcome the news that pre workouts can cause more sweating, others will be put off by it.
The good news is there are pre workouts to suit you regardless of if you’re team pro-sweat or team anti-sweat.
Well, that’s it for today guys.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article and have learned a ton.
If not, no hard feelings – let me know where you think I could improve in the comments below!
See ya later.
Robb
Related Questions
Does C4 Pre Workout Make You Sweat More?
C4 pre workout comes in many different variants.
For example, there’s Extreme Energy, Ripped Sport, Original, and Ultimate Shred to name a few.
As we’ve seen, Ultimate Shred has a respectable amount of caffeine and a ton of thermogenics so will most likely make you sweat more.
As for the others, this depends on their ingredients and if they make your workout more intense.
Should You Worry If You Sweat A Lot After Taking Pre Workout?
Sweating a lot after taking pre workout is expected, so I wouldn’t worry.
However, too much sweating can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, so make sure you drink plenty of water and consume electrolytes afterwards.
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