Are you following a fasting program for spiritual reasons, or to lose weight combined with exercise, you must be wondering, “Does pre workout break a fast”? Let’s find out whether or not you can take a pre-workout while fasting, and what is the best pre workout for intermittent fasting!
Fasting has been in practice for centuries, either for religious purposes or for health and wellness. Since the modern world is more about glam and fitness, almost everyone is striving to lose fat and obtain an attractive shape. Lately, a type – intermittent fasting is gaining popularity because it helps to achieve weight loss goals faster.
“A pre-workout may or may not break a fast depending on its calories per serving.”
So does a pre-workout, it boosts your energy to perform better at the gym and burn more calories to lose weight. But can you take pre workout while fasting? We’ll see further in the article what science has to say about it!
Table of Content
What Is Pre-Workout?
Pre-workout supplements are designed to support increased energy, focus, and endurance during your workouts. They typically contain a mix of ingredients like caffeine, amino acids, citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and other minerals that can enhance performance by delaying fatigue and improving blood flow.
A pre-workout is usually taken 30-40 minutes prior to workouts, they supply energy to improve your performance. While there is some debate about whether or not pre-workouts are truly effective, many athletes swear by them as a way to help them power through their workouts.
These supplements may contain natural and non-natural chemical ingredients, hence, you should pay attention to how your body responds after taking a shot. If you start to feel jittery, anxious, or nauseous, stop taking the supplement.
Does Pre Workout Break A Fast?
Since a fast could be for various reasons, there cannot be a simple “yes” or “no” answer to whether or not pre workout will break your fast. The answer will vary.
If you are fasting for a religious purpose and you are prohibited from taking any food or liquid, then “YES”, drinking pre workout will break your fast and you should not be taking it while spiritual fasting.
On the other hand, if you are fasting for fitness, you are probably referring to the intermittent fasting diet protocol, which involves periodic windows of eating and fasting on a schedule to control calories for weight loss. A pre-workout may or may not break a fast depending on its calories. Zero to low-calorie pre-workout supplement will not break a fast, but one with calories may.
Most pre-workouts are calorie-free – hence won’t break a fast.
Warning! Some pre workouts have branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), which contain calories and increase insulin levels significant enough to break a fast!
So, a general rule is, a pre-workout does not break a fast if it contains zero-to-low calories (up to 5 calories per serving), but it will break your fast if contains calories enough to raise your insulin level (usually 20+ calories).
Also, read if pre-workout helps you lose weight.
Can You Take Pre Workout During a Fast?
The simple answer is YES, you can take a pre-workout during a fast. Fitness fasting is about not eating anything or restricting your calorie intake for a specific period. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have any water or drinks without calories.
In fact, most weight loss fasting protocols encourage drinking lots of water and other calorie-free fluids like black coffee, green tea, and unsweetened tea, etc.
A lot of people think that they can’t have pre-workout during a fast because it has calories and breaks the “fasting period”. But that’s not true, as long as your pre-workout supplement doesn’t have any or low calories (<5 cals/serving), you can take it during a fast.
5 Pre-workout Ingredients That Do Not Break A Fast
Now we know that we are not supposed to take any pre-workout supplement while fasting that contains either sugar or amino acids (especially BCAA). But we have created a habit of taking pre-workout before hitting our exercising sessions, so what should we do now?
The best way to go about it is to find a calorie free pre workout supplement that does not contain sugar or amino acids.
Here are 5 pre-workout ingredients that do NOT break your fast:
1. Caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that increases alertness, focus, and improves strength, and energy. It’s the most popular ingredient in pre-workout supplements because of its thermogenic properties that help to burn fat.
Caffeine also boosts metabolism and suppresses appetite, so it’s good for those who are trying to lose weight by intermittent fasting.
If you are planning to take caffeine as a pre-workout drink, the recommended dosage is 200 mg 1 hour before starting the workout. You can settle for a less dose if that suits your needs.
Caffeine is a calorie-free pre-workout supplement and does not raise insulin levels. So, it’s perfectly fine to take caffeine while fasting.
2. Creatine
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that’s produced in the liver and helps to supply energy to cells. It is derived from L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine and an excess amount gets stored in muscles. It’s also found in foods like red meat and fish.
Creatine is one of the most researched gainful pre-workout supplements and has been shown to increase muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance.
Since creatine is a calorie free supplement and also does not spike any blood sugar level, it is safe to drink it before a workout while fasting because creatine does not break a fast.
The recommended dosage of creatine is a scoop or 5 mg 30-40 minutes before the workout.
3. Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that’s produced naturally in the body. It’s also found in some foods like chicken, beef, pork, and fish.
Beta-alanine is a popular pre-workout ingredient because it delays fatigue and improves exercise performance. It does so by reducing the buildup of lactic acid in muscles during workouts.
4. Citrulline Malate
Citrulline malate is a compound of the amino acid citrulline and malic acid. It’s found in watermelons, but can also be synthesized in the lab.
Citrulline malate is a popular pre-workout ingredient because it increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles by increasing nitric oxide levels.
It also delays fatigue and improves exercise performance by reducing the buildup of lactic acid and ammonia in muscles. Best of all, citrulline malate does not break a fast or interfere with your intermittent fasting protocol.
Recently, two scientific studies have shown that increasing the amount of citrulline malate in your diet can help you lose weight faster and obtain lean muscles. Thus, it could be a great pre-workout for those who are following intermittent fasting for weight loss.
5. L-Theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid that’s found in tea leaves. It’s also available in supplement form and is often taken with caffeine.
L-theanine increases alertness and focus while also reducing anxiety and stress. It does so by increasing the level of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
L-theanine also reduces the negative effects of caffeine like jitters and energy crashes. That’s why it’s often taken with caffeine.
Best Pre Workout For Intermittent Fasting
So, by now you know that you can take calorie free pre workout while intermittent fasting. And, we have also seen which energy-boosting ingredients do not break a fast. However, it is always a hassle to look for certain ingredients in a supplement’s formula. That’s why we have listed down 3 best pre-workouts that you can take during fasting:
1. Cellucor C4 Pre-Workout
2. GHOST Legend Pre-Workout
3. Alani Nu Pre-Workout Supplement
1. Cellucor C4 Pre-Workout
C4 is the No. 1 selling pre-workout supplement in the US, and my favorite. It is a completely zero calorie pre-workout, filled with classic energy to provide maximum endurance, pumps, and performance.
“C4 is a zero calorie, sugar-free pre-workout supplement and does not break a fast.”
Why is it safe for fasting?
- Zero calorie sugar-free pre-workout.
- It is made of natural ingredients, and vegetarian friendly.
- 150 mg of caffeine delivers explosive energy.
- Added CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine and Creatine Nitrate for enhanced strength, muscle endurance and fatigue-fighting ability.
- Available in multiple flavors like cherry limeade, icy blue razz, fruit punch, strawberry margarita, orange burst, juicy candy burst, pink lemonade, and
If you are following a weight loss program and looking to lose fat fast, we recommend taking C4 Ripped Sport Pre Workout. It is formulated with fat-burning ingredients like DygloFit and CLA to increase metabolism and burn more fat. It contains 5 calories per serving, so it is still safe to take while fasting.
2. GHOST Legend Pre-Workout
2nd on the list (just because it is on the pricey side), GHOST Legend is a calorie and sugar free pre-workout. It is formulated with pure L-Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, and natural caffeine to provide maximum pumps without discomforting the stomach.
Why is it safe for fasting?
- Zero calorie, zero added sugar – no harm to your intermittent fasting.
- It is gluten-free, soya-free, completely vegan, and keto friendly.
- Great flavors.
- Highly effective in terms of boosting energy.
The brand recommends 2 scoops per serving, however, this won’t be suitable for everyone. Beta-Alanine can cause itchiness. So, it is advised to start with 1 scoop and see how your body reacts, or better start with half a spoon just to be on the safe side.
3. Alani Nu Pre Workout Supplement
One of the best pre-workout around. I found it easy to blend and give a great boost of energy. Alani Nu is a calorie-free supplement and does not break a fast. It is made of 100% transparent ingredients so that you know exactly what you are fueling your body.
Why is it safe for fasting?
- Zero to low calories per serving.
- No added sugar or any sweetener.
- 100% transparent ingredients.
- 200 mg Caffeine with Beta-Alanine provides explosive power, focus and endurance to achieve your fitness goals.
Bottom Line
Pre-workout supplements can be very effective in boosting energy and delaying fatigue. However, some of them contain ingredients that can break your fast or interfere with your intermittent fasting protocol.
When choosing a pre-workout supplement, be sure to choose one that does not contain any calories or raise blood sugar levels. Caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and L-theanine are all great options that will not break your fast.
Frequently Asked Questions: (FAQs)
Do amino acids break a fast?
It depends on the type of amino acid. Some amino acids like Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) contain calories and can raise blood sugar levels. However, other amino acids like L-theanine do not contain any calories and do not raise blood sugar levels. So, it’s perfectly fine to take amino acids while fasting.
Can I take Creatine while intermittent fasting?
Yes, you can. Creatine is a calorie-free supplement and does not raise blood sugar levels. So, it’s perfectly fine to take it while intermittent fasting.
Does Maltodextrin break a fast?
Yes, Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate that contains calories and sugar, and can break a fast. So, it’s best to avoid taking Maltodextrin while intermittent fasting.
Does pre workout have sugar?
Some pre-workout supplements do contain sugar, while others do not. Be sure to check the label of your pre-workout supplement to see if it contains any sugar. If it does, then it’s best to avoid taking it while intermittent fasting.
