NATURAL VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS to Get You Juiced Before Your Workout

At Âmé we revere our sacred moments to be active. While we love moving our bodies, getting blood and lymph flowing, raising our qi and boosting our moods, there are the days when we just aren’t self-starting the way we’d like to. When coffee doesn’t seem to do the trick on its own, or when the muscle fatigue seems to come on harder, and sooner. These are the days we look to a little help from our supplement friends.

"Caffeine from green tea can give the same boost as coffee, but without the jitters or upset stomach"

Green Tea

Caffeine is obviously a great ally for energy levels and focus, but it’s also an addictive vice, so it’s important to be mindful about our consumption, and we don’t prefer to rely on it for optimal function. Caffeine from green tea can give the same boost as coffee, but without the jitters or upset stomach if you’re doing a fasted workout. Also, oxidized polyphenols found in green tea promote fat-loss, so talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Beet Juice

Beets contain high levels of inorganic nitrate, which helps oxygen rapidly get into our bloodstream and is delivered to our muscles and tissues. These properties in whole beets, beet powder, or beet juice promote blood flow and effective muscle contraction, making this root plant natures best pre-workout supplement.

Acetyl-L-carnitine

This little supplement is easy to down before your morning movement, and it’s a powerful tool for those who workout regularly. It transports dietary fats to the mitochondria of our cells to be burned for energy, which makes it even more beneficial for people who eat a high-fat diet. It can be difficult for our bodies to absorb, so look for brands that say they are liposomal or encapsulated.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are essentially our body’s natural salts. We are constantly losing them when we sweat, use the restroom, or drink excessively. They are incredibly important for proper hydration. When we are dehydrated, our physical performance is highly compromised. (Also, that headache you get after a night of indulgent cocktails is a cry for electrolyte help.) A serving of trace minerals and electrolytes prior to a workout can replenish before you have time to deplete, so you can skip that dehydration fatigue altogether. Just remember to hydrate after your good sweat, as well!

Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)

You’ve probably heard of BCAAs—they are a classic pre-workout staple. They are 3 specific types of proteins (leucine, valine and isoleucine) that boost muscle performance and recovery. EAAs are like BCAAs plus! They are 9 essential amino acids (the other 6 include histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan) along with the 3 BCAAs, though they don’t cause the same insulin spike as simply just BCAAs, making them better for fasted workouts.

They are deemed “essential,” because the body cannot make them on their own, but gets them from food or supplements. EAAs can help us metabolize nutrients like protein easier, so that we use it to build up muscle strength and tone. Think of it as workout insurance. Just make sure to look for simple formulas without any sugar or unnecessary additives.

Fish Oil

Omega 3s are an important fat to be getting into our diet on the regular, regardless of high intensity workouts or regimented training. Because it’s anti-inflammatory, and inflammation is what causes that post-workout soreness, fish oil helps our muscles recover from intense work or overuse so that we can get back on the horse sooner. It’s important for brain health and optimal function as well, so we see no reason not to take it first thing in the morning!