Pre-Workout Ingredients Causing Tingling | Is That Normal?

Pre-workouts are made to help you put your best effort into training. The better the workout, the better the recovery, and the better the progress you can make. That is why pre-workout supplements are the first supplement that many fitness enthusiasts order.

A pre-workout can help provide energy, increase focus, and the intent is to help improve exercise performance, but there is one thing that many pre-workout supplements do that might be concerning. Some people amy notice that pre-workout makes them tingle, almost like a pre-workout itchiness on the skin, that comes during or shortly after they consume their pre-workout of choice.

If you are new to this, then you may be wondering what that is, if it is dangerous, and what can be done to stop it. You can be assured that you are fine and this is common with almost all popular pre-workout supplements, but this guide can help you understand the what's and why's about this pre-workout tingle.

What Makes You Tingle in Pre-Workout?

Before we get into what makes you tingle in pre-workout, let's identify the sensation that you are feeling. It is called paresthesia, and it occurs most often in the arms and legs. Paresthesia occurs when the nerve receptors are stimulated via G-protein coupled receptors, proteins at the cell surface that take in extracellular signals. If you've ever bumped your elbow and felt a similar tingling, that has been referred to as hitting your "funny bone." That tingling is also paresthesia.

What Causes Paresthesia?

The cause of paresthesia when you enjoy a pre-workout supplement is an ingredient that is in many pre-workouts called beta-alanine, a non essential amino acid that is involved with muscle function. Beta alanine is a naturally produced amino acid in the body. Beta alanine combines with the amino acid L-histidine in the production of carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine), Carnosine assists with muscle endurance during high intensity exercise performance.

That is why beta alanine is in many pre-workout supplements, including BULK by Transparent Labs. Beta alanine could also be involved in increasing blood flow by enhancing vasodilation. It may also be able to positively influence blood pressure, but

Medical News Today reports that beta alanine can increase muscle carnosine concentrations, which can help improve high intensity exercise performance and reduce fatigue. Dosages of 1.2 grams per day is most effective in maintaining carnosine levels in the muscles. (1)

Is This Pre-Workout Itchiness Safe?

It may be irritating at times and perhaps even downright uncomfortable, but the infamous beta alanine itch is not dangerous, and studies have determined that it does not negatively affect your workout performance or your overall health (2). That is why beta alanine is common to see in many multi ingredient supplements.

Paresthesia is completely harmless but is generally recognized as one of the known side effects of β alanine supplementation. Depending on the amount you take, the symptom generally goes away within an hour to 90 minutes after you take your pre-workout supplement.

How to Reduce the Pre-Workout Tingle Side Effects

Taking beta alanine and paresthesia are both proven to be safe, but that may not make it less comfortable for some fitness enthusiasts that want to enjoy their pre-workout supplements of choice. We do have a few suggestions that may help so you don't have to experience itching, or at least minimize the skin tingling sensation.

Use Stim-Free Pre-Workouts

The best way to prevent paresthesia is to avoid beta alanine altogether. There are stimulant free pre workout supplements on the market that don't include it at all. The burning sensation will not be felt, and you can still push yourself to achieve improved physical performance during your training session.

Start with a Lower Dose

Beta alanine supplementation in high doses will result in a more profound pre-workout itch, but the recommended doses on the labels are not required amounts. You can take a smaller serving and see how your body reacts. When trying a new supplement, starting with a lower dose could be a wise move in general.

Split Dose Throughout the Day

There also may not be as many pronounced effects of beta alanine if you split the dosage up throughout the day. For some users, this may mean taking a half-dose first thing in the morning and the other half prior to training. If you train in the evening, then you may want to take that second partial dose earlier in the day so it does not affect sleep.

Choose Sustained Release Supplements if Available

Sustained release supplements could also be worth your consideration if you can't get past the side effects. These products slowly release over the course of hours so the full dosages are still taken in, just at a slower rate. This could help decrease the beta alanine itching sensation.

Why Do Some People Feel the Beta Alanine Itch More Than Others?

Two people could take the same amount of beta alanine at the same time and may have two different levels of the itchiness response to it. This is because the response can vary from person to person based on gender, size, and even age. (3) Body weight can be factor as well. For example, Women and individuals that weigh less than 165 pounds may be more likely to experience paresthesia than heavier men.

Psychological sensitivity may also play a role in this. Certain neurons could be triggered by beta alanine, which could be part of a histamine-independent itch neural circuit (4) Many athletes may determine that this itch is a small price to pay for the delay in neuromuscular fatigue that beta alanine can provide.

Should You Avoid Beta-Alanine?

Paresthesia can be annoying at times, but does that mean you should avoid beta alanine supplements altogether? We say no. Despite that con, there are many other pros that make it a great ally in your quest to improve athletic performance and help decrease muscle fatigue.

Beta alanine supplementation is important for buffering lactic acid and improving endurance. Both of those additional benefits are big for those that are trying to achieve muscle growth. There are many beginners and athletes stuck in plateaus that will be glad to deal with some slight itching sensation in order to make the gains they long for.

Final Thoughts

So, now you know that the pre-workout itch is really a beta alanine itch, and that is commonly felt when beta alanine is a part of your pre-workout formulas. It is not something that you need to be concerned with, but the proper dosing and choosing the right supplement with a proper amount of beta alanine for you can minimize or even prevent paresthesia from starting. If you are still concerned or feel you need to know more, you should consult a healthcare professional before trying any supplement.

To be sure that you know what is in your pre-workout supplements, make sure you choose brands with transparent labeling, such as Transparent Labs' Non-Stim Pre-Workout, which has no beta-alanine included if you would rather avoid the tingling altogether. However, you can now be assured that beta alanine supplementation, and the skin tingling sensation that comes with it, is safe and worth the benefits that come with it.

REFERENCES

1. Timing, optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition. Alireza Naderi 1, Erick P de Oliveira 2, Tim N Ziegenfuss 3, Mark ET Willems 4,*

2. A Systematic Risk Assessment and Meta-Analysis on the Use of Oral β-Alanine Supplementation. Eimear Dolan 1,✉, Paul A Swinton 2, Vitor de Salles Painelli 1, Benedict Stephens Hemingway 2, Bruna Mazzolani 1, Fabiana Infante Smaira 1, Bryan Saunders 1, Guilherme G Artioli 1, Bruno Gualano 1

3. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. Eric T Trexler 1,#, Abbie E Smith-Ryan 1,✉,#, Jeffrey R Stout 2, Jay R Hoffman 2, Colin D Wilborn 3, Craig Sale 4, Richard B Kreider 5, Ralf Jäger 6, Conrad P Earnest 5,7, Laurent Bannock 8, Bill Campbell 9, Douglas Kalman 10, Tim N Ziegenfuss 11, Jose Antonio 12

4. Mechanisms of itch evoked by β-alanine. Qin Liu 1, Parul Sikand, Chao Ma, Zongxiang Tang, Liang Han, Zhe Li, Shuohao Sun, Robert H LaMotte, Xinzhong Dong