If you have taken a pre-workout supplement recently, it is very likely that you've experienced this itchy/tingly feeling on your skin. This sensation is called "Paresthesia", and is actually harmless at the doses pre-workouts provide. It can be quite mild at lower doses, but can also be pretty uncomfortable at higher ones. Some people enjoy this tingly feeling because it helps them to know that the supplement they've taken is working. Some people don't feel it at all. And yet others find it way too uncomfortable to cope with, either due to a higher sensitivity, dry skin, or other condition.
How does your pre-workout supplement do this? Which ingredient(s) in specific?
Carnosyn (Beta Alanine)
Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid naturally found in our bodies. In our muscles, it binds with histidine to form muscle carnosine (Hence the brand name Carnosyn). Muscle carnosine is the main buffering agent that works in our muscles to fight off, or neutralize the ions(hydronium) that lead to muscle fatigue and failure. By upping the amount of carnosine in our muscles, we can benefit from an increase in endurance at high level performance, and accelerated recovery. The tingling sensation comes from the nerves beneath our skin being activated at a higher rate, due to the beta alanine attaching itself to them.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
The B-Vitamin complex in our bodies primary function is correlated with digesting the food we consume. By doing so, they are the major players in our bodies production of energy. The sensation that we feel due to a high dose of Niacin is known as a "flush". This flush arises from the Niacin in our body causing small blood vessels to open up, especially near the surface of the skin.
Do I Have To Endure The Discomfort?
For some people, this sensation is just way too uncomfortable to bare. The vast majority of pre-workouts do contain at least 1 of these two ingredients. The best way to approach them for the more sensitive people will be with caution. Start out with a very small dose (1/2 the recommended) and gauge how you feel. Then, add more as you feel comfortable.
How does your pre-workout supplement do this? Which ingredient(s) in specific?
Carnosyn (Beta Alanine)
Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid naturally found in our bodies. In our muscles, it binds with histidine to form muscle carnosine (Hence the brand name Carnosyn). Muscle carnosine is the main buffering agent that works in our muscles to fight off, or neutralize the ions(hydronium) that lead to muscle fatigue and failure. By upping the amount of carnosine in our muscles, we can benefit from an increase in endurance at high level performance, and accelerated recovery. The tingling sensation comes from the nerves beneath our skin being activated at a higher rate, due to the beta alanine attaching itself to them.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
The B-Vitamin complex in our bodies primary function is correlated with digesting the food we consume. By doing so, they are the major players in our bodies production of energy. The sensation that we feel due to a high dose of Niacin is known as a "flush". This flush arises from the Niacin in our body causing small blood vessels to open up, especially near the surface of the skin.
Do I Have To Endure The Discomfort?
For some people, this sensation is just way too uncomfortable to bare. The vast majority of pre-workouts do contain at least 1 of these two ingredients. The best way to approach them for the more sensitive people will be with caution. Start out with a very small dose (1/2 the recommended) and gauge how you feel. Then, add more as you feel comfortable.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about the Pre-Workout Supplements, then visit Mark Robinson's site and see a list of 7 pre-workouts that won't make you itch.
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