The effects of a recommended dose of a pre-workout supplement on anaerobic performance

Pre-workout supplements have been gaining popularity amongst young athletes and fitness enthusiasts, due to their flavours that mimic candy and other treats, as well as the performance enhancements that are said to follow ingestion (Shoshan & Post, 2021). Pre-workout has also seen a spike in use more recently due to the growing population of young athletes wanting to increase their performance quickly and succeed with less difficulty (Çetin et al., 2018). More specifically, multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements are seen more and more, containing ingredients like creatine, amino acids, caffeine, and many more (Harty et al., 2018). When combined, these ingredients are meant to complement each other to enhance the body's ergogenic performance during exercise (Harty et al., 2018). Multi-ingredient pre-workouts are said to enhance sympathetic response, substrate availability, and muscle contraction during exercise (Figueiredo et al., 2020). Many pre-workout supplements promise positive effects like extreme energy, increased focus, increased endurance and more. The question is, are the benefits that pre-workout supplements pose really worth their cost? In this study we will be observing the effects of a recommended dose of C4 (a popular multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement) on anaerobic performance. Douglas College student research essay submitted as partial requirement for Sports Science 4256 course.