WHY SLEEP AND NUTRITION ARE THE ULTIMATE PRE-WORKOUTS

I’m sure you’ve dealt with the experience where you’re getting ready for a workout, yet you feel completely unmotivated to train, and would rather take a nap than lift a bar over your head.

And it’s in those moments that many clients will cave in and look for that special bottle of pre-workout, the one labeled “XTREME PUMP 4000 – Now with TWICE as much caffeine!” in order to help fuel their workouts.

And hey, most lifters have probably experimented with a handful of different pre-workouts at least at one point in their lives!

But what you’re going to take home with this article is that although pre-workouts may have a time and place where their consumption can be appropriate, there are two significantly more crucial things your clients could be prioritizing when it comes to having the energy required to train HARD:

“You always bring two things with you to the gym: Your sleep and your nutrition.”

This is a quote that I heard many years ago that has stayed with me to this day.

I promise that by the end of this article, you’ll recognize sleep and nutrition as being of pinnacle importance when it comes to not only training hard, but recovering well.

You’ll also never look at pre-workouts the same again. In fact, you might not ever feel the need to buy another bottle!

WHY PRE-WORKOUTS AREN’T THE SOLUTION

Before we dive into sleep and nutrition, I have a rant I’d like to get through regarding pre-workout supplementation.

Pre-workouts are marketed in a way to “improve energy levels and focus”, and this is exactly the type of clients who are going to be most interested in buying them.  Lo and behold, these are the very same people who should NOT be using pre-workouts:

People with less-than-optimal energy and focus.

People who either don’t eat enough calories to fuel their workouts, or rely on low-quality foods to get their calories in (McDo apres le gym, big?)

People who sleep the bare minimum amount of hours to be <relatively> functional in their day.

It’s THESE type of clients that end up relying on dry double-scooping their pre-workouts before the gym.

This is where they run into a problem…

If they’re lacking energy and are relying on exogenous sources of it such as in pre-workouts, what might that be telling you about their ability to recover?

Well, plainly, it’s telling you that their recoverability is likely strained.

And this can be easily explained by the delicate balance of how sleep and nutrition affect the body’s total stress burden, or <allostatic load>.

Allostatic load refers to the total accumulated stress that comes to us from all angles of life, be it from lack of sleep, lack of calories and nutrition, or even from things such as career and work stress, financial stress, relationship stress, injuries, illness, excess muscle damage, dehydration,  as well as perceived stress.

Unfortunately, our bodies don’t categorize or separate these stressors into neat compartments.

It’s all just one big bundle of STRESS.

When it comes to training and recoverability, there is one thing that is clear…

Stress destroys the ability to recover, and significantly reduces the level of activation and intensity that can  be applied to a given workout.

Furthermore, common stimulant pre-workout ingredients work in part by stimulating the sympathetic nervous response, the very same that’s activated by increased levels of adrenaline and cortisol.

The question then arises: “What if the client is already bogged down by high levels of sympathetic nervous activity, adrenaline, and cortisol?”

Unfortunately for them, this will likely push them further and further down into the hole they’ve dug for themselves, until they feel like the only way they can function is through a 350mg dose of caffeine and 5g of beta-alanine, among other things.

Therefore if a client is relying on a high-stimulant pre-workout to give them the energy they need to train, it might all be for nothing when you factor in the overall decrease in recoverability mentioned above. Yes, they might be training harder, but what’s the point if their body is struggling to keep up?

We’ll move onto sleep and nutrition soon, but one thing I want to clarify is: I’m not necessarily saying that stimulant pre-workouts are bad, but the questions you should be asking for your client should be:

“Are they able to train hard WITHOUT the pre-workout?”
“Are they dealing with acceptable and manageable levels of stress?”
“Are they sleeping enough and eating enough quality food to support endogenous energy production?”

If you answer these questions positively, then pre-workouts can indeed be used to boost energy and focus beyond baseline, allowing to train harder and push further. At a minimum, a simple coffee can go a long way.

Here’s the cold, hard truth: No matter how much pre-workout you take, you’re still leaving results on the table if your sleep and nutrition aren’t dialed in. You can load up on all the stimulants you want, but if you’re running on empty in terms of sleep and feeding your body garbage, you’re just digging yourself a deeper hole.

When it comes to performance, hitting new PRs, building muscle and actually making progress, it’s time to get serious about the two things that matter more than any supplement – sleep and nutrition. Ditto for your client’s progress.

SLEEP IS KING

In many studies, lack of sleep is typically defined by <7 hours per night, which from what I’ve seen is still significantly better sleep than many of your clients are likely getting – which just re-affirms the opinion that sleep needs to be improved before any stimulants should be added to their days.

“Sleep deprivation (<7 h) increases circulating stress hormones (e.g., cortisol) [1]; decreases the regeneration of carbohydrate stores (i.e., glycogen) [2]; deregulates appetite and impacts on energy expenditure [3]; increases catabolism and reduces anabolism, impacting the rate of muscle repair (MPS) [4,5]” 

Note: I use my Garmin watch to gather my sleep metrics, but another excellent option is the Oura ring which many find more comfortable whilst sleeping.

In one study, it was demonstrated that “Lack of sleep negatively impacts athletes’ reaction time, accuracy, strength, endurance, and cognitive functions like judgment and decision-making, as well as decreased vigor (physical and mental energy) and decreased submaximal strength (performance below max effort). [6]

Another study examined trained cyclists and the effects of partial sleep deprivation on recovery from high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Cyclists were given either a full night of sleep (7.5 hours) or half of their usual sleep (3.8 hours). The results showed that cyclists who experienced sleep deprivation had reduced peak power output 24 hours post-training, felt sleepier, and were less motivated to train compared to when they had a full night of sleep. 

This suggests that even one night of partial sleep deprivation significantly impairs recovery from intense exercise [7]

But I don’t have to tell you this—we’ve ALL had those nights of subpar sleep, and we’ve felt the impact on our workout intensity and focus immediately the next day. Imagine how bad this can get if these effects are compounded over weeks or even months!

Let’s move onto factor #2:

NUTRITION

If sleep is king, then nutrition is the foundation that holds the kingdom together.

Without a solid nutritional base, everything else will eventually collapse.

Nutrition is a vast topic, but let’s focus on the most important points:

Consuming enough macronutrients—proteins, carbohydrates, and fats—is vital for maintaining optimal health and supporting the body’s physiological processes.

• Proteins, broken down into amino acids, play key roles in DNA repair, neurotransmitter and hormone regulation, immune function, muscle repair, and much more.
• Carbohydrates are muscle-sparing and necessary for topping off glycogen stores to fuel performance and preserve muscle mass during training.
• Fats are critical for cell membrane integrity, controlling cellular functions. You can have all the protein and carbs in the world, but without enough fat, you’re in serious trouble. Your cell membranes are made of fatty molecules, and if you don’t consume enough fat, those membranes can start to weaken, causing chaos in your body.

Top Left: Eggs, lean pulled pork, whole grain bread, wilted collards
Top Right: Pork tenderloin, green beans + brussels sprouts (no major carb source, but could have easily added rice or potatoes for example.
Bottom Left: Homemade poke bowl with rice, edamame, nori, salmon + tuna, veggies
Bottom Right: Pork chop with roasted potatoes + zucchini and carrots

Hydration, through water, is also essential. Water is arguably the 4th macronutrient—it’s crucial for everything from digestion to brain function. Without enough of it, your body can’t perform at its best.

Fiber, another important nutrient that plays an important role in digestive health, blood sugar control, and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Homemade hummus + veggies.  Healthier alternative and almost 3x less caloric than store-bought hummus.

Finally, we can’t overlook the role of micronutrients—the vitamins and minerals that support metabolism and overall health.

Shameless plug, but you should know that we delve deeper into these topic in our Personal Trainer Certification, which gives you a deeper understanding of the interplay between all of these important factors.

ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT TRAINING AND WANT A CAREER IN THE FIELD?

YES, I WANT TO BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER

At the end of the day, sleep and nutrition are the real “pre-workouts.” No amount of caffeine or beta-alanine will replace proper recovery and fueling the body the right way.

1. Dial in sleep: Without at least 7 hours of quality sleep, you’re leaving progress on the table.
2. Get nutrition right: Performance and recovery hinge on balanced proteins, carbs, and fats. Without them, you’re fighting an uphill battle.
3. Don’t forget hydration and micronutrients: Water, vitamins, and minerals are non-negotiable to perform at one’s best.

In short, by applying the insights from this article, you stand to save your clients hundreds or even thousands of dollars throughout their fitness journey—money that can be invested more wisely, whether in other supplements or other areas that truly enhance performance. More importantly, you’ll be equipped to guide your clients in focusing on what really matters for boosting energy and optimizing workouts.

References:

[1] Meerlo P., Sgoifo A., Suchecki D. Restricted and disrupted sleep: Effects on autonomic function, neuroendocrine stress systems and stress responsivity. Sleep Med. Rev. 2008;12:197–210. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2007.07.007.

[2] Morselli L., Leproult R., Balbo M., Spiegel K. Role of sleep duration in the regulation of glucose metabolism and appetite. Best Pract. Res. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2010;24:687–702. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2010.07.005

[3] Knutson K.L., Spiegel K., Penev P., Van Cauter E. The metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation. Sleep Med. Rev. 2007;11:163–178. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2007.01.002

[4] Atrooz F., Salim S. Sleep deprivation, oxidative stress and inflammation. In: Donev R., editor. Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology. Academic Press; Cambridge, MA, USA: 2020. pp. 309–336.

[5] Fullagar H.H., Bartlett J.D. Time to wake up: Individualising the approach to sleep promotion interventions. Br. J. Sports Med. 2016;50:143–144. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095759

[6] Vitale, K. C., Owens, R., Hopkins, S. R., & Malhotra, A. (2019). Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(8), 535-543.

[7] Rae, D. E., Chin, T., Dikgomo, K., Hill, L., McKune, A. J., Kohn, T. A., & Roden, L. C. (2017). One night of partial sleep deprivation impairs recovery from a single exercise training session. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(4), 699–712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3565-5