The effects of kratom can range from increased energy levels to pain-relieving properties, both of which have obvious benefits concerning exercise and working out. The alkaloids found within the leaves of the kratom tree can potentially give you an energy boost and can act as an effective pre-workout supplement.
Athletes, bodybuilders, and health enthusiasts of all kinds are all starting to use kratom to help provide an extra advantage to push through intense workouts. Let’s take a closer look at kratom for working out here.
Benefits of Kratom as a Pre-workout Supplement
In the world of fitness and exercise, a new fad seems to appear nearly every day. From a tiny pill to a hyped-up diet, there are all sorts of options out there to help you get fit and feel great. But one thing that everyone needs in order to dive into strenuous workouts of any type is the energy level to push yourself hard enough to see results. That’s why pre-workout supplements are so popular, and a lot of people use them before every workout.
Kratom has been used for centuries by people native to Southeast Asia, in countries such as Indonesia, Bali, Malaysia, and Thailand. It has many benefits, but one of the most appealing, and why it can be used as an effective pre-workout supplement is the energy boost the plant provides upon consumption. Low doses of kratom can have a strong energizing effect that can provide the boost of energy that you need to dive into strenuous exercises and demanding workouts.
A lot of people use energy drinks or coffee to increase energy levels before a workout. While these can be effective, caffeine use can come at a cost and often leave you jittery or lead to difficulty sleeping. Kratom, or Mitragnya speciosa, is actually in the coffee family and it has similar uplifting and energizing properties to coffee, without the caffeine. Compounds called alkaloids found within the leaves of the plant are the source of the natural energy boost kratom can provide.
The pain-relieving properties that some strains of kratom provide are another reason that kratom can be used as a pre-workout supplement. Bodybuilders who are really sore the day after a hard workout can use this property to their advantage. And unlike other more natural pain relievers, such as CBD, kratom can also increase energy levels, making it a win-win for all sorts of athletes from gymnasts to runners who are solely focused on their cardio. These analgesic effects can vary from strain to strain, which we’ll take a look at later on in this article.
Kratom can also have the effect of boosting mental clarity and focus. When you combine this effect with its pain-relieving and energy increasing properties, it demonstrates some serious potential as a pre-workout supplement. Not only can kratom push you to new levels when you are working out, but it can also help you stay focused and in tune, which is great for competitive athletes of many kinds.
Is it Safe to Use Kratom as a Pre-Workout Supplement For Bodybuilding and Working Out?
Before you use kratom or any other sort of pre-workout supplement, you should always make sure you are in good enough physical health to exercise in the first place. Intense aerobic activity can be challenging for anyone with pre-existing conditions. If you haven’t worked out in quite a while, you might want to go in for a doctor’s checkout before jumping into an intense workout.
Generally speaking, kratom is safe to use. You should know that the FDA does not recommend its use to the public and this is because there have been several overdoses reported. In almost all of these cases, the people who experienced an overdose had other substance abuse issues, and other drugs, such as opioids, were found in their systems. There are not any documented instances of athletes or bodybuilders experiencing these types of issues when using kratom as a pre-workout supplement.
Everyone has a different body chemistry and will react differently to various substances, whether they are all-natural, plant-derived products like kratom or massed produced energy drinks packed with caffeine and other chemical stimulants. If you are unfamiliar with kratom use, you should always start with a low dose to see how your body reacts. The energy boost that a lot of people experience from kratom doesn’t often occur as quick as a dose of coffee, so it’s important not to use high doses right away.
Any type of stimulant can have an effect on your cardiovascular health. If you have a preexisting heart condition or are very sensitive to caffeine, you might not want to take pre-workout supplements of any kind. A lack of sleep can cause a lot of issues for health enthusiasts and result in everything from injuries to a compromised immune system. A little energy boost is nice, but not if it comes at the cost of terrible sleep. If you don’t have any preexisting conditions and can handle stimulating products that boost energy levels, kratom is typically safe to use.
Side Effects to Using Kratom Before Working Out
There are a few side effects that you should know about when using kratom as a pre-workout supplement. While some strains of kratom provide energy-boosting effects in low doses, others can have an almost opposite effect and be very sedating. This usually happens when you consume a high dose of kratom and is more apparent in certain varieties of the plant. We will talk more on that shortly, but always make sure you use an energizing strain of kratom such as Maeng Da or Green Thai varieties. While the sedative strains can have enhanced pain-relieving properties, this is a definite side effect when you want an energy boost prior to working out.
Other side effects have to do with the overall effects of stimulants on your body. Trouble sleeping, insomnia, and restlessness are possible when taking any stimulants, especially for people who are sensitive to them. If you know that you are sensitive to caffeine or coffee, there is a chance you will experience similar side effects when consuming kratom. There isn’t caffeine in kratom, but it is in the coffee family and has some similar effects on certain people.
If you notice your energy levels increase to a point where you feel like a rabbit in a cage, you are probably experiencing this side effect. Drinking large amounts of water or eating food can help calm you down. This intense energy boost can be great to help you push through a strenuous workout or demanding cardio session, but if you can’t calm back down after you are done working out, you are experiencing a negative side-effect caused by kratom use.
Some people don’t like the taste of kratom. If you fall into this camp, you may not want to consume kratom before intense workouts, as you can be burping it back up as you increase your aerobic activity. It’s a small side-effect, but one worth mentioning, nonetheless.
Best Kratom Strains to Use Before Working Out
Different kratom strains provide different effects and benefits. You want to make sure that the strain you choose will give you an energy boost instead of any sort of sedative effect. Here are some of the best strains to use before working out that can all help you increase your energy levels and be used as an effective pre-workout supplement. You will typically want to stick with white or green vein strains as they have more energy-boosting properties than red vein strains.
White or Green Maeng Da Kratom
This is a favorite strain among many people, bodybuilders and athletes included. It is known to have a lot of energy-boosting properties and can be used as a pre-workout supplement. Maeng Da is also a very potent strain which means it has a high level of alkaloids that can help increase energy levels while supporting mental focus as well.
White Malay
White Malay kratom comes from Malaysia, where excellent growing conditions create the perfect environment for this white vein strain. This strain can provide a serious energy boost that athletes can take advantage of before working out.
White or Green Thai
Originating in Thailand, where it has been used for generations, white or green Thai kratom varieties are another good option for a pre-workout supplement. These varieties offer some of the most potent energy-boosting properties, so you should always start with a low dose.
White Indo
White Indo kratom is another good strain for health enthusiasts who want to get that pre-workout boost. It is another potent variety that should be used in lower doses if you haven’t used kratom before.
Recommended Pre-Workout Doses of Kratom
Regardless of which strain of kratom you choose to use for a pre-workout supplement, it’s important to get the right dose. If you don’t, you could experience some unwanted side effects that aren’t going to help you with your workout. When in doubt, always start with a small dose and work your way up from there.
A dose of around 3-5 grams is a good place to start and you can work your way up from there. Keep in mind that this is the weight of dried kratom leaves or powder, and not the weight of the tea you have made out of the leaves. If you find that you don’t experience any effects at this small dose, you can increase from there. Too little is always better than too much.
Take a look here for information on how to choose the right dose of kratom.
