Richard Solar (20) did like many young men his age. He started working out at the gym with friends. Four times a week he went to training. Together with several friends, he also took pre-workout (PWO), the dietary supplement that gives a caffeine boost. Before each workout, he took the recommended dose of the dietary supplement. But gradually he began to feel discomfort, restlessness, dizziness and anxiety. In addition, he began to struggle with sleep. – It was uncomfortable and a little scary. It wasn’t a good feeling, says Solar. What is PWO? – Pre-workout (PWO) is taken before training to give more energy and improve performance. – PWO is a dietary supplement and therefore legal in Norway. -Products from other countries may contain substances that are not legal. – The correct dosage of PWO is usually 1/3 or 1/2 of the measuring spoon that comes with it. Not a whole measuring spoon. – Mixtures with PWO and other caffeinated beverages can lead to harmful amounts of caffeine. – There are many different variants and brands of PWO. – Other popular dietary supplements are creatine and protein powder. But only PWO contains large amounts of caffeine. Common ingredients: Caffeine, betaine, vitamin B12, citrulline, vitamin B3, beta-alanine, arginine, taurine, tyrosine, creatine, BCAA. Afraid of fainting, news told earlier in February about Oliver Kvebek who had an upset stomach and threw up during training when he used PWO. Antidoping Norway warns against the product, and research shows that more than half experience side effects. One of the largest distributors of PWO in Norway, Proteinfabrikken says people must be careful and follow the recommended user doses (see corresponding further down). For Solar, it took time before he understood that the discomfort was related to the training dietary supplement. – It was not specifically stated on the box what side effects it could cause, says the 20-year-old who works with IT on a daily basis at Førde vgs. He bought the food supplement at a shop in Førde. He said that he could get so dizzy that he was afraid of passing out. – My God, imagine if I faint, I thought. Solar decided to stop taking pre-workouts. Then the anxiety and restlessness disappeared. Today he is free from the pain. Psychologist: A widespread problem Psychologist Bård Hafseng Børresen works for Oslo Psykologen. He has had several clients with him who have experienced anxiety and discomfort after using PWO. – They have wondered what is wrong and have not understood where the symptoms are coming from. One of my clients was very nervous before training, and it wasn’t until we went through in detail what he did before training that we saw a connection. Bård Hafseng Børresen has 17 years of experience from private psychological practice and has seen several cases where PWO has released anxiety in clients. Photo: Oslo Psykologen – I am only one of many psychologists and have seen several cases, this is probably more widespread than one would think. After his clients stopped using PWO, the symptoms were greatly reduced. – It’s not wrong to use pre-workout, but you have to be aware of reactions. Also perhaps look at alternatives to other things one can do to improve the presentation in training. Caffeine content per dl Pre-workout: 100mg Espresso: 268mg Energy drink: 32mg Powdered coffee: 45mg Filter coffee: 40mg Many people think they take too much But not everyone is aware of the side effects of using the dietary supplement. Jesper Hammersvik (23) has used PWO for several years without knowing anything. Now he uses it daily before training. Hammersvik from Førde uses the dietary supplement every day, but has never experienced any side effects. Photo: Kent Roger Engdal Hammersvik has developed its own product, peveo. – People react differently to pre-workout. For example, some people are allergic to beta-alanine, which can cause nausea, itching and tingling in the skin. It’s the same as someone being allergic to nuts and others not, says Hammersvik. He also believes that many people who have bad experiences often start with too high a dosage. – Much of PWO has too high a dosage of caffeine, when I started with it myself I didn’t quite know what I was buying. I took two spoonfuls and probably took in far too much, says Hammersvik. His advice to those who want to start with the product is to avoid products from abroad and start with small dosages and increase gradually. Strongly doubtful The dietary supplement PWO is available in many variants from different manufacturers. Proteinfabrikken is one of the largest distributors in Scandinavia. Product manager Egil Berli-Johnsen at Proteinfabrikken says he does not want to speak against anyone’s experience, but is doubtful that caffeine can cause anxiety, and thinks it is rather an anxiety-like symptom. Photo: Fredrik Bye / Privat – People have different tolerances for caffeine, you have to think for yourself and regulate your own intake, he says. Bergli-Johnsen is not familiar with anxiety symptoms linked to PWO, but is not surprised that the dietary supplement can, among other things, lead to poor sleep. The dosages from their suppliers are recommendations for an average person. – That someone can be sensitive and have a strong response is entirely possible. If a road is smaller or more sensitive, stimulants must be used carefully. Hi, do you have any tips or suggestions for this case or other cases I should look into? Feel free to send me an email!
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Experienced anxiety when he took the nutritional supplement pre-workout before training – news Vestland
