A cohort at Adafruit tipped me off to an interesting supplementation biohack:
I added creatine / fenugreek / powdered beets to coffee for a pre-workout “drink”…it makes everything come into super razor focus…
I was intrigued, tried it and blech! My sensitivity to things that taste awful was immediately triggered. This also offends the coffee gods. Over the last week I’ve tried different combinations and came up with a tasty version of the pre-workout drink. I agree with the “super razor focus” claim.
My current version removes the coffee from the mix. Keep in mind that caffeine is a important booster for workouts and has a synergistic effect with beats. I suggest keeping your tea or coffee in close proximity.
- 1 pill Fenugreek – Pill form to avoid the bad taste. This turned out to be the “awful” source.
- 1/2 tsp Beetroot Powder – Tastes alright in small quantity. Beetroot which is high in nitrates improves blood flow and relaxes blood vessels which means more oxygen to muscles. See our Beet Doping post for more.
- 1/2 tsp creatine – Widely used performance-enhancing supplement. Building block to creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – muscle energy. This study suggests that taking creatine in combination with fenugreek will increase creatine update without a need for carbohydrates. An ideal attribute for the low carb crowd.
- 1 tsp branch chain amino acids – Used to prevent muscle wasting on fasted workouts.
- 1 tsp CALM orange magnesium – Used to flavor the drink, prevent cramping and increase magnesium.
Combine all ingredients in one pint of water and stir. This drink provided me with the kind of focus that was ideal for coding or writing. I’ve also enjoyed running, swimming and cycling on it. YMMV.
Is this safe? Creatine is the substance that stands out here. Diabetics, children and people with kidney or liver disease should avoid creatine.
Sources:
Single and combined effects of beetroot juice and caffeine supplementation on cycling time trial performance
Effects of combined creatine plus fenugreek extract vs. creatine plus carbohydrate supplementation on resistance training adaptations
