Pre Workout Vs Protein Powder (What's The Difference?)

Protein powders and pre-workout supplements have two things in common; they both come in powdered form and are both used to complement diet and exercise.

They should not be used as substitutes for a balanced diet but as boosters to an already established training regimen and diet restriction.

And that's pretty much it as far as their similarities are concerned.

Before we examine what makes them different, let's examine their roles.

It's hard to find a serious gym-goer who doesn't use whey protein or protein powders in general. Protein shakes and powders are easily the most popular bodybuilding supplements in the health and fitness industry.

Now, to understand what protein powder does, it's essential to understand its purpose.

The work of a protein shake or powder is to fuel muscle recovery, maintain healthy metabolism and promote muscle gain.

Whey protein, the most popular in a variety of protein shakes, is suitable for people looking to boost their body’s protein intake and muscle mass.

One study examining its effect on 40 men proved that increased protein intake through supplementation resulted in increased muscle mass, especially after engaging in strength training and cardio [1].

Bodybuilders and athletes love whey protein shakes because they come loaded with essential amino acids, stimulants, minerals, and vitamins that are useful in burning fat cells in the body [2].

In addition, they contain Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). BCAA is an essential amino acid and dietary protein that aids in muscle growth and recovery when taken alone or as part of a complete protein [3].

Below are the full benefits of protein powders and shakes:

• Weight management because of their low calorie to protein ratio
• Promotes satiety
• Enhance muscle tone and maintains muscle mass
• Boosts recovery after a workout
• It can be used as a vegan-friendly alternative to dairy and meat

When there’s no energy or passion for working out, pre-workouts come in handy to help you keep motivated and focused on your fitness goal.

Put simply, pre-workouts boost performance by allowing you to train harder and for longer.

That includes enabling you to have more energy, a sharp focus, and the power to push you further.

Pre-workouts also boost endurance and contain nutrients such as amino acids that boost muscle blood flow [4].

“The point of pre-workout is to boost your focus and energy and help you achieve maximum performance in the gym or during your chosen exercise.”

- Charlie Meister, Online Personal Trainer 

As you can already guess, pre-workouts contain stimulants like caffeine that push you towards maximum input for optimal results. Other ingredients include creatine, taurine, essential amino acids, and beta-alanine [5].

The best time to take a pre-workout is around half an hour before a workout so that the blend of ingredients can find time to kick in as you train [6].

A pre-workout supplement is the best for beginners, based on my experience as a fitness trainer.

Why should you choose pre-workout first?

Because pre-workouts boost your motivation and performance during a workout by helping you stay focused and driven.

When you’re new to exercise, this push can be essential to ensure you stay on track and don’t give up too soon.

However, your muscles do need to adapt to exercise routines and get used to the training regimens.

Start with a protein shake to adapt faster and kickstart your goal of gaining more muscle.

I always advise my clients who have never used pre-workouts or any supplement before to start with a lower dose to test their body’s reaction before graduating to higher amounts.

After a decent period of using the supplement, I give the go-ahead to combine the supplements or use them separately in regular amounts, whichever works best for them.

Still, it's best to consult a qualified healthcare professional before deciding on a diet, exercise program, or dietary supplement.

The best time to take a pre-workout is 15-45 minutes before exercising, while protein powders can be taken anytime, both before or after a workout.

Protein powders work the same way whether taken before or after a workout, although most people like taking it 15-60 minutes after a training session.

For a long time, athletes took protein powders within a 30-minute anabolic window. They believe that drinking protein shakes outside this window would be ineffective.

The anabolic window is the short time after a workout when muscles take in nutrients to repair and recover.

However, new research suggests that the anabolic window is longer than 30 minutes [7].