Does Pre-Workout Expire?

Let’s face it, we all have bad workouts now and then. It can’t be avoided. Even the most dedicated bodybuilders, athletes, and gym rats have bad workouts now and then.

But, as the saying goes ‘the only bad workout is the one you didn’t do’.

As frustrating as it can be to go through a bad workout, sometimes you may struggle to find the energy and motivation to train regularly.

When this happens, your progress in the gym can be severely hindered and nobody wants that.

If you are struggling to find the energy and the motivation needed to get through a workout, and a cup of coffee just doesn’t seem to be cutting it, a pre-workout supplement could be ideal.

Packed full of caffeine, amino acids, creatine, and other nutrients, pre-workout supplements are incredibly popular with gym-goers all over the globe.

However, one of the main questions that pre-workout supplement users tend to ask is whether or not these supplements can go bad.

So, does pre-workout expire?

What Are Pre-workout Supplements?

Pre-workout supplements are specially formulated supplements that are designed to be used by people who are struggling to find their ‘get up and go’ before they hit the gym.

These supplements are designed to be used by people who feel too tired and unmotivated to go to the gym or exercise in any other way for that matter.

There are countless different pre-workout supplements currently in existence, with each one offering its unique benefits and containing its ingredients.

Different supplement companies and manufacturers of course have different blends and formulas, but generally, there are some ingredients that you can expect to find in nearly all pre-workout supplements. These include:

• Caffeine
• Taurine
• Beta-Alanine
• L-Arginine
• Creatine
• Nitric Oxide
• L-Glutamine

There are, of course, many other ingredients, but these are the most prominent. The most notable of the ones listed above have to be caffeine.

Caffeine is a stimulant that helps to stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) and provides a temporary boost of energy for the mind and the body.

Pre-workouts are designed to be consumed before you train (as the name implies) and once they kick in, they will help you to feel more alert and energized as you train.

This is beneficial as it will help you to focus, it will boost motivation, you will be able to train harder, you’ll lift more weight, do more sets and reps, and get more from your workout.

For caffeine-sensitive people, there is an option to get a good low-caffeine or caffeine-free pre-workout to supercharge your workout.

And this is why, how does pre-workout break a fast or not?

These supplements are potent, however, and therefore they must not be abused or used incorrectly.

Does Pre-Workout Expire?

Cutting right to the chase, we’ll now look at whether or not pre-workout supplements really expire or whether you can keep using them, regardless of how old they are.

The problem with the online fitness community is the fact that there is a lot of misinformation out there, and a great deal of “fake news” as it were.

This can be dangerous because it means a lot of misinformation can be spread, including false info relating to supplements.

Someone somewhere no doubt once claimed that pre-workout supplements don’t expire.

Their logic was likely that, because the supplements contain chemicals and “artificial ingredients” they can’t expire or turn bad.

Well, we’re here today, to tell you that that is absolute nonsense and you should not listen to it at all.

Pre-workout supplements can turn bad and there have been many instances of users getting sick or suffering nasty side effects as a result of using expired pre-workout supplements.

These supplements, though beneficial, can still potentially turn bad, especially if they are contaminated or suffer from exposure.

Any type of supplement can potentially expire or turn bad, so please do not think that this somehow makes pre-workout supplements unhealthy, or poor quality, because it doesn’t. Virtually anything edible will spoil and eventually turn bad, with only a very few exceptions such as honey.

So, we’ve answered the question of pre-workout expiration, but what else do we need to know?

Does Pre-Workout Expire If It Has Been Mixed?

This is one of the most common questions that people ask about pre-workout supplements, due largely to the fact that finding a clear answer always seems to be so hard.

When you take the lid off your tub of pre-workout and see that it is rock solid, has visible mould, or has a foul stench to it, this is of course a sign that your pre-workout is past its best. But what about after mixing the powder with water?

Can it turn bad after it has been mixed?

Well, the answer is yes.

While most people will mix their pre-workout supp with water and chug it down right away, there have been times when people have mixed it with water, put it down somewhere, got distracted, and have forgotten about it, sometimes for days.

Most people in the know recommend you wait no longer than 12 hours to drink your pre-workout beverage once mixed, to reduce the risk of spoiling or contamination.

What Are Some Possible Issues You May Face With Expired Ready Mixed Pre-Workout?

As mentioned, you really shouldn’t wait longer than 12 hours to drink your mixed pre-workout supplement, or else you run the risk of potential health issues and other side effects and possible drawbacks.

Here are some of the most common potential issues you may encounter if you drink ready mixed pre-workout that is too old.

Less Effectiveness

One of the most common possible issues you may encounter if you mix your pre-workout supplement and wait too long to drink it is you’ll find that it is simply less effective.

While water will not break down the active compounds and ingredients found in pre-workout supplements too quickly, eventually it can cause them to lose potency and become less effective.

This is a problem because it means that, essentially, you aren’t getting as much bang for your buck as you should.

If you wait too long before you drink it, you might find that the pre-workout supp becomes less effective so you won’t the effects as prominently as you would if it was fresh or if you had drank it right away.

Foul Taste

Another potential risk you face when it comes to leaving your pre-workout supplements too long after they’ve been mixed with water is bad taste.

We’ve looked at the question of does pre-workout expires.

But we haven’t yet looked at what might happen when it expires. Well, if you leave your ready-mixed supplement with water too long, you may get an unpleasant surprise when you go to drink it.

Pre-workout supplements come in a variety of flavours. We can’t possibly list them all because there are hundreds of different combos.

Usually, these flavours are sweet and fruity thanks to artificial flavourings and sweeteners. You’ll get flavours like raspberry lemonade, sour cherry, lemon and lime, orange, fizzy lemon, pink grapefruit, tropical punch, etc.

Whilst these flavours are perfectly nice when fresh, after a while the flavour profile can change.

If you wait too long before you drink your pre-workout supplements, you may find that it has a foul taste. It could be bitter, too sour, too sharp, or could just taste off completely.

Needless to say, drinking a supplement that tastes like garbage is never going to be a pleasurable experience, so try and drink it as soon after mixing as possible.

Digestive Issues

This is perhaps the most common issue that you are likely to encounter with a ready-mixed pre-workout supplement, and it is probably going to be the most unpleasant too.

Many times, those who have mixed a pre-workout supplement with water and have left it far too long will find that they experience digestive issues.

Pre-workout supplements have already been found to provide laxative effects that cause you to poop, so the last thing you need is a side of gastric distress to go with that. Old or past-its-best pre-workout supplements can cause stomach cramps, gas, trapped wind, bloating, stomach ache, constipation, or diarrhoea.

Unless you want your stomach to feel like a washing machine on a rinse cycle, while full of gas, you should avoid old and ready-mixed pre-workout supplements at all costs.

Does A Clumpy Pre-Workout Mean That It Has Gone Bad?

If you’re a regular user of pre-workout supplements, chances are you will have encountered “clumping” in the past.

Clumping is something which most of us will experience when using pre-workout supplements, and indeed, powdered supplements of any kind, at some point.

There’s nothing more annoying than unscrewing the lid, digging the scoop in, hoping to bring out a level scoop of powder, only to find that you’re instead dealing with one big brick of pre-workout.

Clumpy pre-workout not only looks gross, but it can also be difficult to serve, for obvious reasons. Sure, you can break up the clumps but in some cases even they’re too big to smash up.

But does this mean that your pre-workout has turned bad? Some people will say yes, but that isn’t always true.

While clumpy pre-workout supplements may sometimes be that way because they’ve turned bad, in other instances it could simply be due to water.

You see, people who have purchased brand-new pre-workout supplements have found that the powder has gone clumpy after a few weeks of being open. Surely it can’t have turned bad that quickly?

Well, nope, moisture is to blame.

If the powder is stored somewhere in moist or humid, or in humid conditions, it can attract water and draw it in, which can cause the powder to clump together and form one big disgusting-looking blob.

The most likely cause of this is you throwing out the small silica packet that comes with the powder. This is placed in there to absorb moisture.

While clumping doesn’t mean that it has gone bad, it can still spoil your pre-workout powder as the moister it is, the more chance it has of becoming mouldy.

If you see any signs of mould in there, don’t just try and scrape it off, instead, get it thrown straight in the trash.

How Do You Break Up Clumpy Pre-Workout Supplements?

Okay, so we now know that clumpy pre-workout can be a problem, but that it does not necessarily mean that the supplement has gone bad. Now then, we need to look at what we can do to deal with clumpy pre-workouts.

The first thing you need to do is check for any sign of mould. Be thorough, and check the lid too. If you see any signs of mould, even if it is just a bit, throw it in the trash and buy yourself a new one.

If you are happy that there is no mould in your pre-workout supplement however, the easiest way to break up the clumps is to put the mass of powder into a clean and dry blender and blend until it becomes a powder again.

Decant back into the original tub (as long as it is dry) and you’re all set.

Oh, and never think about dry scooping previously clumpy pre-workout supplements, as there is a greater risk of choking.

Just be aware that some ingredients in pre-workouts, such as glycerol for example, can cause the powder to clump together, even if there is no trace of moisture.

Signs That Your Pre-workout Supplement Has Turned Bad

Before we finish and let you get back to making those gains in the gym, let’s look at a few tell-tale signs that your pre-workout supplements have gone bad.

It Smells Bad

A typical pre-workout supplement should smell sweet and fruity. If you take the lid off and find that it smells bad, this could be a sign that the supplement has turned bad.

If yours smells damp, musky, earthy, or just bad in general, toss it out, it’s not worth the risk.

It Has Past Its Expiration Date

Another obvious sign that your pre-workout supplement has gone bad is if it is past its expiration date.

If you check the date and see that it is several months, or even years, past its expiration date, there’s a high risk it could be bad.

It Makes You Feel Ill

If you take a pre-workout supplement and find that you become ill, or feel ill afterwards, it could be because it’s gone off and has turned bad.

If you find that you feel sick, nauseous, dizzy, or unwell in general, or if you suffer from digestive issues such as sickness or diarrhoea, it’s likely your pre-workout that is to blame.

It looks Off

Finally, if the supplement is clumpy, dull, mouldy, or just doesn’t look great, this could be another sign that your pre-workout supplement is bad.

Final Thoughts:

So, does pre-workout expire?

Well, yes it does.

Pre-workout supplements can give you a real edge in the gym, they can help you to train harder, and more intensely, but you need to ensure that they’re fresh and in good condition. Using expired pre-workout supplements is just asking for trouble and is not worth the risk.

Look after your supplements, store them correctly, keep them safe and secure, use them as instructed, and keep a lookout for any signs of spoilage, and you’ll be perfectly fine.

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