The other day, one of my clients brought his container to show me his clumpy pre-workout.
He never saw that happening before, so he had a lot of questions regarding clumpy pre-workout powder.
As I realized many gym-goers still don’t understand the reasons behind this phenomenon nor how to fix or prevent this from happening, as an experienced instructor, I felt compelled to dedicate a few weeks to evaluate this topic with my certified dietitian.
These are our findings.
Quick Summary
- Clumpy or hard pre-workout can be turned into powder through physical breakdown and grinding.
- Pre-workout turns clumpy because of the broken safety seal, bad storage environment, or ingredients being exposed to water moisture.
- Keeping pre-workouts in an optimal environment, or using silica gel packets can prevent them from getting clumpy.
How to Turn Hard Pre-workout Into Powder Again?
To turn hard pre-workout into powder again, you must apply methods that will physically break down and grind your stiff pre-workout.
The easiest and quickest solution would be putting your clumpy pre-workout powder into a blender.
This effective fix should turn your chunky pre-workout into initial powder form in less than a minute.
Just make sure your blender is completely dry and functional; otherwise, you risk the powder sticking to your blender walls.
If this happens, your pre-workout supplement powder remaining on the blender wall will turn clumpy again.
That pre-workout may be hard to break down, so having an effective blender is a must.
However, if your blender is defective or you don’t have it at all, you can always use a knife or fork.
It’s pretty self-explanatory what you need to do - use your sharp cutlery pieces (we recommend butter knife as a safer option) as an ice pick and keep stabbing clumpy or hard pre-workout until it turns into smaller lumps.
These lumps won’t be delicate like a blended powder but will be adequate for an accurate dosage measurement.
Why Do Supplements Clump?
Supplements (like pre-workout powders) clump for several reasons - bad safety seals, bad storage environment, or too many hygroscopic ingredients.
Bad safety seals or broken seals happen as a result of lousy quality control procedures or shipment issues.
And when the seal is not appropriately locked, powder attracts moisture from the air and hardens with time, making the pre-workout clumpy.
Hygroscopic powdered ingredients in pre-workouts (Citrulline, Creatine, and Glycerol) are the main culprit why powdered form will absorb moisture and eventually turn clumpy.
Those pre-workout ingredients are substances that attract moisture and hold water molecules at normal or room temperature [1].
Following the saying - ‘prevention is better than cure,’ we need to find effective methods to prevent pre-workouts from absorbing moisture and turning clumpy or hard in the first place.
So, you checked, and the seal is fine. Now, what else should you pay attention to?
Related: Why Is My Pre-Workout Clumpy?
How To Prevent Pre-workout From Hardening?
To prevent pre-workout from hardening, you should follow a few standard rules.
The first and most effective thing is to keep the silica packets (most pre-workout supplements come with them) in your containers.
Those small silica packets buried in the powder will prevent your pre-workout from attracting water molecules.
As long as you follow the written instructions and don’t eat the silica gel packet, it’s completely safe to keep them buried in your pre-workout or even add another silica gel to double down on the effect.
Another thing that helps avoid a clumpy pre-workout state is regularly stirring or occasionally shaking pre-workout powder to ensure the product isn’t settling.
You probably naturally do this before using pre-workouts, so another suggestion is to use them more frequently, at least once weekly.
Lastly, if you leave your pre-workout container in hot and humid places like your car, especially with a halfway closed or opened seal, those little silica packets will stand no chance of preventing the powder from turning clumpy.
So, to avoid this between periods of use, keep your pre-workouts in dry and cool areas (a fridge is a good option) without excess moisture and seal them well.
Related Article: Can A Pre-Workout Expire?
FAQs
Can You Use Clumped Pre-workout?
Yes, you can use clumped pre-workout. Pre-workout supplements clump, and this is natural for all powdered supplements (like pre-workout, fat-burner, and protein powders).
It’s important to emphasize that clumpy pre-workout is still safe to use and keeps the same effectiveness and quality.
The only drawback of clumpy or chunky pre-workout may be measuring the accurate dose and mixing.
Can Pre-workout Get Old?
Yes, pre-workout can get old and go bad. Almost every supplement, including pre-workouts, tends to have a use-by date printed on the container.
However, if stored incorrectly, pre-workout can get moldy and go bad even if it doesn’t pass the expiration date. It often happens if pre-workout is stored in humid places or the seal is halfway closed.
Keep You Pre-workout in a Powder State
Pre-workouts turn clumpy, and that isn’t something you should worry about, as clumpy pre-workouts are more common when the formula contains natural ingredients.
So, a clumpy tub of pre-workout could actually be an indicator of a natural supplement that simplifies your fitness journey and spares your liver.
That’s why we extensively tested and formed the list of the best organic pre-workouts, being both efficient and safe for regular use. Make sure to find and try one that suits your needs the best.
References:
- https://sciencenotes.org/hygroscopic-definition-and-examples/
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