Is Pre-workout Bad for Your Liver? Answered by a Doctor

For the most part, pre-workouts won’t badly affect your liver. If you’re in a fit form, take pre-workouts as prescribed, and don’t try out perilous trends, you’ll most probably be fine.

However, there are also cases in which pre-workouts negatively affect the liver. Here’s when you can suffer from a drug-induced liver injury:

• Proprietary blends — Many dietary supplements are proprietary blends, which means the manufacturer doesn’t disclose exactly what the supplement contains and in which quantities.
• Not FDA regulated — Dietary supplements aren’t FDA regulated, so you can’t know if they are safe or not.

This being said, you can choose a pre-workout supplement that’s been third-party tested to ensure a degree of quality.

"The FDA does not regulate herbal supplements as they do with medications. They will pull a supplement off the market but only after there have been complaints of side effects."

- Carol Denysschen, Chair of Health and Nutrition Dietetics at Buffalo State

Here’s which ingredients in bodybuilding supplements are and aren’t safe for your liver:

• Protein — This is the most widely used pre-workout as it helps build muscle. You'll be fine if you take it correctly and in small doses. But if you ingest too much protein, you’ll interfere with the liver and kidney function. A good rule is to stick to 50g of whey protein or 30g daily for six months.
• Dimethylamylamine Or (DMAA) — DMAA is seen as dangerous because it raises heart stress and blood pressure. Moreover, it can cause liver failure. Many supplements containing DMAA have been pulled from the shelves in the US, and manufacturers mostly use amino acids to mimic the DMAA effect.
• Niacin — Niacin helps during intense workouts and doesn’t have many side effects. However, if you take a high dose of Niacin, you’ll have elevated liver enzymes.
• Creatine — Is produced naturally in the body, but it’s also one of the most common ingredients of bodybuilding supplements. It gives a boost of energy and helps you work out for longer. The good news is that it won’t cause liver damage. However, it can cause kidney stress and dehydration if taken for too long. That’s why it’s best to use creatine in cycles.

Here is a list of pre-workouts with creatine that we tested and got approval for.

• Nitric oxide — Nitric oxide is a compound that improves blood flow by relaxing blood vessels. Pre-workouts have compounds that the body uses to create nitric oxides, such as L-arginine and L-citrulline. It can improve athletic performance, and the current research doesn’t indicate it causes liver damage, so this is a safe ingredient.
• BCAAs — Taking Branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs after a workout also increases muscle mass and eases muscle soreness. It’s found in dietary protein sources, so you don’t even need a workout supplement to get an adequate amount of BCAAs.
• Green tea extract — Green tea helps with metabolism increasing and aids in weight loss, but some research has found it can cause liver damage and liver injury.

Overall, men's pre-workout supplements are safe. But, it’s crucial how much you take and for how long. It’s always best to choose supplements that were third-party tested and only use the prescribed dose of the pre-workout.

Also, avoid anabolic steroids, as they are among the main cause of liver damage and other health issues.

You should take supplements under medical supervision if you have existing medical issues.