According to a new study, researchers have found that the use of pre-workout supplements is linked to shorter sleep time in young adults.
The research was published in Sleep Epidemiology, and it showed that many teens enhance their workouts with pre-workout drinks, which often leads to them feeling tired the next day.
Sleep plays a key role in regulating mood, immunity and muscle recovery, but clear guidelines are limited. More research is needed to understand timing, dose, and insufficient sleep in the real world.
The study was conducted to measure the role of supplements in managing sleep routine
An online survey was conducted among individuals aged 16 to 30 across Canada. Participants were from Wave 2 of the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behavior.
Pre-training use in the first 12 months was recorded as ‘none’ versus ‘none’, distinguished by the addition of behavioral and performance enhancing additives.
Average sleep over the past two weeks was divided into self-declared hourly ranges: ≤5, 6, 7.8, or greater than 9.
Meanwhile, symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-Item (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7), and any strength training in the first 30 days was also recorded.
The study used a demographically diverse sample of girls, young women, boys, young men and transgender people.
The model performed efficiently; Furthermore, the integration of demographic variables, mental health symptoms and pre-workout use emerged as a reliable indicator of very short sleep.
On the contrary, the people who usually sleep eight hours a day were significantly less likely to report sleeping five hours or less.
The current research is attributed to mood swings and strength training; Moreover, it is also possible that people who sleep less will use pre-workouts to gain energy.
The degree of association with short sleep has been observed to be large, suggesting that even occasional pre-workout may drive impressionable users to sleep durations below recommended guidelines.
It further indicates that fewer than one in three participants get the recommended eight hours or more, highlighting the problem of short sleep in this age group.
Safety guidelines on timing, dose and sleep protection
The study showed that adolescents and young adults who use pre-workout supplements are more likely to experience short sleep, even after analyzing population data, mood symptoms and recent strength training.
Practical guidelines should be included to avoid pre-workouts, check labels for caffeine content well before bedtime, and maintain healthy sleep habits at home.
Nevertheless, future studies will analyze test dose, timing, and ingredient patterns to better understand these factors and inform targeted education, policy, and clinical practice.
