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Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through those links I will receive a small commission. For example, as Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you decide to use these links, thank you!
I absolutely love Beachbody On Demand workouts and was very tempted to try the Beachbody Performance supplements. However, being a researcher and health geek I always look at ingredient labels and research the active ingredients to determine their purpose and if they are necessary for my performance. By doing this I can find less expensive alternatives and make sure that I am not ingesting anything that is not necessary, such as preservatives, sugar, etc.
My goal is to save money while using high-quality products.
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The first supplement that I looked into was the Beachbody Energize Pre-Workout Formula. According to the Beachbody website, the purpose of this supplement is to “Blast through your toughest challenges with a surge of energy. Before you get active, take Energize to help sharpen focus, push harder, and last longer.”
Sounds great! Getting through these workouts is tough and an extra boost would be awesome.
Cost: The cost of this supplement is $49.95 for 40 servings = $1.25 per serving, although it is recommended that individuals weighing 160 pounds or more use 2 scoops ($2.50 per serving). There is also the shipping cost and tax to factor in, which brings it up to $60.89 ($1.52 a scoop)! That sounds crazy expensive to me.
So, I researched the ingredients in Beachbody Energize and found that Beta-alanine is the primary active ingredient in this product.
According to the research analysis by Kamal Patel and verified by the Examine.com Research Team (Last updated on Jun 14, 2018), “Beta-alanine has been shown to enhance muscular endurance. Many people report being able to perform one or two additional reps in the gym when training in sets of 8–15 repetitions. Beta-alanine supplementation can also improve moderate- to high-intensity cardiovascular exercise performance, like rowing or sprinting”.
Sounds promising, so I decided to give beta-alanine a try. My go-to company for supplements is NOW Sports. They are always high quality and use natural ingredients. I ordered from Amazon for $13.50 for 120 capsules ($0.11 per capsule) (as of February 4, 2020).
Each capsule contains 750 mg while the Beachbody Energize contains 800 mg per serving. A benefit of using the NOW Sports capsules is that you can experiment with the number of capsules that work best for you. What works for me is taking one capsule about 30 minutes pre-workout, however, others may find up to three capsules effective.
I have found that with one capsule my stamina is improved and I don’t feel fatigued following my workout. I do experience paresthesia, a harmless tingling of the skin, after taking this. It’s not uncomfortable or painful and is gone by the end of the workout. I actually like this side effect because I know that the supplement is doing its thing. If this is uncomfortable for you then you can try taking a lower dose.
This is an awesome supplement for only $0.11 per workout that I will definitely continue to use. You can find NOW Sports Beta-Alanine here (amazon link).
I use this supplement before all of my workouts. A few of my favorite workouts are: Morning Meltdown 100, 21 Day Fix Real Time, and 10 Rounds.
The ingredients listed under performance/muscle fatigue blend are green tea (for caffeine) and quercetin leaf extract (a bioflavonoid that increases the bioavailability of Green Tea Catechins).
The remaining ingredients are an electrolyte blend (magnesium, sodium, potassium). Studies indicate that there is no real benefit to consuming electrolytes prior to a workout, so I just take my capsules with plenty of water. Electrolytes are beneficial during and after training sessions. I have discussed this in the post titled, “Top Four Electrolyte Supplements on a Budget“.
I am glad (alright, maybe more like ecstatic) that I did not spend the $49.95 on the Beachbody brand supplement. The results from the NOW Sports Beta-alanine are great and I hope it works for you too!
Please feel free to share this with your friends who may already be overpaying for their pre-workout supplement. They will thank you for saving them $36! Seriously, be prepared for hugs.
Footnote:
Patel, K. (2018, June 14). Beta-alanine. Retrieved from https://examine.com/supplements/beta-alanine/
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Great article and I love the alternative to BB Energizer. I love, love, love the unicorn juice – but the cost kills me. Willing to give the NOW Sports Beta-alanine a try but with it being in capsule form – how long before you really feel the effect? I work out first thing in the morning, so that jolt you feel with energizer is what I need, but I take that and typically am working out within 20 minutes. If it’s capsule form, I’m going to assume it takes longer than that to feel the effect? Thanks for your input!
Hi Marilyn! I take one capsule about 15 to 20 minutes before I workout and I feel the effect from it.
I would recommend taking just one at first to see how it feels to you, then using two if needed. Thanks for asking!
Just FYI – this also comes in a powder form! Same NOW brand, same product, just in powder form. You could mix it with lemon water 😉
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
[…] Before my workout, I take NOW Sports Beta-alanine, which is a less expensive, effective alternative to Beachbody’s Energize product. To read more about Beta-alanine check out this article: How to Boost Endurance and Performance on a Budget: An Alternative to Beachbody Energize […]
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