Can You Take Pre-Workout and Fat Burners at the Same Time? (Here’s 4 Facts)

Are you curious to know, “Is it possible to take Pre-Workout and Fat Burners simultaneously?”

This is actually a fantastic question.

I’m sure there are many of you who take a pre-workout to boost your workouts.

And perhaps you’re now looking to either lose a little weight or burn off some excess body fat.

So, it makes a lot of sense to start taking a fat burner supplement.

However, a quick glance at the list of ingredients on both bottles and you’re unsure what to do next.

Allow me to explain whether you should be taking pre-workout and fat burners simultaneously.

Can You Take Pre-Workout and Fat Burners at the Same Time?

No, you should not take pre-workout and fat burners at the same time. Both supplements contain various stimulants. By ingesting too many stimulants on a daily basis you can affect your heart health, blood pressure, and even your ability to sleep and recover. You are better off choosing one based on your primary workout goal. Fat burners if your primary is to lose body fat or weight, pre-workout if your goal is to maintain or increase muscle mass. With that being said, there are stimulant-free varieties of both pre-workout and fat burners.

1. Too Many Stimulants

The main benefit of both pre-workout and fat burners is that they contain stimulants.

In fact, both supplements contain a wide variety of stimulants.

These include caffeine, green tea, yohimbe, L-carnitine, to name but a few.

Now, these numerous stimulants are great for the main role that both supplements play.

They will literally wake up your Central Nervous System and the entire body, which in turn allows you to be far more energetic throughout the day.

So, as I’ve said, this is a great benefit, especially if you’re looking to fuel your workouts, get a great pump, and burn additional calories.

With that being said, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing”.

The Stimulant Disadvantage

Firstly, there are certain health issues from taking so many stimulants on a daily basis.

It’s definitely not good for your heart health or your blood pressure.

Furthermore, depending on when you take either supplement, it could impact your sleep.

And sleep is the main source of recovery for those hard, intense workouts that you are doing in the gym.

This is when your muscles repair and grow back bigger and stronger.

Then again, it’s also the time that your fat-burning efforts kick into high gear.

So, realistically if you are taking both pre-workout and a fat burner at the same time you are defeating the object.

Yes, you may be on a “high”, which gives you a great workout.

But, that workout is more or less wasted if you can’t recover properly.

Plus, don’t forget that you are also impacting your general health and welfare.

There are those that will tell you that you should separate your intake of pre-workout and fat burners by a good few hours.

However, you will still be ingesting a huge amount of stimulants on a daily basis.

So, it won’t make much difference.

Plus, fat burners should typically be taken in the morning.

So, this may mean that if you usually workout in the morning then you may need to shift your training to the evening just so you can take a pre-workout.

However, this can still affect your sleeping patterns and you’re also allowing your supplements to dictate when you train.

Basically, you should not be taking two different stimulant-based supplements on a daily basis.

2. What’s Your Primary Goal?

The best way to decide which supplement is best for you will be to look at your primary goal for training.

There has been a lot said over the years about building muscle and burning fat at the same time.

Realistically, the goals are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of your diet and nutrition.

If you want to add muscle mass then you need to be eating at a calorie surplus.

However, if your aim is to burn body fat then you should be eating at a calorie deficit.

So, obviously you can’t eat at a calorie surplus and calorie deficit at the same time.

It’s either one or the other.

This is a very basic view of both workout goals, and there is a great deal more to building muscle or burning fat.

With that being said, when it comes to taking a pre-workout or a fat burner, you’ll need to make a decision.

Clearly, if your primary goal is to either lose weight or burn body fat then fat burners are the ideal choice.

Then again, if you’re looking to either maintain or increase muscle mass then you should opt for a pre-workout supplement.

The choice is entirely yours.

3. You Can Go Stimulant-Free

Now, I’ve spoken of how you shouldn’t be taking pre-workout and fat burners simultaneously because of the concentration of stimulants in both products.

However, both supplements do come in stimulant-free varieties.

And they both offer ideal benefits in terms of your primary training goal.

Many fat burners will include ingredients that suppress appetite.

Additionally, there are ingredients that can enhance your overall mood.

Plus, a fat burner can increase your core temperature to activate your metabolism and burn additional calories.

And all of these things are available with a stimulant-free fat burner.

When it comes to pre-workout you would initially think it’s all about the stimulants in order to power you through your workout.

However, there are various other ingredients that play a different role.

A stimulant-free pre-workout is much more geared towards creating a pump in the muscles, as well as helping you maintain your endurance.

So, in effect, you could take both supplements without any stimulants whatsoever.

With that being said, it is generally better that you choose the stimulant-free version of one or the other.

I would personally recommend that you go for the stimulant-free pre-workout.

This is simply because it offers so many other benefits for your workout and recovery.

There are various ingredients which will still help you get that workout pump, while enhancing your endurance.

Plus, most stimulant-free pre-workouts also contain creatine, which is ideal for fuelling the muscles and overall recovery.

However, once again, the choice is yours.

The Benefits of a Non-Stimulating Pre-Workout

4. Do You Really Need the Supplements?

I just want to give you one final option, and that is perhaps you don’t take either.

The reason I say this is that it’s perfectly feasible to both fuel your workouts and burn body fat through your diet and nutrition alone.

As an example, an ideal pre-workout meal would be some oats, eggs, and coffee.

You’re getting a good mix of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, as well as a blast of caffeine.

When it comes to fat loss you’ll typically want to up your protein intake, while controlling the levels of unhealthy fats and simple carbohydrates.

And of course, you’ll need to eat at a calorie deficit.

I understand that you may have become used to taking a pre-workout or fat burner supplement.

However, there are just as many (if not more) people who can fuel their workouts and aid fat loss through their diet alone.

I will also say that there are people who find that either supplement has absolutely no impact on them, or nothing more than a placebo effect.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be taking these supplements, but it’s just something else for you to consider.

Final Thoughts

So, as you can see, you should not take pre-workout and fat burners at the same time.

This is simply because both supplements contain a wide variety of stimulants.

And unfortunately, taking such a large amount of stimulants on a daily basis can impact your heart health, blood pressure, and ability to sleep.

You would be better off choosing one of the supplements that best fits in with your primary training goals.

With that being said, there are stimulant-free varieties of both pre-workout and fat burners.

Plus, you can achieve the same results through proper adherence to your diet and nutrition.

While I’m on the subject of pre-workout I have also written about the effects of taking pre-workout twice a day.