Does Pre-Workout Go Bad?

Some people stick to sell-by dates, while other people are a little bit more flexible. However, sometimes you can open your new tub of pre-workout and something might not look or smell right.

In this article, we will be discovering if pre-workout can go bad and what to look out for. Alongside this, we will learn if pre-workout does go bad can it still be taken.

What is Pre-workout?

Pre-workout comes in a range of different options. However, in essence it is either a tablet, powder or drink that a lot of people take.

They are a great way for someone to increase their focus and energy before they begin a workout. Pre-workout has been proven to improve training and speeds up the process of losing body fat. 

The effect of pre-workout can last between 3 to 6 hours. The ingredients used in pre-work differ from product to product. However, msot pre-workout products will contain amino acids, caffeine and creatine.

Yet the volume of how much is in each product differs once again depending on the company and the product itself. 

Can pre-workout go bad?

Pre-workout products can go bad, even if it’s before its expiration date. This is due to a couple of reasons. Yet the main one is normally because of the ingredients that are used within the product.

If your pre-workout contains ingredients such as fatty acids or fish oils, then your pre-workout has a chance of going bad quicker than others. If your pre-workout has gone bad you shouldn’t take it.

If you do it could make you ill and the desired effect that you want from the pr-workout won’t be able to be achieved now as something has gone wrong. 

How can you tell if the pre-workout has gone bad?

There are a couple of signs which will tell you that your pre-workout has gone bad. These include:

Smell

You should know what your pre-workout normally smells like. If one day, when you open the container, the pre-workout has a different smell, such as a stale or foul smell, this could be a sign that something isn’t right.

It can be a sign that maybe your pre-workout has been open for a bit too long and the ingredients inside are beginning to go bad.

Mold

One of the most obvious signs that something isn’t right with your pre-workout. If you discover that your pre-workout powder has gone moldy, this is a sign that the powder hasn’t been stored properly.

If this is the case, you must get rid of the powder immediately and don’t even think about consuming any of it, otherwise you could get food poisoning. 

Lumpy

Lumpy pre-workout powder is a huge issue that a lot of people face. Once the seal is broken on the container, that means that air and moisture can get to the powder. This then results in the pre-workout becoming lumpy and clumping together.

Lumpy pre-workout is a bit more difficult to tell if it’s gone bad. It is a sign that it may be starting to go bad, yet a lot of people will consume lumpy pre-workout, with no side effects.

Obviously, the pre-workout is supposed to be a fine powder, so when it starts to clump together you need to watch and make sure that no mold begins to form.

Don’t mix 

When your pre-workout begins to struggle to mix together easily, this might be a sign that something is wrong. Normally when you shake the pre-workout, everything is fine and everything has mixed in together.

Yet when you start to find powder that has remained unmixed with a chalky texture, this is a sign that you may need to think about buying some new pre-workout.

If it’s not mixing together properly, then it won’t be very enjoyable to consume and a bit difficult to consume as it is intended to. 

Can you take pre-workout after its expiry date?

The expiry date is for the ingredients that make up the pre-workout. A lot of pre-workouts can be consumed after their expiry date, as long as they don’t show any of the signs that we have spoken about above.

You shouldnt receive any bad side effects from drinking expired pre-workout. Although, if your pre-workout contains fatty acids or fish oils, then it would be best to avoid consuming expired pre-workouts, because these two ingredients will be starting to go off and could make you ill.

However, if you do consume expired pre-workout, you’ll find that the pre-workout isn’t as effective as it once was. This is because the ingredients aren’t working as hard and aren’t as good as they once were.

Ideally you should stay away from expired pre-workout, but if you happen to accidentally consume some without looking at the expiration date then nothing bad should happen to you, but you should always check the expiration date.

How to stop your pre-workout from going bad

There are a couple of ways that should help you keep your pre-workout stay good for longer, and reduce the chance of your pre-workout going bad. 

Storage 

You must make sure that you store your pre-workout in the correct place. You shouldn;t be leaving your pre-workout on the counter where it can come across direct sunlight.

By leaving your pre-workout, this could cause temperature fluctuations, which then reduces the effectiveness of the pre-workout. Ideally, you should store your pre-workout in a dark cool place, like your refrigerator or in a dark cupboard.

By keeping your pre-workout in a dark and cold place, this will help your pre-workout stay fresher for longer, as it won’t get damp or spoil by being exposed to high temperatures.

Lid on tight 

A lot of pre-workout tubs have screw-on lids, so it is really important to make sure that the lid is properly screwed on.

You want the lid to be on properly and tightly, otherwise there is a chance that moisture and air getting in, which could then affect the quality of your pre-workout.

Buy the right amount

It might be tempting with all the deals that some companies do, but you should only buy as much as you will need. You shouldn’t buy vast quantities of pre-workout, just so you have it there just in case you need it.

You should buy as much as you will need to see you through a couple of months.

Otherwise, when you come round to using some of it you’ll find that large quantities of pre-workout have gone bad, because they have been sitting around for too long and gone past their expiration date.

This then leads you to losing money. This is why you should only buy as much as you need. 

Final Thoughts

Pre-workout can go bad and there are signs that tell you that it has gone bad. The signs you should look out for is the smell of the pre-workout, if the pre-workout is lumpy/clumpy and where it mixes properly.

You should try not to consume expired pre-workout as due to the ingredients, it could make you quite ill. Like with anything, you always need to check the expiry date and follow it if you can. 

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