The Acute Effects of Liquid IV's Pre-Workout Supplement on Muscle Endurance & Strength, Energy, and Cognition

The Acute Effects of Liquid IV's Multi-Ingredient Pre-Workout Supplement, on Endurance, Strength, Energy, and Cognition: A Randomized Crossover Study

The goal of this study is to learn if a new pre-workout supplement can improve exercise performance in healthy adults. It will also look at how the supplement affects mood and energy levels.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the pre-workout supplement improve endurance and strength during exercise?

Does it reduce how hard exercise feels (perceived exertion)?

How does it affect participants' mood and energy?

Researchers will compare the pre-workout supplement to a placebo (a look-alike powder that contains no active ingredients) to see if it works.

Participants will:

Take the pre-workout supplement or a placebo before exercise in two separate sessions;

Complete exercise tests after taking each one;

Report how they feel during and after exercise, including mood, energy, and effort.

By bridging gaps in existing research, this study aims to establish a robust scientific foundation for the application of this novel pre-workout supplement in enhancing exercise outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy males or females aged 18-55
• Must be recreationally trained or trained/developmental as previously defined (McKay et al., 2021)
• Able to read and write in English
• Willing to maintain their regular supplement routine during the study (other than what is listed in exclusion criteria)
• Are not consistently taking, or will discontinue consuming other pre-workout supplements or dietary supplements, such as creatine, rhodiola, L-Theanine, glycerol, stimulants other than caffeine, or ingredients which may promote hydration or enhance physical performance within the past 2-weeks, and throughout the duration of the study.
• Willing to restrict caffeine for 24 hours prior to testing
• Will not participate in any strenuous exercise for a minimum of 72 hours prior to exercise performance assessments. Strenuous exercise as defined for this study includes ½ and full marathons (or more), heavy (i.e.,>80% 1RM) lifting, and any high intensity, physical activity that could make your muscles sore.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Sedentary: Individuals performing less than 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week and engaging in resistance training fewer than 2 days per week, with no structured exercise routine.
• Highly trained/national level or professional athlete: Individuals training ≥5 days per week in structured programs, including NCAA Division II/III athletes, national/professional competitors, or those targeting top 20% sport-specific performance norms.
• Known diagnosis of any cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, or renal disease
• Recent musculoskeletal injury (<3-months)
• Recent orthopaedic surgery (<12-months)
• History or current malignancy
• Previous gastrointestinal surgery within the past 12 months
• Regular smoker
• Regular drinker (>14 drinks per week)
• Current respiratory infection (i.e. cold) or high temperature (fever) within the past 4-weeks
• Presently using GLP-1 medications
• Individuals with cardiovascular, metabolic, or musculoskeletal disorders;
• Those regularly using anti-inflammatory drugs within the last 4-weeks
• Current use of prescription medications that may influence adaptation to exercise (hormone therapies, peptides, etc.)
• Current consistent chronic use (within the past 2 weeks) of creatine, rhodiola, L-Theanine, glycerol, or other products which contain any of these ingredients.
• Current consistent chronic use (within the past 2 weeks) of stimulants other than caffeine
• Current consistent chronic use (within the past 2 weeks) of ingredients that may promote hydration or enhance physical performance.
• Allergies to study-related materials
• Any condition that may impair their ability to complete the required exercises (determined during screening).
• Female subjects must not be pregnant or lactating
• Are unable to provide informed consent or are non-English speakers.