Pump Booster

What are Pump Boosters?

Pump boosters are supplements that increase blood flow to the muscles. It is important to know that the human body can temporarily change the perfusion to individual parts of the body: In normal condition, the kidneys have the highest blood flow; during physical exertion, the body sends more blood to the skeletal and cardiac muscles. Sports training therefore already causes a stronger blood flow in the muscles, but pump boosters force this effect even more. After consuming a pump booster, the muscles look better shortly after starting the workout: The muscles appear larger, rounder and plumper. With a correspondingly low body fat percentage, the muscles also show a more pronounced vascularity, i.e. the veins running above the muscles are more prominent under the skin. Unlike pre-workout boosters and hardcore boosters, pump boosters usually do not have a stimulating or boosting effect; however, there are definitely pump boosters with stimulating ingredients. The usual dosage form of pump boosters is powder - it is stirred into water and then produces a mixed drink. Some booster manufacturers also offer pump boosters in capsule form.

Pump Booster in poweder or capsule form - which one is better?

Capsules have the advantage that they do not have to be mixed first, but the active ingredients are surrounded by a cellulose or gelatin shell that must first dissolve in the body. This means that boosters in capsule form are not as effective as booster drinks after ingestion. Since capsule boosters are also more costly to produce, the price-performance ratio of powdered boosters is almost always better compared to capsule boosters. And there is something else that speaks for the powder form or for the presentation as a mixed drink: the accompanying water absorption. The basic requirement for the muscles to increase in volume during training is sufficient hydration. If there is too little fluid in the system, the organism has no resources to bring large amounts of blood to the muscles. Therefore, if you want to have a good pump during training, you should drink large amounts of fluids on training days. Recommendation: one liter of water per 20 kilograms of body weight.

Benefits of Pump Boosters

Apart from the better muscle appearance during training: Do pump boosters have any other benefit? Or in other words, is a stronger and longer lasting muscle pump beneficial for muscle growth? The unequivocal answer to this question is: Yes! Consuming a pump booster before a workout benefits muscle growth in a number of ways:

1. An increase in muscle volume leads to slightly better leverage ratios, so that 1-2 more repetitions may be possible in training, depending on the type of exercise.
2. There is evidence that the stretching stimulus that a strong pump effect exerts on the muscle fasciae promotes muscle growth. (However, there are no robust scientific studies on this yet).
3. Stronger blood circulation is also associated with better nutrient transport to the muscles. This has a positive effect on recovery time: The longer the increased blood flow lasts, the faster the muscles recover after training. It therefore makes sense to ensure that the pump effect lasts as long as possible after the end of the training session.
4. The ingredients contained in pump boosters - above all citrulline and beta-alanine - not only promote pump, but have also been shown to have a certain conduction-increasing effect. More power allows more weight to be moved, which in turn provides a stronger building stimulus.

Pump Boosters vs. other types of Boosters

Pump boosters, as the name implies, primarily cause an enhanced pump. While many pre-workout boosters and some hardcore boosters do that as well, the pump-enhancing effect of pump boosters is significantly stronger (and also more lasting) compared to other boosters. This is because the dosage of pump-promoting ingredients in pump boosters is higher than in other training boosters. On the other hand, pump boosters, as already mentioned at the beginning, usually do not contain any stimulating ingredients. So pump boosters don't drive away fatigue - unless they contain caffeine - and they don't tighten mental focus. For this reason, pump boosters can be used before late-night workouts; there's no need to worry about falling asleep. And: pump boosters are definitely not doping. None of the ingredients found in commercial pump boosters are on the WADA list of banned substances.

Where can I buy Pump Boosters?

Pump boosters are available in practically every supplement store. However, stores without booster expert knowledge often sell pump boosters as pre-workout boosters or falsely advertise training boosters that are not pump boosters at all as pump boosters. Athletes who want to buy a pump booster, however, do not want to buy an awakening stimulator that has only a moderate pump effect and does not let them sleep at night for it. Instead, they want a booster that will make their muscles swell significantly. Here at Stayfocused you will always get what you are looking for: boosters that we label as pump boosters are really pump boosters. So you can order from us without hesitation. Strength athletes who want to buy their pump booster in the Stayfocused store have a wide selection of brands and products here - from BPS Pharma alone we have two good pump boosters in the program (Not4Pussy Ultimate Pump, 4YOURV3INZ+), plus we have boosters from ESN (Crank Pump), from Olimp, from Centurion Labz and from several other manufacturers.

Which ingredients are contained in Pump Boosters?

Pump boosters primarily contain certain amino acids in high doses. They also contain vitamins, flavoring ingredients, and possibly creatine.

Typical Ingredients of Pump Boosters

• Arginine: The amino acid arginine is involved in numerous metabolic processes. In high concentrations, it promotes the formation of nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, improving blood flow throughout the body.
• Agmatine: Agmatine - more precisely, agmatine sulfate - is a derivative of arginine formed by decarboxylation. Just like arginine, it promotes NO production and therefore blood flow, but it has several other effects. Among other things, agmatine also increases insulin sensitivity, which promotes muscle growth, and it causes improved mood. Because of this nootropic property, agmatine is not without controversy as a booster ingredient; however, many pump booster users swear by agmatine.
• Citrulline: Citrulline is converted to arginine in the body and then has the same effect as a highly concentrated arginine administration. So the two amino acids, arginine and citrulline, basically do the same thing. Citrulline, however, acts with a time delay - therefore a combination of arginine and citrulline can significantly prolong the pump effect. As citrulline malate (= compound of citrulline and malic acid), citrulline can also increase ATP production and thus the energy release rate.
• Beta-alanine: Beta-alanine is also an amino acid. In high doses, it can delay the rise of pH in working muscles, preventing overly rapid acidification of the muscles. Beta-alanine thus ensures that the organism is able to perform longer during sports.
• Creatine: Creatine draws water into the muscle cells, which indirectly results in a better pumping effect. In addition, creatine, like citrulline malate, promotes the provision of energy at the cellular level. Full creatine storages in the muscles means that more energy is available to the muscles during anaerobic training - more repetitions are then possible, and maximum performance also improves. However, creatine storage cannot be replenished by a single creatingabe; creatine must be supplemented over several weeks. Athletes who want to benefit maximally from creatine-containing pump boosters should therefore also take creatine (as a single supplement) on non-training days.
• Caffeine or guarana: These wake-up substances do not necessarily have to be included in a pump booster; in fact, they often are not. They have no effect on the pump effect. Although they can certainly make a workout more effective, those who take a lot of caffeine during the day anyway should consider whether they also need a caffeine-containing pump booster. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends that adults consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day - the equivalent of two large cups of coffee.

Practically no side effects

Pump boosters, especially pump boosters without caffeine, have virtually no side effects. The fact that the training-related pump effect is intensified by boosters to such an extent that it is downright painful does not occur with natural athletes. Very sensitive athletes who take a pump booster on an empty stomach can get abdominal pain or indigestion with extremely high doses of arginine, but the arginine dose must be at least 15 grams. The beta-alanine contained in many pump boosters can also lead to a slight tingling sensation on the skin - especially on the face. However, this side effect does not last long and is completely harmless.

The ideal dosage

The ideal dosage for pump boosters is determined by the size of the enclosed dosage spoon for powdered booster products. The spoon is usually sized so that the contents of a spoon to a certain amount of water (300-500 ml) results in an optimally balanced and well effective booster drink.

How do I find the best Pump Booster for me?

There are a lot of online forums and test portals dedicated to boosters. One of the best-known portals is https://boosterjunkies.de/ - where booster products are regularly presented and discussed. On boosterjunkies.com you can find composition analyses, flavor evaluations, effect descriptions and dosage recommendations. Ranking lists are also regularly published there, from which you can see which is currently the best pump booster on the market.

FAQs Pump Booster

- Can you make a pump booster yourself?
- Does frequent pump booster consumption lead to a habituation effect?
- How else can you promote the pump effect?

Can you make a pump booster yourself?

Yes, but it is questionable whether this is cheaper in the end; with a self-prepared pump booster, you can at least determine the proportion of ingredients per serving and, above all, the taste yourself. In well-stocked stores like Stayfocused, all important pump booster ingredients are also available individually in powder form. Measure the respective ingredients best with a digital kitchen scale. For the taste, you can add e.g. calorie-free lemon powder and low-calorie sprinkle sweetener.

Example recipe for a homemade pump booster (all data per single serving):

• 3 g arginine
• 6 g citrulline
• 5 g creatine monohydrate
• 10 g BCAAs
• 500 mg ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• 200 mg caffeine (optional)

Does frequent pump booster consumption lead to a habituation effect?

No. Unlike pre-workout boosters and hardcore boosters, you can consume pump boosters before every workout - they work every time. However, caution is advised with boosters containing caffeine: Here, a (caffeine) habituation effect can definitely occur. The boosters then still have a pump-promoting effect, but they no longer really make you awake or drive away daytime tiredness. However, this is not the primary purpose of pump boosters.

How else can you promote the pump effect?

You want to do everything to get a maximum good pump in training? Besides drinking a good pump booster before exercise, here's what else you can or should do:

1. Drink a lot. As mentioned above, good hydration is important for a proper pump effect. So drink plenty of water, and do so throughout the day. Drinking gallons of water just before your workout won't do you much good and may even hinder your workout.
2. Eat carbohydrates. The intake of carbohydrates ensures full glycogen stores in the muscles and a higher water storage capacity. Again, though, carbohydrate intake doesn't have much of an effect close to the time. So eat a carbohydrate-rich meal the night before your workout.
3. Train with drop sets. To get a good pump at all, you need to do a lot of repetitions in your workout. But this doesn't necessarily mean that you have to train "light": Simply add 2 to 3 drop sets - i.e. sets in which you gradually reduce the weight - to your working sets in order to be able to do more repetitions. That way, you'll really pump up your muscles.