5 Supplements for Edurance Runners

Unlike high-intensity training, running is all about endurance. It’s not a sprint it’s a marathon. Literally. Long-distance running is complemented with a completely different mindset and also requires different nutrients to efficiently fuel your body over a long period of time. Without the right supplements during fundamental replenishment times, your body will not have enough stamina, energy, or power to perform at optimum levels. So let's talk about what supplements you'll need to maximize your performance and endurance as a runner.

1. Clean carbs

Carbohydrates are the most important macronutrient for endurance training and prolonged exercise. The major fuel source during your workout to provide long-lasting and sustained energy is glycogen. The greater your glycogen stores, the longer your exercise time to exhaustion. This is why endurance runners, and athletes will eat honey wafers, or energy gels, which are composed of simple or complex carbohydrates, to provide a fast-acting energy source to replenish glycogen stores

2. Beta alanine

Beta-Alanine is a non-essential beta amino acid, which helps fight muscle fatigue by counteracting the development of lactic acid. By binding with naturally occurring histidine, Carnosyn® Beta-Alanine will increase muscle carnosine content. More muscle carnosine content will help build endurance, increase strength and significantly improve performance by buffering hydrogen ions. Hydrogen is produced from lactic acid, during resistance or high-intensity training.

When lactic acid rises, so does acidity in muscle tissue. When acidity increases, your muscle ability to contract decreases, which results in a loss of endurance and power. By buffering hydrogen through an increase in carnosine content, your muscles will be able to contract for a longer period of time and delay the onset of fatigue

3. Assential amino acids

Essential amino acids, are the smallest cells, which form protein. EAAs, help rebuild muscle, as well as help you maintain a positive amino acid balance.

By increasing running time, your body can become catabolic, metabolizing amino acids for fuel, leaving your body in a negative amino acid state, which can result in a loss of muscle mass. 

A large body of evidence shows that that EAAs can improve athletic performance, delay muscle and mental fatigue, and enhance muscle recovery. A systematic review, including 4274 patients across thirty-nine randomized controlled trials found that EAAs improves muscle strength, physical function and fatigue

4. Electrolytes

Electrolytes are crucial not only to avoid bonking, but for any type of workout for adequate and efficient hydration for endurance athletes and runners. Hydration during your workout is essential to prolong endurance activity, improve workout volume, delay muscle fatigue, and improve recovery.

Electrolytes are minerals and vitamins that conduct electrical activity in the body so that you can perform mechanical functions, such as muscle contraction and relaxation, which are a part of daily and athletic functions. With just a 1-2% reduction in body weight from fluid loss alone, performance takes a dive and perceived exertion goes plummets. In a typical workout, you can lose anywhere from 2-6% of your body’s water weight just by sweating. In an ultra, you can count on losing much more than that. The loss of water and electrolytes, coupled with not replenishing them, effects recovery times, oxygen levels, and nutrient deliveries contributing to muscle wasting and a poor removal of waste from the blood stream [R].

Electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium, salt can help replenish hydration. Coconut water is also a great ingredient for hydration. Naturally low in sugar, coconut water boosts the electrolyte potassium along with a few other nutrients

5. L-glutamine

L-Glutamine plays a pivotal role in helping your muscles rebuild and repair themselves, to prevent muscle soreness and aid in faster muscle recovery. During endurance training, your body will actually use and deplete all of its glutamine stores, which inhibit its function and decreases strength, stamina, and even compromises and lengthens the recovery period. By supplementing with L-Glutamine, you’re protecting your body from muscle mass breakdown and exercise-induced soreness