Supplements for runners and endurance athletes

May 08, 2020 3 min read

With numerous supplements on the market, it’s hard to know what ones work. Most online information targets strength athletes, with little information available on how endurance athletes can benefit. This blog will outline 5 useful supplements for runners and endurance athletes. There are supplements to optimise your recovery, improve your performance, and maintain your immunity. Whatever your chosen sport, goals or training regime there is a supplement to benefit you.

Protein powder for endurance athletes

Protein powder supplements are not just for strength athletes or body builders. 10-20% of endurance athletes don’t meet their daily protein requirements. Protein provides the amino acids that fuel recovery and repair. Not eating enough protein may result in increased injury risk.

Recreational endurance athletes require at least 1.65 g protein per kg of body per day. This intake optimises recovery and reduces chance of injury. Protein requirements are even higher in trail runners due to the extra wear and tear put on muscles and joints due to steep ascents, decents, and the uneven nature of the ground.

Protein is found in fresh foods including meat, dairy, legumes and lentils. However, endurance training requires a huge amount of time commitment. If you are juggling training around work and family, you may put nutrition on the back-burner. This is why a high quality pure protein supplement can benefit you.

Whey protein isolate (WPI) for endurance athletes

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VPA ^® WPI is a pure whey protein powder that providing 27g of protein per serve. It contains a high level of the amino acid leucine which triggers muscle repair. You can mix WPI with foods including oats and yoghurt. You can also mix it with water or with milk and drink it as a simple shake. Take WPI within an hour of finishing training or racing to optimise recovery.

Caffeine supplements for endurance athletes

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Caffeine is another AIS Group A supplement, which benefits endurance performance. Taking caffeine decreases your rate of perceived effort. This means exercise ‘feels’ easier and as a result, you perform better. You can take caffeine before or during training or competition. Caffeine is taken as a pill, as coffee (everyone’s favourite!) or within a supplement like a gel or pre-workout. For the serious athlete, caffeine should be taken as a supplement rather than from coffee. This is because the caffeine content of coffee varies and you don’t know what dose of caffeine you will be taking.

VPA^® Pre-30 and Venom^® pre-workouts contain caffeine. One serve of Venom^® Pre-workout contains the caffeine equivalent of four espresso shots. Along with it’s other proven ingredients Pre-workout will provide the caffeine boost and performance improvement you are seeking. Take pre-workout about 20 minutes before you train or compete for optimal results.

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PWO-200 Pre Workout Shots - 60ML (12 Pack)

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L-glutamine for endurance athletes

Prolonged endurance exercise increases your likelihood of falling ill. Two things that may contribute to this are low energy availability and depletion of L-glutamine. Glutamine is essential to maintaining gut and immune system health. It is a “conditionally essential” amino acid. This means our need for it increases under certain circumstances, and we may need to supplement during these times. Blood glutamine levels are depleted following prolonged endurance exercise. Taking glutamine after training decreases the risk of falling ill with upper respiratory infections. The optimal dose is 5g.

So there we have it, 5 supplements for runners and endurance athletes that will help improve your performance, recovery and health.

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Sally Mitchell

Sally Mitchell (BSc, MHumNut) is a scientist, university qualified nutritionist and VPA staff member. She brings a nerdy love of numbers, data, and science wit her to VPA. Her favourite VPA product is coffee Breakfast Shake. She enjoys powerlifting and running but, sadly, does both poorly.