Best Supplements for Runners

We could all benefit from a little extra help whether running for fitness or in preparation for a marathon. The first step of course is a good diet but no matter how well you try to eat, modern farming practices have removed a lot of nutrients from the soil. As a result, a runner in training will most likely benefit from dietary supplements. There is a wide range of supplement categories to choose from, each offering specific fitness support. There are many contenders for your money so in this article we will offer our opinions of the best supplements for runners.
The most popular supplements come as powders, tablets or drinks. Let’s take a look at how they can help make the most of your running potential.

Multivitamins
Starting with one most people will have heard of, multivitamins help you give your body all the basics it needs to function normally. If you are lacking in any of these you will be more susceptible to infections and not be able to perform at your best. While running you sweat out a lot of nutrients and your body begins to generate free radicals – chemicals that are linked to cell and DNA damage. So you need to choose a multivitamin supplement high in antioxidants to combat this. What you need to look for are multivitamins that are high in vitamin C and E.
Our choice for multivitamins is gap||vitamin’s Runner Multivitamin. Not only are they loaded with 5x the RV of vitamin C but also 2x the RV of vitamin E. Their blend of 42 non-GMO fruit and vegetables from whole foods ensures that your body will absorb them more easily.

Electrolytes
As you pound the road your sweating also causes dehydration, resulting in the loss of valuable electrolytes such as sodium and magnesium. Electrolytes are essential to your body’s everyday working and are vital for runners. They support muscle growth, make cramps less likely and help speed up your recovery post-run. Electrolytes are a good way of recovering from heat exhaustion too. As a supplement, they typically come as gels or powders and are often more convenient than carrying a bottle of water around for rehydration.

We recommend Total Hydration’s Enhanced Electrolytes.These have been developed with input from a PhD and triathlete so you can be sure the blend chosen is the most suitable for you. They are also made right here in the good ol’ US of A.

Probiotics
For the more mature runners out there, probiotics may be the key to reducing instances of respiratory tract infections. They work by introducing billions of live, beneficial bacteria into your gut to help your digestion which in turn promotes optimum glucose levels, improves immune function and reduces inflammation and fatigue.
One of the most popular brands available is Sound Probiotics Sport. This is a high potency choice delivering 25 billion cultures of eight strains per capsule with great results for them reaching your gut alive.

Omega 3
So far we’ve looked at preparing and maintaining your body’s levels for your run. Omega 3 supplements help take care of your body afterwards. Sourced from nuts, seeds, fish and krill, this oil helps reduce muscle soreness and keeps your joints in tip-top flexibility.
MAV Nutrition’s Premium Fish Oil  is a lemon flavored, burpless formulation. It’s a maximum potency combination of 3,600 mg fish oil, 1,296 mg EPA and 864 mg DHA.

Glucosamine and chondroitin complex
Adopting a belt and braces approach to joint health we recommend taking a glucosamine and chondroitin complex as well. This supplement is typically produced from shellfish and used by your body to build cartilage, ligaments and tendons – all essential for a fit and healthy runner! Some products include coenzyme Q10 which has evidence of warding off fatigue in muscles and joints. Considering that running is a high impact sport it really is worth considering a broad range of options to ensure you enjoy the sport for as long as possible.
Try Zenwise Health Joint Support with its maximum strength doses of both glucosamine and chondroitin.

Beta-alanine
We all know there are different types of running. You may prefer sprints, cross-country, road racing or marathons. Each has its own impacts on your body’s resources and you should tailor your supplement intakes accordingly. For short sprints or runs where you have sporadic bursts of high intensity activity then beta-alanine could be the supplement for you. It’s a naturally occurring amino acid which helps ward off lactic acid production occurring in your muscles under high stress. Lactic acid is responsible for the crippling, burning muscle pain we’ve all experienced at one time or another. By keeping your levels of beta-alanine up you should be able to operate at your top performance for that little bit longer.

Bulk Supplement’s Beta Alanine powder gives you high potency doses of 500 mg with no filler ingredients.

Creatine
You may have heard of creatine and associate it with body building or power lifting. But creatine also can benefit long distance, endurance runners. Your cells use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a means of energy storage and transfer. Creatine contributes to the recycling of ATP and increases your energy reserves. This in turn boosts your training endurance and enables you to run for longer. For best results you should take this supplement over an 8 – 12 week period.
We suggest choosing this German produced high potency creapure product certified to be among the purest available in the world.

Magnesium
Where endurance runners are concerned a magnesium supplement is recommended because it helps manage your energy metabolism. On long runs your muscles contract and relax at a rapid rate. The relax part of the cycle consumes magnesium so taking a supplement to combat this will raise your endurance ceiling. Usual guidelines advise taking them immediately following a run or in the evening for a period of two weeks if you are doing intensive work. Nobi Nutrition’s Magnesium Complex Premium gets our vote Find it here.