Which supplements are best for runners?
Unlike high-intensity workouts such as weightlifting, distance running tests the limits of your body’s endurance. You can put one foot in front of the other easily enough, but unless you can keep putting one foot in front of the other at a decent pace for miles and miles on end, you’re probably not going to get very far.
Caffeine
Best before a run, in hot coffee, canned drink or cold-capsule form, research continues to demonstrate that caffeine helps runners in several ways. A caffeine hit an hour before endurance exercise can improve stamina and muscle glycogen conservation for example and provide better mental focus and alertness. Better yet, a decade-long study of almost 500,000 people found that regular coffee drinkers were a fifth less likely to get cardiovascular disease or suffer a stroke. You’ll need around 5 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, which is roughly three cups of freshly ground coffee. Alternatively, try caffeine gels or canned drinks.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is a natural amino acid found in poultry and soya beans which reduces fatigue and improves performance during high-intensity exercise. In trials, where beta-alanine has proven effective, doses of 4.8 g/day increasing to 6.4 g/day were used during the fortnight before a race.
Branched-chain amino acids
If you’re running regularly, you may actually be burning calories faster than you can take them in. And while that may sound like the exact opposite of a problem if you’re trying to lose weight, the fact is that when the body needs energy, it’s not always discriminating about where it gets it -breaking down muscle tissue rather than focusing solely on fat reserves.
Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) consist of three essential amino acids - leucine, valine, isoleucine - and help offset this muscle loss while promoting protein synthesis (muscle growth) throughout the body. BCAAs have been shown to be effective endurance supplement options, helping to stave off fatigue, reduce muscle soreness and speed up muscle recovery. Research suggests BCAAS may delay the mental fatigue endurance athletes suffer when blood levels of BCAAs start to fall.
Whey Protein
Drinking whey protein causes an increase in blood amino acids, including BCAA’s, promoting muscle recovery and building lean muscle mass. Protein is the building block of muscle tissue, so you need to make sure you have enough in your system to keep your muscles happy while you run. Distance runners should be aiming for between 0.5 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day, so for a runner weighing say 140 pounds (10 stone), that's 70 to 126 grams of protein a day.
Whilst runners are often encouraged to consume whey protein each morning, there are benefits to be gained from taking whey at many different times throughout the day. The “best time” is entirely dependent on your personal preferences, lifestyle, and goals. The overall amount and frequency of protein consumption is generally more important than the specific time of day it’s consumed.
Casein protein
100ml of cow’s milk contains around 3.4g protein, made up of 80% casein and around 20% whey. Casein contains both leucine and lysine amino acids and is an ideal muscle-repair option for athletes while sleeping. Levels of both leucine and lysine stay elevated in your blood for four to five hours after you consume casein protein, but for only 90 minutes after you consume whey, so may be especially effective for endurance athletes. Aim for around 20 grams of casein protein around 30 minutes before bedtime on training days - you’ll get around 15 to 20 grams of protein per 170g pot of Greek yogurt.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in our body, playing an important role in both immune function and muscle cells. It’s a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning that our bodies can usually make enough glutamine (so we don’t need to obtain it from our diet), but with some exceptions. This is because running (or any other endurance exercise) can stress the body, depleting glutamine levels in muscles and in the blood stream. As glutamine acts as fuel for immune cells, when those levels get too low, the immune system can’t function optimally which often puts distance runners at risk of colds, flu and other viruses after high intensity exercise.
Iron
Iron is an essential component for oxygen-carrying red blood cells, especially as we get older. Older runners are at greater risk of iron deficiency due to the demands of training but endurance athletes in general are often prone to low iron levels, because of a focus on carb-loading over high-quality protein. Meat, fish and poultry are good sources of heme iron. Non-heme iron from dark leafy green vegetables and soy is sourced via supplements too. If you’re struggling with poor performance in training, constant fatigue and an increased prevalence of infections, get a blood test to check.
Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin D
Nutrition for endurance can give runners the edge they need to keep going, which is why zinc, magnesium and vitamin D are so advantageous. Magnesium helps transport energy to your muscles and also assists in muscle contraction and bone strength, helping to sustain the high-energy output necessary for endurance running. Zinc helps you metabolize energy (so you can put it to good use). Both these minerals are essential, and both can be depleted quickly during endurance exercises. Vitamin D is essential for optimising bone mass, muscular performance and immune function and low levels can result in impaired muscle function, weak bones and depressed immunity. In theory, it is possible to get more than enough vitamin D from your diet. But in reality, your choice of vitamin D foods is very limited. In all three cases, a little supplementation can go a long way. A good all-round multivitamin will usually suffice.