The Science of Endurance: Sports Supplements for Long-Distance Athletes

by Tess D. Content Strategist

Endurance sports have increased in popularity in the last few decades because they are comprised more of ordinary people rather than Olympians and professional athletes. From marathons to triathlons, long-distance cycling to rowing, many “everyday” people are finding themselves needing nutrition, support, and guidance for long-distance athletics. As athletes are trying to improve their performance, many of them seek nutrients and compounds to help their bodies perform to their peaks. These supplements can help their bodies function at their best and help them to reach their goals.

How Endurance Works

Endurance is the way an athlete’s body can continuously exercise for long periods of time. While a long-distance athlete is training to be a top competitor, developing endurance is pivotal. In order to develop endurance, athletes must push their bodies till near failure or to failure and then repeat that process, slowly adding more time to their runs or more reps to their workouts. As they do this, the body develops both physical and mental endurance. This helps an athlete perform longer and better during their long-distance competitions. While an athlete is working toward building endurance, they must work on the following:

Energy production - during aerobic metabolism, which is what occurs as your body converts oxygen to energy, an athlete needs a large amount of complex carbohydrates and fat stores to use while exercising. The more efficiently an athlete uses their energy through this process, the more endurance they have.
Muscular Abilities - muscles function through the buildup of endurance so they can combat fatigue. To boost muscular performance, athletes must train a lot so their muscles don’t build up lactic acid which occurs when muscles don’t have enough oxygen to continue working at their peak performance.
Hydration and Electrolytes - the right balance of hydration and electrolytes helps your body perform properly without experiencing the negative side effects of dehydration and cramps.

Sports Supplements for Endurance

When attempting to compete in long-distance sports, many athletes begin their journey with the goal of healthy eating, a lot of exercise and training, and achieving success in their races. Very quickly, these athletes will realize the need for more in order to keep their bodies functioning properly. Athletes often add a lot more calories to their diets in the form of healthy proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats as they discover their body gets fatigued quickly with so much physical exertion. Additionally, many athletes will increase their hydration levels and consume a significant amount of water every day in order to keep their muscles functioning at their best. Additionally, athletes will find that supplements can help them perform even better and for longer. These supplements can act as valuable tools to keep their muscles, joints, heart, and even mind performing better when they exercise. Here are some types of valuable long-distance exercise supplements:

Sports Performance Supplements - through the use of various supplements, athletes can boost muscle mass, improve recovery time, improve muscle refueling after a long workout, and find many other benefits for their hard-working bodies
Pre-Workout Supplements - taking a supplement before a workout can be beneficial to give the body a boost of energy, endurance, and strength for a longer and better-feeling workout
Protein Supplements - increased protein while performing at high athletic levels can help your body boost its strength, strengthen bones, promote calcium absorption, and boost overall performance. This is why many long-distance athletes utilize protein supplements to keep their bodies functioning at top condition.

Other Types of Supplements

In addition to common supplements like protein powders, pre-workout supplements, and those that improve your athletic prowess, there are other supplements meant to help with recovery and your body’s overall health. These can boost athletic performance as well since they help your body protect itself, heal, and function better. Many athletes choose to use collagen supplements, which help repair their body’s cells that become damaged from exercise.

Some supplements boost amino acids, electrolytes, iron, and specific vitamins so athletes can customize what they need based on how their body is performing.

Safety with Supplements

When choosing supplements for your long-distance training, make sure to choose those that are safe and regulated. Choose those with a long-standing good reputation, that have third-party testing to ensure their effectiveness, and those with quality and easy-to-understand natural ingredients. You also want to listen to your body and see how supplements affect you. If you are experiencing positive effects, it may be safe to assume you can continue using that supplement. But, if the opposite is true, maybe your body is telling you that supplements aren’t working for you.