These days, before going for a run, the pre-loading can be as complicated as getting through the workout itself. <\/p>\n
How many carbohydrates do you need, both during the session and before it? Drinking a pre-run coffee<\/a> is fairly standard, but should you line up a shot of beetroot juice<\/a> alongside it? And if so, how long before your run should you take it? Broccoli shots \u2013 surely that can\u2019t work? Bicarbonate of soda is seemingly everywhere \u2013 can you just use the pot in the baking cupboard? And now lactate gels are arriving on the scene\u2026<\/p>\n To cut through the noise, here\u2019s our guide to seven supplements that actually help, based on some of the findings from the Run Long, Run Healthy<\/a> newsletter…<\/p>\n 1. Carbohydrates<\/p>\n The days of taking a handful of Haribo Starmix during a marathon are over. <\/p>\n Scientific research previously put recommended intake<\/a> of carbohydrate per hour during endurance exercise lasting more than 70 minutes at around 60g. A more recent study<\/a> has now found that those numbers are on the conservative side \u2013 you can aim for 90g an hour, or even 120g if you\u2019re nearer the front of the field. <\/p>\n Sounds easy, but as anyone who has tried to do that in training will realise, it\u2019s not. The key is training your digestive system to handle those numbers. Not everyone can tolerate 90g per hour without their stomach protesting, let alone upwards of that figure. <\/p>\n Although it\u2019s easier these days due to varying ratios of glucose and fructose \u2013 because they have different digestion pathways, it means that you can process more fuel than if you took simply one or the other \u2013 it still takes a while for your stomach to learn to process these vast amounts of carbohydrate.<\/p>\n A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology<\/a> tested eight elite runners over two hours. They were given 60g, 90g and 120g of carbohydrate per hour. The results showed that those who took 120g had an improved running economy \u2013 using 8% less oxygen at the same pace \u2013 than those taking 60g. <\/p>\n The flipside was that they experienced higher incidence of GI distress, including nausea, fullness and stomach cramps. <\/p>\n Timing: Take 90g of carbohydrate per hour during high-intensity sessions or long runs<\/a> lasting more than 70 minutes \u2013 the more that you consume, the more efficiently you will run. However, it requires careful, progressive and methodical gut training to get up to \u2013 and beyond \u2013 90g an hour.<\/p>\n 2. Sodium bicarbonate<\/p>\n Bicarb is becoming increasingly mainstream for runners, with many elites using it over distances anywhere from 400m to the marathon<\/a> \u2013 and all of them extolling its benefits.<\/p>\n First of all, let\u2019s be clear: it\u2019s not recommended to simply grab a spoon and start devouring the stuff in your baking cupboard \u2013 that will have negative effects on your stomach and result in you searching for a toilet soon into your run.<\/p>\n Instead, the success of bicarb is in how it\u2019s delivered to the body. Some systems \u2013 like Maurten\u2019s \u2013 combine it with a hydrogel to aid digestion. However, other companies are looking at different ways to deliver it. <\/p>\n Despite this, it can still play havoc with your stomach, resulting in nausea, bloating and GI distress<\/a>. The key, as with carbohydrates, is to start with smaller doses and build up your tolerance. <\/p>\n It works by buffering lactate \u2013 essentially boosting the systems that deal with clearing one of the by-products of excess lactate production \u2013 acidic hydrogen ions, exporting more of them, as well as lactate, from muscles working hard at speed. This means in theory you can hold a faster pace for longer without fatiguing.<\/p>\n Originally, middle-distance runners found success with bicarb \u2013 but increasingly more studies are showing that it can help longer-distance runners, too. One study<\/a> found that in a 40km cycling time trial, those who took bicarb finished an average of 54 seconds faster than those who didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n Timing: Take 1-2 hours before a race.<\/p>\n 3. Lactate<\/p>\n Lactate often gets bad press, as many people believe that it\u2019s what causes your muscles to burn, resulting in fatigue and slowing in speed. <\/p>\n But that\u2019s not the case. Your body recycles lactate and reuses it as fuel as it\u2019s produced \u2013 then, when it gets to the point where it cannot recycle it at the high rate that it\u2019s being produced, by-products including acidic hydrogen ions begin to burn your slow-twitch muscle fibres, causing fatigue.<\/p>\n Now, gels containing lactate are hitting the shelves as companies rush to work out the best way to deliver it. <\/p>\n The idea is that they provide another way of getting fuel into your body that is separate from your carbohydrate intake of fructose and glucose, which each have their own pathway. Think of it like a third lane of fuel delivery that also saves your glycogen from being drained. <\/p>\n Lactate gels are currently aimed at elite or sub-elite athletes who are already consuming 90g+ of carbohydrate an hour and looking for ways to potentially move the needle by increasing fuel delivery. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a fast-developing space, with no science-backed studies on runners yet available. A 2024 study<\/a> on cyclists found that it did not alter VO2 peak or lactate threshold workload, but it did increase average power by 4% \u2013 but it\u2019s worth keeping an eye on development before jumping on board. <\/p>\n 4. Broccoli<\/p>\n Nomio is a broccoli shot that is growing in popularity among runners \u2013 and for good reason. The cruciferous vegetable contains high amounts of glucosinolate, as well as the resulting active compounds isothiocyanates.<\/p>\n They work by activating your body\u2019s natural defence system to exercise-induced stress, basically telling it to increase the amount of antioxidants and repair proteins, which means that runners\u2019 bodies can handle the stress of training and racing better. It also delays how quickly lactate builds, so that you can push harder and faster for longer.<\/p>\n Studies are ongoing, but several early investigations, such as one in Redux Biology<\/a>, found that consuming broccoli sprouts was associated with lower lactate levels and protection against oxidative stress during intense training. (However, it should be noted that there\u2019s a conflict of interest with this study, as it was partly sponsored by a vegetable-growing association.) <\/p>\n Runners will be eagerly awaiting the results of independent studies with no conflict of interest \u2013 but for now, it could be worth a try to see how you get on.<\/p>\n Timing: Take one shot 2-3 hours before a hard session or race.<\/p>\n 5. Beetroot<\/p>\n You might see people talking about chugging beetroot<\/a> shots before a run and wonder how it can help. It\u2019s all down to the nitrates. Those precious dietary nitrates \u2013 which are different from the nitrates used to prolong the life of some cured meat \u2013 are found in abundance in beetroot, as well as in rocket and spinach.<\/p>\n Once ingested, these nitrates contribute towards nitric oxide formation. Studies such as the one in Nutrients<\/a> show that this is key for runners, as it plays a role in widening your blood vessels and improving blood flow, as well as boosting oxygen delivery to the muscles and reducing the oxygen cost of running by 2-3% in recreational runners. <\/p>\n