Useful supplements for running
What to choose for training and racing?
Running is one of the most popular endurance sports, demanding not just stamina but also conscious preparation. Whether it’s an evening jog of a few kilometres, getting ready for a half marathon or a longer race, your performance is shaped not only by your training plan but also by how you start the activity, how you refuel during it, and what you do for recovery afterwards.
Alongside a balanced diet and an active lifestyle, well-chosen products can support maintaining your energy levels, replacing fluids and minerals, and refuelling after training. The point isn’t that everyone needs the same thing, but that you adjust your fuelling routine to the distance, the intensity, the weather and your own comfort.
To know which supplement can be useful and when, it’s worth first looking at what happens in your body while you run.
What happens in the body while running?
Your body starts adapting to the increased load almost immediately. Your muscles’ energy demand rises, so your body uses up the available carbohydrate and fat stores faster. The longer or more intense the training, the greater the strain on your circulatory system, your muscles and your energy stores.
Your heart pumps blood faster, so that enough oxygen reaches your muscles, while your breathing speeds up too. Your leg muscles (especially the calves, thighs and glutes) work continuously, but your core and arms also actively help stabilise the movement.
Meanwhile your body produces heat, and to regulate it sweating kicks in. At this point you lose not only fluid but also minerals, such as sodium. If your fluid, electrolyte or energy replacement isn’t adequate, fatigue can set in, your concentration can drop, your pace can slow, and your coordination can suffer too.
That’s exactly why it matters not only what you consume while running, but also what state you’re in when you set off.
How should you start your run?
Fuelling doesn’t begin during the run. It already matters a great deal whether you set off rested, well hydrated and with the right energy levels.
It’s worth preparing differently for a short, easy morning run than for a longer weekend session or a race. Some people do well with low-intensity exercise on an empty stomach, while others need a small carbohydrate source before setting off. If you run after a main meal, it’s generally worth allowing time for digestion: for many, 2-3 hours can be more comfortable after a larger breakfast or lunch.
Before a run, it’s generally better to favour more easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich options. Larger amounts of fat or protein can slow digestion, so right before or during a run they aren’t comfortable for everyone. Protein plays a more important role in post-training recovery instead.
Before shorter exercise, a light snack can be enough, such as a small muesli bar or snack, while for longer training you need to think more deliberately about when and in what form you take in energy.
What and when should you consume while running?
The goal of fuelling during exercise is to help maintain your energy levels, support fluid replacement and help you complete the training or race more comfortably. Exactly what you need depends heavily on the length of the distance, the intensity, the weather, and also on how used to a given form of fuelling you are.
For shorter, lower-intensity runs, adequate fluid intake is often enough. For longer or faster sessions, however, carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement can come to the fore. As a general rule, for activity over 20 minutes it’s worth paying attention to at least your water intake, while over longer distances isotonic fuelling and targeted carbohydrate intake also become important.
Fuelling can be liquid, solid or gel-based. Each has its own advantage, so it’s worth testing in training which one works best for you.
Liquid, solid or gel fuelling?
The advantage of liquid fuelling is that it can help with both fluid and, in some cases, electrolyte replacement at once. Isotonic drinks can be especially useful when you want to replace not just water but minerals too, since a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution helps hydration and boosts water absorption during exercise.
Gel-based products, such as energy gels, can come in handy when you want to take in carbohydrate quickly and in small amounts. They’re easy to consume on the move, take up little space and typically contain faster-acting carbohydrates.
Solid snacks and bars are better solutions before a run, between two sessions or on longer active days. These are often more filling and may contain more fibre, fat or more complex ingredients, so they don’t sit well with everyone right during intense running. It’s worth working out what timing makes them comfortable.
From here it’s easier to decide whether a given session calls for a drink, a gel, a bar or a combination of these.
Energy gels for runners, when you need a fast solution
During longer runs or more intense sessions, many runners choose energy gels because they’re easy to carry, quick to consume and simple to use on the move. Energy gels can be especially practical when the goal is fast carbohydrate intake, for example while preparing for a half marathon, marathon or triathlon.
The Energy Gel Pro format fits well in situations where there’s no chance to stop for long and a gel-based solution is more convenient than solid food. It fits easily in a running belt or pocket, so it’s simple to build into your fuelling plan during races and longer sessions.
It’s important not to try an energy gel for the first time at a race. It’s worth testing in training what amount, timing and fluid intake feels comfortable to you.
Snacks before running and for active days
Snacks, such as oat bars, can be useful primarily when you want easily accessible energy replacement before a run, between two sessions or on longer, active days. A smaller bar can come in handy when you don’t have time for a full meal but don’t want to set off with completely empty energy stores.
The Nuts&Honey with its crunchy texture and sweetish flavour can be a versatile snack to enjoy throughout the day. Thanks to its small size, it fits easily in a running belt or bag, making it a practical option before a run or between two activities.
The Nuts&Fruits bar is built on a combination of seeds and fruit, so it can be a good choice for those who like always having a quick snack on hand for training, travel or busier days.
For longer activity, Oats&Nuts can be a more filling alternative. Thanks to its composition based on oats and oilseeds, it fits in better before a run, for hiking, on active weekdays or alongside longer sporting programmes.
Alongside solid fuelling, though, you shouldn’t forget about fluid replacement either, especially if you run in the heat, over longer distances or more intensely.
Hydration while running
Adequate fluid intake is one of the foundations of endurance sports. While running, sweating is a natural process by which your body releases heat, but it also loses water and minerals along the way. For shorter, easier sessions water is often enough, but for longer or more intense loads more complex hydration can be needed.
This is when electrolytes, such as sodium, come to the fore, playing a role in maintaining fluid balance. If you sweat a lot, run in the heat or are preparing for a longer distance, water alone may not be enough beyond a certain point. Besides fluid, the minerals lost through sweat also need to be replaced so that hydration is more effective.
The IsoTonic powder-based isotonic drink is available in several flavours and dissolves easily in water, so it’s quick to prepare before training or a race. Thanks to its single-serving format, you can easily take it along for sport or travel. Its electrolyte content can contribute to supporting fluid balance, and its isotonic composition fits well into fuelling during physical activity.
During longer sessions and races, the question of salt replacement can also come up, especially with increased sweating. Your body loses sodium at such times, so over longer distances or in hot weather targeted replacement can be justified. Using a salt tablet like BioTechUSA Multisalt can be relevant mainly during sustained endurance loads, but this is also worth trying out in advance, under training conditions.
Besides hydration and energy replacement, there are also supplements that aren’t necessarily part of fuelling during a run, yet can play a useful role in a runner’s routine.
The role of magnesium and minerals for runners
Magnesium is one of the best-known minerals among athletes. It plays a role in normal muscle function and in maintaining electrolyte balance, and can contribute to reducing tiredness and fatigue. It often comes to the fore for runners because the repetitive muscle work, sweating and regular load mean you need to pay more conscious attention to your mineral intake.
The Magna Shot liquid formula comes in ampoule form, so it’s easy to carry and quick to consume. It can be a practical solution for those who, alongside an active lifestyle, want to easily fit magnesium replacement into their daily routine.
Besides magnesium, other supplements can also come up for runners, especially when the goal is not just fuelling but also performance, recovery or joint support.
Creatine for running: does it have a place in endurance sports?
Many people associate creatine primarily with strength sports and muscle building, yet it isn’t only relevant in a gym setting. For runners it can be interesting mainly when training consists not just of steady-paced endurance work but also includes intervals, pace changes, hills, sprints or more intense sections.
Creatine isn’t a classic during-run fuel, so it doesn’t play the same role as an isotonic drink, an energy gel or a carbohydrate source. It’s better to see it as a supplement that, besides being one of the most researched supplements out there, can in certain training situations also support performance linked to short, high-intensity bursts of movement.*
Among runners, opinions on creatine remain an individual matter. Someone preparing for shorter, fast-paced distances weighs up different factors than someone training for a marathon or ultra. That’s exactly why it’s worth adjusting its use to your own goals, load and training routine.
Alongside carbohydrate replacement, hydration and performance support, joint protection also frequently comes up for runners. Regular running means repetitive load on the ankles, knees, hips and connective tissues, so collagen or product ranges developed for joint support can also find a place in a more conscious athlete’s routine.
Recovery after running: why is protein important?
Running doesn’t end when you stop the clock. The period after training is at least as important as the load itself, since this is when recovery, refilling your energy stores and muscle repair begin.
During a more intense or longer run you don’t just use up energy, your muscles also take a serious load. Adequate protein intake can contribute to maintaining and supporting muscle mass, so it can play an important role for runners too, not just for strength athletes.
During exercise, larger amounts of protein aren’t necessarily an ideal fuel, since digesting and breaking it down can be a more energy-demanding process. After training, however, it can be particularly useful to pay attention to it, especially if you train regularly, with heavier loads or during a competition period.
Recovery includes fluid replacement, rest, balanced eating and, if needed, a practical protein source too. An easy-to-make protein shake, for example, can be a good solution when you don’t have the chance for a full meal right after a run but want to support your body’s refuelling.
How should you choose the right product as a runner?
Choosing the right product always depends on the type of run you’re preparing for. You may need something different for a 30-minute easy jog than for a long weekend run or a race situation.
It’s worth considering:
- how long the training or race will be,
- what intensity you run at,
- what the weather is like,
- how much you sweat,
- when you last ate,
- what form of fuelling your stomach tolerates well,
- and what product you can comfortably carry with you.
For shorter runs, water and the right meal timing can often be enough. Over longer distances you may need carbohydrate replacement, an isotonic drink, an energy gel or even salt replacement. After training, protein, fluid replacement and rest can come to the fore.
There’s no recipe that applies to everyone
In the world of running there’s no single universal fuelling strategy that works the same for every athlete. What’s ideal for a shorter evening run can be different from what suits a multi-hour endurance load or a race.
Some people prefer liquid fuelling while running, while gels or bars work better for others. How much fluid, carbohydrate or electrolyte you need under different weather conditions can also be individual.
The most important thing is not to experiment for the first time at a race. In training, try out different flavours, textures, amounts and timings, so you can more easily develop your own routine.
If you listen to your body’s signals, you can more easily find the solution that, in the long run, supports more comfortable running, more stable energy levels and more effective recovery.
*Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine.
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