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Most runners are skilled at sucking hydration packs dry during long runs and carbo-loading before races. But fueling your runs shouldn’t end there.
“The more you run, the more attention you need to pay to your nutrition status, including any gaps that might exist in your vitamin and mineral intake,” says Albert Matheny, RD, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and trainer with SoHo Strength Lab in NYC.
After all, your body requires a delicate balance of nutrients to perform its best — not to mention recover from every workout. And while it’s always best to take a “food first” approach to nutrition (reaching for whole foods before supplement bottles), getting everything you need from whole foods isn’t always realistic. Quick: How many milligrams of calcium do you get per day? No idea? Yeah, that’s what we thought.
So if you’re wanting to kick your runs into high gear and get more out of every mile, it’s worth talking to your doctor about some the most commonly needed vitamins, supplements and nutrients among runners. Before you buy, always check the bottle for a USP or NSF seal. They’re a guarantee that the bottle contains everything it says it does — and nothing else. Read on to identify which ones might work for you and your running routine: