Endurance supplements can be boiled down to four main categories which consist of hydration, fuel, recovery and performance. 

Hydration is pretty simple.  It consists of proper water intake and electrolyte balance. For electrolyte intake during endurance events we usually recommend Hammer Endurolytes.

Fuel is the energy to keep the body moving which is provided primarily by carbohydrates.  Think of energy gels like Hammer Gel or drinks like Accelerade, Hammer Perpetuem, or Hammer Heed.  These products are designed to be mixed in water and consumed during endurance activities.  They consist of primarily carbohydrates with some electrolytes and some may have amino acids.

Recovery products are designed to be used at the completion of a workout.  Recovery comes in several parts.  The main components to worry about are structural recovery which is concerned with repair of damaged tissue, metabolic recovery which involves replacing cellular energy stores and hormone optimization which requires providing the proper nutrients and rest to normalize testosterone and cortisol.  By far the best product in this category is AfterGlow by BioRhythm, with Hammer Recoverite being our next choice for endurance athletes.

Performance supplements should be considered after you have taken care of the basic needs mentioned in the three paragraphs above.  It doesn’t make sense to try and improve performance if you are not taking a good recovery drink.  Performance supplements are as the name says designed to help improve performance.  For endurance athlete’s beta- alanine, creatine and natural testosterone boosters should all be considered.  Beta-Alanine is a favorite with endurance athletes as it buffers lactic acid so it allows an athlete to work harder and longer.

In future articles we will go into more detail on supplementation for endurance athletes but this should hopefully provide an easy to understand framework from which to create an appropriate supplementation program.

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Joint Rejuvenate combines the most effective compounds to help increase mobility, decrease joint pain, and reduce inflammation while helping to rebuild joint cartilage.  The two major components of the joint are the cartilage which protects the bone surface from touching other bone and the synovial fluid which lubricates the cartilage and fills in the space in the joint structure.  Joint Rejuvenate contains a cutting edge compound called Type II Collagen which is derived from avian collagen.  Type II Collagen or avian collagen contains the only form of hylauronic acid which is absorbable by the human body.  This is important because hylauronic acid is the compound from which synovial fluid in the joint is comprised.  By ingesting Type II Collagen the body will produce more synovial fluid in the joints.  By increasing the amount of synovial fluid the joint will function better and have an increased range of mobility.  Increased production of synovial fluid also ensures the joint is well cushioned.  Most users will notice results in about 10-12 days when using this compound.

This product also contains several other key components which support the structure and function of the joint.

Joint Rejuvenate contains a pharmaceutical grade glucosamine.  Glucosamine is necessary to produce glycosaminoglycan, a molecule used in the formation and repair of cartilage and other body tissues. 

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Growth hormone is looked at by many as the fountain of youth. It has been said that growth hormone can decrease body fat, increase muscle, reduce wrinkles and signs of aging. While some of this is based in truth like most other claims there is also quite a bit of exaggeration. Actual growth hormone cannot be purchased over the counter and is accessible only by prescription from a physician. Many supplement companies have claimed to have products which mimic growth hormone but few products produce actual results for their users. One new product which looks promising is Pro-GH produced by NOW Foods under the NOW Sports label. This product was formulated by a physician and is undergoing clinical studies to validate its efficacy.Reports from individual who have tried it are promising. There are two ways to take the product. The first is before a workout to enhance strength, muscular endurance and hormone output. The second is at night before bed to promote hormone release during sleep. Users have reported feeling more energy, increases in strength, increases in endurance, greater sex drive, and fat loss.

This product can be used by both men and women as growth hormone is not gender specific.

Click above for more info on Beta Alanine

As the research rolls in the case for beta alanine as a performance enhancer gets better and better. Read the excerpt below from a recent study conducted on beta alanine.

Researches assembled a highly trained group of 33 college football players and split them into three groups: a creatine group that took 5g twice daily; a creatine and beta-alanine group that took the same amount of creatine but with 1.6g of beta-alanine twice daily; and a placebo group, who took nothing.

Prior to and following the 10-week study, the researchers measured the athletes’ body composition, body weight, one-repetition maximum in the bench press and squat, and had them keep a log of their dietary intake.

All were placed on a weight training program that included all the usual suspects: bench press, squat, dead lift, power clean, incline press and fly, row, etc.

Here’s what they found:

• When you combine creatine and beta-alanine, your training volume goes up and you get stronger. The athletes were able to knock out more reps with the same weights, and although this was the case with the other groups, it happened to a greater and more significant extent in the creatine plus beta-alanine group.

• One-rep max, the strength measure, climbed significantly higher in both the supplemented groups. In the bench press, the athletes taking only creatine increased their one-rep max by an average of over 30 pounds while the creatine plus beta-alanine group saw it rise by roughly 25 pounds. The placebo group experienced an insignificant 12 pound bump.

• Increases in one-rep squat max were similar. Both supplemented groups experienced significant gains: roughly 50 pounds for the creatine plus beta-alanine group and just under 50 pounds for the creatine group. For comparison, the placebo group pushed up their max a meager 10 pounds.

The most impressive results of beta-alanine, at least in this study, were its effects on lean mass gains and fat loss, effects not seen in either of the two other groups.

Only in the creatine plus beta-alanine group did the investigators record a significant increase in muscle mass, with percentage of fat dropping roughly 1.2%. This adds promise to a supplement that, until this study, could only be viewed as a performance enhancer. Fat loss is also a benefit you don’t get from creatine alone.

Anybody who spends time in the gym knows what muscle failure feels like. At a certain point the muscle becomes overloaded and is unable to continue to contract. This reaction in our bodies is known as metabolic acidosis which is caused by the breakdown of ATP for energy production. Metabolic acidosis is the production of hydrogen ions that occurs by intense muscle contraction which causes blood and muscle ph to drop. The accumulation of hydrogen ions and decrease in ph is directly linked to muscle fatigue and what we know as muscle failure.

Carnosine which is synthesized from Beta Alanine and Histidine is known to buffer hydrogen ions resulting in a positive impact on exercise performance. Research has shown that supplementing with 3.2 grams per day of Beta Alanine can increase muscle carnosine stores by as much as 66%. This elevation in carnosine has been shown to improve athletic performance. Studies have shown oral supplementation of Beta Alanine for 2-4 weeks has improved a range of athletic tests from sprint cycling to leg extensions by 8-12%.

The bottom line is Beta Alanine can increase strength and power.

CLA has been researched for the following benefits.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, published in the December 2000 issue of the Journal of Nutrition found that CLA reduces fat and preserves muscle tissue. According to the research project manager, an average reduction of six pounds of body fat was found in the group that took CLA, compared to a placebo group.

The study found that approximately 3.4 grams of CLA per day is the level needed to obtain the beneficial effects of CLA on body fat.

In a separate study, CLA was found to improve insulin levels in about two-thirds of diabetic patients, and moderately reduced the blood glucose level and triglyceride levels.

Besides creating a state of alertness caffeine plays an interesting roles in increasing muscle output and athletic performance. New research shows it improves reaction time and cooridination. Caffeine taken prior to exercise also causes the body to release calcium stores which play a role in increasing the force in maximal muscle contractions. This can help an athlete generate more force to push more weight and do more reps.

One side effect with caffeine is that it tends to decrease the effectiveness of creatine and arginine. To get the most out of these other supplements try to dose them at separate times. For instance if you are taking caffeine as a preworkout energy enhancer take your creatine after your workout.