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Your body is a machine, and your diet is its fuel. When you train for a marathon, you quickly notice that your fuel will run out, causing your body – your machine – to feel the impact. As a marathon runner, it’s imperative to infuse your body with the vital nutrients and minerals it needs to thrive and cross the finish line. With a vast array of vitamins and supplements marketed to runners, it can be difficult to narrow in on the ones that are most crucial to your success. Beyond supplementing with what your body needs, supplements can be costly so you want to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. Though by no means an exhaustive list, what follows passes the need and value test.
Every athlete knows the power of protein. An essential nutrient that accounts for approximately 17% of the average person’s body weight, protein is needed to maintain and regulate valuable bodily functions such as cellular repair, hydration and fluid balance (US National Institutes of Health). As a runner, you have a higher demand of nutrition, and that’s where whey protein comes in. Without sufficient amounts of protein, you’re at a higher risk of injury, fatigue and even loss of muscle mass (Wickham). And the more you run, the more protein your body breaks down. So you need a supplement that replaces the proteins you’re losing when you’re working out. Whey protein can serve as that supplement. Whey protein can also assist with muscle recovery, allowing you to continue your marathon training without becoming more susceptible to injury.
As noted in recent health trends, bodybuilders are no longer the only athletes using creatine. Creatine – an amino acid that can deliver powerful benefits to all types of athletes – has an impeccable ability to boost muscle recovery and growth. This is one reason it is often associated with bodybuilders. Yet when used by runners, creatine has the power to help combat muscle inflammation and other cellular damage (US National Library of Medicine). When consumed daily, creatine supplements have shown to reduce submaximal VO2 levels, which can help a runner run faster, longer and harder. Furthermore, creatine supplements have been shown to help improve the body’s heart rate, sweat rate and the way water is distributed throughout the body – all of which helps in conditions associated with extreme heat (Bryan).
Fittingly falling outside the “banned” status ascribed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), perhaps one of the most crucial legal supplements every runner can benefit from for marathon training is pure recreational oxygen. While your body is designed to function on 21% oxygen, which is the concentration found in ambient unpolluted air, excessive amounts of pollution, elevation and vigorous exercise – among other things – can lower your body’s oxygen levels, requiring your body to restore to with oxygen to reach its normal, healthy levels.
An oxygen boost from Oxygen Plus (O+) may offer your body the fuel it needs during a marathon, helping to optimize your athletic performance. With its sole content of pure recreational oxygen, Oxygen Plus offers more than four times the amount of oxygen found in regular, everyday air. While the usage amount will vary for each individual and activity, usually, three to five deep breaths quickly restores depleted oxygen levels to normal, healthy levels of oxygen, helping your mind and body perform at its peak.
As a runner, you’ve likely heard the term VO2Max. This is often referred to as the maximal oxygen uptake, or in simpler terms, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in and utilize at peak exertion. The more oxygen you uptake, the faster, harder, and longer your body – that beautiful machine – will run. Plus, in conditions where higher elevation or pollution take its toll on your body’s oxygen levels, Oxygen Plus is also an aid to help combat the effects of altitude and polluted or stale air.
O+ is oxygen in a can that’s designed to restore and revitalize your body without the side effects that are sometimes present in other energy boosts. No carbs, no caffeine, no calories and no crash.
With these top three supplements for marathon runners, reaching your goals may be more within reach. So, if it makes sense for you and your sport or medical advisors, guard your muscles with protein, care for your muscles with creatine, and boost your O2 levels with O+ oxygen shots for natural energy and recovery.
NOTE: Oxygen Plus (O+)products are intended for recreational, intermittent use only, not to be used as medical nor life-saving products. Prolonged use is defined as uninterrupted intake for more than 8 hours. Any person with any type of health or medical condition should consult their physician prior to use of O+ products. Since O+ is not a medical product or intended for medical use, it is neither regulated nor approved by the FDA.
“The effects of consuming a high protein diet on body composition in resistance-trained individuals.” Us National Library of Medicine. 2014. Web. 14 Aug. 2017.
Graef, Smith, Kendall, Fukuda, Moon, Beck, Cramer, Stout, “The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial.” Articles. US National Library of Medicine. 2009. Web. 14 Aug. 2016.
Wickham, E. (2015, Febuary 18).Signs of Low Protein Intake. Retrieved September 4, 2017, from Livestong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/427967-signs-of-low-protein-intake/
Bryan, D. (2015, May 7).Creatine and Cardio Performance. Retrieved September 4, 2017, from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/462138-creatine-and-cardio-performance/
