Endurance
Supplements for endurance sport: carbohydrate drinks and gels, electrolytes, and daily minerals such as iron and magnesium. We explain which forms suit long sessions, how to time them and what to expect after a few weeks.Read more →
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How supplements for endurance athletes fit together
Endurance training asks three separate things from your nutrition: carbohydrate during the effort, fluid and salt to replace sweat, and a steady daily nutrient base between sessions. Most runners, cyclists and triathletes arrive looking for one of the three and find they need two. This collection is grouped that way, and it sits inside our MOVE + RECOVER pillar.
The fuelling side has the clearest rules in Europe. Approved wording says carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions contribute to the maintenance of endurance performance during prolonged endurance exercise. A second approved wording says they enhance the absorption of water during physical exercise. Both only apply when the drink stays inside a defined range for carbohydrate, sodium and concentration. That is the practical reason we list electrolyte tablets and powders separately from plain flavoured drinks.
Forms differ more than the labels suggest
A gel, a chew and a drink mix can deliver similar carbohydrate and behave very differently in your stomach. Most modern products use two carbohydrate types, usually glucose or maltodextrin with fructose, because the two use different transport routes in the gut and are often tolerated better together at higher intakes. Concentration matters too: a thick gel taken without water sits heavier than the same carbohydrate diluted in a bottle.
- Drink mix: carbohydrate, sodium and fluid in one bottle, easiest to sip steadily.
- Gels: compact and precise, best with a few sips of water. Our gels for long rides and runs vary in thickness, which is mostly a tolerance question.
- Chews and bars: slower to eat, useful on steady efforts rather than in a hard finish.
How we select what goes into this collection
We judge products here on three things: the form, the dose, and whether the combination makes sense for a long effort. A drink mix that dissolves cleanly and empties from the stomach quickly is worth more to us than a longer ingredient list. For daily minerals we prefer better absorbed forms, so magnesium bisglycinate before magnesium oxide, and gentler iron forms for people who react badly to sulphate. We buy directly from the brands, so batches are authentic. Every product passes our compliance team before it goes live, we test products ourselves, and independent labs spot-check batches. Read how we select our brands.
Who this collection suits, and what it will not do
This range is built for people training more than a few hours a week, where sweat losses and carbohydrate needs become real rather than theoretical. If you train twice a week for an hour, food and water usually cover it, and a basic daily nutrient check is more useful than race fuel.
Be realistic about timelines. Fuel and fluid work the same day you use them, and you will notice the difference on a three-hour ride. Nutrient status is slower: iron, magnesium or omega-3 intake changes blood values over weeks, not sessions, so give any daily product two to three weeks of consistent use before you judge it. Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body, which is why runners ask about it, but supplementing without knowing your levels is guesswork. Testing first is cheaper than a year of the wrong dose.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an endurance supplement?
Three groups, with different jobs. First, fuel you take during exercise: carbohydrate drink mixes, gels, chews and bars. Second, hydration products: electrolyte tablets and powders that replace sodium and other salts lost in sweat. Third, daily nutrients that support a heavy training load, such as iron, magnesium, omega-3 and protein.
The first two work within the session. The third works over weeks, and only helps if your intake was short to begin with.
Which form should I choose: drink mix, gel or chews?
It is mostly a gut tolerance and practicality question, not a quality question. Test each in training, never for the first time on race day.
| Form | Strength | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Drink mix | Fuel, fluid and sodium together | Bottle-friendly rides, warm weather |
| Gel | Compact, precise dose | Racing, hard finishes, running |
| Chews | Chewing feels like food | Steady long efforts |
| Bar | More volume, slower | Early hours of long days |
Many athletes combine a drink mix for a steady base with gels for the hard sections.
What makes a real sports drink different from a soft drink?
Composition. To carry the approved endurance and water-absorption wording in the EU, a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution has to meet set conditions, which is why a proper mix is not the same as squash with a pinch of salt.
| Property | Condition |
|---|---|
| Energy from carbohydrate | 80 to 350 kcal/L |
| High-glycaemic carbohydrate | At least 75% of energy |
| Sodium | 460 to 1150 mg/L |
| Osmolality | 200 to 330 mOsm/kg water |
How much caffeine is safe before a long session?
Caffeine is popular in gels and pre-workouts, so it is worth knowing the reference figures rather than guessing. EFSA assessed intakes from all sources, including coffee, tea, cola and supplements.
| Situation | No safety concern up to |
|---|---|
| Single dose, healthy adults | 200 mg |
| Whole day, healthy adults | 400 mg |
| Single dose under 2 hours before intense exercise | 200 mg |
| Pregnancy or breastfeeding, per day | 200 mg |
Count your coffee as well as your gels, and keep late doses in mind if you race in the evening.
Do runners and cyclists need an iron supplement?
Not automatically. Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body, and endurance athletes do have reasons to watch their intake, especially women with heavy periods and people eating little or no meat. But high doses without a known shortfall are not harmless: the NHS notes that doses above 20 mg can cause constipation, nausea and stomach pain.
| Group | Daily reference intake |
|---|---|
| Men 19 and over | 8.7 mg |
| Women 19 to 49 | 14.8 mg |
| Women 50 and over | 8.7 mg |
Ask for a blood test first, then choose from our iron in different forms.
Will magnesium stop my cramp?
We cannot promise that, and no approved claim covers cramp. What is approved is that magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, and separately that magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Cramp during long efforts is usually a mix of fatigue, pace and fluid or sodium losses, so a sports drink with enough sodium often matters more.
Magnesium is still worth taking if your intake is low. We stock several magnesium forms and prefer bisglycinate for people whose stomach reacts to oxide.
Is beta-alanine useful for endurance sport?
Partly, and it is worth being precise. The evidence sits mainly with efforts of roughly one to four minutes and repeated high-intensity work, not with steady multi-hour pacing. So it can help the quality of your intervals, hill repeats and a late-race surge, rather than your marathon pace itself.
Expect a tingling feeling in the skin at higher single doses, which is harmless and reduced by splitting the dose. Effects build over weeks of daily use, since it works by raising a compound stored in muscle.
Can I use these products if I am drug tested in competition?
Only trust batch-tested products, and check the batch, not just the brand. Third-party testing schemes such as Informed Sport test specific production batches against prohibited substance lists, and the certificate applies to that batch alone. Any supplement can be a contamination risk if the manufacturing site also handles restricted ingredients.
We buy directly from the brands, so what you receive is authentic and traceable. If you compete under anti-doping rules, filter for batch-tested products and keep the packaging until after your event.
How should I build a fuelling plan without upsetting my stomach?
Train the gut like you train the legs. Start at the lower end of your carbohydrate intake on long sessions, keep the product and the concentration the same for a few weeks, then increase slowly. Dilution matters as much as the total: the same gel taken with water sits differently than taken dry.
Two practical habits help. Sip on a schedule instead of waiting for thirst or hunger, and rehearse your race-day plan in training at race intensity, since a higher heart rate slows digestion.
