4 Supplements to Increase Performance on Race Day
In today's blog I want to share with you the four main supplements that I recommend to my athletes inside my elite athlete coaching program to be used in the buildup to a race during their tape phase of their training.
These supplements have been well researched and are directly linked to enhancing performance of the athlete once they're taken with the right dose and the right timing.
By the end of this blog;
- you'll know the top four supplements that elite level athletes use during their taper phase when getting ready for an event.
- You’ll know the exact dosages and timings of how to take each supplement to get the most out of them.
- You'll also know the exact particular brands I recommend to my athletes that are of high quality and are third party independently tested.
Quick note for any of you athletes that are subjected to doping tests weather that’s for a specific event or across the season.
Anyway let's jump back in.
In order to get the most out of these supplements there is a strategic timeline in which each supplement must be consumed to have the most advantageous effect on your body. Hence I've broken down the four supplements in terms of a timeline working from the start of your taper right up to your race.
14 Days Out – Pomegranate Juice Extract
Pomegranate juice is a source of a high concentration antioxidant. There is emerging evidence that supplementing with high concentration antioxidants can improve exercise performance by delaying onset fatigue during an event. In current studies pomegranate juice extract has been shown to demonstrate an increase in time to exhaustion alongside an increase in time to reach second ventilatory threshold (the point at which breathing becomes labored). Therefore, supplementing with pomegranate juice extract may improve aerobic exercise performance during your race.
This is quite new and exciting supplements that's emerging lately true add audible evidence and most recently peer reviewed academic research it's been showing so far to date to improve overall aerobic performance in users who consumed this supplement for at least 14 days leading up to an enduring space event definitely something I recommend considering plenty trying out for your next event.
Dosage; 225mg of punicalagin daily (if you can acquire this 30ml of concentrated pomegranate juice may work the same). A 14-day loading phase is required.
The brand that I typically recommend that is also a third party independent tested is active edge, see link below.
7 Days Out – Tart Cherry Juice
Montmorency cherries contain high levels of anthocyanins – natural compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These compounds help reduce inflammation and reduce free radical damage caused during exercise. This action both aids immune function through reduced post exercise inflammation and reduces muscle soreness, hence improving recovery.
This is ideal to consume during your taper phase as the main goal of tapering is to reduce the stress from your months of hard work to allow the body to fully recovery. So you can be as fresh as possible for your event.
Tire cherry juice is a must for me in this phase.
Dosage; AM 30 ml concentrated juice mixed in 250 mill water. PM 90 min pre sleep 30 ml concentrated juice mixed in 250 mill water.
The brand that I typically recommend that is also a third party independent tested is active edge, see link below.
5 Days Out – Nitrate
Nitrate supplementation has a direct link to improving performance, hence why 90% of elite athletes use this on race day to boost performance.
When supplementing with beetroot juice we are actually supplementing with a natural source of nitrate which gets converted to nitric oxide an effective regulatory of blood flow and vasodilatation. Nitrate supplementation reduces the oxygen cost of exercise and thus prolonging time to exhaustion, improving exercise performance.
Meaning you can perform harder and faster for longer
Just a few points to note with Beetroot juice it has a natural laxative effect so it can increase bowel transit time so definitely practice this well in advance of your actual event, it also can be hard on some people's GI system can lead to GI issues therefore you want to practice with this well advanced in your training also, and thirdly this can tint your urine slightly pink/red and can also change the colour of your feces too so just bear that in mind the first time you use it if you do see red in the toilet bowl it can be because of the beetroot not because of a health related issue
Dosage; 0.1-0.2mmol/kg (or 1 beet it shot/250 ml of beetroot juice) loading phase of 5 days pre event is required.
There is only one brand that I recommend when it comes to nitrate loading and that is beat it sport it's organic and also third party tested it's also the particular product that all the research is conventionally done on as well as we know that it is a well formulated researched product, see link below.
3 Days Out – Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate acts as an intracellular pH buffer (stops the environment becoming too acidic). When we do intense exercise and we get that burning sensation which is result of hydrogen ions getting released the pH concentration within our skeletal muscle cells can become more acidic, resulting in fatigue. Sodium bicarbonate can help maintain a neural pH allowing us to exercise at higher intensities for longer without giving into fatigue.
This is a supplement that is so accessible and affordable as it is typical household staple used for baking that gives you so much bang for your buck this will allow you to push through those barriers maintaining higher intensity outputs which ultimately means you can run faster for longer without succumbing to fatigue. A definite in my book.
Dosage; AM 200mg mixed in water & PM 200mg mixed in water. A 3 day loading phase is required to reach muscle saturation levels this can be done at the same time as your carbohydrate loading phase.
There is two options that I typically go with here for sodium bicarbonate you can use your typical conventional sodium bicarbonate otherwise known as baking soda that you have at home that is just as good or if you're looking for a credible recommended brand I would also recommend Maurtens version, see link below.
Take home message.
- It's best practice to purchase supplements that have been third party independently tested whether or not you're subjected doping tests, as this can help insure a high level of quality with the product you're using.
- Don't ever experiment with supplements on the day of or just the days leading upto your race. Make sure to practice/practice/practice well advanced of competing so there's no surprises on the day or the days leading up to the race.
- Inform sport and inform choice are an independent third-party company that batch test supplements in the marketplace and provide you with a certification that that particular batch you purchasing from has been tested make sure you check out your websites before buying supplements.
- Beware of supplement companies that say their products are third party tested or have a sticker on their table double check and cross reference to make sure that they have a certification from an actual third party independent company that gives you that reassurance.
- Lastly make sure you're getting your sleep your training and your attrition right before you decide to supplement supplements aren't going to bridge that gap they're not a Band-Aid everything else has been ordered first for supplements to really give you that extra boost in performance.
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Reference’s
- Domínguez, R. et al. (2017) ‘Effects of beetroot juice supplementation on cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes. A systematic review’, Nutrients, 9(1), p. 43.doi:10.3390/nu9010043.
- Lopes-Silva, J.P. and Franchini, E. (2020) ‘Effects of isolated and combined ingestion of sodium bicarbonate and β-alanine on combat sports athletes’ performance: A systematic review’, Strength & Conditioning Journal, 43(3), pp. 101–111.doi:10.1519/ssc.0000000000000603.
- Ortega, D.R. et al. (2021) ‘Tart cherry and pomegranate supplementations enhance recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: A systematic review’, Biology ofSport, 38(1), pp. 97–111. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2020.97069.
- Vitale, K. and Getzin, A. (2019) ‘Nutrition and supplement update for the endurance athlete: Review and recommendations’, Nutrients, 11(6), p. 1289. doi:10.3390/nu11061289.
