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15/09/2021

Improve endurance exercise performance and recovery

Life Extension, smile woman in training clothes sitting on the floor while putting on her running shoes

Regular physical activity is a crucial part of good health. See how you can improve both your exercise performance and recovery.


Four tips for a better workout

  • Healthy carbohydrates help support the body’s needs when consumed before or during a workout. Carbohydrate ingestion during moderate to intense exercise that lasts longer than two hours is associated with improved endurance. (1)
  • It is shown that people who perform intense training consume double the daily recommendation of protein in order to support rapid recovery and maintain muscle mass. (2) Protein powders or bars are an efficient way to supply what an average diet may not provide.
  • Sufficient hydration is essential during a workout, but can also be overdone. Drink enough liquid to satisfy thirst or take small sips.
  • Nutritional supplements can be a powerful way to increase your exercise performance and recovery.


Nutrients that will make the most of your exercise

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10):

CoQ10 has an antioxidant effect and plenty of other benefits for athletes and nonathletes. This coenzyme is suggested to improve endurance performance and help prevent fatigue and exercise-related muscle damage. (3)

A trial compared the effects of a placebo to 300 milligrams per day of CoQ10 (of the form known as ubiquinol) in 16 male collegiate distance runners for 12 days during summer training. On the seventh day, the men participated in a 25-kilometer run, followed by a 45-kilometer run on the ninth day. (4)

CoQ10 supplementation showed as an increase in CoQ10 concentrations measured on the study’s sixth day, together with a decrease in enzymes that included creatine kinase, a marker of muscle damage. 

After the 45-kilometer run on day 10, men in the placebo group reported a significant increase in fatigue, while fatigue levels did not change significantly among those who received CoQ10. “Ubiquinol-10 could mitigate tissue damage and alleviate fatigue status in distance runners during summer training,” concluded authors Yoshi Suzuki and colleagues at Juntendo University.

Branch chain amino acids (BCAA):

Human trials indicate that BCAA can increase exercise performance and endurance, help resist exercise induced fatigue, and enhance our ability to use fat for energy during endurance exercise.

BCAA have also been shown to improve exercise recovery and stimulate muscle growth. (5)

More products for performance endurance and recovery:


References

1. Cermak NM et al. Sports Med. 2013 Nov;43(11):1139-55.
2. Kerksick CM et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Aug 1;15(1):38.
3. https://www.lifeextension.com/newsletter/2020/3/improve-workouts-with-cherry-and-coq10
4. Suzuki Y International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 2020 Jan 31
5. https://www.lifeextension.com/science-research/active-lifestyle-fitness


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