The promise of weight loss, more strength, better recovery, etc is attractive. There are thousands of different supplements that promise so much, but more often deliver so little. As part of this road I'm travelling I'm looking at the need for supplementation and have come to the conclusion that the majority are placebo (and often expensive ones). The reality is that, for what I'm doing, eating whole foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, protein, and fats. Should get you where you need to go. Drinking plenty of water, reducing anything artificial, and ensuring you rest and recover properly (especially Active Recovery activity) will get you where you need to go. There are a few areas though which I've found beneficial in training for this ultra:
1. Arnica - Taken both as a tablet in a couple of days before a very long run, and topically as a cream, has helped with long running problems in my ankle, tendons and heel. It has also helped my DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)
2. Marine Collagen & Vitamin C - Taken in doses on 8-12mg and hour before activity is helping with my tendon issues. My nails are growing like crazy as well!
3. Psyllium Husk - These are to help add in high levels of fibre to help with my stomach through fat adapting and very low carb eating.
It's pretty simple and very natural and appears to be getting me to where I want to go.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are a must! Chances are when you are running further than 20k you are not taking enough.
I've found a good electrolyte/energy drink for the ultra distances very helpful. The difference taking this through running 50k was very noticeable. I highly recommend 'Tailwind' for this. It saves the need for energy gels as well.
I also use salt tablets. Every hour on a long run, where I'm not using tailwind (e.g. my fasted runs) I'll take two salt tablets to keep myself topped up. Low salt levels are a big problem on long distance runs and your performance (even your chances of finishing your distance) are at risk. These are an ESSENTIAL item. They will help avoid some very nasty problems once you start getting to high miles.
And that's about it. Keep it simple, keep it natural. There are no magic bullets. If there were I'd have found them. Thanks for reading.
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