Whether you jog to keep fit or compete in marathons, the physically demanding sport of running can deplete the body of essential nutrients.
During a race like a half-marathon, a runner’s metabolism — or ability to convert food and internal resources into energy — must work much harder to keep up with increased demand.
Metabolites are essential molecules that flow through the blood to keep the body functioning. Some of these hard-working metabolites are amino acids that are absorbed and converted into protein needed for muscle strength and endurance.
Endurance runners who train intensely lose critical metabolites due to increased energy expenditure and increased protein synthesis during the recovery period.
Recently, there has been an explosion in these amino acid supplements. There is very little scientific evidence to back up the claims made about many supplements, and yet a wide variety are now being marketed to runners.
If you misuse or take too much of a nutritional supplement it can also hinder your performance and have long-term, unwanted health effects, so it’s important to understand and study the science behind any supplement.
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