← All goals

Supplements for endurance & performance

Running, cycling, and high-intensity performance.

Start with the basics

  • Structured training, carbohydrate intake around sessions, sleep, and recovery.

Talk to a healthcare professional first

This information is for education only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Supplements can interact with medications and health conditions. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting anything, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA; supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Ranked by strength of evidence

Caffeine

AStrong evidence

An umbrella review of 21 meta-analyses found caffeine consistently improves endurance performance, and to a lesser extent strength and power.

Dose used in studies
3–6 mg/kg body weight, ~60 minutes before exercise
Time to effect
30–60 minutes
Studies (2)
Safety, side effects & interactions →Where to buy (affiliate)

Beta-alanine

BModerate evidence

A meta-analysis found beta-alanine improved exercise capacity and performance, mainly in high-intensity efforts lasting about 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

Dose used in studies
3.2–6.4 g/day in split doses
Time to effect
2–4 weeks (needs daily loading)
Most relevant for
High-intensity efforts of 0.5–10 minutes
Studies (1)
Safety, side effects & interactions →Where to buy (affiliate)

Dietary nitrate (beetroot juice)

CLimited evidence

An umbrella review found beetroot juice taken 2–3 hours before exercise gives a small performance boost, mainly aerobic endurance in non-athletes; benefits of longer-term use were negligible.

Dose used in studies
8–16 mmol nitrate (roughly 1–2 concentrated shots), 2–3 hours before exercise
Time to effect
2–3 hours; also with several days of loading
Most relevant for
Recreationally active people (not elite athletes)
Studies (2)
Safety, side effects & interactions →Where to buy (affiliate)

When to see a doctor

  • You have heart conditions or experience chest pain or fainting during exercise.