5 Supplements I Take to Support My Running

Michelle

June 19

I enjoy sharing what works for me in my training, but supplements are one thing you should never take blindly or simply take because someone else does. I feel like it goes without saying, but just for the sake of covering my butt, please consult your doctor, a registered dietitian, and have blood work done first before taking any new supplements. I recently saw my doctor and had blood work done, so I want to share what supplements I've been using that I think are helping me feel better and stronger than I have in several months and helping me get back to the fastest I've ever been.

Here are the five supplements I use. I don't try to over-do it with the supplements and really try to only take what I actually need and things that are going to benefit me.

Previnex Multivitamin, Mineral, and Antioxidant PLUS
I have taken a multivitamin all throughout my adult life. In the past I've taken the standard drugstore ones like One-A-Day Women's multivitamin or Nature's Made multivitamin, but a couple months ago I decided to commit to a higher quality multivitamin. I trust Previnex as a brand, so I purchased their multivitamin, and I've been very happy with it. It is lab tested for the correct potency, which I appreciate and something that is important to me.
Hema-Plex Iron Supplement
Every since figuring out I was anemic in college, I've always had to supplement with iron. Like my multivatmin, I've used different brands over the years (primarily Nature's Made), but I then heard Emma Bates talk about Hema-Plex. I made the switch after seeing that it is a much high quality supplement, and I honestly feel like it helps me in my running so much more. When my iron is low, I feel very sluggish, and I have a really hard time hitting paces. My breathing gets really labored as well. My iron stores aren't anything to brag about yet, but I certainly feel much better when I do supplement with the Hema-Plex iron.
Previnex Omega Pure PLUS
I've take fish oil on and off over my adult years, and I decided to incorporate back into my daily supplement rotation, as I know there are a lot of really good benefits from taking it. I love that Previnex uses wild fish for the source of their fish oil because after spending 15 years in Alaska, it's practically a crime if you eat farmed fish. I don't have any fish-y burps when taking this, and in the past, other brands have caused me to burp fish, which is definitely not pleasant.
Previnex Muscle Health PLUS (creatine)
This is the newest supplement in my line-up, and I'm surprised I don't hear more people talk about creatine as it has been scientifically proven to help in performance, decrease muscle breakdown, and allow you to be able to keep pushing at the end of a workout. Creatine is one of the most-studied supplements and there is a lot of strong evidence that it does work.
Of all my supplements, if I had to guess, I think the creatine is making the biggest difference. Like I alluded to at the beginning, I have been hitting paces that I haven't since I was my fittest 8 years ago. I drink it after my workouts every day. (The timing of it doesn't matter as much as the consistency.) The flavor is decent (make sure to drink it with ice water), but the after taste is a little off--maybe the BCAAs?! Anyway, I'm a big fan of it, and I plan to keep taking it because I am getting back to the fittest I ever was.
PILLAR Performance Triple Magnesium
Magnesium can help you sleep better. I usually don't struggle with sleep, so this is not something I take every night before bed, but when I do take it, I sleep even better. I purchased the berry flavor, which is really good. (I've also heard good things about the pineapple coconut flavor.) I wasn't aware of this, but magnesium sulfate does cause loose stools, which definitely happened to me. I scaled back the portion, and it help some. So just FYI if this happens to you. Or you can find a magnesium supplement without magnesium citrate in it. I drink this as a warm beverage before bed, and I love it as part of my bedtime routine.

I am happy to share any other information related to supplements, so if you have other questions, ask in the comments. Of course, at the end of the day, these things vary so much from person to person, but hopefully sharing what works for me will spark ideas for other people to see if they may benefit from these things as well.