Runners can drink sports drinks and caffeinated beverages to run faster. Sports drinks can enhance running performance, as they provide water, electrolytes, and carbohydrates to boost performance and aid in recovery [1]. This is especially important for longer distance runs, as sports drinks replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes lost in sweat and are typically easy to digest [2, 3]. Additionally, caffeine has been shown to increase performance and endurance, spare glycogen, promote fat oxidation, reduce fatigue, and decrease perceived effort in doses ranging from 3-6 mg/kg body weight [4].
References:
Jeukendrup A. E. (2011). Nutrition for endurance sports: marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. Journal of sports sciences, 29 Suppl 1, S91–S99. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.610348
Jensen, T. E., & Richter, E. A. (2012). Regulation of glucose and glycogen metabolism during and after exercise. The Journal of physiology, 590(5), 1069–1076. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.224972
Ayotte, D., Jr, & Corcoran, M. P. (2018). Individualized hydration plans improve performance outcomes for collegiate athletes engaging in in-season training. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0230-2
Vitale, K., & Getzin, A. (2019). Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations. Nutrients, 11(6), 1289.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061289
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