Longevity
Top 10 Endurance Supplements for Performance and Longevity
A practical guide to the supplements that support long efforts and long athletic lives — from carbohydrate and electrolytes to calcium, vitamin D and hydroxyapatite.
Athletes searching for an endurance food supplement usually want the same thing: something that helps them go longer, recover faster, and stay healthy doing it.
The supplement market is loud. Every product promises a marginal gain. But the reality is more practical: a handful of ingredients have strong evidence, a larger group have modest or context-specific benefits, and many are simply expensive distractions.
This guide ranks the most useful endurance supplements for performance and longevity. It covers the staples athletes already know — carbohydrate, electrolytes, caffeine, protein — alongside less discussed but important supports such as calcium, vitamin D and hydroxyapatite.
The goal is not to turn you into a supplement cabinet. It is to help you choose wisely, dose safely, and understand where oral health fits into the bigger picture.
Performance without longevity is a short career. Longevity without performance misses the point.
Top 10 endurance supplements
Carbohydrate
The original endurance fuel
What it is: Carbohydrate remains the most evidence-backed performance aid for efforts lasting more than about 60–90 minutes. It spares muscle glycogen, sustains blood glucose and supports central nervous system drive during long sessions and races.
What the evidence says: Guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine and the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommend carbohydrate intake during prolonged exercise to maintain performance, with higher doses for longer or more intense events.
Typical dose: ~30–90 g per hour depending on duration and intensity.
Sodium & electrolytes
Hold onto fluid when you sweat
What it is: Sodium is the main electrolyte lost in sweat. Replacing it helps maintain plasma volume, reduce cramping risk in heavy or salty sweaters, and sustain thirst drive.
What the evidence says: Sweat sodium losses vary widely. Athletes with high sweat rates or salty sweat may benefit from sodium replacement beyond water alone, particularly in heat.
Typical dose: Individualised; common sports drinks contain 200–700 mg sodium per litre.
Caffeine
A well-timed boost
What it is: Caffeine is one of the most studied ergogenic aids. It may reduce perceived effort, improve alertness and support endurance performance across running, cycling and triathlon.
What the evidence says: A 2021 umbrella review concluded that caffeine has a small to moderate positive effect on endurance performance in many studied protocols.
Typical dose: ~3–6 mg per kg body mass, taken 30–60 minutes pre-exercise.
Protein & essential amino acids
Repair after the work
What it is: Protein does not fuel the session itself, but it supports muscle protein synthesis and recovery between sessions. Endurance athletes often under-consume protein relative to their total energy intake.
What the evidence says: Research suggests distributing protein across meals and consuming some protein soon after demanding sessions to support recovery and adaptation.
Typical dose: ~1.2–2.0 g per kg body mass per day, with 20–40 g per meal.
Creatine monohydrate
More than a strength supplement
What it is: Creatine is best known for supporting repeated high-intensity efforts and lean mass. Emerging work also explores its role in recovery, glycogen resynthesis and even cognitive performance during sleep-deprived or demanding events.
What the evidence says: Creatine monohydrate has strong evidence for supporting high-intensity and repeated-sprint performance. Effects on pure endurance are smaller but recovery benefits may be relevant for multi-day athletes.
Typical dose: 3–5 g per day, consistently.
Beta-alanine
Buffer the burn
What it is: Beta-alanine increases muscle carnosine, which helps buffer acidity during high-intensity efforts lasting 1–4 minutes. It is most relevant for middle-distance runners, cyclists and repeated sprint work.
What the evidence says: Meta-analyses report small but consistent performance benefits for high-intensity exercise lasting 30 seconds to 10 minutes.
Typical dose: 3–6 g per day, split across doses to reduce tingling.
Dietary nitrates / beetroot juice
Support the oxygen cost
What it is: Nitrate-rich foods and beetroot juice may reduce the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise and improve exercise economy, particularly in untrained or recreationally trained athletes.
What the evidence says: A 2018 meta-analysis found that dietary nitrate supplementation can modestly improve endurance exercise capacity and time to exhaustion.
Typical dose: ~6–8 mmol nitrate, 2–3 hours before exercise, for 3–7 days pre-event.
Iron
The oxygen carrier
What it is: Iron supports haemoglobin and myoglobin production, oxygen transport and energy metabolism. Endurance athletes — especially female runners — are at higher risk of low iron stores.
What the evidence says: Iron deficiency without anaemia can still impair endurance performance. Supplementation should follow blood testing and medical guidance.
Typical dose: Individualised; only supplement after confirmed deficiency.
Calcium + vitamin D
Bone health for the long run
What it is: Calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone mineral density, muscle function and injury resilience. Low energy availability, high sweat losses and limited sun exposure can put endurance athletes at risk.
What the evidence says: Adequate calcium and vitamin D are associated with better bone health. Athletes with low energy availability or a history of stress fractures may need particular attention.
Typical dose: Calcium ~1000–1300 mg/day; vitamin D status should be checked and targeted individually.
Hydroxyapatite
Oral armour for repeat fuellers
What it is: Hydroxyapatite is the calcium-phosphate mineral that makes up most of tooth enamel. It is increasingly used in oral-care products as a source of bioavailable calcium and phosphate that may support remineralisation and reduce sensitivity.
What the evidence says: Studies suggest that hydroxyapatite toothpaste and oral products can be effective at supporting remineralisation and may offer comparable caries-prevention benefits to fluoride for some populations.
Typical dose: Use as directed in oral-care products between fuelling sessions.
Building a stack
How to think about stacking supplements
The best stack is not the biggest. It is the one that fills the gaps left by your diet, training and environment.
Start with food
No supplement replaces a balanced diet. Carbohydrate, protein, healthy fats, vegetables, fruit and whole grains should cover most needs. Supplements enter when training load, travel, dietary restrictions or individual physiology create a gap.
Match the supplement to the demand
A 90-minute trail run has different demands than a 24-hour ultra or a stage race. Match carbohydrate and sodium to sweat loss and session duration. Match recovery supports to weekly volume and life stress.
Test in training, not on race day
Gut tolerance, caffeine sensitivity and flavour fatigue are individual. Every new product should be trialled in training before it earns a place in competition.
Track the long-term supports
Bone health, iron status, vitamin D and oral health are easy to neglect until they become problems. Periodic blood tests and dental check-ups are part of a mature supplement strategy.
The missing piece
Why oral health belongs in this conversation
Endurance athletes expose their mouths to a unique combination of stressors: frequent carbohydrate, acidic gels and drinks, reduced saliva during effort, mouth breathing and limited recovery time between servings.
Over months and years, this can shift the oral environment toward demineralisation. That matters because dental problems can interrupt sleep, nutrition, training and even race plans. A 2012 study of Olympic athletes found that nearly half reported dental caries and erosion, and many said oral health affected their training or performance.
Hydroxyapatite — the mineral that makes up enamel — is one tool that may help support remineralisation between fuelling sessions. It provides calcium and phosphate in a form the tooth recognises, and it is increasingly used alongside fluoride in oral-care products for athletes and non-athletes alike.
UNBTN’s HAp⁺ was developed with this exact context in mind: a sugar-free, lemon-flavoured lozenge designed to be used during and between fuelling moments to help reset the mouth without adding carbohydrate or acid to the fuelling plan.
The first thing to stop an athlete is not always their legs. Sometimes it is their mouth.
Bottom line
What to remember
Carbohydrate, sodium and caffeine are the heavy hitters for race-day performance. Protein, creatine, beta-alanine and nitrates add value in specific contexts. Iron, calcium and vitamin D protect the long-term structures that keep you training. Hydroxyapatite protects the mouth that has to survive every gel, drink and chew.
No single supplement replaces consistency, recovery, sleep and smart training. But the right supports, used at the right time, can help you train harder, recover better and keep doing the sport you love for longer.
References
- Thomas DT, et al. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016. Journal
- Kerksick CM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017. Journal
- Southward K, et al. The effect of acute caffeine ingestion on endurance performance: an umbrella review. Sports Medicine. 2021. PubMed
- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017. Journal
- Saunders B, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: beta-alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017. Journal
- Domínguez R, et al. Effects of beetroot juice supplementation on cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes. A systematic review. Nutrients. 2017. PMC
- Tenforde AS, et al. Association of the Female Athlete Triad Risk Assessment Stratification with the risk of stress fractures. PM&R. 2017. PubMed
- Enax V, et al. Hydroxyapatite in oral care products — properties, mode of action and clinical evidence. Current Oral Health Reports. 2024. PubMed