A runner’s guide to supplements for recovery

By Henry Howard

I spent some time during the break for the holidays to not only recharge but to reassess.

As a masters athlete, it’s important for me to recover from my runs and other training quickly and safely. For years I regularly took a supplement to rejuvenate my tissues (IYKYK). At the same time, I was looking for a substitute for probiotics as I had weaned myself off kombucha. And, of course, it’s especially important during cold and flu season to keep my immune system healthy.

Thankfully, I was able to find high-quality supplements to meet each of these goals all from the same brand, Previnex. (If you’d like to try out Previnex, feel free to use my discount code HENRY15 and click here for 15% off.)

It can be challenging to find nutritional products for athletes that are not made with junk. It’s also well known that the supplement industry is unregulated. That’s why I always look for options that are NSF sport certified or are tested thoroughly by third-party companies like Previnex does.

Here’s a runner’s guide to supplements for recovery.

How supplements benefit runners

According to the National Institutes of Health, runners and other athletes can benefit from clean supplements. In fact, surveys found that two-thirds of 3,887 adult and adolescent elite track and field athletes participating in world championships took one or more supplements such as vitamins, minerals, creatine, caffeine and amino acids. Among the supplements recommended for most people are vitamins D and B12, creatine, magnesium and others.

My previous recovery supplement contained more than a dozen ingredients, including 500 grams of chondroitin sulfate, and called for up to eight capsules a day. This research about chondroitin sulfate cites “inconsistencies in published trials regarding clinical efficacy, with reports of a lack of significant effects compared to placebo.”

Previnex Joint Health Plus has only a few ingredients, including boswellia serrata, which is commonly used in the traditional Indian medicine system for healing. According to WebMd, boswellia serrata contains chemicals that might decrease swelling and increase the body's immune response.

One thing to note for vegans: the product also features NEM Eggshell Membrane, though not the insides of an egg. NEM is clinically proven to be up to five times more beneficial than glucosamine and chondroitin alone or in combination.

The directions call for just one capsule daily but during training periods I sometimes take a second. Most importantly I have noticed my recovery is better after hard workouts since making the switch.

For my gut health, the Previnex probiotic is a terrific solution. Just two capsules daily and I’ve had far fewer issues. It features six clinically proven bacterial strains, targeting six key areas of digestive health. This ensures comprehensive, wide-ranging benefits that support every aspect of your digestive well-being.

It is vegan, non-GMO and contains 30 billion healthy bacteria, at least double the number of most other competitors.

In addition to the previous examples, I am also trying the Previnex Immune Health Plus. It is made with an organic mushroom blend, elderberry (which is well known to boost immunity) and other clean ingredients. It has all the vitamin C you need in a day, as well as 91% of the recommended daily allowance for zinc.

Even though I have traveled frequently in the past several months, I have been able to stay healthy, thanks in part to my immune system, which has been emboldened by the Immune Health Plus.

Conclusion

I’m sold on Previnex because of their rigorous testing, clean ingredients and effectiveness of their products.

In fact, Previnex says they “voluntarily follow the much more stringent manufacturing protocols of the pharmaceutical industry and perform raw material testing on every ingredient that comes in the door, production run testing, and finished product testing. We're so proud of our testing and data that we're happy to share finished product Certificates of Analysis upon request.”

After testing Previnex products, I have become an ambassador for them. If you’d like to try Previnex, feel free to use my discount code HENRY15 and click here for 15% off.

Here’s to better health, faster recovery and improved fitness with Previnex.