Routines are commonplace in training and sport, from superstition, to specific warm-up routines, to playlists that motivate us through a workout. Applying a routine to fuel your activity and to support recovery from that activity can go a long way toward meeting your performance goals.

Giving as much thought to your nutrition around exercise as you do to planning and packing your gear, scheduling your training, and recording your results will make a noticeable difference in your day-to-day activity.

Although most of us tend to focus our attention on the physical exertion portion of our workout – one more mile! two more sets! – most of the factors that influence a training session happen before and after the actual work is done.

So, let’s take a step back and identify some checkpoints common to all forms of training that need to be accounted for when designing your workout routine.

Do I have what I need to fuel my workout?

The length, duration, and intensity of the workout will impact how much fuel, energy, and hydration you will need to make sure you can give your all from the beginning to the end of your workout.

Am I supporting my body during my workout?

Depending on your training load, you may need to support hydration and energy production needs during the workout to maintain optimal performance.

Am I replacing what I took out?

Training can take a lot out of you, whether it’s physically losing electrolytes through sweat or the inevitable damage that training creates. Giving your body the proper nutrients post-workout helps to “turn on” recovery mode while slowing the normal damage associated with exercise.

After you have asked yourself the three questions above, you are ready to design your very own one-size-fits-one routine. We have selected a few of Thorne’s most popular supplements that will support your workout and explain how they can be the perfect addition to your routine.

Before: Beta Alanine-SR

Beta Alanine-SR can be taken before a workout as a boost to support quick activities and help maintain lean body mass.* Thorne’s formulation is sustained-release beta-alanine, which gives you the flexibility to take it when it best fits your personal routine. For larger athletes or those who do more intense training – beta-alanine should be taken twice a day.

WHY: Beta Alanine-SR helps maintain and promote muscle endurance and power output.* It also helps improve time-to-exhaustion during aerobic and anaerobic exercise.*

 Beta Alanine-SR is an effective supplement for promoting muscle endurance during moderate-to-highly demanding activity.* It also helps to “buffer the burn” that is experienced during intense activity, it supports the muscles, and it can help you go harder for longer.*

During: Catalyte®

Depending on your hydration level throughout the day, Catalyte can be taken before a workout to support normal hydration and electrolyte levels.* Intense or lengthy workouts can require electrolyte replenishment during activity. Active individuals should always strive to return to normal hydration and electrolyte levels between training sessions.

WHY: Catalyte prevents dehydration, promotes energy restoration, and provides minerals – calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc — that support proper muscle function.* Vigorous physical activity always causes sweating, which leads to fluid and electrolyte losses.

It is important to re-establish normal hydration and electrolyte levels after exercise. And you should never start your next training session in a dehydrated state or lacking the necessary level of electrolytes.

A loss of as little as 2 percent of a person’s body weight through fluid loss can impair athletic performance, and fluid loss of more than 5 percent of body weight decreases the body’s capacity to do work by 30 percent.

After: Amino Complex

For most training sessions, Amino Complex is best taken after the workout to help trigger the recovery process.* Strength training athletes can consider taking it before or during a workout as well.

WHY: Amino Complex promotes lean muscle mass and muscle strength and enhances energy production.* Amino acids are what make up protein; branched-chain amino acids – specifically leucine – trigger your body to stop breaking down muscle and to start repairing it.*

Leucine flips the switch – called the mTOR pathway – from breakdown to rebuilding mode.* Recent research has examined the role of taking amino acids before or during a strength workout for supporting recovery.*

Daily: Creatine

While creatine monohydrate powder is best absorbed around activity, consistency is the most important factor. So, choose to take creatine either before, during, or immediately after a workout, whichever time will ensure that you take it regularly. It is fine to vary the time you take creatine based on your day, but it is recommended you take it around your workout window.

WHY: Creatine supports energy production and helps maintain and promote lean body mass, muscle endurance, and power output.* Creatine plays an important role in the production of cellular energy by helping to make ATP, a molecule needed by all of our cells.*

Creatine monohydrate powder supplementation has been shown to support increased work capacity and the power output of muscle while also promoting physical endurance and lean body mass gain.*

Increased levels of exercise or muscle damage increase the physiological need for creatine.*

Protecting athletes

All the Thorne products listed above are NSF Certified for Sport®. Before awarding the Certified for Sport designation, NSF tests every lot of each of these products for more than 200 substances that are banned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and others.

The NSF certification not only provides peace of mind to an athlete who is drug-tested, but also to any athlete who wants to be certain they are taking a safe, high-quality supplement that meets the most stringent standards.

So, take a step back and consider adding fuel and recovery to your workout routine to help you reach your personal performance goals. Once you design your personal one-size-fits-one workout routine, your Thorne supplements will take their place in your gym bag right alongside your workout gear and sneakers.

The takeaway

Take a well-rounded approach to good health and consider enhancing your nutrition further with the help of Trifecta, a meal delivery service that personalizes your macronutrient needs. Together, Thorne’s quality nutritional supplements and Trifecta’s chef-crafted meals can provide the nutrition solutions you need to start your journey to optimal health and wellness. 

Take advantage of this partnership today! All Thorne customers looking to begin with Trifecta can take 50% off their first order using the code THORNE50 at trifectanutrition.com/thorne.