For some of us, putting our running shoes on and finally going outside for a morning jog is pretty much a heroic act. The day has come, that fateful Monday (it’s always a Monday, isn’t it?) : we’re SO living a healthy life from now on. No more junk food, no more sodas, sleep well, workout regularly, jog every morning.

And so the first step is done, and the run begins.

Sadly, it doesn’t last long in most cases. In some 5-10 minutes, we feel as if we have always been a goddamn dragon in disguise, breathing
flames and sweating lava. The ground shakes under our feet, our head goes wobbly, and we silently think to ourselves: “if THIS is healthy life, I’d better go with sodas.”

What is the problem?

If you’ve recognized yourself in this brief story, I believe I know what’s keeping you away from leading the life of your dreams. Your problem can be described with one simple word: stamina or, more precisely, the lack of it). Also known as endurance, this is your ability to keep on moving, working, exercising, having sex, or doing anything else that demands physical activity.

If you have a lot of stamina, you are basically an unstoppable mean machine which will keep on going no matter what. If you lack it, on the other hand, you’ll feel exhausted to the point of iserable death after a couple of minutes of exercising. Sounds awful, I know.

That’s why I came up with this brief list of dietary tips that will help you get more stamina for whatever goals you may want to use it. Even if you are an experienced athlete, there’s no such thing as “too much” in terms of endurance, so I’m sure everyone will benefit from these simple lifehacks.

What’s the solution?

Tip #1: Stay hydrated

Hands down, this is the easiest way to start boosting your stamina right away: drink water. Insufficient hydration speeds up fatigue, slows down post-workout recovery, and significantly compromises your physical performance in general.

So how much should you drink? Opinions on this matter vary, but a foolproof amount is about 30 ml per kg of weight (or 12 ml per pound) daily.

Quick example: if you weigh 70 kg, drink 1800 ml (70 * 30) of water daily. If you weigh 170 pounds, drink 2000 ml (170 * 12) of water daily.

Moreover, don’t forget to take a bottle of tap water on your runs and take a sip each 10-15 minutes of running to compensate the fluid lost with sweat.

Tip #2: Lose Weight

The “how” doesn’t matter much here: just slim down if you are overweight.

When you think about it, the logic behind this advice should come as a no-brainer. For how long can you carry a 2 kg backpack? A couple of hours at the very least, I believe. Alright, and for how long can you carry a 20 kg backpack? Ouch.

This is the exact thing your body has to go through. Imagine your fatty pounds as a “backpack,” and the picture is clear as can be: the smaller your baggage, the longer you can run.

Naturally, the exact approach you choose to slim down is a secondary matter, but one of the easiest is the HCG low calorie diet. It consists of a pretty straightforward eating routine aided by a natural supplement in the form of oral drops. The results set in quickly and last for long, so you might want to consider that as an option.

Tip #3: Choose your carbs wisely

As you may know, not all carbs are the same: there are at least two groups you should keep in mind. Complex carbs (sometimes called “good”) are broken down in your body throughout quite a long time, gradually providing you with energy during the day. Simple carbs (the “bad” ones), or sugars, are absorbed almost instantly, boosting up your glucose levels in the following 10-15 minutes—and that’s it. That’s all the energy you get.

But are simple carbs really that bad when it comes to running?

Nope. In fact, they can be quite beneficial if you want to increase your stamina. Consider them as a ready-to-use kind of fuel that you can use to bring your morning jog to the next level.
For example, you can eat a small banana in the morning, wait for about 10 minutes (get dressed in the meantime), and then start your run. The quick carbs present in the fruit will supply you with some extra energy to run a bit longer than you might have without them!

That said, don’t forget about the complex carbs (whole grains, beans, starchy or green vegetables), as they are the ones that ensure your energy pool will always be ready for anything that may come your way. Good carbohydrates should make about 45-65 percent of your daily caloric intake.

Tip #4: Restrain from drinking coffee before your runs.

We live in a word that’s obsessed with coffee, this “black gold” of the modern era. But if you want to exercise harder and run longer distances, don’t drink coffee in 1-2 hours before you start jogging.

Caffeine, coffee’s primary alkaloid, increases blood pressure and heart rate. In simple words, it sets your engine going faster, increasing energy expenditure along the way.
And what does any physical exercise do to your body? That’s right, it increases your blood pressure and speeds up your heart rate. You can imagine the combined effect of coffee and exercise: a doubled burden on your poor heart.

Naturally, such a combination will wear you down faster. Such a huge amount of stamina wasted, do you really want that? Instead, take a good cup of coffee after the workout, as scientific studies have confirmed that caffeine speeds up post-exercise recovery and alleviates physical fatigue in athletes.

Tip #5: Try out some natural energy boosters.

If you want to improve your general physical performance (stamina included), you could try taking some natural supplements to aid you in the matter. The most widely used and well-known options include beta-alanine, panaxquinquefolium, L-carnitine, and some others.

The main point you’d want to focus on in the matter of dietary supplements is their scientific background (do they really work?) and the quality of the product itself (is it really what it says it is?). Of course, the price is also important, but always secondary, as your health is worth more than your dollars.

You can purchase the mentioned supplements either in distinct packages or in a verified complex that has proven to be effective throughout the years. My pick is HCG diet drops, as they help you both to control your weight and have a multitude of other beneficial effects, including a boost in energy and stamina.

The bottom line

Perseverance beats rough power.

If you feel like you’re done running for the day, don’t push it and go home. The important thing in this matter is that you come back tomorrow to try again. And then the day after that, and then on each following day as well.

Your heart is a muscle just like any other in your body. If you train it regularly by means of aerobic exercise (running is one of them), it will gradually become stronger and do a better job in pumping blood throughout your body. To a great extent, this is what stamina is all about, as you need a proper supply of blood to your lungs and muscles to keep going.

But that won’t happen if you run just once or twice each month. Regularity is crucial, perseverance is essential. Ultimately, if you want to get better at what you do, just do it. And everything will be fabulous in the end. 😉