Long Run fueling issues

Why Most Pre-Workouts Don’t Work for Endurance Training

If you’ve ever taken a pre-workout before a long run or long training session and regretted it halfway through, you’re not alone.

Most pre-workouts are designed for short, high-intensity workouts. They’re built to deliver a quick hit — not to support long sessions where consistency, hydration, and how you feel afterward actually matter.

For endurance athletes, that difference is important.

Pre-workouts were built for intensity, not duration

Traditional pre-workouts are largely designed around gym-based training.

Short sessions. Heavy lifts. High intensity.

That design works when workouts last 45–60 minutes and end shortly after the stimulant peak.

Endurance training is different.

Long runs, long rides, long sessions — they place different demands on the body and often expose the downsides of stimulant-heavy formulas.

Endurance training has different demands

When training goes long, the priorities shift.

Endurance athletes care more about:

Steady energy over time

Hydration and electrolyte balance

Gut comfort

Feeling functional after the session, not just during it

A formula designed to spike energy quickly can feel out of place once sessions stretch beyond an hour.

Why stimulants often cause more problems than benefits

Stimulants aren’t inherently bad — but they’re not always ideal for endurance.

Common feedback from endurance athletes includes:

Jitters early in the session

Energy crashes mid-workout

Stomach discomfort

Sleep disruption later in the day

For athletes training frequently, these effects can add up and make consistency harder to maintain.

A different approach for long sessions

Instead of chasing intensity, an endurance-focused approach looks at supporting the session as a whole.

That means:

No reliance on stimulants

A focus on steady output rather than spikes

Supporting hydration and focus over longer durations

This kind of approach isn’t about pushing harder for a short window — it’s about supporting repeatable training.

Still pre-launch, still learning

This approach is still in its early stages.

We’re currently pre-launch and focused on gathering feedback from endurance athletes — learning what works, what doesn’t, and how to refine the idea before any wider release.

No hype. No rush. Just thoughtful development.

Want to follow along?

If this approach makes sense for how you train, you can join our early access list to follow progress and provide feedback as we continue refining.

👉 Join the waitlist

Pre-launch • Early feedback phase