From hiking to biking: supplements for outdoor exercise

“In summer, when sweat losses increase, replacing sodium becomes more relevant. If you’re only drinking plain water during long or very sweaty sessions, you may not be fully replacing the essential minerals that you’ve lost. This is where electrolytes can be genuinely useful, particularly for longer sessions, endurance training or for people who sweat heavily.”

However, Marilia explains that most of us don’t need them every day. “Electrolytes are often marketed as something everyone needs daily, when in reality they’re most helpful in specific situations. For many people, especially those doing moderate exercise, regular meals and fluids are enough.”

“Magnesium can become more relevant when overall training load increases or when people start to notice more fatigue, particularly when training in warmer conditions,” says Marilia, who suggests taking it in the evening, perhaps with food, as part of your evening routine.

“That’s because collagen is a structural protein that forms part of our tendons, ligaments and joints,” explains Marilia.^3,4 “There’s some evidence that collagen supplementation, when taken consistently may improve joint and bone health measurements.” And Marilia is keen to point out that it’s not just a matter of taking it now and then on a sunny day. “It’s something that needs to be taken consistently over time rather than occasionally,” she explains.

“Summer in the UK isn’t necessarily when people need to supplement vitamin D, as sunlight exposure increases,” says Marilia. “In the UK, it’s typically recommended during the darker months, from October to March, and equally when your shadow is shorter than you.”⁵ But it’s not straightforward, adds Marilia, “Not everyone benefits equally from sun exposure. People who spend most of their time indoors, cover their skin or have darker skin tones may still have low levels and could benefit from supplementation.”

Advice on summer supplementation depends person to person, so this is one to talk to your doctor about.

“Joint support formulas can be useful for some people, particularly those with ongoing joint discomfort, higher training loads or those trying to stay active as they get older,” says Marilia. “The effects tend to be modest and take time.”

“If someone is experiencing joint pain, the cause can be related to many things, including training load, recovery, footwear, movement patterns or injury, rather than a lack of a specific supplement,” she adds. So, it’s important to see supplements as just part of the equation when it comes to joint support. It’s important to remember that supplements don’t treat or prevent joint pain, however.