The 1% Gain And Why It Matters

In endurance sports, marginal gains can make a massive difference. Whether you're chasing a new PB or aiming to outpace the competition, improving performance by just 1% can be the edge you need. Add a few of these tips below to your weekly routine and you’ve got a serious advantage. Which one will you be adding to your training toolkit this week?

Why Marginal Gains Matter

When you’re trying to get the best out of your body or reach the top of your sport, 1% better hydration, nutrition or supplementation can accumulate over the hours of training you put in to get that 1% better. A 1% gain in ten areas might just compound into something extraordinary. 

Available Hydration

Proper hydration during exercise isn’t just about drinking water, it’s about helping your body absorb it efficiently. Drinks with the right balance of electrolytes and carbs replace lost salts and keep you performing at your best.

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Fluid absorption works best around 200 milliosmols, with moderate sodium (around 40mmol/L) and a small amount of glucose (1-3g/100 mL) 1. Drinks that match these levels help the gut take up water faster, maintain blood volume, and support performance. Examples include:

• Nuun Sports Hydration Tablets [200-250 mOsm/L, 0.8g of carbs per 100ml]

• Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel [200 mOsm/L, 6-8g of carbs per 100ml]

• Revvies Hydration Hypotonic Electrolyte Drink [2.1g of carbs per 100ml]

• Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1000 Electrolyte Drink Mix [43 mOsm/L and 3.2g of carbs per 100ml]

• Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix [35 mOsm/L and 4g of carbs per 100 ml]

Modex

Pycnogenol, the active ingredient in Modex, is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that has been studied for multiple performance and recovery benefits. Research suggests it can assist blood circulation, enhance endothelial function, reduce inflammation, and support recovery through its antioxidant properties. Pycnogenol may also improve performance by increasing time to fatigue, reducing pain and cramps, and lowering lactate concentrations²,³,⁴,⁵,⁶.

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For endurance benefits and improved recovery, take 100-200 mg/day for 4-8 weeks leading up to a race or period of heavy training, ideally 3-4 hours before exercise. If your goal is specifically to reduce the risk of cramps, aim for the higher end-200mg/day for around 5 weeks has the strongest evidence³,⁴,⁷.

Ketones

Ketones provide a secondary energy source for your muscles and brain, making them particularly useful for endurance exercise, recovery, or activities requiring mental focus. They can be consumed directly (exogenous ketones) to give your body an extra, ready-to-use fuel boost.

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Ketones, specifically beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), may improve endurance performance, running economy, and cognitive function during demanding physical or mental tasks. Research also suggests they could support heart and cellular health by helping the body manage stress from intense training. Most studies have been small and focused on male athletes, so individual responses may vary⁸,⁹.

How to use:

• Endurance: ½ bottle deltaG Tactical, deltaG Performance, or 1x Ketone-IQ shot around 20 min pre-exercise with carbs. Repeat every hour if >1 hr.

• Recovery: One serving immediately post-workout; wait 20–30 min before other recovery nutrition.

• Cognition: One serving of deltaG Ketone Health or 1x Ketone-IQ shot before mentally demanding tasks or after poor sleep.

Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate

Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate is a pure, high-quality creatine sourced from Germany and batch-tested for safety, making it suitable for use during competition. Found in products like ATP Science Creatine Monohydrate,  PILLAR Performance Creatine Monohydrate and Hammer Nutrition Creatine Boost, it supports muscle power, faster recovery, lean muscle growth, and may also benefit brain health, mood, and cognition¹⁰,¹¹.

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Creatine enhances performance by increasing the availability of ATP, the primary energy source for high-intensity muscle contractions. It also promotes cell volumisation, drawing water into muscle cells, which supports growth and recovery. Beyond muscle, creatine may improve brain energy metabolism, helping cognitive function and mood regulation, making it a supplement that benefits both physical and mental performance¹⁰,¹¹.

Nomio

Made from broccoli sprout extract, this formula provides a highly concentrated dose of bioactive plant compounds that support the body’s response to training stress. By delivering these compounds in an efficient, easy-to-take form, it can assist both recovery and adaptation to repeated hard sessions without the need for a loading phase¹²,¹³.

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Each 60mL shot delivers a concentrated dose of isothiocyanates (ITCs), the bioactive compounds found in 2.5-3kg of broccoli. Unlike some supplements, it works immediately with no loading phase required and is fully WADA compliant, containing no banned substances. These ITCs help support the body’s response to training stress, making them a convenient way to get potent plant-based benefits in a single shot¹²⁻¹⁴.

FLYCARB BICARRB

Sodium bicarbonate is a well-researched ergogenic aid that can help delay fatigue during high-intensity exercise. While performance improvements are generally small, they can be meaningful for repeated or sustained hard efforts. Its effectiveness depends on individual tolerance, and it’s best suited for efforts lasting roughly 30 seconds to 10 minutes or for high-intensity endurance work.

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Sodium bicarbonate works by buffering hydrogen ions in the blood, which accumulate during high-intensity exercise and contribute to muscle acidosis and fatigue. Evidence-based dosing is 200-400mg/kg body mass, taken with about 1.5g/kg carbohydrate around 120-150 minutes pre-exercise. Lower doses (0.1-0.15g/kg) may reduce gastrointestinal side effects. Peak blood bicarbonate typically occurs 60-180 minutes post-ingestion, though timing can vary between individuals¹⁵⁻¹⁸.

Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition

References:

1. Sawka, M.N., Burke, L.M., Eichner, E.R., Maughan, R.J., Montain, S.J. and Stachenfeld, N.S., 2007. Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(2), pp.377–390. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31802ca597

2. Weichmann F, Rohdewald P. Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical studies. Front Nutr. 2024 May 2;11:1389374. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1389374. PMID: 38757130; PMCID: PMC11096518.

3. Pavlovic P. Improved Endurance By Use Of Antioxidants. Eur Bull Drug Res. (1999) 7:26–9.

4. Vinciguerra G, Belcaro G, Bonanni E, Cesarone MR, Rotondi V, Ledda A, Hosoi M, Dugall M, Cacchio M, Cornelli U. Evaluation of the effects of supplementation with Pycnogenol® on fitness in normal subjects with the Army Physical Fitness Test and in performances of athletes in the 100-minute triathlon. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2013 Dec;53(6):644-54. PMID: 24247188.

5. Mach J, Midgley AW, Dank S, Grant RS, Bentley DJ. The effect of antioxidant supplementation on fatigue during exercise: potential role for NAD+(H). Nutrients. 2010 Mar;2(3):319-29. doi: 10.3390/nu2030319. Epub 2010 Mar 10. Erratum in: Nutrients. 2010 Apr;2(4):481. PMID: 22254024; PMCID: PMC3257644.

6. Pavlovic P. Improved endurance by use of antioxidants. Eur Bull Drug Res 7(2): 26-29, 1999. Available from; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK299046/, accessed on 31/03/2025. 

7. Vinciguerra G, Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Rohdewald P, Stuard S, Ricci A, Di Renzo A, Hosoi M, Dugall M, Ledda A, Cacchio M, Acerbi G, Fano F. Cramps and muscular pain: prevention with pycnogenol in normal subjects, venous patients, athletes, claudicants and in diabetic microangiopathy. Angiology. 2006 May-Jun;57(3):331-9. doi: 10.1177/000331970605700309. PMID: 16703193.

8. BRADY, AIDAN J.1,2; EGAN, BRENDAN1,3,4. Acute Ingestion of a Ketone Monoester without Co-ingestion of Carbohydrate Improves Running Economy in Male Endurance Runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 56(1):p 134-142, January 2024. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003278

9. Poffé C, Ramaekers M, Van Thienen R, Hespel P. Ketone ester supplementation blunts overreaching symptoms during endurance training overload. J Physiol. 2019 Jun;597(12):3009-3027. doi: 10.1113/JP277831. Epub 2019 May 22. PMID: 31039280; PMCID: PMC6851819.

10. Rawson, E.S. and Volek, J.S., 2003. Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(4), pp.822–831.

11. Roschel, H., Gualano, B., Ostojic, S.M. and Rawson, E.S., 2021. Creatine supplementation and brain health: A narrative review of the current evidence. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 41(3), pp.249–255.

12. Flockhart M, Nilsson LC, Tillqvist EN, Vinge F, Millbert F, Lännerström J, Nilsson PH, Samyn D, Apró W, Sundqvist ML, Larsen FJ. Glucosinolate‑rich broccoli sprouts protect against oxidative stress and improve adaptations to intense exercise training. Redox Biol. 2023;67:102873. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2023.102873.

13. Satomi S, Takahashi M, Inoue Y, Imai T, Nakagawa K, Miyazawa T. Effects of broccoli sprout supplements enriched in glucoraphanin on oxidative stress biomarkers in humans: a randomized controlled trial. Front Nutr. 2022;9:1077271. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1077271

14. Egner PA, Chen JG, Wang JB, Wu Y, Lu JH, Zhu YR, et al. Phase I study of broccoli sprout extracts: safety, tolerance, and metabolism of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates. Clin Cancer Res. 2006;12(10):2944-2950. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-05-2309

15. Burke, L. M., Peeling, P., & Gifford, J. A. (2023). Contemporary supplements for endurance athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 33(1), 1–15.

16. McNaughton, L. R., Gough, L., Deb, S., Bentley, D., & Sparks, S. A. (2016). Recent developments in the use of sodium bicarbonate as an ergogenic aid. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 15(4), 233–244.

17. Grgic, J., Rodriguez, R. F., et al. (2020). Effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on muscular strength and endurance: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 50, 1361–1375.

18. Marshall, P. W., Bishop, D. J., Shaw, G., & Green, S. (2016). Mechanistic insights into sodium bicarbonate’s efficacy as an ergogenic aid. Sports Med Open, 2, 41.

Disclaimer:
The content in this blog is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with your doctor or allied health team before changing your diet, exercise, or taking supplements, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Please use this information as a guide only. Aid Station doesn't take responsibility for individual outcomes.