One of the worst feelings is when you’re mid-workout or mid-race, and all of a sudden a muscle spasm or stomach cramp hits, and your body just can’t seem to recover. This can cause you to prematurely end your training session or hobble your way to the finish line out on the course, both of which absolutely suck.

Usually, it’s hard to maintain fitness progress and a consistent schedule if you lack endurance and energy, whether it be mid-workout burnout or in general. How do you know if you're suffering from this? A tell-tale sign of burnout is when you can’t quite tackle training sessions and races with the same amount of motivation, focus, and physical stamina as you used to. 

Fuel — or nutrients that you get through food sources — and caffeine will help promote greater alertness, cognition, and energy, as well as rev up your metabolism. If you’re working out for over an hour or are preparing to tackle an intense HIIT session, you’ll be depleting energy and fluids even faster than your typical moderate-intensity aerobic workout. This puts you at a higher risk of losing energy and endurance earlier, too. 

Related: This Is the Key to Keeping Energy and Electrolytes High When Training

The best way to maintain energy is to eat enough fuel with plenty of carbohydrates such as whole grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes, and lean proteins, like chicken, fatty fish, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds.

However, supplementation can increase energy supply and motivation on those rigorous training days or multi-race weekends. Certain supplements in particular, like Spartan Energy Capsules, provide long-lasting energy in a small package, so they’re easy to carry in your gym bag or pack out on the course.

That means no messy sports drink powders or sugar-laden beverages. These can be a pain to prepare and take on the go, plus sugar leads to an energy crash later.

What’s Inside of Spartan Energy Capsules?

Spartan Energy Capsules are low-sugar, with extremely little processing. Taking two capsules provides a well-rounded punch of energy that will sufficiently support you throughout the day. The nutrition label is clean, consisting of superfoods like raw green coffee powder and matcha green tea, as well as amino acids to increase energy and focus naturally. 

“These capsules are made with three simple and recognizable, ingredients: raw coffee, L-theanine, and matcha,” Trista Best, MPH, LDN, RD, whose clientele is comprised of Spartan racers, says. 

One serving — or two capsules — of Spartan Energy Capsules provides 145 milligrams of caffeine to power your day and sustain an intense workout for only a few calories, without any sugars, additives, or other synthetic ingredients.

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“The plant-based and sugar-free formulation, made without fillers or common allergens, makes it a top-notch supplement option,” Best says.

And while regular antioxidant- and anti-inflammatory-powered coffee beans are caffeinated, helpful for promoting muscle recovery, and heart-healthy, these capsules contain green coffee beans instead for an even greater antioxidant content per serving. 

Green coffee beans happen to be higher in polyphenols and antioxidants. When paired with matcha green tea and the amino acid L-theanine, one serving easily provides a fast-acting but sustainable dose of energy to help you train and race harder, more efficiently, and — of course — for longer. 

How Spartan Energy Capsules Affect Endurance Levels

These capsules work quickly, but last longer, too, so you won’t feel tired an hour or so afterward. They work by using slow-release technology, which keeps energy stable for 4-6 hours. (This isn’t so common with energy products marketed toward athletes nowadays, according to Best.) 

“This means that the athlete gets a natural source of stamina and endurance for increased performance, but without the risk of disruptions from mid-competition crash or jitters,” Best says.

Josh Honore, NASM CPT, Spartan racer, and XPRO for Xponential Plus, agrees, as he takes two capsules daily for more focus and stamina. 

And in turn, the increase in energy boosts workout performance, as well as overall productivity during the day.

“Polyphenols and antioxidants in coffee and matcha help reduce inflammation and improve focus, and matcha boosts alpha waves in the brain, which contributes towards mental clarity and focus,” Honore says.

Both coffee and matcha contain heart-health, free-radical fighting antioxidants, and L-theanine is an amino acid that reduces stress levels and improves digestion to help you avoid mid-workout (or even worse, mid-race) stomach pain and digestive emergencies.

Related: 4 Reasons Your Body Is Lacking Energy (and How to Get Your Boost Back)

“Coffee and matcha lower inflammation and improve my endurance and recovery,” Honore says. 

Plus, matcha is teeming with other health benefits, like high vitamin C and magnesium content, both of which regulate and enhance sleep quality and duration, muscle recovery post-workout, and the immune system. 

“The two-capsule servings are easy and convenient, so I don’t have to be concerned with cooking an entire meal, training with a heavy stomach, or drinking a bad-tasting carbonated energy drink,” Honore adds. 

The Best Way to Take Spartan Energy Capsules to Maximize Energy and Endurance

The ideal time of day to take the capsules varies based on an individual's preferences and workout schedule.

“I prefer to do my training in the morning on a light stomach, so I'll take the capsules just after my greens drink, about 20 to 40 minutes before I begin my training,” Honore says. 

The 145 milligrams of caffeine is enough for Honore to feel energized but not “buzzed,” and allows him to still have wiggle room in his daily caffeine budget to enjoy coffee, for taste and pleasure.

“I won’t feel guilty for having a cup of coffee after my morning workout,” Honore explains. “Being able to train hard without running out of gas is key for seeing performance improvements, so I need to know that focus and energy won’t be limiting factors for my training. Getting clean, dependable energy makes all the difference."

Related: How Drinking Herbal Tea Post-Workout Helps You Recover Faster

Caffeine has about a 6-hour half-life, so it’s best to take Spartan Energy Capsules earlier in the day to get the biggest bang for your buck, without compromising your sleep schedule.

“Additionally, when workouts are particularly tough, it helps to still have some energy left in the tank to power through the rest of my day,” Honore says.

If you’re able to train earlier in the day, aim for a 30-minute pre-workout fueling goal to maximize potency, Best suggests. So, if you wake up and drink a glass of water, take your capsules then, and get ready for your workout, you’d be timing it well. Likewise, if you are working out in the afternoon or early evening, try and take the capsules 30 minutes to an hour or so before training.