Vitamins for Tired Legs

There is nothing worse than working out and feeling like you could go for another hour, but your legs are tired and can’t keep up.

While this may be normal after a hard leg workout, feeling as though your leg's fatigue much quicker than usual indicates a slightly bigger issue, and there are a few things that can be contributing to this.

Read on to find out all you need to know about tired legs and the best vitamins to help!

Tired Legs: Possible Causes

The first thing to investigate is your hydration and electrolyte status. When we work out, we lose water and electrolytes, like sodium, much quicker through our sweat and as our body uses them. Electrolytes are an important part of our body and include sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, and calcium.

These substances have an electrical charge when they are in water which helps our bodies regulate chemical reactions and maintain fluid balance in cells.¹ These levels can change how our muscles react to working out, and low levels can lead to tired, sore muscles much quicker than usual.

Hydration also plays a role in this. When you are dehydrated, it correlates to high electrolyte levels, and overhydration can result in low levels.

Consuming a sports drink like Gatorade that has electrolytes added into it will help to hydrate you and provide your body with the necessary electrolytes to keep your muscles functioning optimally.

Other sports products like gels and powders will also provide electrolytes, and when taken with water, will provide hydration as well!

The last thing to consider is iron status. Low iron, or iron deficiency anemia, can cause us to feel tired and weak, making working out much more difficult. Getting your blood checked regularly for normal iron levels is important, especially for females.

Vitamins That Can Help Tired Legs

Besides electrolytes and hydration, some essential vitamins could also help prevent tired legs. A blood test can also be done to check the levels for these vitamins and to see if you are low in any of them, but it wouldn't hurt to consider supplementation to bridge any potential nutrient gaps!

Vitamin D

Calcium can’t be fully processed and used in your body as an electrolyte without the help of vitamin D, so making sure your vitamin D levels are sufficient will help electrolyte balance. Vitamin D can be taken in a supplement form, as D3, and by making sure you consume enough milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, and tuna in your diet.

Vitamin B1

Also known as thiamine, vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to weak legs and arms in a condition called dry beriberi.² Adequate intake of thiamine will help prevent leg fatigue. B1 can be found in lentils, brown rice, white rice, wheat, and peas.

Vitamin B3

This B-vitamin is also called niacin and plays a role in blood circulation throughout your body. A deficiency of niacin leads to less blood flow to your legs, resulting in fatigue and stiffness. Sources of B3 include beef, liver, chicken, egg, and dairy.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E also increases the circulation of blood to help lower muscle fatigue in the legs and arms. It also helps repair muscle damage post-workout, thus helping to decrease soreness and recovery time. Sources include peanuts, almonds, spinach, and sunflower seeds.

The Take-Home

While you can get all these vitamins from foods, if you are experiencing muscle fatigue in your legs, you may be lacking in one or more and may need supplements for an extra boost!

A multivitamin will contain all these vitamins and help decrease leg fatigue. Our top pick is Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi!

This multivitamin contains all the above vitamins and more to help fill in the gaps your diet is missing and promote overall health, providing you with 100% of the daily recommended value for 17 essential vitamins and minerals.

Taking a supplement alongside improving your hydration and electrolyte intake will help your legs get through your next leg day without any fatigue!