Lactic Acid Buffering for Runners: Holding Pace When It Matters Most

I’ve always loved the simplicity of running. A pair of shoes, an open road, and training my mind to have the willpower to put one foot in front of the other, again and again. But anyone who has chased a 5K PB, pushed through the last lap of interval training, or battled the wall in a marathon knows that simplicity doesn’t mean easy. The truth is, running is a test of both mind and body, and fatigue has a way of creeping in and messing with your head just when you think you’ve got things under control.

That’s where I’ve found the Xendurance Lactic Acid Buffer to be a proper game-changer. As someone in training for Hyrox while still keeping up regular miles, I’ve noticed a difference in how long I can hold quality pace before my form starts to falter. And while I’ll be honest (a little too honest if the powers-that-be at Xendurance are reading this…) no supplement makes running effortless. (Meh, I’ll leave that line in - it’s a fact of life!)

Buffer helps me extend the window before fatigue takes over, and that window is often the difference between training well and racing well.

Have you ever taken the time to question why runners hit the wall? No? Let’s discuss it now then.

Every runner has felt it: the burn in your legs during hill repeats, the heaviness in your stride during long runs, or the way your sprint finish fades quicker than you’d like. Physiologically, this comes down to an accumulation of hydrogen ions in the muscle when you’re working at high intensity. They interfere with contraction, making muscles feel heavy and less responsive.

For decades, scientists and coaches have looked at ways to “buffer” this process so athletes can maintain output for longer. Training adaptation is, of course, the biggest factor. But nutrition plays a role too. And this is where Lactic Acid Buffer comes in. By supporting the body’s natural ability to manage acidity, it helps delay that tipping point when your legs stop doing what your internal voice is screaming at them to do.

One of the biggest surprises I noticed after the first few weeks of taking Lactic Acid Buffer wasn’t just apparent in races, but in the training itself. Interval sessions that would usually leave me completely wrecked felt more sustainable. I could finish the last rep closer to the first, rather than hanging on by a thread (physically and mentally). And the knock-on effect is  huge. When you can hit your sessions harder and recover more effectively, the gains stack up over time.

It’s like Paula Radcliffe once said: “The more you put in during training, the more you get out on race day.” If Buffer helps me train better, it indirectly helps me race better too.

Lactic Acid Buffer has been shown to support athletes in repeated bouts of high-intensity effort—the bread and butter of track intervals, tempo runs, and speed sessions. That’s the zone where fatigue usually forces pace to drop. What I’ve noticed, though, is that even in longer runs, when fatigue starts to creep in, Buffer helps me maintain form and rhythm.

It’s not about making marathons easy (simply nothing on Earth does that), but about delaying the moment where your pace begins to unravel. That delay can mean the difference between blowing up at mile 20 or holding on until the finish line. And any marathoner knows it’s those last six miles where the real race begins.

Focus counts when it counts.

Running is as much a mental battle as a physical one. That’s why I also stack Buffer with Xendurance Focus, especially on a race day. It’s a clean, cognitive lift helping me lock into pace, stay sharp during technical sections of a trail run, or simply stay motivated when the going gets tough. Focus doesn’t buzz you up like an energy drink; it’s smoother, and more sustainable. Paired with Buffer, I feel both physically prepared and mentally switched on. And as the products are natural, and Informed Sports Certified, my conscience is morally satisfied too.

Focus is one of those tools that helps me really tune-in and properly discipline my mind when fatigue would rather take over and put me in a nice warm bath. I came across an amazing quote the other day by International Sports Hall-Of-Famer, Olympic Gold Medalist Dan Gable, which far more eloquently states what I am trying to say. He once said: “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”

Focus helps me think that way when I’m treading tarmac.

I’ll give you an example. A few weeks ago, I had a brutal track session: 12 x 400m with short recovery. Normally, by the eighth rep my splits would slide, and the last few would feel like survival mode. With Buffer in my system, I held pace consistently across all 12. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t working hard, no sir, my lungs and legs were screaming but I had that extra gear to maintain output instead of crumbling.

And it’s not just about speed work, either. On my Sunday morning long runs, Buffer has helped keep me steady during the final miles, which makes marathon prep so much more effective. When you can simulate race fatigue without your form collapsing, you arrive at the start line more prepared.

I think it’s important to be straight here: Buffer isn’t a magic pill. It won’t turn a 4-hour marathoner into a 2:30 marathoner, and it won’t save you from under-training. But as a tool, alongside smart programming, consistent running, and good recovery, it provides a measurable edge. In a sport where gains are often incremental, that edge really matters.

The pros understand this too. While the world’s best might have access to altitude camps and cryo chambers, the principle is the same: find ways to delay fatigue, repeat quality, and recover faster. Buffer puts part of that equation in reach for everyday athletes.

As a dad with a young son and a full-time job, my training time is precious. I can’t afford junk miles or wasted sessions. If Buffer helps me squeeze more quality from the time I do have, then that’s invaluable. Because ultimately, I want to line up at races knowing I’ve done everything I reasonably can, without compromising the balance at home.

And for me, that’s what this is about. Not shortcuts. Not gimmicks. Just smart tools that help me maximise consistency.

So what’s the bottom line for runners?

Running rewards patience, consistency, and ultra-smart preparation. Lactic Acid Buffer from this amazing team here at Xendurance isn’t about skipping that process at all, but more about making each step of it more effective. Whether you’re chasing a parkrun PB, working towards your first marathon, or lining up for an ultra, delaying fatigue and holding form longer is always an advantage.

For me, that’s what Buffer provides: not the promise of easy miles, but the opportunity to make the hard miles count more. And in this sport, that’s everything.