Best Supplements For Swimmers: Pool & Open Water Performance Guide

For distance swimmers and open water athletes, oxygen delivery is everything. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production, which is directly tied to how efficiently your body transports oxygen to working muscles (Schoener & Borger, 2024). EPO-Boost is BRL Sports' flagship endurance supplement, formulated to stimulate the body's own EPO production legally and without banned substances. It is fully compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and all major sports governing bodies.

Most endurance supplements target one aspect of performance. For swimmers training through high-volume blocks or preparing for open water events, EPO-Boost addresses one of the most fundamental performance limiters: oxygen. When your body produces more red blood cells, you tend to sustain pace longer, fatigue later, and recover more effectively between sessions.

1. EPO Stimulation: EPO is produced primarily in the kidneys and signals the bone marrow to release new red blood cells into the bloodstream, which is a process called erythropoiesis (Schoener & Borger, 2024). Four capsules of EPO-Boost provide 8 grams of echinacea purpurea, an amount that may increase circulating EPO, according to human trials (Whitehead et al., 2005). More EPO means more red blood cells, and more red blood cells translate into more oxygen and sustained power to working muscles during every stroke.
2. Red Blood Cell Nutrients: Red blood cell production depends on a precise combination of micronutrients. EPO-Boost supplies the full spectrum of nutrients essential for proper erythropoiesis, including folate, iron, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin B6, ensuring the body has everything it needs to build the red blood cells EPO stimulates (Schoener & Borger, 2024).
3. Iron Availability: Red blood cells require iron to carry oxygen, but iron availability is often a limiting factor, especially during high-volume swim training. EPO-Boost includes iron alongside iron-rich botanicals such as dandelion and yellow dock extract, as well as Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, and nickel to improve dietary iron absorption. It is not enough to have iron in the formula; the body needs to absorb and use it efficiently.
4. Antioxidant Support: Intense endurance training creates an inflammatory environment that might impede red blood cell production and impact iron absorption. EPO-Boost includes a potent antioxidant blend of lycopene, lutein, PABA, alpha-lipoic acid, and choline to help support a non-inflammatory internal environment, keeping the conditions for red blood cell production as favorable as possible during heavy training blocks.

Together, these four pillars make EPO-Boost one of the most comprehensive natural blood-building formulas available for competitive swimmers.

Enhance Oxygen Utilization And Delay Fatigue

VO2 max is one of the most important physiological markers for competitive swimmers, particularly in middle-distance and open water events. It represents your body's maximum capacity to consume and utilize oxygen during sustained effort (Srivastava et al., 2024). Swimmers with higher VO2 max values can maintain faster paces for longer and recover more quickly between hard sets.

Why VO2-Boost Works For Swimmers

Our VO2-Boost capsules were created to help increase VO2 max and improve oxygen utilization. Formulated with six research-aligned, all-natural ingredients (rhodiola, cordyceps, quercetin, catechins, beta alanine, and echinacea), it targets the specific physiological systems that determine how long and how hard a swimmer can sustain peak output. In particular, beta alanine may help buffer lactic acid accumulation, delaying the muscular fatigue that builds during high-intensity interval sets and race-pace efforts (Santana et al., 2018). For a deeper look at the physiological principles behind oxygen delivery, see our guide on how to increase VO2 max.

Targeting The Right Performance Pathways

Additionally, ingredients like dietary nitrates, found naturally in beet juice, are commonly discussed in endurance research for their role in nitric oxide production and vascular function. Nitric oxide supports blood vessel dilation, which may improve oxygen delivery during sustained efforts (Chen et al., 2008). VO2-Boost is formulated to target these same performance pathways through a research-aligned ingredient profile, giving swimmers a clean, compliant alternative to chasing individual ingredients. For best results, take two capsules of VO2-Boost every day. Sustained improvements in endurance and recovery often come from daily use combined with structured training.

Hydration, Endurance, And Recovery In A Sports Drink

Swimming places significant demand on hydration and energy systems simultaneously. To be specific, sweat loss in the pool is often underestimated. Water masks the sensation of sweating, and swimmers can become dehydrated without noticing. Combined with high training volume, this creates a real need for a hydration strategy that goes beyond plain water.

What Makes TriFuel Right For Swimmers

TriFuel is BRL Sports' high-performance sports drink, designed to keep athletes fueled through every rep, lap, and mile. Packed with a unique blend of electrolytes, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and carbohydrates, its scientifically backed formulation replenishes what you lose in sweat, sustains energy output, and supports recovery, all in a single, all-natural formula free from artificial sugars and chemicals. In particular, TriFuel's BCAA profile (Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine) supports muscle repair and helps prevent breakdown, while its electrolyte blend restores the fluid balance that pool training typically depletes.

Recovery That Works Between Sessions

Ingredients like tart cherry juice have been studied for their naturally occurring polyphenols and their role in post-exercise recovery support. TriFuel's BCAA and electrolyte profile targets those same mechanisms, helping swimmers get ahead of soreness between sessions rather than just managing it after the fact. For double-practice days, travel schedules, and multi-discipline training blocks, that kind of built-in support can be the difference between arriving at your next session ready to perform or just ready to survive it.

Creatine Gummies: Power And Sprint Performance, Simplified

Not every swimmer is chasing aerobic efficiency. Sprint events, explosive starts, and powerful turns off the wall rely on a different energy system. Creatine helps regenerate ATP rapidly during short, maximal efforts, which is the fuel source for explosive movements lasting only seconds (Saito et al., 2022). BRL Sports' Creatine Gummies deliver 4.5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate per serving in a no-mess, no-mixing gummy format. It’s ideal for athletes who train on the go or prefer not to deal with messy powders.

Fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids are often recommended for swimmers due to their role in joint health and inflammation balance, relevant given the repetitive shoulder rotation involved in high-volume training (Shawl et al., 2024). While joint support remains an important consideration, creatine monohydrate addresses a different priority: maximizing the quality of every explosive effort in the water, and supporting the recovery needed to repeat them.

For a broader look at how creatine and other compounds fit into an endurance-focused supplement strategy, see our guide on the best supplements for runners. Many of the performance principles carry over across endurance sports.

How Supplements For Swimmers Support VO2 Max And Race Readiness

Race readiness in swimming is built through consistent training, efficient recovery, and aerobic development. While training drives adaptation, the right supplements for swimmers can support the systems that influence oxygen utilization, sustained power, and recovery quality.

EPO-Boost and VO2-Boost target the aerobic foundation directly, supporting red blood cell production, oxygen utilization, and lactate threshold. Meanwhile, TriFuel addresses the hydration and recovery demands that accumulate across high-volume training weeks. Finally, our Creatine Gummies fill the anaerobic gap, supporting explosive output during sprint-focused training phases. Used strategically within a periodized program, these four products cover the full performance spectrum, from the starting block to the final stretch of an open water race.

Disclaimer:

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sources:

1. Schoener, B., & Borger, J. (2024, July 14). Erythropoietin stimulating agents. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536997/
2. Whitehead, M., Martin, T., Webster, M., & Scheett, T. (2005). Two weeks of oral echinacea supplementation significantly increases circulating erythropoietin: 231 Board #138 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 37. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-200505001-00230
3. Srivastava, S., Tamrakar, S., Nallathambi, N., Vrindavanam, S. A., Prasad, R., & Kothari, R. (2024). Assessment of Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 Max) in Athletes and Nonathletes Assessed in Sports Physiology Laboratory. Cureus, 16(5), e61124.https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.61124
4. Santana, J. O., de Freitas, M. C., Dos Santos, D. M., Rossi, F. E., Lira, F. S., Rosa-Neto, J. C., & Caperuto, E. C. (2018). Beta-Alanine Supplementation Improved 10-km Running Time Trial in Physically Active Adults. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 1105.https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01105
5. Chen, K., Pittman, R. N., & Popel, A. S. (2008). Nitric oxide in the vasculature: where does it come from and where does it go? A quantitative perspective. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 10(7), 1185–1198.https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2007.1959
6. Saito, S., Cao, D. Y., Okuno, A., Li, X., Peng, Z., Kelel, M., & Tsuji, N. M. (2022). Creatine supplementation enhances immunological function of neutrophils by increasing cellular adenosine triphosphate. Bioscience of microbiota, food and health, 41(4), 185–194.https://doi.org/10.12938/bmfh.2022-018
7. Shawl, M., Geetha, T., Burnett, D., & Babu, J. R. (2024). Omega-3 Supplementation and Its Effects on Osteoarthritis. Nutrients, 16(11), 1650.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111650