Vitamin D

Vitamin D is often prescribed by doctors to help make us feel happier, especially in those of us with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” it can help you to create a sunnier outlook on life even in the dead of winter. You can get vitamin D in your diet through cod liver oil, fortified milk and cereals, eggs, and various forms of fatty fish like sardines, herring and salmon. If you’re using a vitamin D pill, the recommended dietary allowance is 600 IU.

Vitamin B-5

Also known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B-5 helps your body produce energy. Additionally, this energy-boosting supplement helps with stress hormones and is important for healthy red blood cells. You can find vitamin B-5 in many healthy foods, including whole grains, fresh meat and vegetables. Top choices include corn, cauliflower and kale. If you opt for it in supplement form instead, most adults need approximately 5 mg a day.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C gets an A+ when it comes to energy and mood. It’s essential for various growth and development processes in your body, and is used to help you produce energy. It may also help to make you feel more alert, thanks to its role in the create of norepinephrine. Top dietary sources of vitamin C include oranges and other citrus fruits, as well as peppers. Vitamin C is especially sensitive to exposure to heat, and cooking vitamin C-rich foods can cause the food to loose a lot of this important vitamin. Raw foods are ideal. Should you choose to use a supplement form of this nutrient, 75 to 85 mg a day is recommended depending on your age and gender.

Vitamin B12

According to the Harvard Medical School, vitamin B12 may enhance memory and mood. It plays a lot of important roles in your system, such as increasing nerve health. You can find this energy-increasing vitamin in eggs and meat, making it difficult to hit your nutritional targets if you’re a vegan. When taken as a vitamin supplement, most adults should take 2.4 micrograms every day, reports the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements.

Vitamin C

One thousand milligrams of vitamin C, split into two 500 mg doses per day, can help battle chronic fatigue and increase your leg muscles’ endurance. This may be in part to the vitamin’s effects on adrenaline and cortisol in your muscles, as well as its anti-inflammatory effects. In a 2001 study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers noted that vitamin C supplementation in ultramarathon runners helped increase the presence of anti-inflammatory substances in the runners, as well as reduced stress hormones — all factors that may lead to faster recuperation and increased energy.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 helps with the conversion process of fat and protein into energy. Thus, it’s often used by athletes to increase energy levels, enhance performance and build endurance. The U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements warns that a deficiency in this vitamin — the average adult needs 2.4 mcg a day — can directly lead to weakness and fatigue, both in your legs and the rest of your body.

Vitamin D

When you turn your face up toward the golden sun, you get not only a dose of warmth, but also a boost of vitamin D. For runners, vitamin D can help reduce muscle pain and can also help battle chronic fatigue, reports Men’s Fitness magazine. Other benefits for your leg muscles: it may help reduce inflammation — perfect after a strenuous leg workout — and boosts immunity. Additionally, a 2009 study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise medical journal notes that vitamin D improves general athletic performance by increasing the number and size of muscle fibers in your legs and elsewhere. The average adult needs 600 IU of this vitamin daily.

Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, is critical for your energy production in your legs and the rest of your body. For this reason, it’s been used to treat everything from fatigue to muscle cramps. Many runners and athletes don’t get enough B vitamins in general; aim for 5 to 10 mg of vitamin B5 a day.