Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. Although they are technically regulated by the FDA, they are very loosely-regulated at this time. This means that the products on the market can vary in quality. On an important side note, independent third party companies, like Consumer Lab and Labdoor, exist that test the purity (the actual tested amount of ingredients versus what is claimed on the label + existence of contaminants) of different dietary supplements and publish the results online. When looking for a supplement, it may be best to purchase products that are GMP (good manufacturing practices) certified, NSF certified, and/or Informed Choice certified, which may indicate that the product you are buying is of at least decent quality.
Personally, I am not a huge supplement advocate anymore, which is why I am only confident in vouching for four of them for fitness goals. This isn’t going to be an exciting article that shills some new supplements. I am telling you what we know works, which is backed by a lot of existing research. I am not going to share some new ingredient that was shown to enhance rats, or do something promising in a petri dish, or has one compelling trial in humans to support its use but was funded by the supplement manufacturer.
There was a point where I was taking 20+ supplements on a daily basis when I was in my early years of lifting (don’t be like old me). If you venture into the r/Supplements group on Reddit, there are people that have a more diverse supplement intake than actual food and spend hundreds of dollars a month on them (don’t be like these people).
Supplements can be beneficial in certain contexts, but they’re not going to be life-changing or critical to your fitness goals. Most supplements aimed at the fitness industry will offer little-to-no added benefits (looking at you BCAAs, testosterone boosters, and stim-free preworkouts). Even the most effective and well-studied supplements, which I will share below, will offer just an edge, at best, and may be conditionally effective. Some of them you might not even “feel” working, even if they are offering an advantage. Supplements are just the cherry on top of everything else and are less important than sleep hygiene, macro- and micronutrition intake, stress management / mental well-being, training program design, and overall daily physical activity level.
Nevertheless, there are a handful of supplements out there that have consistently shown to be effective for some people in some contexts (if I did not mention a certain supplement, I didn’t forget about it, it’s just simply not worthy of a mention, in the context of fitness goals).
Beta-alanine is an amino acid pre-cursor to carnosine. It is commonly found in most preworkout products (I discussed preworkouts several years ago here), and will give you prickly / tingly / itchy sensations on the surface of your face and extremities after ingestion (although after reading this, you will learn that it doesn’t make much sense to be part of a preworkout). Carnosine is found in many tissues and organs, in addition to having roles in the body that are important for health and performance.
In skeletal muscle, carnosine acts as a pH buffer. During strenuous and prolonged exercise, the intramuscular environment shifts toward higher acidity, due to accumulation of metabolites from muscular contraction. No, lactic acid is not responsible for this because it immediately dissociates into lactate (which can be used for energy) and hydrogen ions (Hall et al, 2016). Hydrogen ions are partially responsible for the decrease in pH and the burning sensation you feel from high volume / high effort training (i.e. 30 reps of bicep curls to failure), not lactic acid. Nevertheless, this increase in acidity (aka metabolic stress) decreases the fatigue threshold (aka increases the fatigability of your muscles).
When you add beta-alanine into the equation, intramuscular carnosine content increases, which enhances the muscle’s ability to combat the decrease in pH, so you can sustain higher intensities for longer durations. However, it takes beta-alanine at least 4 weeks to make a meaningful increase in carnosine content, consuming at least ~4 grams per day (Trexler et al, 2015). Now you might be wondering why this is a staple ingredient in most preworkout products if it needs about a month to work its magic. I would be wondering the same, but I would bet that it’s in preworkouts for two reasons: 1) it’s an ingredient that technically actually works at some point and 2) the prickly / tingly / itchy sensations (termed paraesthesia) that it induces might make someone “feel” like the preworkout is kicking in.
You would think that being able to sustain higher work rates for greater durations would equate to grinding out more reps each set, which would equate to more muscle gainz. Unfortunately, most of the existing research does not support the hypothesis that beta-alanine will increase muscle growth, which is highlighted by a recent systematic review and meta-analysis (Ashtary-Larky et al, 2022). I think the jury is still out on this one.
Beta-alanine is a supplement that I would label as “conditionally-effective”. It seems to shine during activities that last at least 60 seconds in duration (Trexler et al, 2015), which is usually much longer than a single set of resistance training. Whose performance would benefit most from chronic supplementation of beta-alanine? CrossFitters, soccer (particularly indoor/futsal) players, hockey players, lacrosse players, certain track athletes (400 m, 800 m, etc), certain swimming athletes (100 m, 200 m), and a few other exercises or athletes where they are required to sustain the continuous activity of higher intensities that roughly last at least 60 seconds.
Caffeine is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system (CNS). It is probably the most commonly used drug in the world, considering that the soda and coffee industries are individually worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Then when you consider the amount of money spent on preworkout supplements, energy drinks, teas, and other miscellaneous products with caffeine content, it’s no contest.
Fortunately, caffeine is one of the most-extensively studied supplements on the market, if not the most extensively studied. Despite that, many people still poorly understand caffeine, but I have discussed those concerns in my monthly research round-up here. Caffeine primarily works by binding to receptors (specifically, adenosine receptors) in the brain, which increases certain chemicals (termed “neurotransmitters”; specifically, serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine and glutamate) that have roles in regulating mood, vigilance, focus, alertness, cognition, pain, and motivation (Guest et al, 2021). Additionally, it has been theorized that caffeine may directly affect our muscles and enhance muscular contraction via improved calcium utilization (note: our muscle’s will not contract without the presence of calcium). Interestingly, caffeine is likely the main reason why preworkout supplements can be effective, despite all the other ingredients in various products (Harty et al, 2018), which is why I don’t advocate for stim-free preworkout supplements. No caffeine, no party.
Who benefits from caffeine? Most of everyone, assumes they can tolerate the doses required to be ergogenic (performance-enhancing). Anything that involves strength, power, speed, and endurance, caffeine has been repeatedly shown to enhance (Guest et al, 2021). That probably covers all forms of exercise and physical activity.
How much caffeine is required to be ergogenic in most people? The minimum effective dose seems to be 3 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per kilogram (kg) of body weight (up to 6 mg/kg)(Guest et al, 2021). For example, I currently weigh about 185 lbs. To convert to kilograms, I will have to divide that number by 2.2, which is about 84 kg. For performance-enhancing effects, I should aim to consume at least ~250 mg of caffeine, which is about the typical amount in a serving of preworkout or an energy drink, but I may need up ~500 mg (I can assure you that I personally do not need more than 250 to feel highly-caffeinated, but others might need intakes closer to the maximum recommendations).
Creatine (not to be confused with creatinine, which is what many doctors will monitor in your blood work) is another one of the most-studied performance supplements on the market, behind caffeine. I remember when I first heard of this supplement during soccer practice back in high school (2009 ish) and thought it was a legal steroid. I felt guilty buying it at the time, but now it’s one of only a few supplements that I would recommend to most of my clients, if they asked about it (it’s not a steroid, it doesn’t mechanistically work like steroids, and it doesn’t give you gains like steroids). It comes in many forms (i.e. creatine HCL), but creatine monohydrate is the form with the most evidence to support its efficacy and also the most popular form that is bought on the market.
We have a natural reservoir of creatine storage, but supplementation can increase whatever levels we have in our bodies, even if we already consume good food sources (raw red meat is a good source of creatine, but some of the creatine is lost/destroyed during the cooking process (Iammarino et al, 2024) and I don’t advise raw meat consumption). Normally, we consume only 1–2 grams of creatine per day, which only satisfies 60–80% of the typical muscular storage capacity (Kreider et al, 2017). However, it should be noted that plant-based dieters tend to have lower storages than non-plant-based dieters (West et al, 2023).
Interestingly, scientists seem to have gotten bored of studying its benefits for performance because the evidence is overwhelming for those outcomes and have started to investigate its therapeutic benefits. To be more specific, creatine may help with cognition and memory (especially in aging populations), traumatic brain injury (i.e. concussions), depression, and anxiety (Candow et al, 2023). This may be due to the fact that, aside from our muscles, creatine is stored in the central nervous system (i.e. the brain).
Enough about brain gains, let’s talk about what creatine does to our muscles. There are a few dynamic energy systems in our body that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Creatine is the primary fuel source for immediate ATP production for intense activity lasting less than 30 seconds. When we increase intramuscular creatine concentrations, we are increasing our immediate fuel source, which means we can prolong the usage of this energy system for intense exercise.
Creatine has been shown to increase actual muscle growth, but effects range from trivial to small, with most of the reported increases in muscle size coming from water retention (creatine acts as an osmolyte, which attracts water to areas where it is stored, like our muscles)(Burke et al, 2023). That is not inherently bad, though, because from an aesthetic standpoint, you won’t be able to tell the difference between water and muscle fibers (muscles are mostly made up of water, anyways). Aside from muscle growth, creatine can help improve parameters related to strength and power (Kreider et al, 2017), making it a good choice for anyone looking to get bigger and/or stronger. Further, since it has the power to delay the onset of fatigue, like beta-alanine, the same people that would benefit from beta-alanine would benefit from creatine.
Is creatine safe though? Although creatine =/= creatinine, creatine metabolism can alter creatinine levels in your blood and will give you lab values that are elevated. If you’re dealing with a medical doctor that doesn’t lift or is not up-to-date with modern evidence, they might sound the alarms. Elevated creatinine can be a sign of poor kidney health, although it does not always correlate (note: simply having more muscle and working out will elevate blood creatinine levels too, but these are not bad things for kidney function). Science has beaten to death the misconception that creatine supplementation is harmful to our kidneys (Longobardi et al, 2023). Creatine at the recommended dosages (~3 grams per day for most exercisers and up to 30 grams per day for therapeutic benefits) is generally safe for many different populations, ranging from youth to elderly, which is the position of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN)(Kreider et al, 2017). For more answers to potential questions and concerns, please refer to this article here.
For the sake of this article, whey protein will be the type of protein I am referencing. Other type of protein supplements include, but are not limited to: soy protein, pea protein, and casein. Whey is the most popular and most-studied, though. Whey is milk protein that is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese.
Before I discuss whey, let’s back up a bit and focus on protein in general. Protein is one of the three macronutrients that we can consume from our diet. Various food sources have different amino acid profiles (aka the quantity of each amino acid within the protein), with animal products having better compositions than plant products. The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/day), but experts have questioned that standard and have argued to increase it to at least 1.2 g/kg/day (Phillips et al, 2016). RDAs establish a minimum value for adequacy, but there is evidence that health and longevity require a higher bar than the one currently set.
Furthermore, in the context of building and maintaining muscle, general protein recommendations can range from 1.6–2.0 g/kg/day (0.7–0.9 g/lb/day), while some contexts may warrant intakes greater than 3.0 g/kg/day (Jäger et al, 2017). For example, recompositioning (simultaneous fat loss + muscle gain) may require protein intakes that exceed 2.0 g/kg/day (Barakat et al, 2020). That said, current values for protein recommendations are best-suited for those who are not overweight or obese. An obese, sedentary person who weighs 300 lbs and is >30% body fat probably does not need to be consuming 210–270 grams of protein per day if they don’t have the musculature that requires it. On the flip side, someone who is already lean and trying to get leaner, such as a physique competitor, could require much higher intakes (>3 g/kg/day), since they will be in a chronically catabolic state to achieve low body fat levels (Escalante et al, 2021).
Most protein requirements can practically be met with a food-first approach, technically. Nevertheless, meeting protein recommendations can be made much easier with protein supplementation. From a financial standpoint, there is nothing you can buy at a grocery store that offers more protein for its value compared to whey protein. Most protein supplements will have 20–30 grams per serving. I can buy a 10 lb bag of Now Sports unflavored whey protein on Amazon for $135 with 162 servings, yielding $0.83 for a single dose of high quality protein. You can’t beat that, folks (and if you can, please let me know your source). From my experience, most clients have a difficult time trying to achieve the minimum protein recommendations. Supplementation is a viable and useful strategy for hitting protein targets, especially for people who do not like to consume animal products and/or for those who are trying to hit single digit body fat levels during severe caloric deprivation.
Blog Provided by: Alex Tran
Alex Tran is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and virtual coach that is based in Chicago, IL. He has a Master’s degree in Applied Exercise Science with a Sports Nutrition emphasis. Additionally, he is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Certified Pre/Postnatal Coach. To see more of his content, follow him here: instagram.com/atperformance_. To contact him, follow this link.
References
Ashtary-Larky et al. (2022). Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis.
Barakat et al. (2020). Body Recomposition: Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?.
Burke et al. (2023). The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
Candow et al. (2023). “Heads Up” for Creatine Supplementation and its Potential Applications for Brain Health and Function.
Escalante et al. (2021). Peak week recommendations for bodybuilders: an evidence based approach.
Guest et al. (2021). International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance.
Hall et al. (2016). Lactate: Friend or Foe.
Harty et al. (2018). Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review.
Iammarino et al. (2024). Red Meat Heating Processes, Toxic Compounds Production and Nutritional Parameters Changes: What about Risk–Benefit?.
Jäger et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise.
Kreider et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.
Phillips et al. (2016). Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health.
Longobardi et al. (2023). Is It Time for a Requiem for Creatine Supplementation-Induced Kidney Failure? A Narrative Review.
Trexler et al. (2015). International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine.
West et al. (2023). Nutritional Considerations for the Vegan Athlete.
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