Supplements, ranked by evidence
What published research and sports-science bodies say about the supplements sold to gym-goers — what's strongly supported, what's emerging, and what to avoid.
Supported for specific uses in sport by a consistent body of good-quality research.
Promising early data, but more research is needed before firm conclusions.
Little meaningful evidence of benefit, or research is mixed.
Banned, unsafe or at high risk of contamination with banned substances.
Supplements are not regulated like medicines. In most countries they reach shelves without proof of effectiveness, and some products have been found to contain undeclared or banned substances. Third-party testing programs such as Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport batch-test products for banned substances and lower (but don't eliminate) that risk. Food first: supplements can't make up for an inadequate diet.
Browse supplements
32 shownBeta-Alanine
Beta-alanine raises muscle carnosine, helping buffer acid during hard efforts lasting…
Dose: 3.2–6.4 g
→Caffeine
Caffeine is a well-studied stimulant that improves endurance, alertness and often…
Dose: 3–6 mg/kg
→Carbohydrate Drinks & Gels
Carbohydrate drinks and gels provide fast energy during long exercise. Guidelines…
Dose: 30–60 g
→Casein Protein
Casein is a slow-digesting milk protein often taken before sleep. Studies suggest 30–40…
Dose: 30–40 g
→Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched sports supplement, with strong evidence for…
Dose: 3–5 g
→Dietary Nitrate (Beetroot Juice)
Dietary nitrate, usually from beetroot juice, can reduce the oxygen cost of exercise…
Dose: 400–800 mg
→Electrolytes
Electrolyte products replace sodium and other minerals lost in sweat. They are most…
Dose: 300–600 mg
→Iron (Only If Deficient)
Iron supplements can correct deficiency, which impairs endurance and causes fatigue.…
→Plant Protein Powder
Plant protein powders made from soy, pea, rice or blends help meet protein targets on…
Dose: 0.3–0.5 g/kg
→Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate is an extracellular buffer that can improve hard efforts lasting…
Dose: 0.2–0.3 g/kg
→Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports bone, muscle and immune function, and deficiency is common in…
Dose: 1,000–2,000 IU
→Whey Protein
Whey protein is a fast-digesting, leucine-rich dairy protein that helps you hit daily…
Dose: 0.25–0.4 g/kg
→Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb studied for stress, sleep and modest strength gains.…
Dose: 300–600 mg
→Citrulline Malate
Citrulline malate is marketed for blood flow and pump. Some studies suggest small gains…
Dose: 6–8 g
→Collagen Peptides
Collagen peptides are being studied for tendon, ligament and joint health. Early…
Dose: 10–15 g
→EAAs (Essential Amino Acids)
EAA supplements provide all nine essential amino acids and can stimulate muscle protein…
Dose: 10–15 g
→Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral for muscle, nerve and energy function. Many diets…
Dose: 200–350 mg
→Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that signals night to the body clock. It may help with jet lag…
Dose: 0.5–5 mg
→Multivitamin
A multivitamin can fill dietary gaps for people with restricted or low-calorie diets,…
→Omega-3 Fish Oil
Omega-3 fish oil provides EPA and DHA, fats important for heart, brain and cell health.…
Dose: 1–2 g
→Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that may support gut and immune health. Some strains…
→Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is rich in polyphenols and may speed recovery from hard exercise.…
→Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral for immunity, tissue repair and hormone function. Most…
Dose: 8–15 mg
→BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids)
BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine) are popular, but research suggests they add little…
Dose: 5–10 g
→CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
CLA is a fatty acid sold for fat loss, but human studies show only a tiny effect on…
Dose: 3–4 g
→Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, but studies show little benefit…
Dose: 5–10 g
→Green Tea Extract (EGCG)
Green tea extract contains EGCG and caffeine and is sold for fat loss. Research shows…
Dose: 150–300 mg
→HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate)
HMB is a leucine metabolite marketed to reduce muscle breakdown. Evidence in trained…
Dose: 0.038 g/kg
→L-Carnitine
L-carnitine is marketed as a fat burner, but research shows little fat-loss benefit in…
Dose: 1–3 g
→DMAA & SARMs
DMAA and SARMs are banned, unsafe substances sometimes sold in pre-workouts and…
Not recommended
→Fat Burners & Stimulant Blends
Fat burners combine stimulants and herbs promising rapid fat loss. Evidence for…
Not recommended
→Testosterone Boosters (Tribulus & Similar)
Testosterone boosters such as tribulus show little evidence of raising testosterone or…
Not recommended
Evidence at a glance
| # | Supplement | Grade | Category | Typical research dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beta-Alanine | A | Performance | Typical research dose: 3.2–6.4 g per day (about 65 mg/kg/day), divided into doses of 0.8–1.6 g every 3–4 hours, for… |
| 2 | Caffeine | A | Performance | Typical research dose: 3–6 mg/kg of body weight, taken about 60 minutes before exercise. Lower doses of around 2–3… |
| 3 | Carbohydrate Drinks & Gels | A | Performance | General guidelines during exercise: none needed for under about 45 minutes; small amounts or mouth rinse for 45–75… |
| 4 | Casein Protein | A | Protein & Amino Acids | Typical research dose: 30–40 g of casein about 30–60 minutes before sleep, or 0.25–0.4 g/kg per serving at other… |
| 5 | Creatine Monohydrate | A | Performance | Typical research dose: 3–5 g per day (about 0.03–0.05 g/kg/day for maintenance). Optional loading phase: about 0.3… |
| 6 | Dietary Nitrate (Beetroot Juice) | A | Performance | Typical research dose: about 6–13 mmol nitrate (roughly 400–800 mg), commonly delivered as one or two concentrated… |
| 7 | Electrolytes | A | Performance | Typical guidance for prolonged or heavy-sweat exercise: about 300–600 mg sodium per hour, sometimes more for very… |
| 8 | Iron (Only If Deficient) | A | Health & Micronutrients | Dose and duration should be set by a doctor based on blood tests (ferritin, haemoglobin and related markers). Medical… |
| 9 | Plant Protein Powder | A | Protein & Amino Acids | Typical research dose: about 0.3–0.5 g/kg per serving (often 25–40 g), slightly more than with whey, to provide… |
| 10 | Sodium Bicarbonate | A | Performance | Typical research dose: 0.2–0.3 g/kg of body weight, taken 60–180 minutes before exercise. Splitting the dose, taking… |
| 11 | Vitamin D | A | Health & Micronutrients | General adult intake recommendations are around 600–800 IU (15–20 µg) per day. Many people with limited sun exposure… |
| 12 | Whey Protein | A | Protein & Amino Acids | Typical research dose: about 0.25–0.4 g/kg of protein per serving (often 20–40 g), as part of a total daily intake of… |
| 13 | Ashwagandha | B | Recovery & Sleep | Typical research dose: 300–600 mg per day of a standardised root extract, often for 8–12 weeks. Doses and extracts… |
| 14 | Citrulline Malate | B | Performance | Typical research dose: 6–8 g of citrulline malate (about 2:1 citrulline to malate) roughly 60 minutes before… |
| 15 | Collagen Peptides | B | Protein & Amino Acids | Typical research dose: 10–15 g of hydrolysed collagen or gelatin, often with about 50 mg vitamin C, taken 30–60… |
| 16 | EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) | B | Protein & Amino Acids | Typical research dose: about 10–15 g of EAAs, providing roughly 2–3 g of leucine, per serving. |
| 17 | Magnesium | B | Health & Micronutrients | Recommended dietary intake for adults is around 310–420 mg per day from all sources. Supplement doses of 200–350 mg… |
| 18 | Melatonin | B | Recovery & Sleep | Research commonly uses 0.5–5 mg. Lower doses (0.5–1 mg) are often as effective for timing the body clock and may… |
| 19 | Multivitamin | B | Health & Micronutrients | A basic multivitamin providing roughly 100% of daily values for most nutrients, taken once per day, is typical. Avoid… |
| 20 | Omega-3 Fish Oil | B | Health & Micronutrients | Studies in athletes often use 1–3 g per day of combined EPA and DHA, which typically means 2–4 standard fish oil… |
| 21 | Probiotics | B | Health & Micronutrients | Doses are measured in colony-forming units (CFU), typically around 1–10 billion CFU per day or more, depending on the… |
| 22 | Tart Cherry Juice | B | Recovery & Sleep | Studies commonly use about 30 mL of tart cherry concentrate (or about 240–480 mL of juice) twice per day, for 4–5… |
| 23 | Zinc | B | Health & Micronutrients | Recommended intake for adults is 8 mg (women) to 11 mg (men) per day from all sources. Supplements commonly provide… |
| 24 | BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) | C | Protein & Amino Acids | Studies commonly use 5–10 g per serving, often with a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine. For most… |
| 25 | CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) | C | Weight Management | Human studies commonly use about 3–4 g of mixed CLA isomers per day for weeks to months. |
| 26 | Glutamine | C | Protein & Amino Acids | Research doses vary widely, commonly 5–10 g per day, and some gut studies have used about 0.25–0.9 g/kg before… |
| 27 | Green Tea Extract (EGCG) | C | Weight Management | Studies have used varied doses, often around 300–500 mg per day of catechins. Food safety authorities have raised… |
| 28 | HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate) | C | Protein & Amino Acids | Typical research dose: about 38 mg/kg per day, which is roughly 3 g per day for most adults, often split into 2–3… |
| 29 | L-Carnitine | C | Weight Management | Studies commonly use 1–3 g per day of L-carnitine or L-carnitine L-tartrate. Protocols aiming to increase muscle… |
| 30 | DMAA & SARMs | D | Performance | Not recommended — no dose given |
| 31 | Fat Burners & Stimulant Blends | D | Weight Management | Not recommended — no dose given |
| 32 | Testosterone Boosters (Tribulus & Similar) | D | Performance | Not recommended — no dose given |
Frequently asked questions
Which supplements actually work for building muscle?
The best-supported options for people who lift are creatine monohydrate, protein powders (as a convenient way to reach daily protein targets) and caffeine for training performance. Most other products have weaker or mixed evidence.
What do the A, B, C and D grades mean?
They follow the style of the Australian Institute of Sport Sports Supplement Framework: A = strong evidence for specific uses, B = emerging evidence, C = little meaningful evidence, D = banned or high risk of contamination.
Are supplements safe?
Many are safe for healthy adults at studied doses, but supplements are not regulated like medicines in most countries. Products can be mislabelled or contaminated. Choose third-party tested products and talk to a doctor if you have a health condition or take medication.