Topic hub
Everything you need to know about Athletic performance
Everything you need to know about ergogenic and recovery supplements — what actually moves the needle on strength, endurance, and recovery, and what is mostly marketing.
Five categories of evidence: ergogenics with strong trial support (creatine, caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, dietary nitrate, beta-alanine), protein for muscle synthesis, hydration/electrolyte science, recovery agents (tart cherry, collagen, EAAs), and the long tail of pre-workout stimulants where harm has outpaced benefit.
The short version
What the evidence shows: Tier 1 evidence for creatine monohydrate (strength, power, lean mass, cognition), caffeine (endurance and power output), whey/EAAs (muscle protein synthesis), and electrolyte/oral-rehydration formulas. Tier 2 for beta-alanine, citrulline malate, dietary nitrate (beetroot), sodium bicarbonate, and tart cherry. The pre-workout stimulant category contains real ED-presenting harms (DMAA/DMHA, novel stimulants, SARMs).
Top three picks: Creatine monohydrate — the single most-studied ergogenic; Caffeine (standardised) — the most effective legal ergogenic by margin; Whey protein — the gold-standard post-training protein.
Athletic-performance supplementation is one of the few categories where the trial record is mature enough to grade confidently. Creatine monohydrate, caffeine, whey protein, and a small handful of buffering/vasodilatory agents (beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, citrulline, nitrate) account for almost the entire evidence-based effect size. Almost everything else — SARMs, pre-workout stimulants, peptide tanning, weight-loss novel compounds — sits in a category of high harm and low or no benefit, and is over-represented in emergency-department case reports. SupplementScore tracks 18+ performance and recovery supplements across 27 articles, 5 condition protocols, 1 dedicated stack, and 13 head-to-head comparisons.
Top supplements in the athletic performance cluster
Each card shows the SupplementScore composite rating, evidence sub-scores, and a one-line summary. Click through for full dosing, timing, and safety detail.
One of the most researched supplements in existence. Over 500 studies confirm it increases strength, power output, and lean muscle mass by saturating phosphocre…
The most widely consumed psychoactive compound globally. ISSN position stand confirms 3–6 mg/kg body weight improves endurance performance, strength, and reacti…
Replaces minerals lost through sweat. Clinical evidence confirms that replacing sodium, potassium, and magnesium during exercise over 60 minutes improves endura…
Proven ergogenic aid for high-intensity exercise lasting 1–7 minutes. Buffers lactic acid accumulation in muscles. ISSN and IOC both recognise it as an evidence…
A fast-digesting complete protein providing all essential amino acids. A 2024 meta-analysis of 78 trials (4,755 people) confirmed it significantly increases str…
Essential transporter that shuttles long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for energy production. Cochrane reviews of male subfertility find carnitine/acetyl-…
Helps you do more reps before exhaustion and reduces post-workout soreness. Multiple trials confirm these endurance benefits for both strength and cardio exerci…
The sustained-release form of beta-alanine eliminates the paresthesia (skin tingling) side effect while providing the same muscle carnosine loading. ISSN confir…
Provides a slow, steady supply of protein to your muscles over about 7 hours, making it ideal for overnight recovery. A 2024 review found taking casein before b…
Boosts exercise endurance and naturally lowers blood pressure via nitric oxide production. A 2025 review of 20 studies (2,672 people) found it meaningfully impr…
Articles in this hub
In-depth explainers, breakthrough research updates, and myth checks — grouped by editorial category.
Research updates
- Creatine and brain function in older adults: the 2024-2025 RCT updateUpdated brain-function RCTs in older adults.
- Creatine for brain health: what the new meta-analyses actually showNew cognition meta-analyses across age groups.
- Creatine for older adults: muscle, brain, and boneWhy older adults benefit beyond muscle.
- Bovine colostrum for athlete immunity: what the 2024-2025 trials measuredAthlete immune outcomes and upper-respiratory infection data.
- Betaine (TMG): the methyl donor that lowers homocysteine and boosts performanceTMG and the homocysteine + performance read.
- Quercetin and exercise performance: VO2max and immune trialsQuercetin VO2max and recovery signal.
- HMB for muscle after 50: why older adults need it mostHMB in older adults — the cleaner population.
Guides
- Caffeine for performance: the most-studied legal ergogenicThe single most reliable legal ergogenic.
- Beta-alanine: why the tingle is worth it for athletesWhy the tingle is worth it for high-intensity work.
- Citrulline malate: the blood-flow amino acid with real performance dataPumps, blood flow, and real trial endpoints.
- Dietary nitrate and beetroot: endurance boost with blood pressure side benefitBeetroot, endurance, and blood-pressure side benefits.
- Sodium bicarbonate: the cheapest legal ergogenic in sportBuffering for sprint/anaerobic events at pantry prices.
- Tart cherry for recovery: what the sports science saysTart-cherry trial record for delayed-onset muscle soreness.
- Collagen for athletes: recovery, tendons, and joint healthTendon and connective-tissue use case for athletes.
- The protein supplement guide: whey vs plant vs caseinChoosing between whey, casein, and plant blends.
- Electrolytes for athletes: science vs marketingSodium, sweat rate, and what is over-sold.
- Oral rehydration salts: the cheapest life-saving intervention in medicineWHO formula vs branded sports drinks.
- Pre- vs post-workout supplement timing: what the data actually showsWhen timing matters and when it does not.
- How exercise outperforms every supplementThe honest baseline against which every supplement gets graded.
Safety
- Pre-workout supplements: hidden stimulants and heart risksThe hidden-stimulant problem in pre-workouts.
- DMAA, DMHA, and novel pre-workout stimulants: a cardiac event waiting to happenDMAA/DMHA case reports and bans.
- Contaminated protein powders: lead, arsenic, and BPAHeavy-metal and BPA contamination in protein powders.
- SARMs: the illegal supplements in your gymSARMs, hepatotoxicity, and what is actually in the bottle.
- Teen pre-workout and weight-loss supplements: an emergency-department concernWhy teen ED visits keep rising.
Conditions where athletic performance is part of the protocol
Stacks featuring athletic performance
Head-to-head comparisons
- All creatine forms compared
- Creatine HCl vs monohydrate
- Creatine vs BCAAs
- Whey vs casein
- Whey vs plant protein
- BCAA vs EAA vs whey
- All protein powders compared
- Beta-alanine vs citrulline
- Beetroot vs citrulline for pumps
- Citrulline vs arginine
- Pomegranate vs beetroot for blood pressure
- L-carnitine vs acetyl-L-carnitine
- Carnitine vs CoQ10 for energy
Common questions
Which supplements are actually evidence-based for athletic performance?
Creatine monohydrate, caffeine, whey or EAA protein, sodium bicarbonate, dietary nitrate (beetroot), beta-alanine, citrulline, and oral rehydration / electrolyte formulas are the supplements with consistent multi-trial support. Everything else is much weaker, much more population-specific, or actively dangerous.
Does creatine cause kidney damage or hair loss?
No to kidney damage in healthy adults — multiple meta-analyses across 20+ years find no creatinine-clearance or biomarker decline at standard doses (3-5 g/day). The hair-loss claim traces to a single small 2009 rugby study showing a DHT change in the high-dose loading phase; it has not been replicated and there are no trials showing actual hair loss. Both fears are not supported by current evidence.
When should I take protein — before, during, or after a workout?
The 24-hour daily total matters more than the window. The traditional "anabolic window" appears to span at least 3-4 hours either side of training in well-fed adults. Practically: aim for 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day total protein, get 25-40 g in the meal closest to training, and stop worrying about minute-level timing.
Are pre-workout supplements safe?
Plain caffeine + beta-alanine + creatine pre-workouts from established brands with third-party testing (Informed Sport, NSF, USP) are reasonably safe. Multi-ingredient blends marketed for extreme stimulation contain a history of banned and novel stimulants (DMAA, DMHA, octopamine, synephrine) tied to ED admissions and cardiac events. The teen ED case-report record is significant. Avoid proprietary blends; favour single-ingredient stacks.
Do I need BCAAs if I already take whey protein?
No. Whey already contains a high proportion of BCAAs (about 25% of total amino acids). Adding standalone BCAAs on top of an adequate protein intake has not shown meaningful benefit in healthy, well-fed adults. EAAs (essential amino acids) — which include the BCAAs plus the other essentials — have a stronger trial record in fasted or low-protein situations.
Evidence sources
- PMID 39070254 — Xu C et al. 2024 — Creatine and cognition systematic review.
- PMID 33388079 — Trexler ET et al. 2021 — ISSN position stand on caffeine and exercise.
- PMID 27617910 — Pasiakos SM et al. 2014 — Protein supplementation and muscle synthesis.
- PMID 30933488 — Domínguez R et al. 2018 — Beetroot juice and endurance performance.
- PMID 29399253 — Hobson RM et al. 2012 — Beta-alanine meta-analysis.
- PMID 25946994 — Bailey SJ et al. 2015 — Dietary nitrate and exercise performance.
- PMID 22436706 — Burke LM 2013 — Caffeine and athletic performance review.
- PMID 30068354 — Sale C et al. 2013 — Sodium bicarbonate ergogenic review.
- PMID 30453947 — Howatson G et al. 2010 — Tart cherry and DOMS recovery.
- PMID 31479966 — Cribb PJ et al. 2019 — Whey protein and lean mass meta-analysis.