You might not realize a big cup of coffee and a turkey sandwich will give you the same boost as an expensive pre-workout. Or that costly BCAA powder isn’t doing anything for you after a workout. Neither the government nor the $152 billion supplement industry will tell you that – or anything about the thousands of supplements on the market these days. 

Everyone has the Best Supplements

The truth is supplement companies need to exploit what newbie fitness buffs don’t know they don’t know because if the industry had to tell you if their products worked, no one would ever buy them. In 1994, the sector even lobbied Congress to pass the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act so they don’t have to tell you. The law made it pleasant and legal to market pills and potions without any evidence of purity, safety, or effectiveness, so the impetus for protecting your body and wallet is entirely on you. 

You can see the result of this federal protection everywhere, from pill peddlers selling magic beans on Instagram to the deluge of real stories of people who died from some supplements’ hidden ingredients. At best, the supplement industry sells placebos via legal pyramid schemes like Herbalife, which are business models that incentivize sellers to make any claim to move the product. At worst, companies hide dangerous ingredients behind “proprietary blends” with deadly consequences. 

Rather than try to preach about every single deceptive practice this industry makes (we’d have to update this every day), it’s far easier to provide a good primer on simple, science-backed nutrition supplements. Good actors are selling natural products that do a body good. 

Supplements that Work. 

1. Protein 

Most people, especially those with bodybuilder-level fitness goals, may have trouble getting enough protein to reach those goals. While protein supplements and shakes should never replace whole food sources, they are great ways to supplement your fitness diet. There are some important dietary considerations when choosing a protein, however. One of the most important is flavor. 

Protein supplements are, frankly, gross, and most of the effort to market them is masking the flavor. There’s no point in talking about a supplement you can’t stomach in the first place. As for everything else, there are a ton of reviews online and on social media (all of them take flavor into account), so if you decide to trust an influencer, be sure to look into their background, what they’re selling and if they’re transparent that they’re selling something.

Former Fat Guy Fitness, for example, has an online marketplace but is aggressively independent with his reviews, which is why he gets so many companies competing for his time. But for a complete primer on protein, there’s no better source than the man himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose website has a great rundown on everything you need to know (including how much you need daily).

2. Creatine

Creatine is something the body creates from amino acids and is known to increase muscle recovery after strenuous exercise. Combined with a protein supplement, it helps slow age-related muscle loss, but researchers are discovering more about creatine every day. Its most basic form, creatine monohydrate, is proven to increase muscle strength, muscle mass, and athletic performance. It also may preserve or improve cognitive function. Despite the legend that it can harm kidney function, scientists actually found no association between creatine and renal function.

But there’s some graft in the creatine market too. You’ll find creatine hydrochloride, micronized creatine, buffered creatine, and others (usually at a considerable markup). Still, creatine monohydrate is the most researched and commonly used form of creatine and is usually much cheaper.  With creatine, as with all supplements, make sure you’re buying third-party tested products to ensure the purity and safety of your purchase. 

3. Fiber

Breaking news: Metamucil is not just for the elderly or constipated. While getting fiber from food is always better than supplementation, getting your recommended daily fiber intake (which is around 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men) carries many benefits. It will not only reduce risks for stroke, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancers, but it can also help with obesity. 

The benefits of fiber include lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower body weight, and better choices. A 2017 study found that fiber supplementation resulted in greater weight loss and lower body mass index over 12 weeks. This three-arm, parallel, blind, randomized controlled trial also found that test subjects who used fiber made better food choices and consumed fewer calories over time. 

4. Beta-alanine 

There’s a reason you find beta-alanine in so many pre-workouts (it’s what causes that tingling sensation on your skin), but what those pre-workouts aren’t telling you is that beta-alanine is a cumulative effect supplement. When dosed at four to six grams daily over two to four weeks, this amino acid improves short-burst exercise performance, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It can also reduce neuromuscular fatigue in older adults. 

Beta-alanine works by increasing concentrations of carnosine in the muscles, which counteracts the acidity that eventually starts to prevent muscles from contracting. This means you’ll be able to keep up your workout intensity for longer, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to more muscular development.  But remember: if you’re skipping beta-alanine days, you may not be getting the effect the supplement promises. 

5. Curcumin

Are you feeling extra sore in the days after a workout? That’s delayed-onset muscle soreness, which may be caused and exacerbated by the body’s inflammatory response. Many people take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to suppress this response, but researchers find curcumin, a polyphenol found in turmeric, can help alleviate that inflammation. Studies show curcumin significantly affects inflammation, even in those with severe arthritis.

The full range of turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties isn’t fully understood, but researchers find an ongoing low dose helps manage exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness. When paired with piperine (found in black pepper), its bioavailability shoots up 2,000%. The best part is that turmeric and black pepper are an amazing flavor combination, so buying an expensive supplement isn’t even necessary. 

6. Vitamin D

We might associate vitamin D with milk – which is essential for absorbing calcium – but increased vitamin D levels increase protein synthesis, exercise capacity, and other physical benefits. The calcium benefits also help you not break your legs during a squat. Unfortunately, the body’s primary source of vitamin D isn’t dairy; it’s from the sun. Since far too many of us have traded outdoor jobs for filing TPS reports in a fluorescent-lit office, 35% of Americans are believed to be deficient. 

Vitamin D deficiency, in addition to depression and bone pain, can also cause muscle weakness and fatigue. Luckily, vitamin D3 supplements are cheap and effective. They don’t require super high doses to get the muscular benefit needed, and most athletes can always use more.