The 6 Best Supplements to Support Your Workout for 2023

Is Taking Supplements Beneficial for Your Workout?

Keep in mind that many factors influence performance, and supplements aren’t always required for a performance boost. “An athlete can absolutely be successful without supplementing if they are focusing on optimal nutrition, sleep, stress management, hydration, and follow a smart training plan with adequate recovery/rest days,” says Michelle Caslin, RDN, CSSD, sports dietitian and owner of Fuel2Live Nutrition, LLC. 

Given that there is a wide range of intensity, length, and type of exercise, as well as many individual factors influencing performance, it’s important to recognize the nuance when determining if a supplement can help you get a better workout. 

Consider the following before adding a supplement to benefit your workout:

Diet Pattern

Your diet pattern is defined as the foods eaten most consistently over a period of time. Active people that eat a balanced diet that meets energy and nutrient needs are less likely to require additional supplements.

Diets that eliminate food groups or diets that require avoidance of certain foods due to allergies, preference, or cultural reasons may benefit from supplementation to fill nutrient gaps if food alone is insufficient.

Workout Type and Duration

It’s important to keep in mind not all workouts may benefit from a supplement. High intensity exercise or long-duration exercise are more likely to benefit from supplementation. Low- to moderate-intensity workouts less than 60 minutes are less likely to see a performance benefit from supplements. 

In general, endurance exercise lasting longer than 60-90 minutes may benefit from the addition of carbohydrates, electrolytes, and fluids for optimal performance. In the case of high-intensity exercise (also called high intensity interval training HIIT), some research has shown supplements may help boost your workout, although more research is needed. These include, but are not limited to, beta-alanine supplements, caffeine, creatine, and carbohydrate-containing foods or supplements, and fluids.

Performance Goals

If you have a specific performance goal you’re working towards, then you may benefit from a research-backed supplement to help you reach your goal. For example, caffeine ingestion prior to exercise may improve endurance, which could be advantageous for endurance-based sports like running, cycling, or swimming. However, if you take caffeine before a walk or yoga class, you won’t see a benefit to your workout, and it could leave you feeling jittery. In this case, the addition of the caffeine supplement is not matched with your performance goal or appropriate for a workout benefit. Knowing your performance goals can help you when deciding if a supplement is necessary for your workout.

Also keep in mind that taking a supplement around your workout will not guarantee a boost in your workout gains. Your workouts need to be appropriate for your goals. For example, if you want to build muscle, your workouts need to be designed for this goal. If they are not, taking a supplement cannot supersede gains you would get from a workout designed for building muscle. Likewise, if you are not working out, taking a workout supplement will not likely give you any benefit.

Who May Not Benefit From Taking Supplements to Support a Workout?

Some groups of people are unlikely to benefit from taking a supplement to support their workout. However, the reasons why a supplement may not be beneficial will vary greatly depending on individual factors and goals. The following groups may not need or benefit from a workout supplement.

People who get enough nutrients from their diet.

“Most individuals can meet their calorie and nutrient needs through a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. A supplement like a preworkout drink may provide immediate benefit in the form of energy, but the same can be accomplished with strategic fueling,” says Fiske. Strategic fueling can mean you simply workout in between meals, before, or after a snack, so you don’t necessarily need to supplement before or after a workout.

People who regularly participate in moderate to low-intensity exercise and who have a balanced diet that supports their nutrient needs are unlikely to need a workout supplement. 

People who experience negative side effects from certain supplements.

If you have a negative side effect from a supplement, you should not take them even if they offer research-supported benefits. For example, caffeine can cause jitteriness or nervousness in some people. Some people may have unpleasant side effects even at recommended doses of beta-alanine.

Supplements that are contraindicated when taking certain medications are also not recommended, as the training benefits do not outweigh the risks and/or unintended consequences. If you take medication, always consult a healthcare professional before taking a workout supplement.

4 Supplements We Do Not Recommend

We do not recommend taking any illegal doping drugs to supplement your workout. In addition, some popular workout supplements do not have sufficient research to support their use. The following four supplements are not recommended to improve your workout performance.

BCAA’s

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA’s) are essential amino acids found in complete proteins. When isolated as single amino acids, the combination of isoleucine, leucine, and valine form BCAA supplements that are either sold as a standalone supplement or are added to other compounding supplements like pre-workouts. 

“BCAA’s alone will not help with recovery, performance, or strength gains,” says Nicole Rubenstein, MS, RD, CSSD, CDCES, sports dietitian and owner of Racer's Edge Nutrition. “Instead, we want a complete protein with adequate leucine, an amino acid found in whey protein, vegan proteins that are a combination of pea and rice protein, eggs, animal proteins, and soy.”

Research is mixed on the effectiveness of BCAA supplements making it best to focus on a balanced diet that meets total protein needs.

Greens Powders

There’s no single definition for the ingredients required to make a greens powder product, but in general you can expect a combination of produce plus other other ingredients like herbs or probiotics. While greens powders may offer a benefit to certain populations looking to boost their nutrient intake, there’s limited research on their effectiveness when it comes to exercise performance. 

However, eating the optimal amount of vitamins and minerals in the diet is essential for health and athletic populations may have increased needs. If you’re looking for a direct performance boost, it’s best to prioritize diet and eating enough produce to help you meet your nutrient needs versus taking a powder.

Deer Antler Velvet

Deer antler velvet supplements claim to support muscle growth, improve recovery, and protect joints. However, there’s little research to back the claims often found on deer antler velvet supplement products. Additionally, the safety of long-term use of deer antler velvet supplements is not clear, making this supplement one that we do not recommend for improved workout performance.

Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid that’s a popular supplement touted for its role in building muscle. Research does not support the claims that glutamine aids in muscle growth making it unlikely to be beneficial to support workout performance.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here. 

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products.

It's important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

We also consulted professionals to get their input on supplements. The experts we talked to included:

• Jennifer Fiske, MS, RDN, LD, registered dietitian in Dallas, TX
• Michelle Caslin, RDN, CSSD, sports dietitian and owner of Fuel2Live Nutrition, LLC based in Boston, Massachusetts
• Nicole Rubenstein, MS, RD, CSSD, CDCES, sports dietitian and owner of Racer's Edge Nutrition based in Colorado

What to Look For

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested to ensure they contain what they say they contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk, common contaminants. However, it’s important to note:

1. Third party testing does not test to see if a product is effective or safe for everyone, and it does not ensure the supplement will not interact with other supplements or medications.
2. Not all third-party testing is created equal. It is not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certificates after conducting minimal to no testing. 
3. The third party certifications we can trust are: ConsumerLab.com, NSF, and USP. However, these certifications are difficult to obtain and/or expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested by one of these three organizations. 
4. Sometimes products tested by these three companies are more expensive to try to offset the cost they pay for certification.
5. Just because a supplement is not tested by one of these three companies, it does not mean it’s a bad product. We recommend doing some research on the reputability of the manufacturer, and calling up the manufacturer and their testing lab to determine their protocols and decide if you feel comfortable consuming the supplement.

Form

The form of supplement you choose greatly depends on your goals and type of planned exercise. Low-intensity and/or short-duration exercise often doesn’t require additional supplementation beyond a balanced diet that meets energy needs. 

Alternatively, high-intensity and/or long-duration exercise could benefit from appropriately timed nutrients that may be best taken via supplements. It’s best to choose a supplement that aligns with your goals and is one you can tolerate. These supplements can come in the form of powders (like protein or creatine), chews, bars, gels, liquids (carbohydrates), or tablets (electrolytes).

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

Supplements are not always safe, and many have maximum dosages that must be followed for optimal results and safety.

Dosage

Dosage for supplements varies based on the type of supplement you choose as well as individual factors such as age, weight, physical fitness, diet pattern, and health status. General guidelines for popular supplements to support your workout are briefly reviewed below.

Electrolytes

Sweat rates are highly individualized and the quantity of minerals lost in sweat will vary from person to person. For this reason, there’s no single recommended intake of electrolytes for each person. Dosing of electrolytes will also depend how long you exercise, the environment, and what you eat or drink after a workout.

Creatine

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), starting with a loading creatine dosage of 5 g per day or 0.3g/kg body weight four times per day for up to a week (7 days) can increase creatine stores. From there, ISSN recommends a daily dosage of 3-5 g/day to maintain stores with up to 10 g/day indicated in some populations.

Creatine is generally considered safe and well tolerated (up to 30 grams per day for 5 years). However, rare cases have been reported for negative effects on kidney function. A healthcare professional can give more guidance for individual recommendations.

Beta-alanine

The ISSN recommends 4-6 g/day of beta-alanine for four weeks to see a positive effect on performance. Note beta alanine research is limited on effectiveness for exercise lasting 25 minutes or more.

A tingling sensation may be a rare side effect when taking beta-alanine, but dividing the dose to 1.6 grams (or lower) at a time can help limit this side effect.

Protein

The amount of protein generally recommended for healthy people ranges from the RDA of 0.8g/kg per day to as high as 2.0g/kg per day in highly active populations. Choosing protein from whole food sources will not only help you meet your daily protein needs, but will also provide additional nutrients to benefit health. 

Protein supplements may be a convenient way to boost daily intake, but they should not take the place of food to meet daily protein needs. Protein shakes can be convenient before or after exercise, but whole foods can also provide nutrients needed to support workout goals.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate intake recommendations differ before, during, and after exercise. Most often, a range of one to four grams carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight is recommended in the one to four hours leading up to exercise. Carbohydrate recommendations for during exercise range from 30-60 grams per hour depending on time and intensity. Finally, recommendations for carbohydrate intake after exercise vary depending on recovery time and other individual factors.

Additionally, active people and athletes may benefit from a greater percentage of calories from carbohydrates due to their potential to boost performance. Ideally, carbohydrates in the diet should come from whole food sources when possible as well as those with minimal added sugars.

Caffeine

Caffeine intakes of 3-6 mg/kg body weight in the 60 minutes prior to exercise have shown to have positive effects on performance. Any higher amounts of caffeine will likely not have added benefit to your workout and can increase risk of negative side effects.

How Much Is Too Much?

The quantity that is considered to be too much will vary depending on the supplement you choose. The following list provides an overview of the upper limits for each type of supplement.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are tightly regulated in healthy people. While there’s no Tolerable Upper Intake Level identified for sodium and potassium, other electrolytes lost in sweat, including magnesium, calcium, and chloride, do have limits considered to be safe. For example, it’s recommended that calcium intakes do not exceed 2,000-3,000 mg/day depending on age and sex.

The upper limits for chloride and magnesium are 3.6 g/day and 350 mg respectively. Quantities in electrolyte supplements vary making it important to review labels prior to consumption.

Protein

Upper limits on protein are not available due to the lack of research indicating a maximum intake in healthy populations. It is recommended to stay in the ranges from the RDA of 0.8g/kg per day to as high as 2.0g/kg body weight for protein. Getting more than this amount is likely not beneficial.

Carbohydrate

Similar to protein, there is not an identified upper limit for carbohydrate intake in healthy populations. If you are supplementing carbohydrates before or during exercise, it may take some trial and error to determine how much and what type of carbs are best for your needs.

Creatine

Creatine has shown to be safe and effective when taken at the recommended dosage with a maximum dosage of 30 grams per day for up to five years showing no adverse health effects.

Caffeine

The ISSN recommends no more than 9 mg/kg body weight of caffeine due to the potential for adverse side effects. Additionally, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a maximum daily intake of 400 mg caffeine for healthy adults. Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as children and adolescents have lower safety thresholds and should use caution when consuming supplements or other sources of caffeine.

Why Trust Verywell Fit

Allison Knott, MS, RDN, CSSD is a sports dietitian with experience working with recreational triathletes and runners. She’s a freelance writer and owner of Anew Well Nutrition, a virtual consulting practice with a focus on fitness and performance nutrition.