Quit Wasting Your Money… Supplements That Are Backed By Research

By 2026, the supplement industry market in the US is expected to reach $349.4 Billion dollars(1). If you are wanting to play the highest level of sport you can, then you will likely be contributing to that number over the course of your career. Since the supplement market is expansive, and for the most part loosely regulated, you want to make sure that the products you’re putting in your body are worth your time and money. Remember, no supplementation can make up for poor sleep, nutrition and lifestyle habits, but should instead be a cherry on top of your already solid foundation.

Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a consensus study on Dietary Supplements and The High Performance Athlete(2). The research done was a comprehensive analysis of what supplements are proven to work, which ones may help, and what you should save your money on. To ease your task of sorting through the IOC consensus, and by using it and other significant studies(3–5), I’ve listed the most effective (and some non-effective) supplements below.

A supplement is defined as a food, food component, nutrient, or non-food compound that is purposefully ingested in addition to the habitually consumed diet with the aim of achieving a specific health and/or performance benefit1. Below is a breakdown of major WADA approved and research proven supplements along with their recommended prescription.

Help improve immunity and well being

Vitamin D — 800IU to 2000IU taken daily(6).

Probiotics — Varies on type and brand, ask your health care provider or follow directions on label(7).

Vitamin C — 65mg-300mg daily(8).

Zinc — 75mg zinc acetate lozenges should be taken thru the duration of colds within 24 hrs of onset(9).

Help benefit performance

Creatine Monohydrate — Loading phase: 20g/day for 5–7 days followed by maintenance phase of 3–5g/day. Combine with ~50g of carbs and proteins when possible(10).

Caffeine — 3–6mg/kg of body mass taken around 60min prior to performance with a carbohydrate source(11,12).

Nitrate — 310–560mg taken prior to activity, expect to last approximately 40 minutes(13).

Beta-alanine — 65mg/kg of body mass taken 2–4 times a day(14).

Sodium Bicarbonate — 0.2–0.4g/kg of body mass consumed 50–150min prior to exercise. Very high chance of GI stress with consumption, could be minimised by being taken with ~1.5g/kg of carbohydrates(15–18).

Gaining Body Mass

Protein powder — 0.3g-0.5g/kg post exercise(19,20).

When selecting a supplement from the above lists look for third party tested logos such as NSF Certified for Sport, Informed-Sport, BSCG, Consumer Lab, or USP. The linked websites usually maintain an up to date list of all supplement products that are in their program to cross reference as well.

References

1 — Polaris Market Research, Jan 01, 2018, Dietary Supplements Market [By Type (Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids, Botanicals, Others); By Form (Tablets, Capsules, Powder, Soft Gels, Liquids, Others); By Distribution Channel (Offline Stores, Online Platforms); By End-User (Adults, Children, Infants, Pregnant Women, Geriatric); By Region]: Market Size & Forecast, 2017–2026

2 — Ronald J Maughan, Louise M Burke, Jiri Dvorak, D Enette Larson-Meyer, Peter Peeling, Stuart M Phillips, Eric S Rawson, Neil P Walsh, Ina Garthe, Hans Geyer, Romain Meeusen, Lucas J C van Loon, Susan M Shirreffs, Lawrence L Spriet, Mark Stuart, Alan Vernec, Kevin Currell, Vidya M Ali, Richard GM Budgett, Arne Ljungqvist, Margo Mountjow, Yannis P Pitsiladis, Torbjørn Soligard, Uğur Erdener, Lars Engebretsen, IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete, Bristish Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 52, Issue 7

3 — Rodriguez NR , Di Marco NM , Langley S, American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise [01 Mar 2009, 41(3):709–731]

4 — Wagenmakers, Anton J.M., Amino acid supplements to improve athletic performance, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care: November 1999 — Volume 2 — Issue 6 — p 539–544

5 — Peter Peeling, Martyn J. Binnie, Paul S.R. Goods Marc Sim , Evidence-Based Supplements for the Enhancement of Athletic Performance, Volume:28 Issue: 2 Pages:178–187 doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2017–0343

6 — Heaney RP. Vitamin D: criteria for safety and efficacy. Nutr Rev 2008;66:S178–S181.

7 — Gleeson M, Bishop NC, Oliveira M, et al. Daily probiotic’s (Lactobacillus casei Shirota) reduction of infection incidence in athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2011;21:55–64

8 — Nieman DC, Henson DA, McAnulty SR, et al. Influence of vitamin C supplementation on oxidative and immune changes after an ultramarathon. J Appl Physiol 2002;92:1970–7.

9 — Singh M, Das RR. Zinc for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;6:CD001364.

10 — Steenge GR, Simpson EJ, Greenhaff PL. Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans. J Appl Physiol 2000;89:1165–71.

11 — Spriet LL. Exercise and sport performance with low doses of caffeine. Sports Med 2014;44 (Suppl 2):175–84.

12 — Ganio MS, Klau JF, Casa DJ, et al. Effect of caffeine on sport-specific endurance performance: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 2009;23:315–24.

13 — Hoon MW, Jones AM, Johnson NA, et al. The effect of variable doses of inorganic nitrate-rich beetroot juice on simulated 2,000-m rowing performance in trained athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform2014;9:615–20.

14 — Saunders B, Elliott-Sale K, Artioli GG, et al. β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2017;51.

15 — Carr AJ, Hopkins WG, Gore CJ. Effects of acute alkalosis and acidosis on performance: a meta-analysis. Sports Med 2011;41:801–14.

16 — Lambert CP, Greenhaff PL, Ball D, et al. Influence of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on plasma ammonia accumulation during incremental exercise in man. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol1993;66:49–54.

17 — Douroudos II, Fatouros IG, Gourgoulis V, et al. Dose-related effects of prolonged NaHCO3 ingestion during high-intensity exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2006;38:1746–53.

18 — Burke LM. Practical considerations for bicarbonate loading and sports performance. Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser 2013;75:15–26.

19 — Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:376–84.

20 — Cermak NM, Res PT, de Groot LC, et al. Protein supplementation augments the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to resistance-type exercise training: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:1454–64.