Supplements, Rated

Does: Recycles ATP for strength/power output; modest cognitive and mood benefits, especially under sleep deprivation.

Dose: 3–5 g/day, any time, no loading phase needed.

Verdict: The single most-studied sports supplement in existence. Cheap, safe, and effective — monohydrate powder, no fancy forms needed.

Does: Hormone regulation, immune function, bone density; K2 directs the calcium D3 helps you absorb into bone rather than arteries.

Dose: 1,000–4,000 IU D3/day with 100 µg K2 (MK-7), taken with a fat-containing meal. Test blood levels if you can — dial in to 40–60 ng/mL rather than guessing.

Verdict: Most people at northern latitudes or who work indoors are deficient. One of the few supplements with a genuine population-wide case.

Does: Lowers triglycerides, supports cardiovascular and brain health, blunts excessive exercise-induced inflammation.

Dose: 1–2 g/day combined EPA+DHA. Choose a third-party tested fish or algae oil; keep refrigerated to avoid oxidation.

Verdict: Skip it if you eat fatty fish 2–3×/week. Everyone else benefits — most Western diets are heavily skewed toward omega-6.

Does: Nervous system regulation, muscle relaxation, sleep quality; involved in 300+ enzymatic reactions.

Dose: 200–400 mg elemental magnesium in the evening. Glycinate or threonate over oxide — oxide is poorly absorbed and mostly laxative.

Verdict: Most diets fall short of the RDA. Consistently one of the better-tolerated sleep aids.

Does: Convenient complete protein for hitting a daily target; casein digests slowly, useful before bed.

Dose: 20–40 g to fill the gap between whole-food intake and ~1.6 g/kg lean mass per day.

Verdict: Not magic — it's just food in powder form. Only worth buying if whole-food protein is genuinely inconvenient for you.

Does: Sodium, potassium, and magnesium salts replace what's lost through sweat; prevents cramping and the afternoon energy dip.

Dose: 1–2 servings/day, more on long training days or in hot climates. Look for >500 mg sodium per serving — most "electrolyte" drinks are mostly sugar.

Verdict: Underrated for anyone training hard, sweating a lot, or eating low-carb (which flushes sodium).

Does: Adenosine antagonist — reliably improves strength output, endurance, and focus in the 30–60 min after taking it.

Dose: 100–300 mg, ~30–45 min pre-training. Cut off by early afternoon — caffeine's half-life is 5–6 hours and it fragments sleep even when you don't notice falling asleep fine.

Verdict: Genuinely performance-enhancing, but the most commonly abused supplement on this list — timing matters more than dose.

Does: Amino acid from green tea that smooths out caffeine's jitter and anxiety without blunting the alertness effect.

Dose: 100–200 mg, roughly a 1:2 ratio with caffeine (e.g. 100 mg caffeine to 200 mg theanine).

Verdict: If caffeine makes you wired or anxious, this is the fix before you consider cutting caffeine out.

Does: Soluble fiber that improves satiety, lowers LDL cholesterol, and feeds gut bacteria.

Dose: 5–10 g/day with a full glass of water; start low to avoid bloating.

Verdict: Skip if your diet already includes plenty of vegetables, legumes, and whole grains — most people's doesn't.

Does: Immune function, wound healing, and a cofactor for testosterone synthesis — but only corrects things if you're deficient.

Dose: 10–15 mg/day; avoid megadosing (>40 mg long-term depletes copper).

Verdict: Common shortfall in low-meat diets and heavy sweaters. Not a testosterone booster if you're already replete.

Does: Adaptogen linked to modest reductions in cortisol and self-reported stress/anxiety in short trials.

Dose: 300–600 mg/day of root extract.

Verdict: Reasonable for chronic stress; trial evidence is smaller and less consistent than the internet hype suggests. Not for pregnancy or thyroid conditions without medical advice.

Does: Buffers muscle acid buildup; helps in the 60 sec–4 min effort range (think 400 m sprints or a brutal set of 15–20 reps).

Dose: 3–5 g/day, split to avoid the harmless tingling (paraesthesia).

Verdict: Only worth it if your training genuinely lives in that high-rep, high-lactate zone.

Does: Raises nitric oxide/arginine availability; small improvements in the "pump" and rep endurance in some studies.

Dose: 6–8 g, ~40 min pre-training.

Verdict: Effect size is modest and the required dose is a lot of powder. Nice-to-have in a pre-workout, not a priority buy on its own.

Does: Signals the body's internal clock — useful for shifting timing, not for forcing sleep.

Dose: 0.3–1 mg (not the 5–10 mg sold in most shops) taken 1–2 hours before your target bedtime.

Verdict: Great for jet lag or shift work; a poor long-term crutch for bad sleep hygiene. Fix light exposure and screens first — see the biohacking protocol.

Does: Provides glycine/proline; some trials show modest joint pain and skin elasticity improvements.

Dose: 10–15 g/day, ideally with vitamin C which collagen synthesis depends on.

Verdict: It's an incomplete protein, not a protein-powder replacement. Fine as an add-on if joint health is a specific concern.

Does: Strain-specific effects on gut symptoms and digestion — highly dependent on which strain and dose.

Dose: Varies hugely by strain and product; follow the studied dose on the specific strain, not a generic multi-strain blend.

Verdict: Fermented food (yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut) is a cheaper, better-evidenced starting point for most people.