Supplements are a massive, loosely regulated industry, and a lot of the marketing is designed to make you feel inadequate without the product. The reality: the vast majority of supplements do little or nothing for a healthy person eating reasonably well. A tiny handful have solid evidence. Learning to tell them apart saves you a fortune and a lot of false hope.
The short list with real evidence
- Creatine monohydrate — one of the most researched supplements there is; helps strength and muscle, and it's cheap. You don't need fancy versions.
- Protein powder — not magic, just a convenient way to hit your protein target if food falls short.
- Vitamin D — worth it for many people, especially in low-sunlight regions (ideally check your levels first).
- Caffeine — a genuine, well-evidenced performance and focus aid.
- Anything you're genuinely deficient in — but confirm with a test, don't guess.
Test, don't guess
The smart move with vitamins and minerals is a blood test to see what you're actually low in, then supplement that — rather than throwing money at a cupboard of pills on the assumption you need them all. Talk to a doctor; see how to talk to a doctor and get answers.
How to actually read the label
- Check the active dose against what research actually used. Many products include a trendy ingredient at a tiny, useless dose just to name it on the label.
- Watch for 'proprietary blends' — they hide how much of each ingredient you're getting, which almost always means not enough. Treat them as a red flag.
- Look for third-party testing (e.g. Informed Sport, NSF) — proof the product contains what it claims and no banned nasties.
- Ignore the front of the label. 'Boosts', 'supports', 'promotes' are marketing words with no legal meaning. The truth is in the ingredients panel.
The instant red flags
Be sceptical of anything promising fast, dramatic results; 'test boosters' and 'fat burners'; huge ingredient lists at fairy-dust doses; and influencer discount codes as the main selling point. If the claim sounds like a shortcut around training, food and sleep, it's marketing.
The order of operations
Supplements are the last 1% — the polish, not the paint. If your training, protein, sleep and consistency aren't handled, no pill or powder will save you. Sort the fundamentals first (training, protein, sleep), then consider whether you even need anything else.
General education, not medical advice
This is practical information, not personalised advice. Check with a qualified professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication or have a health condition.
Supplement checklist
Checklist
- I've got the fundamentals handled before buying anything
- I only consider supplements with real evidence
- I check the active dose against what studies used
- I avoid proprietary blends
- I look for third-party testing
- I test for deficiencies instead of guessing
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