Walk into any vitamin shop, scroll through any fitness account, or open any wellness email and you will be met with an overwhelming wall of products all promising to transform your health, your performance, and your body composition. Most of them are banking on the fact that you won’t dig into the research.
So let’s dig in.
The industry has a regulation problem.
Unlike medications, dietary supplements in the United States do not require FDA approval before they hit shelves. Manufacturers are largely responsible for policing themselves. That means the label on the bottle is not a guarantee of what’s actually inside it, how much of it is there, or whether it does anything at all. Third party testing certifications like NSF or Informed Sport exist for a reason. If a supplement you’re taking doesn’t carry one, that’s worth knowing.
What the evidence actually supports:
A small handful of supplements have solid, consistent research behind them. For most active people these are worth considering:
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements in existence. It supports strength, power output, and muscle retention across all ages, including older adults. It is inexpensive, safe, and effective. If you lift and you’re not taking creatine, you’re leaving a genuine performance benefit on the table.
Vitamin D3 (with K2 for maximum benefit!) is another one that earns its place, particularly in the Northeast where sun exposure is limited for a significant portion of the year. Deficiency is widespread and connected to immune function, mood, bone health, and hormonal regulation. Getting your levels tested before supplementing is worth doing, but most people living in colder climates are running low.
Magnesium is chronically underconsumed through food alone and plays a role in hundreds of physiological processes including sleep quality, muscle function, and stress regulation.
Not all magnesium is created equal though, and the form matters:
- Magnesium glycinate is the best option for sleep, stress, and anxiety. It’s gentle on the stomach and absorbs well, making it the most versatile choice for most people.
- Magnesium malate is better suited for energy production and muscle recovery, making it a solid option for athletes and people dealing with chronic fatigue or soreness.
- Magnesium citrate works well for general supplementation and digestive support, though it can have a laxative effect at higher doses.
- Magnesium oxide is the cheapest and most common form you’ll find on store shelves. It also has the poorest absorption rate. If that’s what’s in your current supplement, it’s probably not doing much.
When in doubt, glycinate is the place to start for most active people.
A quality fish oil with adequate EPA and DHA has good evidence behind it for inflammation management, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function, particularly if your diet is low in fatty fish.
Outside of that, it gets individual fast.
Iron, B12, zinc, collagen, probiotics, adaptogens, pre-workouts, fat burners, hormone support blends. Whether any of these are useful for you depends entirely on your bloodwork, your diet, your health history, your training load, and your life stage. The marketing doesn’t know any of that. A coach does.
Spending $300 a month on a supplement stack built from Instagram recommendations is one of the most common and most expensive mistakes we see. Some of it might be helping. Some of it is probably doing nothing. And some combinations may actually be working against each other.
Here’s what we offer:
Book a Free Intro to talk about your nutrition and training. And if you want us to take a look at what you’re currently taking and give you an honest, research-backed assessment of what’s worth keeping, a one-time supplement review is something we can do too.
Book a Free Intro today. Stop guessing. Start knowing.