The supplement aisle is overwhelming and most of it seems like marketing. For a natural lifter, which supplements genuinely have evidence behind them and are worth buying? Keep it honest - I'd rather spend on food.
Honestly short list with real evidence:
That's basically it for things that reliably do something. The rest is mostly optional or marketing.
- Creatine monohydrate - the most proven, 5g daily, cheap
- Protein powder - just convenient food, helps hit your target
- Caffeine - real performance boost pre-training
- Vitamin D - if you don't get much sun
- Fish oil - if your diet's low in oily fish
That's basically it for things that reliably do something. The rest is mostly optional or marketing.
So creatine, protein, caffeine, and a couple of health basics.
That covers ~95% of the benefit you'll ever get from supplements. Spend the rest on good food.
Citrulline (6-8g) for pumps and a small endurance bump is a fair optional add if you train hard, and it's cheap in bulk. Beyond that you're into 'expensive urine' territory for most people.
Agree completely. People spend hundreds on fancy blends and undereat protein. Nail your diet and sleep first - supplements are the last 5% once the basics are dialled, not a shortcut around them.
Perfect - creatine, protein, caffeine, vit D and fish oil, maybe citrulline. Skipping the fancy stuff and putting the money into food. Cheers all.