When you work out, your body requiresfuel. There are 3 major fuel sources, and your body decides when to use them differently. Primarily, your body relies on oxygen for energy, and this works for activities that are mostly aerobic.

However, some activities require energy faster than your body can pump oxygen, so your body begins producing anaerobic energy. As a general rule of thumb, any supplement powder should mix easily in water.

That is, lumpy shakes can indicate cheap powder ingredients. Protein is getting its own section in this blog because it is critical for all types of athletesand is recommended at any time—pre, during, or post workout.

The protein source e. whey, egg, rice, pea, etc. is mostly important in terms of any dietary allergens you might have, but otherwise it is most important to buy protein isolates and complete proteins. Many cheap proteins will not adequately filter out other parts like carbs or fats, which you should be getting elsewhere anyway.

Finally, complete proteins include all 9 essential amino acids, of which you can never get enough. For more details about protein, see The Ultimate Guide to Protein Supplements. Another topic worth its own section, hydration is an obvious requirement for athletes.

Usually, this just means water, but electrolyte-enriched beverages are also recommended. Directly, keeping your body hydrated helps with muscle recovery, mental acuity, and lactic acid control. For more hydration information, see 15 Hydration Facts for Athletes. This will obviously help to avoid stomach pains, but it will also make sure the food is fully digested and the body can use it.

Second, ensure that the macronutrient breakdown is heavy on carbohydrates so you have enough fuel for high-intensity activity, but also include some fat for when your body uses up all its glycogen. Finally, to help with uptake speed and possibly taste , take your pills with juice.

Caffeine is known for its energy-inducing effects, but, in moderation, it has also been shown to improve mental focus and, thus, performance. Potassium is critical for managing the fluids and electrolytes in your body, which, in turn, help maintain a healthy heart rate and avoid muscle cramps.

It can be as easy as eating a banana which is filling and also has carbs for energy or taking a supplement. Beet or Beetroot Extract can help your body use oxygen more efficiently, increasing endurance and reducing fatigue. Beta-Alanine is type of amino acid that, according to the National Institute of Health, can improve high-intensity activity performance and help maintain lean body mass.

Magnesium is a mineral that will help your endurance. Specifically, magnesium promotes muscle and bone health, but more importantly it helps with muscle contraction.

This means your muscles will fatigue less quickly when running longer distances. Far and away, Creatine is the most effective and researched pre-workout supplement for weightlifters. In fact, studies have shown the effect of creatine to be negligible for endurance athletes like long-distance runners.

Creatine essentially tells your body to use its short-term energy stores more effectively. As mentioned previously, when you ask your body to perform at sustained high-intensity, your body wants to convert from oxygen to glycogen as a fuel source.

Unfortunately, continued glycogen processing can lead to undesirable side effects likelactic acid buildup and fatigue. Creatine solves this problem by essentially storing aerobic energy for later use.

You need to know what to use as well as how and when to use them. Plus, we'll give you tips on how to choose the right supplements for your workout routine, so you can achieve your fitness goals.

Also Read: 19 Time Tested Workout Supplements for Men. Workout supplements are specially formulated products with a primary role to provide your body with additional micro and macronutrients, amino acids, stimulants and vitamins, and minerals to support various aspects of your fitness routine.

But remember that they are not meant to replace a healthy diet with whole foods. After all, nothing in this world could top a grilled chicken taco. Another important role of workout supplements is to provide benefits including increased energy, muscle growth, improved endurance, developed enhanced recovery, and reduced muscle soreness.

We can all agree that workout supplements can be a game-changer, particularly if you explore their different types and find the right one for you.

But with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to do that. Worry no more because here we look at the different types of workout supplements and their benefits that might get the job done for your needs!

Protein supplements have gained immense popularity in the fitness world because protein is an essential component for muscle growth and recovery. As a quick primer for beginners, a protein supplement is a product that contains a concentrated amount of protein — generally whey, casein or even plant, that is sold typically in powder form.!

The following are the key benefits of protein supplements:. To hit your daily protein target. Every day. Sure, you can also get that extra protein in through cheaper restaurants and fast food, but for most adding a protein shake or two each day allows a lot more dietary flexibility when it comes to managing your total calories and keeping your diet clean.

Secondly, protein powders are cost effective way of getting more protein into your diet. The cost of high protein foods like eggs and beef have risen significantly in the last few years m aking bodybuilding and eating clean even more expensive than it already was. Plus, whey is a higher quality protein than those from a muscle-building standpoint, as it has higher biological value — making it a great choice for price-conscious athletes.

This protein supplement offers 60g protein, 1, calories, 5g creatine, and g of complex carb blend when mixed with skim milk! Buy Performance Enhancing Supplements from MuscleTech.

If you're a fitness enthusiast or someone who regularly hits the gym, you may have heard of pre-workout supplements. Pre-workout supplements are perfect for those early morning or late evening workouts when you may be feeling a bit sluggish and you need a boost of energy.

A workout with big lifts is another great time to take a pre-workout The following are the benefits of the supplement:. When to use pre-workout supplements to achieve your fitness goals? This allows sufficient time for the ingredients to kick in and provide you with the desired effects.

Always follow the direction on the label. If you're looking for a pre-workout supplement that can take your fitness journey to the next level, look no further than EUPHORiQ Pre-workout supplement!

This supplement is available in 4 different flavors and has a key ingredient of mg of paraxanthine! Lifting heavy weight results in microtears in your muscles, which are critical to building muscle mass. During recovery, these microtears heal and help the muscle fibers rebuild.

Your body adapts to the stress of training by rebuilding bigger and stronger to handle future stress so you can lift heavier the next workout session and repeat the process — growing bigger over time.

This also is where post-workout or recovery supplements come into play. The primary components of a post-workout supplement are amino acids, creatine and carbohydrates which both help restore the glycogen levels you need for muscle recovery, growth, and energy. Here are the main benefits of a post-workout or recovery supplement:.

When to use post-workout supplements to achieve your fitness goals? The ideal time to take a post-workout supplement is post-workout -a period when your body is primed to absorb creatine and replenish glycogen.

This fact came from good reason. As it happens, Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative found in our muscles.

In nature you can consume it through dietary sources such as meat and fish, but the most effective way is in supplement form. Creatine improves anaerobic work capacity by serving as a readily available store of phosphate groups ATP. By increasing this work capacity, it allows you to lift more weight for more reps.

This make is perfect for sports like CrossFit, bodybuilding, weightlifting and sprinting. Creatine is used by athletes from all sports — including high school, college, and professional athletes such as wrestlers and gymnasts for more power, strength and to gain muscle size. The following are the key benefits of creatine for athletes:.

In fact, a study found that taking creatine monohydrate lead to twice the lean muscle in those using it immediately after training compared to those using creatine pre-training.

Get this top-notch creatine provider today! Working out or not, vitamins play a vital role in our overall health. But they can also significantly impact our energy and will to do greater physical performance during workouts.

Surprisingly, regular, vigorous exercise can put stress on the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses and infections. This is where Vitamins A, C, and E come to play.

Plus, it will allow you to stay on track with your fitness goals! The following are the best benefits of taking vitamins as part of your supplement regimen:.

Always follow the directions on the label, but for most multivitamins, taking them with food in the morning is generally recommended. Platinum Multivitamin from MuscleTech stands out as an excellent choice that delivers a comprehensive blend of nutrients without acid reflux.

An evaluation of six deer-antler-velvet dietary supplements that were commercially available in found that five of them contained no deer IGF-1, and four were adulterated with human IGF-1 [ ]. Only one of the six supplements contained a low level of deer IGF The research to date does not support taking deer-antler-velvet supplements to enhance exercise or athletic performance.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association [ ] and the World Anti-Doping Agency [ ] ban the use of IGF-1 and its analogues in athletic competition. DHEA is a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex. The body can convert DHEA to the male hormone testosterone; testosterone's intermediary, androstenedione; and the female hormone estradiol [ ].

Testosterone is an anabolic steroid that promotes gains in muscle mass and strength when combined with resistance training [ ]. The minimal research on DHEA's use to enhance exercise and athletic performance provides no evidence of benefit [ ].

Compared to placebo, the DHEA and androstenedione produced no statistically significant increase in strength, aerobic capacity, lean body mass, or testosterone levels [ ]. The supplement provided no benefits compared with placebo in increasing muscle strength, lean body mass, or testosterone concentrations [ ].

Studies have not adequately assessed the safety of DHEA. The two short-term studies in men described above found no side effects from the DHEA; blood lipid levels and liver function remained normal.

Other studies have found that in women, use of DHEA for months significantly raises serum testosterone but not estrogen levels, which can cause acne and growth of facial hair [ ].

The research to date does not support taking DHEA supplements to enhance exercise or athletic performance.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency ban the use of DHEA [ , ]. Ginseng is a generic term for botanicals from the genus Panax. Some popular varieties are known as Chinese, Korean, American, and Japanese ginseng. Preparations made from ginseng roots have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia as a tonic to improve stamina and vitality [ ].

So-called Siberian or Russian ginseng Eleutherococcus senticosus , although unrelated to Panax ginseng, has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine to combat fatigue and strengthen the immune system [ ].

Numerous small studies, with and without placebo controls, have investigated Panax ginseng's potential to improve the physical performance of athletes, regular and occasional exercisers, and largely sedentary individuals.

In almost all cases, the studies found that Panax ginseng in various doses and preparations had no ergogenic effect on such measures as peak power output, time to exhaustion, perceived exertion, recovery from intense activity, oxygen consumption, or heart rate [ , ].

One review of studies of the effects of Siberian ginseng on endurance performance found that the five studies with the most rigorous research protocols with a total of 55 men and 24 women showed no effect of supplementation for up to 6 weeks on exercise performed for up to minutes [ ].

Short-term Panax ginseng use appears to be safe; the most commonly reported adverse effects include headache, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal disorders [ ]. Short-term Siberian ginseng use also appears to be safe.

The studies cited above reported no adverse effects, although other reports of clinical trials have listed insomnia as a rare side effect [ ]. The research to date provides little support for taking ginseng to enhance exercise or athletic performance [ , ]. Glutamine is a key molecule in metabolism and energy production, and it contributes nitrogen for many critical biochemical reactions [ ].

It is an EAA for critically ill patients when the body's need for glutamine exceeds its capacity to produce sufficient amounts. Few studies have examined the effect of glutamine supplementation alone as an ergogenic aid [ ]. One study randomized 31 male and female weightlifters to receive either glutamine 0.

There were no significant differences between the two groups in measures of strength, torque, or lean tissue mass, demonstrating that glutamine had no effect on muscle performance, body composition, or muscle-protein degradation. Another study compared the effect of glutamine four doses of 0.

Supplementation with glutamine reduced the magnitude of strength loss, accelerated strength recovery, and diminished muscle soreness more quickly than placebo; these effects were more pronounced in the men.

Some athletes use glutamine supplements in the hope that they will attenuate exercise-induced immune impairment and reduce their risk of developing upper respiratory tract infections. However, there is little research-based support for this benefit [ , ].

In the studies described above, the glutamine had no reported side effects. Many patients with serious catabolic illnesses, such as infections, intestinal diseases, and burns, take glutamine safely as part of their medical care.

Daily oral doses ranging from 0. The research to date does not support taking glutamine alone to improve exercise and athletic performance [ , ]. Iron is an essential mineral and a structural component of hemoglobin, an erythrocyte protein that transfers oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, and myoglobin, a protein in muscles that provides them with oxygen.

Iron is also necessary to metabolize substrates for energy as a component of cytochromes and to dehydrogenase enzymes involved in substrate oxidation [ ]. Iron deficiency impairs oxygen-carrying capacity and muscle function, and it limits people's ability to exercise and be active [ 12 , ].

Its detrimental effects can include fatigue and lethargy, lower aerobic capacity, and slower times in performance trials [ ]. Iron balance is an important consideration for athletes who must pay attention to both iron intakes and iron losses.

Teenage girls and premenopausal women are at increased risk of obtaining insufficient amounts of iron from their diets. They require more iron than teenage boys and men because they lose considerable iron due to menstruation, and they might not eat sufficient amounts of iron-containing foods [ , ].

Athletes of both sexes lose additional iron for several reasons [ , , , ]. Physical activity produces acute inflammation that reduces iron absorption from the gut and iron use via a peptide, hepcidin, that regulates iron homeostasis. Iron is also lost in sweat.

The destruction of erythrocytes in the feet because of frequent striking on hard surfaces leads to foot-strike hemolysis. Also, use of anti-inflammatories and pain medications can lead to some blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract, thereby decreasing iron stores. The richest dietary sources of heme iron which is highly bioavailable include lean meats and seafood.

Plant-based foods—such as nuts, beans, vegetables, and fortified grain products—contain nonheme iron, which is less bioavailable than heme iron.

Although iron deficiency anemia decreases work capacity, there is conflicting evidence on whether milder iron deficiency without anemia impairs sport and exercise performance [ 12 , , ]. One systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether iron treatments provided orally or by injection improved iron status and aerobic capacity in iron-deficient but nonanemic endurance athletes identified 19 studies involving 80 men and women with a mean age of 22 years.

Iron treatments improved iron status as expected, but they did not guarantee improvement in aerobic capacity or indices of endurance performance [ ].

Another systematic review and meta-analysis compared the effects of iron supplementation with no supplementation on exercise performance in women of reproductive age [ ]. Most of the 24 studies identified were small i. Based on the limited data and heterogenicity of results, the study authors suggested that preventing and treating iron deficiency could improve the performance of female athletes in sports that require endurance, maximal power output, and strength.

Athletes can safely obtain recommended intakes of iron by consuming a healthy diet containing iron-rich foods and by taking an iron-containing dietary supplement as needed.

High doses of iron may be prescribed for several weeks or months to treat iron deficiency, especially if anemia is present. Individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis, which predisposes them to absorb excessive amounts of dietary and supplemental iron, have an increased risk of iron overload [ ].

Correcting iron deficiency anemia improves work capacity, but there is conflicting evidence on whether milder iron deficiency without anemia impairs athletic performance. Furthermore, they warn that iron supplementation can cause gastrointestinal side effects. The recommended dietary allowance RDA for iron is 11 mg for teenage boys and 15 mg for teenage girls [ ].

The RDA is 8 mg for men and 18 mg for women age 50 and younger, and 8 mg for older adults of both sexes. Recommended intakes of iron for vegetarians and vegans are 1.

More information on iron and the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia is available in the ODS health professional fact sheet on iron. Protein is necessary to build, maintain, and repair muscle.

Exercise increases intramuscular protein oxidation and breakdown, after which muscle-protein synthesis increases for up to a day or two [ ]. Regular resistance exercise results in the accretion of myofibrillar protein the predominant proteins in skeletal muscle and an increase in skeletal muscle fiber size.

Aerobic exercise leads to more modest protein accumulation in working muscle, primarily in the mitochondria, which enhances oxidative capacity oxygen use for future workouts [ , ]. Athletes must consider both protein quality and quantity to meet their needs for the nutrient.

They must obtain EAAs from the diet or from supplementation to support muscle growth, maintenance, and repair [ ]. The nine EAAs are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

See other sections of this fact sheet for information on the amino acids arginine and glutamine as well as the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The potential of these amino acids to enhance exercise and athletic performance is not related to their incorporation into proteins.

Adequate protein in the diet is required to provide the EAAs necessary for muscle-protein synthesis and to minimize muscle-protein breakdown. Dietary protein consumption increases the concentration of amino acids in the blood, which muscle cells then take up.

Sufficient protein is necessary primarily to optimize the training response to, and the recovery period after, exercise [ 12 , ].

Muscle protein synthesis leading to increases in strength and muscle mass appears to be optimal with the consumption of high-quality protein providing about 10 g EAAs within 0—2 hours after exercise, in the early recovery phase [ 12 ].

However, a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials found that ingesting protein within an hour before or after exercise does not significantly increase muscle strength or size or facilitate muscle repair or remodeling [ 77 ]. The period after exercise when protein intake reduces muscle protein breakdown, builds muscle, and increases mitochondrial proteins to enhance oxygen use by working muscles the so-called window of anabolic opportunity can last for up to 24 hours [ 79 ].

Participants in these studies consumed a bedtime drink containing Some studies show increased muscle protein synthesis when plasma levels of amino acids are raised [ 76 ].

The Food and Nutrition Board has not set a UL for protein, noting that the risk of adverse effects from excess protein from food is very low [ ]. However, it advises caution for those obtaining high protein intakes from foods and supplements because of the limited data on their potential adverse effects.

High-protein diets e. Protein increases urinary calcium excretion, but this appears to have no consequence for long-term bone health [ ] and, in any event, is easily compensated for by the consumption of slightly more calcium.

Many foods—including meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, beans, and nuts—contain protein. Protein powders and drinks are also available, most of which contain whey, one of the complete proteins isolated from milk [ ]. Digestion of casein, the main complete protein in milk, is slower than that of whey, so the release of amino acids from casein into the blood is slower [ 72 ].

Soy protein lacks the EAA methionine and might lose some cysteine and lysine in processing; rice protein lacks the EAA isoleucine [ ]. Many protein supplements consist of a combination of these protein sources. All EAAs are necessary to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, so users should select singular or complementary protein sources accordingly.

To maximize muscle adaptations to training, the AND, DoC, and ACSM recommend that athletes consume 0. Since the Food and Nutrition Board developed the RDA for protein, more recent data have suggested that athletes require a daily protein intake of 1.

Athletes might benefit from even greater amounts for short periods of intense training or when they reduce their energy intake to improve physique or achieve a competition weight [ 12 ].

The — National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey NHANES showed that the average daily intake of protein by adult men is g and by women is 69 g [ ]. Athletes who require additional protein can obtain it by consuming more protein-containing foods and, if needed, protein supplements and protein-fortified food and beverage products.

Quercetin is a polyphenolic flavonol that is naturally present in a variety of fruits such as apples , vegetables such as onions , and beverages such as wine and, especially, tea.

The mechanisms by which quercetin might enhance exercise and athletic performance when taken in much larger amounts are not known, but many have been hypothesized.

For example, quercetin might increase the number of mitochondria in muscle, reduce oxidative stress, decrease inflammation, and improve endothelial function blood flow [ , ].

Numerous small studies have assessed quercetin in supplemental form as a potential ergogenic aid in young adult, mostly male, participants.

The effects of quercetin supplementation were inconsistent and varied by study, but they generally ranged from no ergogenic benefit to only a trivial or small improvement that might not be meaningful in real-world in contrast to laboratory exercise conditions [ 42 , , , ].

The safety of longer term use of that amount of quercetin or more has not been studied. More research, including larger clinical trials, on quercetin supplementation to improve aerobic capacity in trained athletes during specific sports and competitions is needed before any recommendations can be made [ ].

Ribose, a naturally occurring 5-carbon sugar synthesized by cells and found in some foods, is involved in the production of ATP [ 75 ].

The amount of ATP in muscle is limited, and it must continually be resynthesized. Therefore, theoretically, the more ribose in the body, the more potential ATP production [ ].

The authors of the short-term studies investigating ribose as a potential ergogenic aid have not reported any safety concerns. No studies have assessed the safety of long-term ribose use as a dietary supplement. Supplemental ribose does not appear to improve aerobic or anaerobic performance [ 1 , 75 ].

Sodium bicarbonate is commonly known as baking soda. The consumption of several teaspoons of sodium bicarbonate over a short time temporarily increases blood pH by acting as a buffering agent. The precise mechanism by which this induced alkalosis leads to an ergogenic response to exercise is unclear.

It is thought that bicarbonate loading enhances disposal of hydrogen ions that accumulate and efflux from working muscles as they generate energy in the form of ATP via anaerobic glycolysis from high-intensity exercise, thereby reducing the metabolic acidosis that contributes to fatigue [ , ].

As a result, supplementation with sodium bicarbonate might improve performance in short-term, intense exercises e. Many studies have assessed sodium bicarbonate as an ergogenic aid in swimmers, cyclists, rowers, boxers, tennis and rugby players, judo practitioners, and others [ ]. These studies usually included a small number of participants who underwent one or more trials in a laboratory over several days.

Because the research results are conflicting, the activities and individuals most likely to benefit from sodium bicarbonate supplementation in real-world conditions is not clear.

However, individuals have varied responses to bicarbonate loading; the practice does not benefit some users, and it can worsen rather than enhance performance in others.

Recreationally active individuals, in particular, might find the supplements to be ergogenic for one exercise session but not another. Many study findings suggest that supplementation with sodium bicarbonate is most likely to improve the performance of trained athletes [ , ].

The main side effect of sodium bicarbonate supplementation in gram quantities is gastrointestinal distress, including nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Supplement users can reduce or minimize this distress by consuming the total dose in smaller amounts multiple times over an hour with fluid and a snack of carbohydrate-rich food [ , ]. Sodium bicarbonate is Such a large intake of sodium with fluid can lead to temporary hyperhydration, which could be useful in activities where large sweat losses might otherwise lead to significant fluid deficits.

However, the slight increase in body weight from fluid retention might hinder performance in other sports [ ]. Studies have not evaluated the safety and effectiveness of long-term use of sodium bicarbonate as an ergogenic aid over months or longer.

Many athletes find this amount of sodium bicarbonate powder dissolved in fluid to be unpalatably salty [ ]. The Australian Institute of Sport supports the use of bicarbonate for improving sports performance in suitable athletic competitions under the direction of an expert in sports medicine, but it notes that more research might be required to understand how the supplement should be used for best results [ 29 ].

The Montmorency variety of tart or sour cherry Prunus cerasus contains anthocyanins and other polyphenolic phytochemicals, such as quercetin.

Researchers hypothesize that these compounds have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that might facilitate exercise recovery by reducing pain and inflammation, strength loss and muscle damage from intense activity, and hyperventilation trauma from endurance activities [ ].

The labels on tart-cherry juice and concentrate products do not usually indicate that they are dietary supplements, although the labels on products containing encapsulated tart-cherry powder do. Much of the limited research on use of tart cherry to enhance exercise and athletic performance involves short-term use of a tart-cherry product or placebo by young resistance-trained men for about a week before a test of strength such as single-leg extensions or back squats ; participants continue taking the supplements for about 2 days after the test.

None of the participants who drank the juice experienced airway inflammation causing upper respiratory tract symptoms after the marathon a common complaint in many marathon runners , but half of those drinking the placebo did. Another study compared a supplement containing mg freeze-dried Montmorency tart-cherry-skin powder CherryPURE with a placebo in 18 male and 9 female endurance-trained runners and triathletes age range 18—26 years [ ].

Participants took the supplements once a day for 10 days, including the day they ran a half-marathon, then for 2 days after the run.

Further research is needed to determine the value of tart-cherry products for enhancing performance and recovery from intense exercise or participation in sports—especially when used on a regular basis—and the amounts of supplement, juice, or concentrate needed to provide any benefits.

Studies have not identified any side effects of the fresh tart-cherry juice or concentrate or of supplements of dried tart-cherry-skin powder. However, they have not adequately assessed the safety of tart-cherry dietary supplements. There is no expert consensus on the value of taking tart-cherry products to enhance exercise and athletic performance.

Tribulus terrestris common names include bindii, goat's-head, bullhead, and tackweed , is a fruit-bearing plant that is most common in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. It has been used since ancient times in Greece, China, and Asia to treat low libido and infertility [ ].

Tribulus terrestris extracts contain many compounds, including steroidal saponins [ ]. Some marketers claim that Tribulus terrestris enhances exercise and athletic performance by increasing serum concentrations of testosterone and luteinizing hormone, but studies have not adequately determined its potential mechanisms of action [ ].

Only a few small, short-term clinical trials have investigated Tribulus terrestris as an ergogenic aid [ ], and none since A study in 15 resistance-trained men found no differences among those taking 3. In 22 elite male rugby players age The only toxicity studies of Tribulus terrestris were conducted in animals, where unspecified high intakes led to severe heart, liver, and kidney damage [ ].

The clinical studies described above found no side effects of Tribulus terrestris. Subsequent tests indicated hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and neurotoxicity.

The man's condition improved after he discontinued the water, but the water was not tested to determine the presence or amount of Tribulus terrestris or any other potential toxin or contaminant. The Australian Institute of Sport advises against the use of Tribulus terrestris by athletes, noting that this supplement and other claimed testosterone boosters are banned from athletic competitions or have a high risk of being contaminated with substances that, if ingested, could lead to positive drug-screening results [ ].

The published biomedical literature provides no support for the efficacy and insufficient support for the safety of Tribulus terrestris for enhancing exercise performance [ ]. This section provides examples of ingredients that FDA currently prohibits in dietary supplements and that some consumers have used in the past as ergogenic aids, despite the lack of evidence supporting their use.

Androstenedione is an anabolic steroid precursor, or prohormone, that the body converts to testosterone which induces muscle growth and estrogen [ ].

Major League Baseball slugger Mark McGwire popularized androstenedione as an ergogenic aid in [ ]. However, two randomized clinical trials found no performance benefits from androstenedione supplements.

In one study, 10 healthy young men age 19—29 years took a single mg dose of androstenedione. The short-term or longer term use of the supplement did not affect serum testosterone concentrations, nor did it produce any significantly greater gains in resistance-training performance, muscle strength, or lean body mass.

However, participants who took androstenedione for the 6 weeks experienced significant declines in their high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol levels and significant increases in serum estrogens. The supplements did not improve participants' muscular strength or lean body mass compared with placebo, but they significantly decreased HDL cholesterol levels and raised levels of serum estrogens.

In March , FDA warned companies to cease distributing androstenedione-containing dietary supplements. The rationale was the lack of sufficient information to establish that such products could reasonably be expected to be safe and that FDA had never approved androstenedione as a new dietary ingredient permitted in supplements [ ].

Department of Justice classified androstenedione as a Schedule III controlled substance defined as a drug with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence in [ ].

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, International Olympic Committee, and World Anti-Doping Agency ban the use of androstenedione [ , ]. Dimethylamylamine DMAA is a stimulant formerly included in some preworkout and other dietary supplements claimed to enhance exercise performance and build muscle.

Studies have not evaluated DMAA in humans as a potential ergogenic aid. In , FDA declared products containing this ingredient to be illegal after it received 86 reports of deaths and illnesses associated with dietary supplements containing DMAA.

These reports described heart problems as well as nervous system and psychiatric disorders [ ]. Furthermore, FDA had never approved DMAA as a new dietary ingredient that would reasonably be expected to be safe [ ]. Although products marketed as dietary supplements containing DMAA are illegal in the United States, discontinued, reformulated, or even new products containing DMAA might still be found in the U.

The Department of Defense's Human Performance Resource Center maintains a list of currently available products that contain DMAA or are labeled as containing DMAA, dimethylamylamine, or an equivalent chemical or marketing name e.

FDA also determined that dietary supplements containing 1,3-dimethybutylamine DMBA , a stimulant chemically related to DMAA, are adulterated. As with DMAA, FDA had never approved this stimulant as a new dietary ingredient. The agency contended that there is no history of use or data offering sufficient assurance that this compound is not associated with a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury [ , ].

Ephedra also known as ma huang , a plant native to China, contains ephedrine alkaloids, which are stimulant compounds; the primary alkaloid is ephedrine [ ]. In the s, ephedra—frequently combined with caffeine—was a popular ingredient in dietary supplements sold to enhance exercise and athletic performance and to promote weight loss.

No studies have evaluated the use of ephedra dietary supplements, with or without caffeine, as ergogenic aids. Instead, available studies have used the related synthetic compound ephedrine together with caffeine and typically measured the effects 1—2 hours after a single dose [ , ].

No data show any sustained improvement in athletic performance over time with continued dosing of ephedrine with caffeine [ ]. Ephedra use has been associated with death and serious adverse effects, including nausea, vomiting, psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and mood change , hypertension, palpitations, stroke, seizures, and heart attack [ , ].

In , FDA banned the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids in the United States because they are associated with an unreasonable risk of illness or injury [ ]. FDA regulates dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance in accordance with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of [ ].

Like other dietary supplements, exercise- and athletic-performance supplements differ from over-the-counter or prescription medications in that they do not require premarket review or approval by FDA.

Supplement manufacturers are responsible for determining that their products are safe and their label claims are truthful and not misleading, although they are not required to provide this evidence to FDA before marketing their products.

If FDA finds a supplement to be unsafe, it may remove the product from the market or ask the manufacturer to voluntarily recall the product. FDA and the Federal Trade Commission FTC may also take regulatory actions against manufacturers that make unsubstantiated physical-performance or other claims about their products.

FDA permits dietary supplements to contain only dietary ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and other botanicals. It does not permit these products to contain pharmaceutical ingredients, and manufacturers may not promote them to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease [ ].

For more information about dietary supplement regulation, see the ODS publication, Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know. Like all dietary supplements, supplements used to enhance exercise and athletic performance can have side effects and might interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications.

In some cases, the active constituents of botanical or other ingredients promoted as ergogenic aids are unknown or uncharacterized. Furthermore, many such products contain multiple ingredients that have not been adequately tested in combination with one another.

People interested in taking dietary supplements to enhance their exercise and athletic performance should talk with their health care providers about the use of these products. The Uniformed Services University and the U. Anti-Doping Agency maintain a list of products marketed as dietary supplements that contain stimulants, steroids, hormone-like ingredients, controlled substances, or unapproved drugs and that can have health risks for warfighters and others who take them for bodybuilding or other forms of physical performance [ ].

FDA requires the manufacture of dietary supplements to comply with quality standards that ensure that these products contain only the labeled ingredients and amounts and are free of undeclared substances and unsafe levels of contaminants [ ].

However, FDA notes that products marketed as dietary supplements for bodybuilding are among those most often adulterated with undeclared or deceptively labeled ingredients, such as synthetic anabolic steroids or prescription medications [ ].

As one example, some products sold for bodybuilding are adulterated with selective androgen receptor modulators; these synthetic drugs are designed to mimic the effects of testosterone [ ].

Using such tainted products can cause health problems and lead to disqualification of athletes from competition if a drug test shows that they have consumed prohibited substances, even if they have done so unknowingly.

FDA has warned against the use of any body-building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances [ ]. It recommends that a user contact their health care provider if they experience symptoms possibly related to these products, especially nausea, weakness, fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, jaundice yellowing of skin or whites of eyes , or brown or discolored urine.

Some dietary-supplement firms have hired third-party certification companies to verify the identity and content of their supplements to enhance exercise and athletic performance, thus providing some extra, independent assurance that the products contain the labeled amounts of ingredients and are free of many banned substances and drugs.

The major companies providing this certification service are NSF nsf. org through its Certified for Sport program, Informed-Choice informed-choice. org , and the Banned Substances Control Group bscg. Some ingredients in dietary supplements used to enhance exercise and athletic performance can interact with certain medications.

For example, intakes of large doses of antioxidant supplements, such as vitamins C and E, during cancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy could reduce the effectiveness of these therapies by inhibiting cellular oxidative damage in cancerous cells [ ]. Ginseng can reduce the anticoagulant effects of the blood thinner warfarin Coumadin or Jantoven [ ].

Iron supplements can reduce the bioavailability of levodopa used to treat Parkinson's disease and levothyroxine Levothyroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, and others, for hypothyroidism and goiter , so users should take iron supplements at a different time of the day than these two drugs [ , ].

Cimetidine Tagamet HB, used to treat duodenal ulcers can slow the rate of caffeine clearance from the body and thereby increase the risk of adverse effects from caffeine consumption [ ]. Individuals taking dietary supplements and medications on a regular basis should discuss the use of these products with their health care providers.

According to the AND, DoC, and ACSM, sound science supports the use of only a few dietary supplements whose labels claim ergogenic benefits [ 12 ]. These organizations add that the best way to use supplements is as additions to a carefully chosen diet, that dietary supplements rarely have ergogenic benefits when not used in these conditions, and that there is no justification for their use by young athletes.

The National Federation of State High School Associations also expresses strong opposition to the use of supplements to enhance athletic performance by high school students [ 15 ].

The American Academy of Pediatrics adds that performance-enhancing substances do not result in significant improvements in most teenage athletes beyond those that can result from proper nutrition and training basics [ 7 ]. Elite and recreational athletes perform at their best and recover most quickly when they consume a nutritionally adequate diet with sufficient fluids and when they have appropriate physical conditioning and proper training.

For more information about building a healthy dietary pattern, refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans [ 10 ] and the U. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate [ 11 ]. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes a healthy dietary pattern as one that:.

This fact sheet by the National Institutes of Health NIH Office of Dietary Supplements ODS provides information that should not take the place of medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your health care providers doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.

about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health. Any mention in this publication of a specific product or service, or recommendation from an organization or professional society, does not represent an endorsement by ODS of that product, service, or expert advice.

Updated: June 2, History of changes to this fact sheet. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.

Consumer Datos en español Health Professional Other Resources. Table of Contents Introduction Selected Ingredients in Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance Ingredients Banned from Dietary Supplements Regulation of Dietary Supplements to Enhance Exercise and Athletic Performance Safety Considerations Choosing a Sensible Approach to Enhance Exercise and Athletic Performance References Disclaimer.

Antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q 10 [CoQ 10 ]. Minimize free-radical damage to skeletal muscle, thereby reducing muscle fatigue, inflammation, and soreness. Several small clinical trials Research findings : Do not directly improve performance; appear to hinder some physiological and physical exercise-induced adaptations.

Increases blood flow and delivery of oxygen and nutrients to skeletal muscle; serves as a substrate for creatine production; increases secretion of human growth hormone to stimulate muscle growth. Limited clinical trials with conflicting results Research findings : Little to no effect on vasodilation, blood flow, or exercise metabolites; little evidence of increases in muscle creatine content.

Dilates blood vessels in exercising muscle, reduces oxygen use, and improves energy production. Limited clinical trials with conflicting results Research findings : Might improve performance and endurance to some degree in time trials and time-to-exhaustion tests among runners, swimmers, rowers, and cyclists; appears to be most effective in recreationally active nonathletes.

No safety concerns reported for short-term use at commonly recommended amounts approximately 2 cups Reported adverse effects : None known. Increases synthesis of carnosine, a dipeptide that buffers changes in muscle pH, thereby reducing muscle fatigue and loss of force production; considerable individual variation in associated muscle carnosine synthesis.

Numerous clinical trials with conflicting results Research findings : Inconsistent effects on performance in competitive events requiring high-intensity effort over a short period, such as team sports; little or no performance benefit in activities lasting more than 10 minutes.

No safety concerns reported for use of 1. Helps stressed and damaged skeletal muscle cells restore their structure and function. Numerous clinical trials with conflicting results Research findings : Might help speed up recovery from exercise of sufficient amount and intensity to induce skeletal muscle damage.

Might increase creatine production, blood nitric oxide levels, or water retention in cells. Limited clinical trials in men with conflicting results Research findings : Potential but modest strength and power-based performance improvements in bodybuilders and cyclists.

Branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Can be metabolized by mitochondria in skeletal muscle to provide energy during exercise. Limited number of short-term clinical trials Research findings : Little evidence of improved performance in endurance-related aerobic events; possibility of greater gains in muscle mass and strength during training.

Blocks activity of the neuromodulator adenosine; reduces perceived pain and exertion. Numerous clinical trials with mostly consistent results Research findings : Might enhance performance in endurance-type activities e.

Dilates blood vessels to increase delivery of oxygen and nutrients to skeletal muscle. Few clinical trials with conflicting results Research findings : Little research support for use to enhance performance.

Numerous clinical trials generally showing a benefit for high-intensity, intermittent activity; potential variation in individual responses Research findings : May increase strength, power, and work from maximal effort muscle contractions; over time helps body adapt to athlete-training regimens; of little value for endurance sports.

Few safety concerns reported at typical dose e. Contains growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] that could promote muscle tissue growth. Few short-term clinical trials that show no benefit for physical performance Research findings : No evidence for improving aerobic or anaerobic performance, muscular strength, or endurance.

Safety not well studied Reported adverse effects : Hypoglycemia, headache, edema, and joint pain from prescription IGF-1 ; banned in professional athletic competition.

Small number of clinical trials that show no benefit for physical performance Research findings : No evidence of increases in strength, aerobic capacity, lean body mass, or testosterone levels in men.

Unknown mechanism of action; Panax ginseng used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for stamina and vitality; Siberian ginseng used to reduce fatigue. Numerous small clinical trials, most showing no benefit for physical performance Research findings : In various doses and types of preparations, no effects on peak power output, time to exhaustion, perceived exertion, recovery from intense activity, oxygen consumption, or heart rate.

Few safety concerns reported with short-term use Reported adverse effects : For Panax ginseng: headache, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal disorders; for Siberian ginseng: none known.

Involved in metabolism and energy production; contributes nitrogen for many critical biochemical reactions. Few studies of use to enhance performance directly Research findings : In adult weightlifters, no effect on muscle performance, body composition, or muscle-protein degradation; may help with recovery of muscle strength and reduce muscle soreness after exercise.

Increases oxygen uptake, reduces heart rate, and decreases lactate concentrations during exercise. Numerous clinical trials with conflicting results Research findings : Improved work capacity with correction of iron deficiency anemia; conflicting evidence on whether milder iron deficiency without anemia impairs exercise performance.

Hemp protein powder is derived from the seeds of the hemp plant. Although there is little research on the use of hemp protein powder as a workout supplement, it contains omega-3 fatty acids and a number of essential amino acids.

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