Workout Supplements: The Top 10 Supplements that Actually Work!


workout supplements

*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’re looking for an excuse to put in less work at the gym or on the field, this isn’t the place for you. Workout supplements aren’t an excuse to be lazy. If you haven’t figured it out yet, nothing beats consistency, diet, and self-discipline.

Now that it’s just us folks who respect the grind, you’ll be happy to hear that workout supplements certainly aren’t a gimmick. There are plenty of supplements that do have proven benefits and uses. The trick is being able to sort the bro-science from actual research. We’re here to give you a look at ten workout supplements that actually work!

Supplement FAQ’s

To get your facts straight and to promote safety here are some frequently asked questions to help you in your search for workout supplements.

 

How safe are workout supplements?

In short, the answer depends on the supplement. Some supplements such as protein powder are generally safe to consume. Others such as citrulline have limited research in their long-term safety, and therefore should be seriously looked into before trying them out.

Another guideline for supplement safety is to always be cautious of the dosage you take. Even the supplements that are labeled as safe are often only labeled as safe for low doses. When you take extreme amounts of workout supplements, or a lot for an extended period, the risk increases.

It’s imperative to do thorough research before taking a workout supplement. Some supplements don’t have a lot of research put into their health effects, and therefore have a larger risk of being bad for you. Before taking any workout supplement, you should speak to your physician first. Our list should be used as a tool to find workout supplements to look into, not for actual medical advice.

 

How much of a performance increase will I see?

Workout supplements aren’t magic. The increases in performance that you’ll get are usually small. For a lot of supplements, the scientific community isn’t even at a consensus that they have a benefit.

Often a supplement will help you get one to two more reps in at the gym. Or a supplement may help your muscles recover 3 percent faster than normal. However, these small benefits can add up in the long run. And in athletics, the difference between first and second place often comes down to these small percentages of differences.

 

Where can I buy workout supplements?

You can find the majority of workout supplements on Amazon.com. Retailers such as GNC, CVS, Walmart, and your local grocery store will also usually have workout supplements to purchase.

How We Reviewed

To come up with our list, we first looked at various articles from publishers including Healthline and Bodybuilding.com, and what they called the most effective supplements. After we settled on ten supplements, we did further research into each supplement. We put a focus on workout supplements that had actual research backing their effectiveness. If there wasn’t any scientific research that found the supplement worked, we threw it out of our list. That scientific research is linked here, so you can see it. We then used secondary sources such as Healthline, to give us an idea what the scientific community had to say about the benefits and safety of the supplements we added to our list in plain English.

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The Top Ten Workout Supplements to Look Into

These ten supplements offer a wide variety of benefits. If you exercise, go to the gym, or are an athlete you’re sure to find something beneficial to your routine!

[amazon link=”B002DYIZEO” title=”Creatine” /]

[amazon box=”B002DYIZEO”]

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

One way the supplement increases your performance is by boosting the energy production of your muscle cells. This boost of energy has been shown to grant 5 percent to 10 percent increases in strength gains of research participants. High-intensity training and weightlifting tend to be where creatine truly shines in increasing performance. Along with increased strength, creatine plays a significant role in long-term muscle growth, making it great for most fitness enthusiasts.

The extensive amount of studies on creatine have found the supplement to be relatively safe when taken in proper doses. You should mainly be concerned about taking creatine if you have pre-existing liver or kidney problems, or are currently taking medication.

You can find creatine for around $8 to $20 for 72 to 114 servings respectively.

[amazon link=”B0011865IQ” title=”Caffeine” /]

[amazon box=”B0011865IQ”]

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

For those who would rather run than lift weights, caffeine has shown some promising advantages. In one study, researchers found runners that took caffeine ran greater distances than those without caffeine. In another, caffeine was found to help participants undergo more training than without it.

Those with heart or blood pressure complications should stay away from caffeine. Caffeine can cause nausea, restlessness, tremors, headaches, and more when taken at high doses. Therefore it’s essential to work your way up from an initially small amount when figuring out if caffeine is for you. It’s also important to note an extremely high dosage of caffeine can be fatal.

The majority of caffeine powder and tablet supplements run from $5 to $40, with around 100 to 500 servings.

[amazon link=”B00EIO4I7A” title=”Beta-Alanine” /]

[amazon box=”B00EIO4I7A”]

Like creatine, beta-alanine helps you out most when you’re performing high-intensity exercises.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

The supplement works best when you’re performing exercises that last one to five minutes. What beta-alanine does is extend the amount of time your muscles can perform an exercise. This will allow you to get more reps with higher weights when strength training. When sprinting, this means you’ll be able to give it your all for a longer period of time.

The most common side effect of beta-alanine is a tingling and itching sensation on your skin. With higher doses comes a more intense sensation. Beta-alanine also may decrease your taurine levels.

You can buy beta-alanine for around $5 to $40, for about 100 to 500 grams.

[amazon link=”B01FEDJS0U” title=”Citrulline” /]

[amazon box=”B01FEDJS0U”]

Coming in two forms, L-citrulline and citrulline malate, this supplement can help heighten weightlifting and endurance performance. It does so by increasing blood flow in the body.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

L-citrulline was shown to extend the amount of time cyclists could go on before exhaustion in a study. It does this by increasing the available oxygen within muscle tissue. Citrulline malate, on the other hand, was found to increase the maximum reps performed by weightlifters. In addition, it was also found to decrease muscle soreness and fatigue.

Citrulline may be harmful if you take it with other medication, or have pre-existing health complications. For the most part, citrulline hasn’t been found to have any negative side effects.

L-citrulline and citrulline malate generally run around $5 to $30, for 100 to 500 grams.

[amazon link=”B00LALNIOI” title=”BCAA’s” /]

[amazon box=”B00LALNIOI”]

Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAA’s, have a wide variety of benefits that most people will appreciate. The main caveat is that you’ll often get enough BCAA’s from your diet.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

Whether you’re weightlifting or endurance training, you’ll most likely enjoy the benefits of BCAA’s. First off, these amino acids promote muscle growth and decrease the breakdown of muscles. Furthermore, BCAA’s increase endurance by lowering your experienced levels of fatigue. Finally, BCAA’s decrease muscle soreness after working out.

BCAA’s have been found to be mostly safe unless you have ALS or maple syrup urine disease.

Workout supplements for BCAA’s tend to be priced around $10 to $40, for 130 grams to 400 grams of powder.

[amazon link=”B000QSNYGI” title=”Whey protein” /]

[amazon box=”B000QSNYGI”]

Whey protein provides more than just an essential building block in growing muscles.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

As you most likely know, you need to get around one gram of protein for each pound of bodyweight. Whey protein powder allows you to more easily hit this goal because it gets absorbed into your body quickly. As a bonus, whey protein also helps stimulate muscle growth. It does this through the stimulated release of anabolic hormones as well as the amino acid leucine.

The biggest concerns of whey protein are for people who already experience kidney or liver issues. Besides that, the next biggest concern is that if you consume too much, you can experience digestive issues including nausea and diarrhea, and cramps.

You can find whey protein shakes for around $10 to $90, for around one kilogram to 2.7 kilograms of powder.

[amazon link=”B000QVCAKQ” title=”L-glutamine” /]

[amazon box=”B000QVCAKQ”]

Most of the workout supplements in this list are for building muscle. L-glutamine shines in preserving muscle mass for when you’re trying to lose weight.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

After working out, your body gets depleted of L-glutamine. This is an issue as the amino acid is essential to prevent the breakdown of your muscles. By supplementing with L-glutamine, you prevent these drops in your L-glutamine levels. This, in turn, helps prevent your muscles from being broken down by your body.

In normal amounts, L-glutamine has no side effects and is generally safe to take.

You can purchase L-glutamine for $5 for 500 milligrams to $50 for 227 grams.

[amazon link=”B004R5ZLJ4″ title=”Fish oils” /]

[amazon box=”B004R5ZLJ4″]

The majority of supplements in this list are great for increasing performance. Fish oils, on the other hand, bring more long-term health benefits.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

Intense exercise can cause an increase in blood pressure and inflammation. Fish oils reduce these negative effects, increasing your overall health. Maintaining a normal blood pressure will mitigate your risk of heart disease. Lowering overall inflammation will help keep your joints and tendons healthy and pain-free. Those looking to cut body fat will also find some assistance from fish oils.

Fish oils are generally healthy when taken at regular dosages. If you take excessive amounts, you may experience indigestion, low blood pressure, diarrhea, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Online you can find fish oil for $5 to $45, for 300 milligrams to 2,000 milligrams

[amazon link=”B0015R3A1S” title=”Weight gainers” /]

[amazon box=”B0015R3A1S”]

If you’re someone who can’t seem to eat enough calories to build muscle, weight gainers are life savers.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

Building muscle requires a surplus of calories. Some folks have a hard time eating enough to gain weight. Weight gainers provide an exceptional amount of calories in just one milkshake. Because diet is just as essential as going to the gym, you can see how weight gainers can help you build muscle.

Some weight gainers have creatine in them, and therefore have creatine’s adverse effects. Also, weight gainer can cause an excess buildup of fat if you exceed your needed levels of calories.

Mass gainers are typically around $10 to $100 for one kilogram (2.2lbs) to ten kilograms (22lbs) of powder.

Sodium phosphate

Used as an ingredient for food, sodium phosphate also turns out to be useful for endurance athletes.

  • Benefits
  • adverse effects
  • price

Using sodium phosphate as a workout supplement increases the amount of oxygen delivered by your blood. This effect allows you to run longer before exhaustion during anaerobic exercise.

Sodium phosphate is deemed safe for consumption by the FDA. However, this label more for using the supplement in food. If you take too much sodium phosphate, you may experience dizziness, seizures, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and more. You should also be careful taking sodium phosphate if you have pre-existing medical conditions.

You can find sodium phosphate supplements for around $10 to $35 for around 16 servings of the supplement.

Comparison Table

PRODUCT

RATING

PRICE

[amazon fields=”B002DYIZEO” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B002DYIZEO” title=”Creatine” /]

[amazon fields=”B002DYIZEO” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B0011865IQ” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B0011865IQ” title=”Caffeine” /]

[amazon fields=”B0011865IQ” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B00EIO4I7A” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B00EIO4I7A” title=”Beta-Alanine” /]

[amazon fields=”B00EIO4I7A” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B01FEDJS0U” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B01FEDJS0U” title=”Citrulline” /]

[amazon fields=”B01FEDJS0U” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B00LALNIOI” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B00LALNIOI” title=”BCAA’s” /]

[amazon fields=”B00LALNIOI” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B000QSNYGI” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B000QSNYGI” title=”Whey protein” /]

[amazon fields=”B000QSNYGI” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B000QVCAKQ” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B000QVCAKQ” title=”L-glutamine” /]

[amazon fields=”B000QVCAKQ” value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B004R5ZLJ4″ value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B004R5ZLJ4″ title=”Fish oils” /]

[amazon fields=”B004R5ZLJ4″ value=”button”]

[amazon fields=”B0015R3A1S” value=”thumb” image_size=”medium” image_alt=”text”]

[amazon link=”B0015R3A1S” title=”Weight gainers” /]

[amazon fields=”B004R5ZLJ4″ value=”button”]

Sodium phosphate

Which of the Ten Should I Try Out First?

Creatine is by far one of the best workout supplements to give a shot. It has a lot of scientific research put into it, meaning when people say it’s mostly safe, there’s a lot of weight to the claim. In the same vein, when people say it works, there’s a lot of studies agreeing that it does in fact work. If you’re trying to increase muscle mass or strength, creatine is a great workout supplement to look into. Whey protein is also worth looking into. It can be challenging to get enough protein into your diet, and whey protein saves this effort in an easy to drink and usually tasty milkshake! The next time you hit a plateau, trying one of these workout supplements may be enough to get you out of your slump!

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