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There are only two supplements proven to help you build muscle

Scroll through any weightlifting or bodybuilding forum and it’s easy to feel out of the loop. People throw around advice about BCAAs and HMB and various kinds of protein powders like these are things everyone at the gym should know—and use. Even experienced runners and lifters can feel as if they’re doing something wrong by not supplementing.

But here’s the truth: most of it is totally unnecessary. You could save yourself time and money by just eating a healthy, balanced diet with enough protein to meet your needs. But you came here for supplement advice, not to be told not to do stuff. So here’s what the research says you should do.

The only two supplements you…

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  Examine

We have no conflicts of interest: Our team is composed of scientists; all we do all day, every day, is analyze studies on nutrition and supplementation, to answer your questions.

  LabDoor

Labdoor is an independent company that tests supplements. We find out whether products have what they claim and if they have any harmful ingredients or contaminants. Then, we grade and rank those products, write reports, and publish that information for free, so consumers can confidently buy the best supplements for their health.

  Health Check: which sports supplements actually work?

Whether your goal is to increase strength, decrease body fat or improve overall performance, adding supplements to your daily regimen can give you that extra edge. But with thousands of products on the market, choosing the ones that are right for you can be overwhelming.

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The viral trend of shoveling powdered stimulants directly into your mouth is dangerous, and can be fatal.

 Over 60? These Are the Best Supplements for Your Workout Routine

From vitamin D to curcumin, these easy additions can have you feeling stronger and healthier in no time.

 What actually works for muscle recovery—and what doesn’t

For the best post-workout muscle recovery, sort the science from the snake oil.

 You probably don’t need to take pre-workout. Here’s why.

Fitness experts weigh in on whether pre-workouts are worth the hype—or if a banana and coffee are just as effective. The reality is that unless you are training at an elite level and have access to your performance data, pre-workouts likely offer minimal additional benefits beyond the widely studied effects of caffeine.

Articles of Interest

Can coffee improve your workout? The science of caffeine and exercise

So will drinking a cup of joe before your workout actually make a difference? The answer could depend as much on your genes as what kind of coffee you’re drinking.

Can Ketones Rev Up Our Workouts?

Each rider rode after drinking the placebo and, on another day, after swallowing the ketones. The results were unanimous. Every rider performed worse after drinking the ketone supplement. Their times were about 2 percent slower and their power output almost 4 percent less, declines that, in actual competition, would drop them from contention for medals.

Can Sports Performance Supplements Give You an Edge?

When you're looking for help, you can't help but wonder if the claims on the labels of ergogenic aids (nutritional supplement products that enhance performance) hold water. They promise to help you build muscle, burn fat, suppress appetite, improve performance, speed up muscle recovery, reduce muscle fatigue, yadda yadda yadda.

Dietary supplements – are they fit for purpose?

Can all those drinks, capsules and powders really improve your sporting performance? We asked the experts.

Is it safe to take exercise supplements?

While too numerous to mention, there are a wealth of supplements being consumed by gym goers, with the aim of enhancing muscle mass, reducing fat and increasing performance. Let’s have a look at their safety.

Men Looking To Get Ripped Are At Risk Of Abusing Legal Supplements

The silver lining, Achiro points out, is that 29 percent of study participants knew that they had a problem of overusing supplements. But they might not be aware of possible underlying psychological factors. "Guys think taking supplements is healthy, [they're] convinced it's good for them, [it's] giving them all kinds of nutrients they wouldn't be getting otherwise," says Cohn. "[This is] ignorance about what proper nutrition is."

Muscles in a Bottle?

"Get jacked!" "Get pumped!" "Gain 7 pounds in 7 days!" Walk into any vitamin store and you'll get the idea that you can be cut like an Abercrombie & Fitch model in no time. Protein powders compete for shelf space with muscle enhancers and testosterone boosters. You'll find energy drinks, protein bars, amino-acid packets, and even muscle-building oatmeal with 30 grams of protein. Tempting, but do they really work? We've broken down some of the most popular muscle builders and asked the experts to explain the science behind the pitch.

Risky stimulants turn up — again — in weight loss and workout supplements

The ingredients, apparently new, were popping up on the labels of dietary supplements marketed for weight loss and workouts. Sometimes the label said DMHA. Sometimes, Aconitum kusnezoffii. Or other, even harder-to-parse names.

Should I Be Taking Amino Acid Supplements When I Work Out?

They can be even more effective than whey protein for building muscle.

Some weight-loss and exercise supplements contain banned and experimental stimulants

Two of the stimulants are explicitly banned by the FDA, and one has mainly been tested in cats and dogs.

Supplements That'll Help Your Workout, According to Experts

Avoid the snake oil. This stuff actually works.

The Illegal Ingredients in Your Dietary Supplements

FDA issued public warnings about the potential danger of these experimental stimulants.

The Truth about Pre-Workout Supplements

Preworkout supplements often contain a mystery blend of ingredients ranging from caffeine to guarana to creatine. But do these supplements work, and are they safe to take? It turns out that these supplements may just change the way you feel while you're working out. Many of the ingredients in preworkout supplements are intended to give athletes the perception that their workout is supercharged.

What Are Pre-Workout Supplements—And Do You Need Them?

You can find a supplement claiming to help boost pretty much anything: sleep, immunity, joint pain, relaxation, gut health, post-workout recovery. Lately, though, it’s the pre-workout supplements category that’s been getting a lot of attention. (Not all of it good.)

When Teen Boys Use Supplements

Some supplements are more effective than others — and some may be harmful, experts warn.

When the Gym Isn’t Enough

Male-oriented fitness supplements are not hard to find, but they are hard to figure out. Top-selling products like creatine, whey powder and nitric oxide are widely available under many brand names at drugstores and chains like G.N.C., but they are also minimally regulated, with a majority going untested by the Food and Drug Administration.

Which Workout Supplements Actually Work?

Here's what we know about creatine, whey protein, BCAA powder, and more.

Who's Spiking Your Supplements?

American men have a mania for pills and potions that can add muscle or stiffen their sex lives. Shady drug labs supply the demand—by dosing "natural" nostrums with illegal meds and hidden health threats

Your Pre-Workout Supplements Might Contain Some Shady Ingredients

“Many claims on supplement labels are usually, if not always, based on exaggerated research findings."

Resources

8 Power Foods for Athletes and Rowers

Whether you're training for your very first rowing race or the Olympic Games, choosing great nutrition is one of the biggest ways to up your game. It's not always easy or convenient to have good foods available or incorporated into every meal and snack, but I pulled together eight of the big ones that you really can utilize every day, along with some recipes that work for real life!

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Supplements, drinks, shakes, fitness supplements.