Supplements explained
clearly and scientifically

Buffers muscle acidity. Helps with repeated efforts of 60 to 240 seconds.

Effective stimulant. Improves performance, focus, and perceived exertion at well-adjusted doses.

More strength, more reps, better recovery between sets. One of the most studied sports supplements.

It is the most abundant amino acid in the blood, and the body makes tens of grams of it every day without anyone asking.

A cofactor in hundreds of reactions. Useful for cramps, sleep, and stress management.

Glutathione precursor, the main antioxidant cells make themselves. In the EU it is a medicine.

Kitchen baking soda, studied as a buffer for intense efforts lasting 30 seconds to 12 minutes.

It has a reputation for helping with sleep and with recovery from exercise. Some of the first trials bore that out, but the most recent ones tell a different story.

Studied for blood sugar and cholesterol, with a modest effect on weight.

It is sold as a powder or in capsules, with the promise of reaching the skin, the joints and the tendons. Trials do find changes that can be measured, and behind every one of the trials we treat as primary there is a company that sells the ingredient.

Glutathione precursor, the main antioxidant cells make themselves. In the EU it is a medicine.

Essential fatty acids. Proven cardiovascular benefit and emerging evidence on cognition.

It lowers cholesterol for the same reason a medicine does: it contains the same molecule. Of 37 European products analyzed, none held what its label declared.

It is found in grape skins and in red wine, and it is sold in capsules with a reputation for slowing aging.

The most studied plant remedy for the prostate, and one of the few supplements whose best trials came out negative.

Essential for bones, immune function, and mood. Deficiency is very common at high latitudes.

Traditional adaptogen. Reasonable evidence for stress and subclinical anxiety.

Effective stimulant. Improves performance, focus, and perceived exertion at well-adjusted doses.

More strength, more reps, better recovery between sets. One of the most studied sports supplements.

A cofactor in hundreds of reactions. Useful for cramps, sleep, and stress management.

Sleep-wake cycle hormone. Effective for jet lag and circadian phase shifts.

Essential fatty acids. Proven cardiovascular benefit and emerging evidence on cognition.

It has a reputation for helping with sleep and with recovery from exercise. Some of the first trials bore that out, but the most recent ones tell a different story.

Essential for bones, immune function, and mood. Deficiency is very common at high latitudes.

It is sold as a powder or in capsules, with the promise of reaching the skin, the joints and the tendons. Trials do find changes that can be measured, and behind every one of the trials we treat as primary there is a company that sells the ingredient.

Essential for bones, immune function, and mood. Deficiency is very common at high latitudes.

It is the most abundant amino acid in the blood, and the body makes tens of grams of it every day without anyone asking.

Kitchen baking soda, studied as a buffer for intense efforts lasting 30 seconds to 12 minutes.

Traditional adaptogen. Reasonable evidence for stress and subclinical anxiety.

The most studied plant remedy for the prostate, and one of the few supplements whose best trials came out negative.