What is truly ergogenic, according to the evidence
Among hundreds of products sold to athletes, only a few have good performance evidence: caffeine, creatine, buffering agents, and nitrate.
The International Olympic Committee consensus is direct: nutrition makes a small but valuable contribution to elite performance, and supplements are a minor part of that nutrition. Most products sold as performance enhancers lack good evidence; only a few, caffeine, creatine, specific buffering agents, and nitrate, show consistent benefit (Maughan et al., 2018).
The correct order is different: a full nutritional assessment first, food first, and only then a handful of evidence-based aids for a specific goal. A supplement does not fix a poor diet nor replace training and sleep.
There is a risk the advertising does not mention: many supplements are contaminated with banned substances, which can lead to an anti-doping violation. That is why the rule is to test in training, choose products with third-party certification, and be wary of exotic formulas (Maughan et al., 2018).
| Level | Examples | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Good performance evidence | Caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine and bicarbonate (buffers), nitrate | Benefit in specific contexts, when well used |
| Limited or emerging evidence | Some amino acids and antioxidants in specific scenarios | May have restricted use; they are not universal |
| No performance evidence | Most of the rest, including fat burners and hormonal enhancers | Cost, contamination risk, and little or no proof |
Creatine, the most studied and the safest
It increases strength and power, supports training adaptation, and helps beyond sport, with a solid safety profile.
Creatine raises the intramuscular concentration of phosphocreatine, which improves high-intensity performance and amplifies adaptations to strength training. A common protocol is loading, about 20 g per day split across five to seven days, followed by maintenance at 3 to 5 g per day; or simply 3 to 5 g per day from the start (Kreider et al., 2017).
Its safety is among the best documented in the entire field: short- and long-term use, at doses up to 30 g per day for five years, is safe and well tolerated in healthy people and in several patient populations. The fear of kidney damage in those with normal function is not supported by the evidence (Kreider et al., 2017).
The interest goes beyond the court: there are signs of benefit in recovery, tolerance to high training loads, and, under study, cognitive function. It is one of the few supplements that makes sense to consider throughout life, not only in competition.
Caffeine: dose, timing, and variation between people
3 to 6 mg per kilogram, about 60 minutes before; the most consistent effect is on aerobic endurance, with individual response.
Caffeine improves performance at doses of 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of body weight, generally taken about 60 minutes before the effort. The most consistent benefit, moderate to large, appears in aerobic endurance, but there is also a gain in strength, power, sprint, and sport-specific actions (Guest et al., 2021).
The response varies between individuals, partly due to the genetics of caffeine metabolism and habitual intake. Very high doses, on the order of 9 mg per kilogram, bring no further benefit and increase side effects such as anxiety and impaired sleep (Guest et al., 2021).
The source matters: capsules, chewing gum, gels, and mouth rinse have different kinetics, and the ideal timing of intake depends on the chosen form. Gum, for example, tends to act faster than a capsule.
Buffers and nitrate: evidence for specific windows
Beta-alanine, bicarbonate, and nitrate help in defined effort contexts, not in any situation.
Beta-alanine increases muscle carnosine, which buffers acidity in intense efforts of about one to four minutes; sodium bicarbonate provides acute extracellular buffering in the same type of effort. Both are among the few with good evidence in the IOC consensus, always for the right context (Maughan et al., 2018).
Dietary nitrate, typical of beetroot, is converted into nitric oxide and can improve efficiency and tolerance to effort, with a greater effect in less-trained people. It is also a contextual aid, not a universal promise (Maughan et al., 2018).
The rule that unites the three: they are tools dependent on the event and the discipline, and they need to be tested in training before competition, both for individual response and for gastrointestinal tolerance.
| Aid | What it is for | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine | Strength, power, and training adaptation | 3 to 5 g per day, continuous |
| Caffeine | Aerobic endurance and overall performance | 3 to 6 mg per kilogram, about 60 min before |
| Beta-alanine and bicarbonate | Intense efforts of 1 to 4 minutes | Specific protocols, tested in training |
| Nitrate (beetroot) | Aerobic efficiency and tolerance | Acute pre-effort dose, greater effect in less-trained individuals |
The fad category, which is the largest of all
Most supplements sold as enhancers lack outcome evidence and also carry contamination risk.
Outside the handful with evidence, most of the market, fat burners, testosterone boosters, exotic pre-workout blends, and branched-chain amino acids for those who already eat enough protein, has no proof that it changes outcomes. The IOC consensus treats this group as unsupported (Maughan et al., 2018).
Added to this are the cost, the risk of contamination with banned substances, and the opportunity cost: money and attention that no longer go to what really decides the outcome, food, training, and sleep.
The heuristic is old and useful: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If a product promises a shortcut, it is almost always just a promise.
How to decide without falling for the marketing
Nutritional assessment first, food first, evidence next, and always with a product tested by a third party.
The recommended sequence is clear: a full nutritional assessment, correction of real deficiencies, priority for food, and only then considering an evidence-based aid for the specific goal (Maughan et al., 2018).
Choose products with third-party anti-doping certification, and individualize according to genetics, the event, and tolerance. What works for one person may not work for another.
In the end, the supplement is the smaller contribution. The heavy lifting is done by training, sleep, and diet quality; no powder changes that.
Why this matters for your care
For the athlete and for the active patient, the message is sober: very few supplements change performance, and the foundation remains nutritional assessment, food, and training. Supplementation decisions should be individualized by a professional; this text is educational and does not replace medical evaluation.
References
- Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2021. doi:10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4
Educational and scientific content. It does not constitute diagnosis, prescription or individual clinical guidance, and does not replace a medical consultation. Management decisions must be individualized by a physician.