My supplements, and the studies behind them.
People ask me what I take, so here it is. Not every supplement out there, just the ones I take or rate, with all the studies behind them and how well they hold up. If something new catches my eye and the research is good, I’ll add it.
I’m building it now. Each page goes live once I’ve read every study behind it.
Ready to read
Ashwagandha
A root from traditional Indian medicine, studied mostly as extracts. In most reviews and trials it lowered stress and anxiety more than placebo, mostly in stressed adults, and cortisol in most of the studies that measured it. It improved sleep and added strength with training; for testosterone in men the evidence is preliminary.
- Stress and anxiety, in stressed or anxious adults: 7 of 8 better
- Cortisol: 4 of 5 better
- Sleep: 8 of 8 better
- Testosterone in men: 1 of 3 better
- Strength with training: 3 of 3 better
4 Strong1 Preliminary
Creatine
The most studied sports supplement there is. More strength and muscle from the same training, and a growing case for the brain.
- Strength: 7 of 7 better
- Lean mass: 6 of 8 better
- Repeated sprints and short all-out efforts: 4 of 6 better
- Strength and soreness after hard exercise: 3 of 8 better
- Endurance and VO2max: 0 of 4 better
- Memory and processing speed: 4 of 6 better
- Thinking clearly on no sleep: 2 of 3 better
- Depression, alongside treatment: 1 of 2 better
2 Strong6 Preliminary
Magnesium
A mineral that almost half of people in the US got too little of from food in 2005 to 2006. It lowers blood pressure a little, and blood sugar a little in people with or at risk of type 2 diabetes; in poor sleepers, trials improved a few sleep scores but not most, and for strength they found no clear gain.
- Poor sleep and insomnia: 4 of 5 better
- Blood pressure: 5 of 5 better
- Strength and exercise performance: 0 of 5 better
- Blood sugar and insulin, with or at risk of type 2 diabetes: 3 of 4 better
3 Strong1 Preliminary
Omega-3
EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fats of oily fish. They lower triglycerides, which kept falling with dose in the trials, and blood pressure by a little, most at 2 to 3 g a day.
- Triglycerides: 5 of 5 better
- Blood pressure: 3 of 4 better
- Inflammation markers (CRP and IL-6): 1 of 3 better
- Soreness after hard exercise: 3 of 3 better
- Heart attacks and heart deaths: 1 of 2 better
- Memory and thinking: 1 of 2 better
- Joint pain in arthritis: 2 of 3 better
3 Strong4 Preliminary
Quercetin
A plant flavonol found in onions, apples and tea. Two reviews found systolic blood pressure about 2 to 3 mmHg lower than with placebo. For training the evidence is early and mixed: one review found less soreness and two found endurance and VO2max about 1 to 2% better, but the largest trial, of ultramarathon runners, and the newest, of trained cyclists, found no difference from placebo.
- Recovery after hard exercise: 1 of 2 better
- Endurance and VO2max, a small gain: 2 of 5 better
- Blood pressure: 2 of 2 better
- Strength and muscle with training: 2 of 3 better
- Altitude sickness and oxygen saturation at altitude: 1 of 1 better
1 Strong4 Preliminary
What I take, and when
Training adds its slot on training days
Morning with breakfast
Training 30 minutes before
- Electrolytes
- HMB
Evening with dinner
Bed 30 minutes before
- Sleep blend
Coming next
In the order they go live
First up
The ones I take now, in the order I’ll write them up.
R-alpha-lipoic acidUp next
The natural form of alpha-lipoic acid, which the body makes in small amounts.
NAC
N-acetyl cysteine, a source of the cysteine the body builds glutathione from.
Astaxanthin
The red carotenoid that colours salmon and shrimp.
Pantothenic acid
Vitamin B5, the raw material for coenzyme A.
HMB
Calcium HMB, a breakdown product of the amino acid leucine.
Inside my stacks
The ingredients inside the products I take, each with its own page.
D3 + K2
Vitamin D3
Cholecalciferol, the form of vitamin D the skin makes in sunlight.
Vitamin K2
Menaquinone, the form of vitamin K in fermented foods and animal products.
Zinc + copper
Zinc
A trace mineral, taken with copper to keep the two in balance.
Copper
A trace mineral that competes with zinc for absorption.
Electrolytes, with magnesium
Sodium
The main electrolyte lost in sweat.
Potassium
The main electrolyte inside cells.
Calcium
The mineral in bone, and the trigger for every muscle contraction.
Sleep blend
Passionflower
Passiflora incarnata, a climbing vine long used as a calming herb.
L-theanine
An amino acid found almost only in tea leaves.
Valerian
A root used as a sleep remedy since ancient Greece.
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis, a lemon-scented herb in the mint family.
Nootropic blend
Lion’s mane
Hericium erinaceus, an edible mushroom with a shaggy white head.
Alpha-GPC
A form of choline, which the body makes acetylcholine from.
Bacopa
Bacopa monnieri, a creeping wetland herb from Ayurvedic medicine.
Panax ginseng
Korean ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng.
Ginkgo
An extract of the leaves of Ginkgo biloba, one of the oldest tree species alive.
Holy basil
Tulsi, a basil held sacred in Hindu tradition.
Ones I rate
Ones I rate but don’t take right now.
Organ blend
Beef liver
Grass-fed liver, dried: rich in vitamin A, B12, iron and copper.
Colostrum
The first milk a cow makes after calving.
Bone marrow
The soft tissue inside bones, dried.
On their own
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid, a vitamin the body can’t make.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10, part of how mitochondria make energy.
Boron
A trace mineral found in fruit, nuts and legumes.
Sulforaphane
A compound broccoli sprouts form when they’re cut or chewed.