Supplements & Training: What They Do, What Actually Works and What You Can Skip

Walk into any supplement shop or scroll fitness social media and you’ll be hit with one clear message: you need supplements to make progress.

Fat burners, pre workouts, BCAAs, recovery blends, greens powders, all promising faster results, better performance and quicker recovery. But the reality is far less exciting and far more honest.

Supplements can support training, but they don’t replace good nutrition, smart training, or proper recovery. Some are useful. Some are overhyped. Some are a complete waste of money.

Let’s break down the most common supplements, what they’re used for, and whether they’re actually worth your time.

Protein Powder

What it’s used for: Protein powders (whey, casein, plant-based) are used to help people hit their daily protein intake more easily.

Does it work? Yes but only because protein works, not because the powder is special.

Protein supports:

• Muscle repair and growth

• Recovery from training

• Satiety and appetite control

Protein powder is simply a convenient food source, not a magic supplement. If you can hit your protein intake through whole foods alone, you don’t need it but for many people, it makes consistency much easier.

Honest verdict:

✔ Useful for convenience

✖ Not superior to real food

Creatine Monohydrate

What it’s used for: Creatine helps increase stored energy (ATP) in muscles, allowing you to perform more reps, lift slightly heavier and recover better between efforts.

Does it work? Yes! creatine is one of the most researched supplements in the world, with strong evidence behind it.

Benefits include:

• Increased strength and power

• Improved training performance

• Small increases in muscle mass over time

It doesn’t work overnight and won’t transform your physique without proper training, but over weeks and months, the benefits are real. If you're not taking it, start!

Honest verdict:

✔ Highly effective

✔ Safe and well researched

✔ Worth considering for most lifters

Pre-Workout Supplements

What they’re used for: Pre-workouts aim to increase energy, focus and performance before training, usually through caffeine and stimulants.

Does it work? Sometimes.

Most pre-workouts work because of:

• Caffeine

• Beta-alanine (tingling sensation)

• Stimulants that increase alertness

They can improve perceived energy and focus, but they don’t magically make workouts more effective. Many people can get the same benefit from a strong coffee.

Honest verdict:

✔ Can help on low-energy days

✖ Often overpriced

✖ Not essential

BCAAs & EAAs

What they’re used for: Marketed to enhance muscle growth, reduce soreness and prevent muscle breakdown during training.

Does it work? For most people no.

If your total daily protein intake is adequate, BCAAs offer little to no added benefit. Whole protein sources already contain all essential amino acids in effective doses.

Honest verdict:

✖ Largely unnecessary

✖ Poor value if protein intake is sufficient

Omega-3 (Fish Oil)

What it’s used for: Supports general health, inflammation management, joint health and cardiovascular function.

Does it work?Yes, particularly for people who don’t regularly eat oily fish.

Omega-3s may:

• Support joint health

• Reduce inflammation

• Improve overall health markers

This is more of a health supplement than a performance booster.

Honest verdict:

✔ Beneficial for general health

✔ Useful if dietary intake is low

Multivitamins

What they’re used for: To cover potential micronutrient gaps in the diet.

Does it work? It depends.

A multivitamin can help prevent deficiencies, but it won’t compensate for a poor diet. Absorption varies and whole foods remain the best source of vitamins and minerals.

Honest verdict:

✔ Safety net, not a solution

✖ Won’t improve performance on its own

Magnesium & Zinc

What they’re used for: Often taken to support sleep quality, muscle function, recovery and hormone health.

Does it work? If you’re deficient, yes.If you’re not, the effect is often minimal.

Magnesium in particular can help with:

• Sleep quality

• Muscle relaxation

• Recovery

Honest verdict:

✔ Helpful for sleep and recovery in some individuals

✖ Not a performance enhancer by itself

Fat Burners

What they’re used for: Claim to accelerate fat loss through thermogenesis and appetite suppression.

Does it work? Not in any meaningful way.

Most fat burners rely on:

• Caffeine

• Appetite suppression

• Temporary water loss

They do not override poor nutrition or create fat loss without a calorie deficit.

Honest verdict:

✖ Overhyped

✖ Poor long term value

Collagen

What it’s used for: Joint health, connective tissue support, skin and hair health.

Does it work? Possibly for joint and tendon support when combined with adequate vitamin C and overall protein intake.

It is not a complete protein and does not directly build muscle.

Honest verdict:

✔ Potential joint support benefits

✖ Not a muscle-building supplement

Final Thought: Supplements Don’t Fix Foundations

Supplements are exactly what the name suggests supplementary.

If you don’t have:

• Consistent calorie intake aligned with your goal

• Adequate daily protein

• Quality sleep and recovery

• Structured, progressive training

Then supplements will do very little.

No powder can outwork poor habits. No capsule can replace recovery.

No pre workout can compensate for under eating or overtraining.

Get your diet, training and recovery right first.

Then and only then

consider supplements as a small addition, not the solution.

Progress is built on basics. Supplements just sit on top.