Thirty-eight supplements, sorted by category and tiered by evidence. Dose ranges from human trials where they exist; clinical notes where the marketing diverges from the science.
| Compound | Form / Brand | Category | Tier | Typical dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | — | Foundation | Established | 3-5 g/day | Strength, lean mass, cognition. Most-studied supplement in sport. |
| Omega-3 EPA/DHA | — | Foundation | Established | 2-4 g combined EPA+DHA/day | Cardiovascular, mood, inflammation. Triglyceride-lowering Tier 1. |
| Magnesium glycinate | Mg-gly | Foundation / sleep | Established | 200-400 mg elemental Mg/night | Sleep onset, muscle relaxation, BP. Glycinate best-tolerated. |
| Vitamin D3 + K2 | — | Foundation | Established | 2000-5000 IU D3 + 90-180 mcg K2 MK-7 | Bone, immune, mood (in deficiency). Test 25(OH)D — target 40-60 ng/mL. |
| Vitamin K2 MK-7 | — | Foundation | Promising | 90-180 mcg/day | Arterial calcification, bone. Pair with D3. |
| Electrolytes (Na/K/Mg) | — | Foundation | Established | Per training/heat losses | Hydration, cramping, GLP-1 nausea support. |
| Glycine | — | Sleep | Promising | 3 g pre-sleep | Modest sleep-onset and core-temp drop in RCTs. |
| Apigenin | — | Sleep | Promising | 50 mg pre-sleep | Mild GABAergic anxiolytic, sleep-onset. |
| L-theanine | — | Sleep / focus | Established | 100-200 mg | Calm focus (with caffeine), reduces cortisol spike. |
| Melatonin (low dose) | — | Sleep / circadian | Established | 0.3-0.5 mg pre-sleep | Circadian shift, not a sedative. High doses backfire. |
| Caffeine | — | Cognitive / ergogenic | Established | 3-6 mg/kg pre-task | Replicated performance. Habituate fast — cycle. |
| Alpha-GPC | α-glycerophosphocholine | Cognitive | Promising | 300-600 mg | Choline donor; modest cognitive + power output. |
| Lion's mane | Hericium erinaceus | Cognitive | Promising | 500-3000 mg/day | NGF modulator. Small human trials promising. |
| Bacopa monnieri | — | Cognitive | Promising | 300-600 mg standardized | Long-term memory (8-12 wk to effect). |
| Beta-alanine | — | Performance | Established | 3-5 g/day | Buffering capacity. 4-6 weeks to saturate carnosine. |
| Beetroot / dietary nitrate | — | Performance / CV | Established | 6 mmol pre-event | Endurance, BP-lowering. |
| Sodium bicarbonate | — | Performance | Established | 0.3 g/kg pre-event | High-intensity buffering. GI tolerability the limiter. |
| NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) | — | Longevity / NAD | Promising | 250-500 mg/day | NAD+ precursor. Human RCTs growing, hard-endpoint trials pending. |
| NR (nicotinamide riboside) | — | Longevity / NAD | Promising | 300-600 mg/day | Older sibling of NMN; well-tolerated. Similar evidence picture. |
| Urolithin A | Mitopure | Longevity / mito | Promising | 500-1000 mg/day | Mitophagy. Replicated muscle endurance in older adults. |
| Spermidine | Wheat germ extract | Longevity / autophagy | Promising | 1-6 mg/day | Autophagy inducer. Observational data + small human pilots. |
| Glycine + NAC | GlyNAC | Longevity / antioxidant | Promising | Glycine 100 mg/kg + NAC 100 mg/kg | GSH precursor stack. Sekhar et al. — robust mito improvements in older adults. |
| NAC (N-acetylcysteine) | — | Antioxidant / liver | Established | 600-1800 mg/day | GSH precursor. FDA-approved for acetaminophen overdose. |
| Berberine | — | Metabolic | Promising | 500 mg 2-3x/day | Glycemic control; AMPK activation. |
| Inositol (myo-inositol) | — | Metabolic / PCOS | Established | 2-4 g/day | PCOS insulin sensitivity, mood. Replicated. |
| Curcumin (high-bio) | Theracurmin / Meriva | Anti-inflammatory | Promising | 500-1000 mg high-bioavailability | Joints, mood adjunct. Bioavailability the limiter. |
| Ashwagandha | KSM-66 / Sensoril | Adaptogen / cortisol | Promising | 300-600 mg standardized | Cortisol modulation, sleep, modest T uplift. |
| Rhodiola rosea | SHR-5 | Adaptogen / fatigue | Promising | 200-400 mg standardized | Mental fatigue, mood. |
| Tongkat ali (eurycoma) | LJ100 | Hormonal | Promising | 200-400 mg standardized | Modest T uplift in deficient men. Cycle 8 on / 2 off. |
| Fadogia agrestis | — | Hormonal | Speculative | 600 mg/day (controversial) | Rodent data only. Liver-tox signal at rodent doses. |
| Boron | — | Hormonal / bone | Promising | 3-10 mg/day | Free T, joint, bone. |
| Zinc bisglycinate | — | Foundation / hormonal | Established | 15-30 mg/day | Immune, T, taste. |
| Selenium | Se-methionine | Thyroid / antioxidant | Established | 100-200 mcg/day | Thyroid, GPx. Toxic >400 mcg. |
| Iodine (kelp) | — | Thyroid | Promising | 150-300 mcg/day (food-form) | Required for T4. Excess can flare Hashimoto's. |
| Iron bisglycinate | — | Foundation | Established | 25-50 mg only if low ferritin | Don't supplement without low ferritin/CBC. |
| B-complex (methylated) | — | Foundation | Established | Per label | MTHFR variants benefit from methylfolate, methyl-B12. |
| Choline (alpha-GPC or CDP) | — | Cognitive / membrane | Promising | 300-600 mg/day | Acetylcholine precursor. |
| Probiotic (strain-specific) | L. rhamnosus GG, B. longum 35624 | Gut | Promising | Per strain label | Strain > brand. |
Supplements interact — with each other, with medications, and with conditions. Run any new addition past a clinician, especially if you're on prescriptions, pregnant, or managing a chronic condition. More is not better. The right amount is.