Best ingredients for strength

The most researched sports supplement in existence.

Typical: 3–5 g

Whey filtered to 90% or more protein by weight, with most lactose and fat removed.

Typical: 20–30 g

A branded, root-only ashwagandha extract standardized to at least 5% withanolides.

Typical: 300–600 mg

Whey concentrated by ultrafiltration to 70–80% protein, retaining more lactose, fat, and native bioactive fractions than isolate.

Typical: 25–35 g

A non-essential amino acid that combines with histidine to form carnosine, the main intramuscular buffer of hydrogen ions during intense exercise.

Typical: 3.2–6.4 g

A non-protein amino acid that the kidneys convert to arginine, raising plasma arginine more efficiently than oral arginine itself.

Typical: 6–8 g

A blend of the three branched-chain amino acids, most often at a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine, that has been a staple of intra-workout drinks for decades.

Typical: 5–10 g

A salt of citrulline and malic acid, most often in a 2:1 ratio, that has been the traditional form in pre-workouts.

Typical: 6–8 g

A free-form blend of all nine essential amino acids, typically leucine-weighted, that provides the complete substrate for muscle protein synthesis without the bulk of a full protein serving.

Typical: 6–15 g

A plant protein isolated from yellow split peas, containing about 80–85% protein with a favorable essential-amino-acid profile for a legume.

Typical: 20–30 g

The predominant protein in milk, which forms a gel in the stomach and releases amino acids slowly over several hours.

Typical: 20–40 g

A branded water-extracted ashwagandha made from both leaf and root and standardized to a minimum of 10% withanolide glycosides, which lets it work at a smaller dose than root-only extracts.

Typical: 125–250 mg

Baking soda, used in sports nutrition as an extracellular buffer that raises blood bicarbonate before high-intensity efforts lasting roughly one to ten minutes.

Typical: 14–21 g

A conditionally essential amino acid and the direct substrate for nitric-oxide synthase.

Typical: 3–6 g

A methyl donor derived from sugar beets that lowers homocysteine and acts as an osmolyte in muscle cells.

Typical: 1.25–2.5 g

A metabolite of leucine studied for reducing exercise-induced muscle protein breakdown and supporting strength and lean mass, particularly in untrained people, older adults, and during intense training blocks.

Typical: 3 g

A generic seed extract of fenugreek, a legume used both as a spice and in traditional medicine.

Typical: 500–600 mg

Nitrosigine is a patented complex of L-arginine bound with silicate and stabilized by inositol, developed by Nutrition21.

Typical: 1,500 mg

The branched-chain amino acid that most directly triggers muscle protein synthesis through mTOR signaling.

Typical: 2.5–5 g

A hydrochloride salt of creatine with much higher water solubility than the monohydrate, marketed on the premise that smaller doses can be used with less bloating.

Typical: 1.5–3 g

Alpha-GPC is a water-soluble phospholipid metabolite that delivers choline across the blood-brain barrier more efficiently than choline salts, which is why it anchors many focus and memory formulas and pre-workout blends.

Typical: 300–600 mg

Dried, pasteurized egg white delivering a complete, high-quality protein with a digestibility score comparable to whey, and naturally free of lactose, fat, and carbohydrate.

Typical: 20–30 g

A salt of arginine bound to alpha-ketoglutarate, usually at a 2:1 ratio, that became popular in nitric-oxide pre-workouts in the mid-2000s.

Typical: 3–6 g

A concentrated beet root extract standardized to a declared nitrate content so that a nitric-oxide dose can be delivered in a capsule or small scoop instead of gram-level powder.

Typical: 300–500 mg

Conjugated linoleic acid is a family of linoleic acid isomers found naturally in ruminant fat and dairy.

Typical: 3–6 g

A branded fenugreek seed extract standardized to 50% fenusides, a saponin glycoside fraction, developed for men's vitality products.

Typical: 600 mg

A metabolite of arginine that acts as a neuromodulator, binding imidazoline and NMDA receptors and influencing nitric-oxide synthase.

Typical: 500–1,500 mg

Ecdysterone is a phytoecdysteroid, an insect-molting hormone analog found in spinach, quinoa, and the roots of Cyanotis and Rhaponticum plants.

Typical: 200–500 mg

Peak ATP is a patented, orally stable form of adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium from TSI Group.

Typical: 400 mg

GlycerSize is Glanbia Nutritionals' stabilized glycerol powder containing 65% glycerol bound to silica, made to replace older 10–25% glycerol monostearate grades in pre-workouts and hydration products.

Typical: 2–5 g

A vanadium(IV) salt that was popular in 1990s bodybuilding products and remains in some blood-sugar formulas.

Typical: 10–50 mg