Get Stronger

High-quality evidence

Across dozens of RCTs, creatine monohydrate consistently increases lean body mass and maximal strength versus placebo, particularly when combined with resistance training; this is the only supplement in this catalogue with high-quality replicated evidence for the 'Get Stronger' goal.

Moderate-quality evidence · 41 people

In 41 men, taking citrulline malate before exercise increased bench press repetitions by about 53% and cut muscle soreness by roughly 40% at 24–48 hours compared to placebo.

Moderate-quality evidence · 81 people

A year of nightly melatonin increased lean body mass by roughly 5% compared to placebo in postmenopausal women with low bone density — a real outcome from a properly blinded RCT — but the population is highly specific and it is unknown whether this effect extends to people who are actively training to gain muscle.

Moderate-quality evidence · 64 people

A 12-week RCT in 64 healthy adults found statistically significant improvements in leg extension strength and grip strength with PQQ vs. placebo — the most direct positive result in this catalogue — but the study was funded by the manufacturer, used a proprietary form, and has not yet been independently replicated.

Moderate-quality evidence · 161 people

A 12-week double-blind RCT in 161 young men found pea protein isolate produced greater biceps muscle thickness than placebo (p<0.05) with no significant difference from whey; however, the supplement tested was pea protein alone, not a pea+rice blend, and no trial specifically testing the pea+rice combination for lean mass or strength was identified.

Low-quality evidence · 57 people

In 57 young men doing resistance training, 600 mg/day ashwagandha root extract produced significantly larger 1RM gains and arm muscle cross-sectional area increases than placebo over 8 weeks — a promising signal, but a single small trial that needs independent replication.

Low-quality evidence · 53 people

In 53 elderly men with sarcopenia, 15 g/day collagen peptides plus resistance training produced larger fat-free mass gains than training plus placebo (+4.2 vs +2.9 kg); whether this extends to healthy younger adults is unknown, and collagen is low in essential amino acids, making the mechanism debated.

Low-quality evidence · 16 people

Omega-3 significantly raised the rate of muscle protein synthesis in 16 older adults — a valid endpoint on this goal's list — but the study is very small, population-specific, and a 2025 overview of 11 meta-analyses found no consistent evidence that this mechanistic signal translates into actual lean mass or strength gains in clinical trials.

Low-quality evidence · 26 people

Twenty-six older adults doing resistance training who took quercetin glycoside (200 mg/day) showed greater gains in muscle strength than placebo, apparently via altered motor-unit recruitment. The sample is tiny, the population is older adults only, and no lean-mass outcome was reported.

Low-quality evidence · 30 people

Thirty older adults (65–80 yr) who exercised for 12 weeks and took 500 mg/day resveratrol showed 8–14% higher knee extensor peak torque and power than exercising placebo subjects. The sample is very small and the population is older adults only; the effect in younger, healthy adults is unknown.

Low-quality evidence · 27 people

Twenty-seven resistance-trained adults showed significantly higher bench press and leg press 1RM after 7 days on low- or high-dose Rhodiola vs placebo (leg press +24–36 kg, p<0.001). The study is very short (7 days cannot explain structural muscle change), very small (n=27), and a crossover 1RM test is susceptible to practice effects despite double-blinding.

Low-quality evidence · 30 people

Thirty elite male speed skaters who took a single acute 6 g dose of taurine showed 3–13% higher peak and mean Wingate power output than placebo. This is acute anaerobic power, not maximal strength or lean mass. Whether chronic taurine supplementation changes lean mass or 1RM is untested in this study.

Low-quality evidence · 13 people

Thirteen male recreational bodybuilders on whey protein isolate gained roughly 5 kg of lean mass versus 0.8 kg for those on casein over 10 weeks of resistance training, with greater strength improvements as well; because there was no no-protein placebo group, how much of the lean mass gain is attributable to the supplement rather than training alone cannot be determined.

Low-quality evidence · 22 people

Twenty-two participants who supplemented with high-leucine whey protein hydrolysate increased quadriceps cross-sectional area by 7.3% compared to 3.4% in the carbohydrate-only control after 12 weeks of resistance training, a statistically significant difference; maximal voluntary contraction also improved more in the hydrolysate group.

Low-quality evidence

An RCT in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle found that adding free EAA supplementation to resistance training produced 10% more muscle mass gain and 6% more strength gain than resistance training alone; however, participant count is not confirmed from search results, endurance was the paper's primary endpoint, and the strength and mass data are secondary findings in a study designed to study a different outcome.

Moderate-quality evidence

A GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of 20 trials found no significant effect of beta-alanine on fat-free mass; its evidence base is for high-intensity endurance performance (via carnosine buffering), not muscle building.

Moderate-quality evidence

An RCT in older men found that resistance training improved muscle mass and strength in both groups, but chromium picolinate added no benefit over placebo on any strength or lean-mass measure; a meta-analysis also found no meaningful lean-mass difference.

Moderate-quality evidence · 74 people

Eight weeks of magnesium supplementation did not significantly improve handgrip strength, knee extension strength, or lean mass compared to placebo in overweight women, even though the magnesium group showed within-group trends.

Moderate-quality evidence · 120 people

One hundred and twenty postmenopausal women taking selenite (50 µg or 200 µg daily) for 6 months showed no improvement in physical function tests compared to placebo. Selenium adequacy likely meets baseline function, but does not increase it.

Moderate-quality evidence · 2,919 people

In 2,919 adults aged 65+ with elevated homocysteine, two years of B12 (500 µg) plus folic acid did not prevent the age-related decline in handgrip strength or physical performance compared to placebo. Note that folic acid was co-administered with B12 in both arms, so the effect cannot be attributed to B12 alone. The absence of benefit is the finding.

Moderate-quality evidence

A 2021 meta-analysis of placebo-controlled RCTs concluded that current evidence does not support beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle health, and may even suggest potential adverse effects in some models. A separate 2023 meta-analysis in athletes (11 RCTs, 436 athletes; doi 10.3389/fnut.2023.1163313) also found no statistically significant effect on 1RM or power.

Moderate-quality evidence · 80 people

Eighty mobility-limited adults aged 70-85 received 40 g/day of whey protein concentrate or an isocaloric control alongside six months of resistance training; the WPC group gained slightly more lean mass (1.3% vs 0.6%) but the difference was not statistically significant, and no strength advantage emerged.

Moderate-quality evidence · 68 people

Sixty-eight physically active men received micellar casein, fast-digesting milk protein, or placebo during 10 weeks of resistance training; micellar casein produced no greater gains in maximal strength or muscle thickness than placebo, though only the fast-digesting protein arm significantly reduced muscle fatigue.

Moderate-quality evidence · 302 people

A 2020 meta-analysis of 11 trials in 302 young adults found HMB produced no significant gains in fat-free mass or strength versus placebo during resistance training; a 2025 meta-analysis in adults over 50 found modest effects (lean mass +0.28 kg, handgrip +0.54 kg), suggesting HMB may matter more in older or clinical populations than in healthy adults pursuing a strength goal.

Low-quality evidence · 31 people

In 31 young adults doing 6 weeks of resistance training, glutamine at 0.9 g/kg lean mass per day produced no significant difference in lean tissue mass or strength versus placebo; both groups improved equally from training alone.

Low-quality evidence · 10 people

A 2-week crossover in 10 athletes found maca did not improve jump height, sprint performance, or fatigue index vs. placebo; the sample is tiny, the duration is very short, and none of the outcomes include lean mass or 1RM.

Low-quality evidence · 34 people

This study tested combined vitamin C (500 mg) plus vitamin E (117.5 mg) — NOT vitamin C alone — in 34 elderly men during a 12-week strength programme. The combined antioxidant group gained less total lean body mass than placebo. The effect cannot be attributed to vitamin C independently; all evidence for vitamin C on this outcome comes from combined C+E protocols.

Low-quality evidence · 34 people

This study tested combined vitamin C (500 mg) plus vitamin E (117.5 mg) — NOT vitamin C alone — in 34 elderly men during a 12-week strength programme. The combined antioxidant group gained less total lean body mass than placebo. The effect cannot be attributed to vitamin C independently; all evidence for vitamin C on this outcome comes from combined C+E protocols.