It’s a pretty common trope in the world of fiction. The unassuming hero (or villain) gets administered some sort of injection, bath, or potion that grants them superhuman speed, strength, and stamina. But is such a thing even possible in the realm of reality? Well, yes and no. While there isn’t any magical super serum out there that will magically make you fit, there are a number of substances and processes you can take advantage of to give yourself an edge. Let’s take a look at a few of the most effective ones!
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most studied and celebrated fitness supplements on the planet. More scientific studies have been done on creatine than any other sports supplements, and the results are overwhelmingly positive. It specifically aids high intensity activities like strength training, rock climbing, sprinting, and other maximal effort, anaerobic type activities. There is also some evidence showing it improves cognitive function (brain power) as well.
While creatine works in a number of ways, primarily it assists with the short term energy delivery mechanisms in your muscles, allowing you to have a little extra power to throw towards difficult reps, or a final burst of speed. It also increased cell hydration in your muscles, which leads to better overall performance. Keep this last one in mind, though, as you’ll probably see a bit of an uptick in weight when you first start taking creatine. Don’t worry, it’s just water!
How to Take It:
If you use basically any commercially available preworkout on the market, you’re probably already taking creatine and you might not have even known it. That said, if you AREN’T, or for some reason your preworkout doesn’t have it, then 5mg a day is fine. Some people frontload it (take 25mg on the first day) and then do 5mg daily after that, but honestly it isn’t necessary. Also, since it bioaccumulates, timing doesn’t really matter much (so you don’t have to take it, like, right before a workout or anything like that.)
Caffeine
Yes, the humble, widespread caffeine molecule is a fantastic performance enhancer. Never mind the fact that most humans on the planet already take it, consuming caffeine prior to a workout can have dramatic performance boosting effects. Most decent preworkouts feature a crazy amount of caffeine coupled with a good dose of creatine for a one-two power boost bunch. Caffeine effectively “turns off” or deadens the biological signals your body uses to tell you you’re fatigued, allowing you to surpass limits that your brain might otherwise tell you are too hard, or that you don’t have the energy for.
However, you need to be careful with caffeine! A lot of people can experience negative side effects from caffein, ranging from “the jitters” all the way to heart palpitations! If you’ve never ingested caffeine before, definitely pace yourself.
How to Take It:
Like I said above, if you’ve never taken caffeine before, definitely ease yourself into it. A cup of coffee or English breakfast tea is usually more than enough for a significant performance boost. If you already consume caffeine regularly, at bit more might give you more of an edge. Commercial preworkouts will give you a solid boost, but I’d recommend starting with a half dose if it’s your first time. Either way, you want to consume the caffeine 20-30 minutes before you start your workout, to give it time to get into your bloodstream and work its magic.
Salt
Here’s another unexpected humble contender! Like caffeine, salt is something most people reading this probably already consume every day. However, the way in which you consume salt (timing, dosage, etc.) can absolutely affect workout performance. Salt is similar to creatine in that it’s capable of boosting strength and power during anaerobic style workouts (weightlifting, etc.) but it also boosts aerobic activities like running, swimming, and cycling.
Now, a word of caution: Most Americans (and residents of other global north nations – though Americans definitely take the crown on this one) already consume “too much” sodium. It’s entirely possible you already take in enough (or too much) salt in your day to day life. But, like I said, the manner in which you take it absolutely matters, too.
How to Take It:
The best timing for salt is to begin ingesting it 20-30 minutes before your workout, and then continue to ingest it throughout your training session. Usually 100-200 milligrams is enough (that’s equivalent to a hefty pinch.) Most sports drink contain more than enough sodium, but they’re also typically loaded with lots of extra sugar, as well, so you may want to consider making your own homebrewed sports drink with salt, water, and a non-calorie sweetener of your choice (I like Mio, personally.)
Other Contenders
Here are a few notables to discuss, with either limited research, no benefits, or even potentially negative benefits.
Beta-Alanine:
Beta-alanine is currently still being researched, and while the body of knowledge for it isn’t nearly as large as creatine, it’s showing promise! A lot of preworkouts feature it, and I’m hoping we see more conclusive scientific studies on it soon!
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs):
There is literally no evidence that BCAAs have any significant performance or workout recovery benefits. Don’t waste your time or money.
Coenzyme Q10:
This is a relative newcomer to the workout game, and as such there are few (if any) reputable studies about it’s performance enhancing capabilities. It’s starting to find its way into a number of preworkouts and energy drinks these days, though, so it’s up to you if you want to give it a shot!
Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs):
SARMs are kind of the new wave of performance enhancers out there and they’re currently being marketed as “sort of steroids that are kiiiinda legal” but the reality is there is a very small body of clinical research out there for them, and they are very hard to get (at least authentic lab quality SARMs.) Most people out there selling SARMs are not selling SARMs, they’re just scamming you. Also the lack of scientific research makes them shaky at best. I’d say avoid them.
Anabolic Steroids, HGH, and other controlled substances:
Listen…I would be lying to you if I said these didn’t work. Steroids, testosterone supplementation, human growth hormones offer clinical, studied performance benefits in basically all areas of sport. They also, however, can be extremely dangerous, and are illegal to obtain in most countries without a prescription. Also, they’ll get you banned from most areas of professional sports competition (though this doesn’t mean professional athletes aren’t using them.) On a personal level, I actually don’t have a problem with steroids. I don’t take them, but I don’t think it’s wrong to use them safely (unless you’re competing in a drug free sport of some sort.) I think the stigma against them is stupid and counter productive. I also think, however, that this is not the place to discuss them, and I definitely do NOT have the body of knowledge for it, either.
The Final Word
As with other areas of fitness, supplements are best if they’re reliable, safe, and, frankly, boring. Dissolve a teaspoon of creatine and a pinch of salt into your coffee a half hour before your workout and you’ll be providing yourself with a powerful, measurable boost to your performance every time. It may not be as dramatic and theatrical as Steve Rogers’ transformation, but you will absolutely notice the difference over time.
Sorry if you came here looking for a magic potion to make you a super athlete, unfortunately those things don’t exist. Even with the heavy hitter stuff we touched on above (steroids, etc.) you still need to put in the hard work in the gym to get the super performing body you’re looking for. So, get your caffeine, your creatine, and your sodium, and get to work!
If you’re interested in even more insights on other supplement products out there, The Alchemist has even more info to offer, with more being added all the time!
Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Dan Wallace
