The dietary supplements industry was valued at $48 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to $118 billion by 2027.
Such statistics show us how unsurprising it is that we can now pick from hundreds of supplements, each touted to be fantastic for our health, well-being, and fitness results.
Plus, given the industry's projected growth, the market will become even more saturated, making it more difficult for us to make the right choice.
With that in mind, let’s go over the four proven supplements you might want to consider as an active person.
- Protein Powder
Protein powder is one of the most effective supplements you should consider to maintain good health and improve your fitness progress.
While not essential in any way, protein powder is helpful because it offers a concentrated dose of protein, allowing you to reach your daily goals more easily. For example, instead of eating meat, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese all day, you can reduce your intake of these foods and get the remaining protein from a powder.
What’s great about protein powder is that you can take it in many ways. For example, you can mix some up with water or milk and enjoy a nutritious shake on the go. Alternatively, you can mix a protein powder into various recipes, such as:
- Pancakes
- Muffins
- Smoothies
- Brownies
- Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is an organic acid, which the body produces by combining glycine, methionine, and arginine. The organic acid is also found in some foods, such as fish and meat.
Supplementing creatine is beneficial because, while you can get some of the compound through food, it isn’t enough to saturate your muscles and bring about benefits. The most notable benefit of creatine is slightly better energy production, which improves strength, power, and endurance measures. As a result, you can do more work while training and make slightly faster progress.
Some research also suggests that creatine might have favorable effects on bone health and cognitive function.
- Collagen Hydrolysate
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and plays a huge role in:
- Providing strength and elasticity to our skin
- Providing structure to cartilage, a connective tissue found in joints between bones
- Providing elasticity to skeletal muscle tissue
There are numerous types of collagen inside the body, each with its vital functions for our health.
Collagen hydrolysate is one of the best supplement forms due to its superior absorption rate. Taking the supplement can offer benefits such as:
- Improved joint and connective tissue repair
- Improved bone health
- Quicker wound healing
- Possibly improved muscle growth
- Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is an amino acid involved in the production of carnosine, an organic molecule that serves a buffering function inside our muscles.
As we exercise, the body produces large amounts of ATP molecules, and the processes release metabolic by-products that cause a decline in muscle pH levels. With our pH going down, we begin to experience a burning sensation that persists until we stop and take a break.
Supplementing with beta-alanine is beneficial because that leads to higher carnosine levels, allowing for greater buffering and a slower pH decline during exercise. As a result, we can train slightly longer and do more work before reaching exhaustion.