Strength Training
Supplements for strength training: creatine monohydrate, protein powders, electrolytes and pre-workout. We explain which forms are worth your money, how much to take and what realistically changes after a few weeks.Read more →
Filters
Availability
Brand
Form
Diet
Goal
Price
What actually helps when you lift weights
Strength training works through progressive overload. You add a little weight or a rep, your body repairs the tissue and adapts. Supplements do not create that adaptation. They remove the things that slow it down: too little protein, an empty tank before a heavy session, or poor recovery after one.
Two ingredients carry most of the evidence for lifters. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short, high-intensity exercise, which is exactly what a set of five heavy reps is. Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. If you want the same subject from the goal side, our Muscle & Strength pages sit next to this one.
Forms and doses decide the result
Creatine monohydrate is the form used in nearly all the research, and 3 grams a day is the amount tied to the approved performance claim. Newer salts cost more per gram and have no better results behind them. That is why our range of creatine monohydrate powder leans on plain and micronised monohydrate, in powder and in capsules.
With protein, the tub size matters less than the grams of protein per 100 g and the leucine content, since leucine is the amino acid that switches muscle building on. Whey isolate is lower in lactose and useful if concentrate leaves you bloated. Plant options need pea and rice combined, or added leucine, to come close to dairy protein. Both sit in our whey and plant protein powders.
The three worries lifters raise most
The first is weight gain. Creatine can add a kilo or two of water inside the muscle in the first weeks, and that is water, not fat. The second is loading. A steady 3 grams a day reaches the same muscle level as a loading week, it simply takes longer. The third is pre-workout. It is mostly caffeine with extras, and a strong coffee does much of the same job for less money. We stock pre-workouts because taste and timing matter to some people, not because progress depends on them.
How we select for this collection
We check three things before a strength product goes live: the form, the dose per serving and whether the combination makes sense. A creatine tub has to state grams per scoop, not just a scoop size. A protein has to declare protein per 100 g, not only per serving. We are brand-neutral and buy directly from the brands, so you get what the label says. Our compliance team checks every product, we test products ourselves and independent labs spot-check batches. After more than ten years we stay sceptical of blends with twenty ingredients at token doses. How we select our brands.
Honest expectations
Nothing here replaces training and food. Expect creatine to show in the gym after two to three weeks of daily use. Protein powder is convenience, not magic: it is food in a tub, useful on days when cooking loses.
- New lifters: enough protein first, creatine second, nothing else yet.
- Four or more sessions a week: electrolytes help on long or hot sessions.
- Lifters over 55: daily creatine alongside regular resistance training, see the FAQ below.
Frequently asked questions
They cover gaps, they do not create progress. Your training and your food do that. A protein powder makes it easier to reach a daily protein target on busy days. Creatine raises the creatine level in your muscle, which increases physical performance in successive bursts of short, high-intensity exercise. Electrolytes replace what you lose in sweat. Anything promising more than that is selling ahead of the evidence.
Two, and no more. Start with protein, because proteins contribute to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass, and most people find a shake the simplest way to close the gap on training days. Add creatine monohydrate at 3 grams a day once you train consistently, roughly three times a week. Give that combination two to three months before you consider anything else. Starting with a six-product stack means you never learn what worked.
UK reference intakes are set for the general population, not for lifters. They are a floor rather than a training target, and most people in the UK already eat above them.
| Group | Reference Nutrient Intake |
|---|---|
| Adults | 0.75 g per kg body weight per day |
| Men (average) | 56 g per day |
| Women (average) | 45 g per day |
| Pregnancy | 6 g extra per day |
Spread your intake across three or four meals rather than one large one.
Monohydrate for almost everyone. The other forms differ in solubility and price, not in results.
| Form | What it is | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Monohydrate | Standard, best studied | Lowest cost per serving |
| Micronised monohydrate | Finer particles | Mixes with less grit |
| Creapure | Branded monohydrate | Documented purity |
| Creatine HCl | More soluble salt | No better results shown |
| Gummies or capsules | Pre-portioned | Several needed per dose |
No. Loading with around 20 grams a day for a week fills the muscle faster, but a steady 3 to 5 grams a day arrives at the same level in roughly three to four weeks. The only difference is how quickly you get there. Higher loading doses are also the main reason people report stomach discomfort. If you are not in a hurry, take the smaller daily dose and skip the loading week entirely.
Creatine timing barely matters, because the effect comes from the level built up in your muscle over weeks, not from the single dose. Take it whenever you will remember it, ideally with a meal. Protein is more about the daily total than the clock. The old idea of a thirty-minute window after training does not hold up. A protein-rich meal or shake within a few hours of your session is plenty.
Sleep and food first. After that, two things have approved claims worth knowing. Carbohydrates contribute to the recovery of normal muscle function after very intense or prolonged exercise that empties muscle glycogen, so a carbohydrate source after a heavy session is useful. Magnesium in bisglycinate form contributes to normal muscle function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Nothing removes next-day soreness; that fades as your body adapts to the movement.
Yes, and this group has its own approved claim. Daily creatine consumption may enhance the effect of resistance training on muscle strength in adults over 55 years old. The conditions matter: at least 3 grams every day, combined with regular resistance training of moderate intensity, roughly three times a week over several weeks. Taking it only on training days did not show the same effect in the studies behind the claim, so consistency is the deciding factor here.
