Sport
Sports supplements for training and recovery: protein powders, creatine, pre-workout, electrolytes, gels and bars. We explain which forms suit your training, what dose actually matters and when to take each one.Read more →
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Sports nutrition that fits the way you train
Training raises what your body needs, while your meals often stay the same. Sports supplements exist to close that gap, and most of the gap is protein, carbohydrate and fluid. That is why this range starts with the basics rather than the newest formula. Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass, which is why protein powders and blends sit at the centre of most routines.
Forms matter more than the label suggests
The same ingredient behaves differently depending on how you take it. A powder lets you dose to the gram and adjust as your body weight or training load changes. Capsules fix the dose for you, which helps when you travel but makes small changes awkward. Gels and chews are built for use during exercise, when you need carbohydrate quickly and a shake is not practical.
- Powder: flexible dosing, lowest cost per gram, needs a shaker.
- Bars and chews: easy between meals, but they carry more sugar and fat.
- Gels and sports drinks: for use during long sessions. Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks help maintain endurance performance during prolonged endurance exercise.
- Capsules: practical for single ingredients such as beta-alanine or caffeine.
Dose per serving is where most products fall short
Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise at 3 g per day. Plenty of blends contain less, so we read the label per serving, not per 100 g. Creatine also needs roughly three to four weeks of daily use at that dose before your muscles are fully topped up, which is normal and worth planning for. Beta-alanine and citrulline are often thinned out in the same way. For fluid and salt lost through sweat, hydration and electrolyte products do more than any capsule.
How we choose the sports supplements we stock
We judge three things: the form, the dose per serving, and whether the combination makes sense. A pre-workout with eight ingredients at token amounts does not get in. A creatine monohydrate that gives a full 3 g per scoop does. We are brand-neutral, so we carry what delivers results instead of what pays us best. We buy directly from the brands, our compliance team checks every product before it goes live, we test products ourselves and independent labs spot-check batches. After more than ten years, our conclusion is simple: well dosed beats clever. Read how we select brands and products.
Who this range suits
If you train two or three times a week and eat well, you may need little more than creatine monohydrate and a protein powder for busy days. Runners and cyclists usually gain more from carbohydrate and fluid taken during the session than from anything afterwards. Strength athletes benefit most from reaching a daily protein total, spread across meals rather than in one shake.
These are food supplements, not a substitute for meals, sleep or a sensible training plan. Expect changes you can measure over weeks, and use that time to keep your intake consistent. If you also want to cover the daily basics, the wider supplement range covers vitamins and minerals alongside your training.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a sports supplement?
It is any food supplement or sports food used to support training, recovery or hydration. In practice the range splits into four groups: protein sources such as whey and plant blends, performance ingredients such as creatine and beta-alanine, fuel for during exercise such as gels and sports drinks, and everyday vitamins and minerals that active people run short of. Most of what people buy sits in the first two groups, and the rest is situational.
Do I actually need sports supplements to make progress?
No. Food comes first, and most people already eat enough protein. Supplements are useful when your training load, schedule or appetite makes it hard to hit your targets. A shake after evening training is easier than cooking at 10pm, and creatine is difficult to get from food in useful amounts. If you train twice a week and eat regular meals, you can progress without any of this. Convenience and consistency are the honest reasons to use it.
How much protein do I need per day?
UK reference intakes describe the minimum to avoid a shortfall, not the amount that suits heavy training. The Reference Nutrient Intake is 0.75 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for adults.
| Group | RNI (g per day) |
|---|---|
| Men 19 to 50 | 55.5 |
| Men 50+ | 53.3 |
| Women 19 to 50 | 45.0 |
| Women 50+ | 46.5 |
Active adults commonly aim higher, spread over three or four meals.
Source: British Nutrition FoundationWhich form should I choose: powder, bar, gel or capsule?
Match the form to the moment rather than to the marketing.
| Form | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Powder | Daily protein, creatine | Needs water and a shaker |
| Bar | Between meals, travel | More sugar and fat |
| Gel or drink | Fuel during long sessions | Can upset the stomach |
| Capsule | Single ingredients, fixed dose | Hard to adjust the dose |
Most people end up with a powder at home and a bar or gel in the kit bag.
When should I take protein and creatine around training?
Protein timing matters less than your daily total. Having some protein within a few hours of hard training is sensible, but hitting your target across the day matters more than the exact window. Creatine works through saturation, not timing, so take 3 g at whatever time you will remember, including rest days. Consistency is the active ingredient. If a shake after training is what keeps you consistent, that is a good enough reason to use it.
Do I need to load creatine first?
No. Loading with around 20 g a day for five days fills your muscle stores faster, but a steady 3 g per day reaches the same level in roughly three to four weeks. Loading also causes more stomach complaints, which is why we usually suggest skipping it. The small weight gain people notice in the first weeks is water held inside the muscle, not fat. If you stop, stores return to baseline over several weeks.
Are sports supplements safe if I compete and get drug tested?
No supplement can be guaranteed free from substances banned in sport, and UK Anti-Doping applies strict liability: you are responsible for whatever is in your sample. Their advice is to assess the need, the risk and the consequences, and to use batch-tested products while recording the batch number. Certification programmes test each batch before release. If you compete under testing rules, start with our range for tested athletes and check the batch yourself.
Can I combine several sports supplements at once?
Yes, but stack for a reason, not for the sake of it. Protein, creatine and an electrolyte drink cover different jobs and sit together comfortably. Problems usually come from caffeine adding up: a pre-workout, coffee and an energy drink in one day can push you past the 400 mg that EFSA considers safe for healthy adults from all sources. Adults who are pregnant are advised to stay below 200 mg per day.
Why are pre-workout blends often underdosed?
Because a long ingredient list looks impressive on the front of a tub while costing little. Beta-alanine needs roughly 3 to 6 g per day to build muscle carnosine, and citrulline malate is typically studied around 6 to 8 g, yet many blends spread 5 g of total powder across ten named ingredients. Read the panel per serving, not per 100 g, and check the scoop size. We compare the amount per serving before we list a pre-workout, and we say when a formula is light.
